LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has rejected the latest appeal of a man serving life in prison for the 1995 killing of an Omaha police officer.

Kevin Allen appealed after a lower court rejected his motion for post-conviction relief without an evidentiary hearing. In the motion, Allen argued, among other things, that former crime scene investigator David Kofoed (KO’-fode) — who was convicted of planting blood evidence in another case in 2006 — might have also tampered with evidence in his case.

On Friday, the state’s high court ruled that testimony showed Kofoed did not play a major role in gathering evidence in Allen’s case.

Allen was convicted of first-degree murder in the Aug. 20, 1995, murder of 24-year-old Officer Jimmy Wilson Jr. Wilson was fatally shot as he checked the license plate on a van he had stopped.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Douglas County authorities in eastern Nebraska say one person has died in a crash involving a dump truck and a car near the Elkhorn River.

The crash happened Friday afternoon near 245th and Q streets. Officials say the truck and the car were traveling in opposite directions when they collided, killing a woman.

The victim’s name had not been released by late Friday afternoon.

Officials say the dump truck driver did not suffer any serious injuries.

Investigation into the crash continues.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has rejected the latest appeal by a man convicted of killing a University of Nebraska at Omaha student whose body has never been found.

The high court Friday upheld a lower court’s denial of Christopher Edwards’ second motion for post-conviction relief. The court found that Edwards’ appeal saying the lower court should have held an evidentiary hearing on his claim that his attorney was ineffective was filed too late.

Edwards was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2006 disappearance of 19-year-old Jessica O’Grady, whose body was never found. Edwards was sentenced to 100 years to life.

The high court rejected Edwards’ first post-conviction relief motion in 2012. In that motion, Edwards argued that a corrupt Douglas County crime scene investigator planted blood evidence to frame him.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Authorities say officers helped evacuate audience members after a small fire broke out at a downtown Lincoln concert venue.

Someone knocked over a container of kerosene while performing with fire around 10 p.m. Thursday at the Bourbon Theatre. The flames set off a fire sprinkler, which doused the blaze.

Lincoln Fire & Rescue Department spokeswoman Nancy Crist says police helped evacuate the large crowd that had gathered for the headline act, K Camp. No injuries have been reported. K Camp’s concert was soon canceled.

Crist says the performer using fire didn’t have the authorization to perform with it at the theater.

Damage was estimated at $1,000.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Southwest Airlines has announced two new nonstop flights from Omaha.

The airline will begin offering daily nonstop flights to and from San Diego in June. Also starting in June, it will offer once-a-week nonstop flights to and from Nashville.

The Omaha World-Herald reports that Alaska Airlines is the only other airline to run a daily nonstop flight between Eppley Airfield in Omaha and San Diego. No other airline flies nonstop from Nashville to Omaha.

The flights are available for booking immediately. Both routes will be flown on Boeing 737 aircraft that seat between 143 and 175 passengers.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say a Lincoln man has been arrested after he threatened his roommates with an ax in a dispute over the home’s thermostat setting.

The 46-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after an early-morning fight that began when the man wanted the heat turned up.

Police say the man’s two roommates were in their bedroom when the man entered with a rusted, red-handled ax.

One roommate, a 48-year-old man, jumped out of the bed and wrestled the ax-wielding man to the ground, holding him there until police arrived. Police say the ax-holding man was drunk.

No one was injured.

He’s been charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.

DEWITT, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man died after his vehicle crashed in western Gage County.

The crash was reported around 1 a.m. Thursday. Gage County Sheriff Millard Gustafson says the vehicle ran off a roadway and rolled, ejecting the driver and rolling over him. Investigators suspect the man had been drinking.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities identified him as 44-year-old Paul Baehr, who lived in DeWitt.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a firefighter and an apartment resident were taken to hospitals after an apartment building blaze in Omaha.

Firetrucks were dispatched around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday. Fire officials say blaze began on the third floor of the 12-unit building. Eleven units were occupied.

The names of the firefighter and the injured resident have not been released. The two were taken to different hospitals for treatment.

The fire cause is being investigated.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A former Omaha middle school teacher has been sentenced to up to two years in prison for sex acts on a 13-year-old child.

26-year-old Amy Nowaczyk was sentenced Friday to one to two years in prison. In a deal with prosecutors, she had earlier pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted sexual assault of a child and enticement by electronic device.

Nowaczyk was a teacher at Morton Middle School when she arrested in April after the boy told investigators the two had had sexual encounters several times inside her classroom.