After a movie, my family would make the short drive from 2nd Street in Hastings to 9th Street. There, a red one-story house with a white fence beckoned us to come inside. Dad usually parked on the east side of the structure, and we’d rush inside to get a taste of ice cream from Bob Garey’s. Usually, we’d sit at a ice cream parlor table set – you know the kind: wrought iron table and chairs (like the classic version I have in my garage and want to refinish). Red and white striped upholstery adorned the chair cushion. It was bliss. Or, at least the mint chip was.

Nebraska’s fascination with ice cream continues today. From an ice cream cone recall to the first refrigerated ice cream truck to Omaha’s eCreamery, Nebraska and Nebraskans enjoy their fair share of the tasty treat. Read all about it in this week’s Nebraskaisms column.

I’ve viewed the fireworks in the New York Harbor, and while it’s a spectacular show, it pales in comparison to the community celebrations in towns across Nebraska. The 4th of July is about potato salad and picnics. It’s about spending time with friends. Check out this week’s Nebraska-isms column for some of my favorite July 4th memories.

According to history books, the first drive-in theater was in New Jersey. But the reel truth is that the first outdoor movies were shown in Nebraska. Meadow Grove, Nebraska, to be exact. Discover the history of drive-in movies in this week’s Nebraska-isms column.

The boys of summer are swinging at a fever pitch in Omaha. The College World Series kicked off last week, and this Series is, indeed, an historic event. Next year’s NCAA Division 1 college baseball championship will be played in the new TD Ameritrade Stadium, in NoDo – North Downtown Omaha, near the ever-growing district including the Old Market and the Qwest Center.

Omaha’s and Nebraska’s love affair with the sultans of swat has been growing for 60 years. This week’s Nebraska-isms column takes a look at the CWS before it arrived in Omaha and how the atmosphere is more than the ‘Blatt.

The Elkhorn River, swollen by over a foot of rainfall, spilled from its banks last week. Communities along the path, including O’Neill, Ewing, Clearwater, Neligh, Norfolk and points east, rallied to keep flood waters from destroying their towns. Nebraska-isms looks at how these neighborhoods worked together to prevent a catastrophe. Plus, some of the most notorious Nebraska floods are mentioned.  The column, which ran June 17, is accessible at the bottom of the Nebraska-isms page. 

Unfortunately, the natural disaster claimed the life of a young man from Norfolk, originally from Petersburg. Jeffrey Scholl worked for the Nebraska Central Railroad and was checking the railroad span that crossed the Elkhorn when the bridge collapsed. My condolences to his entire family.