Nebraska

3 years of the Nebraska Examiner: Looking back for inspiration and ahead to growth, with your help • Nebraska Examiner

Published

1 year ago

January 25, 2025

3 years of the Nebraska Examiner: Looking back for inspiration and ahead to growth, with your help • Nebraska Examiner

LINCOLN — Three years ago today, our little online news experiment started because local reporting giants Paul Hammel and Cindy Gonzalez and retired editing great Cate Folsom got the itch to try something new.

I initially thought they were crazy when they told me what they were doing. You’re doing what? Working with States Newsroom to start a nonprofit news outlet in Nebraska? How will people know where to find you? How will you get paid?

Sure, I took the call from Cindy, inquiring about who else they should hire. She was my cubicle neighbor when newspaper economics forced me back into the reporting ranks after years of editing and opinion writing, much of it under Cate.

Starting with experience

I had worked with all three of them for more than a decade at the Omaha World-Herald. Paul was the first reporter to humble me as a young buck, covering the proposed low-level nuclear waste storage facility in Boyd County. When he walked in, it was over.

Sources who had made time to talk to a young kid then working for the Lincoln Journal Star stopped talking to me and walked over to chat with the reporter they knew from decades of telling great stories. He did the same for us, sometimes writing five or more in a day.

Cindy was the same covering business. She was the first choice for getting a story right and telling it well. She is why the Examiner started with a bang, breaking the story that major insurance company Mutual of Omaha was moving its headquarters downtown, to the site of Omaha’s main library, as part of a series of major new investments in the urban core.

What you need to know about her is that she was the first woman and the first woman of color to cover the City Hall beat at Nebraska’s largest newspaper. She fits Nebraska’s pioneering spirit better than most.

I helped, too, as a guy who had covered City Hall, county government, crime, courts, prisons and politics. But what I will always remember is how the founders of this place got me to leave a job I loved in television news.

The original four

Cindy and Paul called me on FaceTime from a table at Billy’s Restaurant, the Lincoln staple for people with business at the Capitol. The Examiner’s offices are right above the eatery.

Paul said, as he always does, “Hey big man. We’ve got three drinks ordered and only two people sitting here.” Cate had already called and discussed the possibility of me leaving Omaha’s KMTV and joining them that January of 2022.

Jazari Kual

They sealed it with that little nudge. This place – the Nebraska Examiner – rose on a foundation of people who like each other and love the news. The originals built its reputation on fast and accurate coverage, plus scoops.

I still remember something Cate said before www.nebraskaexaminer.com went live, about the fear of starting from scratch and wondering if anybody would read it. Now we are a first stop for people who want to know what’s happening in state government and politics.

Cate retired this December, and she left me some big shoes to fill. She was the best editor most of us have had, and as the new editor of the Examiner I feel responsible for making sure the work we produce continues to do our talking.

Paul is semi-retired. We love when he still writes for us. Our first intern, Jazari Kual, is doing independent multimedia work in Lincoln and Omaha.

And now we have a new generation of Examiners stepping up.

A new generation

Zach Wendling graduated from intern to legislative expert by showing us his depth of knowledge. He knows more about the Legislature and its processes than many will ever learn. He has worked with every senator in the past few years, and we hope he never stops.

Juan Salinas II, our soon-to-be political reporter, arrives late next month from Texas to carry on our tradition of cutting through the spin to tell you what’s really happening in Nebraska politics and why it matters to you.

States Newsroom connects us, our readers and partners who publish our work with reporters and outlets on the ground in all 50 states, in addition to a team of national reporters, plus a bureau in Washington, D.C.

We’re three years in, but this is still only the beginning — if our readers and donors continue to support our work. We are working to grow our staff and do more reporting of substance. We hope you’ll help us do that by making a donation.

It’s a long way from a wild idea at Billy’s to our own little Politico on the Platte. Look how far we’ve come. Imagine the good trouble we might get into over the next few.

Aaron Sanderford is the new editor of the Nebraska Examiner. He was most recently the Examiner’s political reporter.

YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.

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What Iowa coach Ben McCollum said after defeating Nebraska on Thursday

Published

3 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

What Iowa coach Ben McCollum said after defeating Nebraska on Thursday

Iowa coach Ben McCollum met with the media following his team’s 77-71 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Sweet 16. The Cornhuskers led by three at the half but Iowa was able to outscore Nebraska 34-25 in the second half.

Pryce Sandfort led all scorers with 25 points while shooting 8 of 13 from the field and 6 of 10 from the 3-point line. Bennett Stirtz led the Hawkeyes with 20 points and played for all 40 minutes.

Iowa shot 52% (27-52) from the floor, 43% (13-30) from beyond the arc and 83% (10-12) from the free throw line. Nebraska struggled shooting 41% (24-58) from the field, 34% (13-38) from the 3-point line and 91% (10-11) from the charity stripe.

The Hawkeyes’ head coach acknowledged that his team had a poor start but a great finish and said that his team will need to play better to advance beyond the Elite Eight.

Yeah, I think to start we weren’t fantastic to start. They had an elite game plan to start. They played with elite pace. They adjusted their defense quite a bit. I think a lot of people will talk about the rivalry. I was around it when I was in Iowa, you know, and grew up in Iowa and understand the rivalry and whatnot. It’s nice to have — I guess if you would a call it rival that runs such a class program.
I think Coach Hoiberg, they have got great kids. They completely turned everything around from the previous season, and they have absolutely nothing to hang their heads about or anything. I have the utmost respect for them, all their players, and especially Coach Hoiberg. Heck of a season. I know it’s no consolation, but we still want to beat ’em every time and they want to beat us every time.
But from and internal perspective, there’s not a lot of bad blood there. It’s actually a lot of respect. I was really pleased with our second-half performance. I thought we actually decided we were going to try — not try. They had a lot to do with it, but kind of. Yeah, they’re smiling over there because they saw me break my marker.
And I thought our kids did a good job of executing offensively in both halves. We spent a lot of time trying to make sure that we could score, and you saw the result of that. We didn’t defend. But we were able to score, so we were able to stay in the game long enough and then get enough stops and had some big possessions down the stretch. Really good program win for everybody, coaches, managers, everybody included.

Iowa advances to the Elite Eight with the victory. Nebraska’s season ends with a record of 28-7.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: What Iowa coach Ben McCollum said after defeating Nebraska on Thursday

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Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appoints Antonio Gomez to Racing and Gaming Commission

Published

15 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appoints Antonio Gomez to Racing and Gaming Commission

LINCOLN, Neb — Gov. Jim Pillen has appointed Antonio Gomez of Jackson to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, adding a longtime Siouxland business leader and public servant to the panel.

Commission members serve four-year terms and are subject to approval by the Nebraska Legislature.

Gomez launched Gomez Pallets in South Sioux City in 1983. He has since retired from daily operations, but last year the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce recognized him with the W. Edwards Deming Business Leadership and Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.

Gomez previously served on the Nebraska Commission on Latino Americans from 1981 to 2002. He also served as a Dakota County commissioner for 12 years and was on the Foundation Board for Northeast Community College.

Gomez’s appointment is effective April 1.

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CBS Sports predicts Nebraska-Iowa basketball in the Sweet 16

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

CBS Sports predicts Nebraska-Iowa basketball in the Sweet 16

The Nebraska Cornhuskers will face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. This is the Huskers’ first Sweet 16 in program history, while Iowa is playing in its first Sweet 16 since 1999.

Nebraska defeated Vanderbilt 74-72 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa advanced after beating the defending national champion, the Florida Gators, 73-72.

CBS Sports reporter Isaac Trotter broke down Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup. Trotter started by looking at the two previous matchups in this series.

These teams have played twice. Iowa won at home in a 57-52 rockfight. Nebraska returned the favor by winning at home, 84-75 in overtime, in another to-the-death brawl.

It’s no secret that Nebraska’s defense caused significant problems for the Iowa offense in the second game, and if the Hawkeyes are going to win the rubber match, Trotter believes that turnovers will be the key.

There are no secrets in the rubber match. Nebraska’s no-middle defense has given Iowa real problems both times. The Hawkeyes turned it over 20% of the time in Game 1 and 26% of the time in Game 2. That can’t happen in the third encounter.

CBS Sports believes that Iowa has the best player on the floor in Bennett Stirtz, but Trotter also believes that Nebraska’s defense is just too much in the end for Iowa.

Iowa has the best player on the floor, Bennett Stirtz, and can hurt Nebraska on the glass, but the Huskers get the nod because of this pick-and-roll defense. You have to be able to guard ball screens effectively to shut down Iowa, and Nebraska has been an elite pick-and-roll defense, rating in the 99th percentile nationally, per Synergy.

In the end, Trotter selected Nebraska as his pick. Should the Huskers advance to the Elite Eight, Nebraska would play the winner of the Illinois-Houston game. Nebraska-Iowa play in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m. CT on TBS.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: CBS Sports predicts Nebraska-Iowa basketball in the Sweet 16

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