Nebraska
Wisconsin teen found safe, man arrested thanks to stranger in Nebraska
MILWAUKEE – A pregnant teen from Beaver Dam will return home safe after weeks of searches and investigations, which spanned multiple states, thanks to a tip from a stranger nearly 500 miles from home.
The backstory:
An Amber Alert was issued in Wisconsin after Sophia Franklin was last seen at her home on Feb. 2. At the time, she was 16 years old and three months pregnant. Amber Alerts were later issued in Arkansas and Missouri.
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The teen was found on Wednesday – her 17th birthday – near Omaha, Nebraska. She was with 40-year-old Gary Day, who is now in custody. Police said he is the father of the unborn child, and the two began talking online roughly a year ago.
How were they found?
What they’re saying:
Nearly 500 miles from Beaver Dam, the “see something, say something” mantra ended the search for the missing teen.
“They observed an adult male and juvenile female, and they just thought it was suspicious – that maybe they just didn’t go together,” said Lt. Dennis Svoboda with the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office.
After talking with the teen, a 911 caller went online and saw an Amber Alert for her, along with a photo of the man investigators said she was with.
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“They provided false information, some variety of names. Our people ran them through databases, couldn’t find them,” Svoboda said.
That is, Svoboda said, until a mobile fingerprint scanner confirmed Day’s identity, and he was taken into custody.
Dig deeper:
Police said Day was seen on surveillance near Franklin’s home in February. His booking photo looks a lot different from the photos shared in police social media posts and prior Amber Alerts.
Beaver Dam Police Department
“He definitely was trying to elude investigation and subsequent arrest, which makes him even more problematic,” said Stan Stojkovic, professor emeritus of criminology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Day also changed license plates on the car he was driving, and Svoboda said the two may have hitchhiked around the country. That’s partially why Stojkovic gave kudos to all involved law enforcement agencies.
“This is a victory for law enforcement,” he said.
In custody
What’s next:
Day remains in custody in the Sarpa County Jail, where he faces misdemeanor charges. He has outstanding child abuse charges in Arkansas against a different child, on top of felony charges in Wisconsin tied to Franklin.
FOX6 News asked the Dodge County District Attorney’s Office about extradition for Day but did not hear back by the deadline for this story.
The Source: FOX6 News interviews Lt. Dennis Svoboda with the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and Stan Stojkovic, professor emeritus of criminology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Information from prior coverage of the case was also referenced.
Nebraska
Mandatory evacuation orders for area near Crawford, Fort Robinson
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered near Crawford, including Fort Robinson State Park, as the South Fork Fire continues to spread in western Nebraska.
According to the City of Crawford, evacuations are currently underway for an area north of Crawford that includes the area south of Dodd Road, west of Dodd Road, and FF Street.
Fort Robinson has also been evacuated.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission said Fort Robinson State Park and Peterson Wildlife Management Area have been temporarily closed due to the fire.
The fire has burned approximately 9,000 acres and is currently 0% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Nebraska Game and Parks said the park and the WMA will remain closed until further notice to support firefighting operations and protect public safety.
Nebraska
Nebraska State Runner-up and Futures Finalist Matt Brailita (2026) to Swim for Johns Hopkins
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Omaha, Nebraska native Matt Brailita is headed to Baltimore in the fall. He announced his commitment to Johns Hopkins University earlier this spring, writing on social media:
“I am very excited to announce my commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Johns Hopkins University ! I’m extremely grateful for everything my family, friends, and teammates have done to support me every step of the way. A special thanks to Coach Tom and Coach Andy for always pushing me beyond what I believed in. Also a huge thanks to Coach Scott and Coach Chris for giving me this opportunity of a lifetime. GO BLUE JAYS!”
Brailita swam for Omaha’s Millard North High School under coach Andy Cunningham. He wrapped up his senior season with a pair of runner-up finishes at the 2026 NSAA Championships, earning lifetime-best times in both the 200 IM (1:50.84) and 100 breast (56.01). He also notched a PB in the 50 free (20.76) while leading off Millard North’s 200 free relay in prelims. He anchored the same relay in finals, splitting 20.01. Brailita leaves Millard North High School as a 10-time State medalist and a multiple-event team record-holder. He was 2026 Metro Conference champion in the 100 fly and as a member of 2 relays, and he was nominated for Metro Omaha World Herald Swimming Athlete Scholar.
Brailita swims year-round with Greater Omaha Aquatic Leopardsharks under coach Tom Beck. In addition to IM and breast, he excels in fly and free. In March, he competed at Columbia Sectionals, where he finaled in the 50 free (15th), 100 breast (11th), 50 fly (8th), 100 fly (10th), and swam prelims in the 50 breast (8th) and 200 IM (10th). He left the meet with new PBs in the 100 free (46.30), 50 breast (26.25), 50 fly (22.51), and 100 fly (49.86).
Last summer, Brailita hit LCM lifetime bests in the 50 breast (30.81), 100 breast (1:06.84), 200 breast (2:29.93), and 200 IM (2:11.12) at Madison Futures, making finals in the IM. He opened the 2026 long-course season with a pair of PBs (24.83 in the 50 free and 27.09 in the 50 fly) at the GOAL Sprint Cup in April.
Brailita will join the Blue Jays’ class of 2030 with Alistair Guth, Finn Nelson, Lukas Funderburk, Matthew Ko, Nicolas Aldana Huelga, Samuel Zhang, and William Thurk. His best times would have scored in the ‘A’ finals of the 200 IM, 100/200 breast, and 50/200 free, and the ‘B’ finals of the 100 free and 100 fly at the 2026 Centennial Conference Championships.
Best SCY times :
- 200 IM – 1:50.84
- 100 breast – 56.01
- 200 breast – 2:06.83
- 50 free – 20.76
- 50 free relay split – 20.01
- 100 fly – 49.86
- 200 free – 1:41.83
- 100 free – 46.30
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Nebraska
Nebraska pitcher enters transfer portal
Nebraska right-handed pitcher Cooper Katskee entered the transfer portal on Monday night. Katskee had a tremendous junior season for the Huskers.
He served the roles of both midweek starter and a beacon reliever for Nebraska. He began his career with the Indiana Hoosiers and stayed there from 20223 to 2024. He then transferred to Miami (Ohio) before landing in Lincoln.
Katskee posted a 5.71 ERA over 63 innings. One of his best performances of the regular season came against Omaha on March 3. He struck out 10 batters across six scoreless innings.
This is the fifth departure for the program in the transfer portal. Nebraska has made several solid additions as well, looking to revamp the roster after a successful season.
Katskee certainly made valuable contributions in Lincoln, and it will be exciting to see what he does in his next chapter.
Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire (https://twitter.com/CornhuskersWire) on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebook (https://www.facebook.com/CornhuskersWire) to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.
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