Twenty-six Nebraskans have been officially recognized by the state for their accomplishments.
A composer, an acclaimed teacher and a standup comic are among the latest inductees into the Omaha Burke High School Hall of Fame.
The 2020 and 2021 Hall of Fame classes were inducted Nov. 19 at Champions Run. The inductees:
Anne Hubbard (1971). Hubbard developed new MRI techniques to evaluate fetuses with possible anomalies and received international recognition for her techniques.
Marti Epstein (1978). The composer’s music has been performed by such groups as the San Francisco Symphony, the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Frankfurt and the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston.
Wendy Boyer (1978). Boyer helped develop a Corporate University at Mutual of Omaha, focusing on leadership development. She later joined the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. She’s currently the executive director of the Peter Kiewit Foundation.
Crystal Roberson Simpson (1987). After five years of teaching for the Omaha Public Schools, Simpson received the Milken Educator Award. She moved on to become assistant principal at Standing Bear Elementary and eventually principal at Dodge Elementary.
Jeff Weak (1980). Weak started doing standup comedy as Rollin’ Ray Dietzel while at Burke. Later, he performed across the country as part of the national Make Me Laugh tour. He has worked with Gilbert Gottfried, Jerry Seinfeld and Larry the Cable Guy.
Timothy Eller (1967). Eller directs major investments in real estate and related businesses as principal of Cordalla Capital LLC. He also serves as executive officer of Cambridge Homes, a homebuilding subsidiary. Eller has also worked closely with Tegrity Homes to manage disaster construction activities in and around the Houston area following several hurricanes.
Steve Bliss (1970). Bliss became the second assistant strength coach in the history of the University of Nebraska Athletic Department. He served as head strength coach at the University of Miami (Florida), Ohio State University and North Dakota State University.
Robyn Roberts Freeman (1973). Freeman worked with Camp Fire Girls and Boys, eventually becoming outdoor programming director. She went on to start Camp CoHoLo, the first camp for children with cancer in Nebraska. She served as camp director and board president for 10 years.
Sharon Lockridge (1980). Lockridge coached the Hawkettes girls basketball team for 31 years. Some of the players she coached went on to play Division I basketball and in the WNBA.
Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of November 2021
Creighton's Arthur Kaluma (24) tries to get past Kennesaw State's Nate Springs during their game at CHI Health Center in Omaha on Thursday.
EILEEN T. MESLAR THE WORLD-HERALD
Western Illinois's Jadrian Flores (11) and Nebraska's Alonzo Verge Jr. (1) react to a call during their game at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Tuesday.
EILEEN T. MESLAR THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska's Cam Taylor-Britt walks off the field with Jaxon Edwards (left) and Peyton Edwards (right) at the end of his final game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
EILEEN T. MESLAR THE WORLD-HERALD
Portia Clayborne, a cook at the Siena Francis House, puts trays of food in an oven before dinner last month.
ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD
Cross County's Cory Hollinger reacts to not being able to catch up to a third-down deep pass in the second quarter against Howells-Dodge during the D1 championship game on Monday.
CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska's Cam Taylor-Britt breaks up a pass to Ohio State's Chris Olave during the first half of their game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
EILEEN T. MESLAR THE WORLD-HERALD
Cross County's Cameron Graham turns away as he listens to his coach Hayden Delano (holding runner-up trophy) talks to his team after losing to Howells-Dodge in the D1 championship game on Monday.
CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska's William Przystup reacts after his blocked punt was returned for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of their game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
EILEEN T. MESLAR THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska's Zavier Betts (15) eyes an official who threw a flag on Nebraska head coach Scott Frost for unsportsmanlike like conduct after Betts wasn't able to make a catch in the final seconds of the Nebraska vs. Wisconsin football game at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Saturday. Wisconsin won the game 35-28.
ANNA REED/THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska's Levi Falck (88) and others walk off the field following the Nebraska vs. Wisconsin football game at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Saturday. Wisconsin won the game 35-28.
ANNA REED/THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska's Markese Stepp (30) leaps into the end zone in the Nebraska vs. Wisconsin football game at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Saturday.
ANNA REED/THE WORLD-HERALD
Levi Voss, 8, fist bumps Huskers players with his dad, Tom Voss, of Oshkosh, Wis., ahead of the Nebraska vs. Wisconsin football game at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Saturday.
ANNA REED/THE WORLD-HERALD
From left: Team Dropkin's Tom Howell and Mark Fenner sweep a stone during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for curling at Baxter Arena in Omaha on Tuesday.
LILY SMITH/THE WORLD-HERALD
Union Pacific workers drag a 40-foot-tall spruce tree through the front door of the Durham Museum on Monday.
LILY SMITH, THE WORLD-HERALD
Bennington's Isaac Connor (2) and Seth Wempen (3) celebrate a win over Elkhorn at Badger Field in Bennington on Friday, November 12, 2021.
LILY SMITH/THE WORLD-HERALD
UNO Head Coach Derrin Hansen watches his team take onn Hastings on Tuesday.
CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD
UNO's Felix Lemetti, left, tries to keep the ball away from Hastings's Phil Cisrow on Tuesday.
CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD
Creighton's Greg McDermott laughs at Ryan Hawkins during a game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at CHI Health Center on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.
LILY SMITH/THE WORLD-HERALD
Creighton's Trey Alexander reacts to Ryan Hawkins drawing a foul against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
LILY SMITH, THE WORLD-HERALD
Creighton's Ryan Nembhard attempts to keep control of the ball against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at CHI Health Center on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.
LILY SMITH/THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska's Adrian Martinez takes the field before a game against Ohio State during their game on Saturday in Lincoln.
Z LONG/THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska Head Coach Scott Frost speaks with an official in the second half against Ohio State on Saturday.
CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska's Samori Toure can't catch up to a late fourth-quarter pass against Ohio State on Saturday.
CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska's Adrian Martinez jumps up to high-five a young fan after their loss to Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday.
EILEEN T. MESLAR THE WORLD-HERALD
Army National Guard Spc. Frank Stroup plays Reveille before the start of the Nebraska and Ohio State on Saturday.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska's Adrian Martinez celebrates running in a touchdown in the third quarter against Ohio State on Saturday.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Ohio State's Chris Olave (2) can't get the the ball with Nebraska's Myles Farmer (4) on him in the Ohio State vs. Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Saturday. A pass interference call was made against Farmer.
ANNA REED THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska's Samori Toure catches a pass for 24-yards as he gets hit by Ohio State's Cameron Brown on their first drive on Saturday.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Fans tailgate in the east parking lot of Memorial Stadium before the Nebraska and Ohio State game on Saturday.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
Elkhorn North's Haylee Wolf reacts to a point against Norris at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Friday, November 5, 2021.
LILY SMITH/THE WORLD-HERALD
Omaha Westside's Kyle Vincentini (20) celebrates his team's win following the Omaha Burke vs. Omaha Westside NSAA Class A quarterfinal football game at Omaha Westside High School on Friday. Omaha Westside won the game 42-3.
ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD
Iowa's Kyler Fisher celebrates after returning a blocked punt for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of their game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
EILEEN T. MESLAR THE WORLD-HERALD
Fans watch Elkhorn take on Seward on Friday.
CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD
Seward's Christian Fields catches a touchdown pass late in the first half in front of Elkhorn's Zach Leinen on Friday.
CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD
Cousins Flynn Jacobson, 8, and Nora Owen, 10, chat Thursday from their cars while waiting for the doors to open at Kohll’s Pharmacy near 127th and Q Streets. The two received their first doses of the COVID vaccine.
ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD
Irving Lopez skates at Millwork Park on Monday, Nov. 10, 2021. Millwork Commons, centered at 13th and Nicholas Streets in north downtown, has expanded. Millwork Park features a skateboard spot and basketball hoops and is preparing to build more housing.
EILEEN T. MESLAR THE WORLD-HERALD
Kaiden winces while getting the first dose of the vaccine from registered nurse Jerryl Thom at Kohll's Pharmacy near 127th and Q Streets in Omaha on Thursday, November 04, 2021. Children ages 5-11 are now authorized to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Walt Coy, 103, was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944 and left as a sergeant. Photographed at his home, which he built himself, in Omaha on Wednesday.
ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska's Luke Reimer celebrates after breaking up a pass to Ohio State's Jeremy Ruckert during the first half of their game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
EILEEN T. MESLAR THE WORLD-HERALD
Creighton's Ryan Hawkins celebrates after Creighton takes the lead late in the second half of their game against SIU-Edwardsville at CHI Health Center on Saturday.
EILEEN T. MESLAR THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska's Luke Reimer tries to break up a pass to Sam LaPorta's during the first half of their game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
EILEEN T. MESLAR THE WORLD-HERALD
Bennington's Luke Macdonald celebrates with fans after defeating Aurora in their Class B State Title game at Memorial Stadium on Monday.
EILEEN T. MESLAR THE WORLD-HERALD
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