HOMER, Neb. (AP) — Dakota County farmers along Pigeon Creek hope long-awaited dredging work will reduce the risk of flooding in the future.

Work began last week on a nearly $200,000 project to dredge about seven miles of the creek from U.S. Highway 77 near Homer to a bridge east of Hubbard.

The project will dredge silt in the creek that has built up over the past 30 to 40 years and is designed to increase the creek’s capacity to carry water in the wake of heavy rainfalls.

In June 2014, large amounts of rain caused levees along the creek to breach and hundreds of acres of farmland to flood.

Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District general manager John Winkler says funding for the Pigeon Creek project was transferred from an Omaha-area project.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a 25-year-old woman died when the vehicle she was driving slammed into a power pole in northwest Omaha.

A passerby reported the crash just before 3 a.m., and police found a Ford Explorer resting against a large power pole. The driver was dead at the scene.

Police believe the crash occurred sometime earlier, when the vehicle left the road and crashed into the pole.

The driver was identified as Raelynn M. Preston, of Omaha.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha school Superintendent Mark Evans plans to retire at the end of year after only four years on the job.

The 57-year-old Evans said Monday that he decided to step down so he could spend more time with his aging parents and his wife’s parents.

Evans joined the district in 2013, and helped pass a $421 million bond issue.

Five of the nine seats on the district’s school board are up for election this November.

GRETNA, Neb. (AP) — A Gretna High School student is questioning the school’s unwillingness to sponsor her club dedicated to fighting abortion and educating mothers on other options.

The Thomas More Society wrote a letter to district administrators Monday, saying the school’s decision is discrimination and violates the First Amendment and the Equal Access Act.

The society describes itself as a national nonprofit law firm “dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family and religious liberty.” It’s representing high school junior Bridget Christensen, who is a co-president of Dragons for Life, a chapter of the Students for Life of America.

School administrators say the club was denied sponsorship because its topic is a controversial one that’s political and religious.

The club currently is permitted to meet at the school, but not during school hours.

___

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say several hours after Lincoln firefighters extinguished a fire at a church a second fire was started.

Lincoln Fire Battalion Chief Jeremy Gregg says the second fire in the sanctuary of Belmont Baptist Church wasn’t just the original fire rekindling.

Gregg says that arson is suspected in both fires that burned in the church on Monday. The second fire Monday night was extinguished quickly.

The fires caused roughly $350,000 to $400,000 in damage.

Pastor Mike Kidder says the church hopes to be able to use the fellowship hall once it is cleaned up, but he’s not sure yet what the congregation will do.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say arson is suspected in an early morning three-alarm fire that caused significant damage to a church in Lincoln.

The fire was reported about 2 a.m. Monday at Belmont Baptist Church.

Lincoln Battalion Chief Jeremy Gegg says it took crews about 45 minutes to control the fire. He says the fire caused significant damage and part of the roof collapsed, but a fire door inside the building kept flames contained to one area.

There were no injuries.

On Monday afternoon, police said arson is suspected and that fire investigators were being helped in the investigation by the Omaha fire department’s arson dog and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officials say an early morning three-alarm fire caused significant damage to a church in Lincoln.

The fire was reported about 2 a.m. Monday at Belmont Baptist Church.

Lincoln Battalion Chief Jeremy Gegg says it took crews about 45 minutes to control the fire. He says the fire caused significant damage and part of the roof collapsed, but a fire door inside the building kept flames contained to one area.

There were no injuries.

WACO, Neb. (AP) — The driver of a semitrailer truck died Sunday after losing control of the truck on Interstate 80.

Eastbound lanes of the interstate were shut down for several hours Sunday after the fiery crash.

Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins says the truck caught fire after it crashed into a ditch just east of the Waco exit around 4 p.m. Sunday.

Authorities did not immediately release the name of the truck driver.