(AP) — Nebraska officials have agreed to pay $2 million to the family of a Lincoln woman who was struck and killed by a state prison van driven by an inmate.

The settlement will go to the husband and son of 47-year-old Joyce Meeks, who was killed in the crash on June 25 in Lincoln. Lawmakers gave initial approval to the payment on Tuesday as part of the state’s annual claims bill.

The inmate driver, Jeremy Dobbe, was seen speeding and swerving erratically before he struck Meeks’ vehicle. Dobbe was driving to transport inmates as part of a state work-release program.

The lawsuit by Meeks’ husband, Leonard Meeks, and son, Martell Buchanan, alleges that Dobbe was under the influence of alcohol, drugs or some other intoxicating substance.

(AP) — A city of Seward streets maintenance worker has died after being injured on the job.

Authorities say 36-year-old Jeramie Schoepf died Friday in a Lincoln hospital. Authorities say Schoepf was working on an expansion of the city’s bike trail Feb. 28 when a tree limb fell on him. Schoepf had been a city employee since 2002.

Seward school district superintendent Greg Barnes says Schoepf helped coach the wrestling team for 11 years at Seward High. Schoepf graduated from the school in 1996.

(AP) — The National Weather Service has extended a flood warning for the Platte River in eastern Nebraska.

The warning is expected to expire at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday for a stretch of the Platte in southern Colfax and northern Butler counties. The weather service blamed an ice jam.

Nebraska Highway 15 had water running over it south of Schuyler and water had migrated into low-lying areas upstream of the jam.

Hall County authorities also reported flooding at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 281 south of Grand Island. They blamed an ice jam in the vicinity. Floodwater had reached parking lots of hotels and restaurants on the south side of the interchange.

(AP) — A man died in a grain bin accident in the small south-central Nebraska city of Edgar.

The man died Tuesday morning in a grain bin on the north edge of the Clay County city.

Edgar Fire Chief Gene Babcock says it’s unclear what happened, but the man was scooping corn out of his bin when he somehow got trapped inside. He died before crews could pull him out.

Babcock declined to name the man who died.

Fire crews and volunteers were at the bin for nearly 90 minutes, working to move out corn and free the man.

(AP) — A jury has found an Omaha nanny guilty in the death of a 4-month-old baby under her care.

The jury of four men and eight women on Tuesday found Sarah A. Cullen guilty of child abuse resulting in death.

Cullen had been caring for Cash Bell in late February of 2013 when the baby suffered a fractured skull and massive bleeding. Cash died five days later after being removed from life support at a hospital.

The 25-year-old Cullen offered several stories as she tried to explain the baby’s injuries.

Sentencing is set for May. Cullen faces a sentence ranging from 20 years to life in prison.

The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) announces the promotion of Lieutenant Brenda Konfrst, to the position of Captain in Command of Troop A-Omaha.

A nearly 24-year veteran of the agency, Captain Konfrst, 46, has served in both the Field Services and Investigative Services Divisions.  Having started her career assigned as a traffic trooper in Troop A- Omaha, Captain Konfrst also served as a member of the Troop A Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and was a certified Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).

“With this promotion, Captain Konfrst becomes the first female Troop Area Commander in the agency’s history,” said Colonel David Sankey, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “We are very proud of Brenda. She has come up through the ranks and is an excellent choice to take over the reins as Troop A Commander.”

Captain Konfrst who received the 2009 Nebraska State Patrol Manager of the Year award is a graduate of Creighton University (1990), the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command (2008) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) “Leadership in Police Organizations” course (2010).

Captain Konfrst takes over for Major Brett Friesz, who was promoted to Investigative Services Major at State Headquarters in Lincoln.

(AP) — For much of the past three decades, pit bulls have been widely regarded as America’s most dangerous dog — the favorite breed of thugs, drug dealers and dog-fighting rings, with a fearsome reputation for unprovoked, sometimes deadly attacks.

Hostility toward “pits” grew so intense that some cities began treating them as the canine equivalent of assault rifles and prohibited residents from owning them.

But attitudes have softened considerably since then as animal activists and even television shows cast the dogs in a more positive light.

Seventeen states now have laws that prohibit communities from adopting breed-specific bans. Lawmakers in six more states are considering similar measures.

The dogs’ foes complain that their message is being drowned out by a well-funded, well-organized lobbying effort by pit bull advocates.