LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln man has opened a commercial worm farm that takes discarded food waste and turns it into a compost product with the creature’s help.

Jeremiah Picard’s company opened in September to reduce the volume of waste that goes to the city landfill, to create a natural soil-enhancing product for school and community gardens, and to teach students about the benefits of composting.

Through the company’s vermiculture process, Picard creates worm castings, a natural fertilizer that helps plants use nutrients that are already present in the soil. Worm castings are the undigested material, soil and bacteria excreted by a worm after it eats the food scraps.

Picard says the company has diverted 75,000 pounds of food waste from the city landfill so far.

HICKMAN, Neb. (AP) — Lancaster County authorities say two people were cited after deputies caught them with a cooked goose, two more dead ones and 42 goose eggs.

The Sheriff’s Office says deputies found the two fishing Sunday at Wagon Train Lake near Hickman. The deputies spotted the cooked goose and then found the two other dead Canada geese and the eggs in the anglers’ vehicle. The 40 eggs that weren’t cracked were turned over to Nebraska Game and Parks officials.

The two were cited on suspicion of possessing Canada geese out of season, which ended in early February.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A nonprofit is planning an entertainment area for families during two national sporting events in Omaha this summer.

The small festival will occur during the NCAA men’s baseball College World Series and the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, which run back to back from the end of June to the beginning of July.

The Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority’s family area will include a 100-foot-tall Ferris wheel, balloon animals, face painting and food trucks.

Last month, the authority’s board approved $450,000 for the temporary Ferris wheel and $65,000 for three rentable party bungalows.

Officials with the nonprofit have been discussing the small festival since last fall. They say the area is designed to supplement, not compete with, other festivities during the sporting events.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Medicine is expanding its network of doctors west to Grand Island.

The Omaha-based group already includes the Nebraska Medical Center, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a network of more than 1,000 doctors in the area.

Nebraska Medicine will take over operations of the Internal Medical Associates of Grand Island clinic in July. The doctors in the clinic suggested the change.

Doctor Jennifer Brown says her group decided to join Nebraska Medicine to allow them to focus on patient care while providing patients the support of a larger group.

The clinic includes six internal medicine doctors, one rheumatologist and four advanced practice providers. It sees more than 10,000 patients a year.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Fort Calhoun man who was critically injured when a car he was working on fell on him has died from his injuries.

Kodiak Kumm was taken off life support. He died Friday at Creighton University Medical Center.

Kumm’s father, Dale Kumm, says the family is planning to donate the 21-year-old’s organs.

Emergency crews were called to a Fort Calhoun home around noon Tuesday after Dale Kumm came home and found his son trapped beneath the car. The father jacked up the car and attempted CPR on his son.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A federal judge is considering an order that would temporarily halt the demolition of Omaha’s old Civic Auditorium and Music Hall, even though the work is already stalled.

The judge could issue the order while he considers a lawsuit against the city over the bidding process. The work is already on hold because the Illinois company that the city hired to demolish the arena is in deep financial trouble.

The federal lawsuit is just the latest glitch in the Civic project.

A small business owner from north Omaha, Kevin Reddick, claims that the city violated his constitutional rights by awarding the demolition contract to DeNovo Constructors’ Inc.

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s expressway system is still generating a lot of attention from members of the public who want to see road improvements.

The expressway system was one of the primary topics discussed Friday at a public hearing held by the Nebraska Department of Roads.

Business and community leaders in northeast Nebraska are calling for the expansion of U.S. Highway 275 between Norfolk and Fremont.

State Roads Director Kyle Schneweis says the expressway system needs to be finished. He says he’s optimistic that the work will happen with the expected passage of an infrastructure bank bill in the Legislature, known as the Transportation Innovation Act.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An autopsy has determined that the death of an Omaha attorney in a fire at his home in January was an accident.

The death certificate of 61-year-old Martin Cahill shows he died of smoke inhalation.

Firefighters found Cahill in his apartment shortly after 6:15 p.m. on Jan. 28. Flames were coming from the living room coat closet in the main-level apartment.

Cahill was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he died shortly after arriving.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A state judicial nominating committee will hold a public hearing next month to receive information on candidates to fill a vacant eastern Nebraska judgeship.

The Nebraska Judicial Nominating Commission will hear the qualifications of candidates to fill the Sarpy County District bench vacated by the appointment of Judge Max Kelch to the Supreme Court.

The public is welcome to attend and present information concerning candidates for the judicial opening.

Individuals interested in applying can find forms on the Nebraska Judicial Branch website at http://1.usa.gov/25kbaBk .

Completed applications may be submitted electronically or by hard copy and must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Tuesday.