Top Journal Star photos and videos for October 2026

Olympic gold medalist Amanda Beard talks mental health ahead of Lincoln visit.

Waverly School District expects to use cash reserves to complete infrastructure projects after voters rejected a $64 million bond proposal in May.

Police say 18-year-old Amya Ochoa struck a building, metal railings and another vehicle while attempting to run over a 19-year-old Lincoln man.

A 30-year-old Lincoln man accused of manipulating a Nebraska Lottery machine resulting in a loss of nearly $150,000 has pleaded guilty to two felony theft charges.

Applications are due at 5 p.m. on Oct. 28, and grant requests are allowed to be between $5,000 and $100,000.

At the fourth annual Early Childhood Summit hosted by Lincoln Littles, advocates discussed the role the state needs to play in solving the childcare crisis that is leaving families struggling.

A Lincoln man has been jailed after allegedly assaulting a stranger in an alley with a machete in August, leaving him in need of surgery to repair severed tendons.

The $51,250 donation makes Google the presenting sponsor of LPS' annual fundraising event and the champion sponsor of The Career Academy for the 2026-27 school year. 

Good Government Lincoln — a group organized in June by former Republican state Sen. Tony Fulton of Lincoln — is sponsoring three questions for Lincoln voters on the midterm ballot.

Prosecutors alleged William Ice helped restrain an inmate during an assault that knocked out two teeth. A jury found Ice not guilty.

The Department of Correctional Services said the cause of Dennis Schnmieder's death has not yet been determined, but he was being treated for a medical condition.

A truck leaning to one side on I-80 caught deputies' attention. Inside, they found 22 tons of copper tied to a suspected series of thefts.

It's been more than two decades since Devaney Sports Center hosted a concert. That changes in January when country star Chase Rice takes the stage.

A Kansas truck driver suspected of grabbing a young woman on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus and forcefully kissing was arrested Friday in Wichita on a warrant in the case. 

The nine-time Grammy winner and trumpeter visited Lincoln for his ninth and final residency at the Lied Center as he retires from leading New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Police believe the incident occurred between 1 and 3 a.m. Friday at the Harper Residence Hall, 1150 N. 14th Street.

UNK's College of Business and Technology has seen student enrollment in finance, aviation, and cyber systems rise significantly in recent years. Graduates working in Nebraska have increased as well.

Kaylee Conrad started Sincerely, Me Gifts to give out personalized gifts to her friends. Now, the company is generating more than $1.5 million in annual revenue.

Here’s a roundup of Lincoln business news this week.

Pinnacle Bancorp, the Omaha-based parent company of Pinnacle Bank, has agreed to acquire Texas-based Southern Bancshares.

Police said multiple unknown juveniles allegedly assaulted and robbed the Lincoln teenager at gunpoint.

Police believe a 32-year-old man was shot in the head and walked to a nearby house.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue responded to three residential fires over the weekend, including a garage fire that damaged two houses.

After contacting the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office to report the tires, Mary Hamer Koci learned her family’s land wasn’t the only place people were leaving tires for farmers to handle.

"He was a good guy, did a great job here," Sheriff Terry Wagner said of Craig Schnieder. "Just a life cut too short. No doubt about it."

A 26-year-old Lincoln man has been charged with arson for allegedly starting a welcome mat in his apartment building on fire.

Someone matched all five numbers from the Pick 5 drawing last Saturday.

The Lincoln Board of Education approved the purchase of additional detection devices as the school district works to prevent students from vaping in bathrooms.

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird will proclaim Oct. 20 as We Give Blood Day to encourage Lincolnites to donate and help NU compete in the Big Ten Blood Drive.

The Lincoln Board of Education discussed on Tuesday a three-year agreement with LightSpeed Systems that will give teachers more flexibility in managing students' devices and cost the district $600,300.

Teddy didn't survive. Maisie needed a blood transfusion. Two other husky mixes are recovering after all four were found starving west of Lincoln.

The Lincoln teen was taken into custody at gunpoint after a disturbance outside Lincoln Northwest High School.

Mahmoud Al-Khatib’s family will be one of six refugee families moving into affordable housing units in the new Foxtail 26 community in Foxtail Meadows.

Mirzah Meskin, 44, and his brother, Khalil Meskin, 38, both are charged with possession of psychedelic drugs with an intent to deliver for separate undercover sales at Cloud 9.

A Lincoln couple allegedly worked together to sell drugs, according to court documents.

The author behind "Culpability" is coming to Lincoln. Bruce Holsinger will discuss his novel and sign books at Lincoln High School.

A 26-year-old woman told officers she was in her vehicle when she was told to get out and held at gunpoint with a rifle.

Prosecutors charged Ronaldo Santos with first-degree sexual assault of a child, third-degree sexual assault of a child, intentional child abuse and sex trafficking of a minor.

A singing man in a tuxedo, politicians getting the hook and a catchy ballot message. Lincoln's charter amendment debate has a new musical ad.

Nebraska's attorney general won a Supreme Court fight to put three charter amendments on Lincoln's November ballot. Now his office wants the city to pay $19,000.

The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday unveiled the final four in this year's Coolest Thing in Nebraska contest. 

What was once a worn patch of grass is now a symbol of Husker pride, thanks to 130 UNL students who put classroom lessons to work.

A confrontation in a D’Leon’s drive-thru lane ended with one man hospitalized and another accused of second-degree assault.

The Lincoln Community Playhouse is bringing the glitz and glamour of the 1920s New York elites to the stage with "The Great Gatsby."

A 37-year-old has been arrested after allegedly assaulting, strangling and falsely imprisoning a woman in her vehicle last month.

Each week, Food Fort provides meals, mentorship and educational services to youth and families in four city neighborhoods: Clinton, West Lincoln, Saratoga and South Salt Creek.

The closure, due to Lincoln Electric System work on an infrastructure project, is expected to remain through Dec. 31.

Nebraska's ACT scores declined again, but state education officials say upcoming assessment results could offer a more encouraging picture.

Lancaster County attorney candidates Pat Condon and Randy Ritnour will face off Tuesday at a public forum hosted by Justice in Action in downtown Lincoln

The museum's STEM exhibit is now open for kids to try, fail and try again. Leaders celebrated the grand opening Thursday — and the siblings who helped make it happen.

Lincoln drivers, brace for more orange cones. Five road projects will close streets and lanes next week, including a busy Cornhusker Highway intersection.

All 12 of the candidates in the six competitive Lancaster County races on Nov. 3 submitted first general election campaign statements, which were due last week.

From massive mansions to expansive acreages, here are the five Lincoln-area homes that had the highest sale prices in September.

Break out the green. McKinney's is bringing a little St. Patrick's Day madness to Lincoln this October, complete with an outdoor beer garden.

A Johnson County judge Thursday found probable cause to send Dmitry Vanderbeek's case on to district court for the first-degree murder of his cellmate at the Tecumseh state prison.

A look at events in the Lincoln community.

After serving as acting chief following Gary Young's death in July, Jon Pucket has been named Crete's permanent police chief.

On Friday, the utility's Administrative Board unanimously approved a 4.5% residential rate increase for 2027 under a budget proposal first unveiled last month. 

Nebraska Missing Persons Day is observed annually on Oct. 17, the date Regina Bos went missing after leaving an open mic event at a downtown Lincoln bar in 2000.

Police used a North Dakota woman's smart watch to help narrow down the time of her killing, according to court records in Nebraska, where her son awaits extradition for murder. 

Now serving as the president of the University of Oregon, John Karl Scholz spent his early years growing up near the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's East Campus and cheering for the Huskers.

Lincoln drivers, brace for more orange cones. Five road projects will close streets and lanes next week, including a busy Cornhusker Highway intersection.

The Lincoln Choral Artists and the First Presbyterian Choir, both under the direction of Dr. Brian Pfoltner, will present music on a celestial theme.

Justin Plugge faces up to a year in prison in connection with a crash that killed 86-year-old Fernando Ortiz last November.

CD Warehouse, which sells CDs, refurbished phones and more, will shut down this week.

Monday's opening of SquareOne — a center with six short-term respite beds at 17th and N streets — was nearly a decade in the making.

A Lincoln man got a lengthy sentence Monday for sexually assaulting two young girls, with the judge calling the trial’s testimony “disturbing.”

The Planning Commission is a nine-member body that advises the City Council and County Board on planning and development matters.

Troy Jeffrey, 17, was a junior at Pius X High School and also attended The Career Academy, according to a Pius X spokesperson.

The pursuit ended when the driver of a stolen car lost control on the 56th Street exit off Interstate 80 and crashed into a pole.

The Kansas truck driver accused of grabbing a young woman on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln made his first court appearance Tuesday.

Kristen Anderson said she would bring six years of experience as the county's chief deputy treasurer to the Lancaster County court clerk's office.

The Christian Heritage program helps connect incarcerated fathers with their children through events like an art night, father-daughter dance and more.

A 24-year-old man has been charged after allegedly threatening to kill a Lincoln woman and kicking an officer in the face during his arrest.

Lancaster County has no rural data centers yet, but developers are exploring two potential sites. Now a 13-member task force is weighing regulations.

A man has been hospitalized after cutting his neck in a Lancaster County courtroom Wednesday morning, according to the sheriff’s office.

On Wednesday, Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office had five traffic signs reported missing between Sunday and Tuesday near Crete.

Lincoln's future $58.5 million central library will feature a 5,000-square-foot UNL branch focused on local history, archives and community access.

A new report by First Five Nebraska shows that the Lincoln and Lancaster County economy is losing hundreds of millions of dollars each year because of an inadequate childcare system.

Former Husker wrestler A.J. Ferrari has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he assaulted a pregnant woman at his Lincoln apartment in May.

Deputies expected a deer crash Tuesday night near Conestoga Lake. Instead, they found an elk weighing as much as 600 pounds.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly threatening two women with a knife outside of a downtown Lincoln library.

Zipline Tap & Grill closed Saturday, to make way for a new restaurant — Red Oak Tavern, named after the Northern Red Oak, which is indigenous to eastern Nebraska.

A Lincoln woman was sentenced after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor for embezzling nearly $15,000 while she was the treasurer of Morley Elementary School's parent-teacher organization.

Text STORM to 91886 to receive alerts about snow emergencies, downed trees, traffic signal outages and parking bans in Lincoln.

Drivers in south Lincoln will need another detour starting Monday as work continues on the $5.45 million South 27th Street improvement project.

A Halloween party with four DJs and an expected 350 guests at a castle near Lincoln is off after county officials raised concerns.

Eligible voters must now register in person at the office of Lancaster County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen, 601 N. 46th St.

Just before 12:40 p.m., emergency personnel were sent to South 84th Street and Foxtail Drive for a crash involving a motorcyclist.

All 12 of the candidates in the six competitive Lancaster County races on Nov. 3 submitted first general election campaign statements, which were due last week.

A look at events in the Lincoln community.

An overnight burglary at an east Lincoln sandwich shop left a glass door broken and nearly $1,000 missing, police say.

Royal Engineered Composites produces parts for aerospace and defense purposes for Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Bell Helicopter.

On Sept. 21, 2025, a woman was found unconscious in a pool of blood with significant head and facial injuries. The judge described the assault as "barbaric."

Join cultural historian Josh Kun and producer J. Period at the MusicBox as they host a performance that celebrates Lincoln's history and the people who call the Capital City home.

A $60,000 donation from Union Bank and Trust will help Lincoln Public Schools pay for technology to expand assistive communication and adapted learning access for the district's special education students.

Houston? Tampa? The Caribbean? The Lincoln Airport wants to add more flights, but it could take a while to see them takeoff.

The Cedar County Sheriff's Office said the driver of a pickup truck was ejected in a rollover crash. The driver died at the scene.  

Lincoln Public Schools students who took Advanced Placement exams in May for college credit generally performed above state and national averages, according to the school district.

At $4.37 a gallon, every dollar counts. A Lincoln church helped neighbors stretch their budgets with a gift that went beyond the gas pump.

Timothy Schaffert knows the power of a good story — especially one nearly forgotten. His dedication to Nebraska's literary heritage has earned him a new honor.

Schuyler Police say they believe a Ford F-150 pickup was involved in the crash just after midnight Sunday in the 1000 block of Road E in the Colfax County city.

Lincoln police on Saturay night responded to North 23rd and Orchard streets after receiving reports of a “wild party.”

A Lincoln man lost a front tooth after a woman allegedly threw a box containing dog ashes at his face during an argument, police say.

An Iowa ethics board issued a reprimand and suspended the license of former Lincoln Public Schools superintendent Paul Gausman related to alleged violations while leading Sioux City Community School District.

A murder trial set to start Monday has been delayed after the Lincoln teen's attorneys appealed a judge's denial of a motion to disqualify the prosecutors in the case.

Drift will be owned by Red Herring Concepts, a group that operates Fleetwood, LeadBelly and Vinyl in the Haymarket and Toast in the Fallbrook neighborhood.

The law seems clear: U.S. employers must not knowingly hire unauthorized workers. Doing so routinely can lead to fines or even prison time. But the key word is “knowingly.”

College is demanding. So is raising a baby. A new UNL fund aims to make both a little easier for students becoming parents.

The adult detention facility at 3801 W. O St. opened in the summer of 2013 and has a maximum capacity of 786.

Reports detailing fundraising and spending after Oct. 19 through Election Day aren't due to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission until mid-January.

Just a week ahead of Nebraska's midterm election, thousands of Lincoln Public Schools students got a feel for what it means to participate in the democratic process by voting.

From January through September, the department recorded 108 commercial burglaries, compared to 88 incidents reported during the same time period in 2025.

More than 5,000 children benefit from Head Start in Nebraska each year. As the federal government plans to largely deregulate the program, advocates asked lawmakers to put requirements in statute.

County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen said by the end of the day on Tuesday, his office had received about 35,000 of the 45,500 early vote ballots it had issued.

The Lincoln Sports Foundation unveiled four new volleyball courts at the newly renamed Bison Indoor Sports Center — and is now planning its next move.

A Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man is going back to prison after lobbing tennis balls and socks filled with contraband over a prison fence within days of his release. 

Lincoln children and families can earn prizes by participating in the city's upcoming 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge. 

A Greeley man who scratched off a winning lottery ticket worth $300,000 before paying at the convenience store he managed has been sentenced to three years of probation. 

A Lancaster County jury found a Lincoln man not guilty of two felony charges and deadlocked on four other counts, resulting in a mistrial last week. 

Nova-Tech's Animal Health IV Fluids was crowned king of the 16-person field in the fifth annual Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska competition.

Advocates for deaf and hard-of-hearing students said Nebraska school districts often fail to provide equal access to education and asked lawmakers to draft legislation that protects students' rights.

A neighbor heard a dog howling and crying in extreme heat. Court documents reveal new details about the animal cruelty case against a Nebraska City police officer.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will help fund a $14.6 million project along 1.8 miles of West O Street between Northwest 22nd and Third streets.

More than three weeks after four severely malnourished dogs were brought in to the Humane Society, deputies uncovered a house filled with abused animals, leading to the arrest of two Lincoln residents.

A look at events in the Lincoln community.

A look at events in the Lincoln community.

Trunk-or-treats have become a popular alternative to the more traditional Halloween trick-or-treating. But there's still nothing like going door to door, Lincoln parents say.

Carl Steffen, who has served as Lincoln and Lancaster County's chief information officer since 2025, is taking a job outside the city. 

Forestry professionals found trees at Standing Bear and Saywer Snell parks that are potentially dangerous to park users that can be removed due to damage, disease or death. 

A 37-year-old Lincoln man is accused of cutting two people whom he had met earlier that night, police say.

Have you spotted Abby and Daisy? Gage County deputies are looking for two bison reportedly stolen from a ranch outside Beatrice.

An 18-year-old texted a friend for help after allegedly being sexually assaulted in Lincoln. The friend called 911, and police arrested a suspect.

Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen predicted 52% of the county's approximately 208,000 registered voters would cast a ballot — a lower turnout than the 57.57% in the 2022 general election.

A judge has found probable cause to bind criminal charges over to district court in the case of two brothers accused of selling illegal mushrooms at a Lincoln smoke shop.

Monday, the day before the statewide general election, was the final day for early voting in person and for obtaining an early vote ballot.

She has spent nearly 13 years telling Nebraskans’ stories. Now Megan Conway is sharing her own, hoping her breast cancer diagnosis will inspire other women to listen to their bodies.

On Oct. 17, Brayan Van Meter was nearing the end of the race when he unexpectedly collapsed and went into cardiac arrest during the 40th annual Kansas City Marathon.

A Lincoln man has been accused of threatening to kill a 38-year-old woman and then showing up to her house with a rope around his neck, according to court documents.

A 39-year-old man who had been out on parole is facing more legal trouble after allegedly posting pornographic videos on social media of three women without their consent.

A statewide report found that students who concentrate in health sciences opportunities while in high school are more likely to pursue postsecondary health-related education and earn more than their peers.

Last year, children received care in such states as Massachusetts, Alabama and Virginia that local facilities either can’t or won’t provide. For kids, these separations can be jarring.

A $1.2 billion mining project in southeast Nebraska is closer to securing $840 million in federal financing. The mine could create 500 permanent jobs.

A legal challenge became a likely possibility following the Supreme Court's ruling in March against a ban on the practice in Colorado, calling it an "egregious assault" on free speech.

A California man has been jailed in Nebraska after allegedly being found with 20 tons of stolen copper in a stop on Interstate 80 near Lincoln.

A Lincoln couple has been charged with allegedly stealing more than $32,000 from local organizations where the wife served as a treasurer.