Nebraska

80% of Nebraska EMS agencies rely on volunteers to make sacrifice for rural communities

Published

6 months ago

September 10, 2025

80% of Nebraska EMS agencies rely on volunteers to make sacrifice for rural communities

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) — A Hickman woman’s story of waiting for an ambulance during a medical emergency has put a spotlight on rural emergency medical services across Nebraska.

Ronicka Schottel suffered a miscarriage Aug. 12 and waited more than half an hour for an ambulance — all while her mother repeatedly called 911.

But it’s not just a Hickman problem — or even just a Nebraska problem. Like the pandemic highlighted, healthcare problems are exacerbated in rural areas.

A car drives along a rural road in southeast Nebraska on Saturday, September 6, 2025.(10/11 News)

A 2024 report from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services shows 80% of EMS agencies are staffed exclusively with volunteers.

That’s forcing agencies across the state to grapple with how to recruit and retain talent willing to serve and sacrifice their own personal time.

“When I first moved to Linwood after I got married, several of the volunteers had asked me to join and I never did,” said Linwood Fire Chief Joel Cerny. I thought I was too busy. Then we had a small fire in our yard, and it was racing up the hill towards my barn full of straw. Volunteers came and put it out before it got to the barn and saved my barn. So I thought if all them guys took time off of their day to come help me, I should help them.”

That was 40 years ago — and Joel Cerny has been a volunteer firefighter/EMT ever since — serving the last 25 years as chief.

Linwood is located in Butler County, Nebraska, a small town just south of the Platte River registering around 100 residents as of the 2020 census.

Cerny said people often move to rural communities like his without realizing there’s not someone sitting at the station 24/7.

Getting someone certified to work fires is fairly straightforward, but EMT certification requires a months-long class, 180 hours and a difficult national registry test.

A 2024 Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services report showed there’s about 6,300 EMT licenses in Nebraska, but that doesn’t mean they’re all active.

A firefighter memorial outside the Schuyler Fire Station in Schuyler, Nebraska(10/11 News)

Cerny and Blair Volunteer Firefighter/EMT Brenda Jenny have both made the volunteer sacrifice, giving up events, holidays, work and sleep to make a difference in their communities.

“My dad was on the department as well,” Jenny said. “He was a 55-year member of the Blair Volunteer Fire Department, so I learned from the best.”

Jenny tries to make her dad proud, her heart for service born from years of watching her dad.

“It has to come from the heart,” she said of the struggle to find new volunteers. “You have to want to serve the community and serve your fellow neighbors. And in this day and age, I think everybody is time starved.”

Blair VFD has started a cadet program to try and get new recruits.

Hickman Fire Chief John Brady previously told 10/11 they have been working with Lincoln Fire and Rescue to try and get EMS technicians on a rotation in Hickman, getting them experience and potentially a small stipend to help the volunteer department have more coverage.

At their rural fire board meeting on Monday, Chief Brady also said the department has 11 new applicants, nine of whom are emergency medicine providers, and also just recently purchased three vehicles, one of which is a new ambulance.

10/11 Investigates will be looking at solutions in a story next week, including more on Schottel’s story and an in-depth look at one town in northern Kansas that is innovating to solve their shortage.

This is a complex story and only one part of a multi-part series. If you or someone you know has an experience with rural EMS in Nebraska, reach out to Darsha Dodge at Darsha.Dodge@1011now.com.

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Nebraska

Shelter in place issued after suspicious object found in mailbox

Published

8 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Shelter in place issued after suspicious object found in mailbox

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — UPDATE: Grand Island Police said around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday that the shelter in place order has been lifted .

GIPD said the item was retrieved by the Nebraska State Patrol Bomb Squad, who is investigating.

The area has also now been reopened.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The Grand Island Police Department has cordoned off a local block and is urging residents to shelter in place.

According to GIPD, officers responded to the 4300 block of Sherwood Road just before 2:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. A resident reported finding a suspicious cylindrical object wrapped in duct tape inside a home.

The Nebraska State Patrol Bomb Squad has been called to the scene to investigate the device.

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Nebraska

68 students chosen as Nebraska Young Artist Award winners

Published

20 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

68 students chosen as Nebraska Young Artist Award winners

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts has announced the winners of the 29th annual Nebraska Young Artist Awards.

The awards recognize 11th-grade students from Nebraska for their talents in visual art, dance, music, theatre, and film and emerging media arts.

Sixty-eight students from more than 40 high schools across the state have been selected as award winners and will be invited to a day of activities on campus March 25.

“Our faculty always look forward to this event,” said Chris Watson, director of recruitment for the college and coordinator of the awards. “They love meeting enthusiastic young artists, working with them and celebrating their talent.”

Students applied for the recognition and submitted an example of their work. Applications were received from 92 students. Hixson-Lied College faculty chose the winners.

Award winners were also asked to nominate the teacher who provided them with the greatest amount of mentoring and support in the development of their special talents.

Each student will receive a certificate and an original piece of artwork commissioned for the event and created by a School of Art, Art History and Design student.

Following is a list of award winners by hometown, with their high school and specialty area(s).

Aurora:

Calvin Miller, Aurora, music

Beaver City:

Johnathan Eakin, Southern Valley, visual arts

Bellevue:

Mami Lloyd, Bellevue West, music

Bennington:

Liliana Martic, Bennington, music

Eagle:

Jorie Goings, Waverly, dance

Firth:

Petra Van Cleave, home school, music

Fremont:

Xavier Herre, Bergan Catholic, theatre

Fullerton:

Lylla Sabata, Fullerton, music

Gretna:

Lillian Bock, Gretna, music

Harvard:

Allee Jarzynka, Harvard, music

Hendley:

Lily Jordan, Southern Valley, visual arts

Hooper:

Leo Arellano, Logan View, visual arts
Ellsie Meier, Logan View, visual arts

Kearney:

Kruz Flamig, Kearney, visual arts
Isaac Hooton, Kearney, visual arts
Mariah Kaslon, Kearney, visual arts
Landen Tilley, Kearney, visual arts

Lincoln:

Alissa Brenning, Norris, dance
Kali Brewer, Lincoln Southeast, visual arts
Ava Engel, Lincoln Northeast, dance
Emalie Fischer, Lincoln North Star, dance
Adelyn Haden, Lincoln Standing Bear, dance and music
Audrey Haugen, Lincoln Southwest, theatre
Andrea Hu, Lincoln East, music
Logan Lambrecht, Lincoln Southwest, music and theatre
Mckinzey Lile, Lincoln North Star, dance
Hayley Marshall, Lincoln Southwest, dance
Riley Minster, Lincoln East, music
Joslyn Morgan, Lincoln Southeast, music
Ariadne Ottoson, home school, music
Megan Plander, Lincoln Lutheran, theatre
Lauren Ramey, LPS Arts and Humanities Focus Program, visual arts
Blake Semrad, Lincoln Southwest, dance
Emma Shaeffer, Lincoln Southwest, dance
Taylor Sharpe, Lincoln Southwest, dance
Hugh Skretta, Lincoln High, music
Samuel Sulzle, Lincoln Northwest, music
Brooks Xia, Lincoln East, music

Martell:

Reese Thomas, home school, music

Norfolk:

Noah Asbury, Norfolk, music
Emily Henkel, Norfolk, music; Nathan Kaiser, Norfolk, music
North Platte: Brett Pfeifer, North Platte, theatre

Omaha:

Asher Abuhl, Trinity Classical Academy, music
Adam Campagna, Omaha South, film and emerging media arts
Liam Cowherd Richardson, Creighton Preparatory, music
Regina Ho, Millard South, film and emerging media arts
Connor Holmstedt, Fort Calhoun, music
Kara Leininger, Duchesne Academy, music
Jayden Li, Millard North, music; Violet Little, Omaha Central, dance
Mrethi Magesh, Millard North, dance
Venkatesan Marichamy, Millard North, dance
Moyra Matthews, Duchesne Academy, dance and music
Jackson Mu, Millard North, music
Gauri Nair, Millard North, dance
Angela Qi, Millard North, music
Jackson Ramsey, Gretna East, music
Tara Richardson, Creighton Prep, music
Vandana Santhanam, Marian, music
Caroline Soderlin, Millard North, music
Akshara Venkatesan, Millard North, dance
Caleigh Walkenhorst, Millard West, music

Osmond:

Donovan Heiman, Osmond, theatre

Papillion:

Emelia Weaver, Papillion-La Vista, music

Pierce:

Spencer Sindt, Pierce, music

Randolph:

Brecken Shearer, Randolph, visual arts

York:

Allison Holmes, York, visual arts

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Nebraska

Nebraska completes sweep over Michigan State in 12-2 seven-inning win

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska completes sweep over Michigan State in 12-2 seven-inning win

Nebraska baseball (10-5, 3-0) closed out its three-game series with Michigan State (3-11, 0-3) on Sunday afternoon. The Huskers completed the sweep over the Spartans, earning a 12-2 run-rule win in seven.

Nebraska shut down Michigan State early, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first after the Spartans took a 1-0 lead. The Huskers scored 11 straight before surrendering another run. The team totaled 11 hits and held Michigan State to three. The Spartans also suffered five errors.

Nebraska struck three home runs on the day, two off the bat of Dylan Carey. He hit 3-for-4 for four RBIs after hitting multiple two-run home runs. Preston Freeman also blasted a two-run shot over the wall to finish 1-for-3.

Case Sanderson brought in three RBIs after batting 2-for-4 with a double. Drew Grego also finished 2-for-4, earning one RBI. Mac Moyer grabbed one RBI off a double. Jett Buck and Joshua Overbeek each delivered one hit.

Gavin Blachowicz (2-1) won at the mound and pitched all seven innings for the Huskers. He struck out a career-high 11 batters and allowed three hits for two runs.

Nebraska remains at home for its next matchup, hosting North Dakota State on Wednesday night. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT on B1G+.

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

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