Nebraska
Allick, Simpson named MBB Graduate Assistants at Nebraska – HoopDirt
Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg announced that Josiah Allick and Triston Simpson will join the Husker basketball staff as graduate assistants for the upcoming season.
Allick will serve as a graduate assistant this season, as he rehabs following ankle surgery. He helped Nebraska to one of its most successful seasons in program history in 2023-24. The Lincoln, Neb., native played in 33 games, including 27 starts, in his lone season at Nebraska and averaged 7.3 points on 55 percent shooting and 5.4 rebounds per game. Allick led NU in field goal percentage and totaled a pair of double-doubles, including a 14-point, 11-rebound effort in the Huskers’ NCAA Tournament game against Texas A&M. He was recognized for his contributions on and off the court, as Nebraska’s Sportsmanship Award nominee in men’s basketball.
Allick, who also played at New Mexico and Kansas City, helped his teams win 91 games during his career, including 64 games over the last three seasons. Both Nebraska and UMKC posted their highest win totals in the last 30 years with Allick on the roster. During his collegiate career, Allick totaled 1,246 points and 781 rebounds in 136 career games, including 111 career starts.
Allick, who graduated from New Mexico in 2023, is working on his master’s degree in business administration at Nebraska.
“We are excited to keep Josiah around our program,” Hoiberg said. “Everyone saw the contributions he made as a player here with his work ethic, selflessness and leadership abilities. He is an outstanding communicator who relates exceptionally well with people, and his experiences will help our current players as we continue to build a winning culture.”
Simpson returns to his hometown after spending the 2023-24 as an assistant at Indian Hills Community College. He helped the Warriors to a 29-6 record, North Central District and Region XI titles before the program reached the NCJAA semifinals. Two players earned NJCAA All-America honors while seven players earned all-region accolades under his tutelage.
“We are pleased that Triston has joined our staff,” Hoiberg said. “He had a chance to get into coaching at the junior college level and helped Indiana Hills to the national tournament last year. Triston was a multi-year starter at point guard at South Dakota and played professionally for a few years before getting into coaching, and that experience will help him as he continues his adjustment to the coaching ranks.”
Simpson played collegiately at South Dakota, where he was a three-year starter at point guard. A two-time All-Summit League honoree, he played 124 games for the Coyotes, totaling 1,193 points and nearly 400 assists. He averaged double figures in each of his final two seasons, including a career-high 14.0 points per game in 2018-19. During his four seasons at USD, the program won 81 games, including a 26-9 mark in 2017-18.
Following his collegiate career, Simpson played overseas professionally for three seasons, including stops in Iceland, Argentina, Cyprus and most recently in Estonia, where he played for Tallinna Kalev in 2022-23.
Simpson received a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from South Dakota in 2020.
Both Allick and Simpson are Lincoln natives who played at Lincoln North Star High School and for Coach Tony Quattrocchi. Allick and Simpson will join Nihilo Ibarra and Justin Moore as graduate assistants for the upcoming season.
https://huskers.com/news/2024/06/12/josiah-allick-and-triston-simpson-join-husker-mens-basketball-staff
Nebraska
Nebraska State Patrol troopers find 242 pounds of cocaine during commercial truck inspection
LEXINGTON, Neb. (KOLN) – Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.
On Tuesday afternoon, an NSP Carrier Enforcement trooper conducted a commercial vehicle inspection on a semi tractor/trailer driven by Arwinderjit Singh, 30, of California, near mile marker 254 on Interstate 80.
During the inspection, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity. An NSP K-9 detected the odor of a controlled substance inside the cab of the semi, troopers said.
After searching the cab, troopers located 242 pounds of cocaine concealed underneath the sleeper bed, NSP said.

Singh was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver, possession of an open alcohol container, no drug tax stamp and displaying a fictitious license plate.
Singh was lodged in Dawson County Jail, and his bond was set at 10% of $2 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 12.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Athlete of the Week: Creighton Prep boys wrestling’s Zaiyahn Ornelas
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Creighton Prep senior Zaiyahn Ornelas won his fourth consecutive Nebraska state wrestling title on Saturday.
According to NSAA records, he joins 39 other wrestlers in state history to accomplish the feat.
“It’s a great feeling,” Ornelas said. “It’s a feeling everybody wants.”
Ornelas won three Class C state titles at Wilber-Clatonia at 106, 113 and 120 pounds before transferring to Creighton Prep for his senior season, where he competed in Class A at 126 pounds.
“Three state titles there and then just thought I could bump up my competition,” Ornelas said.
“Zaiyahn is one of the cleanest technicians I’ve ever seen. That’s a huge testament to his coaching staff at Wilber,” Fisher added.
Ornelas was one of four Creighton Prep wrestlers to win state titles this season, helping lead the Jr. Jays to the Class A team title. Teammates said his presence in the practice room raised their level of competition.
“I could never slack off just because my competition in the state was easy. I always had to come in this room and get better or else I was going to get beat,” said sophomore Cruzer Dominguez, a two-time Class A state champion at 106 and 120 pounds.
Sophomore Kameron Green, the Class A 144-pound state champion this year, also credited Ornelas for aiding in his development.
“Zaiyahn being a training partner has helped me in tremendous ways,” he said. “When he wrestles, he’s not the nicest or shyest kid, but he’s tenacious and tough.”
Junior JT Smith, a two-time state champion at 175 and 190 pounds, said the achievement carries weight for the entire team.
“It’s something really special to have a teammate that’s a four-time state champion,” he said. “That’s something everyone wants to be.”
Fisher said Ornelas’s attitude set the tone from the start.
“He has so many skills and then coming into our room, he’s extremely coachable. Every time he came in here he was humble, ready to work, wanting to get better and that’s why he is as good as he is,” Fisher said.
Ornelas signed to wrestle at the University of Nebraska in November. He said the move to Creighton Prep delivered what he was looking for.
“This is the reason why I came here. I went out to explore, to find the best, and this is the territory that I found. If it wasn’t for these guys — the push — I would have not been there,” Ornelas said.
“It’s hard to believe. That’s kind of what I wanted since the beginning, freshman year,” he said.
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Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Nebraska Chamber taps former state senator to lead during leadership transition
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry has selected a former state senator and longtime board member to lead the chamber while it searches for a new president and CEO.
Board of Directors Chair Pat Keenan said Thursday that Matt Williams of Gothenburg agreed to serve as interim president.
ALSO READ: Nebraska Chamber president and CEO resigns after less than a year
“The Board is grateful to Matt for stepping into this role during a very active and productive time for the Nebraska Chamber,” Keenan said. “He has steady leadership, strong relationships and trust from his many years of advocacy for economic development, and decades of experience working with the legislature and state government on tax policy and economic development incentives.”
Williams represented District 36 in the Nebraska Legislature from 2015 to 2023.
The chamber said Williams has had a lifelong career in banking and serves as chairman of Flatwater Bank. He previously served as chair of the Nebraska Bankers Association and the American Bankers Association.
His long involvement with the chamber includes membership on the Board of Directors; he currently serves as director for District 6. In 2025, he was named to the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame.
“The Nebraska Chamber is on rock-solid footing, with the clear vision of the Board, and talented and hard-working staff hitting its stride in legislative policy and advocacy, technology, manufacturing, leadership-development, fund-raising and membership. The success of cutting-edge initiatives like 6 Regions, One Nebraska, the launch of the Go Big Future series, and the strong member engagement across the state demonstrate the success and strength of this organization. I’m excited to lend my support in whatever way I can for the Chamber. I know how strong businesses and communities make for a stronger Nebraska, and I’m glad to be part of that.”
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
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