$71 MILLION FRAUD CASE IN SOUTH DAKOTA PUTS HARSH SPOTLIGHT ON ORGANIC SUPPLY CHAIN

LINCOLN - A $71 million fraud case in South Dakota is the latest blow to the organic supply chain. Federal prosecutors in February accused Kent Duane Anderson, a Rapid City businessman, of passing off conventional grain and seed as organic for more than five years.Anderson pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

The case is the second large-scale organic fraud case in the Midwest to attract federal prosecution in less than a year and comes amid ongoing concern over fraudulent organic imports. The South Dakota case is frustrating but unfortunately not a surprise, said Erin Heitkamp, a vice president at Pipeline Foods, a Minneapolis-based organic supply-chain company. Her firm has reported concerns, often about middlemen such as Anderson buying and selling grain from a desk, to certifiers and government regulators.

“There will likely be more investigations and prosecutions,” Heitkamp said. “I expect to see more and more shoes drop over time.”

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LAWMAKERS QUICKLY ADVANCE $83.6 MILLION EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO HELP BATTLE CORONAVIRUS

LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers advanced an $83.6 million emergency appropriation to battle the novel coronavirus Monday with no dissent and virtually no debate.

The 44-0 vote on the appropriation came after State Sen. John Stinner of Gering, the Appropriations Committee chairman, urged his colleagues to show unity in support of the state.

“It’s our turn to lay down our partisan politics and pass the bill,” he said.

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CORNHUSKER HOTEL LATEST IN LINCOLN TO CLOSE

LINCOLN-  Marcus Hotels & Resorts on Tuesday announced it will close a number of hotels it owns temporarily, including the Marriott Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln.Marcus said the closures will start this week, although it did not give an exact day.

"The lodging industry is facing unprecedented challenges due to the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic. In light of these challenges and our current business levels, we have made the difficult decision to close a select number of properties across our portfolio,” Michael R. Evans, president of Marcus Hotels & Resorts, said in a news release.

 Graduate, Kindler hotels closed indefinitely; others weighing their options

“Our sincere hope is that these closures will not be for an extended period of time and that our dedicated teams will all be back together again very soon and welcoming guests to our hotels," he said.

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CHIEF JUSTICE: COURTS CAN'T PUT MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS IN NEBRASKA DURING PANDEMIC

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Supreme Court lacks the authority to halt evictions amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Chief Justice Mike Heavican said in a news release Monday. 

Late last week, organizations began calling on Heavican and the court to temporarily suspend evictions so people were not being kicked out of their homes as public health officials urged people to stay home. In the release, Heavican said he is mindful of the difficulties presented to some people. State law requires the court to hold an eviction hearing between 10 and 14 days after a tenant has received their eviction notice, the chief justice said.

"The Supreme Court cannot, nor can the Chief Justice, in the guise of an administrative order, order otherwise," Heavican said. 

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ST. ELIZABETH TURNING 6TH FLOOR INTO COVID-19 WARD

LINCOLN- CHI St. Elizabeth is preparing for a potential surge of COVID-19 patients by turning its sixth floor into an isolation ward for those with the illness. The floor will have up to 40 beds to house patients with the novel coronavirus who are sick enough to be in the hospital but who don't need to be in intensive care.

"The idea for this unit is to act as a backup plan in the event that we get a lot of COVID-19 patients," said Derek Vance, president of CHI St. Elizabeth and CHI Nebraska Heart.

Vance said the plan was formulated over the past several weeks in consultation with Gov. Pete Ricketts. St. Elizabeth is one of two CHI Health hospitals that will host a short-term unit. The other is CHI Midlands in Papillion.

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BRYAN'S FIRST DAY OF DRIVE-THRU TESTING GOES 'VERY SMOOTHLY'

Lincoln's first attempt at a drive-thru coronavirus testing clinic seemed to go smoother than many others around the country.

Bryan Health began the clinic at 2 p.m. Tuesday at its LifePointe location south of 27th Street and Pine Lake Road. An hour into it, things were orderly, with about four or five cars waiting in the registration line, said Edgar Bumanis, director of public relations and marketing at Bryan Health. After registration, cars pulled underneath large tents so that nurses in full protective gear could collect specimens for a battery of tests without the patients getting out of their vehicles. 

Bumanis said Bryan tested 54 people in the drive-thru clinic Tuesday, which is about the number it estimated it could handle.

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WEIGHING ONE DISEASE AGAINST ANOTHER: RECOVERY DOORS CLOSE (AND OPEN) IN LINCOLN

The Meeting Place’s board of directors was torn when it met last week. The volunteers knew the role they play in the 12-step recovery community: Every month, up to 4,000 people battled their addictions — to alcohol, drugs, sex, overeating — in 58 weekly meetings at the former church on North 28th Street.

“We recognize that meetings can save lives,” said Bill Ganzel, the board chair. “Getting into the program, whatever the addiction is — going to meetings, seeing other people, working the steps, getting sober — it can literally save lives.”

And as churches started canceling the meetings they hosted to limit the threat of the coronavirus, the Meeting Place became even more important. A large and long-standing Alcoholics Anonymous group from St. Paul United Methodist Church moved over. A vets-only group followed. But temporarily closing the Meeting Place, which had been open since 1990, was painful. Ganzel called it one of the toughest decisions he’s had to make.

The board invested in a conference-call system, and encouraged meetings to continue by phone.

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DAWSON COUNTY WOMAN IS NEBRASKA'S NEWEST CORONAVIRUS CASE

LINCOLN- Nebraska's newest case of the coronavirus involves a Dawson County woman in her 40s, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

The woman traveled recently, so her case may be related to that. She is self-isolating at home, health officials said. Dawson County stretches along Interstate 80 and includes the cities of Lexington, Cozad and Gothenburg.

Nebraska now has 51 known cases. Iowa had 90 confirmed cases as of Sunday night, including two in Pottawattamie County. 

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RALSTON HIGH STAFF MEMBER TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; NO STUDENTS BELIEVED TO BE AT RISK

RALSTON- A staff member at Ralston High School has tested positive for COVID-19, according to district spokesman Jim Frederick.Officials with the Ralston Public Schools received confirmation Monday afternoon, Frederick said. The staff member began having symptoms on March 16, he said.

Classes were not in session at the time. Students were last in the building March 12. The district has been closed to students since then. In a letter Monday to families of students, district officials said Douglas County Health Department officials believe no Ralston High School students are at risk because school has not been in session. 

The employee had direct contact with a limited number of staff members in only certain areas of the school, district officials said. Those employees have been notified.

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NEBRASKA HAS FAR TO GO IN VIRUS FIGHT, FACES HUGE HOSPITAL BED SHORTFALL

LINCOLN — Gov. Pete Ricketts says Nebraska is “well ahead of the curve” in preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

President Donald Trump says Nebraska is one of the states that’s been “very lightly affected” by the outbreak that’s crippling the economy.But others who have tried to plot out the future course of the virus are urging patience and are waiting for more tests and more data. There’s plenty of reason for concern — the Legislative Research Office, as well as a Lincoln doctor, have produced projections that, among other things, raise questions about the state’s capacity to handle a surge of cases.

If half or more of Nebraskans contract COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and if 5% to 10% of the sick require hospitalization — as some health organizations have projected — perhaps 100,000 hospital beds will be needed in Nebraska, a state with about 7,000 such beds.

“I think we’ve been more lightly affected, but the real answer is we don’t know yet because we haven’t done enough testing,” said Dr. Bob Rauner of Lincoln, the chief medical director for a network of 58 independent medical clinics in Nebraska.

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GOVERNOR RICKETTS PRESS CONFERENCE: 10 PERSON LIMIT IN PUBLIC VENUES, UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT CHANGES, SCHOOL CLOSURES

This afternoon Governor Pete Ricketts held a press conference focusing on state actions towards preparing for, and reducing the spread of COVID-19, otherwise known as the CoronaVirus. 

As released by the CDC earlier today, Nebraska's government is following suit in limiting gatherings to 10 people or less, including employees. This includes businesses (child care, movie theaters, restaurants, bars, gyms, etc), as well as personal gatherings in homes. This is subject to change, but should be expected to last at least the next two weeks. 

Additionally, the state is waiving regulations for unemployment and will not require recipients to be looking for work, and have eliminated the waiting period. This will take effect on March 22nd, and continue through May 2nd. SNAP and ADC will be adjusted as needed to help those in need.

All schools, both public and private, across Nebraska will be closed by the end of this week. This closure can be expected to last 6-8 weeks, but continued review by the state as well as districts will be in place. 

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BREAKING NEWS: GOVERNOR RICKETTS ISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDER TO GIVE PUBLIC BOARDS THE FLEXIBILITY TO HOLD VIRTUAL MEETINGS

LINCOLN – Today, Governor Pete Ricketts issued an executive order to permit state and local governmental boards, commissions, and other public bodies to meet by videoconference, teleconference, or other electronic means through May 31, 2020.  The Governor’s order stipulated that all such virtual meetings must be available to members of the public, including media, to give citizens the opportunity to participate as well as to be duly informed of the meetings’ proceedings.  The Governor’s order did not waive the advanced publicized notice and the agenda requirements for public meetings.

 The Governor’s executive order comes a day after the White House Coronavirus Task Force issued guidance limiting social gatherings to 10 people or less through March 31, 2020.  The executive order is part of an overall public health strategy to increase social distancing to stem the spread of the coronavirus disease.

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Governor Ricketts Announces Directed Health Measure for Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, & Washington Counties

LINCOLN – Today, Governor Pete Ricketts announced the Nebraska’s first Directed Health Measure (DHM) for COVID-19.  The DHM imposes an enforceable limit on public gatherings.  The measure comes a day after the Douglas County Public Health Department confirmed its second case of community transmission of COVID-19.

The DHM applies to all communities in Educational Service Units (ESU) #3 and #19 which encompass Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, and Washington counties.  It will be in effect until April 30, 2020.  Among other steps, the DHM requires restaurants and bars in these areas to close their dining areas immediately and move to takeout service, delivery, and/or curbside service only until further notice.  Additionally, schools in these areas are directed to operate without students in their buildings.  This restriction does not apply to school staff working in school buildings.

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WOULD YOU LIKE SOME BOOZE WITH THAT? RICKETTS LOOSENS LIQUOR LAWS

OMAHA-  Gov. Pete Ricketts on Thursday announced the state's first measure to enforce the cap on public gatherings of 10 people in Douglas, Cass, Sarpy and Washington counties.

Restaurants and bars in the Omaha area, where two COVID-19 cases of community spread have been reported, must close their dining areas and move to takeout or delivery service. Alcohol sales are restricted to takeout and delivery only in Omaha. To provide some relief to those businesses, Ricketts issued an executive order that permits establishments statewide to sell beer, wine and spirits to customers placing takeout or delivery orders. Restaurants and bars will also be able to sell alcohol on drive-thru or curbside orders without customers having to exit their vehicles. 

In addition, temporary operating permits will be extended from 90 to 180 days, and the state will waive penalties for late payments on excise taxes.

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A NEBRASKA HOSPITAL AIMED TO CONTAIN THE VIRUS. BUT IT HAD ALREADY SPREAD

OMAHA — Just a month ago — back when hardly anyone in the United States had tested positive for the coronavirus, back when the federal government spoke hopefully about keeping the virus from spreading in American cities, back when the mass cancellation of school and work and basketball seemed unimaginable — a small hospital ward in Omaha was at the center of the country’s effort to quash the illness.

Nebraska Medicine’s Biocontainment Unit is where the federal government sends people with the most fearsome pathogens. In 2014, its doctors and nurses treated Americans who contracted Ebola in Liberia and Sierra Leone. And in February, after a cruise ship near Japan became a floating coronavirus petri dish, those same doctors were tasked with helping more than a dozen American passengers.

The goal? To keep the virus’s presence in the United States limited to a handful of people who had been exposed overseas, and to prevent them from spreading it to others.

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INSIDE THE NATIONAL QUARANTINE CENTER, THERE IS NO FEAR OF CORONAVIRUS. THERE IS ONLY URGENCY.

OMAHA - The National Quarantine Center, this nation’s only federal quarantine facility, sits on a single floor of a new building on the campus of the University of Nebraska Medical Center west of downtown Omaha. It holds 20 beds, 15 of which are occupied by patients exposed to the novel coronavirus, or SARS-CoV2, including several passengers from cruise ship Diamond Princess.

A couple of blocks away sits the UNMC biocontainment unit, the largest of its kind in this country, which takes up part of an upper floor in a large inpatient-care facility. Ten beds, with a 35-bed surge capacity. Two pressurized entrances providing constant negative air pressure via a HEPA airflow system, and decontamination autoclaves for waste disposal. Currently four of the beds are occupied by contagious COVID-19 patients. (“COVID” means coronavirus disease.)

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NEW OMAHA-AREA CHILD WELFARE CONTRACTOR REPEATEDLY LEFT CHILDREN OVERNIGHT IN WAITING AREA

LINCOLN — A Nebraska state government contractor repeatedly left abused and neglected Omaha-area children overnight in a place meant for stays of only a few hours.

The incidents occurred at least 44 times over three months and involved 31 youngsters, according to state officials. Twelve youths had multiple overnights. At least one spent three separate overnights at the Project Harmony Triage Center.

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