There’s been a lot of talk about Major League Baseball and Omaha over the past week. That’s because the Wall Street Journal ran an article December 6th titled, “The Major League Baseball Team That Lost Two Stadiums in the Same Hurricane.” That team is the Tampa Bay Rays, which according to the article, might end up playing its 2026 home games at Omaha’s Charles Schwab Field. Earlier this year, Hurricane Milton ravaged Tropicana Field, the aging, indoor stadium that had been the Rays’ long-time home field. The hurricane destroyed the roof and did quite a bit of damage to other parts of the structure. Fixing the stadium would cost tens of millions of dollars and take a lot of time. Normally, that wouldn’t be much of an obstacle, but plans were already in the works for the local government to build a brand-new $1.3 billion stadium. It was supposed to be done in 2028, meaning the Rays were supposed to finish out their Tropicana Field tenure over the next three years and then move into...

The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Ice Rink will open for the skating season Friday, December 6, with a new signature feature and further improvements to the icing system. The visible change is the installation of a canopy over the ice rink, serving as a new decorative centerpiece for the rink, covering it during winter and setting up an even larger shade structure for warmer seasons. The canopy was made possible by the generosity of UNMC supporters Ruth Scott and her late husband, Bill, who also made a previous gift to establish the Ruth and Bill Scott Student Plaza. The plaza has become a campus gathering place, and the ice rink has become a seasonal attraction for the community and campus. “Ruth and Bill Scott have built our academic campus through their philanthropy,” said Amy Volk, senior vice president for UNMC with the University of Nebraska Foundation. “The Scotts care deeply about UNMC students and the student experience. They made the initial gift to add the...