GREELEY, Neb. (AP) — A January sentencing has been scheduled for a driver accused of hitting and killing a highway worker in central Nebraska.

Court records say 77-year-old Nicholas Dutcher, of Scotia, pleaded no contest Wednesday in Greeley County Court to a misdemeanor charge of vehicular homicide. His sentencing is set for Jan. 19.

Authorities say that on Oct. 3, Dutcher was traveling at least 55 mph in a pickup truck when he hit Peggy Gray, of North Platte, who was working as a flagger on a highway between Greeley and Wolbach. Investigators say Gray’s husband, a road construction worker, was at the scene and saw his wife thrown nearly 100 feet when she was hit.

Authorities say she died from her injuries in November.

SCHUYLER, Neb. (AP) — A January sentencing has been scheduled for a Schuyler man who was involved in a fatal traffic accident.

27-year-old Jesus Vasquez De La Cruz pleaded no contest in Colfax County District Court to manslaughter. He was driving a pickup truck in April 2016 when it went out of control on a rural road north-northwest of Schuyler. His passenger, 24-year-old Moises Aguilar-Aguilar, was fatally injured.

The county attorney’s office is recommending a four-month jail sentence and $5,000 restitution as part of a plea deal. The judge is not bound by the agreement.

The sentencing is set for Jan. 10.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court’s denial of post-conviction relief for a man serving a 20-year prison sentence for drunkenly running down and killing a Nebraska high school volleyball coach.

The appeals court on Tuesday said a Furnas County District Court did not err in denying Herchel Huff’s latest appeal. Huff had sought post-conviction relief, saying his trial lawyer was so ineffective that it violated his right to a fair trial. The Furnas County court dismissed his motion, and he appealed.

Authorities say Huff was drunk and speeding on Oct. 3, 2007, when he hit and killed Kacey Jo Warner, of Arapahoe, as she was jogging with her 3-year-old daughter. Warner, who coached at Arapahoe High School, was killed on impact, but managed to throw her daughter to safety before Huff’s car hit her.

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a south-central Nebraska woman who locked her two children out of their home in 91-degree heat has been given 12 months of probation.

Court records say 29-year-old Kirsten Tunender pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of negligent child abuse after prosecutors lowered the charge from a felony. She was sentenced Thursday in Adams County Court.

Authorities say a neighbor spotted the 2- and 8-year-old girls trying to get into their Hastings home on June 11. When officers knocked on the residence doors, no one answered. Police said the children seemed OK in the 91-degree heat and didn’t need medical attention.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A Bellevue man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty in the death of his 5-month-old daughter.

Camron Ludi was sentenced Monday in Sarpy County court to the 18-year term after pleading guilty in August to negligent child abuse resulting in death.

Ludi’s daughter, Cassidy, died in July 2016.

Ludi had told investigators he put Cassidy to bed, went outside to smoke a cigarette and found her on the floor when he returned.

The baby died later at a hospital.

A pathologist testified her injuries were due to blunt force trauma to the head and were not consistent with a 30-inch fall onto a rug.

BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a Beatrice man faked his own kidnapping so he could collect ransom from his parents.

The parents called Beatrice police earlier this week to report that their son was being held ransom for $5,000, which had to be wired to his bank account.

Police determined that the calls came from the 30-year-old man’s girlfriend’s phone and traced the phone to the man’s Beatrice home. Officers say they saw him through a window there, holding a silver handgun. They forced their way in and took him into custody. The gun turned out to be a CO2-powered BB gun.

He was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of attempted extortion, obstructing government operations, and other crimes. Court records don’t show he’s been charged.