Good morning, Lincoln. Here’s what you should know today.
Union approves contract
Members of Nebraska's largest public employees union voted to approve a new contract with the state that includes salary increases as high as 19% for some of the 8,000 state workers covered by the contract, the union announced Monday.
The Nebraska Association of Public Employees ratified the contract, which also sets a $15 minimum wage for contract work and secures six weeks of paid maternity leave, in a two-week vote that ended Friday, the union said in a news release.
The two-year contract, which comes after four months of negotiations, will take effect July 1st.
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Refugees in limbo
The family of a Lincoln man who had been a Yazidi nterpreter for the U.S. military in Iraq during the early 2000s is again in limbo after President Donald Trump suspended America’s refugee resettlement program last week.
Nawaf Haskan’s sister and family are among 545 refugees who had made it through all the necessary screenings and who had expected to resettle in Nebraska by Oct. 1 this year. They have been living in a displacement camp in Iraq for 11 years.
The uncertainty is familiar for Haskan, whose wife was waiting to board a plane for the U.S. eight years ago when Trump served his first term and signed an executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority nations. Her plane ticket was torn up. Ultimately, she arrived in Washington a couple of weeks later.
Said Haskan: “(I feel) kind of hopeless because we've been through this before. It's been eight years since then. It's just bad timing for them."
Husker volleyball addition
The Nebraska volleyball team gave itself another option at the right-side hitter position for next fall with the addition of Baylor transfer Allie Sczech to the roster.
The 6-foot-4 Sugar Land, Texas, native announced her commitment on Sunday and will have one season of eligibility with the Huskers.
Nebraska needs a new right-side hitter following the graduation of Merritt Beason. From its high school recruiting, Nebraska added freshman right-side hitter Ryan Hunter to the roster, but she’ll be working her way back from a knee injury.
That’s it for Tuesday, Jan. 28. Stay in the know with Lincoln’s longest-standing news source at JournalStar.com and we will see you back here Wednesday.
Top Journal Star photos for January 2025
Former Nebraska head coach John Cook speaks during his coaching retirement news conference on Jan. 30 in Lincoln. Cook will be a GM and part-owner of the Omaha Supernovas.
The Legislature's Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee listens to testimony Thursday at the Capitol regarding a bill to change Nebraska to a winner-take-all voting system in the Electoral College.
The Lincoln Southwest bench, including Eedee Npimnee (front left), celebrates scoring a basket against Lincoln North Star, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Lincoln North Star.
Construction work continues near South 17th and A streets as part of the current Lincoln On the Move program previously approved by voters to build and rehab streets. The City Council has been asked to put a proposal to extend a quarter-center sales tax for the program on April’s primary ballot.
Chief Justice Jeffrey Funke delivers his first State of the Judiciary address in the legislative chamber at the Capitol on Tuesday.
Lincoln Fire and Rescue firefighters work to remove a fence to reach a recreational vehicle that caught fire Friday near 30th and U streets.
Nebraska’s Sam Hoiberg (left) and Rollie Worster wrestle the ball from USC’s Wesley Yates III on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps answers questions from honor roll and AVID students at Goodrich Middle School on Thursday. Epps shared her experience in space with students as part of a collaboration with the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum. David Seizys, a teacher at Goodrich, organized the presentation.
Elkhorn South's Lincoln Schwarz (23) defends the basket as Pius X's Cole Randall (3) and Kolbe Volkmer (44) try to gain possession of the ball underneath the rim in the first half on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025,at Pius X High School.
The Nebraska wrestling team is greeted by throngs of fans as they enter the arena to take on Penn State on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at the Devaney Sports Center.
Ray Jisa (left) adjusts his wheelchair next to his wife, Marla, on Friday at their Seward home. Due to a new state law that caps what medical equipment providers can charge Medicaid supplement plans, Jisa said replacing his wheelchair would cost him $2,500 out of pocket when it cost him nothing when he first bought one five years ago.
Matthias McKing (left), 11, helps Javar Walker, 3, decide on a piece of candy during the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally on Sunday at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Nebraska Union.
Nebraska's Tyus Wilson celebrates after winning the men's high jump event at the Graduate Classic on Jan. 18 at the Devaney Sports Center.
Lincoln Lutheran’s Trenton Ernst (left), Grant Stowell and Grant Kuhlmann defend as Ashland-Greenwood’s Cal Kissinger goes for a basket on Thursday in Ashland.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln senior Nik Barger looks through peacoats to hand out to a UNL choir member on Thursday at Westbrook Music building before the choir left for Monday's presidential inauguration.
Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett (left) celebrates after defeating Penn State’s Shayne Van Ness (center) in a 149lb match on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Braxton Meah (34) dunks the ball against Rutgers defenders in the second half on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Two parkgoers fish through the ice of Holmes Lake on Monday at Holmes Lake Park in Lincoln. Nebraska Game and Parks is reminding people to use caution and test the ice before venturing out onto frozen lakes or ponds.
Southeast Community College President Paul Illich speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Sandhills Global Technology Center on SCC's Lincoln campus on Wednesday. The new, 65,000-square-foot building, which will house a number of SCC programs, including biotechnology, electronic systems, computer information technology and design and drafting, will open to students next week.
Members of the media record Gov. Jim Pillen (bottom right) as he delivers his State of the State address Wednesday at the Capitol.
Nebraska's Christopher Minto reacts after defeating Minnesota's Andrew Sparks at 165 pounds Saturday at the Devaney Sports Center.
People attend a Lancaster County Board meeting Tuesday at the County-City Building. Opponents and supporters of a large solar farm planned for southern Lancaster County offered testimony for six hours on the proposed $600 million, 304-megawatt solar project, which Florida company NextEra Energy wants to build on 2,400 acres east of Hallam.
Zoe, 6, (left) and Betsy, 7, (right) spend time on the floor with their mother, Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln (center), during the first day of the legislative session Wednesday at the Capitol.
Volunteer Olivia Guynan takes Teddy the cat out of his cage on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, at the Capital Humane Society Pieloch Pet Adoption Center.
Nebraska State Board of Education member Deborah Neary (left) listens as her colleague Elizabeth Tegtmeier discusses her qualifications to be board president during a board orientation meeting Thursday at the Nebraska Department of Education's Lincoln office.
Lincoln Southwest’s Jayven Mitchell (left) rebounds the ball next to Lincoln Southeast’s Uzziah Sanders on Friday at Lincoln Southwest High School.
Jordyn Bahl (center) is greeted by fellow Husker athlete Rebekah Allick after she leaves the podium in the Governor's Hearing Room on Friday at the Capitol. At left is Hannah Holtmeier, a UNL student. They spoke in support of a bill introduced by Sen. Kathleen Kauth (right) that would ban transgender individuals from certain bathrooms and locker rooms in the state.
Kevin Stocker (bottom right)a Nebraska Public Service commissioner, takes a phone call on the first day of the legislative session Wednesday at the Capitol.
Logan Sweet, a newly graduated firefighter recruit at Lincoln Fire and Rescue, introduces his 10-month-old daughter Lennon to Archie, a golden lab, and his handler Samantha Wilkins, an LFR firefighter and EMT, following an LFR badge ceremony for firefighter recruits Tuesday at Lincoln Firefighters Reception Hall. Eleven recruits and three canine teams received badges in the ceremony.
In addition to taking another run at property tax cuts this year, Gov. Jim Pillen said he will seek to ban Nebraska children from social media until they are 16 years old and bar cellphones from K-12 schools.
Penn State's Jayla Oden (12) and Nebraska's Britt Prince (23) battle for the ball during the first quarter of the game on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Casey Manka with The Tree Guys works to haul a Christmas tree into a chipper at Holmes Lake Park in the parking lot west of the north softball fields on Tuesday. The city of Lincoln is providing drop-off areas for anyone wishing to dispose of their trees.
Nebraska's Logan Nissley (2) and Amiah Hargrove (33) celebrate in the fourth quarter of the game against Michigan State on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Milford's Ayla Roth (4) dives to save the ball amid Malcolm defenders on Thursday at Malcolm High School.
Brandon Lenners snow blows the sidewalk outside of an apartment complex near Old Cheney and 84th street on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025.
Pius X's Austen Davis (24) gains possession of a rebound against Omaha Skutt's Libby Shotkoski (12) and Kamryn Kasner (34) in the first half on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at Lincoln Pius X High School.
Quentin Shaw, assistant coordinator of legislative services, changes the nameplates in the Norris Chamber Friday. Senators return to the Capitol for the first session of the 109th Nebraska Legislature on Wednesday.
Lincoln North Star's Jakeyce Fowler (left) and Rieal Acin (5) celebrate during the fourth quarter of the game against Lincoln Southwest on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at Lincoln North Star High School.
