OPPD BOARD CHAIRMAN CRAIG MOODY ANNOUNCES BID FOR OMAHA CITY COUNCIL

OMAHA- Craig Moody has announced his campaign for the District 3 seat on the Omaha City Council. Moody owns a small business, Verdi's Group that helps large corporations become more sustainable. His time on the OPPD Board has mostly been spent focusing on green energy initiatives. Because of his work, OPPD set a goal to be a net-zero carbon emitter by 2050. The current President, Chris Jerram will not be running for re-election. 

Moody speaks about how even before the pandemic, a lot of systems and programs have not been working for the people of District 3. He wants to focus on re-crafting budgets and questioning those currently in power. He would like to see more support for boosting diversity, equality and inclusion. He was a part of the group that lobbied to the City Council in 2012 to adopt an ordinance that would protect gay and transgender employees in the workplace. The primary election is April 6th and the general is on May 11th. 

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IN HIS FIRST TV ADS, DON BACON AND KARA EASTMAN FOCUS ON HEALTH CARE

OMAHA- Bacon's first television ad for this election cycle focused only on healthcare. He put out this commercial two weeks after his opponent, Kara Eastman, released an ad about her healthcare plans. Healthcare is the top issue for many Nebraskans right now as the pandemic is still severely impacting many lives. Both ad's make very emotional appeals to viewers, both citing family member's deaths because of health issues in the commercial. 

Bacon plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with the Republican-led plan to preserve private insurance. Eastman supports 'Medicare for All' that would replace all private insurance with a government-run plan. Experts say Bacon's plan to repeal the ACA will have states mostly relying on their local government rather than following federal standards. 

Bacon's ad can be viewed HERE, and Eastman's HERE

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CHRIS JANICEK WON'T QUIT SENATE RACE; DEMOCRATS EYE WRITE-IN CANDIDATE

OMAHA- Chris Janicek announced Monday his intention to stay in the U.S. Senate race despite the Nebraska Democratic Party's attempts to get him to drop out. The Democratic Party of Nebraska has been asking Janicek to step aside since June when inappropriate text messages he sent came to light. 

Janicek is up against incumbent Ben Sasse in the November 3rd election. Janicek believes he is the only option Democrats have if they want to beat Senator Sasse. Democrats are now looking for a write-in option to replace Janicek, although registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by 200,000. 

Nebraska Democrats originally wanted to put up Alisha Shelton as a replacement for Janicek. Shelton is a mental health practitioner and would have been Nebraska's first black nominee from a major party for Senate. However, she is unable to be a write-in option because she was already defeated by Janicek in the primary. 

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GOVERNOR IMPLEMENTS NEW DIRECTED HEALTH MEASURES FOR INDIVIDUAL COUNTIES, EFFECTIVE TODAY

LINCOLN- Governor Pete Ricketts has implemented new Directed Health Measures across Nebraska effective on September 1st at 12:00AM. These measures impact each county differently, but pull restrictions from all 'phases' of Nebraska's reopening plans. Many communities will see some restrictions on group sizes, and occupancy allowances for venues. Additionally some areas will have new guidance for teachers who come into contact with COVID-19. 

Because of the wide range of restrictions implemented within these DHM's, we encourage you to review them carefully for the areas surrounding your interests. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Joe or Brennen.

The full list of DHM's, in their full text, can be found by clicking HERE

OMAHA MASK REQUIREMENT EXTENDED TO OCT. 20TH, LINCOLN THROUGH SEPTEMBER

OMAHA- Omaha’s mask requirement has been extended to Oct. 20. On  Tuesday the city council voted 5-2 to approve an extension of the current requirement, which was set to expire Sept. 15. The rules of the requirement, which first took effect Aug. 11, won’t functionally change. Masks are required in many public settings where 6 feet of distance cannot be maintained. It includes several other exceptions.

Mayor Jean Stothert has said she won’t veto the council’s decision to extend the requirement.

Lincoln Mayor Gaylor Baird and Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department Director Pat Lopez have said the mask mandate and current local restrictions helped contribute to three weeks where the number of new cases declined. And by continuing the restrictions, the county can avoid a dramatic spike. Wearing masks, frequent hand-washing, maintaining distance and avoiding large gatherings have continued to prove effective, the mayor said.

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NORTHWEST PUBLIC SCHOOLS REQUIRE MASKS

GRAND ISLAND- Started Monday, Northwest Public Schools are requiring all students to wear masks without exception. The Superintendent made this decision after having to quarantine a large number of students last week. Northwest schools are currently at a Tier 2 level but if they get to Tier 4 they will have to shut down again, similar to last springs decision to send all students home. The school will provide masks to students who do not have one. Students must also wear masks on the school buses who will also have masks available. 

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REGION 3 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES GIVEN FOUR COVID, FLOOD GRANTS

GRAND ISLAND- Region 3 Behavioral Health Services has been given $625,265 in grants for coronavirus and flood support. The grants came from the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and Federal Emergency Management Agency and it is intended to help communities recover from disasters. 

Region 3 serves 22 counties in south-central and central Nebraska, including Hall County which is around 13% of the state's population. Nebraska Disaster Recovery for Schools also awarded Region 3 with $179,579 in grants. These grants will allow the services to continue training in youth mental health in disaster-impacted counties. The grant will help provide counseling to youth and their families especially impacted by the pandemic. 

The money will also help provide support for mental health and substance abuse needs for adults who have struggled with COVID-19.  

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FIVE HOUSES IN UNL'S GREEK SYSTEM ARE IN QUARANTINE WITH SMALL CLUSTERS OF COVID-19 CASES

LINCOLN- Four sororities and one fraternity have been placed into quarantine after small clusters of students tested positive for the virus. Initially, each house had only 4 or 5 cases, but that is enough to have to place the house into quarantine. UNL has reported around 200 cases so far. All houses began quarantining before the official notification from the Lincoln-Lancaster Health Department. It is unknown if additional cases have occurred. 

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NEBRASKA STATE PENITENTIARY UNDER QUARANTINE AFTER 29 INMATES TEST POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

LINCOLN- All units at the Nebraska State Penitentiary have been placed into quarantine after 29 inmates test positive for the virus. This was discovered after all inmates were tested Friday. This will allow for the prison administrators to continue to test the population smoothly. The entire facility will be in quarantine for at least 2 weeks. 

This came right as the penitentiary was going to begin in person visits again. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 64 staff members at the corrections department have tested positive. 

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RICKETTS SAYS BIG TEN 'MADE A MISTAKE' WITH DECISION TO POSTPONE FALL SPORTS

LINCOLN- Governor Ricketts finally made a statement about the fate of no Nebraska football this fall. The Governor believes the conference did not do a good job in announcing their decision and would like to see the Big Ten reconsider. The decision to postpone fall sports comes with many consequences, Ricketts says. In Nebraska, he believes holding games would be very manageable and had originally been working with the conference to have games. 

The Governor did not appreciate that the Big Ten put out a schedule and just a week later decided to pull the season. 

Eight Husker players are suing the Big Ten for how they handled this decision and are being represented by Mike Flood, former Speaker of the Legislature and current candidate for the Legislature.

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96% OF OPENING WEEKEND'S SCHEDULED HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES WERE PLAYED. WE'LL TAKE IT

OMAHA- 127 high school football games were played this weekend across the state. That is 96% of the normal amount of opening weekend games. However, coaches are constantly worried that they might get the call that someone on their team has the virus. This happened to eight schools in the Class A division. Teams who have yet to have an outbreak will continue play this Friday. 

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ARE COLLEGE STUDENTS CAPABLE OF FOLLOWING VIRUS RULES DURING A 'COMPLEX SEMESTER'?

OMAHA- A nationwide debate has emerged on whether it is asking too much of college students to follow basic COVID-19 rules. Many universities across the country have had to shut down due to an immense amount of students not following any CDC guidelines. People believe the small amount of students throwing and attending large social gatherings have put entire universities at risk for shutdown. 

An administrator from North Carolina said that it is hard to criticize students for doing what has driven the most fond memories for alumni and secures their loyalty to the university. Many large events held by older adults have also demonstrated that even adults are sometimes incapable of following simple social distancing rules and mask mandates. 

Almost every part of college requires human interaction, so to send students back to campus may have been asking too much of them. Some believe that sending students to campus shows that universities do not have their students safety as a high concern. 

The University of Alabama has reported over 1,000 positive cases, whereas UNL is sitting at around 100 and Creighton closer to 50 cases. Other schools have switched to completely remote learning after just 2 weeks in-person. Colleges are having the hardest time with trying to monitor students off of campus where the rules are completely out of their hands. 

The first weekend students arrived back to Lincoln, there were 23 complaints about parties that came through. The average amount of party complaints on a weekend during the school year in Lincoln is 32. Universities are aware that it is naive to expect 100% compliance, however they still hope their students are taking the pandemic seriously. 

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MEDICAL MARIJUANA INITIATIVE SHOULD BE ON THE BALLOT, NEBRASKA SECRETARY OF STATE RULES

LINCOLN-  Secretary of State Bob Evnen ruled Thursday that a medical marijuana initiative should be placed on the Nov. 3 ballot, though he said he had “no doubt” that his decision will be challenged in court. 

Evnen said Thursday evening that while “there are a number of problems” with the language of the proposed constitutional amendment submitted by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, his review found that the language was “legally sufficient” to be placed before voters. “This was a close call,” said Evnen, who is an attorney.

Evnan's decision followed his review of letters submitted Wednesday by Mark Fahleson, a Lincoln attorney and former head of the Nebraska Republican Party, who challenged the ballot language on behalf of unnamed Nebraskans who oppose legalization of medical marijuana. Fahleson declined to comment following the announcement, but said that a decision on whether to challenge Evnen's decision in court would be made soon.

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LONGTIME NEBRASKA RIGHT TO LIFE DIRECTION JULIE SCHMIT-ALBIN DIES AT 6

OMAHA- The longtime leader of Nebraska's anti-abortion movement has died of cancer at the age of 63. Schmit-Albin committed her entire career to advancing the pro-life movement in Nebraska. Most recently, she worked to pass LB814, which puts an end to one type of second-trimester abortion. The organization she led is a very large political force in the state, with their endorsement being crucial for candidates. 

Governor Pete Ricketts recognized Schmit-Albin with honorary admiralship. She also won the Catholic Conference's Gospel of Life Award in 2019. Her father served in the Legislature from 1969 to 1993, growing up around the Capitol inspired her life-long anti-abortion work.

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OMAHA'S MEGABILLIONAIRE DOWN THE STREET- WARREN BUFFET SET TO CELEBRATE HIS 90TH BIRTHDAY

OMAHA- Omaha's very own Warren Buffett will be celebrating his 90th birthday this Sunday, August 30th. At his age, he is still running Berkshire Hathaway which he built into one of the world's biggest, longest running and most respected conglomerate. Within the Fortune 500, Warren Buffett is the oldest CEO. 

Buffett and his family and friends added some theories as to how he has lived such a long, fulfilling life. 

They say to find a job you love, surround yourself with people you enjoy, laugh a lot and face each day with a sunny outlook. Buffett says he has been able to do what he loves everyday while also having fun, which is a huge plus in life. 

As the fourth richest person in the world, he still wakes up excited to go into the office everyday, including Saturday's. You would swear he is no older than 60. 

He has cut back on work hours and other commitments, but is still very sharp. The same questions about retirement have been asked since he was 70 years old, and everyone around him is past the point of asking. Susie Buffett, Warren's daughter, bets her father will make it to age 100. 

Buffett was born less than a year after the stock market crash that led to the Great Depression, but he says he has seen nothing like what is happening in current times due to the pandemic. Longtime friend Bill Gates says he sees the world as "endlessly fascinating". Gates and Buffett have talked for hours every week for over 20 years now. 

His job requirements have greatly decreased after Greg Abel and Ajit Jain were named vice chairmen of the company. Abel mostly oversees non-insurance businesses such as BNSF Railway Co., whereas Jain oversees the insurance operations. Many believe one of these two will be named CEO eventually. 

After having to cancel this year's shareholder meeting, Buffett quickly created a way to be able to interact with the shareholders through online Q&A sessions. It is his favorite time of year.

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BIPARTISAN LAWMAKERS BACK PIPELINE SAFETY MEASURE

WASHINGTON- Bipartisan Representatives Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Bob Latta (R-Ohio) and Troy Balderson (R-Ohio) created a bill to establish a pipeline safety enhancement program. The Pipeline Safety Pilot Program Act is an amendment to Fletcher's PHMSA reauthorization bill. This bill has backing from the American Petroleum Institute and the Association of Oil Pipe Lines. The bill will help establish training programs to enhance safety for workers from 2020-2026 to look at new technologies and operational practices for pipeline facilities and hazardous liquid pipelines facilities. 

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NEBRASKA SUPREME COURT TO LET GAMBLING BACKERS ARGUE FOR PLACE ON NOVEMBER BALLOT

OMAHA- The Nebraska Supreme Court agreed to take up a case filed by groups to get a casino gambling measure on the ballot in November. Lynne McNally from Keep the Money in Nebraska and the Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association filed for a legal review of the secretary of state's decision to keep the measure off the ballot. There are other groups that are suing the Secretary of State Bob Evnen's decision, including Ho-Chunk Inc. 

Oral arguments for this issue will begin September 2nd. Evnen said the petitions to add gambling to horse racetracks did not stick to a single topic and the language was unclear. Advocates for gambling on the horse racetracks say the timing of the decision only left them 17 days to seek review and make the ballot on time. The filing said the decision was incorrect because the initiatives all meet the requirements of the Nebraska Constitution. 

If the initiatives are approved, they would amend the state constitution to allow gambling at the tracks, how Nebraska would regulate this practice and how the state would tax the industry.

One of the initiatives would allow for the gambling related tax revenues toward property tax reliefs. Evnen said that is considered granting favors for votes, which is logrolling. Antigambling advocates believe the additional revenue is not worth the social problems and increase in bankruptcies. 

Lawyers for the gambling advocates have fought to have the case heard directly by the Nebraska Supreme Court instead of the Lancaster County District Court.

One of the filings highlighted that the Supreme Court should see that the ballot measures do not address the expansion of gambling on Native American lands. 

Dave Lopez, a lawyer, says Nebraskans have kept this kind of gambling out of the state for over a century and everyone deserves to know what this kind of gambling could do for the state. 

Nebraska Attorney general Doug Peterson will be defending Evnen's decision in court. 

Ho-Chunk Inc.'s CEO said the state's decision is politically driven and is not actually rooted in law. He also believes the state needs to respect the 475,000 Nebraskans who signed the petitions to get the issue on the ballot. 

The last time a gambling related issue appeared on a ballot was in 2006. Nebraskans rejected the proposal to allow video keno devices. 

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CANDIDATE FOR NORTH OMAHA LEGISLATIVE SEAT DECIDES AGAINST SEEKING PARDON

LINCOLN- Terrell McKinney, a Creighton Law student and former All-American wrestler at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, was seeking to replace State Senator Ernie Chambers by representing North Omaha. McKinney missed his scheduled hearing with the Nebraska Board of Pardons. He and his attorney decided against pursuing a pardon for misdemeanor charges that occurred six to ten years ago. He did not understand why his name was on the pardon agenda, even though he never requested it. 

In 2016, he had requested a pardon for charges that were mostly traffic related, however there were also resisting arrest and disorderly conduct charges on his record. There were many letters sent to the board in support of pardoning McKinney. Governor Ricketts, the chair of the Board, did not know why McKinney appeared on the agenda either. He believes McKinney's case from 2016 is just now coming back up after a huge backlog of cases being brought to the board. 

McKinney placed second in the primary election in May. He will be running against former Omaha City Council member Fred Conley for the seat. Senator Chambers has spoken in support of McKinney.

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11 NEBRASKA STATE SENATORS MAKE LONG-SHOT BID FOR SPECIAL SESSION ON RACIAL JUSTICE ISSUES

LINCOLN- 11 state senators called for a special session on racial justice issues on Tuesday. The now retired State Senator Ernie Chambers was part of this group, but still admitted that the session most likely will not happen. Senator Adam Morfeld would also like to see this special session come to fruition, but he knows it will be difficult, especially after last session. However, he also knows there are plenty of Senators that care about these issues and want change. 

The group of Senators created a list of 10 purposes for the special session and delivered it to the Secretary of State. Some of the outlined reasons for calling the session include civilian oversight of law enforcement, workplace protections for COVID-19, unemployment compensation and increased protections against eviction. 

33 Senators need to agree to have the session in order for it to actually be called by Governor Ricketts. This comes after civilians, racial justice organizations and the ACLU of Nebraska called for the session. 

Senator Machaela Cavanaugh believes these issues cannot wait until the normal session convenes in January to be addressed. She says everyday that goes by without change, more lives are impacted. 

The other signatures on the letter included Senators Matt Hansen, Patty Pansing Brooks, Sara Hoard, Megan Hunt, Rick Kolowski, John McCollister, Tony Vargas and Justin Wayne. 

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RICKETTS URGES RETURNING COLLEGE STUDENTS TO TAKE HEALTH RULES SERIOUSLY TO PREVENT COVID-19 SPREAD

OMAHA- Governor Pete Ricketts put out a statement for college students pleading with them to follow the health rules. He hopes that students are able to put some of the social events aside for awhile so the state can combat the virus. Ricketts is remaining positive in his thought that the University will be able to continue in-person learning for the remainder of the semester. 

The Governor particularly noted how remote learning affects those with learning disabilities. Shutting schools down in the spring did not produce the best outcomes for special education students. These students deserve to have equal learning opportunities to their peers. Parents and other guardians or helpers do not always have the skills to be able to help their students in a remote setting which only hurts the child. Students are also missing social interaction which is a huge part of development. 

Ricketts is also hoping parents will be cooperative when local health departments have to conduct contact tracing. He says being able to know who is positive, where they went and who they interacted with will only help slow the virus. Parents also need to keep their kids home from school if they are even waiting on getting results back. 

The Nebraska Education Commissioner, Matt Blomstedt, says the cases that have been showing up were contracted from other places. Meaning the spread was not necessarily happening at the school. 

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