Reducing the potential for serious injury and fatality crashes in the Capital City will be the focus of a special enforcement planned for Friday, Nov. 21.

“Over the past year, Lincoln has experienced an increase in vehicle crashes resulting in fatalities,” said Lt. Ken Dahlke, Headquarters Troop-Lincoln. “By increasing our presence on a busy Friday night, we hope to encourage voluntary compliance with all traffic safety laws and save lives in the process.”

According to statistics from the Lincoln Police Department, since the first of the year there have been 14 fatalities related to motor vehicle crashes in the city of Lincoln. That compares with five traffic deaths in 2013 and seven in 2012.

The special enforcement will include high visibility patrols focused on major arterials during the evening and early morning hours (Nov. 21-22). A $1,975 grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety (NOHS) will help to pay for the effort.

Lt. Dahlke said, “We need your help to keep our roads safe. Always wear your seat belt and never drive impaired or distracted.”

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 56-year-old Fairfield man has died from injuries he suffered in a two-vehicle crash south of Hastings.

Steven Anthony was driving a 1997 Chevrolet Suburban on Saturday afternoon when he lost control of the SUV due to winter conditions.

The Suburban crossed the center line and hit a northbound 2007 Dodge Ram pickup. Anthony was taken to a Lincoln hospital, and died on Monday.

The driver of the pickup, 19-year-old Jared Jackson of Hastings and his two 16-year-old passengers, George Schutte of Hastings and Trevor Ernest of Ayr, suffered minor injuries. They were taken to Mary Lanning Hospital in Hastings.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska man who killed his fiancee in a drunken-driving crash has been sentenced to five to eight years in prison.

A judge on Tuesday sentenced 30-year-old Johnny Alvarez. He pleaded no contest to felony motor vehicle homicide and driving under the influence in September. Both charges were reduced in a plea deal.

Alvarez was hospitalized for four months after the August 2013 crash that killed passenger Jamie Lohman Sandate. He had two pervious DUI convictions and his blood alcohol content was nearly twice the legal limit at the time.

Authorities say he lost control of his car, hit an electrical pole and then drove into a tree. Sandate died at the scene.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha Public Schools says it plans to meet with the mother of a 12-year-old boy who died following an incident at a school swimming pool.

Superintendent Mark Evans on Tuesday did not provide new details about the Thursday incident at Nathan Hale Magnet Middle School. Student Demariont’e Brown-Elliott died Friday at a hospital.

Evans says the school district is not permitted to share information about the incident with anyone other than the boy’s mother.

An attorney representing the family of Demariont’e says the school district owes them an explanation.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say they’re investigating a home invasion in Omaha that involved several people being tied up.

Police say they responded to a report early Tuesday about a home invasion at a residence in western Omaha. Five people inside the residence told authorities three men in ski masks and dark clothing kicked in the front door and entered.

The individuals inside the residence say the men tied them up and assaulted two of them. Police say items were taken from the residence, including a green van in the garage.

Additional information about the case was not released.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A hunter has killed a mountain lion in northeast Nebraska’s Dakota County.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says in a news release that the 89-pound female was killed on Monday morning. It’s the second mountain lion killed in what’s called the Prairie Unit since the season opened Jan. 1.

The commission has four units designated for hunting mountain lions. They are Pine Ridge in the northern Nebraska Panhandle, Upper Platte in the southern Panhandle, Keya Paha (kee-YAW’ puh-HAW’) in north-central Nebraska, and Prairie, which covers the rest of the state. The other units are closed for hunting now.

The hunting has drawn criticism from hunting opponents and people who don’t believe there are enough mountain lions in the state to justify the seasons.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say a woman has plunged to her death from the top of a downtown parking garage in Lincoln.

Lincoln police say the incident occurred a little after 3 p.m. Monday. The falling woman struck a man on a sidewalk below. He is expected to be all right.

Police say the woman was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Police say she was identified as 28-year-old Monica Martinez, of Lincoln.

Investigators think Martinez jumped on purpose.