OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) — Tesla Oldfield Davis was a two-sport college athlete at Peru State who loved to move her body.

Years later, that athletic background would give her the mindset and community support she needed to face the biggest challenge of her life.

Gary Oldfield said his daughter was competitive and bubbly, someone everyone wanted to talk to.

“She was softball to start with and then a little bit later, they caught her running up the hills of Peru (State) and asked her if she’d run cross-country. She’d never done it before,” Gary Oldfield said.

Years later, Tesla found out she was pregnant. Amid the excitement, something felt off.

“She started having some twitching and tingling in her leg, thought maybe it’s normal. She’d never had a child before. So, waited a couple months. It got worse,” Gary Oldfield said.

Diagnosis and community response

Following the birth of her daughter, Harbor, and months of testing, 28-year-old Tesla received a devastating diagnosis of ALS.

“It takes your ability to walk, talk, and eventually breathe. And it took that progression,” Gary Oldfield said.

With an average life expectancy of 3-5 years, Tesla wanted to make the most of each day she had left.

“It was tough as a dad, because I watched her – maybe one of the fastest kids on her college softball team – and now she’s completely paralyzed in a wheelchair, but she would never let me get down. That kid was smiling all the time. So, that made it a little bit easier,” Gary Oldfield said.

As Tesla’s medical needs increased, so did the expenses. Nebraska’s athletics community stepped up.

The Nebraska Greats Foundation provides medical and financial assistance to current and former athletes at all of Nebraska’s four-year colleges and universities. They first gave Tesla a hospital bed so she could stay home with her daughter.

“And as her condition deteriorated, we helped with other needs as well, including hospital bills and medical bills and also eventually in-home care until the very end. Over the course of time, there was around $342,000 worth of grants that we okayed for Tesla,” said Monte Kratzenstein, executive director of the Nebraska Greats Foundation.

Kratzenstein said it’s important to Nebraska Greats to get to know the athletes their donations go to and their families, not just write them a check.

“I’m a big fan of that whole idea that the things that you learn in athletics, the perseverance and the resiliency and the strength facing adversity are things that you will use, and Tesla did that,” said Kratzenstein.

Making memories and finding support

Another nonprofit helped Tesla and Harbor make precious memories. Inheritance of Hope sent them to Disney World alongside other parents with terminal illnesses and their kids, called a Legacy Retreat.

“And they didn’t feel so alone. They realized there were other families that could relate to them. And then after their Legacy Retreat, they both continued through our online groups. We call it Hope at Home groups,” said Jill Thompson with Inheritance of Hope.

Tesla even attended virtual support groups from the ICU.

“They reached out and helped her so much,” Gary Oldfield said.

Tesla kept fighting well beyond doctors’ expectations, living 7.5 years with ALS. She took her last breath in August of 2025 at 34 years old.

“She was smiling that day,” Gary Oldfield said.

Gary’s home is still filled with Tesla’s warmth. His daughter’s legacy proves attitude is everything.

“One of her important quotes that she always told me, and it’s really fitting because of what happened in the end, but she said, ‘God puts air in your lungs, so live your life with purpose.’ And she truly lived her life with purpose,” Gary Oldfield said.

Tesla even created a website to support others battling ALS through their journeys.

Gary said Tesla’s daughter, Harbor, has her mother’s positive attitude and loving spirit. She’s now eight years old and is still supported by Inheritance of Hope through weekly support groups online with other children who have lost a parent to a terminal illness.

Both Inheritance of Hope and Nebraska Greats rely on donations and volunteers to operate.

Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.

KEARNEY — The Kearney Area Animal Shelter (KAAS) is thrilled to announce its 2026 Annual Gala, taking place on Saturday, March 14, from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

This year’s event promises an evening of high-energy entertainment featuring a live performance by Bryan Olesen, the Lincoln native and third-place finalist from Season 25 of NBC’s The Voice.

In addition to world-class music, the evening will include a premier silent auction featuring local Nebraska treasures and experiences. All proceeds from the night will directly benefit the shelter’s mission to provide care, advocacy, and forever homes for animals in the Kearney community.

“We are ecstatic to bring a performer of Bryan’s caliber to Kearney for such a vital cause,” says Braden Wilkes. Executive Director. “This Gala is our biggest night of the year, and the funds raised ensure that every animal that walks through our doors gets a second chance at a happy life.”

Event Details:
• What: Kearney Area Animal Shelter Gala
• When: Saturday, March 14, 2026 | 6 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
• Where: Younes Conference Center – North
• Features: Live performance by Bryan Olesen, Silent Auction, and more.
• Tickets: Available via the Kearney Area Animal Shelter Facebook page or at https://square.link/u/4LUMVsVp.

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Figuring out ways to harness the power of artificial intelligence is being challenged by every industry. What works, what doesn’t and what’s ethical.

The Nebraska Supreme Court heard arguments in a divorce and custody case this month, but what the justices really wanted to know was: Did the attorney really write this?

It’s a big deal for attorneys arguing a case before the Nebraska Supreme Court. First up was an appeal of a divorce case from Omaha. But 37 seconds into the argument, the justices interrupted Omaha attorney Greg Lake.

“Before we get into that, I’d like to ask you about your brief,” a justice said.

“Of course,” Lake said.

“And your brief had a number of errors in it that were submitted. Can you explain to us how that occurred?” the justice asked.

“Absolutely, Your Honor. I was on my 10th wedding anniversary. While flying down there, my computer broke. And I uploaded the incorrect version of my brief,” Lake said.

Extensive errors discovered

The opposing attorney told the court that of the 63 references Lake made in his brief, 57 contained some form of defect.

“The brief that was submitted had misquotes from cases, fictitious cases, and misquotes from statutes. How were those all generated in your, I guess, the version that you did submit to us?” a justice asked.

“Sure. It was a draft. And when I… My writing process is when I’m drafting, I stick in things that I know wouldn’t pass muster,” Lake said.

“The elephant in the room is whether or not you used artificial intelligence. Did you?” the justice asked.

“No, I did not,” Lake said.

“With respect, if you didn’t use artificial intelligence, how do we end up with a citation to cases that don’t exist? I mean, it’s frankly a little hard to believe that’s just a citation error,” the justice said.

“Certainly, Your Honor. And again, like I said, I was… My computer was broken,” Lake said.

Client concerns

Jason Regan is the client whose divorce and custody arguments were essentially hijacked by the AI questions for four minutes, making him wonder if the merits of his case will even be considered.

“This was supposed to be where I felt my story would be heard,” Regan said.

“That’s why you go to a professional and pay big bucks for their expertise. I thought I was in safe hands,” Regan said.

Lake charges $375 an hour.

Expert perspective

Professor George McHendry teaches AI ethics at Creighton University.

“In law, that’s where we’ve seen immediate consequences of technology to made up cases,” McHendry said.

“I think you’re going to see courts grow more tired. I wouldn’t be surprised if, at some point, someone’s law license is at stake,” McHendry said.

“With a number of mistakes and basically misleading comments that were made in the brief, why shouldn’t this appeal just be treated as frivolous?” a justice asked.

“Your Honor, I don’t have a great answer for that,” Lake said.

Case outcome and broader implications

The Nebraska Supreme Court took the case under advisement. The opposing counsel suggested the entire case should be tossed. The court even asked Greg Lake’s opinion on if he should be sanctioned for his actions.

“I’m not running away from this… I made a mistake,” Lake said.

The Nebraska Counsel for Discipline can’t say if there’s been a complaint filed in this case. However, in the last few months a couple of attorneys in Douglas County have been sanctioned for using AI and paid fines.

An online database which follows AI hallucination court cases has compiled 958 of them so far across the world including the sanctions. Those wrongly using AI were mostly lawyers. Others are defendants who represent themselves.

The attorney general submitted a friend of the court brief as a reminder to the justices that AI plays a central role for making the job of an attorney more efficient and that Nebraska rules already say that if you use AI, the attorney has a duty to verify the accuracy of court briefs.

Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.