COOK, Neb. (KOLN) – A man was killed in a UTV crash this week in Johnson County.

According to the Johnson County Attorney, the sheriff’s office got a call Tuesday about a side-by-side UTV crash in a field near Cook.

Paul Wilken, 68, was the only person on the UTV when it crashed. Wilken was rushed to the Johnson County Hospital and later taken to UNMC in Omaha where he died.

The Johnson County Attorney’s Office said alcohol was not a factor in this incident.

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Rutgers could make history or be apart of it for no other reason than showing up.

The Scarlet Knights will try to improve to 5-0 with their first win in seven tries against Nebraska. Whether Rutgers wins on the field, may or may not make a difference for the record books, however.

Temperatures are expected to soar to record-setting highs in Lincoln, Nebraska on Saturday, where the Scarlet Knights will be faced with preparing for a tough task on the field and tougher elements throughout the game. Forecasts call for a high temperature of 95 degrees, matched with winds of 20-30 miles per hour when Rutgers (4-0, 1-0 in Big Ten play) kicks off against Nebraska (4-1, 1-1) at 4 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium.

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“We’re always on hydration, rest and food, but we’re doubling down on that, tripling down if there’s such a thing,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said Wednesday. “And then we have some things that we do through sports science that I’m not going to get into, but however you slice it, it’s going to be rough.”

The high temperature for October 5 at the Lincoln Airport is 89 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Additionally, there has never been a day recorded over 95 degrees in October at that location, according to data compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

If an October temperature record gets shattered Saturday, it would be due to a ridge of high atmospheric pressure in the upper Midwest, combining with a high-pressure system in the Detroit, Michigan area and low-pressure system in Manitoba, Canada, creating a tight air-pressure gradient over Nebraska, according to meteorologist Joe Martucci, president of Cup A Joe Weather and Drone in Monmouth County.

“It’s going to be hot, it’s going to be windy, and it’s going to be a dry wind,” Martucci said. “It’s like a blowtorch that’s coming at you on Saturday.”

Rutgers practiced in morning temperatures ranging from the 65-70 degrees, typical New Jersey weather this week. What the Scarlet Knights will face in Nebraska may be unlike anything they’ve faced before.

“Anytime, it’s high temperatures, you need to hydrate, but when it’s dry and hot, this is like playing at UNLV or Arizona or something like that,” Martucci said. “Sweat will evaporate pretty quickly, but you won’t feel that sweat because it’s a dry heat.”

Rutgers senior defensive end Aaron Lewis said he and his teammates know what they’re preparing for from a weather standpoint.

“Coach Schiano has really been emphasizing the weather, preparation and hydration,” Lewis said. “I feel like our team has done a good job taking that seriously. We’re practicing in 60-70 degree weather here, and it’s going to be up to 99 there so it’s a completely different environment. We’ve taken every precaution for that. We’re trending up when it comes to our hydration.”

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Patrick Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com.

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The Nebraska Humane Society is closer than ever to becoming a “no kill” animal shelter after implementing changes over the past year.

Data from the national animal welfare organization, Best Friends Animal Society, showed nearly 1,700 cats and dogs were euthanized in Nebraska shelters last year, with more than 1,100 of those at Nebraska Humane Society in Omaha.

“It really is a tough topic to talk about, but they are decisions that have to be made occasionally,” said Steven Elonich, the Nebraska Humane Society’s VP of PR, Marketing and Internal Communication.

Unlike some shelters, Elonich said NHS does not euthanize for space nor based on time but will for other circumstances.

“If you have a cat who’s 17 years old that comes in with cancer, is it better to give them relief or is it better to let them spend their time suffering? If you have a dog who comes in with multiple bites, is it better for the community if we put them back out there again?” explained Elonich.

In the last seven years, NHS has increased the number of animals saved from euthanasia, from 79.6 percent in 2017 to 86.4 percent in 2023, according to Best Friends Animal Society.

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Now NHS is working to become “no kill,” which is defined as saving 90 percent of animals a year.

To help them get there, Best Friends Animal Society embedded an employee at NHS for a year.

“Best friends did an embed with us beginning in July of 2023, just ended in June of 2024. They started a number of programs and helped us with a number of programs we already have in existence to try to help us get closer to that number,” told Elonich.

New programs include Barks and Rec, which Elonich explained, “is kind of like renting a dog for a day. It gets them out of the shelter, it relieves stress, it gets them in front of more people that may otherwise not see them.”

They also started daily playgroups for dogs to help socialize them, making them more adoptable.

To prevent an overflow of cats they started a Community Cat Project.

“Kitties that are clearly not comfortable being inside cats, we’re able to trap, neuter, release, do vaccinations and get them back out there where they’re happiest and not have to look at euthanasia and those types of options for those cats,” said Pam Wiese, the Nebraska Humane Society’s CEO.

NHS is also trying to increase adoptions and reduce surrenders by offering resources, such as financial support or training.

“It’s about teaching people to be better pet owners, it’s about offering resources to help them keep their pets when times are hard, and it’s about us having best practices internally to make sure pets have the best outcome when they get out of here,” explained Elonich.

After a year of implementing these changes, the results are in. “It’s been really successful,” said Elonich.

“It (NHS) had been no-kill every month this year except for one, where they had a little bit of a dip, but they’re doing tremendously,” said Stacy Rogers, Best Friends Animal Society’s Regional Director for Great Plains and Midwest.

Elonich feels confident NHS will maintain the 90 percent no-kill benchmark for the remainder of 2024.

Rogers added, having the public support these efforts will be key to continued success.

“Getting your community to come in and foster pets when you’re full and adopt animals. Even if they’re not in the position to adopt or foster right now, support the shelter through sharing the message or making donations,” told Rogers.

Wiese said, unlike a decade ago, NHS now operates around 80 percent capacity, which is around 550 animals a day. This ensures they have room for emergency intakes and avoid getting overwhelmed with animals.

Rogers also reminds people who are looking for a specific breed to always check shelters first. “I was just at a shelter this week that had poodle mixes and beagles and a pug mix, and everything that people think they’re not going to find in a shelter are there.”

Best Friends is helping other shelters across the nation to become no-kill. Sometimes those efforts include helping change city ordinances to allow stray cats to live outside and implement community cat programs, like the one in Omaha.

States that are no kill include Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Delaware. Rogers said heavy spay/neuter initiatives were implemented on the east coast much sooner than the rest of the country, helping those states achieve that status.

The two states with the highest rates of euthanasia in the U.S. are Texas and California, according to Best Friends.

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