(AP) — A hung jury has led a judge to declare a mistrial in the case of a former Ralston teacher accused of inappropriately touching young students.

Prosecutors must now decide whether to retry 59-year-old Nicholas Richter on four counts of third-degree sexual assault of a child. A jury had deliberated for about 14 hours Friday, Monday and Tuesday before informing the judge that members were deadlocked.

Four boys ranging in age from 10 to 12 testified in the trial that Richter groped them during classes. A 40-year-old man also testified that Richter groped him three decades ago.

Richter’s attorney had described the testimony as consisting of “inconsistent and inaccurate memories.”

(AP) — Police are investigating the stabbing death of a 74-year-old man they believe was attacked after confronting two people.

A news release from Omaha police says Paul Riederer died early Tuesday. Officers responded to a report of a cutting and found Riederer with a stab wound.

Police say Riederer told officers he was stabbed after confronting two suspects, although he did not realize at first that he had been stabbed.

Riederer was taken to an Omaha hospital with an injury not initially believed to be life threatening, but his condition worsened and he later died.

Police continue to investigate and ask anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers or call police at 402-444-5652.

(AP) — A judge has dismissed the Omaha firefighter union’s lawsuit against the city that sought to prevent cuts to the fire department budget.

Douglas County Judge James Gleason wrote in a ruling issued Monday that the union’s argument that Mayor Jean Stothert’s proposed 2014 budget would harm public safety were premature.

Stothert has proposed layoffs and taking rigs out of service, prompting the union to claim the moves would conflict with the city’s obligations under a collective-bargaining agreement.

But Gleason ruled that the union can’t make legal arguments until the City Council approves a budget.

Stothert says in a statement that she agreed with the judge’s decision and added “we did not think that there was any merit to the allegations in the lawsuit.”

 

(AP) — A zookeeper at a Utah amusement park has been hospitalized after being gored in the leg by a wildebeest.

Paramedics responded to a report of the goring Sunday at the Lagoon amusement park in Farmington, about 20 miles north of Salt Lake City.

Farmington Fire Chief Guido Smith says a 28-year-old female employee was gored during a feeding process, when she “came in contact with the animal’s horn.” He says she suffered an injury to her thigh.

Smith says the woman was transported to a trauma center in Salt Lake City, where she was in serious but stable condition.

Lagoon amusement park spokesman Adam Leishman says the park keeps a number of exotic cats, bison, deer, warthogs and other animals.

Davis County sheriff’s Sgt. Susan Poulsen says Utah Occupational Safety and Health officials are looking into the workplace accident.

 

(AP) — Authorities have released the name of a man who died after a crash south of Grand Island.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as 29-year-old Jerry Ramirez, of Grand Island.

The crash happened about 2 p.m. Monday on U.S. Highway 281 when 30-year-old Hermino Alamilla lost control of his car. The car rolled several times before coming to rest.

The car was then hit by a pickup driven by 26-year-old Megan Brodrick, of Grand Island. She wasn’t hurt.

Ramirez was a passenger in Alamilla’s car. The Sheriff’s Office says Ramirez died after being ejected during the crash.

Another passenger wasn’t hospitalized.

Alamilla was taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Charges against him include vehicular homicide. Online court records don’t list his attorney’s name.

(AP) — Prosecutors say a man accused of killing his girlfriend told investigators he strangled her in an Omaha park and then dumped her body in an open grave he’d seen in a nearby cemetery.

Those and other details about the death of 19-year-old Melissa Rodriguez were aired during a bail hearing Tuesday for Mikael Loyd. He’s charged with first-degree murder in her slaying. Her body was found Thursday at Graceland Park Cemetery in southeast Omaha.

The judge ruled that the 19-year-old Loyd must remain in jail without bail.

Loyd and Rodriguez met at Hitchcock Park on Wednesday. They argued, made up and argued again.

Prosecutors say Loyd said he killed Rodriguez because she reminded him of his mother, whom he blamed in his father’s death.

(AP) — Colorado’s pot regulators are laying out how much it’s going to cost to join the newly legal business.

The Colorado Department of Revenue started three days of public hearings Tuesday to explain all the regulations to people who want to be in Colorado’s marijuana business. It’s legal, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be cheap.

Application fees run up to $5,000. Operational licenses cost another $2,750 to $14,000. Those who want to sell both medical and recreational pot would have to pay double.

The regulations are final Oct. 15. Some in the marijuana industry want the Department to reduce fees for people selling both medical and recreational pot.

Retail marijuana sales begin in Colorado Jan. 1.

(AP) — Authorities say an escaped inmate suspected of shooting a southwest Iowa sheriff’s deputy has been killed by a homeowner who said the armed man broke into his house.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety announced that Rodney Long was shot to death early Tuesday. No one else was seriously injured in the shooting in Bedford.

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Mitch Mortveldt says 71-year-old Jerome Mauderly shot Long with a shotgun in the kitchen of the home he shares with his wife, Karen. Long broke into their home around 10:15 p.m. Monday.

Shortly after 2 a.m. Karen Mauderly called 911 to tell authorities her husband had shot Long.

Authorities had been searching for Long since Sunday night, when the fugitive shot and wounded a deputy.

(AP) — The FBI is taking an active role in training local police departments to respond to an active shooter emergency.

After last December’s Connecticut school massacre, President Barack Obama directed the FBI to work with local law enforcement to ensure a more consistent response to situations that involve mass shootings.

The bureau this year began partnering with a federally funded center in Texas that was already offering training and is now spreading the teachings around to departments around the country.

FBI field offices have also hosted conferences to discuss various challenges arising from an active shooter situation and let them know about available federal aid.

One such tactical drill occurred last week on a college campus in Salisbury, Md., where officers went through a series of role-playing exercises.

(AP) — A 64-year-old man has been given a year and a day in prison in an Omaha prostitution case.

Federal prosecutors say William Knox was sentenced on Monday. Knox must serve two years of supervised release after he leaves prison.

Knox had pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to use facilities in interstate commerce in aid of a racketeering enterprise, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Knox also forfeited two vehicles and three bank accounts that contained more than $4,600 total.

Prosecutors say that starting in the late 1990s and continuing to 2012, Knox owned and managed a “spa” as a front for prostitution on Omaha. The spa had different names over time but frequently was referred to as the Ninety Third Street Spa.