Top Journal Star photos and videos for July 2026
Marilyn Hooper, left, leads a group of “Pissed Off Grandmas” in songs of protest outside Bellevue West High School, where Rep. Mike Flood hosted a town hall on Tuesday.
After popping his bubblegum, Bryan DeWilde of Omaha tries to return the bubblegum to his mouth without using his hands in the bubble blowing contest during Seward’s Fourth of July celebration Saturday, July 4, 2026, in downtown Seward.
Lennox Rose Easley, playing Opal, bottom, leaps into a group picture with Harper Jo Madsen playing Skipper, top Lydia Robinson playing Annie, left, and Marley King playing Tessie, before a dress rehearsal for "Annie" on Monday, July 6, 2026, at the Pinewood Bowl Amphitheatre.
A runner makes their way along the Prairie Corridor trail with the Capitol in the distance at Pioneers Park on Monday, July 6, 2026, in Lincoln.
Ken Baldinger, dressed up as Uncle Sam, stands outside the Seward County courthouse during Seward's Fourth of July festival Saturday. The festival's theme this year was "One Nation, Many Stories" to honor America's 250th birthday.
Mary Sneed of Malvern, Iowa, paints a mural Wednesday on the west side of the Kohll's Rx's new building, 3333 O St. Sneed said owner David Kohll asked her to paint the pharmacy's founder, Louis Kohll, and include some of the items they sell to help people remain independent, like walkers, scooters and wheelchairs. “The heat has been better than it was,” said Sneed, who is painting along with her daughter, Maggie. “We just try to take breaks from the heat and will come out when it is cooler as well.”
Rosston Pile, left, throws a cupful of water at his friend Olivia Kingston at the Trago Park sprayground on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Lincoln.
Michael Moeller is lit by ceiling light as he restocks fireworks at Kracklin Kirks Fireworks Stand on Monday, June 29, 2026, in Denton. Garth Bornschlegl, manager of the stand, said fireworks sales are up by about 45% this year as Nebraskans prepare to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.
Katie Speer and Zach Witt with Bryan Young Professionals help pack a time capsule Monday at Bryan East Campus. Bryan Health placed a time capsule to mark the end of its 100th anniversary, which will remain sealed until the organization celebrates its sesquicentennial (150 years) in 2076.
Electrical Enterprises apprentice Adam Hanau, center, opens his mouth to hold a wooden block as his teammates, including lead electrician Phillip Herzog, left, pile on more during the inaugural Construction Olympics on Saturday at NeighborWorks Lincoln.
Chelsey and Jesse Nielsen, right, get married in the Sunken Gardens while surrounded by family and friends on Friday, June 26, 2026. The Sunken Gardens is honoring America's 250th anniversary with a theme inspired by the country's quilting past. "Quilts are such a huge part of America and America's 250th birthday. We got a lot of inspiration from some of the designs and concepts we saw there," said Zac Halley, supervisor for the public garden district at Parks and Recreation.
Zehana Gebremeskel buckles her daughter Rakeb Hirpesa, 4, into a car seat outside of their home on Thursday. Gebremeskel is looking to purchase a wheelchair-accessible vehicle to take Rakeb, who has a rare genetic condition, to appointments in Omaha.
The winner's prize? A trip to Croatia and a chance to win $700,000.
Joseph's College Cosmetology will shut down on July 31 when L. Jane Nims, its owner and longtime president, retires, the college said in a social media post last week.
Zoo Bar owner Pete Watters said ZooFest, the annual outdoor music festival, will continue as normal at North 14th and P streets on Friday and Saturday despite Project O Street shutting down the surrounding area.
Elizabeth-Ali Schade, the director of operations at a theater in Salina, Kansas, will take over for Morrie Enders in August.
Gov. Jim Pillen issued a memo Wednesday directing state agencies, boards and commissions to reduce state spending to help close the gap in state revenue.
Joshua Meyers got 60 years to life in prison Thursday for the slaying of Tracy Henman, a mother of four and beloved Hy-Vee worker, in October.
The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment issued a health alert for Maskenthine Reservoir and Rockford Lake after high levels of toxic algae were found during weekly sampling procedures.
Since coming to Nebraska, AJ Ferrari's year has been marked by multiple high-speed police pursuits, a felony indictment and charges of assaulting a pregnant woman.
A missing 12-year-old from Lincoln was located in Texas on Thursday after taking a bus with a friend and his friend’s mother, police said.
The residence hall, which will feature shared kitchen areas, study spaces, laundry facilities, a pickleball court, and a sand volleyball court, will be the first at Central’s Grand Island location.
Lincoln police have arrested the vice president of Yasufuku USA on an employee's report that he tried to record her with his phone under the table at a work meeting.
Cory Worrell announced his resignation, coming at the end of the 2026-27 school year, at the Waverly Board of Education's meeting Thursday.
One of the staff members sustained a serious injury that required medical treatment, including stitches for a facial laceration.
The University of Nebraska passed its 2026-27 budget in June but now may face an additional $36 million in cuts after Gov. Jim Pillen directed state agencies to reduce spending.
"From my perspective, everybody wants an efficient government. I hope every Nebraskan shares in that. But efficiency doesn't mean cutting."
The unprecedented $6 million renovation created an entirely new strategy for holes members thought they knew by heart.
Portions of four streets will close beginning Monday, according to Lincoln Transportation and Utilities.
The FBI is seeking to identify victims at Isanti Community Schools as it investigates sexual misconduct.
Nick Hegge, one of five educators across the country chosen for a multi-year fellowship, will soon help other Nebraska teachers in rural and remote communities enhance their civics lessons.
The owner and operator of the Keystone Pipeline has agreed to pay over $26 million for violating the Clean Water Act after the pipeline’s rupture in Washington, Kansas.
Jim Palmer, a retired photojournalist from Davey who now resides in Lincoln, worked across three continents and captured countless moments in 20th century history over his career.
Ibrahim Sabiel, who hails from Sudan, and Mohamad Obaed, from Syria, are bringing Crepe House to downtown Lincoln.
University of Nebraska President Jeff Gold said he wants the next permanent chancellor of the Lincoln campus to be in place by July 1, 2027.
It took months, bipartisan dealmaking and a presidential standoff, but Mike Flood’s housing bill is finally law. Here’s what it could mean for Nebraska.
More than a month later, Jen Schmidt remains in recovery from multiple broken bones as her case becomes the first in Lincoln to result in a citation under Nebraska’s revised vulnerable road user law.
Police are searching for vandals who broke 10 windows at a north Lincoln pediatric clinic over the weekend.
The City Council is scheduled to vote on final budget amendments Aug. 12 and vote on the adoption of the budget Aug. 24.
A 23-year-old parolee is facing a new felony assault charge after allegedly stomping on a man's head in the Haymarket after bars closed early Friday.
A man who drove an 8-year-old child away from a Lincoln park in what police initially described as a kidnapping has been sentenced to three years in prison for it.
On May 19, a 42-year-old woman told police she had attempted to sell a gift card on Facebook Marketplace when she was robbed.
A Valparaiso man has been jailed on allegations that he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old Lincoln girl he met online through a social networking app.
A Nebraska inmate is facing six new felony charges in connection with a physical assault and attempted sexual assault on a mental health specialist last year at the Tecumseh prison.
Nebraska Secretary of Correctional Services Rob Jeffrey announced multiple new appointments to leadership positions within the agency Monday.
Progress is being made on two 7 Brew locations slated to open this fall in Lincoln.
A former Palmyra teacher who had been nearing an August trial date pleaded guilty to sexual abuse by a school employee Tuesday in a deal with prosecutors.
Shortly after Brett Lindstrom announced his nonpartisan bid for Nebraska governor, the former Republican senator drew criticism on social media over his not-so-accurate Nebraska logo.
The Lincoln Chamber of Commerce is visiting Madison to take a close look at several food halls, as well as the city's convention center while there.
For the fourth month in a row, Nebraska's monthly tax receipts came in below economic projections, bringing the current budget deficit to roughly $223 million.
A 37-year-old man, as well as two other workers, were cleaning and making repairs inside a grain bin when the man slipped and got his leg caught in an auger.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services announced a number of changes made to increase oversight and implement operational improvements within its Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center system.
Trentae Clifton, 18, pleaded no contest to second-degree assault for what happened that night at a house party near South 40th Street and Prescott Avenue.
As debates raged on at Red Quill Tattoo about whether a hot dog is a sandwich, Ciara Fortun was crowned "Miss Hot Dog Nebraska 2026."
A 34-year-old Lincoln man has been charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a 21-year-old, court records show.
No matter the conditions, the automated feed truck developed by Agriculture Leveraging Automation Engineering can deliver the right amount of feed to thousands of cattle at the right time.
A Lincoln woman got prison time Tuesday for a violent assault last year where she stabbed a 59-year-old man between the eyes with a soldering iron.
An LPD spokesperson said the department's Criminal Investigations Unit is working to recover the deceased so his identity and cause of death can be determined.
The judge denied a defense claim that death-penalty statutes are arbitrary and capricious, an argument the Nebraska Supreme Court rejected in 2005, finding it and seven other claims raised meritless.
Former state Sen. Ernie Chambers celebrated his 89th birthday as a new Omaha exhibit highlighted his life and the lasting contributions of Black Nebraskans.
A spokesman for Joseph's College Cosmetology L. Jane Nims "checked out a lot of avenues" in recent weeks, including potentially selling the college, but ultimately decided to cease operations.
A federal judge handed a Las Vegas man over 11 years for a devastating "metaverse" scam that drained the 401(k)s of thousands of older investors, including many in Nebraska.
New federal filings offer the latest snapshot of campaign cash in Nebraska’s top races ahead of the November election.
It's official: Dan Osborn will be on the ballot this fall.
