OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of a 57-year-old woman has been ordered held without bail.

31-year-old Isacc John was ordered held without bond Wednesday by a Douglas County Court judge. John’s preliminary hearing has been set for Jan. 13. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

A prosecutor says neighbors reported hearing John in a heated argument with Linda Chase early Saturday followed by “a loud sound and then silence” in her Omaha home. Deputy County Attorney Dave Wear also said John appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of his arrest.

John has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and a weapons count.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln police Chief Jim Peschong (peh-SHAHNG’) has announced that three police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a Central City man did not violate department policy or procedure.

Peschong said Wednesday that Officer Angela Morehouse, Sgt. Bradley Junker and Officer Matthew Gilleland have been taken off of administrative leave after the completion of an internal investigation into the death of Zachary Grigsby.

Authorities say that Junker was trying to arrest Grigsby Nov. 29 when Morehouse and Gilleland arrived to help. The police chief said Grigsby put Morehouse in a headlock and held a gun to her head.

According to the investigation, Grigsby fired and struck Gilleland in the arm before two of the officers returned fire, killing Grigsby.

The police chief said the Lancaster County Attorney’s Office will now review the case.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — No one was injured when a kiln in an Omaha middle school art room sparked a fire overnight.

The fire occurred Wednesday night at Beadle Middle School in southwest Omaha.

Authorities say the fire activated the school’s fire alarm and sprinkler system. Officials say the sprinklers put out the fire before firefighters arrived.

Investigators say the fire was confined to the art room and no students were in the school at the time.

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District officials say the federal government won’t help pay for levee repairs around Offutt Air Force Base.

The district voted 10-0 last week to approve a $15 million application for the levee project from the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission’s water sustainability fund.

District officials had considered submitting a smaller application if federal money came through.

If the application is approved, state money will cover 60 percent of the project’s approximately $25 million cost. The district has pledged $5 million, and the city of Bellevue, Sarpy County and the city of Omaha have each pledged up to $3 million.

The repairs are needed to recertify 19 miles of levees that protect the base and surrounding area from flooding from the Missouri River.

NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska sheriff’s deputy jumped into the cab of a runaway semitrailer after the driver apparently passed out at the wheel, stopping the vehicle from possibly crashing off a busy viaduct bridge.

Deputies responding to a 911 call about a reckless semi on U.S. Highway 81 caught up with the truck in Madison County, but it wouldn’t stop.

The truck slowed as it neared Norfolk, 110 miles northwest of Omaha, allowing Deputy Todd Volk to leap into action. He jumped from a cruiser onto the highway, then into the truck’s cab, where he was able to stop the big rig on the bridge.

Volk says the driver appeared to be sick and officials said it may have been a diabetic reaction.

The incident happened Dec. 2.

NEWCASTLE, Neb. (AP) — Officials say a northeast Nebraska house fire sparked by a propane tank explosion has injured one firefighter.

The firefighter was taken to a taken to a Sioux City, Iowa hospital Monday after battling the house fire at Newcastle, Nebraska. Newcastle is about 34 miles northwest of Sioux City.

Newcastle Volunteer Fire Chief John Kneifl (kah-NEE-fahl) says the explosion occurred about 10:30 p.m. Monday.

Kneifl says the firefighter’s injuries were not life-threatening.

Kneifl says a man and his dog were inside the home at the time of the explosion, but escaped unharmed.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Grand Island police are investigating the death of 33-year-old man earlier this month, saying a preliminary autopsy has shown the man was asphyxiated in bed.

Eric Lathrop died early Dec. 7 staying at the home of a friend in Grand Island.

Police say the man’s death is suspicious. Investigators are awaiting final autopsy results, which may not be available for several weeks.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln fire investigator says a bathroom light overheated and ignited a fire inside a vacant downtown building.

The fire occurred before 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Investigator Damon Robbins says a trespasser inside the building likely left the ceiling light on in the bathroom on the northwest side of the building.

The fire burned through the walls of one of the rooms inside, but was under control shortly within an hour. No one was in the building at the time of the fire, but two firefighters suffered minor injuries in bringing the fire under control.

A fire investigator is working to determine how much damage was done to the building owned by New Generation Investments LLC.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln high school math teacher has been charged Monday with driving drunk for a third time.

41-year-old Terry Harms, of Cortland, was stopped by a city police officer around 2 a.m. Saturday.

The officer says Harms smelled of alcohol and that his blood alcohol level registered at .165 percent — more than twice the legal limit to drive in Nebraska.

Harms teaches at Lincoln North Star. He pleaded not guilty Monday to third-offense DUI and not having a valid registration.

Court records show Harms was convicted of drunken driving in 2007 and 2011.

School district officials say they are reviewing the case and that Harms has been asked not to return to work until a decision on his employment is reached.

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COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — Police in the eastern Nebraska city of Columbus have said they will not cite a 94-year-old driver who hit and injured a woman Friday in a pharmacy parking lot.

The decision followed a police investigation into the accident.

According to a police report, the 94-year-old man was attempting to back out of a parking stall Friday afternoon at Bob’s U-Save Pharmacy when he accidentally put the vehicle in drive.

His car then accelerated onto the sidewalk and hit a 42-year-old Columbus woman, who was pinned between the vehicle and building.

Police say the woman was taken by ambulance to Columbus Community Hospital for injuries that weren’t life-threatening.

The crash caused an estimated $5,000 damage to the pharmacy building.