Neal Franklin

Food crisis looms: These restaurants, businesses helping to feed Lincoln With federal food aid expected to run dry, Lincoln restaurants, organizations and businesses are providing free food to the community. Here's where Nebraskans can go to find a warm meal.

Halted SNAP benefits and missed paychecks for federal workers have put people's next meals at risk.

These businesses and organizations in Lincoln are trying to help out during the government shutdown:
#LNK

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Lincoln Airport finalizes Breeze Airways incentives

Attracting a new airline takes patience... and money. The Lincoln Airport approved some final incentives to round out the package it offered Breeze Airways. #LNK

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Madonna levels up Lincoln campus with renovated research center, VR tech Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals helps people heal in many ways. New virtual reality technology at its Lincoln campus is the latest way the hospital is helping patients.

Madonna reopened a research institute on it's Lincoln campus and added new VR tech designed to help work on patients' balance and walking issues. #LNK

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Nebraska Public Power District building $1.5 billion power station near Hallam The Nebraska Public Power District is planning a $1.5 billion natural gas station in southern Lancaster County to meet growing power needs.

NPPD is building a new natural gas power station near Hallam to meet growing energy demand and requirements from the Southwest Power Pool. #LNK

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Government shutdown delays Nebraska unemployment report The Nebraska Department of Labor would have released a report detailing September’s unemployment numbers on Tuesday, but the report has been delayed because of the government shutdown.

Because of the government shutdown, the Nebraska Department of Labor won't release it's
September unemployment report tomorrow.

The August report had the state's unemployment rate at 3%.

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Lincoln business picking up pieces after car crashes into building Beatrix Mather, who purchased the metaphysical gift shop in January, is left picking up the pieces of her shop with hopes to return to business soon.

A car crashed into Bodhi Imports, a metaphysical gift shop on 17th Street, Friday afternoon. #LNK

One of the drivers involved in the crash was taken to a hospital.

From @ajohnsonljs.bsky.social:

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Historic downtown Lincoln landmark reopens with familiar walls, 'wow' factor The Gold’s Building in downtown Lincoln reopened, starting a new phase of life for the historic building. What was once a department store is now a Hampton Inn hotel.

The Gold's Building downtown opened after transforming into a hotel. #LNK

The building doesn't look like the mall it once was, but it also doesn't look like your average hotel. See what the new hotel looks like:

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Snowplows, check! Salt, check! Brine, check!: Lincoln officials detail winter prep To counter the 27 inches of snowfall Lincoln averages per year, the city has 60 snowplows on hand to clear 2,600 lane miles of streets.

Snowplows, check! Salt, check! Brine, check!: Lincoln officials detail winter prep @journalstar.com journalstar.com/news/local/g...

Downtown Lincoln store marks 50 years of heroic storytelling Trade-A-Tape Comic Center carries superhero comics along with other comics and graphic novels. The store is celebrating 50 years of business in October.

Trade-A-Tape Comic Center is celebrating 50 years this October.

Reader's favorite superhero sagas, along with other comic book genres still line the store's walls. #LNK

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Kristi Noem’s shutdown airport video not playing in Lincoln, Eppley Airports across the country received a video from the Department of Homeland Security blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. Many have declined to play it. Nebraska airports have remained unaf...

Nebraska Airports didn't receive and aren't playing a video from DHS blaming Democrats for the government shutdown.

The Lincoln Airport said they don't have screens in the TSA area to play the video anyway.

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Family-owned meat store moving into familiar Lincoln Air Park digs A grocery store in Lincoln’s Air Park is changing hands once again and will house a David City-based meats store when it reopens this year.

The Air Park area is getting a new business with Nebraska roots.

Buresh Meats has been growing in other communities in the state and is now coming to Lincoln. #LNK

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HFTF FEST - Here for the Food Festival | Lincoln NE SaturdayOctober 18, 2025 Food Truck Zone 699 K St, Lincoln, NE DaysHoursMinutesSeconds GET…

For the food trucks and tickets visit:
hereforthefoodfest.com

Keenan Eats brings Lincoln’s best bites together for a food fest Keenan Serrano, of Keenan Eats, is collaborating with food trucks across Lincoln to put on an event called the Here for the Food Festival: Taste of Lincoln on Oct. 18.

This weekend: The social media personality Keenan Eats is planning a food truck festival near downtown. #LNK

I talked to Keenan about the inspiration for the festival and his career in the restaurant industry and online.

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Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird: 'The state of our city is strong' Pointing to low crime rates and a spike in building permits, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird cast Lincoln as the "quality of life capital of the country" in a speech Tuesday.

Speaking to a crowd of city and community leaders Tuesday morning at the Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel, Gaylor Baird said Lincoln, the 72nd largest city in America, ranks in the top 15 for home buyers, renters, retirees, working moms and families — and happiness.

Double the dough — popular cookie store expanding in Lincoln The cookie store company Crumbl is getting a second Lincoln location.

The cookie company Crumbl - recently known for it's Moonbeam Ice Cream cookie - is opening another location in Lincoln. This time near SouthPointe Pavilions. #LNK

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And the winner is ... 'Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska' champ crowned The Nebraska Chamber and the NE Manufacturing Alliance announced the winner of the fourth annual “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” competition.

The "Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska" is a combine harvester made in Grand Island.

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Letter to readers: Monday print delivery changing next month Starting the week of Nov. 3, the Lincoln Journal Star will produce a printed paper six days a week, from Tuesday through Sunday.

The Lincoln Journal Star is cutting its Monday print edition.

Other papers have taken the cost cutting measure of skipping some print days, but the Lincoln paper had avoided it thus far. This will impact almost all Lee Enterprise papers.

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This fast-casual chicken chain is coming to northeast Lincoln This fast-casual chicken chain already has some locations in south Lincoln.

Northeast Lincoln is getting a Slim Chickens location.

There are three other locations in Lincoln. The chain sells chicken tenders, sandwiches and wraps along with chicken and waffles. #LNK

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Immigration services center laying off nearly 200 workers in Lincoln Almost 200 people who work for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service in Lincoln will be losing their jobs in another round of layoffs.

ITC Federal is finishing out its contract in Lincoln as previously reported with no headway on union negotiations for severance pay.

Nearly 200 workers will be laid off around Thanksgiving. #LNK

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YouTube TV reaches last-second deal to avert disruption to Lincoln channels If YouTube TV's agreement with NBCUniversal had been allowed to expire some Lincoln channels would have disappeared from the platform.

YouTube TV was set to drop NBCUniversal channels from its platform which would have affected Lincoln channels. #LNK

And then it didn't.

The actions fit a negotiation pattern that YouTube TV has had with several media companies.

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About $7.7M still needed for 'dedicated home' for Lincoln's cultural centers The Cultural Centers of Lincoln Collaborative broke ground on a new building Wednesday that promises to be a unifying location for cultural resources in the city.

The cultural centers broke ground on the project this morning.

They are still seeking about $7.7 million in funds. #LNK

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Salaries for Lincoln's top CEOs, public officials The leaders of Lincoln’s top companies are earning million dollar salaries and compensation packages.

Some of Lincoln's CEOs have 7 figure salaries.

I complied a list of executives - along with some public servants - and their compensation packages based on publicly available data. #LNK

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'It takes a village': Construction set to begin on new hub for Lincoln's cultural centers The Cultural Centers of Lincoln will soon begin construction on a new building near 22th and Y streets that will house space for the city's cultural centers.

Four of Lincoln's cultural centers are joining to build a new hub.

One director described the concept like a mall: With access to different cultural, health and food resources. #LNK

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Lincoln Airport board selects former board member as interim director The Lincoln Airport Authority board named a former board member and airport executive as the airport authority’s interim director on Thursday.

The Lincoln airport's new interim director is a familiar face: a former board member.

Meanwhile, the executive director of the airport left with a message about the airport supporting economic development. #LNK

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At least one of Lincoln's 14 Starbucks locations will close due to company cuts Starbucks is closing its location in downtown Lincoln as part of a national closure of about 1% of the company’s coffee shops.

One Lincoln location and four Omaha Starbucks are closing.

The P St. Starbucks was the chain's first location in Lincoln. Saturday is its last day. #LNK

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Booze, sex and strip clubs: Read the full indictment against Hobert Rupe Hobert Rupe, who served as executive director of the Liquor Control Commission from January 2004 until earlier this year, was named in a federal indictment this week. Read it here.

Hobert Rupe, who served as executive director of the Liquor Control Commission from January 2004 until earlier this year, was named in a federal indictment this week. Read it here.

Ex-Nebraska liquor control director accused of protecting strip clubs in exchange for sex A federal indictment alleges former Nebraska Liquor Control Commission Director Hobert Rupe worked to insulate two strip clubs from law enforcement in exchange for money and sexual favors.

Former Nebraska Liquor Control Commission Executive Director Hobie Rupe was federally indicted for steering law enforcement away from two strip clubs in exchange for sexual favors.
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KTUL among Sinclair-owned ABC affiliates not airing Jimmy Kimmel's return Sinclair said its stations will replace the late-night talk show with news programming as "discussions with ABC are ongoing" following Kimmel's suspension after his comments related to the death of Ch...

Jimmy Kimmel’s Tuesday night return to television screens will not be carried on Tulsa's KTUL channel 8 or other stations owned by Sinclair Broadcasting Group. tulsaworld.com/life-enterta...

Jimmy Kimmel Live! aired on Channel 8, which is an ABC affiliate, last night.

Bring your wildest ideas to brainstorming challenge for startups Two efforts focused on sparking the next successful startup company or big idea are joining forces for a 10-hour challenge this Saturday.

Thinkers and entrepreneurs will lock in for 10 hours as part of a "hackathon" at Don't Panic Labs.

The event hopes to spark the next big idea or startup. The challenge will kick off a series of startup focused events.

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