Good morning, Lincoln.

Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach saw a 96 percent rise in pantry visits from January to July and served 10,000 meals in July.

The organization asks for shelf-stable donations — cereal, canned meat and soup — accepted at the back of the building weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

A contractor struck a gas line while installing tree irrigation near 13th and O streets, causing a partial downtown shutdown on Thursday; Black Hills Energy stopped the leak and some sidewalks remain closed until panels are fixed.

Sideshow Spirits, Lincoln’s only distillery, won gold medals in all three whiskey categories at the North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition.

The feat highlighted its standout bottles (including Nebraska, a bourbon made with local corn) and marked its debut in a nationwide contest.

KOLN 10/11 collected multiple awards on Tuesday, Aug.

12 for community service, investigative reporting, sports, and podcasting at the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Pinnacle Awards Banquet + the station was also named a finalist for Station of the Year.

On Thursday, the Board of Regents approved a 4.25% increase in state funding for the University of Nebraska System’s 2027-29 biennial budget and allocated millions to research and technology initiatives while eliminating select degrees and certificates.

Current students in affected programs may finish their courses (details pending).

Representatives from Raising Cane’s, Lincoln Public Schools, and the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools presented a $400 check and donated school supplies on Thursday morning to boost students as they start the new school year in Lincoln (the funds were raised at local restaurants).

Nebraska community colleges will not face Gov. Pillen’s 5% spending cut until mid-2027 after the Community College Future Fund remains protected, pending Legislature approval.

College officials have adjusted budgets to offset previous funding reductions.

Drake Amen began kindergarten at Humann Elementary on Wednesday with light-up sneakers, a dinosaur lunchbox and matching bracelets as he made two friends before lunch.

His mother, a school counselor at the school, celebrated his milestone in the lunchroom.

Lincoln voters will decide in November on a measure to approve a proposed North Lincoln volleyball complex near 30th Street and Folkways Boulevard; the $17M project will include eight courts (expandable to 12) and youth programs, with state funding via a turnback tax and private contributions.

Lincoln tailor 92-year-old Demetrios Deligiannis works daily on the seventh floor at Union Bank Place (near 13th and O streets) where he hems jeans and fits wedding attire; he says he is not ready to retire yet.

Nebraska’s top volleyball team is set to start its 2026 season with high-profile matches at AT&T Stadium and Wrigley Field, and coach Dani Busboom Kelly expects the squad to shine at the Red vs. White Scrimmage on Saturday, Aug.

16.