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.”

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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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.

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.

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

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.

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Copyright 2024 KNOP. All rights reserved.

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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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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