Jenna Ebbers

'It just came overnight' — Planned Nebraska ICE detention center raises fears in McCook Days after the sudden announcement that a state prison in McCook would be transformed into an ICE detention center, the community in the small town is still searching for answers.

Days after Gov. Jim Pillen announced McCook as the site for a new ICE detention center last week, questions, fears & rumors continued to swirl around the rural town in southwestern Nebraska.

"Town's not for it," one man told me. @journalstar.com
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'It just came overnight' — Planned Nebraska ICE detention center raises fears in McCook Days after the sudden announcement that a state prison in McCook would be transformed into an ICE detention center, the community in the small town is still searching for answers.

Red Willow County Commissioner Charles Fritsche has received multiple phone calls from concerned constituents, worried it will bring “hardened criminals” close to the community.

“Town’s not for it,” he told the Journal Star.

From @ebbersjenna.bsky.social:
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'A legend': Scott Wieskamp shaped Lincoln Public Schools' footprint for quarter-century Scott Wieskamp, LPS' longtime director of operations, is preparing for retirement, leaving behind a mark in every school in the district.

Three bond issues. Nine new schools. A new district office. Countless renovations.

In over 25 years, the head of operations
@lps.org touched every building and facility districtwide. He battled cancer. Ran marathons.

Now, he's retiring. @journalstar.com
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50 years after her father died, a Lincoln woman is on a search to hear his voice A Lincoln woman and her family is searching for any stories, memories or details of their father, Barry McDevitt, a Lincoln teacher who hosted TV programs for students.

Nearly 50 years after his death, a Lincoln woman still remembers her dad as kind and goofy. A good singer and organist. A dedicated teacher.

But there's one thing that has since faded away: his voice. And she hopes to hear once it again. @journalstar.com
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Report: Nebraska school district spent over $100K on golf memberships, trips, gift cards Throughout a 13-month span, the Isanti Community School district allegedly spent thousands of taxpayer dollars on gift cards, golf memberships for admins and a senior class trip to Florida.

The school district charged more than $100,000 to its 14 credit cards on golf course memberships for admin, a class vacation in Florida, trips to the nail salon and dozens of gift cards worth nearly $5,000.

“This is beyond disturbing."

@journalstar.com

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LPS, other Nebraska schools to lose funding for local produce after USDA cuts The USDA's funding cut will also impact child care centers throughout the state who planned to join the program thanks to an expansion plan approved last year.

Cuts at the USDA include $340,000 for Nebraska schools -- including several public and private schools in Lincoln -- to buy fresh produce from local farmers.

From @ebbersjenna.bsky.social:
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The @journalstar.com is hiring a breaking news reporter! The Journal Star is a great place to work with a collaborative, tight-knit newsroom. Come work with us!!
us242.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePor...

Priest who taught at Lincoln Pius X High School under investigation for sexual misconduct The Diocese of Lincoln placed the Rev. Joseph Bernardo, a long-time Pius X teacher, on administrative leave after he reported sexual misconduct to a counselor, the diocese said.

A teacher and priest at Lincoln Pius X is being investigated for sexual misconduct with students after self-reporting to his therapist. More w/ @journalstar.com
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Lancaster County Sheriff's Office: Homicide not suspected in Tyler Goodrich case Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said an autopsy will be done, but he is confident Goodrich's death was not the result of a homicide.

Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said an autopsy will be done, but he is confident Goodrich's death was not the result of a homicide.

Child care centers across Lincoln work to implement standard security protocol Nearly eight years ago, a Lincoln child care center employee had to act fast when a strange man entered the building. Now, she's helping other centers implement standard security protocol.

Nearly eight years ago, a Lincoln child care center employee had to act fast when a strange man entered the building. Now, she's helping other centers implement standard security protocol.

DOGE funding cut causes UNL teaching students to lose scholarships After the Department of Government Efficiency cut funding to a UNL program aimed at improving teacher recruitment and retention, 16 teaching students have lost full-ride scholarships to the university.

After the Department of Government Efficiency cut funding to a UNL program aimed at improving teacher recruitment and retention, 16 teaching students have lost full-ride scholarships to the university.

Dave Bundy, Lincoln Journal Star editor, tackled cancer twice with grace, grit Dave Bundy battled a rare bile duct cancer, called cholangiocarcinoma, which has a five-year survival rate of under 20%, but he survived more than eight years. He died Sunday.

This has been a difficult few days for the @journalstar.com team. Our editor, Dave Bundy, died Sunday after a long battle against bile duct cancer. He was 57. journalstar.com/news/local/d...

'Incredibly disappointing' — Families worry after Nebraska joins suit against disability protections Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers is one of 17 Republican attorneys general across the country to join the lawsuit, which states that a long-held law mandating disability protections is unconstit...

For a UNL student, who was diagnosed with autism as a child, an 'essential' law has provided crucial disability protections for him throughout his education.

Now, a lawsuit joined by Nebraska threatens to take that away. More w/ @journalstar.com
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'Incredibly disappointing' — Families worry after Nebraska joins suit against disability protections Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers is one of 17 Republican attorneys general across the country to join the lawsuit, which states that a long-held law mandating disability protections is unconstit...

Nebraska AG Mike Hilgers joined a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn Section 504, which requires schools make accommodations for students with disabilities.

@ebbersjenna.bsky.social reports on the growing concern among affected Nebraskans:
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Lincoln Airport’s plan to limit hangar misuse worries some renters The airport is limiting airplane construction lasting more than two years. Renters worry this could result in evictions. Officials said they would work with tenants while removing inactive tenants.

A thread of recent airport news #LNK:

Hangars are meant for planes, but that isn't always what happens. The airport is cracking down on hangar misuse, but that worried some renters building planes.

Here are those worries and some interesting projects.

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Lincoln doctor’s own experience helps him aid spinal injury patients Dr. Paul Krabbenhoft, who suffered a spinal cord injury himself, tries to be open with Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals patients about his injury while helping them recover from their injuries.

When Dr. Krabbenhoft was 12 he fell out a tree, breaking his back.

Now he helps people with similar injuries and connects with them because of his experience.

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Man arrested after attempting to break into McPhee Elementary Students at McPhee Elementary were placed into lockdown Wednesday afternoon after an unknown man attempted to break into the school.

A man was arrested this afternoon after attempting to break into McPhee Elementary with a bike. Staff immediately called the police and placed students into a lockdown. More w/ @journalstar.com
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Trump's promised tariffs on Mexico, Canada, China loom over Nebraska farmers Trump didn't immediately impose tariffs, but he proposed tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico and China, which could cause retaliation, affecting Nebraska’s agricultural industry.

We've seen tariffs and trade wars before. Here's what a second round of tariffs could look like for the Nebraska farm industry.

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The Rules Committee advanced two small, noncontroversial changes to the permanent rules on Tuesday, steering clear of measures that could have caused early fireworks this session.
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Construction in the area could start as soon as 2028.

Right now the project is in a design phase and awaiting environmental checks. #LNK

The Lincoln Board of Ed has officially named John Skretta,
@lps.org's chief lobbyist, as the long term interim superintendent: "It's such a privilege to be able to step into this role." more w/ @journalstar.com
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Independent Lincoln liquor stores worried about more big-box competition Many of Lincoln's local liquor stores are bracing from more big box competition in the form of national chain Total Wine & More.

Big box stores vs. local retailers is a a classic standoff. With another large store coming to town here's how this looks for liquor stores:

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