The first Husker football game in Lincoln is on Saturday, and traffic delays are expected for anyone traveling in the area. 

Motorists are advised that there will be lane restrictions on US-77 between South 12th Street north of Cortland and L-55W (Warlick Blvd.) in Lincoln. Expect traffic delays and drive with caution.
 
Game day travelers should note that four hours before game time, at Exit 401, southbound traffic (I‑180/Highway 34) headed downtown will be merged to the left lane allowing I-80 exit traffic the right lane to go downtown. After the game, the right lane will be closed at the I-80 eastbound on-ramp (I‑80/I-180) to allow the downtown traffic on I-180 to merge onto I-80.
 
Motorists are also advised that the northbound Superior Street on-ramp to I-180 will be closed after each home game. This allows for traffic from I-180 downtown to keep moving faster without having to watch on-ramp activity. 
 
Motorists are reminded to buckle up and pay close attention to the increased traffic both before and after Husker football games. Use 511 resources before you travel to be aware of possible construction. Call 511 or 800-906-9069 and follow the prompts. 511 is available on the web at www.511.nebraska.gov.

A series of robocalls have been going out to Nebraskan’s throughout the state today. The round of calls going out today show a caller ID number for NPPD’s Beatrice Power Station. Many Nebraskans are then calling BPS back to question the call. NPPD believes the scammers are ‘spoofing’ this caller ID in an effort to make the scam call appear more legitimate.
 
The recording is threatening the caller with having their power shut off and that they need to call back an 800# in order to pay their overdue bill. This call and number are not legitimate and are an attempt to scam folks into paying for a bill that is not legitimate. No one should make any payments if contacted by phone.  NPPD only communicates with overdue customers by mail.

UPDATE: The alert has been cancelled. Leo Pezdirtz has been located.
* * * 
An elderly man with dementia has gone missing in eastern Nebraska, and an endangered missing advisory was issued Tuesday night. 

The Omaha Police Department is attempting to locate, Leo Pezdirtz, an 85-year-old, white male, who is approximately 5’ 10" tall, approximately 140 pounds, with white hair and hazel eyes. His clothing is unknown.

Pezdirtz went missing from the 3600 block of South 75th Street in Omaha, Nebraska, and was last seen at 11 a.m. on July 23, 2019. He is possibly driving a red 1999 Honda CR-V bearing Nebraska plate VRC600.

​He suffers from dementia and known to frequent the area of 90th and Center as well as the Platte river area in Sarpy County. If you have any information, please call 911, or contact the Omaha Police Department at 402-444-5818 immediately.

Nebraska is currently leading the nation in votes for the best looking cruiser contest.

A Nebraska State Patrol cruiser pictured in front of a tornado is out in front with 46,048 votes — 16.95 percent — in the annual Best Looking Cruiser Contest, sponsored by the American Association of State Troopers. Michigan is in second with 37,405 votes. Voting closes on July 30 at 2 p.m.

If you would like to cast a vote, you may vote for your favorite cruiser here.  (scroll to the bottom to vote)

Nebraska State Trooper Clint Zost snapped this picture of his Dodge Charger Police Interceptor after reporting a tornado near Richardson County in May. The twister was an EF3 that lifted just a few hundred yards from the Nebraska-Kansas border.

Troopers like Zost are trained for severe weather situations. They often watch for rotation in the clouds during storms, and when they spot tornados, they contact dispatchers to sound sirens in the nearby communities.

Temperatures are expected to spike this week and an excessive heat watch has been posted in the eastern half of Nebraska for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, according to the National Weather Service. 

Heat indices will approach 110 degrees thanks to temps close to 100 degrees and dewpoints in the lower 70s, meaning it will be both hot and humid especially between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. Children and older adults will be at greatest risk.

Staying cool, keeping hydrated, and moderating outdoor activities during hot weather can help Nebraskans decrease the potential for heat-related illness, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

The risk for heat-related illness and death is higher for infants and the elderly, whose internal thermostats do not regulate body temperature well. People with chronic medical conditions, outdoor workers and people who exercise outside are also at increased risk.

Your best defense against heat-related illness is prevention. Use these tips to stay safe and healthy during a heat wave:

Stay Cool

• Wear loose, light-colored clothing and sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher).
• Don’t get too much sun. Sunburn reduces your body’s ability to dissipate heat.
• If you don’t have air conditioning, go to a public building where you can cool off.
• Electric fans may provide comfort, but when temperatures reach the high 90s, fans won’t prevent heat-related illness. Take a cool shower or bath or move to an air-conditioned place.
• If outdoors, slow your pace and take frequent rest breaks.
• Try to limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.

Keep Hydrated

• Drink plenty of water and don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink.
• Avoid alcohol and limit drinks with caffeine.

Remember Others

• Check on elderly friends and neighbors. Make sure they’re staying cool and hydrated.
• Never leave children or pets in a parked car.
• Pets can suffer from heat-related illness too. If your pet spends its days outside, make sure it has plenty of fresh water and shade.
• Playground equipment can get very hot so parents should do a touch test before letting their children play on it and be sure kids wear shoes to protect feet from hot pavement or surfaces.

Stay Informed

• Check your local news for heat advisories, alerts and safety tips.
• National Weather Service’s heat index shows how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in with the temperature
• Learn the symptoms of heat-related illnesses.

Heat exhaustion can develop following exposure for several days to high temperatures. Symptoms include rapid heartbeat, cold, pale clammy skin, nausea, dizziness, weakness, and fatigue.

​Heatstroke, the most serious heat-related illness, is a medical emergency characterized by a body temperature of 103 degrees or greater. Symptoms include hot, red skin, rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, disorientation, delirium, and coma.

​

The Nebraska State Patrol has issued an endangered missing advisory for a missing teen who suffers from a medical condition and may be in danger.

The Boys Town Police Department is attempting to locate, D'Angelo Bravo who is a 16 years old, white male, approximately 5’ 3" tall, approximately 124 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, and wearing a blue hoodie with black sport shorts. Bravo has a tattoo on the right side of his neck with the words "Jayden" and tattoos on his knuckles with the words, "Vida" and "Loco."

​Bravo was last known to be in the vicinity of the Boys Town, Nebraska, at approximately 9:30 p.m., July 14, 2019. Bravo suffers from a medical condition and has not taken his medication, which puts him in danger. If you have any information, please call 911, or contact the Boys Town Police Department at 531-355-2622, immediately.

​Two people wanted in connection with a possible homicide in Nebraska were arrested Sunday night after a brief standoff with law enforcement.

Jefferson County Sheriff Sorensen announced in a press conference that Justin Crenshaw and Caitlyn Grable were located and a county hostage negotiator talked them out of a house via a public address system.

At approximately 4:15 p.m. on July 7, Jefferson County Communications received a 911 call regarding the two subjects that were wanted in connection to a possible homicide under investigation by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol. 
 
Sheriff’s units were dispatched to the residence at 1504 D Street in Fairbury.  With the assistance of the Thayer County Sheriff’s Office and Nebraska State Patrol, a perimeter was set up and several nearby houses were evacuated. 
 
A hostage negotiator with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office used a public address system on a patrol vehicle to make contact with the two subjects.  At approximately 5:30 pm, a male and a female exited the front of the residence.  Both were taken into custody without incident.  They were identified as Caitlyn Grable, 21, and Jerry W. Gilbert, 25, both of Odessa, TX.  Gilbert has been identified in connection to the possible homicide investigation.  
 
Continued investigation has determined that Justin Crenshaw, previously sought in connection to this case, was not involved in the incident. 
 
The investigation is still ongoing.  Authorities with multiple agencies are still looking for the victim and the silver Honda with TX license plates. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office believes that there is no threat to the public at this time.