Nebraska
Nebraska, portions of Great Plains continue to experience ‘significant drought conditions’
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) -Some rain can be expected in parts the state later this week, but according to one of the 10 weekly contributors to the U.S. Drought Monitor, it won’t be enough to completely turn around the effects of current dry conditions in the region.
Curtis Riganti is a climatologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s National Drought Mitigation Center and helps analyze data sets ranging from precipitation amount to vegetation health to publish the drought map each Thursday. He says unusually warm and windy conditions have led to significant drought conditions across the central and southern Great Plains.
The latest map from March 26 shows that majority of Nebraska is currently in at least severe drought, which Riganti says has helped create conditions perfect for stoking recent central Nebraska fires.
“As we’ve gone in to early spring now we’ve seen a continuation of those warm, windy conditions and dry weather for the most part,” he said. “That’s been particularly bad over the past few weeks. That’s unfortunately led to very favorable conditions for wildfire growth, which we’ve seen.”
Riganti added that a lack of snow in the Rocky Mountains is also contributing to drought conditions, and could result in less water running downstream into Nebraska this spring and summer.
As a reminder, you can always help out with the U.S. drought monitor by reporting conditions to their online database at go.unl.edu/cmor
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Nebraska baseball falls to 16th-ranked Kansas
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Nebraska baseball team lost to Kansas 9-7 on Tuesday in front of a record crowd at Hoglund Park. The Huskers took an early lead on an RBI single by National Freshman of the Week Drew Grego. After giving up three unanswered runs, Nebraska rallied to go back in front on a 3rd-inning single by Will Jesske. Both Grego and Jesske finished with two hits in the game.
Kansas, however, took control in the middle innings. The Jayhawks got home runs from Tyson Owens and Josh Dykoff in the sixth frame. Both round-trippers came off NU relief pitcher Ty Horn. Kansas added insurance in the 7th inning before a late rally by the Huskers.
Nebraska trimmed a five-run deficit to two, but couldn’t complete the comeback on the road.
The Huskers’ loss is their second to the Jayhawks this season. Nebraska’s record drops to 31-10 overall.
Will Bolt’s team returns to action on Friday at Illinois. Game one is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in Champaign.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Nebraska jumps up to No. 2 in college softball Power 10 rankings
Softball
April 21, 2026
Nebraska jumps up to No. 2 in college softball Power 10 rankings
April 21, 2026
Check out Michella Chester’s updated college softball Power 10 rankings for the week of April 21, which sees Nebraska rise to No. 2 behind an 11-game win streak.
Nebraska
Mental health by the numbers in Nebraska
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A deeper look tonight as First Alert 6 continues to dig deeper into the state of mental health care in Nebraska and possible solutions, ever since last week’s two instances involving law enforcement.
A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy was shot responding to a domestic call. Investigators said the suspect, Brian Huggins, had a history of behavioral health issues. Huggins died by suicide.
And then Noemi Guzman, who police say kidnapped a 3-year-old from inside an Omaha Walmart and cut him in the arm and face with a stolen kitchen knife. Omaha police officers shot and killed her before she could strike again.
Guzman had been on a court-ordered mental health treatment plan since last summer for her schizophrenia. According to court records, psychiatrists determined she could live in the community. Remember, this was after she was arrested for setting her father’s house on fire and threatening a priest with a knife.
Monitoring system
We wanted to know who is part of the system monitoring those who may not be following their mental health treatment plan and are a risk to others or themselves. When that happens, the Board of Mental Health will often notify the local sheriff so a warrant can be issued and deputies can track the individual down.
Here are the numbers since 2023:
In 2023, 842 warrants were issued for those not following their treatment plans according to the Board of Mental Health. In 2024, 756. In 2025, 690. So far in 2026, 190.
But out of these 2,500 warrants, 85% of them didn’t have a second warrant, meaning deputies picked them up, got them back into treatment and the individuals continued to thrive after the one hiccup.
But in 15% of these cases, the individuals messed up again and had another warrant issued by the Board of Mental Health. Twenty-five individuals had five or more issued in Douglas County.
Sheriff Hanson said there has to be a better way, a more team approach for this.
One model to explore is the way Nebraska’s problem-solving courts work like drug court and veterans’ treatment court where experts from a variety of stakeholders help individuals who are on the fringes to do everything to make them productive citizens.
Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
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