OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials at Grace University in Omaha are asking alumni and students for financial support as the institution looks to restructure.

President Emeritus James Eckman said in separate letters to alumni and students that the university is asking for a “sacrificial gift” to “sustain the school during these summer months.”

Eckman said in the letter that the board is assessing the school’s entire athletic program. He said that the board believes that significant changes need to be made at the school, which will necessitate the reallocation of university funds.

The newspaper says that Grace listed two lots for sale at its Little Italy campus last month, and that data from Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education shows the school had an estimated enrollment of 465 students last year.

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — The Fremont school district’s Sensory Courtyard will remain open for a few hours a week over the summer, thanks to an agreement with an organization that helps people who have intellectual disabilities.

Sensory Courtyard was developed by Mary Robinson, a teacher of the blind and visually impaired. The 2,400-square-foot space at the district administration center has specialized areas designed to spark one or more of the five senses.

The district’s partnership with Mosaic in Northeast Nebraska lets the facility stay open six hours a week this summer. The arrangement helps Mosaic’s adult patients learn real-world social and work skills as they greet visitors and clean up.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An 11-year-old girl whose scalp was partially torn off when her hair got caught in the gears of a carnival ride has been released from an Omaha hospital.

Nebraska Medicine spokesman Taylor Wilson said Thursday that Elizabeth “Lulu” Gilreath left Nebraska Medical Center on Tuesday. She’d been a patient at the hospital since May 7, when she fell to the floor of a spinning ride at a Cinco de Mayo festival in Omaha. Her ponytail got caught in the ride’s moving parts.

Lulu’s mother, Virginia Cooksey, says her daughter’s had several surgeries and likely will have more. Doctors say the girl did not suffer brain trauma or fractures.

Nebraska investigators found no indication that the spinning ride was malfunctioning when the incident occurred.

BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — A Gage County prosecutor has been named a district judge in the Nebraska’s 1st Judicial District.

The office of Gov. Peter Ricketts announced Wednesday that he’d selected Rick Schreiner to replace Judge Paul Korslund, who retired April 1. Ricketts’ office says Schreiner has been chief deputy county attorney for Gage County since 2007.

Before becoming a prosecutor, Schreiner was a police officer in Nebraska City and a sheriff’s deputy for the Otoe County Sheriff”s Office. He also practiced law in Nebraska City.

The 1st Judicial District covers southeastern Nebraska. The judgeship is based in Beatrice at the Gage County Courthouse.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A 30-year employee of the Grand Island police department has been recommended by the city’s mayor as the next chief.

Grand Island Mayor Jeremy Jensen announced Wednesday that he will recommend Police Capt. Robert Falldorf to become the city’s next chief.

The City Council will review the recommendation Tuesday. If approved, Falldorf will succeed Steve Lamken, who is retiring, on June 20.

Fifty-one-year-old Falldorf is a Grand Island native who has worked for the department since 1986. He has worked in all three of the department’s divisions — patrol, criminal investigations and administration.

It was announced that he was one of two finalists for the position on May 26. The other finalist was Jeff Wooten, a longtime Army administrator of military police.

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 71-year-old Hastings man has been killed in a collision on U.S. Highway 281 in Adams County.

The crash was reported Wednesday night about four miles north of Hastings. The Nebraska State Patrol says a northbound car crossed the median and rammed into an oncoming car driven by Robert Samuelson, who was fatally injured.

The other driver was taken to a Hastings hospital. The crash is being investigated.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man accused of robbing and punching a 76-year-old woman at Omaha’s St. Cecilia Cathedral has pleaded guilty.

Online court records say 23-year-old Wayman Clark entered the plea Wednesday in Douglas County District Court. His sentencing on the robbery conviction is scheduled for Aug. 3

Surveillance video of the Aug. 16 crime shows the woman was reading the parish newsletter at the cathedral entrance when two men approached her. One stole her purse and the other punched her in the face, causing the woman to hit her head against the side of a table as she fell.

The other man charged is 21-year-old Larry Leggett. He’s pleaded not guilty to robbery and is due in court Monday for a pretrial conference.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — State officials say an invasive insect that kills ash trees has been confirmed for the first time in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture says Wednesday the beetle was found in a Pulaski Park tree in Omaha. With Nebraska added to the list, there are now 27 states where the pest has been confirmed since 2002.

Department Director Greg Ibach says the beetle’s presence in the state is not a surprise considering nearby states that already have infestations, including Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas.

The insects are native to Asia and were first spotted in the U.S. in 2002, when they showed up in the Detroit area. Once infected, trees typically die within five years, though healthy trees can be treated to resist the bug.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln man has been accused of financially exploiting his 85-year-old father-in-law.

53-year-old Melando James was arrested Tuesday and has since been released on bond. He’s charged with abuse of vulnerable adult and theft.

A public phone listing for James couldn’t be found. Online court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment on James’ behalf.

An arrest affidavit says police began investigating James in September after receiving information that he may have been transferring to his account money from his father-in-law’s account. The total is more than $8,500. The older man has been in a long-term nursing facility since September.

The court documents say James denied knowing his father-in-law has mental issues.