Nebraska

Nebraska Senators Schedule Town Halls To Discuss Medical Marijuana Bills

Published

8 months ago

April 29, 2025

Nebraska Senators Schedule Town Halls To Discuss Medical Marijuana Bills

“Since the legislature has failed to act at this point, I want to give the citizens an opportunity to have their voices heard by their elected representatives.”

By Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner

State lawmakers scheduled three eastern Nebraska public forums this weekend to allow the public to weigh in on medical cannabis and proposed state legislation.

State Sens. John Cavanaugh (D) of Omaha, Rick Holdcroft (R) of Bellevue and Ben Hansen (R) of Blair plan to host the series this Saturday in La Vista, Sunday in Omaha and Monday in Lincoln. Attendants will be able to hear updates on the status of medical cannabis legislation, namely Hansen’s Legislative Bill 677, and “share their thoughts.”

The schedule is as follows:

Saturday, May 3, from 1–3 p.m. at the Carpenters Union Hall in La Vista (10761 Virginia Plaza, La Vista).
Sunday, May 4, from 1–3 p.m., at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Thompson Alumni Center (8800 Dodge St., Omaha).
Monday, May 5, from 5–7 p.m., at Southeast Community College (8800 O St., Lincoln).

The hosts plan to accommodate everyone who wishes to speak during the two-hour events.

In November, about 71 percent of Nebraskans legalized medical cannabis with a physician’s recommendation, and 67 percent of Nebraskans voted for a regulatory scheme.

“Since the legislature has failed to act at this point, I want to give the citizens an opportunity to have their voices heard by their elected representatives,” Cavanaugh told the Nebraska Examiner.

Hansen said the town halls are meant to help inform the public about the legislative process and receive feedback, answering questions and hearing concerns.

General Affairs Committee

Hansen’s LB 677 seeks to help the ballot measures build better guardrails, with help from supporters who put the measures on the ballot.

His bill would delay full implementation of the regulatory law to give the new Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission time to craft regulations that, without funding, officials have said is near impossible to get done by the voter-set July 1 deadline or begin licensing by October 1.

LB 677 has stalled in the Legislature’s General Affairs Committee that Holdcroft chairs. Cavanaugh is the vice chair.

Holdcroft, who has said he would support a narrowed LB 677, said he is looking for “back and forth” at the public forums, such as whether to allow smoking or how many dispensaries should be permitted.

At an April 17 meeting of committee members, the committee considered a narrower committee amendment that sought to create a list of qualifying conditions, restrict who can recommend medical cannabis, exclude smoking as permissible for medical cannabis and prohibit sales of natural cannabis flower or bud.

None of the eight committee members tried to attach the amendment to LB 677. Advancing the bill as-is failed along ideological lines, 3–5.

‘A little bit of limbo’

Five days later, Hansen filed an amendment to add post-traumatic stress disorder as a qualifying condition and allow sales of flower and bud, the latter of which is a line in the sand for Hansen. Hansen also filed what is known as a “pull motion” that would advance LB 677, with at least 25 votes in the full 49-member legislative body and start the three-round debate.

The latest Hansen amendment would not allow smoking THC products to be sold.

Hansen said he is “stuck in a little bit of a limbo” trying to figure out the route to go, preferring to go through committee instead of the “little more aggressive maneuver” of a pull motion. He said he feels it would be a “disservice” to Nebraskans if the bill isn’t at least discussed.

“I’m hoping that Sen. Holdcroft, myself and the General Affairs Committee can kind of have a kumbaya moment a little bit here and move something forward that we can both agree on, which I’m assuming we both won’t like,” Hansen said.

Speaker John Arch (R) of La Vista, who sets the daily legislative agenda, declined to say if he would schedule Hansen’s pull motion as those discussions continue.

‘Uphold the voice of the people’

Crista Eggers, executive director of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, said her team is “very appreciative” of lawmakers’ efforts to give voters a chance to voice their feelings on the issue.

“While we find it disheartening that Nebraskans are being asked to ‘clarify their vote,’ we hope this final effort makes it clear: Nebraskans support medical cannabis. They knew what they were voting for,” Eggers said. “They now are demanding lawmakers to uphold the voice of the people.”

LB 677 faces a tight timeline and fiscal situation in the waning days of the 2025 legislative session. Debate on the state’s budget bills—with a major hole to still fill—is set to begin May 6. The final budget must pass by May 15.

Lawmakers are set to adjourn for the year on June 9.

Any legislation would require at least 33 votes to become law because lawmakers are seeking to amend laws that voters approved via ballot initiative.

Also co-hosting the public forums are State Sens. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha, John Fredrickson of Omaha, Jane Raybould of Lincoln, Victor Rountree of Bellevue, Margo Juarez of Omaha, Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, Megan Hunt of Omaha, Myron Dorn of Adams, Merv Riepe of Ralston, Wendy DeBoer of Omaha, Tom Brandt of Plymouth, George Dungan of Lincoln and Danielle Conrad of Lincoln.

This story was first published by Nebraska Examiner.

Nebraska Senator Requests Investigation Into Spending By Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiative Opponents

Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.

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Nebraska

Cowboy Wrestling Set to Scrap With No. 6 Nebraska – Oklahoma State University Athletics

Published

8 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Cowboy Wrestling Set to Scrap With No. 6 Nebraska – Oklahoma State University Athletics

The Basics
The No. 5 Oklahoma State wrestling team heads to Lincoln, Nebraska, to face No. 6 Nebraska at 1 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network at the Devaney Sports Center. The Cowboys met up with the Cornhuskers earlier this season at the National Duals Invitational and defeated them, 33-6. The premier bout of the night is without a doubt No. 2 Sergio Vega vs. No. 3 Brock Hardy at 141 pounds. Vega defeated Hardy by major decision at the National Duals. This marks the 58th meeting between the storied programs.

On the Air
Sunday’s dual is scheduled for a 1 p.m. CT start and will be available for streaming on the Big Ten Network. Rex Holt also returns as the voice of Cowboy wrestling to provide live radio coverage, which will be carried on Pete 94.3 KSPI-AM. Live stats and results can be found on trackwrestling.com.

The Series
The Cowboys have dominated the Cornhuskers in their 57 meetings, leading 52-4-1. Oklahoma State is 19-2 in Lincoln, and won the last road contest, 22-10, in 2011. Oklahoma State comes into the matchup having won the previous three by a combined score of 86-22. Despite the history between the squads, before this season’s contest at the National Duals Invitational, OSU and Nebraska had not met since 2011.

About the Cowboys
The David Taylor era is in full swing after a third-place finish with a pair of individual champions at the NCAA Championships in March. The Cowboys return six NCAA qualifiers and added three more out of the portal, including Richard Figueroa II, Casey Swiderski and Alex Facundo. Despite losing NCAA champions Wyatt Hen- drickson and Dean Hamiti Jr., the Cowboys are primed for another deep run in March.
Affectionately known as “Sparky,” Troy Spratley is back and ready for another deep run this season in the Cowboys’ leadoff spot. A 2025 national finalist, Spratley holds down the 125-pound slot and is ranked seventh in the nation. Sparkey avenged his Big 12 title bout loss to WVU’s Jett Strickenberger on December 14, where he defeated Strickenberger on the road, 6-2.
The Cowboy lineup this season features multiple transfers who have made immediate impacts, including 2024 All-American Casey Swiderski, Alex Facundo and Zack Ryder. Konner Doucet retakes the reins at heavyweight after sitting behind Hendrickson in 2025.
Coach Taylor’s first freshman class has already left its mark on the 2025-26 squad. The hometown hero LaDarion “Dee” Lockett put the country on notice at 165 pounds. Other freshmen who have made an immediate impact are 157-pounder Landon Robideau, 141-pounder Sergio Vega and 133-pounder Ronnie Ramirez. Lockett, Robideau and Vega are all undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the country.
Last year’s highly touted freshman Cody Merrill has had a dominant start to his 2025-26 campaign, starting his season off 7-1 and ranked No. 7 in the country.

An Oklahoma State Win Would…
• Make OSU 53-4-1 against Nebraska.
• Make OSU 20-2 in Lincoln.
• Give OSU its seventh ranked win of the season.
• Make OSU 29-3 against ranked opponents since the 2023-24 season.
• Improve OSU’s record to 52-6 in its past 58 duals.
• Improve David Taylor‘s record against Nebraska to 2-0.
• Improve OSU to 10-1 on the road under David Taylor.
• Improve OSU to 21-2 in dual matches under David Taylor.
• Improve OSU to 17-2 against ranked opponents under David Taylor.

The Opening Act
David Taylor‘s opening season for the Cowboys brought the Cowboy faithful a new hope. Taylor’s Cowboys dominated the competition by going 13-1 in dual action, finishing the season unblemished at home in seven matches and winning 10 matches against ranked opponents, including Oregon State, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, NC State, West Virginia, Northern Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri and Little Rock in dual action. Taylor also led the Cowboys to a Big 12 title for the first time since 2021. On the biggest stage of collegiate wrestling, Oklahoma State had a pair of Cowboys, Wyatt Hendrickson and Dean Hamiti Jr., crowned national champions. It marked the first time since 2016 the Cowboys had multiple NCAA champions in the same season. Taylor’s Cowboys never left the top three in the rankings, climbing as high as two in the polls.

Hey Now, You’re an All-Star
On November 1, Zack Ryder and Casey Swiderski competed in the NWCA All-Star Classic. Casey Swiderski led off the night for the Cowboys by facing Michigan’s three- time All-American Lachlan McNeil. Swiderski controlled the match and nabbed the lone takedown of the bout to win, 4-2. The win vaulted Swiderski up to No. 2 in the poll at 149 pounds. Ryder dominated what was considered the match of the weekend, as he took down Maryland’s Jaxon Smith at 184 pounds. Ryder collected the only bonus-point win of the event with his major decision over Smith, 14-4. He took down Smith four times and did not allow a takedown. Smith, a three-time national qualifier, had only given up bonus points twice in his career – once to Carter Starocci and the other to Aaron Brooks, who have nine national titles between them. Ryder’s win turned heads around the country, and it was seen in the polls as he climbed to fourth at 184 pounds.

The Spark
The Cowboys have one of, if not the most, vaunted lead-off man in the country in Troy Spratley. Spratley, a returning NCAA finalist from last season now ranks seventh in the latest poll after his win on December 14 against No.
7 Jett Stickenberger. The 125-pounder is 5-2 on the young season. Spratley’s incredible season in 2024-25 included five wins over top-five opponents, gaining bonus points for the Cowboys in over half of his matches as the leadoff man.

Fab Freshmen
The freshmen on the OSU roster have been the story of the 2025-26 season. 141-pounder Sergio Vega, 157-pounder Landon Robideau and 165-pounder Dee Lockett are all 7-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country at their respective weight classes. Other true freshman Ronnie Ramirez is 6-1 with a Cougar Clash title in the 133-pound division. Other freshmen making an immediate impact are 184-pounder Zack Ryder
and 197-pounder Cody Merrill. Ryder started his season with an impressive win at the NWCA All-Star Classic. Ryder currently ranks No. 10 in the country with an 8-3 record, while Merrill holsters a 7-1 record on the year and is ranked No. 7.

New Kids On the Block
David Taylor took the recruiting world by storm, as he brought in the second-ranked recruiting class in the country entering his second season at the helm. The Cowboys led the nation with eight signees ranked inside FloWrestling’s Top 100 Big Board. The group is spearheaded by blue-chip prospects LaDarion “Dee” Lockett, Landon Robideau and Sergio Vega, who make up half of the top six overall spots. Of the 10 wrestlers in the class, six are in-state products while the others hail from Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Arizona and California. The full list includes Kruz Goff, Ishmael Guerrero, Beau Hickman, Austin Johnson, Lockett, Ronnie Ramirez, Robideau, Kody Routledge, Ethan Teague, and Vega.

The Douce(t) is loose
A familiar face for Cowboy fans, Konner Doucet is back in the lineup for the 2025 season after sitting behind Hodge Trophy winner Wyatt Hendrickson last season. Doucet started the season ranked ninth and has now climbed to seventh. The two-time NCAA qualifier is primed for a breakout season after going 1-0 in his only dual action against Air Force last season and collecting four wins at the Michigan State Open, where he took first.

Made for the Moment
True freshman Landon Robideau and Dee Lockett made their Cowboy debuts on November 7 against Stanford, both facing All-Americans in Daniel Cardenas and Hunter Garvin. Unafraid of the moment, Robideau picked up a major decision victory and Lockett used a gutsy second period ride out to pick up a 2-1 win. Other true freshman Sergio Vega was incredible in his debut as well, picking up a technical fall win. Of the Cowboys’ 33 points in last Friday’s opener, the true freshman accounted for 12 of them. The trio is now a combined 21-0 and all are ranked No. 2 in the country in their respective weight classes.

The Power of the Pivot
The Cowboys brought in transfers Richard Figueroa II, Casey Swiderski, Alex Facundo, Zack Ryder and Gary Steen to bolster the lineup this season, and if last year’s transfers are any indication of what they can do in David Taylor‘s program, the sky is the limit for those five. Last year’s transfers that started for the Cowboys were Caleb Fish, Cam Amine, Dean Hamiti Jr. and Wyatt Hendrickson. All four of them earned All-America status and two of them went on to win national titles.

Wrestling’s House of Horrors
No venue in America has a richer wrestling tradition than Gallagher-Iba Arena, home of the Oklahoma State wrestling program since 1939. In its beginning as Gallagher Hall, the gymnasium was named for Ed Gallagher, but when renovations were completed in January 1988, it was renamed Gallagher-Iba Arena to honor the late Mr. Henry P. Iba, Oklahoma State’s legendary basketball coach. Alongside 54 NCAA championship banners, Gallagher and Iba’s names have looked over Oklahoma State’s historic venue for nearly 40 years.
Since 1939, Oklahoma State has captured 25 NCAA team titles, completed 45 perfect campaigns at home and won over 90% of its duals inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The building’s opening coincided with the longest home unbeaten streak in program history, as the Pokes won their first 37 duals inside GIA as part of a 67-dual unbeaten streak at home. That stretch still stands as the program’s longest home unbeaten streak, as OSU never suffered defeat from 1933 to February 1951.
Oklahoma State’s next-longest home unbeaten streak 1. occurred from the 1959 finale to the middle of the 1967 2. season, going undefeated for 57 duals in a row.
Not far 3. behind, the Cowboys won 51 consecutive duals inside
Gallagher-Iba Arena from 1986-1993, good for the third-longest such streak in program history. More recently, John Smith guided the Cowboys to a 26-dual home winning streak from 2018-2022. Not long after the streak was snapped, Oklahoma State defeated South Dakota State on February 4, 2022, for the program’s 500th victory inside the venue.

The Home of Wrestling
Oklahoma State is the gold standard in the college wrestling world. On the national level, the Cowboys have won 34 NCAA team titles, crowned 145 NCAA individual champions and earned 492 All-America honors. No other program comes close to those astounding numbers. It’s a similar story on the conference level, with OSU winning 56 team titles and Cowboy wrestlers combining for 297 individual championships.
From an individual perspective, any list of the greatest wrestlers in NCAA history must include Oklahoma State’s Yojiro Uetake, who was a perfect 57-0 with three NCAA titles, and Pat Smith, the first four-time NCAA champion in history. Pat’s older brother, John Smith, was a two-time NCAA champion for the Cowboys and went on to win six straight world gold medals from 1987-92. His OSU teammate, Kenny Monday, also won gold in 1988 and 1989 as part of his four world medals. That group is just part of Oklahoma State’s consistent representation on the Olympic stage every four years. Since 1924, 32 Oklahoma State wrestlers have fought their way to Olympic team membership a total of 41 times, with nine athletes winning 11 gold medals.
All told, 40 members of the Cowboy wrestling family have been inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the most in the country.

NCAA Team Championships

Oklahoma State 34

Iowa 24

Penn State 13

NCAA Individual Champions

Oklahoma State 145

Iowa 85

Iowa State 71

NCAA All-Americans

Oklahoma State 492

Iowa 367

Iowa State 310

Olympians

Oklahoma State 41

Iowa 23

Oklahoma 22

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Nebraska

Nebraska Lottery results: See winning numbers for Powerball, Pick 3 on Dec. 20, 2025

Published

20 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

The Nebraska Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Lottery players in Nebraska can choose from popular national games like the Powerball and Mega Millions, which are available in the vast majority of states. Other games include Lotto America, Lucky For Life, Pick 3, Pick 5, MyDaY and 2 by 2.

Big lottery wins around the U.S. include a lucky lottery ticketholder in California who won a $1.27 billion Mega Millions jackpot in December 2024. See more big winners here. And if you do end up cashing a jackpot, here’s what experts say to do first.

Here’s a look at Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

04-05-28-52-69, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

05-08-19-23-43, Powerball: 06

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

1-9-0

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

08-17-19-25-36

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning 2 By 2 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Red Balls: 13-26, White Balls: 08-21

Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

08-21-30-41-47, Lucky Ball: 15

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning MyDay numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Month: 11, Day: 01, Year: 07

Check MyDay 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.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

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

Here’s who has opted out of the Utes’ bowl game vs. Nebraska

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

Here’s who has opted out of the Utes’ bowl game vs. Nebraska

Three starters will sit out as they begin to prepare for the NFL draft.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jim Harding assistant coach hugs offensive lineman Spencer Fano (55) as they celebrate the Utes’ win over Kansas State.

Three University of Utah starters have decided not to play in the Las Vegas Bowl, head coach Kyle Whittingham says.

Offensive tackles Caleb Lomu and Spencer Fano and defensive end Logan Fano have all declared for the NFL draft.

Lomu, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound sophomore, and Spencer Fano, a unanimous All-America selection this year, are both expected to be first-round picks in April.

“Some people, it’s a lot higher stakes. We’ve got a couple of first-rounders and things like that,” Utah quarterback Devon Dampier said of the opt-outs. “We know those guys love us. … We still support those guys.”

Dampier and senior linebacker Lander Barton both said this week that they intend to play in the game.

“There are definitely conversations that you have to have with agents and people that are around you in your circle,” Barton said of his choice.” But ultimately it’s up to each player.”

Whittingham said a few walk-ons and scout team players have also opted out of the game as they prepare to enter the transfer portal.

“And we also have a handful of guys that are going to go in the portal at that are still practicing with us,” he said. “I think that what we have right now is what we’re going to have.”

The No. 15 Utes take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers on New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas (1:30 p.m. MT, ESPN). It will be Whittingham’s final game as the Utes’ head coach.

“This team has been one of my favorite years,” Whittingham said. “The team’s attitude. The leadership. The work ethic. Just the personality on the field, the vibe of the team is outstanding. Having the chance to be around these guys one more month and go to battle one more time with them was something I wanted to do.”

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