An Omaha man has been sentenced to nine months in federal prison for his unauthorized use of a military-issued gas card.

United States Attorney Deborah Gilg says that 32-year-old Terrell Smith was sentenced Wednesday in Lincoln federal court for use of an unauthorized access device. He must also pay restitution of nearly $23,000.

Federal authorities say the Nebraska Air National Guard noticed in October that the credit card assigned to a National Guard recruiter was being used at gas stations in north Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, to buy large quantities of gas.

The FBI and General Services Administration determined that Smith repeatedly used the card to put $22,882 worth of gas into his car and into the cars of friends.

Smith told authorities he found the card.

A nonpartisan group has launched a website to help Nebraska voters determine where candidates stand on the issues, even if the candidates didn’t answer its pre-election survey.

Project Vote Smart started the “VoteEasy” website after most candidates failed to respond to its survey. Project Vote Smart says less than 12 percent of Nebraska candidates responded.

The website analyzes voting records and public statements to infer where an incumbent or candidate stands on a wide range of policy issues.

Nebraska voters can go to http://votesmart.org/voteeasy and click on 13 issue tabs, including abortion, Afghanistan, the economy and health care. They can type in their own views to see how well a candidate’s position matches their own.

Farmers, crop inspectors and grain elevators in Nebraska, Iowa and other corn-producing states are keeping an eye out for corn contaminated by a poison-producing fungus.

They’re watching for signs of aflatoxins which are produced by mold fungi and at high levels are poisonous to humans and animals. They tend to show up during hot, dry summers.

Mark Fulmer of the Lincoln Inspection Service said to a local that most corn samples his company has tested this summer show little or no contamination. But he says some of the corn has tested out at more than four times the federal threshold.

Iowa agriculture officials say they’re requiring dairy farmers to test milk as it leaves farms. Aflatoxins can appear in the milk of dairy cows fed contaminated corn.

A Lincoln man accused of beating another man after a car crash has taken a plea deal offered by prosecutors.

The 21-year-old Adrian Phillips pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of third-degree assault in Lancaster County District Court on Monday. He faces up to a year in prison.

Phillips was charged with a felony count of first-degree assault, which carries a prison sentence of up to 50 years.

Police say Phillips broke the other man’s jaw, leg and eye socket after the man hit the car that Phillips was riding in on May 29.

Douglas County health officials in Omaha say a man has died of West Nile virus, marking the county’s first death from the mosquito-borne disease this year.

Health Director Dr. Adi Pour says the man was over 65 years old and had traveled to Texas before getting sick with the disease. The man had been hospitalized.

West Nile virus is transmitted to people through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus from an infected bird. The virus has flu-like symptoms.

Health officials say residents should limit their time outdoors during dawn or dusk, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants if they’re outside and use insect repellent.

For the third time this year, thieves have stolen more copper downspouts from an Omaha church.

Officials with First Christian Church say thieves made off with $2,100 worth of downspouts about two weeks ago. Seven 10 foot-sections were taken. About $4,800 worth of downspouts were taken on two occasions in early July.

The church has insurance to cover the losses. Officials say they won’t replace the downspouts with copper but will use another product that has no scrap value.

First Christian Church isn’t the only church that has been targeted by copper thieves this year. Copper gutters at three other churches were stolen in May and at three more in June.

Authorities say a Lincoln man has been hospitalized after he drank acetone and crashed his minivan into a tree in an apparent suicide attempt.

Lincoln Police Capt. Jim Davidsaver told the media that the accident occurred near the Holmes Lake Park entrance in southeast Lincoln a little before 4:30 p.m. Monday.

The man was taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery. Davidsaver says the man suffered little or no injury in the crash, but the acetone severely damaged his body.

Acetone is a solvent used to dissolve other substances, including paint, plastics and glues.

A Grand Island man is being charged with threatening a federal drug investigator, prosecutors say a friend of his helped hide the man after the threats.

U.S. Attorney Deborah Gilg says 18-year-old Alexander Martinez threatened to assault an officer with the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force on Aug. 6.

Court documents say Martinez was trying to impede the task force’s investigation.

Prosecutors also charged 18-year-old Luis Green-Chavez with helping Martinez avoid apprehension after making the threats.

The federal indictments against both men were unsealed on Monday. The two men are expected to make their initial appearances in court later this week.

The central Nebraska town of Callaway is fighting to keep its nursing home open, but it must raise $250,000 quickly to succeed.

Ever since the Evangelical Good Samaritan Society announced plans last September to close the nursing home, people have been working to save it.

Residents hope the newly created nonprofit Callaway Good Life Center will be able to take over the facility, but Good Samaritan officials say a deal must be completed by 5 p.m. Tuesday or the facility will close on Nov. 5.

Ron Jorgensen says he’s been overwhelmed by support. He says more than $50,000 in donations were pledged at a community meeting Monday and more were received Tuesday.

Jorgensen said Tuesday morning that he’s not sure how much more needs to be raised before the deadline.

Police are looking into how a car ended up in a Grand Island lake.

Police were called Monday morning to Eagle Scout Lake when walkers on the lake’s trail noticed the trunk of a car sticking out of the water.

Record drought has lowered the water level at the lake nearly 6 feet.

Police are trying to determine whether the car has been in the lake for some time or was recently driven in.

Police Sgt. Dale Hilderbrand says front end damage, a broken headlight and black paint on the headlight lens indicate the car may have been involved in a crash with another vehicle before going into the lake. Investigators say the maroon Ford Taurus had no license plates.