Nebraska
Delkamiller, Gallagher place in top 20 in Hearst competition
Two University of Nebraska–Lincoln students earned recognition in the Hearst Journalism Awards multimedia narrative storytelling competition on Dec. 20.
Naomi Delkamiller, a junior advertising and public relations and journalism major from Omaha, placed 12th. Her winning entry, “Restrictions at Catholic hospitals reduce abortion access, even in blue states,” was published as part of the News21 project on Aug. 12, 2023.
Anne Gallagher, a May 2023 graduate from Bellevue who majored in broadcasting, placed 17th. Her winning entry, “How JUUL impacted the evolution of the vaping epidemic in Nebraska, U.S.,” was published on the Nebraska News Service on May 13, 2023.
The Hearst awards annually recognize the best college journalism, including feature writing, investigative journalism, photojournalism, multimedia, television and audio. Entries are evaluated based on their reporting, crafting, creativity and economy of expression. The multimedia narrative storytelling competition drew entries from 52 universities nationwide, with 20 finalists selected from 85 submissions.
“Naomi and Anne’s remarkable achievements underscore our commitment to nurturing journalistic excellence at UNL,” said Shari Veil, dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. “We take immense pride in celebrating their success.”
The Hearst Journalism Awards Program was founded in 1960 to support, encourage and recognize journalism students across the United States. The program awards more than $700,000 in scholarships and grants annually, and its competitions in writing, photojournalism and broadcasting are among the most prestigious in the country.
Nebraska
Hundreds lose power across southeast Nebraska after Thursday morning storm
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Hundreds of people are without power in southeast Nebraska after a severe storm passed through Thursday morning.
The Lincoln Electric System outage map showed 115 customers without power across the city at 11:36 a.m.
Norris Public Power District’s outage map also shows 45 customers affected by the storm. As of 11:36 a.m., there were nine active outages.
According to the Nebraska Public Power District outage map, 657 customers were affected by the storm. Most of the affected customers were near Plattsmouth in southeast Nebraska. As of 11:37 a.m., 27 customers remain without power.
Submit your weather photos and videos below.
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Mandatory evacuation orders for area near Crawford, Fort Robinson
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered near Crawford, including Fort Robinson State Park, as the South Fork Fire continues to spread in western Nebraska.
According to the City of Crawford, evacuations are currently underway for an area north of Crawford that includes the area south of Dodd Road, west of Dodd Road, and FF Street.
Fort Robinson has also been evacuated.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission said Fort Robinson State Park and Peterson Wildlife Management Area have been temporarily closed due to the fire.
The fire has burned approximately 9,000 acres and is currently 0% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Nebraska Game and Parks said the park and the WMA will remain closed until further notice to support firefighting operations and protect public safety.
Nebraska
Nebraska State Runner-up and Futures Finalist Matt Brailita (2026) to Swim for Johns Hopkins
Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Omaha, Nebraska native Matt Brailita is headed to Baltimore in the fall. He announced his commitment to Johns Hopkins University earlier this spring, writing on social media:
“I am very excited to announce my commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Johns Hopkins University ! I’m extremely grateful for everything my family, friends, and teammates have done to support me every step of the way. A special thanks to Coach Tom and Coach Andy for always pushing me beyond what I believed in. Also a huge thanks to Coach Scott and Coach Chris for giving me this opportunity of a lifetime. GO BLUE JAYS!”
Brailita swam for Omaha’s Millard North High School under coach Andy Cunningham. He wrapped up his senior season with a pair of runner-up finishes at the 2026 NSAA Championships, earning lifetime-best times in both the 200 IM (1:50.84) and 100 breast (56.01). He also notched a PB in the 50 free (20.76) while leading off Millard North’s 200 free relay in prelims. He anchored the same relay in finals, splitting 20.01. Brailita leaves Millard North High School as a 10-time State medalist and a multiple-event team record-holder. He was 2026 Metro Conference champion in the 100 fly and as a member of 2 relays, and he was nominated for Metro Omaha World Herald Swimming Athlete Scholar.
Brailita swims year-round with Greater Omaha Aquatic Leopardsharks under coach Tom Beck. In addition to IM and breast, he excels in fly and free. In March, he competed at Columbia Sectionals, where he finaled in the 50 free (15th), 100 breast (11th), 50 fly (8th), 100 fly (10th), and swam prelims in the 50 breast (8th) and 200 IM (10th). He left the meet with new PBs in the 100 free (46.30), 50 breast (26.25), 50 fly (22.51), and 100 fly (49.86).
Last summer, Brailita hit LCM lifetime bests in the 50 breast (30.81), 100 breast (1:06.84), 200 breast (2:29.93), and 200 IM (2:11.12) at Madison Futures, making finals in the IM. He opened the 2026 long-course season with a pair of PBs (24.83 in the 50 free and 27.09 in the 50 fly) at the GOAL Sprint Cup in April.
Brailita will join the Blue Jays’ class of 2030 with Alistair Guth, Finn Nelson, Lukas Funderburk, Matthew Ko, Nicolas Aldana Huelga, Samuel Zhang, and William Thurk. His best times would have scored in the ‘A’ finals of the 200 IM, 100/200 breast, and 50/200 free, and the ‘B’ finals of the 100 free and 100 fly at the 2026 Centennial Conference Championships.
Best SCY times :
- 200 IM – 1:50.84
- 100 breast – 56.01
- 200 breast – 2:06.83
- 50 free – 20.76
- 50 free relay split – 20.01
- 100 fly – 49.86
- 200 free – 1:41.83
- 100 free – 46.30
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.

FFT SOCIAL
Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour
Facebook – @fitterandfastertour
Twitter – @fitterandfaster
FFT is a SwimSwam partner.
-
San Francisco, CA10 minutes agoGray whale found dead near Pier 80 in San Francisco, vessel strike suspected
-
Dallas, TX15 minutes agoDallas Mavericks Reportedly ‘Open’ To Trading 9th Pick in 2026 NBA Draft
-
Miami, FL22 minutes agoMichael Stern’s JDS to bring on partner Jeff Soffer at Mercedes-Benz Miami project, working on $1B loan
-
Boston, MA25 minutes agoFlight from California to Germany diverted to Boston due to disturbance
-
Denver, CO30 minutes ago
Broncos sign Head Coach Sean Payton to new five-year contract through 2030 season
-
Seattle, WA37 minutes agoWEST SEATTLE SCENE: Pride flags in The Junction, plus more on tonight’s celebration
-
San Diego, CA40 minutes agoReport: Phil Mickelson kicked out of San Diego club for inappropriate contact with female employee
-
Milwaukee, WI45 minutes ago
Milwaukee City Attorney touts higher conviction rate for reckless driving