LINCOLN – Enjoy a buffalo stew dinner and presentation about Confederate guerrilla Jesse James at Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park on Oct. 9. Humanities Nebraska speaker Jeff Barnes will present “A Bad Man in a Better Place: Jesse James in Nebraska” at 3 p.m. This presentation is free and open to the public. The talk will be followed by a buffalo stew dinner in the enlisted men’s barracks. The dinner is by ticket only. Tickets are $15 each. Purchase your …

LINCOLN – Fontenelle Forest’s Raptor Recovery, with assistance from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Office of the Capitol Commission, released the male peregrine falcon, 19/K, from the 18th floor of the Nebraska Capitol on Oct. 3. 19/K was found on the ground in Lincoln on June 6 with a dislocated elbow. He spent the last several months being treated by Raptor Recovery and recuperating at its facility near Elmwood, Nebraska. The release was a success, as 19/K …

LINCOLN – Kylie Krivohlavek of Seward was the overall champion of the Nebraska Youth Smallbore Silhouette Invitational for the second year in a row, hitting 35 of 40 targets. The event took place Sept. 24 at Pressey Wildlife Management Area south of Broken Bow. Krivohlavek was followed by High Boy James Simpson of Wayne and High Girl Kaitlynn Pavel of York, who each hit 33 targets. The 80 competitors fired 40 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition with a rifle unsupported …

LINCOLN – A health alert is in effect for Willow Creek Lake in Pierce County, Rockford Lake in Gage County and Merritt Reservoir in Cherry County. The health alert was put in place after high levels of blue-green algae were detected at the lakes during testing by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. It is recommended that visitors to Willow Creek and Rockford lakes and Merritt Reservoir avoid full body contact activities such as swimming, wading, skiing and jet skiing. …

LINCOLN – Enjoy a fall afternoon of family fishing at the Cops and Bobbers fishing event Oct. 16 at Omaha’s Benson Park, 7028 Military Ave. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Omaha Police Department are hosting the event, which will run from 1-4 p.m. Bait, tackle, fishing poles and a hot dog lunch will be provided. The registration deadline is Oct. 10. To register, email jessica.swanson@cityofomaha.org. For more information, call the Omaha Police Department at 402-444-6951.

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is accepting grant proposals from Nebraska non-profit organizations to promote fishing in high-density Hispanic communities. The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s Vamos A Pescar program aims to educate and engage Hispanic families about fishing through programs, classes and activities held in 2017. Programs will be considered that introduce fishing and or boating to youths and families, provide hands-on fishing skills development, teach and reinforce water and safe boating, and provide hands-on conservation …

LINCOLN – Catchable-size rainbow trout are being stocked in city ponds and lakes across the state by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. These stockings will enhance fishing opportunities this fall and winter. Trout fishing is a great way to introduce children to fishing because simple and inexpensive equipment may be used. A spinning or spin-cast rod and reel with a hook baited with a worm will work well. Add a split shot a couple of feet above the hook …

LINCOLN – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) events and important dates in October. Get more details at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. Visit OutdoorNebraska.org for a list of hunter education classes and boating safety classes. Sept. 30-Oct. 2 – Autumn Harvest Art Show, Eugene T. Mahoney State Park (SP), Ashland Oct. 1 – Advance tickets sales begin for Haunted Hollow, Indian Cave SP, Shubert, 8 a.m. Oct. 1 – Archery Fun Shoot, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor …

LINCOLN – A health alert is in effect for Willow Creek Lake in Pierce County and Rockford Lake in Gage County. The health alert was put in place after high levels of blue-green algae were detected at the lakes during testing by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. It is recommended that visitors to Willow Creek and Rockford lakes avoid full body contact activities such as swimming, wading, skiing and jet skiing. Non-contact activities such as boating, fishing and camping …

LINCOLN – Nebraska is among the nation’s top eight pheasant hunting states, according Pheasants Forever (PF). “The Cornhusker State is a bird hunting cornucopia,” writes PF blogger Ron Spomer. “You’re liable to bump into not just ringnecks, but bobwhites, sharp-tailed grouse and prairie chickens. And you can look for them on 800,000 public access acres on 300 state and federal land areas. That’s only 2 percent of the state’s total land, so if you can talk yourself onto private lands, …