Nebraska
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.”
(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.
Nebraska
Nebraska outfielder Will Jesske coaches local legion team
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.
Nebraska
Discounted tickets for Nebraska State Fair over 4th of July Weekend
The Nebraska State Fair is celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with a special 72-hour flash sale on Season Passes.
From July 3 through July 5, fans can purchase a 2026 Season Pass for just $50—a significant discount from its regular value of $132.
The pass includes one admission per day for all 11 days of the 2026 Nebraska State Fair, making it ideal for visitors who plan to attend multiple days.
Fair officials say the promotion is one of the biggest Season Pass discounts offered in years and will not be extended.
After July 5, Season Passes will remain available at a higher discounted price.
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