Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • A1

The Associated Press BAGHDAD In a sign of deepening involvement in the Iraqi crisis, the commander of elite Quds Force is helping military and Shiite militias gear up to fight the Sunni insurgents advancing across the country, of- ficials said Monday. Washington signaled a new willingness to work with Iran to help the Iraqi government stave off the insurgency after years of trying to limit influence in Baghdad a dramatic shift that would have been unthinkable a few weeks ago. The United States is deploying up to 275 military troops to Iraq to protect the U.S. Embassy and other American interests and is consider- ing sending a contingent of special forces soldiers. But the White House insisted anew the U.S.

would not be sending combat troops and thrust- ing America into a new Iraq war. The insurgents seized the stra- tegic city of Tal Afar near the Syr- ian border Monday, part of its goal of linking areas under its control on both sides of the Iraq-Syria frontier. West of Baghdad, an army helicopter was shot down during clashes near the city of Fal- lujah, killing the two-man crew, security officials said. TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2014 LINCOLN, NEBRASKA Inmate driver sentenced in fatal crash. CONTACT US Delivery and subscriptions Newsroom ed ads Retail ads Toll-free Copyright 2014 Lee Enterprises Inc.

24 pages 95 72 Details, B6 Births B3 Business A4 Calendar B3 ed D4, D6 Comics D2 Crosswords D5 Movies B3 A6 Obituaries B3 Opinion A5 Puzzles D5 D3 The (402) 411 D1 -S AT $1 .0 0 journalstar.com See TORNADOES, Page A2 See IRAQ, Page A2See CITY COUNCIL, Page A2 Powerful Iranian general in Iraq to help roll back Sunni militants who captured key city. Iran deepens Iraq involvementBy MARA KLECKER Lincoln Journal Star Eileen Warner turned away from Lincoln City Council members Monday and asked her neighbors to stand up. Thirteen men and women rose. The neighbors represented some of the more than 144 who had signed a petition opposed to turning a city-owned, triangu- lar 9.4-acre property near 84th and South streets into a 72-unit Housing Authority apartment complex. Half the units would be available as rent-subsidized for low-income families, and the other half would rent at market rates.

Much of the hour-and-a-half discussion centered on the po- tential traffic congestion caused by having only one access point a residential road to the development. The city is seeking permission to accommodate 72 apartments rather than 49 single-family homes. Neighbors said the apartments will overwhelm the nearby streets. But city traffic engineers said that apartment traffic would be about the same as residential traffic from fewer homes be- cause residents of single-family homes tend to make more car trips a day. And Planning Director Mar- vin Krout said many apartment complexes larger than this have only one outlet onto a residen- tial street.

City Public Works engineers also rejected any outlet onto 84th Street, because the city has rules limiting the number of access streets onto major arterials. Council hears opposition to low-income apartments WEATHER U.S. EDGES GHANA 2-1 LOCAL B1 WORLD CUP SPORTS, C1 Twin twisters rip Pilger At least one killed and 16 critical after northeast Nebraska tornadoes. STACIE Journal Star Tornadoes did the heaviest damage in Pilger, where homes and businesses were leveled Monday. Elkhorn River Stanton Pilger Wisner Wayne Norfolk Beemer 32 24 57 15 81 275 35 98 Pierce Lincoln Detail area Northeast Nebraska hit Reports of tornadoes on the ground were reported south and east of Norfolk around 4 p.m.

Monday. From there, a path of destruction moved toward Pilger and north of Wisner. Lincoln Journal Star First reports of tornadoes By NICHOLAS BERGIN, PETER SALTER AND CHRIS HEADY LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR PILGER At least two tornadoes cut across an area east of Norfolk on Monday, devastating more than half the town of Pilger, where a 5-year-old child was killed and at least 16 others were critically injured, hospital and emergency officials said. Video taken in the area Monday afternoon showed a pair of distinct fun- nels barreling east as storm chasers followed. The first reports of damage came from near Stanton at about 3:45 p.m.

A short time later, Pilger, population 350, took a direct hit. standing in Pilger, and I see Stanton County Commissioner Jerry Weather- holt said as medics loaded people into ambulanc- es. looks like a war zone. It absolutely looks like a war While half of the town was destroyed, Weath- erholt said, there was damage everywhere. co-op is gone, the grain bins are gone, and it looks like almost every house in town has some he said.

a complete Faith Regional Health Services in nearby Nor- folk was treating 16 patients with critical injuries, and one person had died, said hospital spokes- woman Jodi Richey. Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger later iden- tified the dead person as a 5-year-old child who succumbed to injuries. He said several of those with critical injuries were found near Main Street..