Nebraska
Drought improving but still hanging around southeast Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The drought is easing in Nebraska, but it’s stubborn in some spots, mainly the southeast part of the state.
On Thursday, the Lincoln-based National Drought Mitigation Center released a map showing that only 20% of the state is in drought.
At this time last year, practically the entire state was parched.
Today, most of Lancaster County is still in moderate drought, though things are improving.
SEE ALSO: Nebraska farmer says wet spring is setting harvest up for success
Tom Peterson, a farmer near Waverly, said the increase in rain gives him hope, but there is still room for improvement.
“We might be able to raise a crop, get enough grass for the cows,” said Peterson. ” I mean, the subsoil moisture isn’t there yet. We’re getting soaked up from the top down, and it hasn’t gotten that far down yet.”
Peterson said growing was difficult in 2023, but this year is looking better.
“The rains have been nice and soaking,” he said. “And that’s beneficial to getting our corn crop and our bean crop off to a good start. Give them the best start they can, and then you got to hope you’re going to continue to get those rains over the summers to keep feeding those things.”
SEE ALSO: Nebraska farmers ‘cautiously optimistic’ as planting begins
While his grass and crops are growing, Peterson said some of the creeks and ponds on his property could use a little more moisture.
“Those ponds are actually ground fed,” he said. “So the water level underneath is what actually brings the water level up in those ponds.
Peterson said once those ponds start to fill, that will be a sign that the drought is no more.
SEE ALSO: ‘Are we going to have a crop?’: Nebraska farmers worried about drought
He is hopeful that Friday morning’s storm will be productive and not destructive.
“We got a good grass stand to start with now, and there’s a good start with that for the cows,” he said. “But if that floods over, that lays all that grass over, covers some of it with mud. And, you know, you lose a lot of tonnage, a lot of a lot of meals for the cows.”
Peterson does not use irrigation, so he’s hoping Mother Nature will give him a helping hand.
“She takes good care of things, most of the time,” he said. “If we don’t have to haul water to the cows, that’s great … We’re dryland farmers. But you know, if Mother Nature gives us a shower every now and then, it’s very beneficial, and you don’t have to sit there and hope for rain.”
SEE ALSO: The latest forecast from the Storm Alert Team
HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) – The 88th annual Nebraska Fire School wrapped up on Sunday. Since 1937, the event has been a cornerstone of firefighter education.
Hosted by the Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighter’s Association, the school provides essential training for those who serve their communities.
Around 85% of Nebraska’s firefighters are volunteers, and Grand Island Fire Chief Cory Schmidt said in today’s world, it’s hard to find spare time.
Schmidt respects those who volunteer their time to protect others.
“For a volunteer and the amount of training hours needed to become a safe and effective firefighter, it’s very difficult to balance a personal life, your job, and volunteering, so my hats off to them.“
Over 30 classes are provided at the school, covering a range of topics from fire investigation to leadership skills.
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The Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament field is set, and 12 teams are embarking to Omaha.
As they do, they are also dissecting their paths to a championship. This year, that path looks a little different.
Instead of a traditional double- or single-elimination bracket, the Big Ten Tournament begins with four pools of three teams. Those three teams play the rest of their pool, with the pool winner advancing to the semifinals. From there, the tournament plays out in a classic single-elimination fashion.
As for ties, as in if all teams go 1-1 in pool play, that goes to the highest seed. This makes it imperative for the seeds 5-12 to not drop a game and leave it up to the tiebreakers.
Different seeds have different days they are playing. Below is the schedule for each seed/team in this year’s tournament.
Based on the time that they play Thursday, the top seed (Oregon) plays its first game after five other teams have finished their pool play. The Ducks get extra rest going into the tournament but then play on four consecutive days.
Every game this week will be broadcast on Big Ten Network. The full schedule of games is below.
May 20 (Pool Play)
May 21 (Pool Play)
May 22 (Pool Play)
May 23 (Pool Play)
May 24 (Semifinals)
May 26 (Championship)
Follow along for results from the entire tournament with our upcoming Big Ten Tournament Central page.
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
One more win.
Nebraska softball dominated Southeastern Louisiana from start to finish Saturday in the winners bracket of the Baton Rouge Regional, getting the run-rule victory in five innings,14-1. The Huskers improve to 41-13 while the Lions fall to 49-15.
NU jumped out early with a three-run homer from Hannah Camenzind in the opening frame. SLU got an RBI single from Nebraska native Cydnee Schneider in the bottom half of the frame.
After neither side could work a run in the second, Nebraska broke the game open. Bella Bacon knocked an RBI double and Camenzind scored on a wild pitch. Then, with bases loaded and two outs, Ava Kuszak launched a grand slam to cap off an seven run inning.
The Huskers kept piling on in the fourth. Jordy Bahl and Samantha Bland hit back-to-back solo home runs. Bahl’s homer was her third of the regional and tied the school record for home runs in a season..
In the circle, Bahl was again pulled after just 3.0 innings to preserve her energy for the next day. The Big Ten Player and Pitcher of the Year allowed one run on one hit, while walking two and striking out three. Camenzind pitched the final 2.0 innings, sitting down the Lions 1-2-3 in both frames.
Southeastern Louisiana will next face the winner of the elimination game between host and No. 10 national seed LSU and UConn. Nebraska will take on whichever team remains after today in the regional final Sunday at 2 p.m. CDT.
Postgame Notes | Box Score
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
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