Learn more about Beatrice's new football head coach!

Jefferson County government hosted two separate hearings Tuesday, and neither has reached a full conclusion yet.
A grievance hearing will be finalized in February, and the planning and zoning regulations in March.

Beatrice High School has a new leader of the football program. 

A traffic stop in Beatrice led to the arrest of a registered sex offender on weapons charges.

IAMS donated dog food for the Thayer County Sheriff's K-9 program.

The Beatrice Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, NGage, and Main Street Beatrice will all soon merge to create the Gage Development Coalition.

The contestants for a state senate seat in Southeast Nebraska are starting to crystallize: Crete lawyer Shay Smith officially entered the race for the District 32 seat this month.

Frigid conditions leads to added risks for departments across Nebraska.

The board voted during a special meeting to approve the superintendent contract of Roger Stumpf.

A Nelson man was arrested early Thursday morning following a reported stabbing in Deshler

The board of commissioners in Jefferson County voted in December to only meet twice a month in 2026, following a standard set by many of their peers.

That means most every agenda this year will be fairly thick. Here's our recap.

Jefferson County Deputies Arrest Two Following Fairbury Search Warrant

Nebraska four-star quarterback commit Trae Taylor will play his senior year of high school in Nebraska. 

Nebraska Special Teams Coach Mike Ekeler is departing from the Huskers and heading to USC, per sources. 

A lucky Nebraskan is about to become $50,000 richer!

Beloved police K-9 "Toro" will soon have his own protective kevlar vest.

One boy is dead after a UTV accident near Bennett Monday afternoon. 

Jefferson County native Terry Grammer is the first Jefferson County Veteran of the Month in 2026.

Ol' Red and KWBE will be broadcasting games on every day of the 2026 MUDECAS basketball tournament in Beatrice, starting with first round games on Monday and Tuesday and ending with the championships on Friday and Saturday!

The Beatrice Community Hospital & Health Center is partnering with local community leaders over the coming month to update the Gage County 2026 Community Health Needs Assessment.

FAIRBURY — The Fairbury Public Schools Board of Education has selected Roger Stumpf as the district’s next superintendent. The board made the decision during a special meeting Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. Stumpf was offered the position following

PLAYER OF THE GAME - Freeman's Shiloh Wallman

Elected officials in Jefferson County will see their salaries increase by five percent next year, then four percent in each of the three years after that.

A recently-arrested repeat offender pleaded not guilty to the three counts he currently faces, and four other defendants are set to accept plea deals in their respective cases.

Fairbury is seeking to convert the former Iron and Metal Works site into public park property.
There will be a public forum outlining the plans on Monday evening.

Jefferson County commissioner Mark Schoenrock formally filed to run for the District 32 seat in the Nebraska Senate that will be coming open after this year's session.

The city of Fairbury is set to establish an official public Facebook page that seeks to serve as a "positive, informational tool for community outreach." 

A bill in the Nebraska Legislature would expand benefits for disabled veterans

A Southeast Nebraksa tradition, almost a century strong, is set to continue next week.

A Beatrice man was arrested Monday morning following a domestic violence call.

After a large fire damaged a Beatrice staple, a way to help has been set up.

Gage County supervisor Emily Haxby was elected Secretary-Treasurer of NACO in December. She will assume the role of the body's president in 2029.

For over 30 years, the Hope Crisis Center has been there for those in abusive relationships, but now, the Southeast Nebraska nonprofit is navigating rough waters.

Construction on a bridge on the PWF Road that connects Fairbury to Pawnee and Wymore began at the start of last month.

Beatrice Basketball made took the trip north on Highway 77 Saturday to take on Lincoln Standing Bear, with both teams returning with a victory. 

A residential fire caused significant damage to a Beatrice home early Tuesday morning, displacing three tenants. 

Dorn expects the state budget, property to be the primary focus during the 60-day session.

A Beatrice man was arrested after multiple vehicle theft reports and an alleged domestic assault early Monday morning.

The Gage County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a scam involving callers posing as detention center officials.

For the second year in a row, Philadelphia Eagles center Cam Jurgens has been named to the NFL Pro Bowl. 

A former MLB talent from southeast Nebraska is taking on a new adventure in retirement. 

Beatrice Community Hospital has been recognized as one of the nation’s top general acute care hospitals, earning a four-star rating on Forbes’ inaugural “Top Hospitals 2026” list.

A passenger was arrested on a drug charge and an outstanding warrant following a traffic stop at the Beatrice McDonald's early Sunday morning.

What happens when people who have dedicated their lives to helping others are suddenly in need of help themselves? You get a turnout like on Sunday afternoon in DeWitt.

For the last five winters, Hanover preteen Brett Becker has become "Santa Brett," taking Christmas wishes from kids and raising money to help locals in the area that are fighting serious illnesses or injuries.

A 17-year-old worker died at a Nebraska hog farm owned by the governor’s family. Two investigations later, the boy’s mother is still searching for answers.

Juniors Bergen Reilly and Andi Jackson were named AVCA Setter of the Year and AVCA Middle Blocker of the year. 

The Jefferson County board will meet every other week starting with their first meeting in January.
On the table in December, though: potential salary increases for all elected county officials.

The Beatrice Police Department is debuting a new way to keep the community safe, but recently, it led to some confusion.

Gusty conditions led to disruptions on Sixth Street in Beatrice after bricks and debris from the Dempster Building collapsed on to the roadway.

Midway between Christmas and Thanksgiving, we're spotlighting some Southeast Nebraska organizations who have worked to make a difference this year.

Firefighters from multiple departments responded Monday to a fully involved machine shed fire near Liberty. 

Every December for much of the last decade, Blue Valley Community Action has set up a makeshift store to make finding a perfect holiday present possible, even for Southeast Nebraska families under financial strain.

With the 2025 rifle deer season in the books, Nebraska Game and Parks is further examining the harvest numbers, to get a better sense of the deer population in Nebraska. 

After two seasons at Nebraska, quarterback Dylan Raiola plans to enter the transfer portal, per reports. 

The Beatrice Police Department is asking for the public help in a search for a missing teenage girl. 

The Huskers bid at a reverse sweep fell short on Sunday afternoon, falling to A&M in five sets, thus, the season ends at 33-1.

How can small and mid-sized communities in Nebraska not just stay afloat, but stand out?
Business development consultant Kelly Gewecke met with the Jefferson County Commissioners this month to chart a course.

Crews were dispatched just after 11:30 Thursday night and arrived to find smoke escaping from overhead doors in the shop area.

Last week the Fairbury city council appointed Rod Coil as a replacement member - but there were some other items on the agenda as well, including a consideration to remove a nuisance violation from a citizen's record.

The Lady Orange topped the Pioneers 45-35, while the Orangemen rolled to a 71-42 victory. 

Check out our coverage plans for the 2025-26 high school basketball season on Ol' Red and KWBE, plus area TV broadcasts from News Channel Nebraska!

The Nebraska Department of Transportation is holding a public meeting to discuss changes to Highway 136 Thursday night from 5 to 7 PM in the Fairbury community building.

Tri County boys basketball coach Jeremy Siems previews the 2025-26 season ahead of tipoff vs Wilber-Clatonia on Thursday night.
Watch the game live on NCN!