Nebraska

Grant program looks to revitalize small towns

Published

2 years ago

January 27, 2024

Grant program looks to revitalize small towns

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The distinct downtowns of Nebraska is one of the things that makes it special, but as many small towns dry up, some of those historic areas are decaying too.

A new grant program, passed last year in the state legislature and administered by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, seeks to reverse that course.

The Dempster industrial compound in south Beatrice once pumped industrial lifeblood through the homestead town.

“When I was a little boy, that was running three shifts, and then I saw it stop,” said Ted Fairbanks, Beatrice City Council.

But over the last decade, Dempster has become a dumpster. A labyrinthine cavern of pitch black corridors with scenes frozen in time from its heyday.

“It’s the first thing when you come to town from this side,” Chet McGrury, the Beatrice Community Development Director, said. “You know, you get an impression, first impression that, ‘Ooo, things aren’t so great here, possibly.’”

So Beatrice leaders are looking for hope in a new grant program to slowly, but surely, transform the ruins into a green space.

State Senator Myron Dorn introduced the Revitalize Rural Nebraska Grant Program last legislative session. It’s $1 million aim to help small towns with the cost of clearing away rundown buildings.

“To clean that up,” Sen. Dorn said. “Get that so it’s now not an eyesore no more. That when people drive by, they go, ‘boy that makes our town not look very good.’”

The grant is intended for towns pinched for pennies, with populations of less than 5,000. But if there’s enough in the pot of this grant and others, some money could come Beatrice’s way—a welcome prospect as it tries to take down Dempster, one building at a time.

“It’s going to be really expensive, and we need to get these grants or we really can’t do it,” Fairbanks said.

The Department of Environment and Energy will accept applications for this grant program through February.

“I’m hoping a lot of cities apply for this because if we can show need for $3 (million) to $5 million, hopefully we can come back and maybe ask for more,” Dorn said.

Beatrice leaders said the city’s historic downtown has been coming back to life, but to really get there, they said they’ll have to lay Dempster’s haunting past to rest.

“Even to get this back to just a nice green space, another park,” McGrury said. “Something that just is not a an ugly, rotting building.”

The distinct downtowns of Nebraska is one of the things that makes it special, but as many small towns dry up, some of those historic areas are decaying too.

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Nebraska

Hundreds lose power across southeast Nebraska after Thursday morning storm

Published

5 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Press Room

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.

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Nebraska

Mandatory evacuation orders for area near Crawford, Fort Robinson

Published

16 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Press Room

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.

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Nebraska

Nebraska State Runner-up and Futures Finalist Matt Brailita (2026) to Swim for Johns Hopkins

Published

1 day ago

June 10, 2026

Press Room

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

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