BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — State officials say a southeast Nebraska center for the developmentally disabled may be getting close to the end of monitoring by the U.S. Justice Department.

Jodi Fenner with the state Department of Health and Human Services says a recent report from an independent expert shows that significant improvements have been made in Beatrice.

The Beatrice State Developmental Center has endured a long recovery since hundreds of cases of alleged patient abuse and neglect in 2006 and 2007 were uncovered by federal investigators.

Fenner says she’s hopeful the Justice Department will agree to end formal monitoring of the center sometime in the next few months. The monitoring was part of a 2008 settlement the state agreed to after the abuse was discovered.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials for Douglas County have reached a lawsuit settlement with a psychiatrist who testified that he thought a man accused of killing four Omaha residents was “crazy.”

The county Board of Commissioners is expected to decide Tuesday whether to approve paying $125,000 to Dr. Eugene Oliveto. Oliveto contended in a $1 million federal lawsuit filed in March that the county Corrections Department fired him in retaliation for his courtroom candor.

Oliveto testified in February at a hearing to determine whether Nikko Jenkins was competent to stand trial. Oliveto said Jenkins was “crazy,” schizophrenic and “one of the most dangerous people I have ever evaluated.” Jenkins later pleaded guilty to killing four people in August 2013, within weeks of leaving prison.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, whose body was found in a self-storage unit.

A judge set 33-year-old Kevin Miller’s bond at $1 million on Tuesday in Lancaster County District Court. Court records don’t yet list the case. It’s unclear if he has an attorney.

Miller is accused of killing 28-year-old Kelsey Miller. Authorities say she was beaten and shot in the head.

Kelsey Miller’s body was found in a self-storage unit Sunday. She was last seen on Thanksgiving Day.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a suburban Omaha student is suspected of posting tweets that threatened a bombing and other violence at a high school.

Papillion-La Vista district spokeswoman Annette Eyman (EYE’-muhn) says the student has been arrested and the threats that were tweeted on Sunday have been discounted as unsubstantiated. Papillion-La Vista South High School was searched, but no bombs were found. On Monday district officials alerted parents and students about the threats and extra officers were present. Some students left the school early.

Eyman says the unnamed boy is a student at the school. The Twitter account has been suspended.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska at Omaha is being recognized for its efforts to help the community.

The university has received the Presidential Award for Economic Opportunity from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

UNO Chancellor John Christensen says he’s proud of the award, but he knows that his university needs Omaha to be successful.

UNO is being recognized based on the 2012-2013 school year when more than 380,000 hours of service were performed in Omaha and Nebraska.

Some special programs were singled out for praise, including one that teams UNO students with middle schoolers to grow plants in water instead of soil.

In another program, UNO students teach computer skills to inmates in the Douglas County jail.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

YORK, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska judge has set a resentencing date for an inmate who killed his 12-year-old sister when he was 14.

The judge on Monday set Sydney Thieszen’s resentencing date on March 12. Thieszen was convicted in 1988 of killing his sister, Sacha Thieszen, at their home near Henderson. Prosecutors said Thieszen killed his sister because he was afraid she would tell police he was running away from home.

The judge in March ruled that Thieszen was entitled to the resentencing in accordance with a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juvenile killers are unconstitutional.

Thieszen’s attorney says he will call two medical professionals to testify about his client’s mental health. The attorney says he might also call on Thieszen to testify.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former manager of a fast-food restaurant has been accused of lying about a robbery.

34-year-old Katie Spore was charged Monday with felony theft by deception of more than $1,500. Court records do not list an attorney.

Authorities say Spore, a former manager at Pita Pit, claimed she was robbed by a man while she carried a deposit bag from the store on Dec. 1. Spore is accused of telling police the man took the deposit bag, her engagement and wedding rings, a necklace and a wallet.

Authorities say Spore wrote herself a check from the restaurant’s account for $3,600 before the alleged robbery. She is accused of cashing it to pay for personal expenses.

Spore’s bail was set at $40,000 on Monday.