LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Seven people have applied to fill a southeastern Nebraska district judgeship left vacant earlier this year when Judge Jeffrey Funke was appointed to the state Supreme Court.

Those applying for the 2nd Judicial District bench include Julie Bear and Nathan Cox, both of Plattsmouth; Jennifer Huxoll, of Palmyra; David Partsch, of Nebraska City; Paul Payne, of Dodge; Michael Smith, of Springfield; and Margaret Zarbano, of Omaha.

The district consists of Cass, Otoe, and Sarpy counties. The primary place of office is Plattsmouth.

The Judicial Nominating Commission will hold a public hearing at the Cass County Courthouse on Sept. 15, when it will review all the applicants.

NIOBRARA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has planned several events at Niobrara State Park in northeast Nebraska next month.

On Friday the National Park Service will present a program about the Missouri National Recreational River and its history as a park.

The next day there will be a bison cookout and a program of stories and songs about the Plains pioneers.

On Sept. 4 there will be a naturalist program on sidewalk chalk art and interactive activities for children at an educational trailer.

Organizers have scheduled the Night Owl 5K Run/Walk for Sept. 10. The race begins at 8 p.m. Registration is $25. Register by calling 402-857-3373.

The park sits west of Niobrara in Knox County. A park entry permit is required.

Call 402-857-3373 for more information.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)€”–Police have identified a woman killed this week in a two-vehicle crash in Lincoln.

Police say 82-year-old Donna Thoman, of Lincoln, died in the 8:15 a.m. Thursday crash at the intersection of West O and NW 40th streets near the Lancaster County Jail.

Officials say Thoman’s car and a truck collided at the intersection. Police say Thoman died at the scene.

The driver of the truck was taken to a hospital with injured not believed to be life-threatening.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has, for the first time, ruled that a city may challenge the annexation of land outside its borders if the move infringes on the city’s future growth.

The ruling Friday comes in a lawsuit the city of Springfield filed against the neighboring city of Papillion, which last year annexed an area to its west. Springfield sued, arguing that some of that land had been designated in 1995 as an area of future grown for Springfield.

A Sarpy County District judge dismissed the lawsuit, finding that Springfield didn’t have standing to bring the suit.

But the high court says Springfield can continue with its lawsuit because a 1994 state law allows municipalities to identify land as part of their future growth, giving Springfield standing in the case.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of a man for a 2012 drive-by shooting that killed a 16-year-old Omaha girl.

Tracy Parnell was convicted in April 2015 for the shooting that killed Eriana Carr and injured Nakia Johnson. Parnell was sentenced to life in prison for the murder count and up to 170 years for attempted murder and various weapons counts.

On Friday, the state’s high court rejected Parnell’s arguments that he should have been granted a new trial and that his threats toward one of the victims should not have been allowed into evidence at his trial.

Police say Parnell threatened Johnson at gunpoint days before the shooting, because she had invited a rival gang member to the apartment she shared with Parnell’s girlfriend.

CLATONIA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have identified the man whose body was found in a Gage County irrigation pond.

Gage County Attorney Roger Harris said Friday the body was that of 68-year-old Wayne Brinkmeyer, who lived in DeWitt. Authorities were sent to the pond three miles south of Clatonia Thursday evening after relatives called for help. They’d grown concerned because he’d missed a scheduled dinner with friends and wasn’t answering calls.

A family member told authorities that Brinkmeyer had been working on a pump in the pond.

An autopsy has been scheduled.

Brinkmeyer had been heavily involved in agriculture issues and had served on the county Planning and Zoning Commission.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — State health and environment officials have ended a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Branched Oak Lake in Lancaster County.

The alerts will continue for at least another week at Iron Horse Trail Lake in Pawnee County, Pawnee Lake in Lancaster County and Willow Creek Lake in Pierce County.

Officials said in a news release Friday that the alerts were issued following tests of the lake water. Lakes that are on health alerts must have two consecutive weeks of readings below the threshold before the alerts are discontinued.

Skin exposed to the toxin from certain strains of blue-green algae can develop rashes and blisters. Someone who drinks water containing the toxin is at risk for headaches, nausea and muscular pain.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man wearing only boxer shorts stole a pickup and drove it into a Southwest Airlines plane at an airport in Omaha, Nebraska, causing minor injuries to three people on board.

Eppley Airfield Police Chief Tim Conahan says an officer spotted the man outside the terminal Thursday evening, screaming that people were trying to kill him. When officers approached, the man ran, climbed a fence into the gate area, undressed and stole an airline pickup. He drove into the plane, which was headed to Denver, as passengers were boarding.

The man is in custody. His name hasn’t been released.

Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said Friday that the plane’s nose gear tires were flattened, so another plane flew the 113 passengers to Denver, landing three hours later than originally scheduled.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Another one of the nine former Winnebago Tribal Council members charged in federal court with theft of tribal funds has pleaded not guilty.

Eight of the defendants have now pleaded not guilty. Thirty-eight-year-old Travis Mallory entered his not guilty plea on Wednesday.

The initial hearing for 70-year-old Morgan Earth has been delayed.

Prosecutors say the officials siphoned $327,500 over two years from the tribe’s WinneVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa. They took the money in the form of gift certificates and pre-paid debit cards issued by the casino.

All nine individuals were indicted last month after an FBI investigation.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say a woman has died in a two-vehicle crash in Lincoln.

Police say the crash happened around 8:15 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of West O and NW 40th streets near the Lancaster County Jail.

Officials say a car and truck collided at the intersection, and the woman driving the car died at the scene.

The driver of the truck was taken to a hospital with injured not believed to be life-threatening.

The names of those involved have not yet been released.