LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The community in Sterling is starting the long road to rebuilding after a fire torched St. John Lutheran Church.
Around 7 p.m. Friday, a neighbor near the church called 911 as smoke poured out of the building.
Mike Hestermann, a council member at the church, said he got there as quickly as he could.
“When I first got there, you could see heavy, heavy smoke,” Hestermann said. “It was coming out of the windows in the basement, the front doors, the back doors. At that point, there was just smoke everywhere.”
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Firefighters worked for hours to put the flames out.
SEE ALSO:Crews investigating church fire in town southeast of Lincoln
“The basement of our church is pretty much gone,” Hestermann said. “The sanctuary had very little burn damage but extensive, extensive smoke damage and water damage.”
The church was built in 1930, and according to Hestermann, the state fire marshal suspects it was an electrical problem that sparked the fire in the basement.
There’s no estimate on the total amount of damage yet.
Jenna Pelchat is also a member of the church council.
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She said it’s hard to walk in and see everything that’s been lost.
“Memories flash back in your head right away of all of the times you’ve been down there and what it used to look like,” Pelchat said. “Just sad with all of the history that’s in the church and rebuilding it will be different.”
But she said they will rebuild.
The church started a GoFundMe to raise money for the costly process ahead.
“You know, this happened for a reason, and I think that out of it, we will become better and stronger for it,” Pelchat said.
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In the meantime, the congregation is meeting for regular services at the Sterling Community Center.
There’s no timeline yet on how long it will be before they can return to the church.
Hestermann said the council is grateful for the support from the community and all the fire departments that responded.
“Just makes you proud to be from a small town where stuff matters,” he said.
The community gathered at St. John on Sunday morning to ring the bell in remembrance of memories made at the church.
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Tags: Church, church fire, electrical fire, Fire, Fire damage, fire marshal, flames, smoke, St. John Lutheran, St. John Lutheran Church, sterling, Sterling church fire, Sterling Community Center
The Nebraska Department of Revenue, Property Assessment Division (DOR), reminds property owners that the Nebraska Homestead Exemption Application, Form 458, and all required forms and documentation must be filed with their county assessor on or before June 30, 2026.
The homestead exemption provides relief from property taxes by exempting all or a portion of the taxable value of the residence.
The State of Nebraska reimburses counties and other governmental subdivisions for the property taxes lost due to homestead exemptions.
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In Nebraska, a homestead exemption is available to the following categories of property owners:
Persons age 65 or older before January 1, 2026;
Qualified disabled individuals; or
Qualified disabled veterans and their surviving spouses.
Some categories are subject to household income and residence valuation limitations. The income limitations are on a sliding scale based on filing status and homestead exemption category.
Homestead exemption forms and information are available at revenue.nebraska.gov/PAD/homestead-exemption. For more information on the homestead exemption program, please contact your county assessor or DOR at 888-475-5101.
ALLIANCE, Neb. (WOWT) – Carhenge, a replica of the world-famous Stonehenge made of old cars, opened in the Nebraska Panhandle in 1987.
According to Visit Nebraska, it was constructed in Alliance by the Jim Reinders family in memory of his father during a family reunion.
Carhenge also includes sculptures made of old cars and car parts.
It is open year-round and free to visit.
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