Nebraska

The seven people shot by a neighbor at their Nebraska home were Guatemalan immigrants

Published

2 days ago

July 2, 2024

The seven people shot by a neighbor at their Nebraska home were Guatemalan immigrants

A Guatemalan family who was targeted by their neighbor in Nebraska told police that the man had tried to start a fight and “flipped them off” five weeks before he shot seven people at their home last weekend.

The neighbor, Billy Booth, 74, was found dead of a self-inflected gunshot wound at the family’s home after the Friday attack, which the Nebraska State Police is investigating as a possible hate crime.

All seven, including four children, have been released from the hospital, police said.

In the earlier incident on May 21, the family called police to report that Booth was calling them names, but no direct threat was made, according to the department.

Officers took statements from family members but they were “not interested in being involved in a legal dispute,” according to the police report.

A rosary is seen through a damaged vehicle window (Chris Machian / Omaha World-Herald via AP)

Police said Booth, who is white, had been involved in previous conflicts with several of his white neighbors, as well as the Guatemalan family.

Dave Hansen, who lives next door to Booth, said he did not believe the shooting was racially motivated.

“I don’t care what the police say, I lived next to that guy for 10 years. and he wasn’t racist,” Hansen said. “But I feel very lucky he didn’t shoot me.”

Hansen said Booth fired a shotgun at members of the Guatemalan family after some kids walked onto his property to retrieve a soccer ball.

He said Booth often antagonized residents over decreasing property value.

“Anybody who didn’t take care of their yard, he was all over you,” Hansen said. “The last seven years were hell.”

The seven victims were from the state of Huehuetenango in Guatemala and of mixed legal status to be in the U.S., according to the Guatemalan Consul General’s Office in Omaha.

At the time of the shooting, a family gathering was taking place at the home, authorities said. Two of the victims worked at the Smithfield Foods meatpacking company in Crete, the consul general’s office said.

“We are thinking of and concerned about members of our team who have been affected,” Smithfield spokesman Jim Monroe said in a statement. “We hope they will focus on family and recovery at this time.”

Police said calls concerning Booth and the family date back to 2021, most being complaints from Booth regarding “driving behavior.”

During the altercation in May, Booth told members of the Guatemalan family to “go home” or “back to where they came from” and to “speak English,” police said.

Billy Muñoz, consul general of the Guatemalan Consulate in Omaha, said his office would do what it could to help the family.

“Unfortunately, (the) consulate is taking into account that it is an election year where it’s like hate will be more frequent,” Muñoz said.

Saul Lopez, interim executive director of Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim, a nonprofit that supports Indigenous people in Nebraska, said many immigrants have had trouble adjusting to life in the state.

“Nebraska is a very difficult environment for immigrants,” he said. “It is not an ideal place where immigrants can move into. It is a very hard place because a lot of people do not like immigrants at all.”

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Nebraska

Seward welcomes thousands for sprawling 4th of July celebration

Published

4 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

Seward welcomes thousands for sprawling 4th of July celebration

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Every year, a Fourth of July celebration sweeps over the entire city of Seward, which is considered a national and even international destination during the holiday.

A whole year of planning goes into upholding old traditions and creating new ones.

“It takes a village to put on this celebration,” Clark Kolterman, the chair of the Seward 4th of July Celebration Committee, said.

The celebration is also a boon for Nebraska businesses.

“We just love the atmosphere here,” Linda Whited, a crafter from Omaha, said. “It’s really nice. And we do sell a lot of things.”

Around 200 vendors—peddling everything from clothes to crochet animals—lined the Seward County Courthouse lawn, which meant a lot of money changing hands.

“My husband and I are crafters; we run a business,” Culleen Bauer, who helps put on the craft show, said. “We depend on this show to bring this 100,000 people into town to keep our small business going.”

Every year, a Fourth of July celebration sweeps over the entire city of Seward.

The day featured a host of events, including the time-honored apple pie eating contest and a massive parade.

Pie eating champion Brian Coffin, from Kansas, has made Seward his Independence Day destination for more than three decades now. People came from as far as South Korea and Australia, according to Kolterman, and he said he’s glad to see the festival grow into what it did.

“It’s our identity,” Kolterman said. “You know, Wilber is the Czech Capital. Ogallala is the Cowboy Capital. Lincoln is the Star City. Seward was looking for an identity.”

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Nebraska

Mostly sunny skies to finish the workweek, with cooler temperatures across Greater Nebraska

Published

11 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

Mostly sunny skies to finish the workweek, with cooler temperatures across Greater Nebraska

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – For our Thursday, July 4, highs will be near 80 with mostly clear skies throughout the day and evening hours for some fireworks.

A spring like temperature day across Greater Nebraska.(Maxuser | Justin Craft)

Friday we will be sunny with highs in the lower 80s, which is a little cool for this time of year as average highs are approaching 90Saturday there is a chance of rain/thunderstorms in the morning and then sunny skies in the afternoon. Then the chance of rain/thunderstorms returns for the night, highs near 80.

A chance of rain/thunderstorms Saturday morning across Greater Nebraska.(Maxuser | Justin Craft)

Sunday a chance of rain/thunderstorms throughout the afternoon, highs near 77 to finish the weekend.

A chance of rain/thunderstorms for Sunday.(Maxuser | Justin Craft)

Monday and Tuesday also bring mostly sunny skies as the dry pattern continues. Temperatures continue to rise to start next week, as we will be in the mid- to upper 80s. Wednesday sunny skies and highs in the upper 80s. Next Thursday sunny skies and highs near 89.

A cooler than normal next seven days across Greater Nebraska.(Maxuser | Justin Craft)

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Nebraska

Top 40 Huskers for 2024: 36-40

Published

19 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Press Room

Huskeronline On Recent Nebraska Football Commitments, In-state Recruiting & Trev Alberts Parallels

With Nebraska’s 2024 season around the corner, the HuskerOnline team voted on the Top 40 Husker players going into Matt Rhule‘s second season in Lincoln.

The voting criteria were to rank the players based on their importance to the team, overall talent, and future potential for the upcoming season. Our voters focused specifically on the 2024 season, not future seasons, a player’s long-term importance, or future talent.

The voting panel consisted of HuskerOnline publisher Sean Callahan, columnist Steven Sipple, senior writer Robin Washut, and staff writer Abby Barmore. Each voter submitted their own Top 40 list from which the votes were tallied.

We kick off our annual Top 40 Huskers for 2024 with players 36-40, which features a mix of returning veterans and promising underclassmen.

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Nebraska receiver Alex Bullock (Photo: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports)

40. Alex Bullock, WR, Jr.

In many ways, Alex Bullock was Nebraska’s most consistent wide receiver in 2023. While his role catapulted after a handful of key injuries in the room, the former walk-on made the most of his opportunity.

Bullock appeared in every game for the Huskers last season, including making eight starts. He ranked third on the team with 15 catches for 221 yards and a touchdown.

NU has significantly upgraded the depth and talent in its wideout room this offseason, which explains Bullock’s ranking in this year’s Top 40. But you know what you’re going to get from the former Omaha Creighton Prep standout on every play.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
NR	26th	NR	NR

Nebraska defensive back Jeremiah Charles (Photo: Casey Fritton/HuskerOnline)

39. Jeremiah Charles, DB, RFr.

Jeremiah Charles’ stock has risen exponentially over this offseason. He stole the show during Nebraska’s Football Dunk Contest at a Husker basketball game in February, and his momentum hasn’t slowed down since.

On the football field, Charles found his footing in the defensive back group. He came to NU in 2022 as a wide receiver but switched to DB early on.

He’s now become one of the top options at cornerback. One year after his position change and getting to digest the defensive scheme, Charles could have a big 2024 season.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
NR	36th	38th	33rd

Nebraska defensive lineman Riley Van Poppel (Photo: Ken Juszyk/HuskerOnline)

38. Riley Van Poppel, DL, So.

While some of Nebraska’s true freshmen defensive linemen eased into last season, Riley Van Poppel jumped right into the fire. The former four-star recruit out of Argyle, Texas, played in 11 games and finished with five tackles, a TFL, a half sack, and one quarterback hurry.

He’ll once again be a depth piece in 2024 after the returns of seniors Ty Robinson and Nash Hutmacher. But that hasn’t stopped Van Poppel from preparing to be the Huskers’ next anchor on the d-line.

He’s put on 10-15 pounds this offseason and is up to around 290. With NU limiting Robinson and Hutmacher all spring, Van Poppel also took full advantage of a significant practice workload. The sophomore should be a fixture in the d-line rotation and ready to take the baton in 2025.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
34th	33rd	37th	NR

37. Janiran Bonner, WR, So.

One of the bigger surprises of the spring was Janiran Bonner‘s quiet switch from a tight end/fullback to a wide receiver.

The move raised eyebrows after the sophomore showcased his skills during Nebraska’s spring game. Bonner had four catches for 58 yards, highlighted by an impressive touchdown grab in the scrimmage.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder came into the Huskers as a wide receiver and caught 50 balls for 816 yards as a high school senior. He’ll still be used as a Swiss Army knife in NU’s offense, as he took his first snap of the spring game at fullback.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
36th	31st	NR	35th

Nebraska offensive lineman Henry Lutovsky (Photo: HuskerOnline)

36. Henry Lutovsky, OL, Jr.

Injuries decimated Nebraska’s offensive line last season, and Henry Lutovsky was a key reserve who helped keep the unit together.

The junior guard played in all 12 games and made two starts at right guard against Purdue and Iowa. The 6-foot-6, 325-pound native of Crawfordsville, Iowa, has made 26 appearances and four starts over his first three seasons as a Husker.

It remains to be seen where Lutovsky will end up in NU’s offensive line pecking order in 2024. However, his experience should give him every opportunity to remain a fixture in the rotation up front.