NEBRASKA POSITIONED TO MOVE AHEAD FROM PANDEMIC DIFFICULTIES, CHAMBER PRESIDENT SAYS

LINCOLN- Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry's President Bryan Slone says Nebraska is positioned to emerge in better economic standing than most states. He focused on opportunities created for people 18-34 years old that are able to be done remotely. He gave credit to the Legislature and Governor Ricketts for allowing the state to not go into a complete lockdown for the economic state. 

Slone noted that senators applied the state sales tax to internet sales that "created a level playing field" for Nebraska's businesses. Nebraska's banks are a national leader in processing paycheck protection loans. He also said that child care "will be a significant issue" as the economy will be changed as 10%-20% of people will continue to work from home. 

Jim Smith, president of Blueprint Nebraska, says the state needs to realign their tax strategy and create a more welcoming state for young people. Blueprint Nebraska was created to propose a statewide economic development plan. 

Community colleges will be a crucial partner for Blueprint Nebraska's plans. Southeast Community College is opening a training center that will educate a skilled workforce in health sciences. Slone believes community colleges will be game-changers. 

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NEED FOR VACCINE COLD STORAGE MAY CREATE NEXT PANDEMIC DISPARITY

GAMPELA, Burkina Faso (AP)- The world's most promising coronavirus vaccine need nonstop sterile refrigeration to work. However, nearly 3 billion people live in places without temperature-controlled storage. The result of this, is of course, the world's poorest people will be the last to come out of the pandemic. Even in the world's richest countries will have a hard time maintaining the correct temperatures for vaccines. 

A tiny clinic in Burkina Faso went nearly a year without a working refrigerator is just one example of how millions of people could be in places without access to the vaccine. UNICEF began laying groundwork to maintain their PPE program months ago and will begin to work on this issue. Once the vaccine leaves a factory, the issues begin. Cargo ships are too slow to maintain shelf life and flying vaccines at low temperatures is a huge cost. 15,000 cargo flights would be needed in order to fully vaccinate the world. 

UNICEF is prepared to have 520 million syringes pre-positioned and have refrigeration needs mapped out by the end of the year in order to ensure when a vaccine does come out, they are able to get them out immediately. 

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UNMC TEAM THAT HELPED CREATE MLB'S COVID-19 PLAN PLEASED WITH RESULTS

OMAHA- UNMC officials who helped create the MLB's COVID-19 protection plan says the late July outbreak in the league was quickly contained because of the implemented plan. 

After one player tested positive, 146 others were considered exposed to the virus, but only 21 people ever tested positive. It is believed the majority of spread happened off the field as more teams would have been infected if that were the case. 

The league had an extra boost of help with the frequent testing and all practiced happening outside in open air. Basic recommendations such as masks, social distancing and hand washing were being followed by players and other team personnel which helped immensely as well. A lot was learned from this July cluster and well. No new cases have been reported in the MLB in over 50 days. 

John Lowe, assistant vice chancellor for health security at UNMC says he is happy the medical center could play a part in keeping baseball alive during these times. 

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GROUP FILES TO RECALL LINCOLN MAYOR, 4 CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OVER HEALTH DIRECTOR APPOINTMENT

LINCOLN- A group upset with Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and members of the Lincoln City Council over the mask mandate, directed health measures and the appointment of the local health director will seek their recalls. 

Lancaster County Election Commissioner Dave Shively on Monday said recall affidavits have been filed for Gaylor Baird, and council members James Michael Bowers (District 1), Richard Meginnis (District 2), Jane Raybould (District 3) and Tammy Ward (District 4). 

Samuel Lyon, a real estate agent who is the principal circulator for the Gaylor Baird recall, said the mayor has sowed discord and turned neighbors against one another and pitted proprietors against their patrons when she implemented Nebraska's first mask mandate. He decried her pandemic actions, including the mask mandate and emergency declaration for the pandemic, as an "assault on the citizens and good life of Lincoln."

Once the petitions are issued, petitioners need to collect 21,652 signatures of eligible Lincoln voters within 30 days to trigger a recall election.

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GOV. RICKETTS OVERVIEWS STATE'S COVID-10 VACCINATION PLAN, PROCLAIMS OCTOBER AS "PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT MONTH"

LINCOLN- The state has been working closely with local health departments to create a detailed vaccination network across Nebraska, Governor Ricketts announced at his recent press briefing. There is a very robust vaccination system in the state, the VFC, which will be adopted for used when a COVID-19 vaccine is ready for use. State officials expect the vaccine to be in low supply at the start, so it will be available to health care personnel and high-risk individuals first then will make its way to the general population. 

Nebraska Department of Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt said the Governor's Education Emergency Relief fund will support students affected by the pandemic. Additionally, Governor Ricketts has proclaimed October ‘Physician Assistant Month’, and presented a resolution to The Nebraska Academy of Physician Assistants.

Read the detailed vaccination plan released by the Department of Health and Human Services by clicking HERE

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OMAHA-BASED STAFFING COMPANIES HELP FILL U.S. NEED FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS

OMAHA- Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are now at record levels in Nebraska. Officials are concerned that the surging cases will outstrip hospital capacity and its healthcare workforce. Governor Ricketts' announced $40 million of the federal relief dollars towards helping hospital staff. This could mean hiring temporary staff, awarding overtime or starting hazard pay. Twenty-one hospitals are eligible for the funding. 

Omaha-based healthcare staffing agencies says they will be able to meet the demand if the market for healthcare workers becomes tight. Omaha is the national hub for medical staging companies. “I call it the Silicon Valley of health care staffing,” says John Maaske, CEO of Triage. Officials say the hospitalizations have not plateaued and the numbers will definitely continue to rise in the upcoming weeks. The rate of hospitalization is up 68% from the previous peak the state hit in May. 

The hope is that hospitals will have enough traveling nurses so that staff can take extra time off and have rest in the midst of the pandemic chaos. Hospitals are also looking at offering a premium to nurses wanting to pick up extra shifts. Andy Hale, the Nebraska Hospital Association's Vice President for Advocacy says putting money behind staffing is a step in the right direction. 

Intensive care nurses are also in high demand, especially for respiratory therapists. Ricketts has also said hospital capacity needs to be reserved for heart attack victims, moms delivering babies and others that will be needing acute care. 

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DEPUTY HHS SECRETARY TOURS DAVIS GLOBAL CENTER, HIGHLIGHTS UNMC'S ROLE IN PANDEMIC RESPONSE

OMAHA- Eric Hargan, the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services took a look at the new training and simulation center the federal government helped fund at the University of Nebraska Health Center. He highlighted the tole Nebraska has played in pandemic response since the beginning. 

His tour included the National Quarantine Unit which housed some of the passengers from the cruise ship which were among the first U.S. citizens to be infected. This unity is the only federally designated quarantine facility. He noted that remdesivir, an antiviral drug that was recently approved for treating severe cases of COVID-19, started at UNMC. The center has also developed training programs to help health care providers safely treat people infected with the virus. 

UNMC is contributing to the race to find a vaccine through its partnership with COVAXX. The vaccine is in Phase 3, which is late stage. Dr. Jeffrey Gold says he is grateful for the partnerships created with Hargan, COVAXX and all other entities that made the center possible. 

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30 PLEAD GUILTY SO FAR IN LARGEST POACHING CASE IN NEBRASKA HISTORY

OMAHA- People from over 20 states paid up to $7,000 to hunt in the Sand Hills of Nebraska near Broken Bow. But, these were not just hunters. They were poachers using illegal tactics to guarantee success. This sparked a major investigation on both the state and federal level. 30 people have pleaded guilty for federal crimes. Over $550,000 in fines and restitution has been handed down and over 50 years of permits were revoked. 

The owner of Hidden Hills Outfitters was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and has been ordered to pay $214,375 to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. This is not his first hunting related conviction in which his probation banned him from killing animals and using weapons. Almost 100 animals were illegally killed. Ethical hunters in the state are thanking officials who conducted the investigation. 

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JIM MCKEE: RELICS OF A RAILROAD PAST

LINCOLN- The Union Pacific Railroad town of North Platte had a separate town within the town itself. To this day, a few of those buildings are still around and are a part of the rich history of the town. Grading for the rails began in 1864 and the first rail was laid in Omaha in 1865. 

Andrew J. Miller first appears as a merchant in O'Fallon's Bluffs, NE in 1858. He and William Peniston then established a trading post in North Platte in 1866. The prosperous stock-raising business in the town began with the duo. The rails were protected by the military. The first camp, Camp Sargent was built and contained a guard house, mess hall, hospital, soldiers quarters and a horse stable. This area now sits at the Sixth and Willow streets in North Platte. 

The population plummeted in North Platte after Union Pacific reached Colorado. Then, Union Pacific decided to make North Platte a division point, thus bringing more people to the town. Now, historians have identified buildings from this time and don't want to see that time of history forgotten. 

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NEW HIGHWAY 281 BRIDGE IS OPEN; PREVIOUS SPAN WAS WIPED OUT AFTER SPENCER DAM COLLAPSE

The last roadway washed out by the epic flooding in 2019 has reopened. Gov. Pete Ricketts joined other officials on Thursday to mark the milestone and celebrate the completion of a bridge on U.S. Highway 281 that spans the new channel of the Niobrara River, south of Spencer.

A huge section of the highway was washed out when the Spencer Dam, just upriver, collapsed on the night of March 13-14, 2019. The river cut a new channel, requiring a second, 1,050-foot-long bridge to be built below the dam. The new span was finished on Oct. 15 — 580 days after the floods — replacing a temporary bridge that had been in place since July 2019. A 127-mile detour had been required to cross the river before the installation of the temporary, one-lane bridge.

"The speed of rebuilding is a true testament to the commitment and dedication of the community, the Nebraska Department of Transportation, and everyone who contributed to get us here,” Gov. Pete Ricketts said during Thursday's ceremony on the new bridge.

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IN MICHIGAN PLOT TO KIDNAP GOVERNOR, INFORMANTS WERE KEY

LANSING- Members of the antigovernment group, Michigan III%ers had allegedly been speaking about kidnapping Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The FBI heard members were surveilling her home  and created explosive devices through undercover agents. Six men were federally charged with conspiring to kidnap Gov. Whitmer and seven others were charged under the antiterrorism act. 

Informants and undercover agents are key in ensuring these radical groups do not actually do what they speak about in the online forums and meetings many groups have. Michigan has a history of private militia's inciting violence, including the Michigan Militia who attracted the Oklahoma City bomber to its meetings. However, with growing online presence these groups are getting larger and stronger. 

The group reached out to another antigovernment group called the Wolverine Watchmen to kidnap the governor. The FBI already had an informant in that group, so it was an easy catch on law enforcement's part. Membership in these groups alone is not illegal, and neither is speaking about the things they do. 

Lee Miracle, the leader of another 200-member militia says many members are more level-headed than people think. The kidnapping plot really came to a head after her lockdown measures. Defense attorneys for the men question if there is any evidence that the men were actually going to follow through or if they were simply talking. 

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UNO DESERVES ITS OWN CHANCELLOR BY ‘KNOCKING IT OUT OF THE PARK’ IN RECENT YEARS, NU PRESIDENT SAYS

OMAHA- The University of Nebraska at Omaha has earned the right to its own leader by “knocking it out of the park” in recent years, the NU system’s president said Thursday.

NU President Ted Carter used the baseball lingo to describe enrollment gains, research grants, private support and rankings that show UNO has the quality and complexity to merit and require a full-time chancellor. Carter announced Thursday that he would accelerate by a year the timeline to name a new chancellor for UNO. Carter, who oversees institutions in Omaha, Lincoln and Kearney, already has hired a search firm for the process and has begun mulling over who should be on the search committee.

Dr. Jeffrey Gold will remain chancellor of the medical center, a job he has held for close to seven years. He will have a different second job when the new chancellor is named. Carter said Gold will also serve as the NU system’s executive vice president and provost.

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TAX INCREASE FOR CORPORATIONS LOOKS MORE LIKELY AS ELECTION NEARS

WASHINGTON- The 21% U.S. company tax charge was the cornerstone of the Trump era tax legislation. If Democrats manage to control the House, Senate and the presidency, they plan to increase the rate to 28%. Companies are beginning to wonder what things will look like as the prospect of a very democratic federal government is becoming more likely. The 2017 tax cut lowered the tax from 35% to 21%, if Trump wins the election he plans on lowering the tax again. Life-insurance firms are concerned about the potential impact they will see under the Biden tax plan. 

Biden plans to also increase taxes on the real-estate business and breaks for renewable power companies. 

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'BETTER THAN WE COULD HAVE THOUGHT': LA VISTA, RALSTON SEE BOOST IN KENO REVENUES

OMAHA- Even with the pandemic continuing to hurt businesses, La Vista and Ralston keno is booming. The beginning of the pandemic proved to shake the business, but eventually saw a 166% jump in revenue in May compared to the year before. 

"In fact, we've had some of our strongest months in the history of the business since we've reopened," said Bill Harvey.

Mayors of the La Vista and Ralston believe the jump comes from people wanting something fun to do in large, spread-out spaces. 

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MARKET VOLATILITY DRIVES NEGATIVE RETURN ON NU FOUNDATION ENDOWMENT

LINCOLN- The University of Nebraska Foundation has reported a 1.3% net loss on its $1.3 billion endowment. The foundation was seeing solid results in its investments until the pandemic emerged in March. The loss should not affect day-to-day operations of the university. The five-year benchmark was projected to be 4.7% but the foundation has seen just a 3.7% gain. 

The foundation oversees $2.6 billion in assets. 

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ANSWERS SOUGHT ABOUT CONCERNS OVER HOW DOG AND CAT INSPECTIONS LAW BEING CARRIED OUT BY THE STATE OF NEBRASKA

OMAHA- In a recent report, an employee whistleblower claimed the Department of Agriculture had repeatedly failed to enforce a state law governing cat and dog breeders and rescue families. The employee had worked in the department for four decades. The ombudsman's office had reason to believe the department violated the state's whistleblower act by retaliating against the employee. 

The Agriculture Committee said the allegations were very serious and the committee will be investigating further since they have oversight over the department. In a letter to Steve Wellman, the Agriculture Department Director, Chairperson Steve Halloran asked if there were any omissions in the report and also asked for their policies and procedures on this matter and wants more clarity on the Commercial Dog and Cat Operator Inspection Act. He has yet to receive a reply. 

The whistleblower and members of the committee stated these procedures are in place for a reason and law enforcement needs to know about the illegal situations.

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NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE ISSUES 2020 TAX EXPENDITURE REPORT

LINCOLN- This week the Nebraska Department of Revenue issued their 2020 Tax Expenditure Report. This report, as required by statute, provides a review of tax and fee expenditures, which is required in even numbered years to enable the Legislature to better determine those sectors of the economy that are receiving indirect subsidies as a result of tax exemptions, deductions, exclusion, credit, or deferral. 

Those expenditures included in the report are those that generate state or local revenue annually in excess of $2 million, and are listed by group, and alphabetically. For example the first entry examnes the agricutlrue sector of the state, with machinery and equipment first on the list with a total sales and use tax exemption of $217,981,000. Other items for example include repair parts and services on common carriers at $17,080,000, and food or food ingredients at $206,392,000. 

As the 2021 session approaches we believe that this document will be a key instrument as several members look to a complete restructuring of Nebraska’s tax system. We encourage you to review this document by clicking HERE.

PRESIDENT TRUMP FIRES BACK AT BEN SASSE; CALLING HIM 'AN EMBARRASSMENT' TO NEBRASKA

WASHINGTON- President Trump sent out a thread of tweets in response to Senator Sasse's comments about him. The tweets call Sasse an embarrassment to the state. 

Sasse claimed to have a good working relationship with the president but is not fully on the "Trump Train". He said the president, spends like a drunken sailor, flirts with dictators, ignores the virus, sells out allies and mocks Evangelicals. The senator says Trump is forcing young men and women to flee from the Republican Party. 

The Nebraska Republican Party executive director said they will continue to endorse both Trump and Sasse. He went on to say there is room for disagreements and growth in the GOP.

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IN LETTERS TO EMPLOYEES, COMPANY PRESIDENT WARNS OF POSSIBLE LAYOFFS IF BIDEN WINS PRESIDENCY

ORLANDO- The president of a company included a letter in employee's paystub that warned if President Trump does not get re-elected, they could lose their jobs. George Daniels is the president of Daniels Manufacturing Corporation and has around 170 employees. Employees say they were surprised to receive this warning, although a Trump flag flies outside of the plant. 

Daniels said, "I have been doing this for years. I have an obligation to let workers know what could happen, based on the outcome of an election. They certainly should vote for the candidate they want."

David Siegel, another Florida CEO, made similar claims prior to the 2012 reelection of President Obama. 

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DOUG EMHOFF, HUSHAND OF SEN. KAMALA HARRIS, STOPS IN NORTH OMAHA FOR DRIVE-IN RALLY

OMAHA- Sen. Kamala Harris' husband visited the heart of Omaha Thursday joined by Democratic candidate Kara Eastman. North Omaha leaders also attended the rally, including the write-in candidate for Senate, Preston Love Jr. Attendees spoke about their excitement around Harris being a part of the ticket. Young voters showed up as well, citing teachers at North High School and Bryan High School for encouraging them to vote. 

The 2nd Congressional District is one of the areas heavily targeted by both campaigns as it has grown more competitive over the past decade. Due to Nebraska’s splitting of electoral votes, it is possible for a campaign to pick up a single electoral vote, which the Biden Campaign hopes to do as they lead in polls for the district.

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