The Banner County Fire Chief imposed a complete fire ban this week until conditions improve, including open burning, bonfires and fireworks.
Nebraska
Nebraska Women’s Basketball Rises Two Spots in Latest Associated Press Top 25
The Nebraska women’s basketball team surged to No. 21 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 rankings released on Monday.
After a 2-0 start to the season with home wins against Omaha Southeastern Louisiana last week, the Huskers rose two spots from their preseason ranking. Nebraska handled Omaha 88-48 in their season-opening win on Nov. 4, but flirted with a near-slip against the Lady Lions on Saturday. Nebraska fought its way back to win 78-68.
The No. 21 ranking is the highest for the Huskers since being rated No. 22 during the 2022-23 season. Nebraska was last inside of the top 20 in the 2014-15 season, rising as high as No. 12.
Nebraska’s Big Ten Conference foes represented well in the top 25, with the Big Ten featuring six programs in this week’s poll. Four other teams received votes, giving the Big Ten over half of the conference representation by the Associated Press.
Big Ten favorites USC and UCLA lead the pack with their No. 3 and No. 5 ratings respectively. No. 11 Maryland and No. 12 Ohio State narrowly missed out on the top ten after the Terrapins jumped seven spots. No. 23 Illinois and No. 25 Oregon rounded out the conference’s ranked teams, as Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, and Indiana all received votes.
Seven @bigten teams are ranked in this week’s top-25 🙌#B1GWBBall pic.twitter.com/RKOSM82iNQ
— Big Ten Women’s Basketball (@B1Gwbball) November 11, 2024
The Southeastern Conference earned the top overall spot with No. 1 South Carolina continuing its traditional grip on the sport. The SEC also included three more teams in the top 10, with No. 4 Texas, No. 7 LSU, and No. 9 Oklahoma. No. 19 Ole Miss, No. 20 Kentucky, and No. 22 Alabama gave the SEC a total of seven teams featured in the poll.
The Big East has the No. 2 team in the nation with 2-0 UConn, while the Big 12 four programs in No. 8 Iowa State, No. 10 Kansas State, No. 15 West Virginia, and No. 17 Baylor. The Atlantic Coast Conference was featured by No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 13 North Carolina State, No. 14 North Carolina, No. 16 Duke, No. 18 Louisville, and No. 24 Stanford.
The Huskers will continue their home stand Tuesday night, welcoming Southern to Pinnacle Bank Arena, followed by a road test in Sioux Falls battling South Dakota at the Sanford Pentagon Saturday.
MORE: Four Big Ten Teams Featured in Latest Associated Press College Basketball Top 25
MORE: Carriker Gut Reaction: Dana Holgorsen Takes the Reins of Nebraska’s Offense
MORE: Dave Feit’s Hot Takes on the Huskers’ Holgorsen Hire
MORE: Nebraska Volleyball Libero Claims Seventh Career Weekly Award
MORE: Nebraska Volleyball Adds Another First-Place Vote, Remains at No. 2 in AVCA Rankings
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
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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