Humanities Desk

There are still very few clues in the disappearance of an autistic La Vista boy two weeks ago as investigators continue to look for any new leads in the case. The search for 11-year-old Ryan Larsen has been frustrating for the hundreds of people on the look-out for him.

More Nebraskans are getting COVID vaccinations and breaking free after more than a year of masking up and public health lockdowns.
Meanwhile, a Lincoln woman is still doing her part to chronicle the pandemic's ups and downs through music.
U-N-L Broadcast Journalism Professor Barney McCoy reports on Laura Deitchler's crusade to keep the music and its meaning alive for her neighbors during the pandemic.

More Nebraskans are getting COVID vaccinations and breaking free after more than a year of masking up and public health lockdowns.
Meanwhile, a Lincoln woman is still doing her part to chronicle the pandemic's ups and downs through music.
U-N-L Broadcast Journalism Professor Barney McCoy reports on Laura Deitchler's crusade to keep the music and its meaning alive for her neighbors during the pandemic.

With some companies in Nebraska’s most populous cities moving out of offices during the pandemic, some worry what will happen to the barren buildings now that life is returning to normal. But, as Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer reports, the vacant spaces don’t necessarily mean gloom and doom for downtowns in the state’s biggest cities.
Todd Ogden’s standing on the corner of 13th and N streets in Lincoln. There are some empty buildings in capital city’s downtown, with lease signs in windows nearby. It’s changing, he says. But’s it’s not a change that worries the head of Lincoln’s Downton Association because what’s leaving is being replaced – just in a new way.
In a post pandemic world, many businesses are reconsidering their traditional office spaces.
Real estate brokers and experts say this is a pivotal moment for the future of office and work life. A lot of companies are to be determined on the future of their physical space. And that still leaves questions about what impacts that could have on cities – and, particularly, downtown areas. If the trend continues – and many companies decide to ditch an expensive lease – what happens to a bustling downtown over lunch hour?

Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many small towns to cancel large festivals that they depend on for tourism. As some communities are holding these festivals again, Harvest Public Media’s Katie Peikes reports what this means for small towns.

The Bay Skatepark, a favorite after-school hangout spot for Lincoln kids, will soon be a school for creatives and artists. Bay High is a collaborative focus program between Lincoln Public Schools and non profit Rabble Mill set to open in fall 2022.

After nearly 80 years, the remains of a fallen hero of the Pearl Harbor attack will finally be put to rest in the town of Harvard, near Hastings Saturday, May 15. The USS Oklahoma Project has identified more than 100 of the ship’s casualties since 2017 through DNA testing.

Country music superstar Garth Brooks will perform at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln this August. It’s the first concert in the stadium in 34 years. NET reports on the economic impact to the town.

It’s been almost six decades since a military charter flight carrying 93 highly trained soldiers disappeared over the Pacific Ocean between Guam and the Philippines. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 was never found, but the families of those aboard, including one from Nebraska, will get some closure Saturday in the form of a unique memorial in the woods of Maine.

Months after his dad, Investigator Mario Herrera, died in the line of duty, Carlos Herrera will be joining the Lincoln Police Department this June.The announcement came two days before the fallen officer’s birthday and a week before Law Enforcement Memorial Week.