GIBBON, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska State Patrol says three people have died in a fiery crash involving two semitrailers and other smaller vehicles on Interstate 80 in south-central Nebraska.

The patrol says the crash happened Friday afternoon east of Gibbon when an eastbound semi blew a tire as it was being passed by a pickup. The semi hit the pickup, causing both to cross the interstate median, and the semi then hit another westbound semi and a second pickup.

The second pickup and first semi rolled and burst into flames, killing the semi driver and the driver and passenger in the pickup. The occupants of the other vehicles were either uninjured or suffered minor injuries.

The patrol says the crash closed portions of I-80 for more than four hours.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — People who lose pets in southeast Missouri have a new resource to help them find their beloved animals — Facebook.

The Facebook page “SEMO Lost Pet” provides a resource both for those who have lost pets and people who have found animals and are seeking to get them back to their owners.

A picture of the pet is posted. Once found, that information is posted, too, even if the news is not good.

Rochelle Steffen says the idea for the page began when a friend lost his dog and reached out to his own Facebook friends for help.

Steffen started SEMO Lost Pet as a way to alert a larger number of people. More than 10,000 people now follow the page.

You may visit the page by clicking on the logo above.

 

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The operator of a suburban St. Louis landfill that is the source of a strong odor due to an underground fire has reached a settlement in a federal lawsuits filed by nearly three dozen nearby residents.

Bridgeton Landfill LLC announced the settlement Friday with 34 residents.

Their lawsuits claimed that they could not enjoy their own properties because of the often-horrific smell emanating from the landfill. Terms were not disclosed.

The landfill’s parent company, Republic Services, is spending millions of dollars to abate the smell and to ensure that the fire doesn’t spread.

The fire is particularly concerning because the adjacent West Lake Landfill, also owned by Republic Services, houses Cold War-era nuclear waste that was illegally buried there four decades ago.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas says Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little plans to step down from the position in the summer of 2017.

The university issued a statement Thursday. Gray-Little has been chancellor of the state’s largest university since August 2009.

Gray-Little said in a statement that with major initiatives at the university nearing completion, it’s an ideal time for her to leave its top administrative job.

She also said that announcing her departure now will help the university and the Kansas Board of Regents find a replacement without having to name an interim chancellor for a smoother transition.

She was the university’s first female and black chancellor. Board of Regents Chairwoman Zoe Newton called her a “transformative figure.”

Before coming to Kansas, Gray-Little was a top University of North Carolina administrator.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Obama administration has proposed barring states and other recipients of federal family planning grants from placing their own eligibility restrictions on where the money can go.

The move undermines efforts by 13 Republican-led states to prevent such money from going to Planned Parenthood.

The Department of Health and Human Services is accepting public comments about the proposed changes until Oct. 7.

Title X is a federal program designed to provide contraception services, pregnancy tests, screening and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and cancer screenings at little or no cost to low-income patients. It does not pay for abortions.

Planned Parenthood relies on Title X to provide services to 1.5 million patients across the country, making it the medical provider for about a third of patients served by the program.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — One person was killed when a vehicle plunged into a Kansas City area lake.

The Kansas City Star reports the vehicle landed in Bales Lake at Blue Valley Park on Friday evening. Police said another person in the car is hospitalized with serious injuries.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

The victim’s identity hasn’t been released.

HAZELWOOD, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say a teenage driver in suburban St. Louis struck another vehicle and then spun into people who were waiting for a homecoming parade to begin, injuring several of them.

Hazelwood police say none the eight people who were hurt in Saturday’s crash suffered life-threatening injuries. An unknown number were taken to hospitals. Police did not say if those in the vehicles were among the injured.

Police arrested the 17-year-old driver of the Ford Mustang that struck the parade-goers on charges of second-degree assault and careless and imprudent driving. They say the Mustang struck another vehicle near an intersection before spinning out of control and hitting the pedestrians, who were waiting for the start of the Hazelwood West High School homecoming parade.

BURLINGTON, Wash. (AP) — Authorities say the suspect in the deadly Washington state mall shooting said nothing when he was apprehended and was “zombie-like.”

Island County Sheriff’s Lt. Mike Hawley said he spotted 20-year-old Arcan Cetin Saturday evening in Oak Harbor, Washington, from a patrol car and immediately recognized him as the suspect.

Hawley said at a news conference that his office had received information that Cetin, who is from Oak Harbor, was in the area. Hawley said Cetin was unarmed: “He said nothing. He was kind of zombie-like.”

A gunman opened fire at the Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington, Friday night, killing four females and a male before fleeing. Law enforcement staged a massive search over more than 20 hours for the suspect.

Authorities say Cetin had a previous arrest for simple assault and had immigrated from Turkey. At a news conference Saturday night, Lt. Chris Cammock of the Mount Vernon Police Department said the suspect was a “legal, permanent resident of the United States.”

The Seattle Times cites Skagit County court records showing three domestic-violence assault charges for 20-year-old Arcan Cetin in both Burlington, Washington, and Island County, with the victim identified as Cetin’s stepfather. The newspaper reports Cetin also was arrested for drunken driving.

Court records show Cetin was told by a judge on Dec. 29 that he was not to possess a firearm, the newspaper reported.

However, the stepfather urged the judge not to impose a no-contact order, saying his stepson was “going through a hard time.”

ROGERSVILLE, Mo. (AP) — A 13-year-old Missouri boy who’s mowing lawns for free for single mothers, senior citizens and the disabled isn’t letting typical teenager distractions cut into his charitable ambitions.

The Springfield News-Leader reports while other young kids may be with friends or playing video games, Christian Williams of Rogersville is doing a grass-grooming service project.

The effort called Raising Men Lawn Care Service was started last year by Rodney Smith Jr. The Alabama A&M University student challenged himself to mow 40 yards for those in need and within two weeks reached 100. Smith challenged young people to do the same. Williams accepted.

He started mowing for free this month and has done at least six yards. For every 10 yards he mows, Smith will send him a different colored T-shirt.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union is asking a judge to enforce her earlier order requiring Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach to put on voter rolls people who registered at motor vehicle offices without providing citizenship documents.

In a filing Friday, the group also requested that U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson issue an order for Kobach to show cause why he should not be held in contempt.

Kobach says the state “is in full compliance with the district court’s order.”

The ACLU contends Kobach has not registered in the official poll books these voters for federal elections. Those voters aren’t given a regular ballot, but are instead must use a provisional ballot. The ACLU also argues Kobach violated the order by issuing a confusing and misleading notice to the organization.