AURORA, Neb. (AP) — An Aurora man has been convicted of twice trying to hire someone to kill his wife.

In a ruling released Tuesday on his nonjury trial earlier this month, 38-year-old Robert Honken was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Honken faces up to 50 years in prison on each count. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 20.

Authorities say Honken paid Derrick Shirley to kill Honken’s wife. They say Shirley did surveillance around the woman’s Hamilton County home but never tried to kill her. Authorities say Honken also tried to hire another person, but that man turned out to be an undercover officer.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln man accused of assaulting an Uber driver now faces a felony hate crime charge in the case.

30-year-old James Danahay was charged Monday with third-degree assault committed as a hate crime.

Police say an Uber driver with an Arabic name picked up Danahay just before midnight on Oct. 3. Police say Danahay began asking the driver questions about his family and ethnicity. When the driver declined to answer, police say, Danahay began yelling racial insults and calling the driver an “illegal alien.” Police say Danahay punched the driver when he pulled over and called 911.

If convicted, Danahay faces up to two years in prison. His next court hearing is Dec. 20.

A working phone number for Danahay could not be found Tuesday.

PANORA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a Nebraska toddler found floating in a bathtub has died in an Iowa hospital.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says medics were called to a rented condo at Clover Ridge Resort at Lake Panorama on Wednesday. Authorities say the 21-month-old had been placed in the tub with her 4-year-old sibling, who was not harmed.

The Sheriff’s Office says the younger child was flown to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, where she died on Thanksgiving Day.

She’s been identified as Sawyer Madsen, who lived in Lincoln, Nebraska, with her parents, Elena and Joshua Madsen.

The incident is being investigated. An autopsy was ordered.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — The mother of a girl injured in a 2014 sledding accident at a Nebraska school will get a $500,000 lump-sum payment as part of a settlement with the school district’s insurance company.

Valarie Potter was 14 when she was injured at what used to be known as La Vista Junior High School. She and a friend slid down a hill together and hit a chain-link fence. A lawsuit filed by Valarie’s mother says Valarie’s legs were fractured and an artery in her left knee was torn.

The lawsuit says Papillion-La Vista Community Schools failed to post a sign or otherwise warn people of the danger, despite knowing that people often struck the fence while sledding.

District spokeswoman Annette Eyman says insurance company officials decided to settle the case.

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — The National Weather Service has confirmed three tornadoes reported Sunday in south-central Nebraska.

The service said in a news release Monday that the first touched down a little after 4 p.m. around 2.6 miles southwest of Upland and lifted a minute later. It was rated an EF0 with peak winds of 70 mph.

The second touched down at 4:34 p.m. about 4 miles east of Red Cloud and lifted five minutes later. It was rated EF1 with peak winds of 95 mph. It damaged some farm outbuildings and irrigation systems.

The service says the third twister touched down at 5 p.m. around 6 miles southeast of Lawrence and lifted three minutes later. It was rated an EF0 with peak winds of 75 mph.

No injuries have been reported.

FORT CALHOUN, Neb. (AP) — Firefighters from five departments have put out a fire that engulfed a home in rural Fort Calhoun in eastern Nebraska.

Authorities say the fire was first reported around 7:40 p.m. Sunday and was under control less than 90 minutes later. Some firefighters remained on the scene to monitor hot spots.

The two people in the house escaped the flames.

The fire cause is being investigated.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A man who pleaded guilty to a fatal 1984 stabbing in Lincoln is hoping he’ll receive a commutation after being on probation for 20 years.

The Nebraska Board of Pardons will consider 53-year-old Terry Taylor’s request for a commutation on Thursday.

Taylor pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 1985 in the death of his 18-year-old roommate Ben DeBaets Jr. The Nebraska Parole Board voted to release him in 1996. Taylor moved to Texas and has continued to be on probation and under supervision. He says his clean record while on parole shows he’s not a threat to society, and that his crime was one of passion.

If Taylor’s sentence is commuted to a definite term, his parole could be ended.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities suspect a 42-year-old woman stabbed a man at a homeless camp in north Lincoln.

Police say in a news release that the stabbing occurred a little before 8 p.m. Saturday. The 45-year-old victim was taken to a hospital.

The woman soon was arrested on suspicion of assault and use of a deadly weapon. Online court records don’t yet show that she’s been formally charged.

The records also show that she’s been awaiting sentencing Dec. 16 on two counts of disturbing the peace.

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man whose body was found near railroad tracks in Bellevue appears to have been hit by a train.

Police identified the man Monday as 45-year-old Saul Davila-Solis. A Union Pacific engineer spotted his body about 11 a.m. Sunday.

Police say they don’t believe Davila-Solis lived in Bellevue, but didn’t release any other details.

The incident is being investigated.