PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — The man accused of killing two workers and wounding two others during a shooting at a Nebraska fast-food restaurant last fall has been charged with stabbing a fellow jail inmate. 

Roberto Silva Jr. has been charged with second-degree assault and using a weapon to commit a felony in connection with the jail assault that took place earlier this month.

 Court documents say Silva was found standing near another inmate who had cuts to his ear, neck and body. The other inmate told officers Silva had stabbed him. 

Silva was already facing murder and arson charges in connection with the Nov. 21 shooting at a Sonic Drive-in restaurant in the Omaha suburb of Bellevue.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579101364118.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — The man accused of killing two workers and wounding two others during a shooting at a Nebraska fast-food restaurant last fall has been charged with stabbing a fellow jail inmate. Roberto Silva Jr. has been charged with second-degree assault and using a weapon to commit a felony in connection with the jail assault that took place earlier this month. Court documents say Silva was found standing near another inmate who had cuts to his ear, neck and body. The other inmate told officers Silva had stabbed him. Silva was already facing murder and arson charges in connection with the Nov. 21 shooting at a Sonic Drive-in restaurant in the Omaha suburb of Bellevue.

Nebraska man accused of restaurant shooting charged in jail assault

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal car accident and have&nbsp; identified 32-year-old Kasondra Mantey of Wichita as the victim.

Just before midnight Wednesday, Mantey was driving a vehicle eastbound in the 1400 Block of Pawnee in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.&nbsp; The car left the road and struck a power pole.

First responders pronounced her dead at the scene.

This is the 18th traffic fatality in Wichita this year, according to Macy.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal car accident and have&nbsp; identified 32-year-old Kasondra Mantey of Wichita as the victim.Just before midnight Wednesday, Mantey was driving a vehicle eastbound in the 1400 Block of Pawnee in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.&nbsp; The car left the road and struck a power pole.First responders pronounced her dead at the scene.This is the 18th traffic fatality in Wichita this year, according to Macy.

Police: Kan. woman died after car struck power pole

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A southwest Missouri woman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Wednesday for a 2019 crash that caused the death of an 11-year-old girl.

Mikaila Koch, 19, admitted to careless and imprudent driving before the crash on Highway 65 in Springfield that killed Izabella Lightner and injured another person.

The plea called for Koch, who was originally charged with involuntary manslaughter and assault, to be sentenced to 10 days in jail, 200 hours of community service and two years on probation.

Court documents said Koch was driving 81 mph immediately before she rear-ended a car carrying Izabella, her mother and her sister. Koch also admitted she was adjusting bags in the car moments before the crash.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622063513164.png" alt="Koch photo Polk Co." />
 <figcaption>Koch photo Polk Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A southwest Missouri woman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Wednesday for a 2019 crash that caused the death of an 11-year-old girl.Mikaila Koch, 19, admitted to careless and imprudent driving before the crash on Highway 65 in Springfield that killed Izabella Lightner and injured another person.The plea called for Koch, who was originally charged with involuntary manslaughter and assault, to be sentenced to 10 days in jail, 200 hours of community service and two years on probation.Court documents said Koch was driving 81 mph immediately before she rear-ended a car carrying Izabella, her mother and her sister. Koch also admitted she was adjusting bags in the car moments before the crash.

Teen pleads guilty in crash that killed 11-year-old girl

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska county that was ordered to pay a $28.1 million legal judgment for sending six innocent people to prison will get $4 million from the state to help pay it off. 

Gov. Pete Ricketts signed off on the payment on Tuesday, despite raising objections to a 2019 measure that allowed Gage County to impose a half-cent sales tax without voter approval to pay some of the debt. 

Ricketts says he approved the new law because of the additional economic impact of the pandemic on county residents.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska county that was ordered to pay a $28.1 million legal judgment for sending six innocent people to prison will get $4 million from the state to help pay it off. Gov. Pete Ricketts signed off on the payment on Tuesday, despite raising objections to a 2019 measure that allowed Gage County to impose a half-cent sales tax without voter approval to pay some of the debt. Ricketts says he approved the new law because of the additional economic impact of the pandemic on county residents.

Nebraska county to get $4M from state to pay legal judgment

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 16-year-old will stand trial for first-degree murder in the shooting death of a man at Westroads Mall in Omaha. 

A judge ruled Wednesday that Makhi Woolridge-Jones, of Omaha, will also be tried for first-degree assault and two firearms charges related to the shooting April 17. 

He is accused of fatally shooting Trequez Swift and injuring 22-year-old Ja’Keya Veland. 

Police have said the shooting was gang-related. 

A police detective testified that Swift was shot twice as he ran from Wooldridge-Jones after they argued. He died about three hours later at a hospital.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622112479812.png" alt="Woolridge-Jones" />
 <figcaption>Woolridge-Jones</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 16-year-old will stand trial for first-degree murder in the shooting death of a man at Westroads Mall in Omaha. A judge ruled Wednesday that Makhi Woolridge-Jones, of Omaha, will also be tried for first-degree assault and two firearms charges related to the shooting April 17. He is accused of fatally shooting Trequez Swift and injuring 22-year-old Ja’Keya Veland. Police have said the shooting was gang-related. A police detective testified that Swift was shot twice as he ran from Wooldridge-Jones after they argued. He died about three hours later at a hospital.

Teenager will stand trial for murder in Omaha mall shooting

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered U.S. intelligence officials to “redouble” their efforts to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, including any possibility the trail might lead to a Chinese laboratory.

After months of minimizing that possibility as a fringe theory, the Biden administration is joining worldwide pressure for China to be more open about the outbreak, aiming to head off GOP complaints the president has not been tough enough as well as to use the opportunity to press China on alleged obstruction.

&nbsp;China is accusing the Biden administration of playing politics and shirking its responsibility in calling for the investigation. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson says President Joe Biden's order shows that the U.S. “does not care about facts and truth, nor is it interested in serious scientific origin tracing."

Biden asked U.S. intelligence agencies to report back within 90 days. He directed U.S. national laboratories to assist with the investigation and the intelligence community to prepare a list of specific queries for the Chinese government. He called on China to cooperate with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/india-technology-coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-9fc262598b4a6e1fc5ff223fdd748cea">international probes into the origins of the pandemic</a>.

Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have promoted the theory that the virus emerged from a laboratory accident rather than naturally through human contact with an infected animal in Wuhan, China.

Biden in a statement said the majority of the intelligence community had “coalesced” around those two scenarios but “do not believe there is sufficient information to assess one to be more likely than the other.” He revealed that two agencies lean toward the animal link and “one leans more toward” the lab theory, “each with low or moderate confidence.”

“The United States will also keep working with like-minded partners around the world to press China to participate in a full, transparent, evidence-based international investigation and to provide access to all relevant data and evidence,” said Biden.

His statement came after weeks of the administration endeavoring to avoid public discussion of the lab leak theory and privately suggesting it was farfetched.

In another sign of shifting attitudes, the Senate approved two Wuhan lab-related amendments without opposition, attaching them to a largely unrelated bill to increase U.S. investments in innovation.

One of the amendments, from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., would block U.S. funding of Chinese “gain of function” research on enhancing the severity or transmissibility of a virus. Paul has been critical of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert, and aggressively questioned him at a recent Senate hearing over the work in China. The other amendment was from GOP Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and it would prevent any funding to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Both were approved without roll call votes as part of the broader bill that is still under debate in the Senate.

As for the origin of pandemic, Fauci, a White House coronavirus adviser, said Wednesday that he and most others in the scientific community “believe that the most likely scenario is that this was a natural occurrence, but no one knows that 100% for sure.”

“And since there’s a lot of concern, a lot of speculation and since no one absolutely knows that, I believe we do need the kind of investigation where there’s open transparency and all the information that’s available, to be made available, to scrutinize,” Fauci said at a Senate hearing.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the White House supports a new World Health Organization investigation in China, but she added that an effective probe “would require China finally stepping up and allowing access needed to determine the origins.”

Biden still held out the possibility that a firm conclusion may never be reached, given the Chinese government’s refusal to fully cooperate with international investigations.

“The failure to get our inspectors on the ground in those early months will always hamper any investigation into the origin of COVID-19,” he said.

The Chinese embassy in Washington, without mentioning the Biden order, accused unnamed political forces of being fixated on a blame game while ignoring the urgent need to combat the pandemic.

“Smear campaign and blame shifting are making a comeback, and the conspiracy theory of ‘lab leak’ is resurfacing,” it said in a statement posted Wednesday on its website.

Administration officials continue to harbor strong doubts about the lab leak theory. Rather, they view China’s refusal to cooperate in the investigation — particularly on something of such magnitude — as emblematic of other irresponsible actions on the world stage.

Privately, administration officials say the end result, if ever known, won’t change anything, but note China’s stonewalling is now on display for the world to see.

The State Department, which ended one Trump-era probe into the Chinese lab theory this spring, said it was continuing to cooperate with other government agencies and pressed China to cooperate with the world.

“China’s position that their part in this investigation is complete is disappointing and at odds with the rest of the international community that is working collaboratively across the board to bring an end to this pandemic and improve global health security,” said spokesman Ned Price.

Research into the origins of the virus is critically important, said Arinjay Banerjee, a virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization in Saskatchewan, Canada, because, “If you don’t know where it came from, how are you going to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/or-state-wire-ohio-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-health-4c7a3728b79700faea66a6d5b57966fe">stop it from spreading it again</a>?”

“The great probability is still that this virus came from a wildlife reservoir,” he said, pointing to the fact that spillover events – when viruses jump from animals to humans – are common in nature, and that scientists already know of two similar beta coronaviruses that evolved in bats and caused epidemics when humans were infected, SARS1 and MERS. “The evidence we so far have suggests that this virus came from wildlife,” he said

However, the case is not completely closed. “There are probabilities, and there are possibilities,” said Banerjee. “Because nobody has identified a virus that’s 100% identical to SARS-CoV-2 in any animal, there is still room for researchers to ask about other possibilities.”

Andy Slavitt, Biden’s senior adviser for the coronavirus, said Tuesday that the world needs to “get to the bottom ... whatever the answer may be.”

“We need a completely transparent process from China; we need the WHO to assist in that matter,”″ Slavitt said. “We don’t feel like we have that now.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582725655069.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered U.S. intelligence officials to “redouble” their efforts to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, including any possibility the trail might lead to a Chinese laboratory.After months of minimizing that possibility as a fringe theory, the Biden administration is joining worldwide pressure for China to be more open about the outbreak, aiming to head off GOP complaints the president has not been tough enough as well as to use the opportunity to press China on alleged obstruction.&nbsp;China is accusing the Biden administration of playing politics and shirking its responsibility in calling for the investigation. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson says President Joe Biden's order shows that the U.S. “does not care about facts and truth, nor is it interested in serious scientific origin tracing."Biden asked U.S. intelligence agencies to report back within 90 days. He directed U.S. national laboratories to assist with the investigation and the intelligence community to prepare a list of specific queries for the Chinese government. He called on China to cooperate with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/india-technology-coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-9fc262598b4a6e1fc5ff223fdd748cea">international probes into the origins of the pandemic</a>.Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have promoted the theory that the virus emerged from a laboratory accident rather than naturally through human contact with an infected animal in Wuhan, China.Biden in a statement said the majority of the intelligence community had “coalesced” around those two scenarios but “do not believe there is sufficient information to assess one to be more likely than the other.” He revealed that two agencies lean toward the animal link and “one leans more toward” the lab theory, “each with low or moderate confidence.”“The United States will also keep working with like-minded partners around the world to press China to participate in a full, transparent, evidence-based international investigation and to provide access to all relevant data and evidence,” said Biden.His statement came after weeks of the administration endeavoring to avoid public discussion of the lab leak theory and privately suggesting it was farfetched.In another sign of shifting attitudes, the Senate approved two Wuhan lab-related amendments without opposition, attaching them to a largely unrelated bill to increase U.S. investments in innovation.One of the amendments, from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., would block U.S. funding of Chinese “gain of function” research on enhancing the severity or transmissibility of a virus. Paul has been critical of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert, and aggressively questioned him at a recent Senate hearing over the work in China. The other amendment was from GOP Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and it would prevent any funding to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.Both were approved without roll call votes as part of the broader bill that is still under debate in the Senate.As for the origin of pandemic, Fauci, a White House coronavirus adviser, said Wednesday that he and most others in the scientific community “believe that the most likely scenario is that this was a natural occurrence, but no one knows that 100% for sure.”“And since there’s a lot of concern, a lot of speculation and since no one absolutely knows that, I believe we do need the kind of investigation where there’s open transparency and all the information that’s available, to be made available, to scrutinize,” Fauci said at a Senate hearing.White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the White House supports a new World Health Organization investigation in China, but she added that an effective probe “would require China finally stepping up and allowing access needed to determine the origins.”Biden still held out the possibility that a firm conclusion may never be reached, given the Chinese government’s refusal to fully cooperate with international investigations.“The failure to get our inspectors on the ground in those early months will always hamper any investigation into the origin of COVID-19,” he said.The Chinese embassy in Washington, without mentioning the Biden order, accused unnamed political forces of being fixated on a blame game while ignoring the urgent need to combat the pandemic.“Smear campaign and blame shifting are making a comeback, and the conspiracy theory of ‘lab leak’ is resurfacing,” it said in a statement posted Wednesday on its website.Administration officials continue to harbor strong doubts about the lab leak theory. Rather, they view China’s refusal to cooperate in the investigation — particularly on something of such magnitude — as emblematic of other irresponsible actions on the world stage.Privately, administration officials say the end result, if ever known, won’t change anything, but note China’s stonewalling is now on display for the world to see.The State Department, which ended one Trump-era probe into the Chinese lab theory this spring, said it was continuing to cooperate with other government agencies and pressed China to cooperate with the world.“China’s position that their part in this investigation is complete is disappointing and at odds with the rest of the international community that is working collaboratively across the board to bring an end to this pandemic and improve global health security,” said spokesman Ned Price.Research into the origins of the virus is critically important, said Arinjay Banerjee, a virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization in Saskatchewan, Canada, because, “If you don’t know where it came from, how are you going to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/or-state-wire-ohio-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-health-4c7a3728b79700faea66a6d5b57966fe">stop it from spreading it again</a>?”“The great probability is still that this virus came from a wildlife reservoir,” he said, pointing to the fact that spillover events – when viruses jump from animals to humans – are common in nature, and that scientists already know of two similar beta coronaviruses that evolved in bats and caused epidemics when humans were infected, SARS1 and MERS. “The evidence we so far have suggests that this virus came from wildlife,” he saidHowever, the case is not completely closed. “There are probabilities, and there are possibilities,” said Banerjee. “Because nobody has identified a virus that’s 100% identical to SARS-CoV-2 in any animal, there is still room for researchers to ask about other possibilities.”Andy Slavitt, Biden’s senior adviser for the coronavirus, said Tuesday that the world needs to “get to the bottom ... whatever the answer may be.”“We need a completely transparent process from China; we need the WHO to assist in that matter,”″ Slavitt said. “We don’t feel like we have that now.”___

U.S., China at odds over Biden's order to investigate COVID origin

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have expanded Nebraska’s food stamp and heating assistance programs and ordered the state to take over the management of Omaha Public Schools’ troubled pension system, brushing aside the objections of Gov. Pete Ricketts. 

Lawmakers overrode the Republican governor’s vetoes of all three bills on the second-to-last day of this year’s regular session. 

The newly enacted laws will allow an additional 3,945 Nebraska families to qualify for federal food-assistance benefits, expand eligibility for federal heating assistance, and direct the state’s public-employee retirement agency to start managing the investments that pay for teacher pensions in the state’s largest school district.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1571410354379.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have expanded Nebraska’s food stamp and heating assistance programs and ordered the state to take over the management of Omaha Public Schools’ troubled pension system, brushing aside the objections of Gov. Pete Ricketts. Lawmakers overrode the Republican governor’s vetoes of all three bills on the second-to-last day of this year’s regular session. The newly enacted laws will allow an additional 3,945 Nebraska families to qualify for federal food-assistance benefits, expand eligibility for federal heating assistance, and direct the state’s public-employee retirement agency to start managing the investments that pay for teacher pensions in the state’s largest school district.

Nebraska lawmakers override vetoes of SNAP, pension bills

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — In the end, the buildup seemed to eclipse the finale.

People across New Zealand and around the world stayed up Wednesday to watch a cosmic event called a super blood moon, a combination of a total lunar eclipse and a brighter-than-usual supermoon.

During the buildup, a glittering moon rose above the horizon. As the Earth’s shadow began taking bites from the moon, it created a dramatic effect. Half the moon vanished, leaving it looking like a black-and-white cookie.

When the full eclipse took hold, however, the moon darkened, turning a smudgy burnt orange color for many viewers.

In celestial terms, it was a wonder: a projection of the world’s sunsets and sunrises onto the black canvas of the eclipsed moon. But for people peering up from their backyards, it wasn’t quite the brilliant display they’d anticipated. Not quite super or blood-colored.

“It was not that vivid for those on ground,” said Ben Noll, a meteorologist with New Zealand scientific research agency NIWA. “Personally, I thought there would be a bit more red in the sky.”

Still, Noll thought that overall, the evening was sensational. He heard plenty of people cheering and cars honking in downtown Auckland where he watched it all unfold.

John Rowe, an educator at the Stardome Observatory &amp; Planetarium in Auckland, said it was like the moon turned into a big, spooky smile looking down at him. That’s because of a bright rim that remained at the bottom.

Rowe also enjoyed seeing surrounding stars appear to brighten as the light from the moon dimmed.

The full eclipse lasted about 15 minutes, while the whole cosmic show lasted five hours. A partial eclipse began as the moon edged into the Earth’s outer shadow, called the penumbra, before moving more fully into the main shadow and then reversing the process.

Rowe likes to imagine it as if he’s standing on the moon. The Earth would come across and block out the sun. The reddish light around the edges would be the sunsets and sunrises happening at that time on Earth, projected onto the moon’s surface. Pretty cool, he reckons.

The color of the moon during the total eclipse can appear different depending on where people are in the world, and by factors like the amount of dust in the atmosphere and global weather.

In much of New Zealand, the weather remained calm and clear on Wednesday, providing excellent viewing conditions.

The same was true in Australia, although those in South Korea struck out because rain and cloudy weather across much of the country obscured the eclipse. There also was disappointment in Japan because of cloudy weather, with many posting messages like “I can’t see anything” on Twitter.

Some places in the Pacific and East Asia got to see the show before midnight, while night owls in Hawaii and the western part of North America got to watch it in the early morning hours.

Sky gazers along the U.S. East Coast were out of luck because the moon was setting and the sun rising. Europe, Africa and western Asia all missed out as well.

In Anchorage, Alaska, Doug Henie didn’t know what to expect from his first lunar eclipse. He and his wife saw just a sliver of the moon as they drove to a prime viewing spot, on a hill off a winding road between Cook Inlet and the Anchorage airport.

Once they arrived, he set up his camera as the eclipse neared totality just after 3 a.m. local time, when it looked more like dusk than night. That’s because Anchorage had more than 18 hours of sunlight on Wednesday.

“It’s kind of cool,” Henie said. “I was kind of hoping to see a little more action, I guess, but now it’s lightened up. The light is certainly coming back.”

In Hong Kong, Dickson Fu left work early to watch the eclipse from a seaside promenade in the Sai Kung neighborhood.

Fu, who is president of Hong Kong’s Sky Observers’ Association, picked that particular spot because it would give him an unobstructed view.

“In recent years I’m more interested in taking photos, and in the past few days I have already done rehearsals, testing out equipment such as the camera and lenses,” said Fu.

For those living in places where the eclipse wasn’t visible, there were livestreams available. And everyone around the world got to see the bright moon, weather permitting.

It was the first total lunar eclipse in more than two years.

The moon was more than 220,000 miles (357,460 kilometers) away at its fullest. It was this proximity, combined with a full moon, that qualified it as a supermoon, making it appear slightly bigger and more brilliant in the sky.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The first total lunar eclipse in more than two years coincides with a supermoon this week for quite a cosmic show.

This super “blood” moon will be visible Wednesday across the Pacific — offering the best viewing — as well as the western half of North America, bottom of South America and eastern Asia.

Better look quick: The total eclipse will last about 15 minutes as Earth passes directly between the moon and the sun. But the entire show will last five hours, as Earth’s shadow gradually covers the moon, then starts to ebb. The reddish-orange color is the result of all the sunrises and sunsets in Earth’s atmosphere projected onto the surface of the eclipsed moon.

“Hawaii has the best seat in the house and then short of that will be California and the Pacific Northwest,” said NASA’s Noah Petro, project scientist for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. New Zealand and Australia also will have prime viewing.

Circling the moon for 12 years, the orbiter will measure temperatures changes on the lunar surface during the eclipse. Telescopes atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea also will monitor the moon, Petro said.

The moon will be setting and the sun rising along the U.S. East Coast, leaving skygazers — Petro in Virginia included — pretty much out of luck. Europe, Africa and western Asia will miss everything. There will be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmrwVtUTPtU" target="_blank">livestreams</a>&nbsp;available.

Everyone everywhere, though, can still soak in the brighter than usual moon, weather permitting.

The moon will be more than 220,000 miles away at its fullest. It’s this proximity, combined with a full moon, that qualifies it as a supermoon, making it appear slightly bigger and more brilliant in the sky.

Last month’s supermoon, by contrast, was 96 miles (155 kilometers) more distant.

Unlike a solar eclipse, there’s no harm in looking at an eclipsed moon.

“For people who might feel like we’re missing out, set your calendars for Nov. 19 of this year,” Petro said. This will be a nearly total eclipse where the moon dims but doesn’t turn red.

The next total lunar eclipse will be May 2022. The last one was January 2019.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1621942895979.png" alt="A telescopic visualization of the 2021 total lunar eclipse. Credit: NASA’s Scientifc Visualization Studio" />
 <figcaption>A telescopic visualization of the 2021 total lunar eclipse. Credit: NASA’s Scientifc Visualization Studio</figcaption>
 </figure>WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — In the end, the buildup seemed to eclipse the finale.People across New Zealand and around the world stayed up Wednesday to watch a cosmic event called a super blood moon, a combination of a total lunar eclipse and a brighter-than-usual supermoon.During the buildup, a glittering moon rose above the horizon. As the Earth’s shadow began taking bites from the moon, it created a dramatic effect. Half the moon vanished, leaving it looking like a black-and-white cookie.When the full eclipse took hold, however, the moon darkened, turning a smudgy burnt orange color for many viewers.In celestial terms, it was a wonder: a projection of the world’s sunsets and sunrises onto the black canvas of the eclipsed moon. But for people peering up from their backyards, it wasn’t quite the brilliant display they’d anticipated. Not quite super or blood-colored.“It was not that vivid for those on ground,” said Ben Noll, a meteorologist with New Zealand scientific research agency NIWA. “Personally, I thought there would be a bit more red in the sky.”Still, Noll thought that overall, the evening was sensational. He heard plenty of people cheering and cars honking in downtown Auckland where he watched it all unfold.John Rowe, an educator at the Stardome Observatory &amp; Planetarium in Auckland, said it was like the moon turned into a big, spooky smile looking down at him. That’s because of a bright rim that remained at the bottom.Rowe also enjoyed seeing surrounding stars appear to brighten as the light from the moon dimmed.The full eclipse lasted about 15 minutes, while the whole cosmic show lasted five hours. A partial eclipse began as the moon edged into the Earth’s outer shadow, called the penumbra, before moving more fully into the main shadow and then reversing the process.Rowe likes to imagine it as if he’s standing on the moon. The Earth would come across and block out the sun. The reddish light around the edges would be the sunsets and sunrises happening at that time on Earth, projected onto the moon’s surface. Pretty cool, he reckons.The color of the moon during the total eclipse can appear different depending on where people are in the world, and by factors like the amount of dust in the atmosphere and global weather.In much of New Zealand, the weather remained calm and clear on Wednesday, providing excellent viewing conditions.The same was true in Australia, although those in South Korea struck out because rain and cloudy weather across much of the country obscured the eclipse. There also was disappointment in Japan because of cloudy weather, with many posting messages like “I can’t see anything” on Twitter.Some places in the Pacific and East Asia got to see the show before midnight, while night owls in Hawaii and the western part of North America got to watch it in the early morning hours.Sky gazers along the U.S. East Coast were out of luck because the moon was setting and the sun rising. Europe, Africa and western Asia all missed out as well.In Anchorage, Alaska, Doug Henie didn’t know what to expect from his first lunar eclipse. He and his wife saw just a sliver of the moon as they drove to a prime viewing spot, on a hill off a winding road between Cook Inlet and the Anchorage airport.Once they arrived, he set up his camera as the eclipse neared totality just after 3 a.m. local time, when it looked more like dusk than night. That’s because Anchorage had more than 18 hours of sunlight on Wednesday.“It’s kind of cool,” Henie said. “I was kind of hoping to see a little more action, I guess, but now it’s lightened up. The light is certainly coming back.”In Hong Kong, Dickson Fu left work early to watch the eclipse from a seaside promenade in the Sai Kung neighborhood.Fu, who is president of Hong Kong’s Sky Observers’ Association, picked that particular spot because it would give him an unobstructed view.“In recent years I’m more interested in taking photos, and in the past few days I have already done rehearsals, testing out equipment such as the camera and lenses,” said Fu.For those living in places where the eclipse wasn’t visible, there were livestreams available. And everyone around the world got to see the bright moon, weather permitting.It was the first total lunar eclipse in more than two years.The moon was more than 220,000 miles (357,460 kilometers) away at its fullest. It was this proximity, combined with a full moon, that qualified it as a supermoon, making it appear slightly bigger and more brilliant in the sky.----------CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The first total lunar eclipse in more than two years coincides with a supermoon this week for quite a cosmic show.This super “blood” moon will be visible Wednesday across the Pacific — offering the best viewing — as well as the western half of North America, bottom of South America and eastern Asia.Better look quick: The total eclipse will last about 15 minutes as Earth passes directly between the moon and the sun. But the entire show will last five hours, as Earth’s shadow gradually covers the moon, then starts to ebb. The reddish-orange color is the result of all the sunrises and sunsets in Earth’s atmosphere projected onto the surface of the eclipsed moon.“Hawaii has the best seat in the house and then short of that will be California and the Pacific Northwest,” said NASA’s Noah Petro, project scientist for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. New Zealand and Australia also will have prime viewing.Circling the moon for 12 years, the orbiter will measure temperatures changes on the lunar surface during the eclipse. Telescopes atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea also will monitor the moon, Petro said.The moon will be setting and the sun rising along the U.S. East Coast, leaving skygazers — Petro in Virginia included — pretty much out of luck. Europe, Africa and western Asia will miss everything. There will be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmrwVtUTPtU" target="_blank">livestreams</a>&nbsp;available.Everyone everywhere, though, can still soak in the brighter than usual moon, weather permitting.The moon will be more than 220,000 miles away at its fullest. It’s this proximity, combined with a full moon, that qualifies it as a supermoon, making it appear slightly bigger and more brilliant in the sky.Last month’s supermoon, by contrast, was 96 miles (155 kilometers) more distant.Unlike a solar eclipse, there’s no harm in looking at an eclipsed moon.More lunar shows are on the horizon.“For people who might feel like we’re missing out, set your calendars for Nov. 19 of this year,” Petro said. This will be a nearly total eclipse where the moon dims but doesn’t turn red.The next total lunar eclipse will be May 2022. The last one was January 2019.___

Buildup to super blood moon eclipses the finale

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Douglas County officials say a man has died in a crash southwest of Omaha. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports the crash happened Monday evening on a county road east of Venice, about 20 miles west of downtown Omaha. 

Investigators said 61-year-old Daniel Baber Sr., of Venice, was driving a car northbound when he veered across the road and hit a tree. Sheriff's deputies say Baber died at the scene. 

An autopsy has been performed, and officials are still investigating the cause of the crash.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Douglas County officials say a man has died in a crash southwest of Omaha. The Omaha World-Herald reports the crash happened Monday evening on a county road east of Venice, about 20 miles west of downtown Omaha. Investigators said 61-year-old Daniel Baber Sr., of Venice, was driving a car northbound when he veered across the road and hit a tree. Sheriff's deputies say Baber died at the scene. An autopsy has been performed, and officials are still investigating the cause of the crash.

Officials say man dies in crash southwest of Omaha

LA VISTA, Neb. (AP) — Officials in eastern Nebraska have suspended the search of a lake and recreational area as they try to find an 11-year-old autistic boy missing for more than a week. 

La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten says officials have combed the Walnut Creek Recreation Area and even lowered the park's lake by several feet in the search for 11-year-old Ryan Larsen. 

Police will now focus their efforts on looking through surveillance video gathered from around the La Vista area to see if the boy appears in any of it. 

So far, police say, only one image believed to be Ryan has been found on a La Vista business surveillance video about 90 minutes after the boy went missing from his school.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622051080113.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LA VISTA, Neb. (AP) — Officials in eastern Nebraska have suspended the search of a lake and recreational area as they try to find an 11-year-old autistic boy missing for more than a week. La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten says officials have combed the Walnut Creek Recreation Area and even lowered the park's lake by several feet in the search for 11-year-old Ryan Larsen. Police will now focus their efforts on looking through surveillance video gathered from around the La Vista area to see if the boy appears in any of it. So far, police say, only one image believed to be Ryan has been found on a La Vista business surveillance video about 90 minutes after the boy went missing from his school.

La Vista officials suspend search of lake area in case of missing boy

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — An employee opened fire at a California rail yard serving Silicon Valley, killing eight people. Authorities say the suspect is also dead. The shooting took place Wednesday in San Jose at a transit control center that stores trains and has a maintenance yard. 

Sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Russell Davis said the suspect was an employee of the Valley Transportation Authority, which provides bus, light rail and other transit services throughout Santa Clara County, the largest county in the Bay Area. He said the attack also resulted in “multiple major injuries.”

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Gunfire erupted Wednesday at a railyard in San Jose, and a sheriff’s spokesman said multiple people were killed and wounded and that the suspect was dead.

Santa Clara County sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Russell Davis said that he could not specify the number of dead and wounded or describe how the suspect died.

The shooting took place around 6:30 a.m. at a light rail facility next door to the sheriff’s department and across a freeway from the airport. The facility is a transit control center that stores trains and has a maintenance yard.

Davis said he did not know the type of weapon used or whether the shooting happened indoors or outdoors. He said the victims include Valley Transportation Authority employees.

The VTA provides bus, light rail and other transit services throughout Santa Clara County, the largest in the Bay Area and home to Silicon Valley.

“A horrible tragedy has happened today, and our thoughts and love go out to the VTA family,” VTA Chairman Glenn Hendricks told a news conference.

VTA trains were already out on morning runs when the shooting occurred. Light rail service was to be suspended at noon and replaced with bus bridges, Hendricks said.

Outside the scene, Michael Hawkins told The Mercury News that he was waiting for his mother, Rochelle Hawkins, who had called him from a co-worker’s phone to assure him that she was safe.

When the shooting started, “she got down with the rest of her coworkers” and dropped her cellphone, Michael Hawkins told the newspaper. Rochelle Hawkins did not see the shooter, and she was not sure how close she had been to the attacker, her son said.

At a news conference, San Jose Mayor Sam Licardo lamented the “horrific day for our city.” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a tweet that his office was “in close contact with local law enforcement and monitoring this situation closely.”

Special agents from the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were responding to the crime scene, officials said.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A sheriff's spokesman says there are multiple fatalities and injuries in a shooting at a San Jose, California, railyard and that the suspect is dead. 

Santa Clara County sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Russell Davis said Wednesday that he could not specify the number of fatalities and injuries. 

He says the victims include Valley Transportation Authority employees. The shooting took place at a light rail facility that is next door to the sheriff’s department and across a freeway from the airport. 

A spokesperson for the Valley Transportation Authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622045654759.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KGO TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KGO TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — An employee opened fire at a California rail yard serving Silicon Valley, killing eight people. Authorities say the suspect is also dead. The shooting took place Wednesday in San Jose at a transit control center that stores trains and has a maintenance yard. Sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Russell Davis said the suspect was an employee of the Valley Transportation Authority, which provides bus, light rail and other transit services throughout Santa Clara County, the largest county in the Bay Area. He said the attack also resulted in “multiple major injuries.”---------SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Gunfire erupted Wednesday at a railyard in San Jose, and a sheriff’s spokesman said multiple people were killed and wounded and that the suspect was dead.Santa Clara County sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Russell Davis said that he could not specify the number of dead and wounded or describe how the suspect died.The shooting took place around 6:30 a.m. at a light rail facility next door to the sheriff’s department and across a freeway from the airport. The facility is a transit control center that stores trains and has a maintenance yard.Davis said he did not know the type of weapon used or whether the shooting happened indoors or outdoors. He said the victims include Valley Transportation Authority employees.The VTA provides bus, light rail and other transit services throughout Santa Clara County, the largest in the Bay Area and home to Silicon Valley.“A horrible tragedy has happened today, and our thoughts and love go out to the VTA family,” VTA Chairman Glenn Hendricks told a news conference.VTA trains were already out on morning runs when the shooting occurred. Light rail service was to be suspended at noon and replaced with bus bridges, Hendricks said.Outside the scene, Michael Hawkins told The Mercury News that he was waiting for his mother, Rochelle Hawkins, who had called him from a co-worker’s phone to assure him that she was safe.When the shooting started, “she got down with the rest of her coworkers” and dropped her cellphone, Michael Hawkins told the newspaper. Rochelle Hawkins did not see the shooter, and she was not sure how close she had been to the attacker, her son said.At a news conference, San Jose Mayor Sam Licardo lamented the “horrific day for our city.” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a tweet that his office was “in close contact with local law enforcement and monitoring this situation closely.”Special agents from the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were responding to the crime scene, officials said.--------SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A sheriff's spokesman says there are multiple fatalities and injuries in a shooting at a San Jose, California, railyard and that the suspect is dead. Santa Clara County sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Russell Davis said Wednesday that he could not specify the number of fatalities and injuries. He says the victims include Valley Transportation Authority employees. The shooting took place at a light rail facility that is next door to the sheriff’s department and across a freeway from the airport. A spokesperson for the Valley Transportation Authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Latest: 8 dead in shooting at California rail yard

CHEROKEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are searching for two suspects who escaped from the Cherokee County Jail and are now offering a $5000 reward for information leading to their capture, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff.

Just after 11p.m. Monday 30-year-old double murder suspect Mark Gerald Hopkins II and 34-year-old drug suspect Michael Wayne Martsolf escaped from the Cherokee County Jail in Columbus, Kansas, according to Sheriff David Grove.

The suspects may be driving a 2008 White Honda Accord with a Missouri tag LG2XOF.&nbsp; Both suspects have extensive tattoos throughout their bodies.&nbsp; Both should be considered armed and dangerous. If you see them, call 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622043301789.png" alt="Hopkins photo Cherokee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Hopkins photo Cherokee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>CHEROKEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are searching for two suspects who escaped from the Cherokee County Jail and are now offering a $5000 reward for information leading to their capture, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1621960532851.png" alt="Michael Martsolf photo Cherokee Co." />
 <figcaption>Michael Martsolf photo Cherokee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 11p.m. Monday 30-year-old double murder suspect Mark Gerald Hopkins II and 34-year-old drug suspect Michael Wayne Martsolf escaped from the Cherokee County Jail in Columbus, Kansas, according to Sheriff David Grove.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1621960469451.png" alt="Hopkins booking photo Cherokee County" />
 <figcaption>Hopkins booking photo Cherokee County</figcaption>
 </figure>The suspects may be driving a 2008 White Honda Accord with a Missouri tag LG2XOF.&nbsp; Both suspects have extensive tattoos throughout their bodies.&nbsp; Both should be considered armed and dangerous. If you see them, call 911.

Reward offered: Double murder suspect escaped from Kan. jail

WASHINGTON
 — The Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of the Treasury recently announced that the first monthly payment of the expanded and 
newly-advanceable Child Tax Credit (CTC) from the American Rescue Plan 
will be made on July 15. Roughly 39 million households — covering 88% of
 children in the United States — are slated to begin receiving monthly 
payments without any further action required.

IRS and Treasury also announced the increased CTC payments will be 
made on the 15th of each month unless the 15th falls on a weekend or 
holiday. Families who receive the credit by direct deposit can plan 
their budgets around receipt of the benefit. Eligible families will 
receive a payment of up to $300 per month for each child under age 6 and
 up to $250 per month for each child age 6 and above.

The American Rescue Plan increased the maximum Child Tax Credit in 
2021 to $3,600 for children under the age of 6 and to $3,000 per child 
for children between ages 6 and 17. The American Rescue Plan is 
projected to lift more than five million children out of poverty this 
year, cutting child poverty by more than half.

Households covering more than 65 million children will receive the 
monthly CTC payments through direct deposit, paper check, or debit 
cards, and IRS and Treasury are committed to maximizing the use of 
direct deposit to ensure fast and secure delivery. While most taxpayers 
will not be required to take any action to receive their payments, 
Treasury and the IRS will continue outreach efforts with partner 
organizations over the coming months to make more families aware of 
their eligibility.

Today's announcement represents the latest collaboration between the 
IRS and Bureau of the Fiscal Service—and between Treasury and the White 
House American Rescue Plan Implementation Team—to ensure help quickly 
reaches Americans in need as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Since March 12, the IRS has also distributed approximately 165 million 
Economic Impact Payments with a value of approximately $388 billion as a
 part of the American Rescue Plan.

Additional information for taxpayers on how they can access the Child Tax Credit will be available soon at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON
 — The Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of the Treasury recently announced that the first monthly payment of the expanded and 
newly-advanceable Child Tax Credit (CTC) from the American Rescue Plan 
will be made on July 15. Roughly 39 million households — covering 88% of
 children in the United States — are slated to begin receiving monthly 
payments without any further action required.IRS and Treasury also announced the increased CTC payments will be 
made on the 15th of each month unless the 15th falls on a weekend or 
holiday. Families who receive the credit by direct deposit can plan 
their budgets around receipt of the benefit. Eligible families will 
receive a payment of up to $300 per month for each child under age 6 and
 up to $250 per month for each child age 6 and above.The American Rescue Plan increased the maximum Child Tax Credit in 
2021 to $3,600 for children under the age of 6 and to $3,000 per child 
for children between ages 6 and 17. The American Rescue Plan is 
projected to lift more than five million children out of poverty this 
year, cutting child poverty by more than half.Households covering more than 65 million children will receive the 
monthly CTC payments through direct deposit, paper check, or debit 
cards, and IRS and Treasury are committed to maximizing the use of 
direct deposit to ensure fast and secure delivery. While most taxpayers 
will not be required to take any action to receive their payments, 
Treasury and the IRS will continue outreach efforts with partner 
organizations over the coming months to make more families aware of 
their eligibility.Today's announcement represents the latest collaboration between the 
IRS and Bureau of the Fiscal Service—and between Treasury and the White 
House American Rescue Plan Implementation Team—to ensure help quickly 
reaches Americans in need as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Since March 12, the IRS has also distributed approximately 165 million 
Economic Impact Payments with a value of approximately $388 billion as a
 part of the American Rescue Plan.Additional information for taxpayers on how they can access the Child Tax Credit will be available soon at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>.

IRS: Child Tax Credit payments will hit bank accounts in July

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced a weekly state lottery for five residents to win $1 million Tuesday to incentive COVID-19 vaccinations, amid other state bids to overcome public vaccine hesitancy.

“Rather than gamble on getting COVID, let’s take a chance on winning a million dollars,” Polis said.

Colorado is setting aside $5 million of federal coronavirus relief funds that would have gone toward vaccine advertising for five residents to win $1 million each. The drawings will take place every week starting June 4 until July 7.

Every resident who has been vaccinated by the end of May will be entered in the first drawing. In order to be eligible for the drawing, residents need to be 18 years old and have received at least one dose of the approved coronavirus vaccines.

Nearly 3 million Colorado residents, about half of the state’s population have received their first vaccine dose, which is slightly higher than the U.S. average of 49.5% of people who have gotten their first injection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are just over 40% of fully vaccinated residents in Colorado, compared to the U.S. fully inoculated average of around 39.5% of the population.

The state will also announce scholarship awards for 12-to-17-year-olds who are vaccinated, Polis said.

Other states have unveiled similar lottery ideas, including Ohio, New York, Maryland and Oregon.

In Ohio, the first state to announce its creative lottery plan, Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday that nearly 2.8 million residents registered for Ohio’s Vax-a-Million vaccination incentive program.

The Republican governor said vaccinations have surged since the lottery program was launched, adding that vaccinations among 16- and 17-year-olds jumped 94%; the 20-49 age group was up 55%; and 18-19-year-olds were up 46%.

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced a weekly state lottery for five residents to win $1 million Tuesday to incentive COVID-19 vaccinations, amid other state bids to overcome public vaccine hesitancy.“Rather than gamble on getting COVID, let’s take a chance on winning a million dollars,” Polis said.Colorado is setting aside $5 million of federal coronavirus relief funds that would have gone toward vaccine advertising for five residents to win $1 million each. The drawings will take place every week starting June 4 until July 7.Every resident who has been vaccinated by the end of May will be entered in the first drawing. In order to be eligible for the drawing, residents need to be 18 years old and have received at least one dose of the approved coronavirus vaccines.Nearly 3 million Colorado residents, about half of the state’s population have received their first vaccine dose, which is slightly higher than the U.S. average of 49.5% of people who have gotten their first injection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.There are just over 40% of fully vaccinated residents in Colorado, compared to the U.S. fully inoculated average of around 39.5% of the population.The state will also announce scholarship awards for 12-to-17-year-olds who are vaccinated, Polis said.Other states have unveiled similar lottery ideas, including Ohio, New York, Maryland and Oregon.In Ohio, the first state to announce its creative lottery plan, Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday that nearly 2.8 million residents registered for Ohio’s Vax-a-Million vaccination incentive program.The Republican governor said vaccinations have surged since the lottery program was launched, adding that vaccinations among 16- and 17-year-olds jumped 94%; the 20-49 age group was up 55%; and 18-19-year-olds were up 46%.

Colorado joins states offering $1M prizes for vaccinated residents

News Release Nebraska State Patrol

GRAND ISLAND, Neb.-Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested a California woman following a pursuit on Interstate 80 early Tuesday morning.

At approximately 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, NSP received a report of a Chrysler sedan traveling at excessive speeds on I-80 westbound near York. A York County Sheriff’s Deputy then reported seeing the vehicle as it was traveling more than 100 miles per hour.

A trooper was able to locate the vehicle near mile marker 324. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle accelerated and fled. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

The vehicle reached speeds in excess of 115 miles per hour during the pursuit, before the vehicle voluntarily exited at the Grand Island/Hastings interchange, at mile marker 312. The vehicle came to a stop in the parking lot of a gas station south of the interchange.

Troopers and Hall County Sheriff’s Deputies were then able to take the driver into custody without incident. Three children were located in the backseat of the vehicle and a search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of methamphetamine.

The driver, Ingrid Baires-Duran, 25, of Los Angeles, California was arrested for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, child abuse/endangerment, and traffic violations. She was lodged in Hamilton County Jail. The children were placed in protective care.

News Release Nebraska State PatrolGRAND ISLAND, Neb.-Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested a California woman following a pursuit on Interstate 80 early Tuesday morning.At approximately 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, NSP received a report of a Chrysler sedan traveling at excessive speeds on I-80 westbound near York. A York County Sheriff’s Deputy then reported seeing the vehicle as it was traveling more than 100 miles per hour.A trooper was able to locate the vehicle near mile marker 324. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle accelerated and fled. The trooper initiated a pursuit.The vehicle reached speeds in excess of 115 miles per hour during the pursuit, before the vehicle voluntarily exited at the Grand Island/Hastings interchange, at mile marker 312. The vehicle came to a stop in the parking lot of a gas station south of the interchange.Troopers and Hall County Sheriff’s Deputies were then able to take the driver into custody without incident. Three children were located in the backseat of the vehicle and a search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of methamphetamine.The driver, Ingrid Baires-Duran, 25, of Los Angeles, California was arrested for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, child abuse/endangerment, and traffic violations. She was lodged in Hamilton County Jail. The children were placed in protective care.

Woman arrested following York County pursuit

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A trade group for pork producers is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to appeal a recent federal judge's order that struck down a federal rule allowing pork processing plants to speed up processing. 

The National Pork Producers Council said Tuesday that a Minnesota judge's ruling in March ordering a return to slower processing line speeds will cost farmers $80 million in reduced income. 

Meatpacking worker unions challenged the faster speeds, saying they put workers' health and safety at risk. 

The pork producers group is asking the USDA to appeal the ruling and seek a stay so six plants now operating at faster speeds may continue under the new rules finalized by former President Donald Trump's administration in 2019.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A trade group for pork producers is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to appeal a recent federal judge's order that struck down a federal rule allowing pork processing plants to speed up processing. The National Pork Producers Council said Tuesday that a Minnesota judge's ruling in March ordering a return to slower processing line speeds will cost farmers $80 million in reduced income. Meatpacking worker unions challenged the faster speeds, saying they put workers' health and safety at risk. The pork producers group is asking the USDA to appeal the ruling and seek a stay so six plants now operating at faster speeds may continue under the new rules finalized by former President Donald Trump's administration in 2019.

Pork group asks USDA to support faster slaughterhouse speeds

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man who has served five stints in prison is now charged with attempted murder, child abuse and other counts after police say he repeatedly hanged and choked his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter until the child lost consciousness. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that police arrested 38-year-old David Coleman in December after his girlfriend found a video on his phone showing him hanging her 2-year-old daughter by her neck with a pink scarf in a storage unit until she was unconscious. 

Police say they later found another video of Coleman strangling the girl while the toddler was in a car seat. 

Coleman, who remains behind bars on more than $1 million bail, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and faces his next court hearing in June.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1621975279328.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man who has served five stints in prison is now charged with attempted murder, child abuse and other counts after police say he repeatedly hanged and choked his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter until the child lost consciousness. The Omaha World-Herald reports that police arrested 38-year-old David Coleman in December after his girlfriend found a video on his phone showing him hanging her 2-year-old daughter by her neck with a pink scarf in a storage unit until she was unconscious. Police say they later found another video of Coleman strangling the girl while the toddler was in a car seat. Coleman, who remains behind bars on more than $1 million bail, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and faces his next court hearing in June.

Omaha man accused of hanging toddler repeatedly 

DAKOTA CITY, Neb. (AP) — A former South Sioux City High School coach has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student. 

The Sioux City Journal reports that 25-year-old Nathan Rogers filed a written plea on Monday to first-degree sexual assault and child abuse. 

Rogers was first arrested in March after he was accused of raping the girl at his home in December. The girl told investigators she had gone to Rogers' home to pick up a vaping pen. 

Once inside, she said, he pinned her to a couch and forcibly sexually assaulted her. 

Rogers has said he had consensual sex with the girl, who was too young under Iowa law to consent to sex.

 Rogers also faces charges in a second case involving another 15-year-old girl.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1621967206393.png" alt="Rogers" />
 <figcaption>Rogers</figcaption>
 </figure>DAKOTA CITY, Neb. (AP) — A former South Sioux City High School coach has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student. The Sioux City Journal reports that 25-year-old Nathan Rogers filed a written plea on Monday to first-degree sexual assault and child abuse. Rogers was first arrested in March after he was accused of raping the girl at his home in December. The girl told investigators she had gone to Rogers' home to pick up a vaping pen. Once inside, she said, he pinned her to a couch and forcibly sexually assaulted her. Rogers has said he had consensual sex with the girl, who was too young under Iowa law to consent to sex. Rogers also faces charges in a second case involving another 15-year-old girl.

Ex-South Sioux City coach pleads not guilty to sex assault

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A former leader of the Salvation Army in the Black Hills has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. 

Investigators say they seized 46 electronic items during a search this month at the Salvation Army’s Black Hills Camp.

 The Salvation Army says it has fired Javier Moreno and is cooperating with the investigation. 

Moreno was a captain and the Black Hills Area coordinator and lived at the camp in Rapid City. 

The federal indictment comes after Moreno was charged May 11 by Pennington County prosecutors with one count of possessing, creating or distributing child pornography.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A former leader of the Salvation Army in the Black Hills has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. Investigators say they seized 46 electronic items during a search this month at the Salvation Army’s Black Hills Camp. The Salvation Army says it has fired Javier Moreno and is cooperating with the investigation. Moreno was a captain and the Black Hills Area coordinator and lived at the camp in Rapid City. The federal indictment comes after Moreno was charged May 11 by Pennington County prosecutors with one count of possessing, creating or distributing child pornography.

Ex-Salvation Army leader pleads not guilty to child porn

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman who alleges consensual sex with a friend in his college dorm room turned into a terrifying assault took matters into her own hands when prosecutors declined to bring rape charges. She called a citizen grand jury, relying on a 134-year-old state law.

Madison Smith, 22, collected the hundreds of signatures necessary to empanel the grand jury after the county prosecutor resolved the case by allowing Jared Stolzenburg to plead guilty to aggravated battery and receive two years’ probation.

Smith, who graduated earlier this month from Bethany College in Lindsborg, about 70 miles north of Wichita, is part of a generation of women emboldened to go public with their stories due to the #MeToo movement.

“This happens nationwide, worldwide that victims and survivors are minimized by the prosecutors who don’t believe them,” she said, “And that is not OK because rape culture is so prevalent, and we need to get rid of it, and one of the ways to do that is to get our stories out there.”

Kansas is one of six states that allow citizens to petition for grand juries. The 1887 law was rarely used until anti-abortion activists began using it to force grand jury investigations of abortion clinics. It has since been used to go after adult bookstores and to challenge former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s right to appear as the Republican nominee for governor.

But Smith’s case, which will be considered in September, is believed to be the first time that someone claiming sexual assault has used it, said Kathy Ray of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence.

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTHMISSION, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman who alleges consensual sex with a friend in his college dorm room turned into a terrifying assault took matters into her own hands when prosecutors declined to bring rape charges. She called a citizen grand jury, relying on a 134-year-old state law.Madison Smith, 22, collected the hundreds of signatures necessary to empanel the grand jury after the county prosecutor resolved the case by allowing Jared Stolzenburg to plead guilty to aggravated battery and receive two years’ probation.Smith, who graduated earlier this month from Bethany College in Lindsborg, about 70 miles north of Wichita, is part of a generation of women emboldened to go public with their stories due to the #MeToo movement.“This happens nationwide, worldwide that victims and survivors are minimized by the prosecutors who don’t believe them,” she said, “And that is not OK because rape culture is so prevalent, and we need to get rid of it, and one of the ways to do that is to get our stories out there.”Kansas is one of six states that allow citizens to petition for grand juries. The 1887 law was rarely used until anti-abortion activists began using it to force grand jury investigations of abortion clinics. It has since been used to go after adult bookstores and to challenge former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s right to appear as the Republican nominee for governor.But Smith’s case, which will be considered in September, is believed to be the first time that someone claiming sexual assault has used it, said Kathy Ray of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence.“This case has a lot of issues within the criminal justice system, and sometimes victims feel they have no other choice but to go public,” she said.The process of seeking a grand jury wasn’t easy. Smith had to stand in a parking lot telling her story over and over again to strangers to collect hundreds of signatures, and then do it again when the first petition was rejected on a technicality.Some of the strangers she approached snatched the pen from her hands just a few minutes after she began speaking, hugging her and whispering into her ear so others nearby couldn’t hear that they had been sexually assaulted in the past themselves.“They were very thankful that I was fighting, just fighting the justice system and trying to make a change in the world because they were too scared to fight back,” she recalled.But Smith said she felt it was the only way she could get justice for the February 2018 attack.McPherson County Attorney Gregory Benefiel told Smith’s mother in a recorded conversation that the case was challenging because Smith didn’t verbally withdraw consent during the encounter. Smith said that’s because he was choking her.“I think anybody could realize that if you can’t breathe, you can’t speak,” she said.Smith said the attack happened after she ran into Stolzenburg while doing laundry and went back to his room at Bethany College, where they had sex. It initially was consensual, but then he began slapping and strangling her, leaving her gasping for air, Smith said during Stolzenburg’s sentencing hearing in August 2020.“I really thought that he was going to kill me, and the only way I was going to leave that room was in a body bag,” said Smith, who is working at a nursing home before she begins to study nursing in the fall.“He would strangle me for 20 or 30 seconds at a time, and I would begin to lose consciousness,” she said.Stolzenburg’s Bethany College transcript shows that he was administratively withdrawn in March 2018, said Amie Bauer, the school’s general counsel. She wrote that the college had no further comment.Defense attorney Brent Boyer said during the sentencing hearing that Stolzenburg and his family had been threatened and that Stolzenburg wanted to “move forward.” A woman who answered the phone in Boyer’s office said that Boyer didn’t participate in media interviews and hung up. Stolzenburg doesn’t have a listed phone number and didn’t immediately respond to a message on Facebook.Benefiel said in an interview with The Associated Press that sex crimes cases are “extremely challenging to prosecute” because jurors are looking “for that CSI type of evidence.” He said he couldn’t comment on the specifics of the case but added that he believed that he and Smith both wanted the same thing — “truth and justice.”“There is a disagreement on what it looks like in this case, but I think everyone has the same goals,” he said.But Julie Germann, a former Minnesota prosecutor who reviewed the Kansas law for the Smiths and determined that the attack qualified for a rape charge, said prosecutors need to “look at the totality of the circumstances.”“This idea that because she consented then anything that follows is acceptable, that is a very dangerous precedent to set,” said Germann, who consults and teaches about sexual assault.Justin Boardman, who trains police and prosecutors to investigate sex crimes, said defense attorneys often try to argue that the victim had consented not just to sex but to rough sex. However, in that lifestyle, there are typically a lot of check-ins and discussions before sex starts, he said.“If it is just a surprise, it is assault,” he said.A court services worker said during the sentencing hearing that Stolzenburg told her he should have communicated better and “does feel sorry for the victim.”