STANTON, Neb. (AP) — The Stanton County Sheriff’s Office is investigating what it believes is the farm-related death of an 87-year-old rural Leigh man.

Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger says the body of Edwin “Eugene” Bohac was found Friday in a water tank on property his family farms near Stanton in northeast Nebraska.

A preliminary investigation shows Bohac drowned. Unger says officials believe it was an accidental death that occurred while Bohac was working around the water tank.

Funeral services for Bohac are pending.

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln woman who translated bank information into English for an elderly woman has been accused of stealing more than $13,000 from her.

Lincoln police say 19-year-old Martha M. Rik was arrested Thursday on suspicion of theft by deception and identity theft. Court records do not list an attorney.

The 64-year-old woman contacted authorities in May to report that money was missing from her bank account. Police say she suspected Rik, a woman who translated information that bankers were saying to her into English.

Rik is accused of stealing more than $12,000 from the woman’s bank account between December and May. She is also accused of opening a credit card in the woman’s name and spending nearly $1,600.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A judge has ruled that a man convicted of killing four people in Omaha is not mentally fit enough to go through sentencing in the case.

Douglas County District Judge Peter Bataillon (buh-TAL’-yuhn) ruled Friday in the case of 27-year-old Nikko Jenkins. Jenkins has been awaiting sentencing for the August 2013 shotgun deaths of Curtis Bradford, Jorge Cajiga-Ruiz, Juan Uribe-Pena and Andrea Kruger in separate attacks.

The judge’s ruling was based on testimony from psychiatrists in a hearing earlier this month. A defense psychiatrist testified that Jenkins suffers schizophrenia and perhaps a bipolar disorder. A prosecution psychiatrist said Jenkins acts out and is lying about his mental state.

Another hearing has been set for July 29 to discuss a plan to restore Jenkins’ mental competency.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Officials say a fire that destroyed a building in downtown Grand Island was caused by an electrical cord failure.

The fire on Sunday started on the building’s main floor. Grand Island Fire Chief Cory Schmidt says it was caused by an extension cord from a fan that was plugged into a surge protector.

The building was home to several businesses, including Ron’s Transmission, Shady Bend Builders and J&J Thrift Store.

Total damages estimates aren’t yet available, but most of the building is considered a loss.

Authorities say one firefighter suffered minor injuries fighting the blaze, which was reported about 8 p.m.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — In its attempt to overturn damages awarded to two people wrongly convicted in a 1985 murder, Nebraska could end up paying more to one of them.

JoAnn Taylor and James Dean were among six people wrongfully convicted in the rape and murder of Helen Wilson.

State prosecutors appealed the $500,000 awarded to Taylor, who spent nearly 20 years in prison, and the $300,000 awarded to Dean, behind bars more than five years, arguing they weren’t eligible to collect damages because they perjured themselves by confessing.

On Friday, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld Taylor’s award, but reversed Dean’s, saying the trial judge improperly based Dean’s smaller award on the fact that he had spent less time in prison than Taylor. It ordered the lower court to recalculate Dean’s award.

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — A 38-year-old man has been sent to prison for sexually assaulting his daughters and producing child pornography.

The man had pleaded no contest. Prosecutors dismissed some charges in exchange for the man’s pleas. The Associated Press is not using the man’s name, in order to protect the privacy of his victims.

The judge gave the rural Columbus man 30 to 50 years for sex assault and 10 to 15 years for incest. He was given seven to 10 years on the porn charges, to run after the other sentences are served.

A warrant affidavit says the man sexually abused his daughters, ages 7 and 9, while taking baths with them. The porn charges involved four girls ranging in ages from 7 to 11.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — State health and environment officials have issued a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Willow Creek Reservoir in Pierce County. An alert is continuing for Rockford Lake near Beatrice in southeastern Nebraska.

The alerts were issued following tests of the lakes’ water. Signs have been posted at the lakes, urging people not to swim in them. People can still use the lakes’ public areas for other activities.

Skin exposed to the toxin from certain strains of blue-green algae can develop rashes and blisters. Someone who drinks water containing the toxin is at risk for headaches, nausea and muscular pain.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A divided Iowa Supreme Court says juvenile offenders must be resentenced if they were convicted in the state as adults and awarded mandatory minimum sentences.

State officials say the ruling means more than 100 people face resentencing for crimes including robbery, murder, kidnapping and sexual abuse.

In deciding the appeal of Andre Jerome Lyle Jr. on Friday, the court said required minimum sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional because they amount to cruel and unusual punishment. Lyle was 17 years old in 2010 when he was convicted of robbery and sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

Three justices disagreed with the Iowa ruling. It follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that all no-parole juvenile lifers must be considered for parole.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Preliminary autopsy results show a 54-year-old Omaha woman died of blunt force trauma to her head and her son died of what appears to have been carbon monoxide poisoning.

A news release from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office on Friday said investigators are still awaiting toxicology results to confirm the cause of Cooper Flanagan’s death.

His body and that of his mother, Maureen Flanagan, were found Wednesday morning in their northwest Omaha home. Hers was discovered in the basement. His was found in a car in the garage.

Chief Douglas County Deputy Sheriff Thomas Wheeler told The Associated Press that investigators have considered the possibility that the 18-year-old attacked his mother before taking his own life, “but we want to rule out any other possibility before we make a statement.”

CASHION, Okla. (AP) — Authorities say an infant has been found unharmed in West Texas after she was abducted in Oklahoma.

Dispatcher Traci Tate with the Kingfisher County Sheriff’s Department says the 5-month-old girl, Olivia Smith, was found “safe and sound” early Friday morning.

Tate said later that the girl was found in Seminole, Texas, by local authorities. She said no one was “in custody” but said she could not elaborate. She said that the department had no further details but that the Seminole police chief would be making a statement Friday morning.

In Texas, the Gaines County Sheriff’s Department says no arrests have been made.

The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety canceled the Amber Alert it had issued for the girl.

Authorities had said earlier the girl was abducted near Cashion, in central Oklahoma.