Lincoln police found a 14-year-old girl who had been missing since Wednesday.
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Top Journal Star photos and videos for April 2026
City Council member Sändra Washington, left, peruses a book alongside Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, right, on one of the city's new bookmobiles Tuesday outside Eiseley Branch Library Branch Library. Lincoln City Libraries rolled out two new bookmobiles, replacing an aging bus and expanding service to neighborhoods, schools and community events across the city and county.
Rep. Mike Flood presented his congressional report to the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce at the Wilderness Ridge Golf Club on Tuesday.
Nebraska celebrates with outfielder Mac Moyer (17) after his home run on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at Haymarket Park in Lincoln. Nebraska beat Penn State 8-7 to win game one of the weekend series.
Jonathan Pfeiffer hangs "Wizard of Oz"-themed decor Friday at Parrish Studios as part of a promotion businesses in the Parrish Project are putting on to lure visitors during Project O Street roadwork. Pfieffer's son, Gabriel, recently moved into a studio in the building.
Justice in Action members Danielle Parrish, left, and Michael Kocher line up marshmallow Peeps during an event highlighting the cost of jail overcrowding in front of the County-City Building on Wednesday. Each Peep represented one person who could be in a diversion program but instead is in jail.
Holding a large wooden cross, Christ Lincoln pastor Aaron Hutton (right) leads prayer with church members April Hickox (center), 9-year-old Taylor Pickett (center-left) and Michael Hickox (left) at the base of the Nebraska State Capitol on Friday on K Street. A rotating group of members carried the 8-foot walnut cross, weighing about 60 pounds, through Lincoln in observance of Good Friday and to commemorate the crucifixion of Christ. “It’s a gentle reminder of God’s incredible grace,” Hutton said.
Kate Pulec, who took care of DT for a few summers, gives him a kiss during a birthday and "retirement" celebration for the 30-year old horse at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's East Campus Animal Science Complex on Tuesday. DT was donated to UNL in 2008 and became "probably the number one teacher" of riders on UNL's equestrian team.
Pius X's Lucas Newton (7) goes up to celebrates a homerun with Anthony Iburg (12) as huis other teammates gather to join in during the ninth inning at the Sandhills Global Youth Baseball Complex on Monday, March 30, 2026, in Lincoln.
Framed by a door leading into the hearing room, Gov. Jim Pillen, right, holds a roundtable briefing with members of his cabinet at the Capitol on Monday, April 20, 2026, in Lincoln.
Lincoln Southwest student Lyndee Walker, left, fishes with about 30 of her classmates during a P.E. class practicing the fundamentals of fly fishing at Holmes Lake on Tuesday. “Anytime we can get outside and not be in the gym is a good day,” P.E. teacher Lis Brenden said. Lincoln Public Schools is set to host a fishing tournament on Friday. “It is really nice to get outside and not have to sit inside a stuffy classroom or gym for the whole day,” Walker said. “Especially on a nice day like today."
Liz Shea-McCoy, project chair of the Pershing mural historic preservation committee, left, and Luke Holle, owner of Superboy Construction, place the first mosaic square of the Pershing Mural on a new massive concrete wall during a ceremony at Wyuka Cemetery on Monday, April 20, 2026, in Lincoln. “To see that little square up there, I am just beyond proud of the project and the Nebraskan’s that helped to make it happen,” Shea-McCoy said. “Sometimes it takes a village, but in this case it took the whole state to make it happen.” The mosaic, which consists of more that 763,000 individual 1-inch square tiles, is expected to take about 60 days until completion weather permitting, accord to Luke Holle.
Amanda Banghart, owner of Spa De Da, right, gets help from her friends and family as she moves inventory out of Painted Tree Boutiques' SouthPointe Pavilions location. Painted Tree announced Tuesday it was closing all 61 of its locations across the U.S.
Jordan Miller, 3D objects curator for the Nebraska State Historical Society, removes a life mask of Abraham Lincoln from its storage container at the Nebraska History Museum. The sculpture is from the life mask made by artist Leonard Volk in 1860. In 1886, a committee was formed to purchase the original casts and present them, along with bronze copies, to the National Museum in Washington. Additional bronze copies were presented to the committee members. This copy was a gift to General John J. Pershing in 1920 from Douglas Volk, the son of the artist.
Members of the 2026 Super-State basketball teams include Kylee Paben (Millard West), Macie Reiner (Bennington), Halle Dolliver (Malcolm), Ani Leu (North Star), Levi Webb (Papio South), Sawyer Smith (Ogallala), Nate Kelley (Scottsbluff), Makkiah Sanders (Southwest) and Uzziah Sanders (Southwest, not pictured).
Wild Child Daycare students Octavia Hampson, 8, helps Imani Swindell, 2, plant blue windmills on the Lincoln Mall to raise awareness for child abuse prevention month on Friday, April 10, 2026, in Lincoln. Around 300 Blue pinwheels were planted on the Lincoln Mall by United Way of Lincoln and their community partner to raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month, which recognized as April. Volunteers and community members are often invited to help plant the pinwheel garden to demonstrate support for local families. “When we think about child abuse prevention, we think about things like hotline calls, cases, but child abuse prevention is more broad than that, “Kristen Derr, community coordinator at United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County, said. “ (Child abuse prevention) is about showing up early for families and the work that goes on underneath the surface to make sure that those cases are prevented. It is hard to know how many cases have been prevented, because that is not something you show. I think this event goes a long way in the community to communicate that there is a blanket that is wrapped over the community, trying to help everyone and our children thrive.”
Grand Island’s Julian Campos (16) and Gabriel Sanchez (15) leap to head the ball against Lincoln East’s Caden Carpenter (9) off a Lincoln East corner kick on Friday, April 10, 2026, at Seacrest Field in Lincoln. Lincoln East beat Grand Island 3-0.
Cynthia Mbagwu (left), a second-year English master’s student, rakes leaves in a yard alongside second-year educational studies Ph.D students Abisola Aiyeole (center) and Omolara Oni (right) during UNL’s 20th annual Big Event on Saturday in the Woods Park Neighborhood.
Origami artist Linda Stephen (center) makes a final adjustment on a giant crane she folded with sister(s) 11-year-old Elizabeth Owens (left) and 7-year-old Mary-Kate Owens (right) during a crane-folding workshop on Saturday at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Lincoln. The free workshop, open to ages eight to 98, hosted about 20 attendees for a hands-on lesson on making origami cranes to take home (or to contribute to the public art installation “1,000 Birds of Peace,” which will be unveiled May 2 at the fifth annual Holy Trinity Arts Festival, 6001 A St.
Volunteer mechanic David Schoenmaker works on the front wheel of a refurbished bike on Tuesday at the Lincoln Bike Kitchen on 308 S. 21st St. The Lincoln Bike Kitchen provides free refurbished bikes to people in need around the community. “I enjoy the hands-on work, but also I appreciate the mission,” Schoenmaker said.
Derek Driver, 42, skates at the city's new skatepark near Seventh and N streets. It’s amazing — I love it,” he said of the park. “It’s life changing.” The park will be one of the main amenities in the park in the South Haymarket city officials intend to call Canopy Yard.
A shot by Lincoln Pius X’s Abby Dickinson sails past Omaha Skutt Catholic’s Grace Scheer (01) into the net on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at Lincoln Pius X High School in Lincoln. Lincoln Pius X beat Omaha Skutt Catholic 2-0.
Lincoln East’s Dele Odulate (42) gets back up from second to steal third on an error during the baseball HAC Championship on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at Den Hartog Field in Lincoln. Lincoln East beat Grand Island 1-0.
Tracy Johnson and her husband Scott took over Alchemy, which is inside the Apothecary Building in the Haymarket, at the beginning of the year. The couple moved to Lincoln from Colorado to be closer to family.
Construction worker Vincent McIntyre uses a vacuum truck arm and pressure washer to dig a hole to locate underground utilities along O Street at 14th Street on Thursday. The city will host a block party at the intersection April 30 to promote businesses during street closures.
Lincoln East’s Harper Ross (13) and Elizabeth Burhoop (4) tackle each other to the ground in celebration after the game on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at Seacrest Field in Lincoln. Lincoln East beat out Lincoln Southeast 2-1.
Norris’ Wyatt Fortner (9) congratulates Bryce Fountain (24) after Fountain’s homer during the EMC Conference Championship on Friday, April 17, 2026, at Lynn R. Pruess Field at in Bennington. Bennington beat Norris 10-7 to claim the title.
Scarlets junior Madi Lundy cheers on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Haymarket Park in Lincoln. Nebraska beat USC 12-2 by run rule in the seventh inning.
Nebraska infielder Case Sanderson (14) looks skyward as he trots in a homer on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Haymarket Park in Lincoln. Nebraska beat USC 12-2 by run rule in the seventh inning.
Former Nebraska volleyball head coach John Cook, center, laughs with his team roping partner, Jim Brinkman, left, and 14-year-old roper Oliva Doggett on Saturday during the John Cook Team Roping Classic at the Sandhills Global Event Center. This was the second year that Cook has held the roping event featuring riders and horses. The event helped raise money for the Nebraska College Rodeo Scholarship Fund.
Six-year-old Roscoe Lambert (right) runs the ball under defense by 6-year-old Jack Wilson (left) during a spring-season NFL FLAG football game on Tuesday at the Lewis Ballfields in Lincoln. Hosted by Lincoln Parks and Recreation, the 5-on-5 youth league spans kindergarten through eighth grade, with a six-game season that began in mid-March.
Lincoln Southeast head coach Marco Sapien addresses his players on the hillside at the half on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at Seacrest Field in Lincoln.
