GRETNA, Neb. (WOWT) – A new recreation area opened Thursday in Gretna, honoring a notable Nebraska Native American while reducing flooding risks.

The Sergeant Mad Bear Recreation Area, located just off 168th and Giles, was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The park is named after Sergeant Mad Bear, a Pawnee warrior who lived in the area during the 1860s. He was wounded in battle and became the first Native American in the country to receive the Medal of Honor.

“This lake that we’re here for is named after one of our soldiers. And a revered soldier,” said Pat Leading Fox, head chief of the Pawnee Nation Chiefs Council.

Honoring Pawnee heritage

Leading Fox said he was honored to see Mad Bear’s name live on at the site.

“He’s a Pawnee member. He’s a member of the band that I represent, Skidi Band, S-K-I-D-I. And to stand here, you know, where he could possibly have, you know, walked, you know, really is touching,” Leading Fox said.

For Leading Fox, the park represents more than a place to relax.

“This is our homeland here so you I always say home, we’re home,” he said.

Dual purpose: recreation and flood control

The park also serves as a flood reservoir, one of many managed by the Papio Missouri River NRD.

“This is part of a larger plan to control flows downstream. It works in conjunction with the levees and with the other reservoirs,” said Ian Ghanavati of the Papio Missouri River NRD.

The reservoir is currently empty but designed to fill with rainwater.

“Where the rock is, where you can kind of see the edge of the earth, that’s where the shoreline will come up to. We just need some rain to fill it,” Ghanavati said.

Community amenity

The empty reservoir has not deterred park visitors, who are already using the area’s other amenities.

Jen Boswell, a park visitor, said she uses the walking trail regularly.

“They just put in the trail from our street down to the path here. So yeah, I try to come down and walk at least three times around,” Boswell said.

Boswell said she is looking forward to using the park more as it develops.

“Walk, play, ride our bikes, scooters around here, fish. I think you could even put maybe like a kayak in here once it’s ready. So it’s going to be a great addition to the area for sure,” she said.

Sergeant Mad Bear is the second reservoir to open in the Papio NRD, following the Forest City Reservoir which opened last fall.

(WOWT) – On this day in 1972, the eastern cottonwood was named the official Nebraska state tree.

It replaced the original choice, the American elm.

The cottonwood is often associated with Nebraska’s pioneer era. Several famous landmarks were cottonwood trees. Their shoots were often collected by settlers.

Today, the cottonwood grows throughout the state, with the largest being in Wheeler County.

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On July 4, 2026, our country will celebrate its 250th birthday. Every day leading up to it, First Alert 6 will take a look at the people and events that shaped our area.

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NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – The Nebraska Extension hosted a workshop Wednesday morning for ag producers, focusing on how to use drought monitoring and forecasting tools, assess drought impacts and risks, explore management strategies, and identify available resources.

Organizers say the goal is to help producers make more informed, timely decisions as changing weather patterns continue to affect soil moisture, crop conditions, and long-term planning.

The session also highlighted practical tools farmers can use to track drought development and adjust operations before conditions worsen.

“The really warm temperatures and strong wind just sucked the moisture out of the soil, out of the vegetation and this has been going on since at least October and were not going to come out of it over the night, it’s going to take a while to rebuild those moisture supplies even if we get average moisture it will be enough for vegetation but it won’t helped us recover what we’ve already lost,” said Deborah Bathke, Nebraska state climatologist.

Officials add that continued education and early planning are key to helping producers stay resilient through increasingly variable growing seasons.

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