HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday for the second trial of a 51-year-old man charged with killing his 2-year-old grandson.

Peter Draper, of Naponee, in January, was granted a new trial by the Nebraska Supreme Court as it reversed his 2013 convictions in the death of Joseph Rinehart Jr. An autopsy concluded the toddler died of head and internal injuries caused by blunt force.

Draper appealed his conviction on the grounds that his wife should not have been allowed to be called as a witness for the prosecution.

Court documents say the trial is being held in Adams County District Court in Hastings because the Franklin County District Court courtroom is inadequate.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a 10-year-old girl has been hospitalized after being struck by a train in western Iowa.

The Council Bluffs Police Department says the girl was found conscious and alert between two sets of tracks after she was hit around 12:30 p.m. Sunday. She was taken to an Omaha, Nebraska, hospital. The department hasn’t released her name.

Investigators say it appears the girl tried to cross a set of tracks after a train passed but was struck by another train that had been going the same direction.

 

SCHUYLER, Neb. (AP) — A bank employee in eastern Nebraska has been accused of stealing more than $150,000 at her job through falsified loans over a nearly five-year period.

Court records show 37-year-old Diana Sanchez, of Schuyler, is charged with nine felony counts of theft by unlawful taking. She is scheduled to make an appearance Tuesday in Colfax County Court.

Records do not list an attorney for Sanchez, who was arrested Oct. 1. She was released from a detention facility after posting bond.

Sanchez, who recently worked as a residential mortgage lender at a Pinnacle Bank branch, is accused of accessing customer information to create and process loan checks ranging from about $5,000 to $30,000. Court documents say she cashed the checks at the bank and pocketed the money.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Grand Island has issued a “no dogs allowed” policy in some city vehicles after the City Council received a more than $100 cleaning bill for one truck after a city attorney transported his pooch in it.

The truck is part of a small fleet available for checkout by city employees needing to attend off-site meetings or out-of-town conferences.

City Attorney Bob Sivick says he checked out the truck in late September for a seminar in Omaha. He took his Jack Russell terrier, Buddy, along.

Sivick says he doubts that Buddy would have left enough fur behind to require $100 in cleaning.

Nonetheless, Public Works Director John Collins says dogs are no longer allowed in vehicles used to take people to executive-level meetings.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man has been arrested in connection with a vehicle pursuit that led authorities through parts of Iowa and Nebraska.

Omaha police say 29-year-old Robert Coffman was booked into Douglas County Corrections early Sunday. He faces charges that include methamphetamine possession and resisting arrest.

Court records do not list an attorney for Coffman.

Police say officers observed Coffman driving a car early Sunday in Omaha that was reported stolen. Coffman is accused of ignoring a traffic stop request from officers and driving into nearby Carter Lake, Iowa.

The car then entered Blair, Nebraska, before returning to Omaha. Authorities attempted to deploy tire deflation devices but the vehicle avoided them.

The car stopped eventually and Coffman and a male passenger were taken into custody. The passenger was cited and released.

BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in southern Nebraska say a woman has died following a two-vehicle crash involving a deer.

Beatrice Fire and Rescue Captain Corey Lienemann says the crash was reported around 6:45 a.m. Sunday on U.S. Highway 136. A small compact car was disabled on the shoulder of the road when it was struck by a Buick vehicle.

Roger Harris, Gage County attorney and coroner, says the small compact car appears to have hit a deer before it was struck by the Buick vehicle.

The compact car was carrying a woman who was later pronounced dead. Additional information about any other people in the cars was not released.

CORTLAND, Neb. (AP) — At least one person has died in the crash of a small plane in southeast Nebraska about 30 miles south of Lincoln.

Cortland fire and rescue crews responded to the crash around 8:45 a.m. Saturday. The plane went down in a field near Cortland.

Gage County Deputy Sheriff John Patsch has confirmed at least one person died. Two people were believed to be on board the plane.

Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board officials were on their way to the crash site to investigate.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Four UNL students have won prestigious fellowships from the National Science Foundation to help pay for their graduate studies.

The students will each receive about $46,000 a year for the next three years.

Tasneem Bouzid is researching ways to treat diabetes through biomedical engineering.

Tyler Corey is studying a certain kind of spider and the ways it uses communication.

Abbey Riemer is researching how experiencing sexist conduct might affect young women’s desire to pursue a career in science or engineering.

William Jamieson is examining the mathematical formulas used in physics to describe how liquids and gases respond to various forces.

LINCOLN – A portion of Calamus Reservoir is temporarily closed to public access so the search for a missing boater can continue. Garfield County Sheriff Larry Donner said the reservoir is closed from the dam westward to a line from the Homestead Knolls boat ramp to Buckshot Bay.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office and Burwell Fire Department are searching for Wesley Sell, 38, of Arcadia. Sell has been missing since the fishing boat he was riding in sank amid high winds on the afternoon of Oct. 11.

Calamus Reservoir is located 5 miles northwest of Burwell in Garfield and Loup counties.