Nebraska
Reverse auction in Nebraska allocates unused and withheld broadband money – Broadband Communities
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Winning bids from a reverse auction announced last month by the Nebraska Public Service Commission will help fund a broadband buildout to more than 1,100 previously unserved households in the state.
By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
Four entities have been awarded nearly $21 million to provide broadband capable voice service to rural areas of Nebraska where carriers Frontier and Windstream have traditionally provided only voice service, according to a recent announcement by the Nebraska Public Service Commission.
The auctions redistributed Nebraska Universal Service Fund support “that was either unused or withheld from the two companies,” the commission’s March 26 announcement stated.
The Nebraska Public Service Commision’s announcement reported that the commission awarded $5,726,880 of the $5,845,893 available in support for Windstream areas, and $15,235,366 of the $15,996,054.50 in funds available for Frontier areas.
Entities to win bids in the reverse auction included Great Plains Communications, the Hamilton Consortium, Midstates, and Pinpoint Communications.
Nebraska Public Service Commission Chair Dan Watermeier was happy with the outcome of reverse auction, the agency’s release stated.
“The bids awarded will help these companies connect unserved households in rural Nebraska,” he said.
The approximately $3.54 million awarded to Great Plains Communications in the reverse auction will help the company provide high-speed broadband fiber services to 310 households in the state, an April 10 announcement from the company announced.
“We applaud the Nebraska Public Service Commission for facilitating this reverse auction program to maximize available broadband funding to benefit more communities,” said Joe Pellegrini, the president and COO of Great Plains Communications. “We are looking forward to bringing high-speed fiber broadband services to more residents in these unserved areas of the state.”
Great Plains Communications detailed areas where their funding will go towards, and listed rural areas of Columbus, Hebron, Kearney, Madison, Mead, Monroe, Nebraska City, Palmer, Seward, and Superior.
A full catalog of areas that were awarded bids is available at the Nebraska Public Service Commission’s broadband map, which is available here online.
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LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – On this day in 1930, a new addition was hoisted atop Nebraska’s Capitol Building.
The statue of “The Sower,” modeled after the traditional method of hand-sowing grain for planting, stands 19-and-a-half feet tall.
It was created by New York sculptor Lee Lawrie.
The Sower is represented as a barefoot man, with his sleeves and pant legs rolled up as he works.
It stands as a symbol of the importance of agriculture in Nebraska.
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Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
GRETNA, Neb. (WOWT) – A new recreation area opened Thursday in Gretna, honoring a notable Nebraska Native American while reducing flooding risks.
The Sergeant Mad Bear Recreation Area, located just off 168th and Giles, was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The park is named after Sergeant Mad Bear, a Pawnee warrior who lived in the area during the 1860s. He was wounded in battle and became the first Native American in the country to receive the Medal of Honor.
“This lake that we’re here for is named after one of our soldiers. And a revered soldier,” said Pat Leading Fox, head chief of the Pawnee Nation Chiefs Council.
Honoring Pawnee heritage
Leading Fox said he was honored to see Mad Bear’s name live on at the site.
“He’s a Pawnee member. He’s a member of the band that I represent, Skidi Band, S-K-I-D-I. And to stand here, you know, where he could possibly have, you know, walked, you know, really is touching,” Leading Fox said.
For Leading Fox, the park represents more than a place to relax.
“This is our homeland here so you I always say home, we’re home,” he said.
Dual purpose: recreation and flood control
The park also serves as a flood reservoir, one of many managed by the Papio Missouri River NRD.
“This is part of a larger plan to control flows downstream. It works in conjunction with the levees and with the other reservoirs,” said Ian Ghanavati of the Papio Missouri River NRD.
The reservoir is currently empty but designed to fill with rainwater.
“Where the rock is, where you can kind of see the edge of the earth, that’s where the shoreline will come up to. We just need some rain to fill it,” Ghanavati said.
Community amenity
The empty reservoir has not deterred park visitors, who are already using the area’s other amenities.
Jen Boswell, a park visitor, said she uses the walking trail regularly.
“They just put in the trail from our street down to the path here. So yeah, I try to come down and walk at least three times around,” Boswell said.
Boswell said she is looking forward to using the park more as it develops.
“Walk, play, ride our bikes, scooters around here, fish. I think you could even put maybe like a kayak in here once it’s ready. So it’s going to be a great addition to the area for sure,” she said.
Sergeant Mad Bear is the second reservoir to open in the Papio NRD, following the Forest City Reservoir which opened last fall.
Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
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