CLATONIA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have identified the man whose body was found in a Gage County irrigation pond.

Gage County Attorney Roger Harris said Friday the body was that of 68-year-old Wayne Brinkmeyer, who lived in DeWitt. Authorities were sent to the pond three miles south of Clatonia Thursday evening after relatives called for help. They’d grown concerned because he’d missed a scheduled dinner with friends and wasn’t answering calls.

A family member told authorities that Brinkmeyer had been working on a pump in the pond.

An autopsy has been scheduled.

Brinkmeyer had been heavily involved in agriculture issues and had served on the county Planning and Zoning Commission.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — State health and environment officials have ended a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Branched Oak Lake in Lancaster County.

The alerts will continue for at least another week at Iron Horse Trail Lake in Pawnee County, Pawnee Lake in Lancaster County and Willow Creek Lake in Pierce County.

Officials said in a news release Friday that the alerts were issued following tests of the lake water. Lakes that are on health alerts must have two consecutive weeks of readings below the threshold before the alerts are discontinued.

Skin exposed to the toxin from certain strains of blue-green algae can develop rashes and blisters. Someone who drinks water containing the toxin is at risk for headaches, nausea and muscular pain.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man wearing only boxer shorts stole a pickup and drove it into a Southwest Airlines plane at an airport in Omaha, Nebraska, causing minor injuries to three people on board.

Eppley Airfield Police Chief Tim Conahan says an officer spotted the man outside the terminal Thursday evening, screaming that people were trying to kill him. When officers approached, the man ran, climbed a fence into the gate area, undressed and stole an airline pickup. He drove into the plane, which was headed to Denver, as passengers were boarding.

The man is in custody. His name hasn’t been released.

Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said Friday that the plane’s nose gear tires were flattened, so another plane flew the 113 passengers to Denver, landing three hours later than originally scheduled.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Another one of the nine former Winnebago Tribal Council members charged in federal court with theft of tribal funds has pleaded not guilty.

Eight of the defendants have now pleaded not guilty. Thirty-eight-year-old Travis Mallory entered his not guilty plea on Wednesday.

The initial hearing for 70-year-old Morgan Earth has been delayed.

Prosecutors say the officials siphoned $327,500 over two years from the tribe’s WinneVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa. They took the money in the form of gift certificates and pre-paid debit cards issued by the casino.

All nine individuals were indicted last month after an FBI investigation.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say a woman has died in a two-vehicle crash in Lincoln.

Police say the crash happened around 8:15 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of West O and NW 40th streets near the Lancaster County Jail.

Officials say a car and truck collided at the intersection, and the woman driving the car died at the scene.

The driver of the truck was taken to a hospital with injured not believed to be life-threatening.

The names of those involved have not yet been released.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Midland University has signed a decade-long lease in west Omaha for its MBA program and other offerings.

Midland’s vice president for strategy, Raymond Sass, says the university agreed this month to the “multimillion dollar” lease for more than 10,000 square feet on the ground floor of the building.

The university will pay more than $1 million to renovate the space, which it expects to move into next spring. Sass says the university is working with architects on the space’s design.

Midland President Jody Horner says acquiring the new space doesn’t represent a reduction of the university’s main campus in Fremont.

The university had planned to take over the defunct Dana College campus in Blair, but this year decided to focus on its Fremont campus and Omaha programs.

AUBURN, Neb. (AP) — The city of Auburn has realized its civic dream of a paved runway at its airport.

Nebraska City radio station KNCY reports (https://bit.ly/2bRr0hu) that the paving has been completed, so construction crews are working on surface ramps and skirting. The nearly $3 million project is expected to be finished by Oct. 1.

Auburn Mayor Scott Kudrna says the city has desperately needed to pave a runway, saying Auburn has been the only Nebraska community with more than 3,000 residents that didn’t have one.

Auburn has been serving pilots and planes with a grass runway. But that’s been a problem for some airplane owners, because their insurance companies wouldn’t allow the planes to be landed on grass.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha school has been drying its gym floor after rain poured through a damaged roof.

Roncalli Catholic High School President Ann O’Connor says that between 600 and 800 gallons of water accumulated on the floor after the damage occurred Tuesday night to the roof, chimney and two skylights. Two ceiling lights also were broken.

It’s unclear whether the hardwood floor can be saved. O’Connor says insurance should cover much of the damage.

The storms killed power to thousands of people and knocked down trees and limbs. A 95 mph wind gust was recorded at Eppley Airfield. The airport was closed to aircraft traffic for about 90 minutes after a cargo container was blown onto a runway.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — The Grand Island City Council has rezoned 100 acres of land at two highways and has authorized $28.7 million of tax-increment financing for a new development that includes the construction of a second hospital in the city.

Prataria Ventures, a subsidiary of Chief Industries, proposed the Prairie Commons project’s first phase, which would cost $126 million for a 64-bed hospital, a three-story medical office building and 110-bed hotel and conference center. The structures would all be connected with walkways.

Councilman Mark Stelk says having additional health care options and development in the community is vital.

But Councilman Roger Steele says he thinks Chief Industries is relying too much on public support and that public funds should only be used for essential costs.