LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Firefighters are investigating the cause of a cardboard fire at an eastern Nebraska meat processing plant.

Local media reports that Lincoln firefighters worked into the night Thursday to extinguish smoldering cardboard at the Farmland Foods Inc. plant in Lincoln.

Authorities say the fire started around 2:30 p.m. in a second-floor storage room that was filled with bales of flattened cardboard, stacked 5 to 10 feet high.

City Fire Inspector Rick Campos says authorities have ruled out some electrical issues as a possible cause, but had yet to determine what started the fire as of Thursday night.

No injuries were reported, and Campos estimates the fire caused less than $10,000 in damage.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Dave Heineman is expanding plans to make roadside hay available to help livestock producers deal with drought.

Earlier this week, Heineman ordered the state Roads Department to begin roadside haying early in 55 counties.

Then on Thursday, Heineman added 15 additional counties to the list allowing early hay harvest.

Under roadside haying, the state stops mowing along state roads and allows producers to harvest the forage for their livestock.

The list of counties participating in roadside haying is available at the governor’s website, http://www.governor.nebraska.gov/

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A mother who lived with her toddler in a car outside an Omaha homeless shelter has been fined $50 for a misdemeanor count of child neglect.

Local media reports that police found Theresa Stockfeld living in the car in April. Police also say she had allowed several intoxicated, homeless men to take care of her 3-year-old daughter while she left the car.

Police say that when officers found the girl, her diaper hadn’t been changed in a long time, the interior of the car was littered with clothes, trash and old food and a weapon was within the girl’s reach.

Stockfeld pleaded guilty to misdemeanor child neglect earlier this week. She’s due in court later this month to see if she can regain custody of her daughter.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The driver of a car involved in a deadly crash in Omaha has been charged with motor vehicle homicide.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine says 20-year-old Vidal Becerra was charged on Thursday.

Kleine says Becerra had a blood-alcohol level of three times the legal limit of .08 percent when he crashed his car Wednesday night.

Police say a front-seat passenger, 21-year-old Nicholas Galas, of Omaha, was killed. A back-seat passenger, Eduardo Corona, refused medical treatment and was booked on an outstanding warrant.

Becerra was treated for minor injuries and arrested on suspicion of criminal homicide.

Kleine says Becerra will make an initial court appearance on Friday. His case is not on the online court system, and it’s unclear if he has an attorney.

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — A Honduran cheese maker has been granted a no-interest loan that will help the company establish its first U.S. production facility.

reports  that the Columbus City Council unanimously approved the $91,000 loan request on Monday. The loan is expected to cover about half the cost of equipping Central American Foods LLC’s new facility.

Owners Carlos and Marlon Reyes, of Richland, are renovating a portion of the building for their cheese-making operation. The 12,400-square-foot site will share space with an existing Frontier Communications service center.

Marlon Reyes says the Honduras-based company has been exporting cheese to the U.S. for five years. The Columbus location is expected to be operational by late August or early September.

YORK, Neb. (AP) — A 21-year-old York man has died after he was caught in a piece of grain-bin machinery on his family’s farm.

Local media reports that Tyler Grotz died on Tuesday.

York Fire Chief Kevin Stuhr says Grotz got caught in a sweep auger while getting grain out of a bin. Rescue workers were dispatched to the family farm southwest of York just before 8 p.m., but Grotz was pronounced dead at the scene.

Family members have scheduled a visitation from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday. Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday on the main floor of the York City Auditorium.

GERING, Neb. (AP) — Authorities are blaming fireworks for a blaze that displaced a western Nebraska family.

Local media reports that the fire on Wednesday destroyed a garage and caused significant smoke and water damage to a home in Gering.

Fire Chief Jay Templar says the blaze was caused by discarded fireworks placed in a trash can outside the garage. He says antiques and other items stored in the garage were destroyed.

The fire also set a tree on fire between property lines.

Firefighters were called to the scene shortly before 11 p.m. Wednesday.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Senate candidate will make an announcement regarding the national debate on health care reform and his plan for change.

The former U.S. senator and Nebraska governor will hold a news conference Thursday morning at his Omaha campaign office.

Kerrey supported President Barack Obama’s health care law that was mostly upheld last week by the U.S. Supreme Court, but has said he would like to see changes made to it.

Kerrey has said he’s particularly interested in a proposal that would see the federal government and states “swap” responsibilities for Medicaid and public schools. Under the plan, the federal government would take full responsibility for Medicaid, a federal-state program for poor and disabled people, while states would take full responsibility for public schools.