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Man Killed in Southern Nebraska Crash

fatal-accidentSUTTON, Neb. (AP) — A single vehicle crash in south-central Nebraska has killed a rural Sutton man.

30-year-old Blake A. Smith was driving a car early Monday morning that went off U.S. Highway 6 and rolled several times, landing in a ravine. The crash happened three miles west of Sutton.

Clay County Sheriff Jeff Franklin says Smith was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car.

Smith was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police: Semitrailer, 50 Tires Stolen in Lincoln

lincoln-police-cruiserLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police are searching for whoever stole a $30,000 semitrailer and $10,000 worth of tires from a Lincoln store.

Officer Katie Flood says thieves cut through a chain-link fence at Cross Dillon Tires on Sunday and loaded 50 tires into the vehicle before driving off. Each of the tires weighs about 100 pounds.

It’s the second theft reported at the business in the past two months. Forty-seven tires were stolen in August.

Flood says police believe the thefts could be related.

Sheriff: Nebraska Motorist Rescued from Ravine 2 Days After Crash

cass county sheriffPLATTSMOUTH, Neb. (AP) — A Springfield woman is recovering after crashing her car and spending two days in a ravine.

Cass County Sheriff William Brueggemann says 54-year-old Beth Dean was traveling down Highway 66 when she fell asleep at the wheel. Her car went down a steep embankment and struck a tree.

Authorities say her vehicle was more than 100 feet from the road and it was blocked by vegetation.

Dean says she was in the ravine for two days before she was able to crawl up the slope and signal for help.

She was hospitalized with a leg injury and possible internal injuries. Dean was listed in fair condition on Tuesday.

Nearly 9 Inches of Rain Falls Tuesday in Lincoln

rain-heavyLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officials closed several roads and part of U.S. Highway 6 after nearly 9 inches of rain fell around Lincoln in less than a day.

Rainfall totals from Tuesday reported to the National Weather Service include 8.9 inches at the Lincoln wastewater treatment plant, 8.5 inches near West O and 20th streets and 6 inches near the Lincoln Airport.

Highway 6 west of Lincoln near Pawnee Lake was closed overnight, and rescue crews helped several drivers from their vehicles caught on that flooded stretch. The road was reopen by 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Several roads, parking lots and a picnic area at Holmes Lake also were closed.

Weather forecasters say more rain could fall later Wednesday and on Thursday.

No Charges for Iowa Student in Fatal Fight

Dakota Escritt
Dakota Escritt

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a male student will not be charged in connection with a fight at a western Iowa high school that led to the death of a 17-year-old student.

Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said at a Wednesday news conference that the 16-year-old student used legally justifiable force in responding to a fight initiated by Dakota Escritt.

Wilber said Dakota died days after a Sept. 25 fight at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs. An autopsy shows he had bleeding in the brain caused by a fractured skull. His head hit the school floor after the other student punched Dakota.

The Associated Press generally does not identify juveniles accused of crimes. The student was initially charged with assault in the case. That charge has been dropped.

Jury Convicts Colorado Teen in Newlywed Slayings

Macyo January
Macyo January

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — It took a jury in Colorado Springs, Colorado, less than four hours to convict a teenager of killing a Fort Carson soldier and his pregnant wife during a burglary.

The jury found 18-year-old Macyo January guilty of first-degree murder in the January 2013 killings. He also was convicted Tuesday of first-degree burglary.

January will be sentenced Oct. 22. He faces life in prison for his crimes. Because he was 17 years old at the time of the crime, January could be eligible for parole.

Staff Sgt. David Dunlap and Whitney Butler were killed after they went home to check on a security system that went off.

January argued that he happened upon the scene after the newlyweds were killed.

Nebraska Company Wants to Build Wind Farm

windmillLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A company wants to build a wind farm with 54 turbines in southern Lancaster and northern Gage counties.

Volkswind USA Inc. would like to build the farm on 7,000 acres of land in Lancaster County and 4,000 acres of land in Gage County. The company is a member of the Volkswind Group, which has built more than 60 wind farms, including in Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Poland.

According to documents from the Lincoln/Lancaster County Planning Department, more than 50 landowners have already signed leases.

Volkswind USA wants to start construction later this year, but it has to get special use permits for the turbines from the two counties first. The project could start generating electricity next year.

Girl, 10, Dies from Complications of Enterovirus 68

Medical-ChartPROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — State health officials say a 10-year-old Rhode Island girl has died from complications of an unusual respiratory virus that has been affecting children across the U.S.

The Rhode Island Health Department announced Wednesday that the child died last week of a staph infection associated with enterovirus 68, which it called “a very rare combination.”

Health Director Michael Fine says the girl was from Cumberland. The name of the hospital where she was treated wasn’t disclosed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the virus has been confirmed in 472 people in 41 states and the District of Columbia. So far, no deaths have been attributed to the virus.

The virus can cause mild to severe illness, with the worst cases needing life support for breathing difficulties. The strain isn’t new but it’s rarely seen.

Lincoln Boy Critically Hurt in Hit-and-Run

ambulance-lightsLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An 11-year-old Lincoln boy has been critically injured and police are questioning a driver in what they say was a hit-and-run.

Police say the boy was riding his bicycle when a pickup hit him around 7:15 a.m. Wednesday. Witnesses say the driver fled the scene, and police found the truck on a central Lincoln street with the boy’s bicycle still wedged under it. The boy was taken to a Lincoln hospital with serious injuries.

Lincoln police say they have taken the driver in for questioning, but no arrest had been made by late Wednesday morning.

Police: 4 Nebraska Teens Stole More Than 30 Cars

lincoln-policeLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln police say a group of four teenagers is responsible for more than 30 car thefts during the past year.

Two of the boys have been locked up in the Youth Detention Center and two others have been cited.

Officer Chris Fields says a 15-year-old boy started stealing cars in summer 2013 and that his friends later joined him. He says the group was involved in at least two hit-and-run crashes. Fields says they torched a 2001 Isuzu Trooper by setting off an artillery shell under the passenger seat.

The Lancaster County Attorney’s Office has filed petitions against three of the boys in juvenile court.

Their names haven’t been released.

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