A northeast Nebraska man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and her new husband has waived his preliminary hearing.

Sioux City, Iowa television station KTIV reports that 33-year-old Matthew Hinrichsen was in Antelope County Court on Tuesday, where he waived the hearing and faced the families of those killed.

Hinrichsen has been charged with arson and two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 25-year old Victoria Lee and her husband, 30-year-old Alex Vargas.

Investigators found the bodies of the newlywed couple in a burned-out mobile home, near Ewing. Authorities say the couple were shot before the mobile home was set on fire.

Hinrichsen’s arraignment has been set for Jan. 30.

Court documents say Hinrichsen had been having problems recently with Lee, who was his ex-girlfriend.

Police in southeast Nebraska are trying to track down a convicted sex offender suspected of sexually assaulting more children.

Lincoln television station KLKN-TV reports that police are looking for 30-year-old Billy Barritt, who has been charged in a warrant with first-degree sexual assault of a child and three counts of third-degree sexual assault of a child.

Police say Barritt sexually assaulted multiple children under the age of 10 for more than a year. Authorities say that when Barritt learned of the investigation, he left his home in Fairbury.

Barritt is currently on probation for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Police believe he could be armed.

Anyone with information on Barritt is urged to contact the Fairbury Police Department or their local police.

The Nebraska gas tax rate is set to drop slightly, meaning Nebraska drivers will see a drop in the price at the pump.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports the Nebraska Department of Revenue has announced that state gas tax rate for Jan. 1 through June 30 will decrease 1.6 cents, from 26.2 cents per gallon to 24.6 cents.

On a 13-gallon fill up, that’s nearly 21 cents.

It’s the lowest rate since the first six months of 2008, when the tax rate was 23 cents a gallon.

A Madison man has died in a crash of a sport utility vehicle and a semitrailer.

The Norfolk Daily News reports that 34-year-old Travis Ogan died in the Tuesday night crash at the intersection of U.S. Highway 81 and state Highway 32.

Investigators say Ogan was driving an eastbound SUV on Highway 32 when his vehicle was struck on the passenger side by the semitrailer.

The Nebraska State Patrol says Ogan failed to yield.

The semitrailer driver was not injured.

Investigators say both drivers were wearing seat belts.

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman is urging motorists to use extra caution as state officials prepare for a major snowstorm.

Heineman said Wednesday that the first large storm of the season raises more concerns than usual, because many Nebraska motorists haven’t driven in winter conditions in nearly a year.

The governor encouraged drivers to keep an eye on weather reports through the media and a state website that monitors road conditions,www.511.nebraska.gov/ . They can also dial 511.

Nebraska Department of Roads Director Randy Peters says the state is ready to deploy 650 snows plows statewide and six new tow plows in the Omaha area.

The states of Washington and Colorado legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana in the November elections, but it is unclear if any cigarette makers plan to supply either market.

Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. President Barack Obama indicated last week that going after individual users won’t be a priority. But there’s no firm indication yet what action the Justice Department might take against states or businesses that participate in the nascent pot market.

Bryan Hatchell, a spokesman for the second-largest cigarette maker, Reynolds American Inc., maker of Camel and Pall Mall, said his company has no plans to produce or market marijuana products in Washington or Colorado.

All Nebraska Public Power District employees will receive 2.5 percent raises next year, and some will receive merit raises on top of that.

The Columbus Telegram reports the utility’s board approved spending $4.21 million on employee raises at its Friday meeting even though NPPD expects to finish 2012 with a $4 million deficit.

The utility decided to go ahead with the raises to recognize how its 2,200 employees performed and because NPPD found that comparable utilities were offering raises of 2.9 percent next year on average.

Human resources manager Laurie Schilling says the raises will ensure that NPPD remains competitive with other utilities.

NPPD customers will see their rates increase 3.75 percent on average starting Jan. 1.

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman says last week’s shooting at a Connecticut elementary school that killed 26, including 20 children, was an evil tragedy, but the response should include more than just gun control.

Heineman said Monday he finds it unthinkable that anyone would shoot and kill elementary school students, but preventing mass shootings is a complicated problem.

He says any response to Friday’s shooting in Newtown, Conn., should look at issues related to family structure, mental health care, the justice system, society’s values and television violence as well as gun control.

Heineman says he thinks the Connecticut elementary school where the shooting happened had done more than most schools to improve security.

Heineman says it will be important to gather all the facts about this latest shooting before responding.

Police have arrested a man for allegedly posting Facebook threats against Los Angeles elementary schools.

Officer Venus Hall says weapons were confiscated when the man was arrested at his home Sunday afternoon by officers in the Northeast Division, an area covering east Hollywood to Glassell Park and Silverlake. He remains in the downtown jail.

The location of the arrest and information about the man and the nature of the threats are being withheld. Details on the weapons also haven’t been revealed.

Students in the Los Angeles Unified School District are on winter break.

Cmdr. Andrew Smith says police are taking threats very seriously.

The arrest came two days after 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 children and six adults before killing himself at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn.

Montana is approving easements to let the Keystone XL pipeline cross state-owned land, including the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers.

The Land Board chaired by Gov. Brian Schweitzer on Monday sold a package of 50-year easements to TransCanada for $741,000.

Critics argued the board isn’t doing enough to make sure the pipeline will be safe for the environment, pointing to last year’s oil spill on the Yellowstone when a pipeline ruptured. Opponents also argued it shouldn’t be built at all due to global warming concerns from oil production.

TransCanada told the board that it has agreed to bury the pipeline 40 feet under the major rivers.

The board also gave the backers of the Montana-Alberta Tie Line easements across state land in north-central Montana to complete its project early next year.