DAKOTA CITY, Neb. (AP) — Another man initially connected to a fatal shooting in northeast Nebraska has been freed.

26-year-old David Rodriguez, of Walthill, no longer faces a weapons possession charge. It was dropped Tuesday at the request of Dakota County Attorney Kim Watson, who gave no reason for the motion.

In July accessory charges against Rodriguez and 27-year-old Anthony Housman, of Pender, were dismissed and Housman was freed.

The charges stemmed from the Dec. 15 slaying of 28-year-old Bonnie Baker in South Sioux City. Twenty-two-year-old Raymond Gonzalez Jr. has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge and is scheduled to go to trial Dec. 2. Court records also refer to him as Raymond Gonzales, listing the same Sioux City, Iowa, address.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in eastern Nebraska say two men stole copper found in a vehicle.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says 23-year-old Matthew Polsley and 51-year-old Tracy Corey have been charged with felony theft.

A surveillance team stopped the men Tuesday night while they were in a pickup. Authorities say the pickup had copper loaded in the back. It was later valued at more than $500.

Authorities say the department has investigated several reports of copper theft over several months. It’s unclear if there is a connection to the men.

Court records do not list attorneys for them.

FAIRBURY, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in Jefferson County say a veteran K-9 has died.

Jefferson County Sheriff Nels Sorensen says the German Shepherd named Ringo died Wednesday morning following an unspecified medical condition.

Ringo joined the sheriff’s office in 2007, before a stint at the Fairbury Police Department in 2009 and 2010. The dog returned to the sheriff’s office in 2011.

Sorensen said that Ringo was a great asset to Jefferson County.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha woman says she used a handgun to keep a burglar under control until police arrived.

52-year-old Barbara Haley awoke early Tuesday to a loud noise. She says she noticed hands coming out of her bedroom closet and grabbed a gun.

Haley threatened the intruder to stay in the closet or she would shoot. She called 911.

Police say 24-year-old Jody Kudlacz was arrested and charged with one felony count of burglary. Court records do not list an attorney.

Haley says her husband gave her a quick lesson on how to use the gun before he went out of town. Officer Kevin Wiese, a police spokesman, says residents should be trained on how to properly use firearms.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — La Vista officials have rejected a proposal to allow people to care for feral cats without taking ownership of them.

The La Vista City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to kill the proposed ordinance, which would’ve established a permit for feral cat colony caretakers. Residents aren’t currently allowed to take care of the cats without being considered the owner.

The proposed ordinance would’ve prohibited the relocation of feral cats and the feeding of cats if they become a nuisance to others. Some people said the proposal was too restrictive, while others said it violates a city law that requires cats to be confined.

Mayor Doug Kindig told both sides of the dispute that they should try to reach an agreement before the matter is brought before the council again.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against three companies that were accused of negligence after a western Nebraska crash that killed a family, including a woman who was pregnant.

The lawsuit was filed by relatives and estates of Christopher and Diana Schmidt. The Gaithersburg, Md., couple died along with their two young children and unborn son on Interstate 80 in September 2012.

The Schmidts were in separate cars in standstill traffic after a crash that involved two trucks in Cheyenne County. Christopher Slezak’s car was then struck by another trucker, and the impact pushed his car into the car with his wife and children.

U.S. Magistrate Judge F.A. Gossett dismissed the lawsuit against the trucking and semi-trailer companies that were involved in the initial crash. The family’s relatives are appealing.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A judge has ruled that a custody case involving a 10-year-old girl should be moved from Tennessee to Nebraska.

Judge Andy Jackson ruled last week to move the case out of Dickson County, Tennessee, since Sonya McCaul currently resides in Nebraska with her biological father.

A Middle Tennessee couple who raised the girl for eight years before she was returned to her birth father filed a petition seeking to terminate the parental rights of the father and adopt the girl.

The case has drawn national attention in part because of the circumstances that allowed McCaul to remain in the custody of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services for close to nine years.

Jackson said Nebraska courts must agree to take the case before it is formally transferred.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a 17-year-old boy who was killed by a train on the west side of Omaha.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday identified the boy as Dylan Johnson, who lived in Omaha’s Elkhorn area. The incident was reported about 2:25 a.m. Wednesday.

The Sheriff’s Office says a witness saw the boy walk in front of the westbound Union Pacific train before being struck. The incident occurred near Ta-Ha-Zouka Park.

An autopsy has been scheduled as part of the investigation.