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Iowa trolls Nebraska after some Cornhuskers players decline pregame handshake

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Iowa trolls Nebraska after some Cornhuskers players decline pregame handshake


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The Iowa Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers met on Friday in their annual rivalry game.

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Shortly before kickoff, Iowa’s team captains and Nebraska’s team captains met at the 50-yard line for the coin toss. It’s customary for players from opposing teams to greet one another and shake hands before referees explain which side of the coin represents heads and which side will serve as tails. 

But Nebraska’s players decided not to engage in the handshaking ritual with their opponents. At least one of the four Cornhuskers’ captains appeared to shake and look towards the ground as the Hawkeyes players approached.

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Long snapper Luke Elkin, #39, and punter Ty Nissen, #99 of the Iowa Hawkeyes, carry the Heroes Trophy off the field after the win against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Kinnick Stadium on November 29, 2024, in Iowa City, Iowa.  (Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Tensions were already heightened before the coin toss moment after Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule walked through Iowa’s warmup area. Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins explained how his team took exception to Rhule’s pregame actions.

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“Our guys are warming up, doing our pregame and their head coach walked through the warmup,” Higgins told reporters after the game. “So we immediately knew what type of game this was.”

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But emotions remained high even after the game kicked off. Higgins was seen getting close to Rhule when the Hawkeyes were on defense in the first quarter.

Higgins said he had told Rhule during the interaction that “it probably wasn’t a good idea to not shake our hands.” The Iowa defender offered a three-word response saying, “Who are you?”

Nebraska did manage to take an early 10-0, but the Hawkeyes scored 13 unanswered points. Iowa kicker Drew Stevens made a 53-yard field goal in the final seconds to secure the victory in the rivalry game.

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Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Ceyair Wright (15) defends a field goal attempt by Iowa Hawkeyes place kicker Drew Stevens (18) Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Higgins did make a concerted effort to shake hands with Rhule moments after the game clock expired.

“After the game, because they didn’t want to shake our hands before the game, I went up to their head coach and shook his hand,” Higgins confirmed. “And told him, ‘Good game.’”

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz watches warmups before the football game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

At one point during his postgame media session, Higgins asked his teammate, Nick Jackson, to point out the differences that exist within Iowa’s program in comparison to Nebraska. 

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“Kirk Ferentz — would he ever do something like that?” Higgins asked, to which Jackson quickly replied “no.”

“Be a Hawk,” Jackson said. “You see the difference.”

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Ferentz, who has coached at Iowa for more than a quarter-century, declined to offer a strong opinion on what transpired before the game.

“I heard some stuff in the locker room, but I wasn’t out there,” Ferentz said. “So I didn’t see it and really can’t comment on it. There are certain pregame etiquette most people follow, but again, I didn’t see it.”

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Nebraska State Patrol troopers find 242 pounds of cocaine during commercial truck inspection

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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.

Arwinderjit Singh mugshot(Dawson County Jail)

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.

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Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds...
Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.(Nebraska State Patrol)

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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Athlete of the Week: Creighton Prep boys wrestling’s Zaiyahn Ornelas

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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.”

The senior ended his career as the 39th four-time state champion in Nebraska history, winning three at Wilber-Clatonia before joining the Jr. Jays.

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.

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“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.

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“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.”

The sophomore won his first state title after finishing as a runner-up at 126 pounds as a freshman.

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.”

The junior finished the season as a back-to-back state champion after winning a gold medal at 175 pounds as a sophomore.

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.

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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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Nebraska Chamber taps former state senator to lead during leadership transition

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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.”

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Matt Williams(NE Chamber)

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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