Nebraska
Tour de Nebraska bicycle ride begins five-day route in Hartington
HARTINGTON, Neb. (KTIV) – The 38th annual Tour de Nebraska bicycle ride started Wednesday morning, June 24, sending more than 200 cyclists from across 21 states on a five-day trip that begins and ends in Hartington.
Day 1 consisted of a 50-mile ride from Hartington to Vermillion, South Dakota. Tour Director Charlie Schilling said the weather was “absolutely gorgeous” as riders took in parts of Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa from their bikes.
Ray Hanley, visiting from Little Rock, Arkansas, said he rides “three, four days a week” and has ridden in 30 countries. Randy and Therese Kiser said they have biked in several foreign countries — including Italy, Portugal, Croatia and Ireland — and decided to ride in Nebraska this year.
Schilling said the tour relies on community partners and rest-stop towns along the route to support riders and help create a good experience. Riders also pointed to support along the way, including food, access to bike mechanics and hospitality.
What’s next on the route
On Day 2, riders are scheduled for a 54-mile loop through Elk Point, South Dakota, and Akron, Iowa, before returning to Vermillion. Schilling said some cyclists plan to ride a “century,” or 100 miles, on Day 2.
From Vermillion, the route continues to Crofton, Nebraska, before the ride returns to Hartington for the finish.
Schilling asked drivers to be courteous around cyclists and help keep everyone safe.
Local rider finishes Day 1 in four hours
KTIV also spoke with Gabe Broz, a Nebraska rider who finished Day 1 in four hours. Broz said gummy worms and gummy bears are his “secret trick” along the trail.
Broz said the hills were not too bad, but the wind was “kind of a killer” for him.
Day 2 for riders is scheduled to include Elk Point, South Dakota; Akron, Iowa; and Spink, South Dakota, before returning to Vermillion.
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Nebraska
UNMC teams with Central Nebraska Health Departments to assess needs, test water after March wildfires
Nebraska
$22,000 2by2 winning ticket sold in Grand Island
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) – A Grand Island lottery player is holding a winning ticket worth $22,000, according to the Nebraska Lottery.
Officials said one ticket purchased for the Monday, June 22 2by2 drawing matched all four winning numbers to claim the game’s top prize.
The Nebraska Lottery confirmed the ticket was sold at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, 118 Wilmar Ave. in Grand Island.
The winning numbers for the June 22 drawing were Red 10 and 18, and White 17 and 23.
Nebraska Lottery officials noted winning lottery tickets expire 180 days after the drawing, and prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at Nebraska Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. More information on claiming prizes is available at nelottery.com or by calling 800-587-5200.
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Copyright 2026 KSNB. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
‘No room for error’: UNMC reflects as quarantine ends for hantavirus cruise ship passengers
After 42 days in quarantine, the last of the hantavirus cruise ship passengers have gone home.
Leaders at the University of Nebraska Medical Center said the experience offered lessons for the next quarantine unit activation and “showed what Nebraska is all about.”
“It’s a long activation period, and over those six weeks, there’s really no room for error,” said Dr. Michael Wadman, chair of the National Quarantine Unit.
Eighteen American passengers from a cruise ship that saw a hantavirus outbreak arrived at UNMC on May 11. Their quarantine in Omaha was part of a nationally coordinated effort to assess, contain and treat any potential infections.
Late last week, UNMC was down to six of the original 18 passengers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requested that passengers remain in quarantine through May 31. But symptoms of hantavirus can take up to 42 days to appear, so all passengers were “strongly encouraged” to stay through June 21.
Hantavirus is an illness typically tied to rodents, but it may have passed from human to human aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Three ship passengers died from the disease.
Wadman said the quarantine unit aims to “constantly improve,” so UNMC leaders listened closely to the needs and experiences of those under quarantine.
“None of us can say we know what it’s like, and we want that feedback, so that we can do better every time we activate,” Wadman said. “The people in Nebraska also stepped up.”
Local restaurants delivered food. Nearby schools sent cards. Omaha Steaks grilled out in the parking lot, and online support rolled in.
Lessons learned in Nebraska will be shared with other regional treatment centers, said Angela Vasa, director of isolation and quarantine for special pathogens at Nebraska Medicine. That includes mental wellness forums for those in quarantine and improved day-to-day operations.
With the hantavirus quarantine coming to a close, Vasa said UNMC is keeping a close eye on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. No cases have been reported in the United States.
“At this time, we don’t have an official request or an active request to accept any individuals exposed to Ebola virus disease or Bundibugyo virus,” Vasa said, “but our team is ready, and we maintain that readiness through our training, our drills, and so should the need arise, our team would be able to respond in in response to that request.”
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