NEBRASKA LATINO LEADERS ASK FOR MORE HELP FOR MEATPACKING WORKERS

OMAHA - Nebraska Latino leaders said coronavirus testing should be expanded, testing data should be transparent to the public and Gov. Pete Ricketts needs to meet with front-line workers.

Larry Bradley of the American G.I. Forum and a former USDA slaughterhouse inspector said, “Packinghouse workers should be treated as heroes for their sacrifice and what they’re doing for the whole community, the whole food industry, United States and the whole world.”

Nebraska has not released case data based on race, but Douglas County Health Director Adi Pour and officials with other health departments have said that minorities have been disproportionately affected because of the jobs they hold. In Douglas County, nearly half of confirmed positive cases are among Latinos, even though they make up about 12 percent of the population.

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RICKETTS ‘VERY PLEASED’ WITH TEST NEBRASKA DESPITE NOT MAKING TEST GOALS

LINCOLN - Gov. Pete Ricketts said he’s “very pleased” with the state’s $27 million COVID-19 testing program even though TestNebraska is falling far short of meeting a goal of providing an average of 500 tests per site per day. On Tuesday, four mobile TestNebraska sites swabbed 1,197 coronavirus tests, which is about 300 tests per site.

The testing program, set up by a group of Utah high-tech firms, had set a goal of averaging 500 tests per site, and ramping up to 3,000 tests per day, at six mobile sites, by the end of May. However, TestNebraska may not meet that goal as up to 15% of those scheduled for testing are not showing up.

Ricketts said, “Certainly, you can find things that need to be improved — that happens in any operation. I want to continue to push the team for 3,000 tests per day.”

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COVID-19 WILL MEAN MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONIES TAKING ON A DIFFERENT LOOK THIS YEAR

SCOTTSBLUFF - In Scottsbluff County, Memorial Day services are traditionally held at a number of cemeteries, the West Nebraska Veterans Home, and other locations. However,County Veterans Service Officer John Brehm said that many of those ceremonies won’t be held this year.Some of the venues typically involved in ceremonies have prior limitations in place, such as the veterans' home and the cemeteries, aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

Eldon Kramer, of the Gering American Legion Honor Guard, said a ceremony will be held on Monday, 10 a.m. at West Lawn Cemetery in Gering. Social distancing will be required. Kramer said members of the Honor Guard are planning to wear masks and Mary Bowman, of the American Legion, said that attendees are also requested to wear masks

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DOUGLAS COUNTY REPORTS ANOTHER 126 CASES OF COVID-19

OMAHA – An additional 126 people have tested positive in Douglas County. The Douglas County Health Department also reported that tests this week have come back positive at a rate of 11.4%, which represents a decline from recent weeks. In total, Douglas County has seen 2,841 cases since the outbreak started.

A total of 24 people with COVID-19 have died in Douglas County, and 514 people have recovered.

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UNL FREEZES PAY FOR EMPLOYEES, ANNOUNCES SOME REOPENING GUIDELINES

LINCOLN - Lost revenue and potential future impacts on state funding led UNL to freeze salaries for the year. Promotional increases — for faculty who gain or advance in tenure status, for example — will still be awarded.

Freezing salaries are expected to save $7 million for the 2020-21 fiscal year. NU administrators estimate COVID-19 could result in a $50 million fiscal hit across the university system and its campuses in Lincoln, Omaha, and Kearney.

Restrictions limiting who had access to campus buildings will be lifted beginning June 1, he said. Previously, only employees whose physical presence was necessary could enter campus buildings. The bookstore in the Nebraska Union on City Campus will open June 8 with limited hours, while the 24-hour computer lab will also open for students with an NCard.

UNL will begin installing hand sanitizer stations across campus, "with the goal of providing hand sanitizer in all buildings by August.

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HOW CORONAVIRUS CREATED MAGA 2.0

WASHINGTON - With an economic crisis gripping the nation, President Donald Trump is reprising his 2016 slogan, with a twist: Make America Great Again, Again. Trump is trying to defy history by convincing Americans he can restore a coronavirus-decimated economy and become one of the only U.S. presidents to win reelection during a recession year. His argument is “I’ve already built the economy once, I can build it a second time.”

The president’s political advisers also say there’s reason to believe it’s a winning message. Recent campaign and public polling show Trump slightly outperforming likely Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on the handling of the economy even as the president finds himself on shaky ground nationally and in battleground states less than six months before the election.

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HANDFUL OF LEGISLATIVE CONTESTS ARE FLUID

LINCOLN - The Nebraska primary election turned out well for all incumbent state senators with the exception of Andrew LaGrone, who ended up trailing his opponent, Jen Day, by just 630 votes. However, given the attention he will receive prior to November, that election is labeled as a toss-up.

Carol Blood, Lynne Walz, and Dan Quick, all still potential Republican Party targets, looked strong this month. Tom Brewer and Julie Slama dominated in the first round of their races. In Lincoln, incumbent Sens. Anna Wishart, Mike Hilgers, and Suzanne Geist ran strong. Omaha voters may send another Cavanaugh, John, to Lincoln.

Primary election results pointed toward the early possibility of a net Republican gain of one seat in the nonpartisan Legislature, and perhaps two if LaGrone recovers. But all that is tenuous. 

Jacob Campbell, a Republican, ran out front in Lincoln's District 29, now represented by Sen. Kate Bolz, and former Sen. Rich Pahls, a Republican, led the pack in Omaha's District 31, now represented by Sen. Rick Kolowski.

The predominately mail-in primary yielded great turnout numbers.

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KERREY ENDORSES KATE BOLZ AS SHE TAKES ON FORTENBERRY FOR 1ST DISTRICT HOUSE SEAT

OMAHA - Former U.S. Sen. and Nebraska Gov. Bob Kerrey has endorsed a fellow Democrat, State Sen. Kate Bolz of Lincoln, in her quest to unseat eight-term U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry. Kerrey stated that take on the pharmaceutical companies when she gets to Washington and will stand up for Nebraska farmers and rural communities who have been hurt by “a failed trade war.”

Congressman Fortenberry is a Republican and has represented the district since 2004. Fortenberry recently criticized Kate Bolz about comments she made about “having much to learn” from the Chinese.

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HOW THE ELECTIONS IN NEBRASKA AND WISCONSIN MANAGED AMID THE PANDEMIC

WASHINGTON – Nebraska’s primary election was a “notable success.” In Nebraska, each poll worker received a safety kit that included an N95 mask, gloves, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and a face shield. Polling places provided masks to voters who showed up without them, and poll workers were instructed to disinfect everything voters touched between every use.

There were no reports of excessive lines at polling places. In Nebraska, even big cities were able to avoid closing many polling places, although election officials in Douglas County (home to Omaha) told FiveThirtyEight some polling places, such as those located in retirement communities, were closed due to the coronavirus threat. In total, 200 of its usual 222 polling places were open.

No fewer than 493,393 of Nebraska’s 1,216,431 registered voters (41 percent) requested an absentee ballot. 34% of the population voted.

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FORMER STATE SENATOR BOB KRIST ENDORSES CONGRESSMAN DON BACON IN DISTRICT 2 RACE

OMAHA - Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE) announced that he has been endorsed by former State Senator Bob Krist in the District 2 race. Krist was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Nebraska in the 2018 election and served in the Nebraska Legislature for ten years.

Krist stated that “As a proud Democrat, I have found common ground with Don Bacon on a number of issues and I appreciate how he has worked across the aisle in a bipartisan manner to bring people together to find common-sense solutions for our community, state, and nation. I ask that my Republican, Democrat and Independent friends join me in supporting Don Bacon for his reelection to Congress.”

Bacon said he was honored to have the support.

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HISTORIC NEBRASKA PRIMARY NUMBERS COULD INFLUENCE NOVEMBER ELECTION

OMAHA - Few people showed up at the polls in person last week. Nonetheless, it turned out to be a historic election. That's because most people voted by mail. 12,150 people turned in ballots at drop boxes. This means more than 120,000 voters in Douglas County voted by mail. Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen said, “I’m especially proud that Nebraskans responded this way in the middle of a health pandemic.”

Eight of every 10 Nebraskans who voted did so by mail or by delivering their ballot to a dropbox. Will it be the same for the November General Election? Secretary Evnen said, “My hope is this pandemic will be tamped down by the November election. But whatever the conditions are, we’ll be able to meet them.”

The options to vote by mail or go to the polls will be available to voters come November.

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CORONAVIRUS RECESS TO END FOR NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE; SESSION TO RESUME JULY 20

LINCOLN - Speaker of the Legislature, State Sen. Jim Scheer of Norfolk, announced Monday that lawmakers will be called back to the State Capitol on July 20, though he reserved the right to change the date based on the status of the coronavirus outbreak in Nebraska.

Speaker Scheer stated, "This decision is based upon the current belief that Lincoln and Nebraska will have experienced their peak of COVID-19 cases and that there is not a resurgence mid-summer once restrictions have been loosened. Please keep in mind that I reserve the right to alter this ... should it appear best to do so."

The session is slated to end on August 13th. The Speaker also asked senators to reexamine the fiscal impact of their respective priority bills. The Speaker stated, “It will be to your benefit to look for a way to eliminate or minimize the general fund impact given the uncertainty of the economic forecast picture in mid-July.”

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THIRD STATE INMATE IN OMAHA TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

OMAHA - A third inmate at the Community Corrections Center-Omaha has tested positive for the coronavirus. Contact tracing is being conducted to determine whether the recently positive inmate was in close contact with anyone.

Ten staff members in the department have tested positive. Some staff members have completed their quarantine and returned to work. The Omaha facility is one of two community custody centers operated by the state. The facility houses 175 inmates.

The Omaha World Herald states, “Some advocates and family members of inmates have criticized Corrections for its lack of testing of state inmates and are fearful that the coronavirus could spread within Nebraska’s crowded prisons and jails, similar to outbreaks that have occurred in other states. Earlier this month, three inmates at the Nebraska State Penitentiary became the first in the state to be tested.”

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STATES’ CONTACT TRACING TEST

WASHINGTON – Some states are facing challenges as they begin to publish contact tracing data. These challenges include low download numbers, spotty data, and privacy concerns.

Contributing to the problems is the resistance stemming from 60% of Americans who said that they couldn’t or wouldn’t use tracing apps built into Apple and Google’s technology. University of Washington Law School professor Ryan Calo conducted the study that found that there is public discomfort with contact tracing technology. Calo stated, “Either you have a system unlikely to help people navigate their world, to leave their house and feel safe, or you have privacy trade-offs.”

Some public health experts have stated that there will not be much use for the apps if there are not sufficient downloads.

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IMMUNITY PASSPORTS WON’T REOPEN AMERICA

WASHINGTON – Antibody tests and “immunity passports” were supposed to be the great hope for safely reopening the economy.The problem is many of the more than 120 tests on the market are inaccurate. And scientists don’t really yet understand how much immunity antibodies confer or how long it lasts.

But these tests — and the apps to promote them — are gaining traction among businesses and consumers eager to know who has been exposed to the virus, raising the risk that people will be relying on faulty results to promote their immunity from the coronavirus.

Many Americans are concerned with the privacy costs of “passports.” Jarrett Zigon, Director of the bioethics program at the University of Virginia, has stated that the surveillance surrounding testing will be challenging to overcome.

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HAIR SALONS, BARBER SHOPS REOPENING IN SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA

BEATRICE – Under certain restrictions because of coronavirus, hairstylists and barber shops are allowed to operate again within the Public Health Solutions district of southeast Nebraska. Co-Owner of the Hair Studio in west Beatrice, Joan Bruhn has been preparing for the reopening and adjusting procedures that will be used above and beyond the normal sanitation practices used before the pandemic hit.

Bruhn stated that “We'll be putting in some long hours and days off, trying to get everybody caught up. Everybody's ecstatic to get their hair done. We will sanitize between each client; each client gets a new cape, and everything has to be sanitized and cleaned.”

There's a limit on the number of guests, and persons are asked to come to their hair appointment, alone. Customers will wait outside in their vehicle until each is welcomed in.

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LANCASTER COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT: SEVERAL FACTORS AFFECT THE TRAJECTORY OF COVID-19 TEST RESULTS

LINCOLN – In Lancaster county, the percent of positive cases dropped to 6.6% on Saturday, down from 14.4%. Pat Lopez, interim director of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department stated that “Part of that drop can be attributed to 608 lab results from Test Nebraska with a low positivity rate.” The prior week, Bryan Health’s mobile unit was collecting samples from Crete, an area hit hard by the coronavirus. This may have contributed to higher positivity rates. Additionally, due to a backlog of tests, positive percentage rates may be affected.

Officials maintain that contact tracing is the best to see if the number of positive cases is dropping. On Sunday, 128 new cases were reported in the state, bringing the total to 10,348. The positive-test rate statewide has also seen a dip, from about 20% the previous week to 10% last week.

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MADISON COUNTY RECEIVES FEDERAL FUNDS

NORFOLK - Madison County has been awarded nearly $30,000 in federal funds made available through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. Madison County has been chosen to receive $12,100 under Phase 37 and $17,251 under the CARES Act to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county.

How the funds will be awarded will be determined by a local board. Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds must contact Krista Heineman at 402-385-6300, ext 276, for an application. The deadline for applications to be received is no later than 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 28. 

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‘IT WAS LIKE TRIAL BY FIRE’: OMAHA-AREA EMT’S RETURN FROM NEW YORK, SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES

OMAHA – Bellevue resident Lucas Nielson served as an EMT in New York for 21 days. Nielsen was one of 60 EMTs deployed to the city by Midwest Medical Transport, a company subcontracted with American Medical Response to assist with disasters like the coronavirus.

Omaha Station Manager Angela Kirchner stated that “Walking into the ERs, it was almost like entering a third-world country hospital setting with how many people were there. It was wall to wall with people waiting, coughing. You had to maneuver between all the patients in order to find the patient you were looking for.”

Kirchner has said that no one that was deployed to New York has tested positive as of now.

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COVID-19 HAS MADE LIFE DIFFICULT FOR FUNERAL HOMES, GRIEVING FAMILIES

GRAND ISLAND – In a normal month, All Faiths Funeral Home handles about 15 to 20 deaths. In April, All Faiths Funeral Homes handled 42, with 24 deaths being related to COVID-19. Not only did COVID-19 increase the number of deaths for funeral homes, but COVID-19 also changed how funeral homes were conducting their funerals. Large gatherings were either foregone or postponed.

Derek Apfel of Apfel Funeral Home stated that the virus has “not allowed people to have their normal time to have friends involved with their grieving.” Many people can’t get together. Apfel went on to say it’s never a good time to have a loved one die, “but now is just a really, really bad time, because we don’t get that closure that we need to have.” Many families are restricting the funeral to only immediate family and simply live-streaming the service. On the other hand, many are opting for a later date.

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