Nebraska
Our entrepreneurship opportunity • Nebraska Examiner
Older Nebraskans remember radio commentator Paul Harvey. Popular for his “The Rest of the Story.” Mr. Harvey told stories about someone or something, teasing his audience to guess who or what he was talking about. After a commercial break he shared the “rest of the story.”
Entrepreneurship, or the creating and growing of businesses, is core to America’s success. As recently as the decade before the pandemic, growing research indicating America’s entrepreneurship culture was in decay. Calls for revitalizing America’s entrepreneurial spirit sounded. Truth be told, we Americans have an active tradition of cycling between “all is going to the dogs” and “good times are here again.”
The rest of the story is rooted in the dark days of the pandemic. We, like much of the world, were gripped by a once-in-a-lifetime health crisis. Over a 100 million Americans came down with COVID-19 and over 1.2 million died. Economic shutdowns, isolation, jobs lost, and failed businesses occurred. During COVID, working from home became more commonplace, and millions of us reconsidered how we made our living and lived. In the pandemic the roots of an entrepreneurship renewal were planted. Hundreds of thousands of our neighbors decided they did not want to go back to the shop floor or office. They were tired of working for someone else and desired something different than a long commute and having a boss.
In the New York Times dated Oct. 4, 2024, authors Ben Casselman and Sydney Ember penned a story titled “Pandemic Start-Ups Are Thriving, and Helping Fuel the Economy.” In this story the authors cite statistical evidence that something has changed with dramatically higher new business formation rates. Their story also captures insights into why this is happening. For America this is a point-in-time opportunity that warrants our encouragement and support. Entrepreneurship is driving creativity and innovation, and revitalizing and energizing our economy, society and communities.
These cycles of entrepreneurship are not new to America. My pop grew up in the 1920s and 1930s working on the family’s farms, and then as a laborer. That is how most Americans made their living in those times. Upon returning from World War II, serving in the U.S. Army, my father went back to work as a meat cutter and grocery clerk. With a little cash in his pocket, he dreamed of a different life. He got married, started a family, began buying homes, cars and appliances, enabled by becoming a small business owner.
After World War II, with a booming economy, there was a surge in entrepreneurship. Of my dad’s six brothers, all but one became entrepreneurs. None of them became rich, but they raised and educated families, paid taxes, hired folks, ensured their retirements and gave back to their communities.
This pattern is repeating itself across America and Nebraska in 2024. In 2022, the Unicameral Legislature enacted the Nebraska Small Business Assistance Act. The act provides funding for Nebraska-based startup and existing small businesses. The response to the act has been overwhelming, with nearly 3,000 inquiries.
This level of interest far exceeds what we would expect from the normal startup data. Recent analysis by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Bureau of Business Research found over 63% of these small business owners pursued entrepreneurship because they wanted to be their own boss — just like my pop.
The rest of the story is still to be written. Nebraska has a critical choice. Each year state and local governments spend hundreds of millions of dollars on traditional economic development focusing on business attraction and real estate development.
If just 10% of this spending was invested in supporting entrepreneurship, we could grow a more diverse, equitable, rooted and resilient economy, one entrepreneur’s dream at a time. Entrepreneurship builds families, communities and stronger state economies.
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OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A deeper look tonight as First Alert 6 continues to dig deeper into the state of mental health care in Nebraska and possible solutions, ever since last week’s two instances involving law enforcement.
A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy was shot responding to a domestic call. Investigators said the suspect, Brian Huggins, had a history of behavioral health issues. Huggins died by suicide.
And then Noemi Guzman, who police say kidnapped a 3-year-old from inside an Omaha Walmart and cut him in the arm and face with a stolen kitchen knife. Omaha police officers shot and killed her before she could strike again.
Guzman had been on a court-ordered mental health treatment plan since last summer for her schizophrenia. According to court records, psychiatrists determined she could live in the community. Remember, this was after she was arrested for setting her father’s house on fire and threatening a priest with a knife.
Monitoring system
We wanted to know who is part of the system monitoring those who may not be following their mental health treatment plan and are a risk to others or themselves. When that happens, the Board of Mental Health will often notify the local sheriff so a warrant can be issued and deputies can track the individual down.
Here are the numbers since 2023:
In 2023, 842 warrants were issued for those not following their treatment plans according to the Board of Mental Health. In 2024, 756. In 2025, 690. So far in 2026, 190.
But out of these 2,500 warrants, 85% of them didn’t have a second warrant, meaning deputies picked them up, got them back into treatment and the individuals continued to thrive after the one hiccup.
But in 15% of these cases, the individuals messed up again and had another warrant issued by the Board of Mental Health. Twenty-five individuals had five or more issued in Douglas County.
Sheriff Hanson said there has to be a better way, a more team approach for this.
One model to explore is the way Nebraska’s problem-solving courts work like drug court and veterans’ treatment court where experts from a variety of stakeholders help individuals who are on the fringes to do everything to make them productive citizens.
Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
(InvestigateTV) — Sometimes sports are about more than the final score.
For Jack Burke, a high school football player in Nebraska, a medical diagnosis at birth has never stopped him from competing — and a touchdown catch in his first play back from open heart surgery proved it.
Born with a rare heart defect
Burke was born with Scimitar syndrome, a rare heart defect in which babies are born with an underdeveloped right lung and pulmonary artery. The condition also affects blood flow to the right lung. Treatment often includes surgery, and many adults with the condition go on to live healthy lives.
“As a kid, I never really understood,” Burke said. “It was always natural for me that I had to push myself harder to keep up.”
His mother, Bridget Burke, says the condition was not initially considered dangerous for sports participation.
“His Scimitar Syndrome never really came into play as being dangerous for him to play sports,” she said.
The decision to operate
That changed in the spring of 2025, when Burke’s family and doctors decided it was time for a surgery that had been anticipated for years.
“I’ve kind of known I’ve had to get surgery my whole life,” Burke said. “Once I knew I could get the surgery sooner, I was all in. I wanted to get it so I could get back to sports.”
His father, Ryan Burke, says the timing was deliberate.
“This will be done before school gets started, and still have a chance to do almost everything you want to do,” Ryan Burke said.
Jack Burke underwent open-heart surgery, leaving a visible reminder of what he went through.
“There’s a six-inch scar in the middle of his chest that represents a pretty big thing that happened,” Ryan Burke said.
For Bridget Burke, the moment her son was taken to the operating room was difficult.
“When the rubber hits the road and your kid is being wheeled back to the OR, it is scary and emotional,” she said.
The comeback
Burke eased back into football following his cardiologist’s recommended recovery timeline. His return came in week three of the season.
“Before the Schuyler game I talked to his dad and he’s like, ‘I think we might be ready,’” said coach Jay Landstrom.
Bridget Burke says the family approached the return with caution.
“I mean, I was nervous. We didn’t really know how much he would play. It was going to be some cautious situations,” she said.
Those concerns were set aside — at least for a moment — when Burke caught a touchdown pass on his very first play back.
“All the parents were high-fiving everybody and they were like, ‘Was that really Jack?’” Bridget Burke said.
Landstrom called it a special moment.
“It was just meant to be and that was really special,” he said.
For Burke, the touchdown meant something beyond the scoreboard.
“I just remember one of my teammates came up to me and said, ‘He’s back. He’s back,’” Burke said. “It kind of shows something that tried to stop me — I hurdled that obstacle.”
Burke says the surgery has given him a new sense of freedom.
“Now I can do whatever I want. Nothing can hold me back,” he said.
Copyright 2026 Gray Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 19.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
4-3-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
14-19-24-30-34
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from April 19 drawing
Red Balls: 01-02, White Balls: 09-26
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning MyDay numbers from April 19 drawing
Month: 08, Day: 16, Year: 61
Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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