DOUGLAS COUNTY COURTHOUSE DEALS WITH NO MASKS, QUICK QUARANTINES-- AND THAT'S JUST THE JUDGES

OMAHA- One Douglas County judge did not require anyone to wear a mask in his courtroom. District Judge Peter Bataillon even asks for inmates appearing remotely to remove their masks which frustrates corrections officials. Another judge, Greg Schatz felt ill one day and got tested. One test was negative and one was positive. He decided to then show up at the courthouse within a day of the positive test. He was asked to go home. Juvenile court judges have also been having problems with testing positive for the virus. 

Close to 10 staff members of the County Court have tested positive and a handful of employees at the Douglas County Attorney's Office have also tested positive. 

A group of judges and attorneys is requesting that the Nebraska Supreme Court should scale back to partial shutdown mode as it did in May. Federal courts in Nebraska have stopped jury trials through Dec. 1st and are asking judges and litigants to seek alternative ways to conduct hearings. The major worry is that if everything is scaled back, the already backed up case load will continue to just get worse. Some judges are more strict, same as attorneys, but others do not care about the virus so the courthouse remains a very ambiguous place in terms of masks and social distancing rules.

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LIKE METRO HOSPITALS, HOSPITALS IN RURAL AREAS OF NEBRASKA FACING CAPACITY CONCERNS AMID VIRUS SURGE

LINCOLN- Lincoln and Omaha hospitals alike are reporting that virus patients are occupying 25% or more of available rooms. This is because they are taking patients from their city's but also transfer patients from smaller towns. For example, the East Central Health Department which serves Platte, Colfax, Boone and Nance counties had 30 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with only one ICU bed available. 

"As hospital beds in our state and region become increasingly unavailable, it has become more difficult to transfer patients in need of a higher level of care for any medical reason, not just COVID-related reasons," Veronica Schmidt, CEO of Melham Medical Center in Broken Bow, said last week in a message posted on the hospital's Facebook page.

Statewide, there are 938 hospitalized people, but in many places the number of available beds have dropped quickly. A hospital in North Platte said nearly 40% of beds were being used for virus patients. At this rate, Omaha alone could surpass the current statewide totals in just three weeks. Dr. Dan Johnson, a critical care anesthesiologist at UNMC says it is impossible for Omaha area hospitals to handle that. He noted that hospitals are used for so much more than virus patients. People with heart attacks, strokes, car accidents will also have trouble finding hospital beds and that is a bad situation for the state to be in. The state case total is 101,609, with 797 deaths linked to the virus. 

Hospital officials from around the entire state have been posting letters and videos pleading state officials to take immediate action to slow the spread. While Governor Ricketts has stated that more restrictions will come when hospitals hit the 25% threshold, his only announcement of new action this week included that he would have the Capitol illuminated in blue  as a ‘thank you’ to medical workers. 

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55TH WING RETIRES CRANKY PLANE-- DUBBED 'LUCIFER'S CHARIOT'-- IN OFFUTT CEREMONY

OMAHA- The Tail Number 582, a WC-135C "nuke sniffer" aircraft that flew out of Offutt Air Force Base for its 56-year career has finally been retired. The plane was well known for flying airmen around the world, but frequently broke down and left them stranded. This is the first time one of the 55th Wing's planes has been retired since 1998. These kinds of planes are used to monitor other countries compliance with the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963). 

The jet was scheduled to go through a lengthy renovation process, but it seemed like a better option to retire it. The last operational flight was on Nov. 2. in which it then received a water cannon salute with airport fire hoses upon landing. Tail 582 originally was delivered to Offutt in 1965 and has flown over 29,680 flight hours. It is being put to rest in the Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.

One of the most notorious breakdowns the plane had was in March 2017, when the engine caught fire at 31,000 elevation over the Indian Ocean en route to Okinawa, Japan. The plane landed safely, but passengers had no passports and thus were forced to sleep on the plane while waiting for repairs. 

“This is definitely a very fitting send-off, for that stupid, wonderful, terrible jet,” said Tristin Redfern.

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OMAHA'S SYMONE SANDERS COULD BE PRESS SECRETARY FOR BIDEN

OMAHA- If President-elect Biden selects Symone Sanders as his press secretary, the Omaha native will be making history. She would be the first woman of color to serve an American president in that role and many see it as a realistic possibility. Numerous national news outlets consider her to be a top candidate.

In Sanders' book, No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America, she spoke about wanting to be a press secretary someday. Both Republicans and Democrats agree she would be well suited in that role. She previously served as the national press secretary in 2016 for Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign. 

She grew up in North Omaha and attended Sacred Heart and Mercy High School before graduating from Creighton University. Her mother is the publisher for the Omaha Star, Omaha's Black-owned newspaper

Sources report another top candidate is Kate Bedingfield, the campaign's deputy campaign manager and oversaw communications. . 

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SEN. KATE BOLZ ACCEPTS POSITION ON LINCOLN MAYOR GAYLOR BAIRD'S STAFF

LINCOLN- Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird  announced Monday that Sen. Kate Bolz will be joining her staff as a policy aide for economic and workforce development. 

"The Gaylor Baird administration's dedication to economic and workforce development is vital as Lincoln continues to grow and as our community works to create new opportunities for workers impacted by the coronavirus," Bolz said in a news release. 

Bolz will be working on the Lincoln Forward initiative which recognizes physical and emotional health, social connection, safety, educational opportunities and connection to the environment. Bolz was defeated by Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry for the 1st District House seat after running the strongest democratic campaign for the seat since Fortenberry’s first campaign. She decided to run for the congressional seat after reaching her term limits in the Legislature. 

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SEN. MIKE GROENE CALLS OMAHA WOMAN A "FANATIC" AND "STUPID"; TELLS CONSTITUENT TO "EXAMINE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH"

OMAHA- Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte recently made the news for a very controversial statement he made saying he was happy to get COVID-19. People were not shy in reaching out to him to criticize that logic but Groene came back at them saying they need to stop living in fear and to stop using it to scare others. 

Carol Gottsch was one of the people who reached out to him. After he sent a letter back to her with his response, she filed a complaint with the Nebraska Ombudsman's Office. The complaint said Groene called Gottsch a 'socialist', a 'fanatic' and 'stupid'. The letter also contained misinformation about the virus according to Gottsch. 

She is now asking what standards there are for Nebraska senators in regards to esponses to constituents. The Ombudsman's Office is unable to investigate state senators because it would be a conflict of interest as the office works for the state. The only other body that would be able to complete an investigation is the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, however the CEO said they do not investigate things of this matter. 

One of Groene's constituents, Adam Kershaw, also wrote him and agreed that his response was troubling. Groene's response included this statement, “Your obsession with me is becoming concerning. Please settle down and examine your mental status. Goodby(e).”

The next step would be contacting Speaker Scheer or Executive Board Chairman Mike Hilgers. 

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MAYOR JEAN STOTHERT FORMALLY KICKS OFF 2021 RE-ELECTION BID

OMAHA- Mayor Jean Stothert began her bid for a third term Wednesday while emphasizing her work with the Omaha Police Department, public safety, redevelopment and the city street improvement projects. 

Three democrats have expressed interest in challenging Stothert, a 66 year-old Republican, although the race is technically nonpartisan. Sthothert stated that she wants to see through the revitalization project of the downtown area and securing the futures of the Civic Auditorium and Crossroads Mall, the initiatives she began. The Nebraska Democratic Party chair, Jane Kleeb, said "Omaha deserves better". 

Unofficially, these candidates may run against Stothert: 

Jasmine Harris, 40, is a director of public policy at an Omaha nonprofit. She wants to see a more aggressive approach when it comes to COVID-19 and a new community-oriented policing model. “We need to look at all of the development we have going up all over the place,” she said. “Are there enough apartments for people on the lower end, not just pricing people out of the communities that they are from?”

R.J. Neary, 67, is a commercial real estate broker. He declined to criticize the mayor, but noted that Lincoln now has a two-term limit for their mayor. “We need unity and equity in the city, and I don’t see that happening,” he said.

Dawaune Lamont Hayes, 26, is the founder of an online community called NOISE. “No matter who’s mayor, it’s our responsibility as the citizens of Omaha to make our community a better place to live,” he said.

Mark Gudgel, 39, is a teacher at North Omaha High School. He says he is deeply concerned his students will want to flee the city as soon as possible, and he wants to make Omaha a place young people want to stay. 

Kimara Snipe, 45, serves on the South Omaha and Omaha Public Schools board. She is also the president of the South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance. 

Jim Cavanaugh, 70, a Douglas County Commissioner is considering running at the urging of others.

Former congressional candidate Kara Eastman and Omaha City Councilman Ben Gray are both 'keeping their options open' as well. 

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CHANGE TO NEBRASKA CONSTITUTION COULD BOOST DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH AND SOUTH OMAHA SAYS SENATOR

OMAHA- A small change to the state's constitution will allow for real estate developers to have 20 years to pay back tax-increment financing (TIF) loans in neighborhoods with high unemployment and high poverty. Now, developers have 15 years to do this. This means people will not have to borrow as much money for a project. This will mostly be used in some neighborhoods in North and South Omaha but will also apply in many other cities. 

Senator Justin Wayne pushed for this initiative, Amendment 2, to be put on the ballot. He acknowledges that some uses of TIF are questionable, but it does more good than harm. 

"The funding mechanism allows developers to use a portion of a project’s future increased property taxes to pay for certain upfront costs, such as site preparation and street and sewer improvements."

The Omaha City Council boosted this when they voted to approve 'extremely blighted areas' through $5,000 tax credit programs for those who buy other homes in the areas of their primary residence. 

This measure now just needs to pass in the legislature with official language. 

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TWO TOP OFFICIALS WON'T RETURN FOLLOWING INVESTIGATION OF OMAHA-AREA CHILD WELFARE CONTRACTOR

LINCOLN- St. Francis Ministries, the contractor overseeing Omaha-area child welfare cases has made personnel changes following an investigation into alleged mismanagement. The top two officials, CEO Rev. Robert Smith and COO Tom Blythe will not be returning to the organization. 

Chief of staff, Bill Clark will continue as the interim president and CEO, he was originally appointed to the position when the investigation began. 

The organization says these changes will not impact the services Nebraskan families are receiving now. St. Francis has a close to $200 million, five-year contract with the state. They started taking cases a year ago in Douglas and Sarpy Counties. The investigation came about after a whistleblower complained through an independent consultant. 

There were not any allegations of improprieties involving any children. The board will not be releasing the report and has yet to decide if information will be handed over to law enforcement. 

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OFFUTT AFB IN BELLEVUE NAMED ONE OF SIX FINALISTS FOR NEW SPACE COMMAND HQ

BELLEVUE- Offutt Air Force Base is one of six sites being considered as the future headquarters of the U.S. Space Command, the Air Force announced Thursday. Offutt was named along with Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, Redstone Army Airfield in Alabama and the former Kelly Air Force Base in Texas, according to an Air Force press release. 

Applications for the headquarters came from sites in 24 states. Before a selection is made in early 2021, Air Force officials plan to make virtual and on-site visits to each location. The assessment will weigh mission-related factors such as infrastructure capacity, community support and cost to the Defense Department, according to the press release.

The Space Command was reactivated in August 2019 as a unified combatant command, with full responsibility for fighting wars in space. It assumed duties previously carried out under the direction of StratCom.

Senator Deb Fischer noted that many StratCom personnel have already worked on the Space Command mission. She also said Offutt boasts ample electrical and communications infrastructure, a high quality of life and a low cost of living in the surrounding community “I think we have a lot going for us,” she said. “It’s always tough going against the bigger bases.”

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NEBRASKA TAX COLLECTIONS UP IN OCTOBER

LINCOLN- Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton announced the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board's predictions were surpassed according to October tax receipts. The certified forecast of net receipts for the month was $261 million, but the Department of Revenue reported the number at $305 million, this includes an increase of sales tax by 14% and a rise in net individual income of 16% above the forecast. 

Tax refunds for October were $79 million, which was 16.5% below the certified forecast of $95 million.

The forecasting board met in late October and raised estimates on what the state could expect in sales, income and miscellaneous taxes in the current and next two fiscal years. Increased estimates for each fiscal year were: $285 million in 2020-21; $118 million in 2021-22; and $307 million in 2022-23.

Gov. Ricketts said this was a reflection of the resilience of Nebraskans and the strong economy they have built. 

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IOWA GOVERNOR REVERSES TRACK AND ISSUES MASK MADATE

DES MOINES — Iowans must wear a face mask or other face covering while indoors in public and near other people for at least 15 minutes under a new public health order issued Monday evening by Gov. Kim Reynolds.

The face mask requirement is part of new orders issued as COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly through Iowa, creating the state’s highest rates of cases, hospitalizations and deaths during the pandemic.Reynolds’ order, which went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, also places a limit of 15 people on all indoor gatherings, including wedding and funeral receptions, family gatherings, conventions and festivals. The order limits outdoor gatherings to 30 people.

In what is believed to be the first-ever live address from an Iowa governor televised during prime time, Reynolds on Monday night posited that Iowans may have become complacent, possibly leading to the latest spikes in cases, hospitalizations and deaths. She warned those spikes threaten to overwhelm Iowa’s health care system, echoing warnings issued by hospital officials. Reynolds noted if COVID-19 patients overwhelm hospitals, all Iowans who need health care will be placed in danger.

“If Iowans don’t buy into this, we lose,” Reynolds said. “Businesses will close once again, more schools will be forced to go online, and our health care will fail and the cost in human life will be high.

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HOW COVID-19 AFFECTS THE MENTAL HEALTH OF NURSING HOME STAFF

KEARNEY, Neb.- Nursing home workers are seeing the worst of the virus, as residents they care for suffer the most and sometimes die from the virus. 

"It is a true struggle to find joy in each day, However I have not lost hope," said Mt. Carmel Activities Director Christina Hensen.

Many say they could have never prepared for what losing a resident to the virus feels like. Through this though, they are still dedicated to helping the people they can. The sense of community within the staff is what keeps people going most days. 

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TEENS IN COVID ISOLATION: 'I FELT LIKE I WAS SUFFOCATING'

NEW YORK CITY- Aya Raji from Brooklyn was a very active and social high school student before the pandemic hit New York especially hard in the spring. Remote learning turned many students into completely new people through the loneliness and intense news updates every night. Students were relieved to hear that schools would be opening again in the fall. But, with social distancing rules, hybrid classes and no after school activities, connecting with peers is still difficult. With rising cases across the country, it is hard to know if K-12 students will be returning to in-person instruction following winter break. 

The mental health impact on teenagers has been severe and long lasting. Research shows that teenagers depend on friends to manage mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. A study of 3,300 students showed that 1 in 3 teens reported feeling depressed in recent months. Social media is seemingly not allowing a sense of connection through this time as many thought it would. 

Parents are cautioned with looking for warning signs of severe mental illnesses. Children's emergency room visits caused by mental health issues have spiked since the beginning of the pandemic. The psychological effects of lockdowns and social distancing have had grave effects on the youth of the country. Experts also warn about the long term effects of teenagers who have had to deal with financial strain from parents losing their jobs, losing family members and more

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HOW PFIZER PLANS TO DISTRIBUTE ITS VACCINE

NEW YORK CITY- For many people, the news about a possible vaccine being in its last steps was cause for celebration. However, experts say distribution will be just as complicated. Having to quickly make hundreds of millions of vaccines-- enough for everyone to get two doses, then getting them to hospitals, clinics, pharmacies is a whole new challenge. Once Pfizer gets the go ahead from the FDA, which is expected, they will be able to vaccinate millions of Americans by the end of 2020.  

The collaboration between Pfizer and federal agencies, state governments and health workers will be key. Employees at healthcare providers will need to be trained on how to handle the vaccine as to not waste anything. For example, the vaccine must be stored at -94 degrees F. 

“We have a lot of confusion at the state and the local health departments level, and a lot of concern about the nitty-gritty of deployment,” said Dr. Saad B. Omer, the director of the Yale Institute for Global Health. “Which places, where to vaccinate, how to get the vaccine there, how to identify people in various risk groups, how to document, how to call back people for the second dose.”

Nine other companies are also in the final stage of testing. If one of these other manufacturers receive FDA approval before Pfizer, they will replace the company as a frontrunner. Specificities have not been released, but Pfizer plans to ship the vaccine to large hospitals and healthcare workers or other vulnerable groups. The vaccines will go into vials, which go into trays, then the trays will go into cooler-type boxes and Pfizer plans to have about 100,000 coolers by December. 

Each state will have the decision of who to give vaccines to first. 

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ANTI-MASK GROUP HOLDS PROTEST IN OMAHA AS DOUGLAS COUNTY SEES RECORD NUMBER OF COVID CASES

OMAHA- Yet another week of record coronavirus cases in Douglas County has passed. With that, a group of nearly 40 people, completely maskless, was determined to protest the 'infringement of freedoms' masks create. The group's original plan was to go all go grocery shopping together, maskless as a protest to the mandate in Omaha. However, the store, along with the Omaha Police Department blocked stated they would block the protesters, and would push for the issuance of citations should the protesters enter the store.

Allie French, a protest organizer, instead planned for a group of protesters to march from the Millard West parking lot to the sidewalk in front of the grocery store with signs, flags and no masks. The majority of people came from No Mask Omaha, Nebraska Patriots and Nebraskans Against Government Overreach, two facebook groups with over 11,000 members, but messages by protesters were muddled with some yelling against masks, while others protested vaccinations for children.

“We weren’t trying to cause Hy-Vee problems, but we also aren’t just going to let ourselves be bullied and not be able to go to the grocery store, so today we are out here to stand up for that right,” French said. ”We’re not bad people. We just want to be left alone.”

On Saturday, the Douglas County Health Department reported a record 785 new COVID-19 cases, three more deaths and 384 hospitalizations, with 114 people in intensive care units.The county has recorded 270 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began.

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LIKE METRO HOSPITALS, RURAL HOSPITALS OF NEBRASKA FACING CAPACITY CONCERNS AMID VIRUS SURGE

On Friday, the East Central District Health Department, which serves Platte, Colfax, Boone and Nance counties, said it had reached a record with 30 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and had only one available intensive-care bed.The Two Rivers Public Health Department, which covers Buffalo and several surrounding counties, said in its most recent weekly report that it had less than 10% of its ICU beds available.

In the spring, when certain areas of the state were hit with large outbreaks linked to nursing homes or meatpacking plants, there were plenty of hospital beds in Lincoln, Omaha and some other larger cities where patients could be transferred, however with urban hospitals filling at alarming rates, that is no longer an option. 

"As hospital beds in our state and region become increasingly unavailable, it has become more difficult to transfer patients in need of a higher level of care for any medical reason, not just COVID-related reasons," Veronica Schmidt, CEO of Melham Medical Center in Broken Bow, said last week in a message posted on the hospital's Facebook page. "The hospital has increased staffing and other resources to meet the need; however, as current trends continue, the care needs will far surpass local and regional resources,"

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PEOPLE WHO WORK FROM HOME SHOULD PAY NEW TAX, ECONOMISTS SUGGEST

NEW YORK- A new research report from Deutsche Bank offers a looking into the world economists see in the post-COVID-19 world.. The report, titled “What We Must Do to Rebuild,”  discusses the problems that may present themselves and puts forth possible solutions that some are finding radical. Deutsche Bank researcher Luke Templeman, in writing the report, suggests governments should impose a tax on those workers transitioning to a work-from-home model. 

Templeman points out in his arguments that ”between 2005 and 2018, internet technology fuelled a 173 percent increase in the number of Americans who regularly worked from home.” The report acknowledges that people working from home prior to the pandemic only made up about 5.4 percent of the workforce in the U.S. but estimates the number has skyrocketed to 56 during the pandemic. Under Templeton’s proposal, the tax would not apply during times of government mandated lockdowns, but did find in a survey of workers that the majority would prefer to continue working from home, even after the pandemic winds down.

"The sudden shift to WFH means that, for the first time in history, a big chunk of people have disconnected themselves from the economy," Deutsche Bank writes, adding, "remote workers are contributing less to the infrastructure of the economy whilst still receiving its benefits." 

The bank contends that these workers benefit from convenience and save money directly because they don't have to pay for commuting costs, takeout lunches, or dry cleaning work clothes. But it means that the millions of businesses that have grown up to support office-based workers won't be able to recover.

Read the full report HERE

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MODERNA'S CORONAVIRUS VACCINE IS 94.5% EFFECTIVE, ACCORDING TO COMPANY DATA

ATLANTA, Ga.- Moderna is the second company in the U.S. to report very positive results from COVID-19 vaccine trials. Dr. Anthony Fauci calls the 94.5% effective rate "truly outstanding." 

Moderna is prepared to begin vaccinations in the second half of December with high-risk groups. The rest of the population will be able to be vaccinated in the spring. 30,000 people participated in Moderna trials, with 15,000 people receiving placebo shots. 90 people with placebos developed COVID-19, with 11 of those cases being serious. Only 5 of the people with the vaccine developed coronavirus and none of them became severely ill. There were no serious side effects with the vaccine.  

Pfizer and Moderna used very similar techniques for the vaccine. They both use mRNA, a genetic recipe for making the spikes that sit atop the coronavirus. "There has always been skepticism about mRNA -- it's brand new and would it work? What we saw in the trials is there was no real safety concern, and the efficacy is quite impressive. We saw nearly identical results [with Pfizer and Moderna] and it almost really validates the mRNA platform," said Dr. Fauci 

Moderna's vaccine seems to be more practical than Pfizer's. Pfizer's vaccine must be kept at -75 degrees Celsius, whereas Moderna's only has to be stored at -20, which many vaccines already need to be stored at, meaning many hospitals already have the infrastructure to keep the vaccine for 30 days. The Pfizer vaccine can only last 5 days in the freezer. 

The company will apply to have the Food and Drug Administration authorize the vaccine by the end of the month.

Read the full article HERE

NEBRASKA TEACHERS UNION CALLS ON RICKETTS TO CLOSE BARS, MANDATE MASKS, LIMIT GATHERINGS; RICKETTS RESISTS AND URGES VOLUNTARY ACTIONS

OMAHA- The Nebraska State Education Association called on Gov. Ricketts to impose stricter restrictions including mask mandates, closing bars and suspending indoor dining. The board of directors of the NSEA fears a school shutdown if the state continues to have a relaxed approach to the pandemic. The union also wants the governor to decrease the density of the ratio of students to classroom. 

NSEA President Jenni Benson says the governor is "100% accountable for what is happening". 

According the a study conducted by the NSEA of it’s members, some teachers are planning on leaving teaching because of the absolute exhaustion they are feeling during this time. The top answer on the study to teachers said the top emotion they are feeling is 'overwhelmed', followed by 'stressed', 'frustrated' and 'worried'. 15% of teachers surveyed are looking for a new job and 3.6% are planning on quitting at the end of the year. 52% also said their district leaders were not listening to them, especially in relation to COVID-19 issues. 

Governor Ricketts continued to urge Nebraskans to voluntarily follow mask guidelines rather than enforcing a statewide mask mandate during his Monday morning press conference. He says educating the public will result in more people wearing masks and following health measures rather than trying to force it on people, pushing back on the NSEA and other’s push to mandate them state-wide. 

Ricketts said if figures rise to  25% hospital occupancy he will further restrictions on public gatherings. The 25% will be based on a 7-day rolling average of hospital beds available state-wide.

Read the full articles HERE and HERE