An Omaha man accused in a planned attack on the White House UFC show planned to use an abandoned church in Nebraska as a fallback point, according to court documents.

New images show the FBI investigating the abandoned church in the village of Western during the weekend.

Jessica Brandt

READ MORE: Court documents detail Omaha man's suspected involvement, targets of planned attack at White House UFC show

Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez faces federal charges of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI identified Alvarez as "responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the planned attack." Four other men were arrested and charged in the plot.

Jessica Brandt

The 31-year-old is believed to be behind the online user "Shepherd," who was the "primary individual involved with planning," according to court documents.

MORE COVERAGE: Omaha resident arrested as FBI disrupts 'planned attacks' targeting White House UFC show

Court documents state Shepherd identified the church and posted an image from Google Maps in the Signal chat.

The Saline County assessor's office confirmed to KETV that Alvarez bought the vacant church building in 2023.

Jessica Brandt

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Elliot Sudal didn't need a bigger boat, but he did need to find a way to get a hook out of a shark's mouth.

Sudal, a veteran angler and boat captain, reeled in the nearly 9-foot shark — also commonly known as a great white shark or a great white — on June 7 on Nantucket. White sharks are a protected species in the U.S. and must be released immediately when accidentally caught.

That presents a nasty problem for a fisherman because the white shark is a formidable apex predator best known for the 1975 movie Jaws, in which Roy Scheider utters the famous line “You're gonna need a bigger boat” upon seeing the big fish. Sudal, who caught the shark while fishing from shore, decided to use his encounter to demonstrate how to respond to such a situation.

Sudal posted a video of himself removing the hook to his social media accounts. In the video, Sudal climbs onto the back of the shark, secures the fish in the surf, and removes the hook from its mouth. By the end of the short video, the shark is back in the water.

White sharks typically have about 300 teeth arranged in five rows, so speed was key.

“Hooks out and back on her way in 15 seconds, not sure how to do it better,” Sudal wrote in an Instagram post that included a video of the shark release.

VIDEO: Rare footage of Mediterranean great white shark captured by ghost diver

Sudal is no stranger to sharks, and he has caught and tagged hundreds of them over the years. He said in a social media post that this month's encounter with a white shark was the first time he had ever caught one of them in more than a decade of the work.

Sudal's practices have sometimes attracted the attention of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, such as in 2017, when the agency investigated his handling of a smalltooth sawfish, an endangered species, in Florida. The agency said in 2018 that it sent Sudal a letter “informing him of the Endangered Species Act issues and the safe handling protocol for sawfish.”

White sharks are not listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, but they are subject to special federal protections. The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers them vulnerable globally.

Sightings of white sharks off New England have ticked up in recent years, and some scientists have pinned that to the greater availability of the seals that they prey on. Dangerous encounters between white sharks and humans are extremely rare, and only a few dozen fatal white shark bites on people have ever been recorded.

Millions of people from around the world now call the United States 'home sweet home.'

One of the many ways people honor their journey is by cooking traditional dishes and sharing them with their new community.

This latest episode of "Stitch" explores the vibrant culinary heritage that showcases the quest to live one's best life while honoring the beauty of their roots.

To get a taste of this episode, here are three featured stories:

1. Meet Zeny Windham, whose passion for cooking up traditional Filipino food for the Central Coast of California has earned her the beloved nickname, 'The Lumpia Lady."
   
   
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2. Two business owners in Burlington, Vermont, are sharing their passion for their Cuban heritage through delicious food and culture, such as roasted pork and signature stewed beans.

3. In Nebraska, Chef Duane Moore's passion is cooking soul food. Moore shares his insights on the history, cultural significance, and unique flavors that make soul food a staple in American cuisine and a reflection on Black history and traditions.

To watch the rest of these mouthwatering stories, watch the full episode now for free on the Very Local app.

"Stitch" is a Hearst Television original series that aims to showcase inspiring stories from around the country that stitch together the fabric of our communities. You can stream all episodes on the Very Local App.

Very Local is your best source for shows about local communities, bringing you 24/7 access to news from your trusted local news source, weather updates, and more. Very Local also brings you fresh, untold stories from your very own city and communities like yours, with exclusive original shows and local stories specific to where you live. Get the channel to stream Very Local free on Roku or Amazon Fire TV.

For more, follow Very Local on Facebook and on Instagram at @VeryLocal.

Thousands of Nebraska families will continue to have access to the child care subsidy. Gov. Jim Pillen ceremoniously signed LB 304 on Tuesday. The bill permanently raises the income eligibility for the assistance.

Experts acknowledge child care is a multi-faceted issue in the state, with affordability being a main factor. Several studies have shown parents often have to make a choice between keeping a job or sending their child to a safe place for care, and this bill directly addresses that.

"Being moms and dads takes a lot, but sometimes moms and dads need some help. So for me, this was a no-brainer," Pillen said.

Pillen joined multiple state senators and dozens of community members at Kids Can Community Center on Tuesday to celebrate LB 304 becoming law.

"It provides dignity to these working families, gives them the assistance they need to stay in the workforce, stay off welfare," Sen. Brad Von Gillern said.

The bill keeps the eligible income level to receive child care assistance set at 185% above the federal poverty level. According to First Five Nebraska, that's equivalent to a family of four making $61,050 or less.

If the bill did not pass this year, the level would have been lowered to 130% above the FPL.

By the Numbers

• ~ $33,000: poverty line for a family of four in 2026
• 130% FPL = to family of four making ~ $42,900 or less
• 160% FPL = to a family of four making ~ $52,800 or less
• 185% FPL = to a family of four making ~ $61,050 or less
  *According to First Five Nebraska

The permanent raise allows thousands to continue to access the assistance.

In 2024, Pillen signed the Child Care Tax Credit Act, creating a refundable Nebraska state tax credit for parents or legal guardians of qualifying children age 5 and younger. To be eligible, a taxpayer’s total household income must be $150,000 or less, and the child must be claimed as a dependent for federal income tax purposes.

According to the governor's office, the credit provides $2,000 per qualifying child for households with income of $75,000 or less and $1,000 per qualifying child for households with income greater than $75,000 but not more than $150,000. The refundable credit was designed to help Nebraska families offset the cost of childcare while supporting workforce participation and economic growth.

LB 304 builds on Nebraska’s broader childcare initiatives by making the state’s expanded childcare subsidy eligibility provisions permanent. Together, the tax credit and expanded subsidy program provide complementary forms of support to help Nebraska families access affordable childcare, the governor's office wrote in a statement.

"We are state-licensed child care, so there's a significant portion of our families that depend on child care subsidies," Robert Patterson, CEO of Kids Can Community Center, said. "Our programs are really for the kids, you know, to make sure that they're ready for school and engaged in school once they get there. But more importantly, it's so that their parents know their kids are in a safe place, but they can go to work."

First Five Nebraska said child care costs can range between $9,000 and $15,000 annually for Nebraska families.

LB 304 was state senator Wendy DeBoer's priority bill.

"So many Nebraskans are touched by the issue of child care, and it's a way to really help make lives better," DeBoer said.

While the bill does support early childhood education, DeBoer said it benefits all Nebraskans because it allows parents to stay in the workforce.

"We're helping the economy of Nebraska right now so that we can have people who want to work who are willing to work, just need a safe place for their kids, have that opportunity to do so," DeBoer said.

The bill passed through the legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support. Lawmakers said that speaks to how large of an issue this is across the entire state.

"Much of this program is paid for by the Childcare Development Block Grant from the federal government. So, we're thankful to the federal partners that we work with and the state and local partners that are really taking this, as you say, across the state," DeBoer said.

State leaders also acknowledged that while LB 304 is a positive step in addressing the child care crisis, they said more still needs to be done to add accessible options.

They have taken steps to start to address that issue with businesses.

"LB 1165, which we passed this year, that allows for the use of tax credits that are given as incentives to businesses to use those for childcare," Von Gillern said. "That was a change that we passed this year. So it's another way to provide assistance to working families. And that actually flows through their employer. So we're really pleased to see that go forward also."

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