OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — More than 500 students from sixth- to 12th grades across the Midwest area are competing this weekend in the 14th annual Regional Science Olympiad at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

The all-day event Saturday has students competing in rigorous challenges in anatomy and physiology, astronomy, earth science, food science, forensics, genetics, geology, mechanical engineering, physics and technology. The event was started by the zoo in 2005 as an outlet for students to advance to the Nebraska Science Olympiad in April.

Students representing about 45 schools and teams in the Midwest are participating.

A violent member of the Omaha, Nebraska area Crips Gang was found guilty today of participating in a racketeering conspiracy involving acts of violence, including attempted murder and assaults, witness tampering and drug distribution. Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Robert C. Stuart for the District of Nebraska made the announcement.

Jerell Haynie aka “Bootie,” 35, of Omaha, was found guilty today by a jury following a two-week trial of one count of racketeering conspiracy.  U.S. District Joseph F. Bataillon of the District of Nebraska scheduled Haynie’s sentencing for June 1, 2018.  According to the evidence presented at trial, from 2008 to 2016, Haynie conspired to conduct and participate in the affairs of the Omaha-area chapter of the Crips, known as the “40th Avenue and 44th Avenue Crips,” through a pattern of racketeering activity.  As a long-standing gang member, Haynie engaged in cocaine trafficking and personally committed acts of violence for the gang in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy.  These acts of violence included the shootings and attempted murders of a fellow gang member suspected of cooperating with the police and a confidential police informant.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Omaha Police Department are investigating the case.  Trial Attorney John S. Han of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Molsen of the District of Nebraska are prosecuting the case.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Prosecutors say a Grand Island man driving drunk with seven children in a sport utility vehicle is facing 18 felony and misdemeanor counts.

Court records say 35-year-old James Anderson has pleaded not guilty to child abuse, fifth offense driving under the influence, driving during revocation of his license, and related charges. His next hearing is scheduled for April 11.

The records say Anderson failed two sobriety tests Sept. 16 after a Hall County deputy stopped him for speeding near Wood River. Four of the seven children didn’t have seat belts, and the deputy reported seeing open beer cans and an open liquor bottle in the SUV.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — City officials in eastern Nebraska have unveiled a new online map that tracks snowplows and updates residents on which streets have — or have not — been cleared.

The city of Omaha revealed the online map Thursday. The map is color-coded by street and neighborhood, and updates every minute. It also allows residents to compare neighborhoods.

Austin Rowser is in charge of plowing for the city. He says the map shows residents that the city’s effort is evenly distributed.

City Council Vice President Chris Jerram has long pushed for publishing snowplow tracking data. He says he’s pleased to see that such a feature has been implemented.

Seventy-five percent of the city’s 100-plus trucks have the tracking technology installed.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The last of three people arrested after methamphetamine was found in a vehicle pulled over by a deputy in southeastern Nebraska has been sentenced.

Valeria Navarro-Martinez was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Omaha to 28 months in prison.

In September the judge also sent Jose Lopez-Salazar to prison for 28 months and Jose Manuel Zavala-Barron to eight years and a month.

Prosecutors say a Lancaster County sheriff’s deputy stopped a car carrying Navarro-Martinez and Lopez-Salazar on April 5 last year for following too closely on Interstate 80. Twenty-three packages holding about 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms) were found in the car doors after Navarro-Martinez consented to a search.

Zavala-Barron was arrested later in Omaha, where more meth was found.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have identified a man who was pronounced dead at a hospital after being found on the steps of a southeast Omaha house.

Police say a woman walking her dog spotted the man and alerted officers around 2:15 a.m. Thursday. Paramedics sent to the scene performed CPR on the man before he was placed in an ambulance. He’d suffered a stab wound. Police say he was pronounced dead at Nebraska Medical Center.

Police identified him as 51-year-old Troy Giles. A homicide investigation has been launched. No arrests have been reported.

UTICA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have released the names of two of the four people killed in a collision on an icy interstate in eastern Nebraska.

The crash occurred Tuesday morning on Interstate 80 in York County. Authorities blamed the slippery pavement and excess speed for the deadly accident. An eastbound pickup truck went out of control and crossed the median into westbound lanes, striking a semitrailer and killing the pickup’s four occupants. The big rig driver wasn’t injured.

Lt. Paul Vrbka with the York County Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday that one victim has been identified as 32-year-old Alejandra Arellano Galaz, of Hastings. The other was identified as 39-year-old Mario Suarez Garcia, of Edgewater, Colorado.

The names of the two other victims aren’t being released until relatives have been notified of the men’s deaths.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a woman walking her dog alerted officers to a man she found on the steps of a southeast Omaha house, but he died later at a hospital.

Paramedics sent to the scene around 2:15 a.m. Thursday performed CPR on the man before he was placed in an ambulance.

Police have not released the man’s name or said how he died. A homicide investigation has been launched.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — One of two men accused of sexually assaulting a drunken teenager at a Lincoln house party has been sent to prison.

Court records say 23-year-old Marcus Steed was sentenced Tuesday to five to 10 years and credited with 335 days already served. He’d pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault of a minor after prosecutors lowered the charge.

The other man, 23-year-old James Shrader, is scheduled to be sentenced March 21. He pleaded no contest to attempted sexual assault of a minor as well as intentional child abuse.

Prosecutors say the girl was assaulted at a St. Patrick’s Day party last year at Steed’s residence.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha woman has been imprisoned for helping a man she’d been dating escape after he’d killed the other man she’d been dating.

48-year-old Doloma Curtis was sentenced Tuesday to three to five years for being an accessory to Rolander Brown.

Brown was sentenced in September to 100 to 140 years in prison for killing 40-year-old Carlos Alonzo in May 2016. Both men had been going out with Curtis for months.

Brown had been a Douglas County jailer for 12 years. In court Tuesday she apologized for her actions.