LEXINGTON, Neb. (AP) – The Lexington superintendent plans to leave the western Nebraska district next summer after six years.
Todd Chessmore submitted his resignation to the school board Monday, but he did not say what he plans to do after leaving Lexington next June.
Chessmore says he is proud that the district remains on a sound financial basis, and that several school building projects were completed during his tenure.
The school board approved spending $10,000 to conduct a search for the district’s next superintendent with the help of the National Association of School Boards.

ORRVILLE, Ohio (AP) – J.M. Smucker Co. is recalling thousands of 16-ounce jars of its Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter Chunky because of possible salmonella contamination.
The Ohio-based company says the jars covered in the recall would have been purchased in the last week or so. They have “Best if Used By” dates of Aug. 3, 2012 and Aug. 4, 2012, plus the production codes 1307004 and 1308004.
Smucker says 3,000 jars are being recalled from stores. Another 16,000 had never left warehouses.
Salmonella is bacteria resulting in fever, cramps and diarrhea that lasts for several days and can require hospitalization.
Smucker says no illnesses have been reported.
The product was distributed in: Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

CHADRON, Neb. (AP) – A second earthquake has struck parts of northwest Nebraska and southwest South Dakota.
The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed the area between Chadron and Crawford, and Hot Springs, S.D., has had two small earthquakes this week.
According to Eagle Radio station KQSK, the first, with a magnitude of 3.7 on the Richter scale, happened just before midnight Sunday. The second, which had a magnitude of 3.3, happened about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Both were felt by residents but neither was strong enough to cause damage.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (North Platte Post)- The North Platte Area Habitat for Humanity is dedicating their 33rd house this week. A celebration will be held at Tim and Jody Hudson’s new home at 2418 West 15th Street this Friday beginning at 4 p.m.

According to local Habitat President Lawrence Ostendorf, this is the tenth year of volunteer participation and over a quarter of a million dollars donated to the project by local sponsor Wells Fargo Bank. The public is invited to attend the ceremony on Friday afternoon.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – The Nebraska State Patrol says a wayward text message has led to a drug bust.
It started when someone sent a message about buying drugs – to a trooper in North Platte.
Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins says the trooper began receiving text messages from an unknown number on Nov. 7. The trooper played along and arranged to meet the sender that night in Broken Bow.
The trooper showed up and arrested 23-year-old Aaron Sartin, of Kearney. He’s charged with driving under the influence of drugs, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Collins says Sartin was cited and released.
His case isn’t listed on the online court system. There is no public phone listing for Sartin in the Kearney area.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A rural McCook man has pleaded guilty to robbing a southwest Nebraska credit union at gunpoint.
Joel Witt pleaded guilty to bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence on Monday in U.S. District Court in Lincoln.
He was accused of robbing the Pioneer Community Federal Credit Union in Palisade in April. Prosecutors say he took nearly $11,600.
No one was injured.
Nebraska State Patrol troopers arrested Witt about an hour later near Grant and recovered the firearm and the money.
Witt faces up to 25 years in prison for bank robbery and 10 years on the firearm charge. Sentencing is Feb. 13.

GOTHENBURG, Neb. (AP) – The Nebraska State Patrol says two people have died of injuries suffered in a crash on Interstate 80 in south-central Nebraska that killed a 2-year-old Colorado boy earlier this month.
The accident happened Nov. 7 near Gothenburg when a westbound car ran into the median and rolled after passing a semitrailer. The patrol says the toddler, Joshua Atkins, of Brush, Colo., died shortly after the crash.
The patrol says Tuesday the boy’s mother, 23-year-old Katie Griggs, of Brush, Colo., died Nov. 11 at a hospital in Kearney.
Authorities say 36-year-old Simon Jacinto-Mendez, of Kimball, died after being taken off life support at an Omaha hospital.
All three were passengers in the car. The driver survived.