Nebraska
Nebraska Public Service Commission approves controversial transmission line through the Sandhills
The Nebraska Public Service Commission on Tuesday approved a heavily disputed 220-mile Nebraska Public Power District transmission line through the Sandhills.
Commissioners were briefed that the limited scope of the vote wouldn’t stop the so-called R Project, but only delay it. It passed by a count of 3-1, with one commissioner present not voting.
Christian Mirch, representing eastern Douglas County, didn’t vote. Kevin Stocker, who represents Grand Island and everything to the west, voted against the project.
“I recognize that the Nebraska Public Service Commission has limited authority over transmission line projects and is not responsible for establishing Nebraska’s overall energy policy,” Stocker said, “but since this permit requires a vote from commissioners, I will state the reasons for my opposition. First and foremost, the entire project is in my district, and currently the project does not have total support from the landowners who will be directly impacted.”
Stocker said changing national energy policy and NPPD considering a nuclear power station raises questions about the $800 million R Project. He called on the utility to perform an updated assessment of the plans.
Amy Ballheh lives and ranches near Burwell. Fire sparking is a concern, and the record-breaking wildfires this spring are evidence of the risk, Ballheh said during the public comment period.
“When these lines are put up out in the middle of nowhere, the fire gets started before you can hardly see it, and then you can’t get to them because the hills are too sandy,” Ballheh said. “There’s too many low, wet grounds. It’s just very, very difficult, so that is a big concern to have it out in that grassland.”
Many landowners have not signed agreements with NPPD. Landowners cite the fragile nature of the Sandhills and how the project could endanger the whooping crane and American burying beetle.
Trent Lewis of Sherman County said the Sandhills are a key part of one of the largest grasslands in the world. He’s a co-op owner of NPPD but said the power company’s plan doesn’t add up.
“In the name of net carbon zero, [NPPD] wants to bring concrete, steel, and heavy machinery into the second-largest carbon sequestration area of the world and somehow believe that we’re making progress,” Lewis said. “Making progress for who and what?”
The Sandhills are “the Great Plains’ largest and most unspoiled grassland ecosystem,” a University of Nebraska-Lincoln article said in 2024.
The commission’s legal team said NPPD provided all the necessary infrastructure waivers with phone, internet and railroad companies nearby to move forward. Its attorney said the Public Service Commission is statutorily required to approve projects that meet requirements, like the R Project has.
This is the latest news in a 13-year case that’s heading to court for the second time, after permits were vacated following the first case in 2020.
A nonprofit called Preserve The Sandhills and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota seek a preliminary injunction in the U.S. Civil Court of Denver, where U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel named in the case are based. The Fish and Wildlife Service approved a permit application filed by NPPD, which outlined a plan to minimize harm for the endangered American burying beetle, allowing the plans to move forward.
In a statement emailed to Nebraska Public Media News in April, a spokesperson for NPPD said the project “is desperately needed to improve reliability and reduce congestion on the Nebraska grid.” The utility said it followed all legal requirements in the Fish and Wildlife permitting process.
A nationwide outbreak of the parasite Cyclospora has reached Nebraska, according to health experts at CHI Health.
While only a handful of cases have been identified in the state, doctors say the true number of infections may be higher because many people recover at home without being tested.
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that can contaminate food and cause gastrointestinal illness. Health officials are still investigating the source of the current outbreak and have not identified a specific food item responsible.
Previous Cyclospora outbreaks have been linked to fresh produce, including pre-cut salad mixes, cilantro, basil, raspberries, snow peas and green onions.
Dr. Renuga Vivekanandan with CHI Health says the parasite can be difficult to remove because it can survive in small, porous areas of some produce.
“Even though you’re washing it, they can remain there,” Vivekanandan said. “Ideally, if you buy produce whole, you can wash it thoroughly yourself.”
Symptoms of Cyclospora typically appear about seven days after exposure but can take up to two weeks, making it difficult for investigators to determine where someone was infected.
Symptoms can include prolonged diarrhea, fatigue, dehydration, muscle weakness and stomach discomfort.
Doctors say most people recover without hospitalization, but young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems face a higher risk of complications.
Unlike some stomach illnesses, Cyclospora can be treated with antibiotics. Health experts say the most common treatment is trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, also known as Bactrim.
Doctors recommend contacting a healthcare provider if symptoms do not improve and say staying hydrated is especially important.
Health experts say Cyclospora typically does not spread easily from person to person.
“If somebody else in your household has this, you’re not necessarily going to get it,” said Dr. Dave Quinby, an infectious disease physician with CHI Health. “Handwashing is always good, but this tends not to go person to person well at all.”
Until investigators identify the source of the outbreak, doctors recommend buying whole produce when possible, washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly and cooking foods when appropriate.
According to the CDC, more than 843 confirmed cases and approximately 1,500 probable cases have been reported nationwide. Eighty-six people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
The recruiting industry has spoken, and Nebraska quarterback commit Trae Taylor has officially become the consensus No. 1 signal-caller in the 2027 recruiting class.
On Monday, Rivals updated its national rankings, elevating Taylor from a high four-star prospect ranked No. 71 nationally to a five-star recruit ranked No. 17 overall, a jump of 54 spots. The rise comes after an impressive stretch for the Chicago native, who is set to quarterback Millard South (NE) this fall.
Here’s what Taylor’s five-star status means for the Big Red, including what he did to reach this point.
Becoming a Five-Star
Taylor first earned a five-star rating from 247Sports shortly after being named the Elite 11 MVP following an impressive performance at the prestigious quarterback competition in May. Competing against 20 of the nation’s top signal-callers, Nebraska’s verbal pledge proved to be the best of the group.
According to 247Sports, Taylor is the nation’s No. 8 overall prospect and the No. 1 quarterback in the 2027 class. By earning MVP honors, he joined an impressive list of QBs that includes former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, 2025 Heisman finalist Julian Sayin, and several other top quarterbacks who have won the award over the years.
Taylor’s Recruitment
Taylor committed to Nebraska on May 1, 2025, and his stock has only continued to rise since then. At the time, he was regarded as a four-star prospect, but the Huskers believed they had secured a commitment from one of the nation’s top quarterbacks.
To his credit, he became just that. He followed that decision with a junior season in which he totaled more than 4,200 all-purpose yards and 50 touchdowns, cementing himself as one of the country’s most electrifying recruits heading into his senior year.
Despite interest from several of the nation’s top programs, Taylor has remained committed to NU. He reinforced that commitment by moving to the state ahead of his senior season, and his leadership has played a significant role in helping the Huskers assemble one of the top 2027 recruiting classes in the country.
Nebraska’s 2027 Recruiting Class
Nebraska’s 2027 recruiting class currently ranks No. 18 nationally and sixth in the Big Ten according to Rivals. Per 247Sports, however, the Huskers sit at No. 16 nationally, trailing only Ohio State and Oregon within the conference.
NU also holds commitments from four top-100 overall prospects in the cycle, its most since the 2005 recruiting class. Taylor is joined by four-star safety Tory Pittman III, four-star interior offensive lineman Jordan Agbanoma, and four-star wide receiver Khalil Taylor in that group.
Currently, the Big Red hold commitments from 22 prospects in the 2027 class. While Taylor is the only five-star recruit, nine of Nebraska’s commits are currently regarded as blue-chip prospects.
Nebraska Commits in 2027 Cycle:
- Trae Taylor- Quarterback (★★★★★)
- Tory Pittman III- Safety ★★★★)
- Jordan Agbanoma- Interior Offensive Line (★★★★)
- Corey Hadley Jr.- Safety (★★★★)
- Timi Aliu- Offensive Tackle (★★★★)
- Bryce Williams- Cornerback (★★★★)
- Nehemiah Ombati- Defensive Line (★★★★)
- Jailen Hill- Cornerback (★★★★)
- Amir Brown- Running Back (★★★★)
- Matt Erickson- Offensive Tackle (★★★)
- Barrett Kitrell- Interior Offensive Line (★★★)
- Jayden Travers- Defensive Line (★★★)
- KD Jones- Interior Offensive Line (★★★)
- Antayvious Ellis- Wide Receiver (★★★)
- Brennan Drummond- Safety (★★★)
- Joey Hunter- Tight End (★★★)
- Eli Harris- Linebacker (★★★)
- Caleb Green- Linebacker (★★★)
- Errol Demontagnac- Defensive Line (★★★)
- Ma’atoe Moe- EDGE (★★★)
- Justyn Lindsay- Wide Receiver (★★★)
What Taylor’s Bump Means for the Huskers
By now, every program in the country knows who Taylor is and what he could eventually become. For Nebraska, the task now shifts from recruiting him to proving it can develop him into an NFL quarterback over the next several years. For now, Taylor remains locked in, but signing day is still months away.
The 2026 season means significantly more that getting to a certain number of wins. For Matt Rhule’s staff, though, the pressure should be viewed as a privilege. They’ll need to prove they can develop the talent they already have while also winning football games. It’s as simple as that.
NU’s current staff already had one opportunity with a five-star QB, but that partnership ended after just two years. Taylor represents an opportunity to flip the script. This time, the Huskers will need to maximize it by keeping him in Lincoln, developing him into an NFL-caliber signal-caller, and seeing him finish what he starts, all while wearing the scarlet and cream.
Plenty of quarterbacks have found success while playing football for the Big Red. Plain and simple, Taylor needs to become the next one. Rhule’s staff seems set on seeing that become true. Now, fans will have the opportunity to watch it unfold.
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
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While Nebraska football fans mostly laughed at Wisconsin hiring Shawn Eichorst as their new AD, Badgers fans seem to be quite happy with the move. However, if the new athletic director’s tenure in Wisconsin echoes at least his early run in Lincoln, then Luke Fickell should know that he’s about to be shown the door, no matter what the 2026 season looks like.
One of the first things Eichorst did when he took over the program at NU was boot then-Husker head coach Bo Pelini. He did that despite the fact that Pelini was winning 9 or 10 games a season and was putting together campaigns better than any that have come since his firing.
The former Nebraska AD fired Pelini after he led his team to an emotional win over the Iowa Hawkeyes, with most of the coaches and players celebrating and seemingly poised to carry the momentum into bowl season and then the 2015 season. Eichorst had other ideas, essentially saying that beating the Hawkeyes simply wasn’t that impressive.
“In the final analysis,” he said at the time, “I had to evaluate where Iowa was.”
Shawn Eichorst’s Nebraska football tenure should worry Luke Fickell
Those words have stung Nebraska plenty since he uttered them, since Kirk Ferentz’s program has been inarguably better than the Huskers under Mike Riley, Scott Frost and Matt Rhule.
Certainly, Wisconsin fans should take that as a cautionary tale, not just because the AD overestimated where the Nebraska program would go, but also because he wasn’t very good at analyzing how to get them where he wanted them. But it’s even more a cautionary tale for Badgers’ head coach Luke Fickell.
Shawn Eichorst was essentially brought in as a clean-sweep artist in football. When he was hired, it’s clear that Pelini’s career in Lincoln was about to come to an end, unless he took the Cornhuskers on a miracle run.
The 37-34 overtime win over Iowa meant that the Huskers once again went 9-3. Two of the three losses were by five points or less. The only blowout loss of Pelini’s final season was to Wisconsin, 59-24. And yet, he was canned just two days after he finished another objectively successful season.
If Eichorst was willing (and some would say eager) to fire Pelini in that situation, is there any doubt he’s exactly as willing (and eager) to fire Luke Fickell after the 2026 season, unless he has a miracle run?
Fickell hasn’t been nearly as successful at Wisconsin as Pelini was at Nebraska. Back-to-back losing seasons put him at 17-21 in his career. He’d have to go on a 50-6 run to equal Pelini’s time in Lincoln.
Of course, it’s possible that Wisconsin fans are salivating at the idea of their new AD firing their rather mediocre head coach. The company line is they like that a former lieutenant to the longtime athletic director under Barry Alvarez is back and ready to bring the program back to glory days.
But is part of that march back to glory days expected to include a new head coach for the 2027 season? Put it this way, it wouldn’t be out of line for Luke Fickell to start putting out feelers to G6 programs this fall in case he has to update his resume quickly come December.
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