OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha chef will attempt to serve the world’s largest spaghetti dinner in an effort to fight hunger.

Lin Leahy hopes to serve 20,000 plates of pasta, sauce, meatballs and green beans at an event on Sept. 21. It’s part of an effort to raise $100,000 for the Food Bank of the Heartland, one $5 plate at a time.

The fundraiser also seeks to promote a sense of small-town community in the city. Organizers say no one will leave hungry, even if they can’t pay. They hope people who can afford it will give more.

The group has found food donors and reached out to local high schools. Organizers have also secured 13 serving sites throughout the Omaha area.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officials in Lincoln say the emerald ash borer would cost the city $23 million over 13 years if it starts to consume ash trees in the area.

The bug has not been confirmed in Nebraska, but some experts fear it’s already in the state. It has been sighted in Lawrence, Kansas.

Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department director Lynn Johnson says the city has about 12,000 ash trees. The cost estimate is based on the projected expense of treating, removing and planting new trees, as well as buying new equipment and educating the public.

Johnson says he doesn’t know how the city will address the potential problem. A bond issue is one possibility, or communities could join forces to ask the Legislature for help.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A car crash into electrical equipment left about 1,400 customers in midtown Omaha without power early Saturday.

Power was restored by late Saturday morning.

The crash happened around 8:30 a.m. at an intersection near Saddle Creek Road and Emile Street.

The brief outage left both residences and business in the area without power.

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — A Hastings man accused of dragging a police officer as he fled arrest also faces unrelated charges.

29-year-old Marty Deckert was in court Friday to face charges of attempted murder and other counts in the dragging, as well as unrelated charges of negligent child abuse and reckless driving.

Deckert remains jailed on $750,000 bail.

Authorities say that when a Hastings police sergeant reached into a car Deckert was driving tried to arrest Deckert on a misdemeanor warrant, Deckert sped off and dragged the officer until the car ran into a utility pole.

Deckert ran, but was captured after police say he broking into a woman’s home.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal officials are assessing the Nebraska Medical Center Biocontainment Unit’s ability to treat people infected with the Ebola virus that is sweeping West Africa.

Officials with the U.S. State Department inspected the Omaha unit on Friday.

The inspection came as officials prepared to fly two Americans infected with the deadly virus into the U.S. for treatment — the first time anyone infected with Ebola has been brought into the country.

Dr. Philip Smith, medical director of the unit, says there are no immediate plans to transfer Ebola patients to the Omaha hospital.

But the Omaha medical center’s 10-bed biocontainment unit is the largest quarantine and treatment facility in the country and could be used if other cases turn up in the U.S.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors say a Kansas foster father was high on marijuana when he left a 10-month-old girl in a hot car, where she died.

The details of the case surfaced during a bond hearing Friday for Seth Jackson. He’s charged with first-degree murder in the July 24 death.

Police say the girl was in the sweltering car for more than two hours in Wichita, where temperatures were 90 degrees.

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett cited the marijuana use in court as the reason for raising Jackson’s bond to $250,000.

Bennett told the court Jackson had gone to his drug dealer’s house and bought marijuana. Prosecutors believe he then intended to smoke marijuana. But they have said there’s nothing to indicate the girl’s death was intentional

DENVER (AP) — Marijuana is joining roses and dahlias in blue ribbon events at the nation’s first county fair to allow pot competitions.

This weekend’s Denver County Fair includes a 21-and-over “Pot Pavilion” where winning entries for plants, bongs, edible treats and clothes made from hemp are on display.

There’s no actual weed at the fairgrounds. Instead, fairgoers will see photos of competing pot plants and marijuana-infused foods. A sign near the entry warns patrons not to consume pot at the fair.

A joint-rolling contest uses oregano, not pot. The only real stuff allowed at the event? Doritos, to be used in the munchie contest.

The fair opens Friday afternoon and runs through Sunday.

 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has reversed a trial judge’s ruling that he did not have jurisdiction to hear a man’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea years after he had already served his sentence.

Francisco Rodriguez, of Omaha, was sentenced in 2004 to two years’ probation for misdemeanor drug possession.

Rodriguez said he pleaded guilty only after a former trial judge advised him that he could be deported if he pleaded guilty to a felony. State law requires judges to give such warnings to those subject to deportation because of criminal convictions, but the judge’s warning deviated from the explicit language required by the state law.

The Supreme Court said Friday that the law does not require plea withdrawal motions to be filed before a defendant completes his sentence.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s U.S. senators have joined the effort to seek federal recognition for the trail the Ponca Tribe took during a forced march more than 135 years ago.

U.S. Sens. Mike Johanns and Deb Fischer introduced legislation Thursday calling on the Interior Department to determine the feasibility of creating a Chief Standing Bear National Historic Trail. The legislation is similar to a bill that Rep. Jeff Fortenberry introduced earlier this month in the House.

The route taken in 1877 runs from the Niobrara River in Nebraska to near what now is Ponca City, Oklahoma, and back the Omaha site of the 1879 trial of Chief Standing Bear. The chief and his tribe became the first Native Americans to be recognized as people under the law in the federal court decision.

PILGER, Neb. (AP) — A tornado that ripped through the small northeast Nebraska city of Pilger damaged or destroyed many of the community’s houses, but now the first new home has gone up.

After focusing most its attention on tearing down and hauling away damaged structures, Pilger residents were relieved to see the first new home since the June 16 tornado.

The house is owned by Pilger Village clerk treasurer Kimberly Neiman and her husband.

She says the home shows “something positive going on. Not anything negative. Not destruction.”

Neiman says other homes will be going up soon.

She notes her new home will have an above-ground storm shelter.

The Neimans plan to move into their home in a couple weeks.