BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — Three people have been charge in connection with the December death of a 2-month-old girl who’d been living in filthy conditions at a house in Bellevue.

Sarpy County prosecutors say 30-year-old Kristin Lary is charged with four felony counts of child abuse. Twenty-seven-year-old Aaron Thompson and 35-year-old Michael Degarmo are both charged with four misdemeanor counts of negligent child abuse. Online court records don’t list the names of their attorneys.

Officers who found little Jasmine Thompson at the house reported seeing several bags of garbage in the kitchen and said the house smelled of bleach and feces.

Court documents say Jasmine’s mother, Samantha Thompson, is a federal prisoner and is Aaron Thompson’s wife. The documents say Jasmine’s biological father is Andrew Tillman, who is in federal prison.

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Hastings College officials are asking for the return of a 1921 Bible valued at $6,000 that went missing from the campus library’s collection.

An anonymous donor is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of the two-volume Jewish Bible.

Matt Fong, the college’s chief of staff, says no questions will be asked of the person returning the book, which was donated to the college in 2007.

The book was discovered missing about six months ago, when the donor asked to see it.

Fong says officials have searched places the book might be, such as with members of the college religion department. He says it’s likely the book was stolen.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Three Lincoln police captains with a combined total of 123 years of experience have retired within a three-week period.

David Beggs, Kim Koluch and Doug Srb left the Lincoln Police Department this year after starting their careers in the 1960s and late 1970s.

The captains spent 46, 36 and 42 years on the police force, respectively. Koluch was commander of the center team, which includes downtown Lincoln, when she retired. Beggs and Srb were both duty commanders just before their retirement.

The three captains elected five years ago to be a part of a deferred retirement option program, which allowed the department time to find replacements.

During their careers, Lincoln’s population increased 60 percent, and the number of officers went from 122 to 322.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A twice-convicted sex offender has been sentenced to 20 to 30 years in prison for attempting to rape a woman in a Lincoln alleyway.

59-year-old Abejide, who goes by one name, was sentenced Thursday for attempted first-degree sexual assault and terroristic threat convictions. Abejide must serve a full 20 years before he is eligible for parole.

At trial last month, the 41-year-old woman who accused Abejide of the attempted rape testified that he pulled her into an alley and pulled down her pants. A police officer found Abejide pressing the woman against the wall, but Abejide says the interaction was consensual.

Abejide says the charge and subsequent sentence were based on “lies and deception.” Prosecutors say Abejide needs to take responsibility for his actions.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Omaha computer engineer who says he hasn’t filed federal individual income tax returns since 2000 is on trial for three charges of tax evasion.

The case against 59-year-old Chet Lee West, of Nebo, North Carolina, began Wednesday. If convicted, West faces up to 15 years in prison and a $750,000 fine.

West, who is representing himself, says he’s exempt from paying income taxes, and he told that to Infocrossing Inc. in Omaha while he worked there from 2007 until 2009.

Federal prosecutor Donald J. Kleine says West failed to pay more than $52,800 in income taxes over the two-year period in which he earned more than $270,000. Kleine also says the IRS told West in 2007 that he wasn’t exempt from income taxes.

BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — The Keep Beatrice Beautiful program has been awarded a $10,000 grant by the Keep America Beautiful Community Paint Donation Program to help upkeep the interior of the Beatrice City Auditorium.

Officials will use the money to purchase 400 gallons of cream-colored, specialized paint to coat the interior walls.

Public Properties Director Mark Pethoud estimates that the last time the building received a fresh coat of paint was 25 years ago.

Construction of the building was started in 1939 and was completed in 1940. The historical auditorium was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers are considering a bill that would protect residents from having to pay tickets generated by Iowa traffic cameras.

Sen. Bill Kintner of Papillion presented the measure Thursday to the Judiciary Committee. It’s modeled after a new South Dakota law that prohibits officials from releasing information about the state’s registered drivers.

Without that information, camera operators can’t send a bill to the owner of a car caught speeding or running a red light. South Dakota’s law has drawn the ire of police in neighboring Sioux City, Iowa.

Kintner says vehicle owners who receive tickets aren’t given the chance to confront their accusers, and his bill would prevent outside governments from “using our citizens as ATMs” to generate revenue.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Board members for a natural resources district have begun the process of removing a colleague who wants to remain on the board despite being out of the country until June, teaching in China.

The Lower Platte South Natural Resources District board on Wednesday voted against excusing Steve Larrick’s absence from the meeting.

Larrick represents west Lincoln on the board. He’s asked his colleagues on the board to excuse his absences until June. But state law doesn’t allow the board to grant a sabbatical or extended leave.

If a director has more than two consecutive unexcused absences from monthly meetings, a board can, after a public hearing, declare the seat vacant.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A Sarpy County sheriff’s deputy accused of a sex assault at a sports bar has been fired.

Rick Wheeler had appealed his firing to the county’s Merit Commission last week, but Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov says Wheeler lost.

The 53-year-old Wheeler has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for March 13.

Wheeler was a sergeant who’d worked 26 years for the Sheriff’s Office.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline are vowing to overturn a state law that let former Gov. Dave Heineman approve the route, regardless of what happens at the federal level.

Jane Kleeb of the group Bold Nebraska said Wednesday that landowners will continue their lawsuits challenging the state’s 2012 pipeline-siting law. The law allowed pipeline builder TransCanada to bypass Nebraska’s Public Service Commission, which is independent of governors.

Some Nebraska landowners and environmental groups are urging President Barack Obama to reject a presidential permit for the oil pipeline. Kleeb says Obama doesn’t have to wait because of what’s happening in Nebraska, because the route will be challenged regardless.

Kleeb and other groups that have been in contact with the White House say a decision could come in early March.