Midwest
Civil War General Sherman's sword among relics headed to Ohio auction next week
Bidders will fight with their dollars next week at an Ohio auction house for the sword of the Civil War Union general who led a scorched-earth campaign across Georgia and coined the phrase “War is hell.”
General William Tecumseh Sherman’s wartime sword, likely used between 1861 and 1863, are among the items that will be open to bidders Tuesday at Fleischer’s Auctions in Columbus.
Other items that will be auctioned off include Sherman’s uniform’s rank insignia worn during the Civil War, a family Bible and his personal, annotated copy of Ulysses S. Grant’s memoirs.
LINCOLN’S SPECIAL FORCES BATTLED MOSBY’S CONFEDERATE RANGERS WITH BRAVERY AND BRAINS
Sherman, a West Point graduate, was superintendent of a military school in Louisiana when South Carolina seceded in 1861, setting the war in motion. His capture of Atlanta in September 1864 helped President Abraham Lincoln win a second term in November of that year, ensuring that his fight to preserve the Union would continue.
After taking Atlanta, Sherman then led his famous “March to the Sea,” culminating with the December 1864 capture of Savannah, which dealt a huge blow to Confederate morale.
The sword and scabbard of Civil War Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman is displayed at Fleischer’s Auctions, Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. The wartime sword, likely used between 1861 and 1863, are among the items that will be open to bidders Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Orsagos)
“Had it not been for William Tecumseh Sherman, it is conceivable that the North would not have won the Civil War and that the Union would not have been preserved,” said Adam Fleischer, president of the auction house.
Fleischer said a “conservative” estimated sales price for the saber is between $40,000-$60,000 and an estimated sale of the entirety of Sherman’s collection could sell as high as $300,000.
“As Americans, we live with the consequences of the Civil War whether we know it or not,” Fleischer said, “and if you remove William Tecumseh Sherman from history the war could have ended very differently.”
Sherman’s relics were provided to the auction house by his direct descendants, according to Fleischer.
The auction also includes relics such as a 1733 document signed by Benjamin Franklin, the eleventh known 1790 “free” badge issued to a formerly enslaved person, the scrapbook of a Tuskegee Airman and other effects, according to a release from Fleischer’s Auctions.
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Missouri
Missouri Sports Betting May 2026: $256.4M Handle, Record $21.3M Revenue
Missouri sportsbooks took $256,364,814 in wagers in May 2026, the lowest monthly handle since the market launched, yet operators posted their strongest revenue month yet at $21,250,814 on an 8.29% hold. The state collected $2,131,872 in tax. Six months after going live on December 1, 2025, Missouri has flipped the usual relationship between volume and revenue: handle keeps settling while revenue keeps climbing, because hold has risen steadily as the launch-period promotions fade. Online betting made up $252,593,427, or 98.53% of all wagers. Figures come from the Missouri Gaming Commission.
Missouri Sports Betting by Month, Since Launch
| Month | Handle | Online | Retail | GGR | Hold | State Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | $543,039,131 | $538,881,520 | $4,157,612 | $20,758,443 | 3.82% | $521,201 |
| January 2026 | $385,138,868 | $380,412,197 | $4,726,670 | $6,703,555 | 1.74% | $137,873 |
| February 2026 | $277,005,418 | $273,285,304 | $3,720,114 | $10,301,007 | 3.72% | $1,214,627 |
| March 2026 | $329,355,588 | $324,060,170 | $5,295,418 | $20,757,550 | 6.30% | $2,178,985 |
| April 2026 | $273,397,863 | $269,884,804 | $3,513,059 | $20,284,270 | 7.42% | $2,028,427 |
| May 2026 | $256,364,814 | $252,593,427 | $3,771,387 | $21,250,814 | 8.29% | $2,131,873 |
Six Months In, Revenue Sets a Record
May marks a milestone worth pausing on. Missouri’s revenue reached its highest point yet even though its handle sank to a new low, a sign the market has moved past the giveaway-heavy launch phase and into steadier economics. Across its first six months, the state has now taken roughly $2.06 billion in total wagers, produced about $100.1 million in operator revenue, and delivered $8.2 million in tax. Crossing $100 million in cumulative revenue in half a year underlines how quickly Missouri established itself as a mid-sized market.
Handle Settles as the Launch Surge Fades
The volume side keeps normalizing. December’s $543 million opening was inflated by launch-day demand and heavy sign-up promotions, and handle has stepped down almost every month since, landing at $256.4 million in May, less than half that peak. Part of the decline is seasonal, with the sports calendar thinning as the basketball and hockey postseasons wind down and football stays months away. Part is simply the novelty wearing off. Mobile sportsbooks in Missouri continue to carry the market almost entirely, at 98.53% of May handle, a share that has held above 98% in every month since launch.
The Hold Keeps Climbing
The defining trend is the win rate. Hold ran at 3.82% in December, bottomed at 1.74% in January, then rose in four straight steps to 3.72%, 6.30%, 7.42%, and 8.29% in May. That climb is the engine behind the record revenue: as operators pull back the free bets and bonus play that suppressed early margins, more of each wagered dollar sticks. An 8.29% hold is still below the double-digit figures common in older markets, which suggests Missouri’s margin has further room to firm up as the market matures.
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Nebraska
Erstad joins Nebraska golf program
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Like his father, Zack Erstad is a Husker. Erstad, the son of Hall of Fame baseball player Darin Erstad, joined the Nebraska men’s golf program on Tuesday.
Zack signed with the Huskers one month after winning a state championship at Lincoln East. With the Spartans, Erstad was a two-time NSAA champion. He was Class A’s individual runner-up in 2026. The previous year, Erstad claimed the Nebraska Junior PGA Championship title.
Erstad said joining the Huskers is a dream come true. The Nebraska newcomer grew up playing baseball and hockey. However, he focused solely on golf while in high school.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
North Dakota
June ND severe weather recap: 5 tornadoes, damaging winds impact numerous towns
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Rounds of severe thunderstorms impacted many parts of North Dakota in June.
June 3 saw damaging straight-line winds in Rolette County, estimated up to 95 mph based on the damage observed.
June 7 brought two tornadoes to northern North Dakota, one of which caused damage to a property. The complexes of storms that Sunday evening also caused extensive wind damage, with 80-100 mph gusts estimated in many towns.
June 9 delivered more damaging wind, especially to the town of Sawyer, where lots of trees were knocked down. 90 mph winds were estimated there, as well as in rural northwest McHenry County at a property that sustained damage.
- Storm cleanup underway in Sawyer as questions raised over warning siren
- Sawyer declares wind emergency as storm cleanup continues

After a break from widespread severe thunderstorms in the middle of the month, the final weekend of June brought more activity.
A tornado touched down north of Belfield on June 27, doing damage to a property. Meanwhile, another swath of damaging winds moved across the region, with western ND seeing the worst of it. Damage west of Williston was estimated to be caused by near 100 mph winds.
- NWS completes surveys of tornado & t-storm wind damage from the weekend
- Severe weather causes damage, displaces residents in Williston area

June 28 also saw a tornado touch down near Riverdale and Coleharbor amid another severe weather outbreak, bringing the month’s tornado total to five.
Hail was also a common threat during the month, with June 29 delivering large hail to towns like Mandan, north Bismarck, and Max.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
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