The Banner County Fire Chief imposed a complete fire ban this week until conditions improve, including open burning, bonfires and fireworks.
Nebraska
Thursday Tim-Bits: Huskers heating up in final stretch to Signing Day
Nebraska sits at 19 commits in the 2025 class just weeks away from Early Signing Day. The Huskers are heating up, ramping up pursuit and NIL efforts as they look to put the finishing touches on the class. Here’s the latest on top targets like Michael Terry, Dawson Merritt and Jordan Allen, along with a note on the Huskers making the top group for two 2026 four-star targets and two 2026 targets set to see Nebraska in action this weekend.
Cheyenne County banned fireworks in rural areas while allowing communities to make their own decisions. Potter and Dalton both enacted local restrictions.
Potter adopted an ordinance June 22 banning fireworks within village limits and its 1-mile zoning jurisdiction. Violators face a $500 fine, increasing to $1,000 per discharge during a red flag warning.
Sidney, however, took a different approach, temporarily limiting fireworks between Wednesday and Sunday morning.
In Dawes County, fireworks remain banned, but the Mr. Fireworks display following Saturday’s Crawford rodeo received an exemption. Organizers said the show remains tentative depending on wind conditions and availability of the local fire department.
Regardless of local rules, Hohbein urged Nebraskans to pay attention to their environment.
“There are three things that are really dangerous for a wildland fire situation, and that’s hot, dry and windy. When those three conditions occur, any kind of fire can start easier, quicker, and then spread much faster,” Hohbein said.
If possible, he recommends leaving fireworks to the professionals.
While Hohbein has seen fewer public displays this year, many professional shows are becoming larger with bigger shells and additional safety measures, including dedicated safety officers and firefighters on site.
“With the hazardous conditions, let somebody else worry about those shooting off fireworks, and then just sit back and enjoy,” Hohbein said.
‘);
var s = document.createElement(‘script’);
s.setAttribute(‘src’, ‘https://assets.revcontent.com/master/delivery.js’);
document.body.appendChild(s);
window.removeEventListener(‘scroll’, throttledRevContent);
__tnt.log(‘Load Rev Content’);
}
}
}, 100);
window.addEventListener(‘scroll’, throttledRevContent);
}
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.
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
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.
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
-
Nebraska1 minute agoSome Nebraska communities ban fireworks in year marked by drought, wildfires
-
Nevada6 minutes agoHow Chinese-Americans contributed to mining in Nevada
-
New Hampshire13 minutes agoMan From Concord Arrested On Drug Sale, Subsequent Possession Charges: Concord Police Log
-
New Jersey16 minutes agoMikie Sherrill welcomes July 4 tall ships to NJ at Sandy Hook
-
New Mexico21 minutes agoWildfire smoke moves through Taos Valley, Northern New Mexico
-
North Carolina28 minutes ago
More than 60 North Carolina cases tied to parasite behind ‘explosive diarrhea’
-
North Dakota31 minutes agoPembina bridge closure, causing headaches for community members, close to short-term solution
-
Ohio36 minutes agoWhere and when to see fireworks in Central Ohio
