Nebraska

‘I just enjoy doing it:’ Nebraska woman sews thousands of pillow cases for people in need

Published

2 months ago

December 24, 2025

‘I just enjoy doing it:’ Nebraska woman sews thousands of pillow cases for people in need

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Joyce Boerger says she learned to sew at around nine years old, starting out with dresses in a 4-H program. Now she’s helping to supply hundreds of pillow cases for those in need every year.

“I just enjoy doing it,“ Boerger said. “My proudest moment is I sewed a dress that took a purple at the state fair. I sewed about anything and everything.”

At 81 years old, she’s spent the better part of the last decade taking any extra fabric she can get her hands on and turning it into pillow cases, making around 400 to 600 a year.

And she does it all using the same sewing machine she’s had since 1963.

“I made my oldest son’s baby clothes on it, and I love it,” Boerger said. “It’s the hot dog method, and once you learn to do the hot dog method it goes pretty fast.”

While she started off with a pretty good stash of fabric 10 years ago, she said that friends, family and even members of her hometown church in Wymore have helped to keep her going with supplies.

Her sister Jan and the church’s pastor, Jim, also help by trimming, pinning and pressing each pillow case before it’s donated.

Designs patterns range from animals to flowers to dollar bills, which Boerger says makes the process more fun.

“I make the remark that I’m making pillow cases and people say ‘oh are you making them in white?’” she said. “Long ways away from white. They’re very colorful.”

This holiday season, she’s working with a friend, Tammy Hillis, to donate the pillow cases to places like the Friendship Home. She’s also brought pillow cases to the People’s City mission, supplying the shelter with more than 180 last year.

Hillis said they’ve also branched out to give some to the Orphan Grain Train, Sleep in Heavenly Peace out of Omaha and even Brave Animal Rescue.

Hillis, who runs a south Lincoln gas station and car repair shop, said she got to know Boerger as she brought her car in over the years, before she began offering up pillow cases to donate.

“She would play Christmas music in her car 24/7,” Hillis said. “When she’s got so many it’s like ok we only see so many customers throughout here, so we gotta branch out and help to spread the love.”

Boerger said even after thousands of pillow cases over the years, she isn’t planning to stop sewing any time soon, and will keep supplying them wherever they’re needed.

“It gives me something to do,” she said. “I’ve had them go to hurricane relief, I’ve had them go to, would you believe it an orphanage in Mexico, a foster outlet in Gretna … They just go kind of wherever somebody asks.”

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Nebraska

NioCorp to start work on its minerals mine in southeast Nebraska

Published

4 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

NioCorp to start work on its minerals mine in southeast Nebraska

NioCorp announced Monday that it plans to start work on its critical minerals mine in southeast Nebraska.

The project, which the company is calling its mine portal project, will involve building a main entrance to the Elk Creek underground mine and will serve as the primary access point for personnel, equipment, and materials for the underground mining operations. It also will include excavating bedrock, drilling and blasting to establish the twin mine ramps, on-site access road construction, and construction of on-site supporting infrastructure.

The project, which will cost nearly $45 million, is set to get underway before the end of the month. It marks the first time Colorado-based NioCorp will actually start any significant work on the main mine, from which the company hopes to extract niobium, scandium, titanium and other minerals.

“Given the size of this excavation work, the portal project really marks the beginning of a major pre-construction activity at the Elk Creek Project site and is an important step toward preparing for underground development,” Scott Honan, the company’s president and chief operating officer, said in a release.

Mark A. Smith, Niocorp’s chairman and CEO, called the project, “a significant milestone.”

Niocorp has spent more than 15 years trying to develop the mine on land in Johnson County, about 65 miles southeast of Lincoln.

The company still needs to raise a significant amount of money to make the $1.2 billion mine a reality, though. In December, NioCorp said it had raised about $360 million, or a little more than a quarter of the total cost. It is still waiting for approval of a $780 million debt financing application from the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

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Nebraska

Nebraska Lottery results: See winning numbers for Pick 3, Pick 5 on March 1, 2026

Published

16 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 1.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 1 drawing

7-6-5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 1 drawing

04-20-28-30-39

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning 2 By 2 numbers from March 1 drawing

Red Balls: 02-10, White Balls: 25-26

Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning MyDay numbers from March 1 drawing

Month: 11, Day: 28, Year: 38

Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 1 drawing

10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Nebraska

Huskers/OSU game three canceled

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Courtesy Nebraska Athletics

The third matchup this weekend between No. 9 Nebraska and No. 21 Oklahoma State was canceled Sunday due to expected bad weather in the Stillwater, Okla., area. The Cowgirls won the first matchup Thursday, 2-1 in 11 innings, while the Cornhuskers won Saturday, 4-3. The game will not be made up.

Nebraska now prepares for its home opener Thursday at Bowlin Stadium as the Huskers take on South Dakota State in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.

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