The Banner County Fire Chief imposed a complete fire ban this week until conditions improve, including open burning, bonfires and fireworks.
Nebraska
Nebraska vs. USC: The final report card
LOS ANGELES – Here are the final takes and grades following Nebraska’s 28-20 loss at USC on Saturday.
The Huskers dropped to 5-5 on the season and will return to Lincoln for the final time next week against Wisconsin.
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Rushing offense: C
Nebraska got 107 yards rushing on 18 carries from Emmett Johnson and Dante Dowdell. They found a few new things in the running game but still could not get enough to break through in the second half. Heinrich Haarberg also came in for two plays, including a 13-yard run.
Passing offense: D+
QB Dylan Raiola was 27-of-38 for 191 yards and two interceptions. Raiola also missed a key third down throw to Jahmal Banks where NU had to settle for a field goal. There were some new wrinkles by the Huskers in the passing game, but on nine third-down passing plays, NU could only convert three first downs.
Rushing defense: D
USC had 32 carries for 182 yards on the ground, including 19 for 146 yards from running back Woody Marks. As the game got deep in the second half, USC put things away with a 13-play, 84-yard drive that took up 7:39 off the clock. USC finished with seven runs of 10+ yards, including a 34-yard run on a critical fourth-and-1 play in the fourth quarter.
Passing defense: B-
Ceyair Wright had an interception return for a touchdown, and Ty Robinson forced a fumble out of the pocket on a scramble play. However, USC converted far too many third downs, as they had five passes of 15+ yards. The real early back breaker was on second-and-13 after the Wright pick-six Tommi Hill gave up a 28-yard pass where he was in a position to make the intercpetion. That led to a touchdown on the next play where Hill completely whiffed on the tackle.
Special team: B
John Hohl made both his kicks and Brian Buschini averaged 46 yards on five punts. The only thing the Huskers struggled in was they never were able to get good field position in the punt return game, as USC pinned one punt all the way down to the 1-yard line. The other big moment came when Wright blocked a field goal to keep the game at 21-20.
Sean Callahan can be reached at [email protected] and is heard daily at 6:45 am and 5:05 pm on Big Red Radio 1110 KFAB in Omaha during the football season. He can also be seen on KETV Channel 7 in Omaha during the fall, and each week, he appears on Nebraska Public Media’s Big Red Wrap-Up Tuesdays at 7 pm.
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Cheyenne County banned fireworks in rural areas while allowing communities to make their own decisions. Potter and Dalton both enacted local restrictions.
Potter adopted an ordinance June 22 banning fireworks within village limits and its 1-mile zoning jurisdiction. Violators face a $500 fine, increasing to $1,000 per discharge during a red flag warning.
Sidney, however, took a different approach, temporarily limiting fireworks between Wednesday and Sunday morning.
In Dawes County, fireworks remain banned, but the Mr. Fireworks display following Saturday’s Crawford rodeo received an exemption. Organizers said the show remains tentative depending on wind conditions and availability of the local fire department.
Regardless of local rules, Hohbein urged Nebraskans to pay attention to their environment.
“There are three things that are really dangerous for a wildland fire situation, and that’s hot, dry and windy. When those three conditions occur, any kind of fire can start easier, quicker, and then spread much faster,” Hohbein said.
If possible, he recommends leaving fireworks to the professionals.
While Hohbein has seen fewer public displays this year, many professional shows are becoming larger with bigger shells and additional safety measures, including dedicated safety officers and firefighters on site.
“With the hazardous conditions, let somebody else worry about those shooting off fireworks, and then just sit back and enjoy,” Hohbein said.
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LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) — After a hamstring injury during Nebraska’s baseball season, Will Jesske was advised to take it easy this summer. He is, but Jesske has found a new way to stay involved in the game.
Jesske is coaching a local legion baseball team. He is a volunteer assistant for Lincoln Hotel Group, the senior legion team for Standing Bear High School.
Jesske, a Lincoln Southeast graduate, describes himself as the “hype man” in the LHG dugout. He brings energy and enthusiasm, which players enjoy. Jesske said coaching is a way he can give back to local players while helping LHG’s coaching staff. Jesske played under Tanner Lewis and Kyle Beacom in high school. They now lead the LHG legion program.
Jesske is entering his senior season at Nebraska. He has appeared in 95 games over his career, including 33 during the Huskers’ 43-win season this spring. Jesske was injured early in the season but played through it as Nebraska hosted an NCAA regional. He hit .318 in his junior season. Jesske said he is fully healthy and credited extended rest with his recovery.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari wanted in Lincoln, accused of assaulting pregnant woman
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari is wanted in Lancaster County on suspicion of assaulting a pregnant woman in May.
An arrest warrant was filed for Ferrari on Thursday. He faces three felony charges which include first-degree false imprisonment and assault by strangling a pregnant woman.
According to an arrest affidavit, a woman from California contacted police in Lincoln on May 8 just after midnight. She told officers her daughter called for help and pointed them to Ferrari’s apartment.
Police arrived at the apartment and knocked on the door. A pregnant woman came out after several minutes of knocking with no answer. Officers said the woman was visibly upset.
She told officers that Ferrari tried taking her phone away after an argument, but she wouldn’t let him take it. The arrest affidavit shows Ferrari then dragged her off a bed by her feet.
Police think Ferrari then got on top of her and strangled her, likely until she was unconscious. The woman told police that she felt as though her throat “collapsed” and that she was “breathing through a straw.”
Once regaining consciousness, police said the woman tried hiding in a closet and contacting her mother on another device. But Ferrari followed her, pushed her onto a bed and sat on her until she apologized, according to the affidavit.
She apologized in order to be released, police said. The woman then tried to leave the apartment, but police said Ferrari dragged her by the arm back inside. She found her phone and contacted her mother, yelling “help!”, prosecutors wrote.
Ferrari grabbed the phone and hung up, according to the affidavit. The woman’s mother tried calling several more times before calling police.
Authorities transported the woman to Bryan West for treatment. Officers said she sustained injuries consistent with strangulation, including bruising around her neck and other abrasions.
Last weekend, Ferrari was arrested in Lincoln County on suspicion of flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving and obstructing the police. He was cited after a trooper chased a Corvette in the North Platte area.
Lincoln County authorities told KOLN that Ferrari is out on bond. His current whereabouts are unclear.
Court records show that the woman has filed for a protection order against Ferrari. A hearing has been set for July 7 to give him an opportunity to show the court why one should not be issued.
Previously, Ferrari was booked in Lancaster County, Nebraska for an outstanding warrant in January of this year, but those charges were dismissed later that week.
Ferrari parted ways with the Huskers in April of this year.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
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