KERREY, HEINEMAN URGE STATE SEN. JULIE SLAMA TO APOLOGIZE FOR ‘RACIST CAMPAIGNING.’

LINCOLN - Former Democratic Gov. Bob Kerrey and former Republican Gov. Dave Heineman have urged State Sen. Julie Slama of Peru to apologize for what they described as “racist, negative campaigning” directed at her legislative opponent, Janet Palmtag of Syracuse.

“Without such an apology and condemnation of racist attacks in the strongest terms, you risk becoming the Steve King of Nebraska,” they wrote Slama.

The condemnation, directed at the senator who was appointed to the Legislature by Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts in 2019, was based on Slama campaign flyers paid for by the Nebraska Republican Party. The flyers depicted photos of Palmtag and Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha along with text that stated: “Janet Palmtag sides with Lincoln liberals, atheists and radical extremists.”

Read more on our website by clicking HERE.

RICKETTS TELLS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THEY WON’T GET FEDERAL COVID-19 MONEY IF THEY REQUIRE MASKS

LINCOLN – Governor Ricketts told local governments that they won’t receive any of the $100 million in federal COVID-19 money if their “customers” are required to wear masks. “The governor encourages people to wear a mask,” according to his spokesman Taylor Gage, “but does not believe that failure to wear a mask should be the basis for denying taxpayers’ services.”

The no-mask mandate has been poorly received in some corners of the state, with officials criticizing the loss of local control. It also runs counter to the advice of public health officials, who have stressed the importance of wearing masks.

With millions of dollars at stake, local officials said they had little choice but to comply with the governor’s order. Otherwise, they’d have to find local options for replacing the federal money, such as higher property taxes.

View article HERE.

BASEBALL PLAYERS FROM LINCOLN SOUTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

LINCOLN - Multiple members of the Pinnacle Bank American Legion baseball team have tested positive for COVID-19, Lincoln Public Schools confirmed Wednesday. Following advice from the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, all players and coaches associated with the team will quarantine.

Pinnacle Bank, which is made up of players from Lincoln Southwest High School, was scheduled to play its first game Thursday against Pittsburg (Kansas) in Omaha. The team will not be able to start its season until June 30. That stretch includes games against Union Bank (Lincoln Pius X), Fremont, and the Mike Peterson/Coach K Tournament.

According to LPS, contact tracing shows that none of the players attended weightlifting or condition sessions at Southwest, which was one of seven city high schools to open their weight rooms this week.

View the article HERE.

BRYAN HEALTH OFFERS DYING COVID-19 PATIENTS COMPASSIONATE VISITS

LINCOLN - Bryan Health will offer a one-time opportunity for two visitors to see COVID-19 patients who are near death, hospital system officials announced Wednesday.

The two visitors will wear full protective gear to minimize their risk of exposure to the coronavirus and have up to one hour with the patient, Bryan Health's Chief Nursing Officer Lisa Vail said. During the pandemic, patients with COVID-19 or suspected to have the viral disease have not been allowed visitors, according to Bryan Health.

The new measure took effect last Friday, and these visits will be coordinated through a patient's primary doctor, she said.

View the article HERE.

NEBRASKA NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS DELIVER PPE

SCOTTSBLUFF - Two members of the Nebraska National Guard, Sgt. Dalton Riedel and Spec. Logan Dowse, made a stop in Scottsbluff on Wednesday afternoon with a mission of restocking local supplies of personal protective equipment, or PPE.

Since March, the National Guard has spent significant time in the Panhandle assisting with COVID-19 testing, as well as dropping off PPE at the Panhandle Public Health District.

The pallets containing items such as gloves and sanitary wipes will be broken down and the PPE will distribute to those who request it through PPHD.

View the article HERE.

RE-UPPING CONNECT FOR HEALTH

WASHINGTON - Twenty-nine senators including Commerce Chair Roger Wicker, Mark Warner, Kyrsten Sinema, Lisa Murkowski, Lindsey Graham, and Amy Klobuchar have co-signed a letter led by Brian Schatz urging Senate leaders to permanently implement the pandemic policies that have allowed for an unprecedented uptick in virtual visits.

Some of those temporary policies — including allowing HHS Secretary Alex Azar to waive telehealth restrictions during the Covid-19 emergency — were adopted from the CONNECT for Health Act, S. 2741, a sweeping bill that telehealth proponents have been pushing for years.

Making telehealth access permanent would "assure patients that their care will not be interrupted when the pandemic ends," the letter reads. It could also signal to health care providers that "costs to prepare for and use telehealth would be a sound long-term investment."

View the article HERE.

TESTING’S BIG TEST

WASHINGTON - The U.S is now conducting more than 3 million coronavirus tests a week, a big improvement over the shortages that worsened the pandemic this spring. But the country risks another dangerous testing deficit this fall when schools and businesses try to reopen. Safely reopening schools and businesses could require up to 30 million tests per week, rather than the current 3 million, experts say. And if surging coronaviruses cases collide with flu season, the demand could be even higher.

The U.S. has enough testing capacity. The country will be able to test at least 40 million to 50 million people per month by September. But it’s not enough to meet the likely demand, given that the virus is still spreading in much of the country, according to a number of public health experts. These experts aren’t just worried about the number of tests that labs can process. They are concerned about the logistical challenges of testing so many people, and the lag in setting up adequate contact tracing to track who may have been exposed.

View the article HERE.

RICKETTS PRAISES TRUMP'S LEADERSHIP AT WHITE HOUSE ROUNDTABLE ON REOPENING ECONOMY

WASHINGTON- Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts was emphatic in his praise of President Donald Trump’s help in managing the COVID-19 pandemic during a visit Thursday to the White House.

Ricketts told Trump that the president’s March 17 advisory to avoid public gatherings of more than 10 people “bought us time” to ramp up COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and other steps to deal with the pandemic. Ricketts and Tony Goins, the director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, were part of a roundtable discussion at the White House about how states were working to reopen the economy, which has been battered by the coronavirus outbreak. Melissa Hegarty of Omaha, the co-owner of four Nothing Bundt Cakes outlets, also attended as a guest of Ricketts. 

Trump’s reelection campaign provided reporters with a video of a discussion during the roundtable. Much of the tape showed Trump appointees praising the president for his leadership. 

Read the full article HERE

UNL TO REQUIRE MASKS IN ALL CAMPUS BUILDINGS - AND SOME OUTDOOR SPACES - THIS FALL

LINCOLN- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus will look a lot different for the fall 2020 semester. New posters will explain the best practices for public hygiene, and large, free-standing hand-sanitizing stations will be placed in high-traffic areas.

Classes and dining halls will be reconfigured to allow students and employees enough space to observe the 6-feet social distancing guidelines. And students, employees and visitors will be required to cover their faces inside campus buildings, as well as some outdoor spaces, to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.

The policy, which went into effect Thursday, was established by UNL's "Forward to Fall" committee following six weeks of deliberation and study of public health guidelines and best practices from across the country.

Read the full article HERE

STOTHERT SAYS SHE TESTED NEGATIVE FOR COVID-19 AFTER PROTESTER SPAT ON HER

OMAHA - Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert says she tested negative for COVID-19 after protesters spat on her outside City Hall this month. When asked if the spitting was intentional, Stothert said, “I believe so.” During a press conference Monday, the mayor said she got spit on her while talking to protesters. She was tested on June 8.

Stothert said her goal when the spitting incident occurred was “to go out and talk to (protesters).”

“I didn’t say a word about (the spit) to tell you the truth,” Stothert said. “Because my intention was going out there to listen and to answer questions. And the last thing I wanted to do was to leave as they became angrier and angrier.”

View the article HERE.

EDITORIAL: LISTEN TO NEBRASKA’S EXPERT DOCTORS: WEAR A MASK

OMAHA - Nebraska is poised to further ease restrictions and open up daily life. What’s one of the main ways that important effort could be undermined? If a large number of Nebraskans fail to wear masks when they are in close proximity to others.

Public health officials have been clear from the start about the protective value of masks. Water droplets are one of the main ways the coronavirus spreads. Masks help stop the droplet dispersal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week issued a new set of health guidance about the importance of mask wearing.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican, has rightly termed that a “senseless dividing line.” As he said in a press conference last month, if someone is wearing a mask, they “might be doing it because they’ve got a 5-year-old child who’s been going through cancer treatments. They might have vulnerable adults in their life, who currently have COVID and they’re fighting.”

We’ve seen since March how difficult life is in the midst of a full-blown virus threat. Masks are a key way we can move forward, for everyone’s sake.

View the article HERE.

EDITORIAL: PACKING PLANTS MUST STEP UP ANTI-VIRUS STEPS, UNMC SURVEY SHOWS

OMAHA - Experience since March has dramatically shown that meatpacking plants are especially vulnerable to becoming COVID-19 hot spots. Minimizing exposure risks at packing plants is a key step for any U.S. state to contain its virus threat. A new survey of packing plant workers by the University of Nebraska Medical Center shows that plants in Nebraska have made progress, but they still must address remaining shortcomings: ensuring social distancing at work, and fulfilling commitments to provide paid time off.

Of the 600 workers surveyed by UNMC, only a minority — 39% — said their plants had spaced out workers on the production line and in common areas such as cafeterias and locker rooms. Social distancing is necessary to bolster the protection offered by steps the plants have taken: providing masks, checking workers’ temperatures and posting COVID-19 info, said Athena Ramos, an assistant professor at UNMC who works at the Center for Reducing Health Disparities and crafted the survey.

The more that packing companies step up their actions to contain the virus threat, the better for those businesses, their communities and Nebraska as a whole. This is no time to let up in the fight against the virus.

View the article HERE.

Midlands Voices: Universal mask wearing is truly necessary during this health crisis

OMAHA- The writers, Dr's James Lawler, Daniel Johnson, and Sara Bares are all M.D.s at Nebraska Medicine and faculty members at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. 

"As infectious disease and critical care specialists at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine, we bear firsthand witness to the human toll of COVID-19 on a daily basis. While we are happy to see Nebraskans getting back to work and slowly restoring normalcy to our lives, we also sense a growing gap between the public’s perception that the worst of the pandemic is behind us and the reality that we continue to teeter on the precipice of disaster.

How the pandemic plays out in Nebraska largely depends on the collective result of how each of us acts individually. Just as the old Smokey Bear advertisements focused on personal responsibility to prevent forest fires, the same message is relevant here: Only YOU can prevent COVID-19.

Your safety, and the safety of your family and your neighbors, rest upon the actions you take in the coming weeks and months. So, what can you do?

You can start by wearing a mask..."

Read the full article HERE

RICKETTS TO FURTHER EASE CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS ON BARS, RESTAURANTS, GATHERINGS

LINCOLN – As of June 22nd, in 89 counties, bars and restaurants can serve customers at 100% of their rated occupancy, with some restrictions remaining. Child care centers can step up the number of children allowed per room.Indoor gatherings, including arenas, can step up to 50% of their occupancy. Outdoor gatherings, including stadiums, can go to 75% occupancy. 

In the four other counties — Hall, Hamilton, Merrick, and Dakota — the restrictions will be relaxed to the level where the other counties are now.

Ricketts said the state may see an increase in coronavirus cases because of the recent Black Lives Matter protests and because of increased testing for the virus, but he expressed confidence that Nebraska has the capacity to manage the disease. As of Monday evening, the state reported 16,851 positive tests for COVID-19 and 220 deaths. Statewide, 43% of hospital beds are available for patients, with 53% of ICU beds open and 76% of the state’s ventilators available.

“We probably have the fewest hospitalizations since the first week in May,” Ricketts said.

Read the article HERE.

NEBRASKA TAX RECEIPTS DROP SLIGHTLY IN MAY; CORONAVIRUS IMPACT MAY COME LATER

LINCOLN - Nebraska's net tax receipts dropped slightly in May, though budget watchers are still waiting to determine the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on state revenue. In May, overall tax receipts were down 2.2%, or about $10 million, from the certified forecast made 11 months ago, the Nebraska Department of Revenue reported Monday.

However, compared to the revenue forecast that was adjusted upward in February — the forecast used by the State Legislature to set the state budget — the tax receipts were down 3.6% or $16 million.

A spokeswoman for the Revenue Department said that the full impact of COVID-19 probably won't be known until after July 15, which is the deadline for payment of state income taxes — a deadline that was pushed back from April 15 due to the virus.

Read the article HERE.

LANCASTER COUNTY ENDS WEEK WITH FEWEST NEW COVID-19 CASES SINCE APRIL

LINCOLN - Lancaster County added 21 coronavirus cases Saturday but ended the week with the fewest new cases since April 25. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department reported 110 cases in the past seven days, a decline from 145 a week ago and down from 299 when cases peaked locally on May 9.

The number of people tested in the county nearly matched last week's numbers, but the rate of tests returned positive was 4.6%, the lowest level since widespread testing has been available, officials said.

The number of new cases continues to slow statewide, as well. In its latest report, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services reported 16,633 cases in the state, with 216 deaths.

Read the article HERE.

WITH REOPENING COMES HEIGHTENED SAFETY CONCERNS FOR NEBRASKA BUSINESSES

LINCOLN - The Legislature's Business and Labor Committee held a virtual briefing last week on how businesses were navigating the effects of the virus. The briefing was initially closed to the media and public, but recorded and later posted online.

Kristen Hassebrook of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce told the committee many businesses are adapting their hygiene, employee training and workplace responses to the coronavirus.

But the future of workplaces and remote capability is going to remain a challenge for many Nebraska businesses, she said.

Worker safety remains one of the bigger concerns of the virus, especially in the meat and poultry production plants, said Micky Devitt of Heartland Workers Center. The food processing plants are a good example of what's been going on more broadly, she said, and a way to find what could improve safety for other businesses as they open up.

At the top of safety measures are contact tracing, transparency with employees on infection and testing access.

Read the article HERE.

HEALTH CARE MAINTENANCE VITAL DURING PANDEMIC

SCOTTSBLUFF - Routine health care is similar to routine maintenance on your car. The better your upkeep, the better the car will run and the longer it will last. With medical care, the better you keep up with chronic medical care, whether that’s medication changes or tweaks or exams with your blood pressure or diabetes, the better you’re going to be able to take care of your condition and prevent a disaster, said Dr. Matthew Bruner at Regional West Health Services.

Measures enacted to flatten the curve and reduce the spread of COVID-19 have served their purpose, but have also lengthened the time span of the pandemic, causing people to push back routine visits, potentially pushing conditions from a preventative care situation to something more serious.

The emphasis on safely providing preventative and chronic health care maintenance should not be underestimated.

Read the article HERE.

MEATPACKING REBOUNDS BUT HIGH PRICES AND BACKLOG PERSIST

OMAHA — Meat production has rebounded from its low point during the coronavirus pandemic when dozens of plants were closed, but experts say consumer prices are likely to remain high and it will take months to work through a backlog of millions of pigs and cattle, creating headaches for producers.

Earlier this week, beef, pork, and poultry plants were operating at more than 95% of last year’s levels, which was up from about 60% in April at the height of plant closures and slowdowns, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.

Grocery stores, which absorbed some of the meat price increases this spring, also may not pass along all the price cuts as they try to restore their profit margins. As meat plants scale up to full capacity, companies still must ensure that plants don't again become hotbeds of infections.

Read the article HERE.

SMALL BUSINESSES, LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS HURT BY CORONAVIRUS CAN APPLY FOR STATE AID BEGINNING MONDAY

LINCOLN - Gov. Pete Ricketts announced Friday that small-business owners and livestock producers hurt by the coronavirus pandemic can start applying for grants from the state next week.

The grants are being created with a share of the state’s $1.25 billion in federal coronavirus relief. Nebraska is putting $387 million of the total into helping small businesses and livestock producers, retraining workers, and expanding broadband Internet in rural areas.

Under the biggest program, the state will distribute $330 million as stabilization grants for small businesses and livestock producers. The $12,000 grants are available for businesses with five to 49 employees and livestock producers with one to 10 employees and at least 20 head of livestock. The money can be used for operating expenses and working capital.

Applications will be accepted for two weeks, from Monday through June 26. State officials hope to get the money out by Aug. 1.

Read the article HERE.