Matt Olberding

2 weeks ago | nebraskapublicmedia.org | Matt Olberding

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signed the $11 billion state budget for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, but not before taking out his veto pen. The governor vetoed four line items in the budget, calling them “necessary to honor our commitment to fiscal restraint.” The biggest veto from a funding standpoint is an $18 million cut to a cash fund reappropriation for recreational upgrades at Lake McConaughy.

2 weeks ago | nebraskapublicmedia.org | Matt Olberding

The recent rains that drenched much of the state have convinced Nebraska officials to lift burn bans that have been in place for several weeks. Gov. Jim Pillen on Tuesday announced that he was going to let a burn ban he implemented on May 9 expire as scheduled at midnight. Pillen had originally instituted the ban, which covered the western three-fourths of the state, after a controlled burn broke out into a wildfire near Ainsworth during warm, dry and windy conditions.

2 weeks ago | nebraskapublicmedia.org | Matt Olberding

A regional airline that opened an aircraft maintenance base in Lincoln less than two years ago and within months doubled its size is now shutting down and laying off all its employees. CommuteAir, which flies regional jets for United Airlines on routes to smaller airports, said in a Monday letter to the Nebraska Department of Labor that it will be closing the operation by July 18, “due to operational challenges and business needs.”Approximately 100 people will lose their jobs.

3 weeks ago | nebraskapublicmedia.org | Matt Olberding

A man struggling with mental illness killed his entire family and then himself over the weekend, according to the Nebraska State Patrol. The State Patrol said in a news release that the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office was sent to a residence at Johnson Lake in a rural part of the county about 9:45 a.m. Saturday morning and found four people dead inside the home.

1 month ago | nebraskapublicmedia.org | Matt Olberding

The three men killed in a plane crash last month near Fremont were taking a quick sightseeing flight along the Platte River when they hit power lines, federal officials said in a preliminary report released this week. According to the report from the National Transportation Safety Board, 43-year-old Jeff Williams and his wife had arrived safely at the Fremont Municipal Airport around 8 p.m. on April 18 after flying from Moundridge, Kansas.