Happy Friday, Lincoln. In today’s edition: Black Hills Energy rate settlement, Zillow home values report, holiday cookie decorating, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Nebraska reshapes athlete compensation: Nebraska’s 1890 collective is winding down and has stopped accepting donations, as the Husker Athletic Fund assumes NIL oversight after a September NCAA decision allowing schools to pay athletes directly — get all the details.

Settlement avoids lengthy litigation: The Nebraska Public Service Commission has approved a $23.9 million Black Hills Energy rate increase, reduced from $34.9 million. New rates begin January 1, 2026, with refunds of interim overcharges — see bill impact details.

Realtor urges big-picture view: A Zillow report found over half of U.S. homes lost value in the past year, including 36% in Lincoln, as slower holiday demand and higher rates lengthen time on market — see what local experts say.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Identity theft is up 25%: Last year, Americans lost $12.5 billion to ID theft & fraud, and the stories behind those numbers are brutal. My friend just told me his dad’s on his fourth replacement credit card. Other folks have woken up to empty bank accounts or their personal info dumped online after a breach. Aura catches these kinds of attacks early by monitoring for new accounts, weird money movements, leaked data, and other red flags so you’re alerted before things blow up — learn more about it here.

Highlights this week

• Experience carols on strings by candlelight
• Visit Santa at SouthPointe Pavilions
• Unmask a killer over dinner
• Discover handmade gifts at Falling Snow
• Experience Riot Ten’s 360° bass takeover
• This pet insurance plan reimburses up to 90%
• A tiny hearing aid is taking the US by storm

🫶 We got your back

Landscapes fuel student expression: UNK’s annual Nebraska Emerging Writers and Artists Contest invites high schoolers to explore “Nebraska’s Land, Nature and Memories” through essays, stories, poems, or art. Top writing entries earn $500 UNK scholarships; art winners get supply prizes. Entries are due Feb. 13, 2026, with winners invited to share work in April. Get all the submission details.

Helping neighbors stay warm: People’s City Mission’s Help Center in Lincoln is nearly out of winter coats as frigid temps push demand. Serving 27,000 shoppers, they say 5,000 coats can disappear in a week. Channel 8 hosted a Thursday coat drive to restock, with donations going straight to the free racks. Learn how you can help.

Color refresh, anyone? Growing out a DIY chop or craving a glow-up? House of Holloway Salon has kept Lincoln sharp since 1957 with precision cuts, color, highlights, balayage, and even perms. Walk-ins welcome if your bangs suddenly stage a mutiny.

Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I decided to take Hers’ online quiz. They recommended a Biotin + Minoxidil green-apple gummy for regrowth and overall hair health. The whole thing was surprisingly easy: just verify who you are and a licensed provider signs off. Here’s the quiz if you want to check it out.

Makeup that actually works: My sister and I were talking the other day about how the makeup we used in our 20s… just doesn’t work now that we’re in our 30s and 40s. Laura Geller’s entire makeup line addresses this shift, with formulas that smooth, brighten, and actually stay put. If you’re in the same boat, their curated kits are worth a look.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

🏳️‍🌈 Make the Yuletide Gay @ Vine Congregational United Church of Christ | Friday (12/12) at 7:00pm – If you’re ready to make your yuletide gay, here’s your move. Star City Chorus brings carols, sing-alongs, an ugly sweater contest, and cocoa, free with a $10 suggested donation, and collecting food and warm gear for UNL’s Center on Children, Families, and the Law.

😂 Holiday Hilarity Weekends @ The TADA Theatre | Friday (12/12) at 7:00pm – Head to TADA in the Haymarket for December weekends of Holiday Hilarity, with AGT alum Matt Geiler improvising songs from your suggestions, and Lincoln’s Juli Burney bringing 40 years of quick wit. Laugh hard, honor a 20-year tradition, bring a can for the Food Bank.

This weekend

🎁 Holiday Bazaar @ Cornhusker Council, Scouting America | Saturday (12/13) at 9:00am – Holiday Bazaar with Santa photo ops, a kiddo Holiday Passport through local businesses, crafts, and DIY treats. While they get glittery and sugared up, you browse 20 local vendors for actual gifts, not macaroni art. Cheerful, neighborly, and mercifully indoors.

🍻 Pour’s Lucky 7th Anniversary Celebration @ Pour Craft Beer & Spirits | Saturday (12/13) at 10:00am – Lucky number seven at Pour means a rare whiskey sale, allocated flights, and anniversary beers and cocktails that justify booking a rideshare. Think you know your bourbon from your barley? Come celebrate like locals do, with good pours, a little luck, and no pretense.

🚴 Holiday Lights Bike Ride @ Cycle Works | Saturday (12/13) at 5:00pm – Grab your mittens and a string of LEDs, then roll from Cycle Works for a holiday lights cruise through Sheridan, where twinkly yards pair nicely with mild exertion. Chit chat pace, helmets and lights required, costumes encouraged, cider first, pizza at Yia Yia’s after.

🍽️ Meal with Strangers-Sunday Brunch Series @ A Restaurant in Lincoln | Sunday (12/14) at 11:00am – Sunday in Lincoln means brunch, good coffee, and actual conversation with people you haven’t met yet. Pull up a chair, share something tasty, and trade stories with strangers who might become neighbors. Low-pressure, high-quality time, and zero awkward networking vibes.

🍪 Holiday Cookie Decorating @ Elleinad Books | Sunday (12/14) at 2:00pm – Nothing beats frosting sugar cookies surrounded by picture books and the new book smell. Elleinad Books is hosting hands-on cookie decorating in their children’s nook, perfect for bringing the grandkids, or your inner kid, and leaving with sticky fingers, sweet memories, and no cleanup.

🎵 Music Bingo Night @ Wax Buffalo | Sunday (12/14) at 5:30pm – If you like your bingo with a beat, slide into Wax Buffalo Small Bar for Music Bingo, drinks included. It’s bingo with bops, sing-along moments, and exclusive Wax Buffalo prizes, perfect for a night where nostalgia, bragging rights, and good company do the heavy lifting.

Next week

🥞 Pancakes & Pajamas @ Copple Family YMCA | Monday (12/15) at 5:30pm – Ready to trade dinner duty for pancakes in pajamas? The Copple Y is rolling out flapjacks, photos with Santa, and a kid-approved craft station, all while you rock your comfiest holiday PJs. $15 per family, $5 if you fly solo, worth every syrupy bite.

🧶 Q-mmunity Craft Social @ Makit Takit: Lincoln’s Craft Studio | Tuesday (12/16) at 5:30pm – Bring that scarf you have been working on since 2019, your curious self, or a healthy respect for hot glue to this laid-back craft hangout. BYO project or grab a Makit Anytime kit, then enjoy good company, low stakes, and honest-to-goodness progress.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/13 Frailin’ Hearts @ James Arthur Vineyards – 2 pm
• 12/13 Big Daddy Caleb & The Chargers @ Zoo Bar – 5 pm
• 12/16 Ekoh and more @ Bourbon Theatre – 7 pm
• 12/18 Open Mic Nights @ The Hub Cafe – 5 pm
• 12/18 Colt Ford @ Bourbon Theatre – 6 pm
• 12/19 Bingo Loco @ Bourbon Theatre – 5:30 pm
• 12/20 Josh Hoyer @ James Arthur Vineyards – 2 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Lincoln edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Larry Holmes (REMAX Concepts)

Acre-plus, prime spot, and big personality. The main level doubles up on lounging with two living rooms, each anchored by a wood-burning stove for double the cozy. The kitchen plays host with a jumbo island and a sunny window bench. Upstairs, the primary suite brings a spa bath and a private deck.

A tandem two-bedroom suite flexes as bedroom plus media room or two separate spaces. A finished rec room handles hobbies and workouts. Out back, a huge patio surveys a fully fenced, park-like yard with serious privacy, acreage vibes, and convenience.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →