Nebraska

Powerful bow echo slams Omaha with hurricane-force winds

Published

1 year ago

August 1, 2024

Powerful bow echo slams Omaha with hurricane-force winds

PowerOutage.us reported more than 250,000 electrical outages during the height of bow echo in eastern Nebraska.

OMAHA, Neb. – Severe thunderstorms rocked eastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa on Wednesday, causing widespread power outages in the Omaha metro area.

The FOX Forecast Center described the storm system as a bow echo as it moved across the Cornhusker State’s largest city, resulting in extensive wind damage.

Tree damage after storms rolled through Omaha, Nebraska on July 31, 2024

(Douglas County Sheriff (Nebraska) / FOX Weather)

Wind gusts around Omaha’s Eppley Airfield, the region’s busiest airport, reached 90 mph.

Immediately following the storm, the airport was closed for several hours so that crews could conduct what was described as a damage assessment. The airport has since resumed operations.

Severe weather reports from Wednesday 7/31/2024

(FOX Weather)

Elsewhere in Nebraska, damage to awnings and trees was widespread, with PowerOutage.US reporting more than a quarter of a million outages during the peak of the storm.

The Omaha Public Power District, the region’s largest utility provider, said the severe weather event was the largest restoration effort in recent memory and encouraged customers to be patient while its crews began the cleanup process.

Power poles snapped during storm in Nebraska on July 31, 2024.

(Omaha Public Power District / FOX Weather)

“The windstorm that struck the OPPD service territory caused power outages to 220,545 customers,” OPPD stated Wednesday night. “There have been reports of wind gusts up to 100 mph in some areas. There is heavy tree damage and reports of downed wires across the area. Our crews are assessing the damage and are in the early stages of what is one of our largest restoration efforts as of late.”

Current Power Outages
(FOX Weather)

WHAT IS A DERECHO?

City officials in Lincoln, a town also hit hard by severe winds, reported power outages to the town’s wells temporarily disrupted water supplies and were urging residents to conserve water.

The National Weather Service office for the region indicated that most of the damage reports were from straight-line winds, but meteorologists would need to determine in the coming days if there were any embedded tornadoes in the storms.

“Clearly, the damage is extensive and intense over a huge area, almost exclusively due to straight-line winds. We have some reports of “gustnado” type of circulations, and some that will need to be evaluated for whether there are tornado damage tracks embedded within the straight-line wind region,” Brian Barjenbruch, a meteorologist at the NWS office, stated.

Despite the flurry of severe weather, local authorities did not report any deaths associated with the event.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium also reported extensive tree damage, but staff said all employees and animals were accounted for.

SEE IT: FUNNEL CLOUD PHOTOBOMBS NEBRASKA

Wednesday’s severe storms generated dozens of damage reports across the Plains and the Midwest.

Mammatus clouds grace the skies at sunset after severe weather passed through Hays, Kan. on July 31, 2024.

(Trooper Tod Kansas HP (@TrooperTodKHP / X))

The majority of the issues involved downed trees and power lines, as well as damage to roofs and windows, according to initial reports received by the Storm Prediction Center.

The region is expected to clear out from additional severe weather chances as a frontal boundary that has been slow to move finally begins its eastward advancement.

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Nebraska

HuskerOnline’s Christmas Wishlist for Nebraska Athletics

Published

11 hours ago

December 25, 2025

Press Room

HuskerOnline’s Christmas Wishlist for Nebraska Athletics

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Nebraska and Husker sports fans!

The HuskerOnline team has put together a Christmas Wishlist for Nebraska Athletics for this upcoming year. This list includes hopes for Husker football, basketball, volleyball, and recruiting. In between opening gifts and spending time with your family, dive into our wishes.

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Some wishes might require more magic than others, but Christmas time is the best day to dream.

Now, onto the wishes.

Sean Callahan’s Christmas Wishlist

Portal QB help that fits Nebraska’s needs: It’s clear what Nebraska will be looking for in the transfer portal. The Huskers want a dual-threat veteran quarterback that can help bridge the gap, potentially between TJ Lateef and Trae Taylor.

Finding the right guy ranks right up there at the top of my list.

A win vs. a ranked opponent: Nebraska has not beaten a ranked team since 2016, when it took down Oregon.

I would love to see the Huskers figure out a way to get that done in 2026. Heck, even on Dec. 31 in Las Vegas would do.

Offensive line growth: After four years of Donovan Raiola, Nebraska will turn the page on its offensive line to the Geep Wade/Lonnie Teasely era.

My wish list includes improved offensive line recruiting and development. There’s no way NU will take a step forward as a program without improvement in this area.

Clear answers to the future of college football: This is a big “if,” but my wish is to come up with clear answers to the rules of NIL and rev-share. As we sit here today, we still don’t know.

Also, hopefully, we get a modified College Football Playoff system and a season start date that might shift the calendar up by at least one week.

A March full of happiness: Finally, Fred Hoiberg has set the table so far with what will most likely be a 13-0 start heading into January.

Now, take care of business in conference play to put yourself in a position to be seeded high enough that getting the school’s first NCAA tournament win won’t be decided in an 8 vs. 9 or 7 vs. 10-type game.

Steven Sipple’s Christmas Wishlist

Joyful Novembers ahead for NU football: November is an inherently tough month in college football. The season begins to feel long for many people involved in it. In many places, the weather turns cold and nasty.

November can tell you a lot about a player. Does he fully embrace the challenges associated with big-time football? You tend to find out in this month.

November can tell you a lot about a program. The best programs often improve as the season progresses and begin playing their best this time of year.

Matt Rhule is 2-10 in November as Nebraska’s head man. Here’s hoping all of his changes in the program begin to reap more rewards in the hardest month on the schedule.

Some form of relief for Nebraska on its 2026 schedule: It’s hard not to think about how daunting Nebraska’s 2026 Big Ten football schedule appears.

One can always hope that a few of those teams experience a drop-off.

Heavens that could help Rhule in his plight to build Nebraska’s program.

Granted, it’s not a strong or confident way of thinking – it’s just realistic.

To be sure, Rhule will enter his fourth year as the Huskers’ head coach preparing to face a schedule that is sort of ridiculous. How treacherous is it? Well, it would be hard for an NU fan to look at any of the nine games and say, “Oh, that’s a surefire win.”

My advice: Embrace the pain while hoping for the best.

More All-American-caliber players for Rhule: We all saw how much impact an All-American-level player can have on a program.

Thank you, Emmett Johnson, for all you did for Nebraska’s program in 2025.

Now, Husker fans, imagine what it’d be like to have two or three or more players of All-American caliber – or at least first-team All-Big Ten caliber – on the same team. That’s what it takes to win big in the Big Ten.

Without that sort of firepower, you’re just an eternal underdog. An also ran, as it were.

Merry Christmas to all.

Robin Washut’s Christmas Wishlist

Yeah, you guessed it: A Nebraska NCAA Tournament win: Just like every year, my No. 1 wish for Nebraska Athletics this Christmas is for the men’s basketball program to finally get that elusive first NCAA Tournament win. The thing is, I actually truly believe it will happen in 2026.

The Huskers have all the makings of a team that can win in March. This is the year it happens. Speak it into existence, from our lips to Santa’s ears.

A renewed NIL commitment to Husker men’s basketball: Fred Hoiberg’s squad has become the talk of the college basketball world through the first half of his seventh season. Nebraska’s 12-0 start has been nothing short of miraculous, especially considering how Hoiberg and his staff had to construct this roster.

NU’s revenue share payout is supposedly between $3-3.5 million. That puts them roughly in the middle of the pack of the Big Ten. However, its NIL budget still ranks toward the bottom of the league. This team deserves more support through external NIL opportunities, especially if fans want these good times to keep rolling.

An elite PBA for Michigan State: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s spring semester doesn’t begin until Jan. 12. That means many students won’t be back in town yet for the Huskers’ massive Friday night showdown vs. Michigan State on Jan. 2. In a game that could be yet another signature piece to NU’s NCAA Tournament resume, Pinnacle Bank Arena needs to be rocking – students or not.

You couldn’t help but be impressed with the fan turnout for Sunday night’s win over North Dakota. PBA is already sold out for the Spartans, so it should be another packed house. This will be the first time Nebraska has hosted a top-15 matchup since No. 15 NU faced No. 10 Kansas back on March 3, 1991. Husker fans need to bring the juice and make The Vault as electric as possible.

Abby Barmore’s Christmas Wishlist

Nebraska volleyball to finally get it done: Husker volleyball had its third straight season end in heartbreak. The legendary program hasn’t won a national title since 2017. After a record-breaking first season, Dani Busboom Kelly will continue to feel great pressure for national title No. 6. My wish for the Huskers is that they finally get it done in 2026.

A smooth and successful renovation and reseat: Nebraska volleyball is going through its first-ever reseat. The John Cook Arena will undergo construction in April to increase its capacity to 10,000 and implement several other significant changes. I hope the reseating and renovation go smoothly.

More Husker volleyball in PBA: I would love to see Nebraska volleyball play a match or two in Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2026. The 2025 AVCA First Serve showed that PBA is a great volleyball venue. Husker fans will sell out any arena, in Lincoln or otherwise.

For Natalie Potts to return soon and strong: Nebraska women’s basketball forward Natalie Potts is nearing the end of her ACL rehab. The redshirt sophomore has been practicing with the Huskers, but there is no timeline for her return. She had a great freshman season, winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, and is projected to come back strong.

A Nebraska softball trip to WCWS: Husker softball was one win away from the 2025 Women’s College World Series. They have one more season with the outstanding Jordy Bahl, who proved herself as a threat all over the field last season. Head coach Rhonda Revelle has put together a great group. Can they make a run to Oklahoma City in May?

Bryan Munson’s Christmas Wishlist

Nebraska finds what it’s looking for in the portal: It starts with a quarterback, but it doesn’t end there. Nebraska could take two quarterbacks, a running back, a tackle, a guard, a wide receiver, an interior defensive lineman, a linebacker, and a safety. The Huskers have a lot to shop for this offseason.

A top-10 recruiting class: This is a tall order, but Nebraska is doing a great job right now. There are several other top recruits the Huskers are well-positioned to land, including Ahmad Hudson, Xavier Bala, Cooper Terwilliger, and others. Husker Nation would love to see a top-rated class after 2026.

Rhule gets a top-25 win: Yes, it’s coming. Nebraska needs to step out of some of these long, dark shadows and into the light. The Huskers need to shed some of the negative streaks. Speaking of…

Hoiberg gets a tournament win: I am doubling down here. Hoiberg is coaching a really fun team to watch. They are talented and selfless. It would be great to see Nebraska secure its first tournament win.

Is it too early to think about baseball?: One thing I look forward to is going to Globe Life Stadium in Arlington, Texas, when Nebraska is playing baseball. The Amegy Bank College Baseball Series begins February 20 and will feature Florida State, Kansas State, Louisville, and the Huskers. Nebraska opens the next weekend away at Auburn.

I am hopeful Nebraska can find consistency throughout the season, identify the right starters for a three-day series, win another conference tournament, and return to the CWS.

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Nebraska

Who Can Be Nebraska’s Diego Pavia? The Search for the Next Husker Quarterback

Published

23 hours ago

December 25, 2025

Press Room

Who Can Be Nebraska’s Diego Pavia? The Search for the Next Husker Quarterback

Let’s get this part out of the way first: you have to prioritize the offensive and defensive lines. Whether or not you like my preferred quarterbacks won’t matter if the linemen aren’t up to snuff! Regardless, Nebraska now needs some quarterbacks on this roster.

As people throw around their favorite Christmas movies, one movie that doesn’t get enough love is Gremlins. How can I possibly connect Gremlins to Nebraska’s quarterback search, you ask?

Well, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia kind of reminds me of a gremlin. He wreaks havoc. He’s aggressive, destructive, and mischievous. If you take the Heisman Trophy away from him, he’ll lash out as if you’ve just fed him after midnight. A volatile spirit he may be, but nobody can deny his hunger to win. In my opinion, Nebraska’s overall roster needs a little more Stripes and a little less Gizmos.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For too long, Nebraska football has lacked nastiness. Many might say “soft.” Physical and mental toughness have largely eluded the Huskers. Matt Rhule knows it. Diehard and casual fans know it. Opponents know it.

Recall Biff Poggi’s comments, the Gophers comparing Nebraska giving up sacks to Oprah giving away free cars, and Kirk Ferentz’s tearful “tougher team” statement that you shake your head at but ultimately have to agree with. Even if you personally dismiss the “soft” claim, that is the perception of Husker football right now.

Nebraska is in dire need of initiative-takers, difference-makers, and butt-kickers. Some folks call these players “dudes” or “dawgs.” I’ve personally coined the term “killaz”. The departure of Dylan Raiola and hiring of offensive line coach Geep Wade signals an opportunity for an attitude adjustment of sorts, certainly on offense.

Whether it’s been Marcus Satterfield or Dana Holgorsen on the offensive coordinator headset, the offense has been… difficult. Despite Emmett Johnson’s heroics (can’t stress enough just how great he was), you couldn’t help but feel like every yard gained through the air was like a tooth being pulled.

Jacory Barney Jr.’s talent withered on the vine. Luke Lindenmeyer was yet another in a long line of underused Husker tight ends. Although Nyziah Hunter and Dane Key made a handful of impressive plays, they failed to make others that less-heralded WRs elsewhere often do. The red zone offense was a slog.

This is largely because Nebraska doesn’t know who they want to be. Rhule bringing in Jeff Sims in year one indicated his desire to run an offense through a mobile quarterback. A combination of things threw a wrench into this desired style offense: Sims was a turnover machine who shrank when the lights turned on, his tough-as-nails backup could ONLY run, a generational five-star pocket passing legacy wanted to be a Husker (you can’t say no to that), and the hiring of Holgorsen in an effort to complement said pocket passer.

Dylan Raiola helped Nebraska to a pair of bowl berths after a long postseason drought for the program. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

To label the Dylan Raiola era a “failure” is a bit of a stretch. Back-to-back bowl games are an oasis in what had been a desert in Lincoln. In 2025, Nebraska blew out cupcakes and won close games they more than likely would have lost pre-Dylan. (Mike Ekeler’s special teams had a lot to do with those wins.) But you can’t help but feel Nebraska’s offense has been largely listless and wandering in the wilderness due to not knowing who they want to be. What do we do well?

In a close game, can we lean on something or do the sphincters get tight? Just when it seemed like they figured it out for a few minutes, they would stray away from it again. Yes, the term is overused, but it means something: identity. Nebraska lacked one. What should it be?

This author’s desired offensive identity is probably different from yours, dear reader. Simply put, I want a quarterback who runs. A lot. I’ve received flak for my love and admiration of service academy football. There’s a misnomer out there that the “option run” won’t win a lot of games in this day and age (are we still expecting national titles?). To counter this, I say we Nebraskans need to realize this is a place that generally doesn’t attract Ohio State-level WRs.

Sure, we had fun with “F’ it, Trey Palmer’s down there somewhere”… but he played on a 4-8 team. Nebraska needs a quarterback that the defense has to account for. A defender who doesn’t have to respect a quarterback’s ability to run is a defender who’s comfortable. On Black Friday, when the ball feels like a slab of concrete, and the frigid Memorial Stadium wind is whipping in all directions, can we impose our will on the Hawkeyes? Or will Iowa continue to treat us like a dog that’s just pooped in the house and shove our noses in it?

Former Nebraska wide receiver Trey Palmer | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

When it comes to portal quarterbacks, Nebraska will not have the pick of the litter. They are not getting Sam Leavitt or Brendan Sorsby. These guys want not only money, which we supposedly have, but they also want to compete for a national championship as well. That is not happening here next year. Another unattainable quarterback who would be my top choice, even above Leavitt and Sorsby, is USF’s Byrum Brown. Alas, he’s going to be an Auburn Tiger. Too bad.

Whether Matt Rhule goes for a multi-year quarterback he can develop or a one-year mercenary who can guide you through a tough 2026 schedule, the price will be a bit lower. Nebraska needs to spread the wealth this portal season, as there are numerous holes to fill on this roster. All that being said, the Huskers need to get a quarterback who is physically and mentally tough. No kidding.

Here are the key datasets I feel best exemplify that:

Start at least 1 full year – any level
Over 6’0” and 200 lbs. – to withstand the B1G meatgrinder
100+ carries – whether designed or improvised
No more than 5 fumbles – a QB who doesn’t “Sims” a lot
TD:INT ratio – INTs under 10 ideally
Winning track record – speaks for itself

Nebraska QB Targets | NBNR Table

Now, ordered alphabetically by last name, here are the quarterback possibilities that also largely fit the Pavia/King/Chambliss prototype, with one obvious exception (Lincoln Kienholz). An asterisk (*) indicates a deviation from the criteria. Note that some of these quarterbacks have NOT entered the transfer portal… yet:

Nebraska QB Targets | NBNR Table

A significant number of Husker fans have wavering trust that Rhule can even soundly evaluate quarterbacks to begin with, so allow me to go ahead and do the research for him!

As of Christmas Eve, the hottest name on the board is Michigan State’s Aidan Chiles. This begs the following questions, as it would for any quarterback he gets: Is he a “killa”? Is he going to make everyone else around him better and raise their level of play? Will he demand excellence from his teammates, even if this makes him less likable?

With the 2026 schedule being a gauntlet, can Rhule count on Chiles to use his Big Ten experience (not all of it good, mind you) to be a steady and dependable leader? When a Gopher or Hawkeye tries to clown his team… and they’d love nothing more… Will he be a docile mogwai or a hostile gremlin?

Let’s just hope Amigo’s doesn’t look to him to sell more crisp meat burritos.

Want more from No Block No Rock? Check out their YouTube channel, subscribe for weekly episodes, and visit nbnrpodcast.com for more content.

Missing Nebraska mother found dead after more than a year; Homicide case opened

Published

1 day ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

Missing Nebraska mother found dead after more than a year; Homicide case opened

article

Jerica Hamre (Credit: Lincoln Police Department)

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska authorities said they have found the remains of a deceased mother, who had been missing for over the year.

Investigators have identified a person of interest who is currently in custody on unrelated charges, and there is no ongoing threat to the community.

What we know:

The Lincoln Police Department said Jerica Hamre was found on December 17 on a rural farm in Furnas County, near Oxford.

A representative of the property’s owner was inspecting the farm in preparation for a sale when the body was discovered in a remote outbuilding.

Investigators do not believe Hamre had any connection to the property or its owners.

Her death is being investigated as a homicide.

What we don’t know:

The investigation is now entering its next phase, focusing on how and when she died and identifying who is responsible for Jerica’s death.

What they’re saying:

“LPD [Lincoln Police Department] wants to thank all of you — thousands on social media — who shared about her disappearance, called in tips and kept her story in the news,” authorities said in a Facebook post.

The backstory:

Hamre was reported missing from Lincoln on July 3, 2024.

What you can do:

Anyone with information is asked to call our non-emergency number at 402-441-6000. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600, report online at lincolncrimestoppers.com or download the free P3 app.

The Source: Information in this story was provided by the Lincoln Police Department. This story was reported from Los Angeles.

Missing PersonsNebraskaCrime and Public SafetyNews

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