Nebraska

6 Towns Perfect for Retirement in Nebraska

Published

2 years ago

June 22, 2024

6 Towns Perfect for Retirement in Nebraska

While Nebraska may not always be the first state that comes to mind for retirement, it is a retiree’s dream with its tight-knit communities and affordable living costs.

Since it obtained statehood in the 19th century, Nebraska has been showing its true colors with a mix of rolling hills and small towns that have their own special sparkle.

You will find friendly folks, top-quality healthcare, and a local culture that pops up in all the state’s towns. Nebraska’s towns offer a retirement that is both rewarding and affordable.

So, if you are thinking about spending your golden years right in America’s heartland, read on to learn about six towns perfect for retirement in the Cornhusker State.

Kearney

Archway Monument in Kearney, Nebraska, USA. Editorial credit: Mystic Stock Photography / Shutterstock.com

With just over 33,000 residents, this fine option has the personality and charm of a small town with the amenities of a bigger city. The average home in Kearney goes for $294,000 according to Zillow, providing an affordable way to live near those amenities.

The town offers dependable healthcare options, like the CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital, which has all sorts of healthcare options for retirees to explore.

Kearney offers many fun activities such as parks, golf courses, and paths for walking. If you live here, try heading to Kearney Whitewater Park and Yanney Heritage Park, two outdoor spaces great for a nice, peaceful day outside with friends or family.

If golfing outside sounds like a perfect retirement, the town has both Kearney Country Club and Meadowlark Hills Golf Course right nearby, including other fine options.

Lastly, for some local history, the Fort Kearny State Historical Park is an informative way to learn about the original fort built to protect travelers on the Oregon Trail.

Norfolk

This town offers a pleasant, quiet place to settle down after retirement.

The typical rent here is half the national average, so retirees can get a good bang for their buck living here. As well, buying housing is a nice price option, averaging just under $240,000.

Norfolk boasts reliable health care options, like the Faith Regional Health Services. This means residents in town can get medical help close to home without the hassle of long trips.

The town is bursting with cultural life, thanks to places like the Norfolk Arts Center, where people can enjoy art displays, take part in classes, and attend events.

Also, Northeast Community College opens up chances for people of all ages to keep learning and get involved in the community with its different programs and activities.

For active retirees, there are also interesting outdoor landmarks to see. Ta-Ha-Zouka Park, right next to the Elkhorn River, is a top outdoors spot in Norfolk. It is great for enjoying the long blue Nebraska skies, and going for hikes.

Fremont

Fremont has sprawling Nebraskan outdoor landscapes all around, with parks and lakes providing a retirement playground. If that sounds like your ideal retirement, you are in luck.

First off, if you are a retiree wanting to cut down on house expenses, a typical place here costs about $239,450.

It is vital to have good healthcare as well. Fremont has healthcare options like the Methodist Fremont Health Medical Center. Also, since Omaha is so close, you can head there to find all sorts of specialists.

Fremont also has a like-minded population to socialize with because in this town, nearly 1 in 5 people are seniors.It is a fun place to be, with plenty of activities perfect for retirees, with a variety of parks and golf courses to enjoy, and it is close to places like the Platte River.

History buffs can see the Louis E. May Museum, housed in a historic mansion, which a glimpse into Fremont’s past.

North Platte

This town lies right on the spot where the North Platte and South Platte Rivers come together. If you are hunting for a spot to call home without breaking your piggy bank, this is an option to consider, as homes here go for less than $200,000 on average.

The North Platte Senior Center is a cornerstone of the retiree community. It offers a variety of programs and services tailored specifically for seniors, including Health and Wellness Programs and activities.

The town’s got a quality hospital called the Great Plains Health Hospital. It houses many kinds of care options for folks, which naturally is a vital thing to consider for people trying to find a town to retire in.

There are some interesting landmarks to see while living here. The Golden Spike Tower gives you a big panoramic view of Bailey Yard and also offers a visual guide and exhibits detailing the history of the Union Pacific Railroad,

Also, you can visit the Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park. It keeps Buffalo Bill Cody’s classic house and a museum that shares his story.

Hastings

Hastings has a lot of good things going for it. It has a mixed economy, and is home to a collection of interesting and iconic buildings. It is also the place where Kool-Aid started, if you feel like a sweet drink.

The town is safe and welcoming, offering many things to do and assistance for the people who live there. Home prices here are very accessible, averaging $191,097, much lower than the average price around the country.

In town, Mary Lanning Healthcare has good health services and special care for older people.

The town is also a vibrant festival town. You can enjoy music from the Hastings Symphony Orchestra, watch plays by local theater groups, or have fun at the annual Kool-Aid Days festival.

Want to head outdoors post-retirement? Crystal Lake State Recreation Area is nearby and a fine option for spending a day outside. It has all sorts of stuff to do like fishing or just relaxing with family by the water.

Scottsbluff

This town has good year-round weather, and its dry climate makes for bearable weather no matter what month of the year it is.

The town is named after the nearby Scotts Bluff National Monument, an iconic landmark with beautiful views and historical significance. Its colossal bluffs were major signposts for trailblazers who trekked across the country.

In downtown, you will be impressed with its vintage buildings. They have been spruced up and given new life while still keeping their classic vibe. The Midwest Theater, started in 1946, has been preserved and maintained, and is an iconic landmark in town.

Rent here can be found for under $1,000 a month, a good cost for retirees wanting to save. Also, a recent census shows almost a quarter of the town is 65 years old or older, so you will be right at home here in a community of fellow retirees.

Lastly, there is good healthcare, like at the Regional West Medical Center. The center is a comprehensive healthcare facility that provides all the important services you would need.

Why Nebraska is Ideal for Retirement

Nebraska is a great place to retire, with its towns full of friendly neighborhoods and affordable housing prices.

In places like Kearney, you get small town life with big city amenities, while towns like Scottsbluff have amazing views and important American heritage landmarks.

All over Nebraska, you can find quality healthcare, tons of cultural events, and fun things to do in the expansive outdoors.

So, when you are browsing your retirement options, don’t forget to give Nebraska a chance.

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Nebraska

Who Can Be Nebraska’s Diego Pavia? The Search for the Next Husker Quarterback

Published

7 hours ago

December 25, 2025

Press Room

Who Can Be Nebraska’s Diego Pavia? The Search for the Next Husker Quarterback

Let’s get this part out of the way first: you have to prioritize the offensive and defensive lines. Whether or not you like my preferred quarterbacks won’t matter if the linemen aren’t up to snuff! Regardless, Nebraska now needs some quarterbacks on this roster.

As people throw around their favorite Christmas movies, one movie that doesn’t get enough love is Gremlins. How can I possibly connect Gremlins to Nebraska’s quarterback search, you ask?

Well, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia kind of reminds me of a gremlin. He wreaks havoc. He’s aggressive, destructive, and mischievous. If you take the Heisman Trophy away from him, he’ll lash out as if you’ve just fed him after midnight. A volatile spirit he may be, but nobody can deny his hunger to win. In my opinion, Nebraska’s overall roster needs a little more Stripes and a little less Gizmos.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For too long, Nebraska football has lacked nastiness. Many might say “soft.” Physical and mental toughness have largely eluded the Huskers. Matt Rhule knows it. Diehard and casual fans know it. Opponents know it.

Recall Biff Poggi’s comments, the Gophers comparing Nebraska giving up sacks to Oprah giving away free cars, and Kirk Ferentz’s tearful “tougher team” statement that you shake your head at but ultimately have to agree with. Even if you personally dismiss the “soft” claim, that is the perception of Husker football right now.

Nebraska is in dire need of initiative-takers, difference-makers, and butt-kickers. Some folks call these players “dudes” or “dawgs.” I’ve personally coined the term “killaz”. The departure of Dylan Raiola and hiring of offensive line coach Geep Wade signals an opportunity for an attitude adjustment of sorts, certainly on offense.

Whether it’s been Marcus Satterfield or Dana Holgorsen on the offensive coordinator headset, the offense has been… difficult. Despite Emmett Johnson’s heroics (can’t stress enough just how great he was), you couldn’t help but feel like every yard gained through the air was like a tooth being pulled.

Jacory Barney Jr.’s talent withered on the vine. Luke Lindenmeyer was yet another in a long line of underused Husker tight ends. Although Nyziah Hunter and Dane Key made a handful of impressive plays, they failed to make others that less-heralded WRs elsewhere often do. The red zone offense was a slog.

This is largely because Nebraska doesn’t know who they want to be. Rhule bringing in Jeff Sims in year one indicated his desire to run an offense through a mobile quarterback. A combination of things threw a wrench into this desired style offense: Sims was a turnover machine who shrank when the lights turned on, his tough-as-nails backup could ONLY run, a generational five-star pocket passing legacy wanted to be a Husker (you can’t say no to that), and the hiring of Holgorsen in an effort to complement said pocket passer.

Dylan Raiola helped Nebraska to a pair of bowl berths after a long postseason drought for the program. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

To label the Dylan Raiola era a “failure” is a bit of a stretch. Back-to-back bowl games are an oasis in what had been a desert in Lincoln. In 2025, Nebraska blew out cupcakes and won close games they more than likely would have lost pre-Dylan. (Mike Ekeler’s special teams had a lot to do with those wins.) But you can’t help but feel Nebraska’s offense has been largely listless and wandering in the wilderness due to not knowing who they want to be. What do we do well?

In a close game, can we lean on something or do the sphincters get tight? Just when it seemed like they figured it out for a few minutes, they would stray away from it again. Yes, the term is overused, but it means something: identity. Nebraska lacked one. What should it be?

This author’s desired offensive identity is probably different from yours, dear reader. Simply put, I want a quarterback who runs. A lot. I’ve received flak for my love and admiration of service academy football. There’s a misnomer out there that the “option run” won’t win a lot of games in this day and age (are we still expecting national titles?). To counter this, I say we Nebraskans need to realize this is a place that generally doesn’t attract Ohio State-level WRs.

Sure, we had fun with “F’ it, Trey Palmer’s down there somewhere”… but he played on a 4-8 team. Nebraska needs a quarterback that the defense has to account for. A defender who doesn’t have to respect a quarterback’s ability to run is a defender who’s comfortable. On Black Friday, when the ball feels like a slab of concrete, and the frigid Memorial Stadium wind is whipping in all directions, can we impose our will on the Hawkeyes? Or will Iowa continue to treat us like a dog that’s just pooped in the house and shove our noses in it?

Former Nebraska wide receiver Trey Palmer | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

When it comes to portal quarterbacks, Nebraska will not have the pick of the litter. They are not getting Sam Leavitt or Brendan Sorsby. These guys want not only money, which we supposedly have, but they also want to compete for a national championship as well. That is not happening here next year. Another unattainable quarterback who would be my top choice, even above Leavitt and Sorsby, is USF’s Byrum Brown. Alas, he’s going to be an Auburn Tiger. Too bad.

Whether Matt Rhule goes for a multi-year quarterback he can develop or a one-year mercenary who can guide you through a tough 2026 schedule, the price will be a bit lower. Nebraska needs to spread the wealth this portal season, as there are numerous holes to fill on this roster. All that being said, the Huskers need to get a quarterback who is physically and mentally tough. No kidding.

Here are the key datasets I feel best exemplify that:

Start at least 1 full year – any level
Over 6’0” and 200 lbs. – to withstand the B1G meatgrinder
100+ carries – whether designed or improvised
No more than 5 fumbles – a QB who doesn’t “Sims” a lot
TD:INT ratio – INTs under 10 ideally
Winning track record – speaks for itself

Nebraska QB Targets | NBNR Table

Now, ordered alphabetically by last name, here are the quarterback possibilities that also largely fit the Pavia/King/Chambliss prototype, with one obvious exception (Lincoln Kienholz). An asterisk (*) indicates a deviation from the criteria. Note that some of these quarterbacks have NOT entered the transfer portal… yet:

Nebraska QB Targets | NBNR Table

A significant number of Husker fans have wavering trust that Rhule can even soundly evaluate quarterbacks to begin with, so allow me to go ahead and do the research for him!

As of Christmas Eve, the hottest name on the board is Michigan State’s Aidan Chiles. This begs the following questions, as it would for any quarterback he gets: Is he a “killa”? Is he going to make everyone else around him better and raise their level of play? Will he demand excellence from his teammates, even if this makes him less likable?

With the 2026 schedule being a gauntlet, can Rhule count on Chiles to use his Big Ten experience (not all of it good, mind you) to be a steady and dependable leader? When a Gopher or Hawkeye tries to clown his team… and they’d love nothing more… Will he be a docile mogwai or a hostile gremlin?

Let’s just hope Amigo’s doesn’t look to him to sell more crisp meat burritos.

Want more from No Block No Rock? Check out their YouTube channel, subscribe for weekly episodes, and visit nbnrpodcast.com for more content.

Missing Nebraska mother found dead after more than a year; Homicide case opened

Published

19 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

Missing Nebraska mother found dead after more than a year; Homicide case opened

article

Jerica Hamre (Credit: Lincoln Police Department)

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska authorities said they have found the remains of a deceased mother, who had been missing for over the year.

Investigators have identified a person of interest who is currently in custody on unrelated charges, and there is no ongoing threat to the community.

What we know:

The Lincoln Police Department said Jerica Hamre was found on December 17 on a rural farm in Furnas County, near Oxford.

A representative of the property’s owner was inspecting the farm in preparation for a sale when the body was discovered in a remote outbuilding.

Investigators do not believe Hamre had any connection to the property or its owners.

Her death is being investigated as a homicide.

What we don’t know:

The investigation is now entering its next phase, focusing on how and when she died and identifying who is responsible for Jerica’s death.

What they’re saying:

“LPD [Lincoln Police Department] wants to thank all of you — thousands on social media — who shared about her disappearance, called in tips and kept her story in the news,” authorities said in a Facebook post.

The backstory:

Hamre was reported missing from Lincoln on July 3, 2024.

What you can do:

Anyone with information is asked to call our non-emergency number at 402-441-6000. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600, report online at lincolncrimestoppers.com or download the free P3 app.

The Source: Information in this story was provided by the Lincoln Police Department. This story was reported from Los Angeles.

Missing PersonsNebraskaCrime and Public SafetyNews

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Nebraska

‘I just enjoy doing it:’ Nebraska woman sews thousands of pillow cases for people in need

Published

1 day ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

‘I just enjoy doing it:’ Nebraska woman sews thousands of pillow cases for people in need

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Joyce Boerger says she learned to sew at around nine years old, starting out with dresses in a 4-H program. Now she’s helping to supply hundreds of pillow cases for those in need every year.

“I just enjoy doing it,“ Boerger said. “My proudest moment is I sewed a dress that took a purple at the state fair. I sewed about anything and everything.”

At 81 years old, she’s spent the better part of the last decade taking any extra fabric she can get her hands on and turning it into pillow cases, making around 400 to 600 a year.

And she does it all using the same sewing machine she’s had since 1963.

“I made my oldest son’s baby clothes on it, and I love it,” Boerger said. “It’s the hot dog method, and once you learn to do the hot dog method it goes pretty fast.”

While she started off with a pretty good stash of fabric 10 years ago, she said that friends, family and even members of her hometown church in Wymore have helped to keep her going with supplies.

Her sister Jan and the church’s pastor, Jim, also help by trimming, pinning and pressing each pillow case before it’s donated.

Designs patterns range from animals to flowers to dollar bills, which Boerger says makes the process more fun.

“I make the remark that I’m making pillow cases and people say ‘oh are you making them in white?’” she said. “Long ways away from white. They’re very colorful.”

This holiday season, she’s working with a friend, Tammy Hillis, to donate the pillow cases to places like the Friendship Home. She’s also brought pillow cases to the People’s City mission, supplying the shelter with more than 180 last year.

Hillis said they’ve also branched out to give some to the Orphan Grain Train, Sleep in Heavenly Peace out of Omaha and even Brave Animal Rescue.

Hillis, who runs a south Lincoln gas station and car repair shop, said she got to know Boerger as she brought her car in over the years, before she began offering up pillow cases to donate.

“She would play Christmas music in her car 24/7,” Hillis said. “When she’s got so many it’s like ok we only see so many customers throughout here, so we gotta branch out and help to spread the love.”

Boerger said even after thousands of pillow cases over the years, she isn’t planning to stop sewing any time soon, and will keep supplying them wherever they’re needed.

“It gives me something to do,” she said. “I’ve had them go to hurricane relief, I’ve had them go to, would you believe it an orphanage in Mexico, a foster outlet in Gretna … They just go kind of wherever somebody asks.”

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