LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Early childhood education is taking flight thanks to a statewide Pilot Program.

The Nebraska Department of Education teamed up with the Nebraska Children and Families’ Foundation, the Statewide Family Engagement Center and Unite for Literacy to provide communities with access to numerous books.

The program focuses on enhancing the literacy of young children by providing a wide array of books to communities across the state.

The Vice President of Early Childhood Programs at Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, Stephanni Renn, told Channel 8 this has had a huge impact on younger generations.

“Kids have more access readily available because of their childcare centers and their school districts,” she said. “We do different assessments on our kids, and one of those is the ECI, which is the Early Communication Indicator. Those kids that were receiving books in their home, scored at benchmark under language practices because families are reading more, they’re choosing books and they have access to books.”

The Executive Director of Educare, Quentin Brown, said having a diverse selection of books helps keep kids interested in reading.

“To think that people can come in and naturally and organically say ‘Oh! There’s a book that looks like me, there’s a book that sounds like me, there’s a book that expresses an interest that I’m interested in,’” he said. “So what we’ve seen is that there has been a natural desire as people pass through our lobby. There’s a natural desire to just pick up books and read and engage with them and it’s a special thing when it’s someone with a child.”

Renn said one of the best parts about the program is the easy access for families.

“If you scan the front page of this book, it takes you to our digital library,” she said. “And so then you can read the book in various languages. So maybe if I’m an ESL parent, and English isn’t my first language, I can listen to it in Spanish, I can listen to it in Korean, whatever language I am more comfortable in and then I can also have it in English. So it really is access to books and it’s about shared reading and hoping that families choose books.”

And Brown adds that the program is very inclusive for every community.

“One of the important aspects is that children and families have an opportunity to engage in their home language and in their culture and I think that’s a special thing,” he said.

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Behind a complete game from Jordy Bahl and power hitting from Hannah Camenzind, Nebraska softball topped Tennessee, 5-2 in Game One of the Knoxville Super Regional.

With a win in Saturday’s Game Two, the Huskers would clinch a berth in the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 2013.

In a game featuring two of the best pitchers in the sport, Nebraska wasted no time getting to Karlyn Pickens. Facing the SEC Pitcher of the Year, Olivia DiNardo struck a base hit up the middle to score Bahl with the first run of the game.

Tennessee countered in the bottom of the second. Sophia Nugent took Bahl deep to knot it up, 1-1. The solo shot ended the Papillion native’s streak of 10 consecutive scoreless innings.

Nebraska went back on top in the third thanks to a Samantha Bland double that scored Bahl from first. Camenzind added insurance in the fourth with a mammoth solo homer. The Skutt Catholic alum started a Big Red rally. With two on and two out, Jordy Bahl skied a fly ball to shallow left center that fell between to Vols. Pickens exacerbated the error with a throw home that went to the backstop, allowing two Huskers to score to make it a 5-1 game.

In the circle, Bahl went the distance, hurling seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out six.

Nebraska and Tennessee square off Saturday at 4:00pm. The Vols need a win to force a winner-take-all Game Three on Sunday.

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Nebraska State Patrol

Today, members of the Nebraska Legislature voted to confirm the appointment of Colonel Bryan D. Waugh as Superintendent of Law Enforcement and Public Safety for the state of Nebraska.

Colonel Waugh was appointed by Governor Jim Pillen to serve as the 19^th Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. He will begin his service with NSP on June 2, 2025.

“I’d like thank the members of the Nebraska Legislature for their confirmation vote today,” said Colonel Waugh. “I believe that the future is bright for the Nebraska State Patrol and I’m eager to join this talented team of men and women serving our state. Together, we will serve with integrity, dedication, and a shared mission to keep Nebraska safe.”

Colonel Waugh has most recently served as Chief of the Kearney Police Department. He has 32 years of experience in law enforcement, including service within Kearney PD, La Vista PD, and the United States Air Force.