BEAVER CROSSING, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska State Patrol says troopers have seized 182 pounds of marijuana valued at more than $500,0000 in a traffic stop on Interstate 80 in southeastern Nebraska.

The patrol says in a news release that troopers stopped a van suspected of speeding Thursday afternoon near Beaver Crossing.

The troopers reported a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle, and a search turned up several duffel bags under a blacked in the rear. The bags were filled with marijuana, with an estimated street value of $546,000.

The 54-year-old driver, of Lebec, California, and a 22-year-old passenger, of Edmonds, Washington, were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to deliver and having no drug tax stamp.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A defense attorney asked a judge to dismiss murder charges against one of his clients because Omaha police haven’t filed critical reports related to the case.

Douglas County Public Defender Tom Riley highlighted at a hearing this week dozen of instances in which Omaha Police Department investigators failed to file reports or book evidence in the 2015 deaths of DePrecia Neelon, 23, and Garion Johnson, 19. Riley represents Marcus Short, 28, who is scheduled to go on trial this month.

“This problem has been going on for a while in the homicide unit,” Riley said.

Riley said such delays can “make it virtually impossible to present a defense.”

“This police department, who brags about having one of the greatest homicide units in the country — I beg to differ.”

Short and Preston Pope, 28, each face two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths.

Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said that reports in the case took too long to complete, but that personnel adjustments have been made. He also noted that the homicide unit had a 70 percent clearance rate last year, above the national average of 50 percent.

“Mr. Riley is an excellent public defender, but his widespread assertions are out of line. … Professionalism needs to take place at all times,” Schmaderer said.

Prosecutors said they sometimes share defense attorneys’ frustration in getting reports, but that dismissing the case would be extreme. Prosecutor Mike Jensen said case dismissals should be saved for cases of intentional wrongdoing by officers.

“I understand the need to want to send a message. But a dismissal based upon the screw-ups and blunders of a police officer is not in the best interest of society,” Jensen said.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Students from Central and Burke high schools in Omaha walked out of class as part of a national movement on the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Colorado.

Hundreds of Omaha students participated in the National School Walkout Day on Friday.

Central High School senior Nick Koehler was one of about 300 Central students to walk out Friday morning. Koehler, one of the organizers of Friday’s rally, says participating students are pleading with state and federal lawmakers to “just pass common sense gun laws.”

School officials worked with students to safely carry out the protests.

While the walkouts coincide with the Columbine anniversary, they come about two months after a shooter entered a Parkland, Florida, school and left 17 people dead.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — High water levels have shut down all public access sites to the Elkhorn River until further notice.

The Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District announced the closure of the public access sites on Friday. The sites included those at Elkhorn Crossing, West Maple Road and Graske Crossing.

District officials say campsites at Elkhorn Crossing will remain open.

The district plans to post updates on river access on its website at https://www.papionrd.org/.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Omaha police officer charged with misdemeanor assault for his role in the stun gun-related death of a mentally ill Oklahoma man last year will stand trial next year.

27-year-old Ryan McClarty will stand trial in January for a count of third-degree assault in the June confrontation at an Omaha convenience store with 29-year-old Zachary Bearheels. Bearheels was pronounced dead after the incident.

McClarty and another officer, Scotty Payne, were both fired and charged after a police video showed Payne stunning Bearheels a dozen times and McClarty repeatedly punching Bearheels after he was already on the ground. Bearheels died shortly after the confrontation.

Payne, who has pleaded not guilty to felony assault, is set to stand trial on Nov. 26.

SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) — A former football coach and teacher accused of sexually assaulting a child in northwest Iowa has been imprisoned for a similar crime in Nebraska.

Court records say 39-year-old Kyle Ewinger was sentenced Thursday to 55 to 85 years and credited for 105 days already served. In January a jury in Omaha found him guilty of sexual assault of a child. Prosecutors say he assaulted the 9-year-old son of a woman he was dating in 2012 and 2013.

Osceola County District Court records in Iowa say the former Sibley-Ocheyedan coach was fired after the district superintendent found him sleeping in his classroom next to a 10-year-old in October 2015.

Ewinger has pleaded not guilty. His trial start was set to begin April 10 but was delayed until Aug. 28.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has upheld the convictions of a 62-year-old man who killed another man during an argument outside an Omaha apartment.

James Cotton is serving a life sentence for the August 2015 shooting death of 24-year-old Trevor Bare. In his appeal, Cotton argued, among other things, that his trial court wrongly allowed evidence obtained in a search that went beyond the scope of the warrant. He also argued that his trial attorney was ineffective.

Cotton’s attorney was criticized during the trial for temporarily hiring a witness in the case.

On Friday, the high court found Cotton’s arguments without merit, noting that when presented with evidence that his attorney may have an ethical conflict, Cotton told the judge he wanted to continue with the trial with the attorney.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The mother of a former Nebraska prison guard has been accused of throwing away evidence against her son.

Court records say 41-year-old Jacinda Miller, of Oshkosh, is charged with felony evidence tampering. She didn’t immediately return a call Monday from The Associated Press. Court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for her.

The records say her son, 25-year-old Michael Miller, is accused of trying to smuggle synthetic marijuana and other contraband into the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln, where he worked until resigning in November.

A court document says he told investigators he’d asked his mother to go to his Lincoln apartment and get rid of the drugs. He says she told him after she bonded him out of jail that she’d disposed of them.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A survivor of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting has shared a senior prom night to remember with a Nebraska girl.

Fidan Ibrahimova told the Lincoln Journal Star that she liked what Kyle Kashuv said after the Feb. 14 attack, citing his thoughts on preventing gun violence without infringing on gun rights.

So the Lincoln Southeast High School senior sent him a message asking how many retweets she would need to get him to be her prom date. His eventual reply: 5,000.

She tweeted a screenshot of their exchange, pleading for help in making her dream come true. Aided by a retweet by commentator Ben Shapiro, she soon passed the 5,000. People also donated enough money to pay for Kashuv’s flight from Florida, his hotel room, a limo, and dinner.

After their magical date Saturday, Ibrahimova tweeted: “It was a night I will remember forever.”

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man was arrested after deputies found marijuana in his car after stopping it along Interstate 80 near Lincoln.

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy pulled over the car around 11 a.m. Friday after seeing the driver fail to signal a lane change near the U.S. Highway 77 exit. The deputy reported smelling marijuana in the car, and a subsequent search turned up 114 pounds (52 kilograms) of pot and some cannabis edibles.

The man, who lives in Sioux City, Iowa, was arrested on suspicion of possession for sale and suspicion of other crimes. Court records don’t show that he’s been formally charged.