ENDICOTT, Neb. (AP) — Federal safety authorities are investigating the death of a worker crushed in a machine at a clay products manufacturing facility in southeast Nebraska.

Authorities say the accident occurred around 5:40 a.m. Tuesday at Endicott Clay Products in Endicott. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says 42-year-old Scott Roker, of Fairbury, was caught in equipment that sets bricks to be loaded into a kiln for drying.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials are checking into whether any violations of safety procedures contributed to the accident. The investigation could take up to six months.

Endicott Clay President Ryan Parker said in a company statement: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our employee, co-worker, and friend.”

The company employs about 220 people.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Bird flu has been confirmed at a northeast Nebraska farm that was already voluntarily slaughtering its 200,000 chickens.

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture said Tuesday that bird flu has now been confirmed on four farms in the state, up from three.

But the new test result doesn’t change the agency’s plan to kill nearly 5 million chickens and quarantine all nearby farms to limit the disease’s spread.

The Dixon County farm where the disease was found recently is one of two where all birds are being slaughtered as a precaution. The company that owns those farms also owns several farms where the disease has been confirmed.

Workers continue to slaughter chickens on the affected farms and have begun sanitizing the facilities.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A 47-year-old suburban Omaha woman has been accused of sexually assaulting a teenager several years ago.

Online court records say Stephanie Hagen, of Bellevue, is charged with sexual assault of a child. A public phone listing couldn’t be found for Hagen, who’s bonded out of jail. Her attorney didn’t return a call Tuesday from The Associated Press, seeking comment on the allegations.

Prosecutors say Hagen assaulted the girl over three years, starting in April 2005, when the girl was 13. Under Nebraska law, people 19 and over cannot have sexual contact with people under 16.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The former chairman of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska has pleaded guilty to an accessory charge in the theft of money from the tribe.

54-year-old Amen Sheridan, of Walthill, entered his plea on Monday in U.S. District Court in Omaha. He faces up to 30 months in prison when he’s sentenced on Sept. 14.

Court documents say Sheridan knew that Julia Whiteskunk had illegally used tribal funds for a down payment on the house they bought in 2009 and had helped her to prevent her arrest.

Whiteskunk was executive director of the tribal housing authority. She was charged in the scheme, but she died in September.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A longer school day is ahead for students attending classes in the Omaha Public Schools district.

On Monday night the school board approved a proposal that would lengthen school days by 20 or 25 minutes for all students.

Elementary students will start their classes 15 minutes earlier next school year, at 8:50 a.m., and their last classes will end at 4:05 p.m., 10 minutes later.

Middle schools and high schools will run the same schedule: 7:40 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. Twenty-five minutes were added for middle school students, and 20 minutes were added for high school students.

Backers of the proposal say students need more time with teachers. Opponents complained about the speed with which the initiative was rolled out and said there wasn’t enough community support.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say an Ashland grower has agreed to pay farmworkers nearly $69,000 in unpaid wages.

The U.S. Department of Labor said Monday that Heldt Produce Inc. also will pay nearly $90,000 in civil penalties for violating wage laws. The department says Heldt Produce violated provisions of the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Employment of Foreign Workers program because it did not properly pay the temporary foreign guest workers during the 2012 and 2013 harvests. The department says Heldt didn’t pay workers the rates stated in their contracts, among other violations.

Josh Weir, Heldt’s attorney, told the Omaha World-Herald that Heldt was victimized by an unscrupulous employee who handled the program for the company. Weir also says technical mistakes were “made in good faith in attempting to comply” with the complicated program regulations.

A motorcycle rider is in the Lancaster County Corrections after running from Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) troopers.

Around 6:30 p.m., on Monday, June 15, a trooper observed a motorcycle speeding just west of the Highway 75/Highway 2 Junction near Nebraska City. The trooper clocked the motorcycle traveling 115 mph in a 55 mph zone. The trooper attempted a traffic stop of the motorcycle. The driver failed to stop and a pursuit ensued.

The motorcycle continued west traveling through Otoe County on Highway 2 before entering Lancaster County and turning south onto 120^th street. While on the gravel road the motorcycle slowed to speeds of 25 mph. During attempts to stop motorcycle, the driver rammed into two NSP cruisers causing minor damage. Near 120^th & Wittstruck Road, the motorcycle ran out of fuel. The driver dumped the motorcycle in the east ditch and took off. He was taken into custody after a short foot pursuit.

The driver of the motorcycle, Andrew L. Naderhoff, 21, Hickman, was lodged in the Lancaster County Corrections on charges to include, Felony Flight to Avoid Arrest, Speeding, Willful Reckless Driving, and Driving Under Suspension. Naderhoff was also wanted on a warrant out of Lancaster County for Third Degree Sexual Assault.

The pursuit which last approximately 38 minutes reached speed of 118 mph.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin has selected a Nebraska-based vendor to purchase a statewide voting system.

The company, Elections Systems & Software, had submitted a proposal costing around $29.9 million, which was millions of dollars more than alternatives offered by competitors.

Martin spokesman Chris Powell said on Monday that Unisyn Voting Solutions submitted a proposal at around $24.4 million. Hart InterCivic proposed an estimated $18.8 million.

Powell says Elections Systems & Software was chosen because it met every requirement the secretary of state’s office sought.

Powell says Martin hasn’t yet signed a contract with the company. He says that whenever funding becomes available, Martin will purchase the system and that a contract will be signed at that time.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with a fatal car crash last year.

19-year-old Cristofer Cazun entered guilty pleas to two manslaughter charges Monday.

Cazun was driving a vehicle last September when he rear-ended a pickup. A passenger in the second vehicle, 50-year-old Randall Woita, died at the scene. Two others in that car were also injured.

Authorities say Cazun was high on synthetic marijuana at the time and was speeding prior to the crash.

Cazun is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 3.