NELIGH, Neb. (AP) — A 66-year-old Tilden man had died in a one-vehicle crash east of Neligh along Highway 275
The Antelope County Sheriff’s Office says Douglas Halsey died in the crash, which happened just before 1 p.m. Wednesday north of the Elkhorn River bridge.
Investigators say Halsey’s vehicle was partly submerged in water along the highway after it came to rest.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. An autopsy has been ordered.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter last month has been sentenced to 60 to 120 years in prison.
28-year-old Danny Tucker Jr. also pleaded guilty to use of a firearm to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He pleaded no contest to possession of a stolen firearm.
His attorney said he still disputes witness accounts and the state’s contention that Tucker was seen with the pistol he used to shoot Earl Richardson III at a party in June 2014. The attorney said Tucker got the gun from Richardson during a struggle. Prosecutors said the men fought over drug debt.
Tucker will be eligible for parole after 34 years. He must serve 64 years if he doesn’t get parole.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A judge has sentenced former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle to 15 years and eight months in prison for trading in child pornography and having sex with underage prostitutes.
The judge in Indianapolis sentenced Fogle after he pleaded guilty under an agreement with prosecutors. They had sought a 12-and-a-half-year sentence, while Fogle’s attorneys asked for five years.
Fogle admitted paying for sex with girls as young as 16 and receiving child pornography produced by his charitable foundation’s former director.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The heartache of a broken relationship may soon become less painful on Facebook.
The world’s largest social network is trying to help people who have split up with a spouse or lover, offering a new feature that spares them from constantly seeing their former partner’s posts and pictures in their news feed.
Facebook will begin testing the breakup protection on mobile devices in the U.S. before deciding whether to offer it to all of its 1.5 billion accountholders worldwide.
The optional tool is designed for people who don’t want to take the more extreme measure of blocking an ex-lover from their Facebook network.
After changing their relationship status of Facebook, people will also be allowed to remove their names from past posts linking them to a former partner.
COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — Members of Columbus’ park board are supporting an effort to snuff out smoking and tobacco use in areas where children gather to play.
The Board of Parks Commissioners voted 5-0 on Tuesday to endorse a ban that would prohibit people from using any tobacco products near playground areas at local parks.
The policy now heads to the Columbus City Council for consideration.
Rebecca Rayman, executive director of the East Central District Health Department in Columbus, says the proposed ban is a reasonable request. Rayman says 18 other Nebraska communities have enacted similar policies.
Rayman also encouraged city officials to consider applying the policy to youth athletic facilities, such as baseball and soccer fields.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man has been sentenced to five to six years in prison for a punch that led to the death of another Omaha man.
35-year-old Willie M. McIntyre will spend at least two and a half years in prison for hitting 26-year-old Benjamin B. Moore outside a north Omaha home.
Moore died in May 2014 after he fell back and hit his head on concrete.
State law requires McIntyre to serve half of the lower term before he is eligible for parole. Without parole, he would be released after serving half of the upper term.
McIntyre faced up to 20 years for the manslaughter conviction.
McIntyre also served six months in prison in 2009 for being a felon in possession of a weapon.
BOSTON (AP) — A consumer watchdog group says dinosaur claws inspired by the movie “Jurassic World” and a substance that looks like poop are among the worst toys for Christmas this year.
The Massachusetts-based World Against Toys Causing Harm released its annual list of hazardous toys Wednesday.
The group says the velociraptor claws can cause eye and facial injuries, and the Play-Doh-like substance contains wheat that could cause allergies. The list also includes a quick-folding trampoline, which the group says can lead to injuries. WATCH says the items singled out represent common problems in toys.
The group also urges parents to be cautious when buying toys online, where nearly half of purchases are expected to be made this year.
HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Federal labor officials say they’re investigating the circumstances of a worker’s fall at a construction site in Hastings.
The Omaha office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says it has opened an investigation into the Wednesday morning incident at a soy crush plant construction site owned by Ag Processing Inc.
A 31-year-old worker was on a ladder on a mezzanine for the installation of steel horizontal beams. At some point the worker fell about 10 feet and was transported to a local hospital with severe injuries.
A message left Wednesday for Ag Processing Inc. was not immediately returned.
The worker is employed by A-Lert Construction Services, of Fredonia, Kansas. A person who answered a call for the company Wednesday said A-Lert Construction Services has no comment on the incident.
WINNEBAGO, Neb. (AP) — The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska will again offer stimulus payments to enrolled members after canceling them in July because of budget constraints.
Tribal officials say the $250 payments will be issued Dec. 3 at the Blackhawk Community Center. Those with outstanding loans to tribal offices or child support will forfeit the checks to help cover the debt.
The tribe’s website says the payments are considered nontaxable gifts from the tribe.
In July, more than 5,000 enrolled members of the Winnebago Tribe did not get the checks — which would have totaled $1.3 million — due to budget problems.
BEAVER CITY, Neb. (AP) — The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado damaged a farmstead near Beaver City in southern Nebraska.
The service says Monday’s EF-1 tornado touched down around 7:30 p.m. and lifted about six minutes later, after roaring through nearly 13 miles of rural Furnas County.
The tornado damaged a barn and storage area northeast of Hollinger and damaged trees and power poles. No injuries have been reported.
The service estimated the twister’s maximum wind speed at 95 mph. Experts say EF-1 tornados have winds ranging from 86 to 110 mph.
