Good morning, Lincoln. Here’s what you should know today.
Pillen back at work
Two weeks after he was hospitalized with seven broken ribs, a fractured vertebrae and a partially collapsed lung after he was thrown from a horse, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is back at work — with a battered body but a new frame of mind.
The 69-year-old governor, who also suffered minor lacerations to his spleen and a kidney when he was thrown from the horse while riding with family Dec. 22 near Columbus, has returned to the Capitol "more focused on the things that really matter for my family and for people and for the state of Nebraska," he told the Journal Star in a sit-down interview Monday in his Capitol office.
Said Pillen: "I'll be honest. I was in a bad way, and all I could do is pray. I was hoping God gave me another chance. Because for a while there, I thought I was saying goodbye."
Gov. Jim Pillen and first lady Suzanne Pillen introduced Jewel Rodgers of Omaha as the fifth state poet in Nebraska history at a Capitol news conference on Monday.
Watching from the sidelines — or what is better known as the front row in the Governor's Hearing Room — was Rodgers' proud father, Nebraska Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers.
A spoken word poet, Jewel Rodgers said she hoped to make poetry accessible and relevant to all Nebraskans, including by using other art forms in addition to words on a page.
Huskers land transfer
The Nebraska football team continues to work in the transfer portal, landing its 14th transfer of the offseason late Sunday night.
That's defensive back Jamir Conn, who spent the past two seasons at Southern Illinois. Conn's natural position is cornerback, and he logged 57 tackles last season.
Conn has ties to the program. He played in high school for Nebraska assistant coach Jamar Mozee at Lee's Summit North in the Kansas City area. He was teammates with Mozee's son, Isaiah, who is an incoming freshman wide receiver.
That’s it for Tuesday, Jan. 7. Stay in the know with Lincoln’s longest-standing news source at JournalStar.com and we will see you back here on Wednesday.
