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Nebraska girl killed, 6 others injured in Missouri crash

BOLIVAR, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say an 11-year-old girl was killed and two of her brothers were seriously injured when a car carrying seven family members from Nebraska overturned in Missouri.

The one-car accident occurred early Tuesday on Missouri 13 in Bolivar. The Lincoln Journal-Star reports the family’s youngest child, 11-year-old Eliza Bakirane, died at the scene.

Bolivar police say the car, driven by 40-year-old Maria Borland of Lincoln, Nebraska, went off the side of the road, over-corrected and lost traction on dirt and gravel due to construction. The vehicle then overturned several times before coming to rest on its wheels.

Borland’s two sons were thrown from the vehicle and were eventually flown to a hospital in St. Louis. The others in the vehicle were taken to a Springfield hospital.

Authorities say 2 people died after Adams County collision

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) – Authorities say two people have died after a collision in south-central Nebraska’s Adams County.

The accident occurred around 1:40 p.m. Wednesday, south of Hastings. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says a westbound vehicle driven by 18-year-old Parker Short collided at an intersection with a northbound vehicle driven by 20-year-old Isaiah Zapata. They and one of Zapata’s passengers were hospitalized.

The sheriff’s office says two other passengers in Zapata’s vehicle died at a Grand Island hospital: Jessica Guerrero, of Lexington, and Jose Martinez, of Grand Island. Both were 19 years old.

The collision is being investigated. The sheriff’s office says witnesses report that Short ran a stop sign.

Hall County authorities say woman died in airboat accident

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say an airboat accident on the Platte River killed a Grand Island woman.

The accident happened Sunday afternoon about 5 miles south of Grand Island on the river’s south channel.

Hall County Chief Deputy Sheriff Quinn Webb said 48-year-old Beverly Andrews was one of five passengers tossed off the boat driven by 69-year-old Charles Encinger, of Grand Island. Andrews was pinned under the airboat after it struck the south bank and flipped. She was pronounced dead at a Grand Island hospital.

The accident is being investigated by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.

Couple’s bodies found in northern Nebraska home

LYNCH, Neb. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the deaths of two people whose bodies were found in their northern Nebraska home.

57-year-old Brenda Wickersham and her husband, 65-year-old Darold Wickersham, were shot to death in their home in Lynch. Authorities suspect a murder-suicide occurred Thursday.

Boyd County Attorney Tom Herzog says no other information will be released until autopsy results have been obtained.

Ex-assistant principal takes plea deal in student sex case

Matthew Fedde

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former assistant principal accused of having sex with a 15-year-old student has pleaded no contest in Omaha.

Douglas County District Court records say 46-year-old Matthew Fedde entered the pleas Monday to two felony counts of attempted sexual assault of a child. Prosecutors had lowered the charges in exchange for Fedde’s pleas. His sentencing is set for Dec. 21.

Investigators say Fedde had multiple sexual encounters with the student on the grounds of Millard South High School last school year. Fedde was arrested after the girl’s parents found references to a sexual relationship with Fedde in her diary.

$1M Powerball ticket sold in Bellevue expiring in few weeks

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — The purchaser of a Powerball ticket in Bellevue has only a few weeks left to claim his or her $1 million prize.

The Nebraska Lottery says the ticket sold at a Kwik Shop on Capehart Road matched the first five numbers drawn April 18 : 9, 10, 12, 17 and 23. But it didn’t match the Powerball number of 9.

The prize must be claimed on or before the Oct. 15 expiration date. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at the Nebraska Lottery headquarters in Lincoln.

Man dies after becoming trapped under overturned ATV

MCCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man died after becoming trapped under his overturned all-terrain vehicle in eastern Nebraska.

The accident occurred Friday evening, about 1½ miles (3 kilometers) south of Interstate 80 in eastern York County. The York County Sheriff’s Department says Eugene Weise was heading east on a county road when he lost control of the ATV as he turned south. He became trapped under the ATV in the middle of the intersection.

The department says Weise was taken to a York hospital and then flown to a Lincoln hospital, where he died.

The 57-year-old Weise lived in McCool Junction.

50th AppleJack Festival in Nebraska kicks off next week

NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (AP) — The annual AppleJack Festival kicks off next week in southeastern Nebraska, ushering in another fall season in the state.

It’s the 50th year of the festival in Nebraska City. The festival begins Friday with a street carnival, antiques and quilt shows and a food court. Saturday will bring in a 5K race, pancake breakfast, arts and crafts fairs, parade and apple picking. The festival wraps up Sept. 23.

Between 60,000 and 80,000 people are expected to descend on the city of nearly 7,300 for the festival.

Nebraska City is the apple capital of the state, with its many orchards attracting day-trippers. It’s also the home of Arbor Day and Arbor Lodge State Historical Park.

Douglas County Sheriff sets up public ‘exchange area’

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has set up a public “exchange area” outside its northwest Omaha headquarters to make public interactions safer.

The marked area in the front parking lot of the building is intended to be a neutral location to conduct e-commerce transactions, child custody exchanges and other types of lawful transactions.

The area has video cameras recording all transactions. But Sheriff Tim Dunning says it’s still important to use good judgment when meeting others in the exchange area. He recommends conduct meetings in daylight hours, bringing a friend or relative when meeting strangers, and having a cellphone readily available to call 911 if necessary. He also says the public should be aware of recent or ongoing scams and should conduct transactions with cash when possible, not personal checks.

Term limits may be coming to Lincoln, Omaha mayor positions

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A term limit push could be coming to Omaha following a Republican-connected effort to place limits on Lincoln’s mayor, according to the leader of the Nebraska Democratic Party.

Efforts are underway to place a term limit on the Lincoln mayoral office after Democratic Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler announced that he plans to seek a fourth term. The push is being led by the Political Renewal Association, which is backed by J.L. Spray, a Republican National Committeeman.

“We don’t think anybody should be able to serve a lifetime in public office,” said Matt Innis, spokesman for the association. “The Founding Fathers, when setting up everything, never intended for people to become kings or emperors.”

Organizers have gathered more than 4,300 valid signatures, enough to put the Lincoln term limit issue on the November ballot, said the Lancaster County Election Commissioner’s Office.

It would only be fair to apply the term limit to both cities, said Jane Kleeb, chairwoman of the Nebraska Democratic Party.

But Republican Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, who may run for a third term, said term limits should be placed on an office in general, not aimed at an individual.

“What Jane Kleeb is trying to do is directed at me,” Stothert said. “It’s because I’m a Republican, and that’s unfortunate.”

But Kleeb countered that the Democratic party wouldn’t stand by as efforts move forward to limit the Lincoln mayor’s term.

“You can’t put term limits on a mayor in Lincoln because you can’t beat him and then expect that the (Nebraska Democratic) party is just going to sit there and say ‘oh well,'” Kleeb said.

The state GOP isn’t behind the Lincoln petition, said Kenny Zoeller, executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party. The party does support the concept of term limits, he said.

Nebraska’s governor and members of the state Legislature are limited to two, four-year terms.

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