LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Even as construction continues on four new fire stations, Lincoln officials are beginning to plan for two more stations.

Officials are in the preliminary stages of planning for the stations in an effort to keep land acquisition costs as low as possible.

Fire Chief Micheal Despain says the cost of buying land can be six times as high if the property is needed immediately. He says the city can predict its population growth, so it makes sense to buy land early.

So far, the city hasn’t committed money to land purchases and is focused on replacing aging fire rigs and completing work on four stations under construction.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested two people following two pursuits in the early morning hours Sunday on Highway 11 in central Nebraska.

The first pursuit occurred at approximately 1:00 a.m. in Hall County when a trooper stopped to check on a Chevrolet Impala that was parked on the shoulder of Highway 11. As the trooper approached, the vehicle fled the scene and the trooper initiated a pursuit. After a few minutes of driving at around 40 miles per hour, the vehicle stopped.

The driver, Hendrik Torres Rodriguez, 35, of Grand Island, was arrested for felony flight to avoid arrest, possession of methamphetamine, and tampering with evidence. He was lodged in Hall County Jail.

The second pursuit occurred at approximately 5:00 a.m. when a trooper observed a Chevrolet Silverado traveling at 95 miles per hour on Highway 11 in Howard County. When the trooper attempted a traffic stop, the vehicle increased its speed and traveled through Cairo at more than 110 miles per hour. At one point during the pursuit, the vehicle was traveling at more than 130 miles per hour.

A short time later, the vehicle came to a stop after its engine caught fire. The driver, Jacob Sautter, 22, of Ord, was arrested for willful reckless driving, felony flight to avoid arrest, speeding greater than 36 miles per hour over the posted speed limit, and numerous traffic violations. He was lodged in Hall County Jail.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Three men charged in a Lincoln slaying are being held without bond on federal murder charges.

Tawhyne Patterson, Dante Williams and his brother, Damon Williams Jr., were told Friday in U.S. District Court in Lincoln that prosecutors are considering seeking the death penalty for their cases.

They are accused of fatally shooting Jessica Brandon on July 31 at the north Lincoln home she shared with her fiance. Police say surveillance cameras caught three men forcing their way into the home and then firing several shots before running outside three minutes later after the drug-related robbery.

A state judge Friday approved the Lancaster County prosecutors’ motions to drop the state murder charges.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A federal judge in Nebraska cited 15 sexual misconduct cases involving deputies or other employees in refusing to dismiss a woman’s lawsuit against the Douglas County sheriff and his office over how they handled her misconduct complaint.

U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon said the cases date back 20 years and raise concerns that Sheriff Tim Dunning and his office failed “to train or supervise its employees on sexual misconduct.

“The court agrees with the plaintiff that there is sufficient evidence as a matter of law that would enable a jury to find deliberate indifference on the part of Sheriff Dunning,” Bataillon said.

Douglas County attorneys have appealed Bataillon’s decision.

The woman alleged Dunning was indifferent to sexual misconduct in his office after Deputy Cory Cooper in February 2013 made her perform a sex act on him when she was 19.

The woman reported the incident to police a few days later but the sheriff’s office didn’t immediately begin its investigation, which allowed Cooper to continue acting inappropriately, said Debra Loevy, the woman’s attorney. Cooper wasn’t fired until May 2013 following another report of his behavior, Loevy said.

Dunning told the newspaper he wasn’t indifferent toward misconduct, noting that suspensions or terminations occurred when a case was corroborated. He said all county employees are trained on sexual harassment.

Dunning added that Cooper wasn’t involved in any previous cases, so there was no indication that he could be an issue.

“Cooper did what he did because he’s a sex offender and a criminal,” Dunning said. “Before we hired him, he had a psychological screen. He was polygraphed. As far as we could tell, he was going to be a sterling employee.”

Cooper was sentenced to misdemeanor assault in 2015 and served six months in jail. As part of a plea bargain, Cooper didn’t have to register as a sex offender and isn’t a convicted felon.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have released the names of two police officers who were injured and a suspect who was shot during a struggle at a Lincoln residence.

Police say the violence occurred after officers arrived early Saturday morning to check a report about a man with a knife. A news release from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office says 43-year-old Christopher Brennauer stabbed Officer Kyle Russell in the upper chest. The release says Russell fired his handgun several times, striking Brennauer in a shoulder. The release also says one of Russell’s bullets hit Officer Joshua Atkinson in a leg.

Brennauer was taken in critical condition to a hospital. Russell was treated Saturday and released from the hospital Sunday. The release says Atkinson underwent surgery on the leg and is recovering at the hospital.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested a suspect driving a stolen vehicle following a pursuit overnight in Lincoln.

In the early morning hours of Sunday, December 30, a trooper attempted a traffic stop near 27^th and Cornhusker on a 1993 Honda Civic that had been reported stolen. The vehicle fled and the trooper initiated a pursuit. After the driver started traveling in the opposite lane against oncoming traffic, the pursuit was terminated and the NSP Aviation Support Division was called in to follow the vehicle.

The NSP helicopter was able to follow the vehicle to the area near Rosa Parks Way and South Folsom. When troopers on the ground found the vehicle, the suspect vehicle spun out near South Folsom and West B.

As the vehicle began driving through a backyard and into an alley, a trooper was able to successfully perform a Tactical Vehicle Intervention to bring the vehicle to a stop. Troopers were then able to immediately take the driver, Damian Smith, 44, of Lincoln, into custody.

Smith was arrested for felony flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, driving during revocation, and an outstanding felony warrant. Smith also faces charges from the Lincoln Police Department.

Smith was treated and released from Bryan Medical Center at Bryan West Campus for a minor leg injury and lodged in Lancaster County Jail. NSP was assisted by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and the Lincoln Police Department during this event.

Two Lincoln Police Officers and one suspect are hospitalized after an early morning officer-involved shooting.

At around 2:49 a.m., on December 29, officers responded to the report of a man with a knife in the 3200 block of South 48th Street.

During the confrontation, one officer was stabbed in the upper-right chest, beyond the coverage area of his ballistic vest. Another officer sustained a gunshot wound to the leg.

The suspect, identified as a 43-year-old male, sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

The officers’ injuries are not expected to be life-threatening, the suspect is listed in critical condition.

The investigation into the incident will be handled by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation is in the preliminary stages according to officials, who say there is no ongoing threat to the public.

More details will be released Monday, December 31.

CHAMBERS, Neb. (AP) — A county attorney has released the name of a 93-year-old woman who died in an explosion and fire at her home in northern Nebraska.

Holt County Attorney Brent Kelly has confirmed that JoEllyn Lehmann was pronounced dead at her damaged home southeast of Chambers on Sunday evening. Investigators blamed the blast on a propane gas release inside the residence.

An autopsy determined that Lehmann died of injuries suffered in the explosion and fire. Kelly says she was alone in the home.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — More than 90 former tenants have sued the owner of Omaha apartments that the city has deemed unlivable.

City inspectors evacuated hundreds of Myanmar refugees from the Yale Park Apartments Sept. 20, citing issues such as unsafe electrical circuits, natural gas leaks and units infested with mice, bedbugs and maggots.

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the lawsuit filed last week seeks security deposits, rent refunds and damages stemming from living in the dilapidated buildings.

Efforts to reach owner Kay Anderson have been unsuccessful. He has said he was unfairly targeted by the city and groups advocating for refugees. He’s said his former tenants deserve some blame for not taking better care of their apartments.

Scott Lane is the city’s chief housing inspector, and he says Anderson has made little or no progress on rehabbing the property.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) – A 25-year-old Papillion woman died after becoming stuck in a home elevator.

The Sarpy County sheriff’s office says deputies and Papillion firefighters were called to a home about 1 p.m. Thursday and found the woman stuck between part of the vertical lift system and the main floor of the residence. The woman, who was unconscious, was identified as Asha Chaudhuri.

It took the first responders about 20 minutes to free Chaudhuri. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Chaudhuri often used the lift to move between floors of the home.

Authorities say the death appears accidental but an investigation will continue.