OSMOND, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a northeast Nebraska man has died in a motorcycle crash involving a semitrailer.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office says the crash happened Monday morning on Highway 121 near the community of Osmond.

Authorities say the motorcycle struck the semitrailer as it was attempting to make a left turn. The driver of the motorcycle, a 37-year-old man from Plainview, was killed.

The 63-year-old driver of the semitrailer was not hurt. Authorities have not released the drivers’ names.

ELK CREEK, Neb. (AP) — The Canadian mining firm exploring a deposit of a rare heat-resistant element in southeast Nebraska says the latest samples are some of the most promising yet.

NioCorp Developments said Monday that tests of some of its latest drilling samples showed relatively high concentrations of niobium.

The company already added a third drilling rig that will help expedite this summer’s exploration of the site near Elk Creek, Nebraska.

The U.S. currently imports nearly all the niobium that’s used in this country to harden steel and make it more heat-resistant for industrial uses.

NioCorp previously estimated that more than 100 million tons of niobium rests several hundred feet below the ground. The company is trying to determine if it will be profitable to build a mine.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A girl accused of stabbing a fellow student at a Lincoln high school last year has entered a no contest plea to a felony assault charge.

The 17-year-old entered the plea Monday in Lancaster County District Court as part of a deal reached with prosecutors. Charges of first-degree assault and use of a deadly weapon were dropped.

A no contest plea acknowledges there is sufficient evidence to convict but is not an admittance of guilt. The Associated Press generally doesn’t identify juveniles accused of crimes.

Police say the teen used a hunting knife and a claw hammer to attack a 17-year-old girl in a bathroom at Lincoln Pius X High School in October 2013. The girl was hospitalized and survived the attack.

Sentencing is scheduled on Oct. 16.

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — The Columbus Public Library has a new look for its books.

More than $47,000 in renovations and repairs have been completed.

Library director Jill Owens says the work was important, because “people associate worn-out decor with out-of-date resources and services.”

New e-readers have been added, as well as new furniture, solar shades, carpet and shelves. There’s new paint, too. The work also included relocating counter space, reorganizing sections, installing new front windows and replacing a section of the roof to prevent future leaks.

Owns says nearly $34,000 of the cost was pledged by the Columbus Public Library Foundation and Friends of the Library. The remaining amount was covered by the city.

WAVERLY, Neb. (AP) — Five people were injured in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 near Lincoln, but all were expected to survive.

The crash happened about noon Monday near Waverly, northeast of Lincoln, when a sport utility vehicle’s tire blew. That caused the vehicle to roll and land upside-down, about 100 feet from the freeway.

The Nebraska State Patrol says the 23-year-old driver, Cameron McCurn, had to be freed from the SUV. He was flown by helicopter to a Lincoln hospital.

State patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins says 23-year-old Lakresha Patterson and children aged 2, 1 and 3 months were taken by ambulance to a hospital.

None of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening.

The freeway’s westbound lanes were closed so the helicopter could land.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nearly 400 teachers new to the district will be leading classes for Lincoln Public Schools this year.

That’s on top of the more than 300 teachers who were first-time district hires last year.

Associate Superintendent Eric Weber says the big class of teachers this year is needed because, in addition to the normal number of resignations, more teachers than normal retired at the end of the 2013-14 school year. Plus, an enrollment jump of around 1,000 students is expected as classes begin Tuesday. Enrollment jumped by more than 930 students last year.

The school board approved adding 50 full-time teaching positions this school year in order to meet the growth in student enrollment.

DECATUR, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska town with no swimming pool turned to local firefighters to help children beat the summer heat.

Decatur Fire and Rescue created a makeshift water park. Firefighters used hoses, dump tanks, water curtains and other equipment to create swimming pools and water slides for the town’s children.

Organizers say they thought of the idea last week and opened the water park in front of the fire department two days later. They hope to host another event next year with more planning and additional water activities.

DENVER (AP) — A 19-year-old suburban Denver woman accused of trying to help a foreign terrorist organization plans to plead guilty in the case.

Federal documents filed Friday say an agreement has been reached in the case against Shannon Conley of Arvada. She was arrested at Denver International Airport in April while boarding a flight she hoped would ultimately get her to Syria.

Details of the agreement weren’t part of the court filing, but Conley’s public defender, Robert Pepin, asked to schedule a change of plea hearing. FBI agents say Conley was intent on waging jihad in the Middle East, despite their overt efforts to stop her.

Authorities say she wanted to live with a suitor she met online, who claimed to be fighting for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.