‘Nebraska Stories’ Features 94-Year-Old Carvers, Johnny Carson and Title IX

Howard and Harvey Kenfield of Ogallala
Ninety-four-year-old twins Howard and Harvey Kenfield of Ogallala.

For Immediate Release

‘Nebraska Stories’ Features 94-Year-Old Carvers, Johnny Carson and Title IX

LINCOLN, Neb. (April 21, 2022) – Stories about 94-year-old twin brothers who collect and carve petrified wood, a museum that honors the life of the beloved late-night comedian Johnny Carson and a special season finale episode about the 50th anniversary of Title IX legislation are featured in May on Nebraska Public Media’s award-winning, local television series “Nebraska Stories.”

The stories are part of three episodes airing at 8 p.m. CT on Thursdays, May 5, 12 and 19 on Nebraska Public Media.

The May 5 episode introduces Howard and Harvey Kenfield who have passionately collected fossils, arrowheads and petrified wood all their lives. In the 1950s, the soft-spoken duo began carving intricate sculptures from the wood, mirroring bygone buildings and relics that dotted Nebraska’s landscape. Today, their creations charm and astonish visitors at their Ogallala gallery.

Other new stories on May 5 include a baseball card collection that found its way home to the man who originally owned it as a young boy and how community members in Minden, Neb., are working to revive Harold Warp’s Pioneer Village.

The May 12 episode explores the life and times of “The King of Late Night,” through the recently updated exhibit featuring his personal effects and artifacts on display at the Elkhorn Valley Museum in his hometown of Norfolk, Neb. Also on May 12, go behind-the-scenes during the restoration of the nearly one-hundred-year-old carillon bells of First Plymouth Church in Lincoln and meet a world champion cyclist who is smashing records.

The season finale episode on May 19 explores stories intertwined with the passage of Title IX, the landmark legislation that helped level the playing field for women in the classroom and on the field. First, follow University of Nebraska at Kearney Women’s Basketball Head Coach coach Carrie Eighmey and her coaching assistant/husband Devin Eighmey as they navigate struggles and successes tied to gender expectations.

Also on May 19, see a profile of Title IX advocate JoAnne Owens-Nausler of Lincoln, Neb., who helped blaze a trail for women athletes. The season finale also shares the story of Kay Cover, a young Red Cloud, Neb., mother who had limited options for athletics herself, but was determined to change the future for her five daughters with a fast pitch softball team she founded in the early 1970s.

Enjoyed by viewers across the state for its feature-based, character-driven storytelling, “Nebraska Stories” covers art, science, history, sports, performance, nature and more. Episodes repeat at 6 p.m. CT, Sundays on Nebraska Public Media and at 8:30 a.m. CT, Mondays on World.

“Nebraska Stories” is funded in part by the Margaret and Martha Thomas Foundation, the Nebraska Soybean Board and the Nebraska Tourism Commission.

The series is on Facebook, NebraskaPublicMedia.org/nebraskastories and the Nebraska Public Media App.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Kim Rogers, 402-660-5521

About Nebraska Public Media

Nebraska Public Media has been dedicated to connecting Nebraskans through news, sports, education, and entertainment for nearly 70 years. Providing global news and compelling stories from PBS and NPR, Nebraska Public Media also produces award-winning original content. Its programs and services reach 1 million people each month across the state on television, radio, online and mobile platforms. Visit NebraskaPublicMedia.org for more information.