WILMINGTON — Mental health struggles have Wilmington’s firefighters battling more than flames. Through a new initiative, the Wilmington Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 129 plans to address their members’ psychiatric needs as they navigate their roles as first responders.

Through a partnership with Allora Rise Counseling and Therapy, the initiative aims to provide mental health support through...

LELAND — Brunswick County’s fastest-growing town is poised to expand development rules in its most vulnerable areas — a move that could reshape how and where homes are built across thousands of acres.

Following a unanimous approval that was made by the Leland planning board on Tuesday, June 24, town council will soon vote at its July 17 meeting to adopt an amendment to the town’s flood damage prevention ordinance. The goal i...

SURF CITY — A third location for the Salty Turtle Beer Company may be on the horizon as Surf City looks to lease their welcome center.

Surf City Town Council voted 4-1 to advertise a potential lease agreement with the Salty Turtle Beer Company to occupy space in the town’s welcome center during last week’s June 20 workshop. The lease proposal will return to the council for final approval in August...

SOUTHPORT — Six months after facing a projected $1.4-million budget shortfall, the Southport Board of Aldermen voted on a budget that closed the gap without raising property taxes or dipping into reserves. 

The Southport Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to adopt their FY25-26 budget a week ahead of their deadline. They approved the budget during a special meeting on Monday, June 23. 

When Southport’s budget process beg...

LELAND — A month after a townhouse exploded in a Leland neighborhood, investigators are still looking into the cause of the incident, however, they will begin cleanup now that insurance agencies have assessed damage.  

Investigators began clearing debris Thursday, June 19, from a collapsed townhome at the center of a May 16 explosion on Suncrest Way in Leland. This work should be completed by Saturday, June...

BRUNSWICK COUNTY — Millions of dollars to help fund fire department needs countywide was discussed among commissioners this week, as they also weighed implementing a fire tax in next year’s Brunswick County budget.

But in the end, the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners dismissed a proposal from County Manager Steve Stone for a subsidy of $6.8...

SOUTHPORT — The Southport Board of Aldermen voted Thursday, June 12, to table a proposed paid parking program following public opposition. 

Alderman Robert Carroll introduced the motion to table the item before the scheduled public hearing on the topic Thursday. The motion was passed in a 5-1 vote, with Aldermen Marc Spencer being...

BRUNSWICK COUNTY – Despite public opposition over traffic and overdevelopment, the Brunswick County planning board approved this week three developments to cumulatively bring 1,405 new units to the county.

But not included in the total is another 1,722 single-family units on approximately 594 acres on Hooper Road in Leland. The applicant, Colliers Engineering and Design, asked to table the proposal at the...

SOUTHPORT — Business owners in one Brunswick County town are voicing their disapproval of the board of aldermen’s consideration of paid parking in Southport, following a presentation from parking vendor Otto Connect earlier this month. The aldermen will consider tabling discussion further at this week’s meeting. 

Pamela Sexton, who has owned the gift shop Cattail Cottage for 17 years, fears if paid parking were to be im...

BRUNSWICK COUNTY — Brunswick County’s proposed budget will keep the current tax rate  going into next fiscal year, as the county continues to face a growing population.

Last month, Brunswick County Manager Steve Stone presented the $416-million balanced budget, which represents a 6.2% increase over fiscal year 2024-2025. He stated the budget would not include an ad valorem tax rate change from the current 34.2...

SOUTHPORT — Paid parking in Southport may be on the horizon. 

It was addressed at the Southport Board of Aldermen meeting on Monday, June 2. The board heard a presentation from Otto Connect, a potential vendor looking to aid the city in its implementation of paid parking zones. No vote was taken on the program.

“There are some of the board members that just want to focus on our downtown corr...

With one of the most renowned zoos in the U.S. only 60 miles away, the Lincoln Children’s Zoo can sometimes be overshadowed. However, the zoo offers the community an opportunity to connect with endangered species in the hope of fostering a connection with the animals it cares for. 

Founded in 1965, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited institution aims to be an educational family destination where parents and children can learn about and interact with nature.

As an AZA-accredited instit...

Between hoots and hollers, horses pounded across the arena of the Sandhills Global Event Center as riders competed in the Turn N Burn barrel races on March 7-9. 

With events like barrel racing, goat tying, steer riding, chute dogging and more, youth and adult participants competed for cash prizes as well as horse nutrition products. 

The Turn N Burn barrel racing series takes place at the Sandhills Global Event Center and is ran by wife and husband Shelley and Mike Schaefer of. Like this race, the...

As guests filed into conference rooms of the Nebraska Innovation Campus the Minority Health Disparities Initiative led them through talks about barriers to healthcare minority communities in Nebraska face.

The Minority Health Disparities Initiative hosted its annual Health Equity Conference Feb. 28, 2025, highlighting a variety of demographics such as immigrant and rural populations, centered on providing the Nebraska community with inclusive and equitable healthcare.

The conference offered guests, whether medical professionals or interested members of the public, opportunities to gain insight into recent research and data about what is creating barriers to healthcare for patients.

“While we face uncertain times our team of staff and researchers have continued to conduct pivotal research for Nebraska this past year,” said Devan Crawford, Minority Health Disparities research support staff member.

For 48 years, the LUX Center for the Arts has been a facet of the Lincoln community working to provide the public with an opportunity to appreciate and participate in the arts. Today, they are also helping to reestablish the University Place neighborhood as a bustling arts district. From its conception, the LUX has been a place of learning and community. That is still true today. It is the goal of Joe Shaw, executive director of the center, to make the LUX a hub for creativity that is accessible...

A joyful spirit filled the Wick Alumni Center Wednesday evening as about 88 people gathered to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s LGBTQA+ Center.

University staff, students and faculty gathered together to commemorate the LGBTQA+ Center’s history as they spent the evening conversing with one another, posing together in a photo booth and flipping through flyers, photos and articles about the center over the last 15 years.

In addition, Chancellor Ronnie Green, the...

Amid Czech folk music and socializing, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln welcomed the ambassador of the Czech Republic to Nebraska during a diplomatic mission dinner party at the Nebraska East Union on Wednesday.The goal of the event was to celebrate Czech culture in and outside of Nebraska, showcase the collaboration between the Czech Republic and the state thus far and highlight connections the Czech embassy hopes to make with the state in the future.The dinner began with a welcome of Czech f...

For the second year, the United States has recognized the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day – prompting a celebration of Indigenous culture by the University of Nebraska Inter-Tribal Exchange at the Nebraska Union on Oct. 10, 2022.

UNITE chose to celebrate the day by handing out Indigenous recipes such as fry bread and wojapi, a berry jam, to students and staff at the Nebraska Union. They shared facts about Indigenous people as well as debunked commonly held stereotypes.

“It helps people get some knowledge about us and show people that we’re just like them even though our culture is a little different,” said Jean Parker-Morris, a senior child, youth and family studies major.

Sophie James, a sophomore nutrition and health sciences major, said that the celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day is important because it brings awareness to the historical ramifications of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas and the toll it took on Indigenous populations, as well as celebrates the accomplishments of Indigenous people.

“It decolonizes our country and lets people know that Columbus was not a good person. He was a mass murderer,” James said. “We need to take those steps for everyone to be included and to support us because our voices aren’t really heard, especially on a college campus where they’re kind of suppressed.”

For 85 years, the United States has federally celebrated the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas, but with a strong push from Native Americans and activists, on Oct. 8, 2021, President Joe Biden made a proclamation stating that Indigenous Peoples’ Day would be observed nationally on the same day as Columbus Day....

The Husker Vote Coalition and Lincoln Get Out the Vote Coalition hosted their first Night of Listening event on Thursday, which aimed to broaden University of Nebraska-Lincoln students and community members' knowledge of their rights as voters in preparation for the Nov. 8 election. The event featured three speakers from organizations focused on elections and civic engagement from across Lincoln including Guadalupe Esquivel, Nebraska Civic Engagement Table’s communications and policy manager, Ke...

This story was originally published in the November 2021 Sexual Health and Safety issue of The DN.The first week of college, especially for freshmen, is often a hectic, yet enjoyable, time. It’s filled with buying mountains worth of school supplies and waiting in what seems like an endless line to pick up textbooks. It’s a week of mapping out where classes are and making sure to not be late for them. Students are able to personalize their dorms and try their best to meet new people. For many, it...

“kNOw More”, a non-affiliated University of Nebraska-Lincoln based organization focused on supporting victims of sexual assault reported an alleged fraud case of $10,960 of donations intended to support sexual assault victims.

On Sept. 22, the Lincoln police were alerted to a case of fraud at 402ink, a screen printing shop in Lincoln, Nebraska, that involved the loss of a $10,960 donation that was raised for the "kNOw More"” campaign, according to a news release from the Lincoln Police Department...

Behind chants of “Be the solution, not the pollution,” protesters applauded and yelled at passing traffic holding banners that featured a picture of the earth at a strike for climate action on the north steps of the Nebraska State Capitol Friday afternoon.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln students and community members were among those who made their presence known by holding the rally simultaneously with others around the globe. 

Embrace Lincoln, a local initiative focused on uniting Nebraskans for...

As the smell of fresh tacos and the sound of guitars, maracas and singing filled the Nebraska Union Plaza, Hispanic culture was on display for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln community.

For many UNL students, their heritage is an important part of their identity. With Hispanic Heritage Month in full swing, students have an extra opportunity to celebrate that heritage. National Hispanic Heritage Month is a month of celebration from Sept. 15-Oct. 15 that honors the heritage of Hispanic and Latin...