Top Journal Star photos for December 2023
Bia Espinoza, owner of Susa's Sweets & Balloons, stands at her pop up shop located inside Union Bank Place on Thursday.
Nebraska's Allison Weidner (left) joins her teammates on the bench as they celebrate a point against Florida Atlantic in the third quarter on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Amanda Docter of Lincoln uses a torch to heat the beginnings of a handmade glass ornament, or "glaskolben," while studio manager Matt Losee watches on Monday during a holiday workshop at Lincoln Hot Glass.
A student walks past the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts building Monday afternoon on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus. High temperatures reached the low 40s Monday in Lincoln, but a short warmup is in the forecast, with the high expected to reach the upper 40s on Tuesday and the low 50s on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
A near-full-moon rises over Memorial Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023 in downtown Lincoln.
The first snow of winter falls over the Nebraska State Capitol on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023 in downtown Lincoln.
Nebraska's Tamon Lynum (left) watches as Iowa players, from left, Tory Taylor (9), Luke Lachey (85), and Steven Stilianos (86) lift kicker Marshall Meeder (92) to celebrate Meeder's game-winning field goal on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska's Jaylen Lloyd (right) celebrates his second quarter touchdown against Iowa with teammate Chubba Purdy on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska's Nouredin Nouili (63) embraces his family, including mother Melanie Ragaller (left) and sister Luna Ragaller (right), during the Senior Day activities before the Iowa game on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
Robert and Stefanie Kirkland from Lincoln sport turkey costumes during the 5K portion of the YMCA of Lincoln Turkey Trot on Thursday in downtown Lincoln.
St. Teresa Catholic School students Ephram Rutledge (center) and Paul Johnson (right) sing Christmas songs outside the Governor's Mansion during the inaugural "Hometown Christmas" celebration Sunday.
Nebraska's Lexi Rodriguez (right) places the Nebraska logo on a ticket to Tampa after winning in an NCAA Elite Eight match against Arkansas on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, at the Devaney Sports Center.
Rabbi Mendel Katzman, executive director at Chabad of Nebraska and a member of the Omaha Police Department Chaplains Corps, uses the shamash to light a second candle of the menorah on Tuesday during a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. In Hebrew the word "menorah" translates to lamp.
Nebraska's Laney Choboy (6) dives into head coach John Cook as she tries to save the ball from going out of bounds in the third set, during an NCAA Regional Semifinal match held at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Lincoln.
Wearing his black Stetson cavalry hat, Sgt. 1st Class Joseph "Joey" Prichard of Omaha embraces his wife Samantha Prichard on Thursday at the Nebraska National Guard base in Lincoln. This was the second deployment for Prichard, with the first in 2010 to Afghanistan. "It's always a surreal moment. It doesn't hit you until you see them, you know you're coming home," he said. "I couldn't fight the tears. I did it on my first deployment too. I cried when I said goodbye to her, and now when I come home." A total of 91 Nebraska Army National Guard soldiers in the Troop C, 1-134th Cavalry returned to Nebraska on Thursday after a 10-month deployment to the Middle East.
Guests walk by the newly completely hangar-style addition at Lincoln North Star High School during an open house Monday. The $5.4 million expansion will house the school's aviation focus program.
The Journal Star Super-State first team includes (from left) Papillion-La Vista South's Lauren Medeck, Papillion-La Vista's Faith Frame, Bennington's Olivia Mauch, Grand Island's Tia Traudt, Lincoln Southwest's Malayah Long, Papillion-La Vista's Mia Tvrdy and Norris' Anna Jelinek.
Hana Sindi, from Lincoln, holds a sign and chants alongside fellow protestors on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023 during a Justice for Palestine march on the pedestrian bridge at Pinnacle Bank Arena. “I support Palestinian liberation and freedom from illegal occupation,” Sindi said.
11-year-old Dima al-Shorman (left) and her sister, Huda al-Shorman, 12, arrange a miniature farm at a play station on Saturday during the opening day of the new Here We Grow exhibit at Lincoln Children’s Museum.
Nebraska's Kennedi Orr checks her phone as teammate Bekka Allick takes a rest in the locker room after an NCAA Elite Eight match on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, at the Devaney Sports Center.
Jeremy Charging Hawk (left) counts a handful of dollars he made panhandling with his friend, Calvin, on Friday near 13th and on O streets in downtown Lincoln. A new partnership between CenterPointe and the Lincoln Police Department is designed to keep people experiencing homelessness out of jail.
Nebraska's Merritt Beason (13) and Bekka Allick (5) celebrate after a block against Missouri in the second set during a second-round NCAA Tournament match on Saturday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska’s bench erupts as Alexis Markowski is fouled making a basket against Georgia Tech on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Pius X's Ava Markowski (40) and Millard North's Izzie Galligan (22) fall to the floor as they chase down a loose ball in the first quarter at Lincoln Pius X High School, on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023.
Two Westside High School students, ages 14 and 15, are facing criminal charges in connection with a rape alleged to have occurred at the school last week.
A former postal carrier was sentenced to one year of probation for not delivering mail to a Gretna apartment complex.
A security guard sustained a stab wound early Sunday while intervening in a physical disturbance in downtown Omaha.
A 15-year-old boy accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old classmate at Westside High School last week was ordered to be held without bail at his first appearance in adult court on Friday.
A Papillion man was arrested this week after he allegedly used a flying drone to secretly record video of a woman and child through the window of an apartment.
An 18-year-old Omaha man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree murder and various firearm charges in connection with a fatal November shooting.