COVID NUMBERS IMPROVE IN OMAHA AREA, BUT STOTHERT AND POUR URGE PEOPLE TO REMAIN CAUTIOUS

OMAHA- With two COVID-19 vaccines making their way to Nebraska, Omaha officials have felt joy and optimism but are still urging Nebraskans to keep their emotions in check and act smart. People in the community need to continue to follow public health advice until 60% to 70% of people in the community receive the vaccine. 

Especially with the holidays coming up quick, families should still want to protect everyone. Hospitalizations and cases are also down but the deaths are remaining pretty stable. The racial disparity within COVID-19 deaths are also something to keep in mind. 

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CHAMBERS FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST NEBRASKA AG, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR JOINING TEXAS LAWSUIT

LINCOLN- Senator Ernie Chambers has filed a disciplinary lawsuit against Attorney General Doug Peterson and Secretary of State Bob Evnen for signing onto the Texas lawsuit over the presidential election. Chambers submitted the complaint to the Nebraska Supreme Court's counsel for discipline. 

Sen. Chambers earned a law degree but never took the bar and is a veteran lawmaker. He argues that Peterson and Evnen violated professional conduct rules by endorsing an “action of such frivolousness as to constitute disrespect for a tribunal — the highest one in the land.” 

Chambers said the brief in the Texas case contained false and unsubstantiated accusations that had already been tossed out by many judges. He said Peterson and Evnen acted upon partisan politics, not the law. The offices of both Peterson and Evnen declined to comment. 

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EDITORIAL: FEUDING HURTS THE NEBRASKA ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST; LEGISLATURE MUST ACT

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Environmental Trust is the state's most visionary and successful endeavors. The trust has provided $350 million in grants distributed throughout the state. The projects have aided communities across Nebraska and have bolstered the state's environmental health. 

The Legislature has a duty to clear up the latest round of disagreements over the trust's grant selections for this year. The main controversy is centered on ethanol promotion in which the trust voted to defund almost $2 million for a set of habitat grants and will instead give money to a project to finance ethanol pumps. The trust has also recently requested $3.7 million from the state. The disagreements have made the governor's relationships with different groups tense. 

The governor appoints the majority of members to the trust board while the other members are state agency heads. The legislature writes the laws that outlines the trust's duties. So, if they fail to bring this issue up in the upcoming session, they are not doing their job. 

A longstanding problem is that state officials and interest groups are both searching for funding for their specific needs. The legislature has allowed the trust to be harmed because of the controversies the state has seen, so they need to right those wrongs this session. 

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REMOTE LEARNING GETS FAILING GRADE FROM MANY NEBRASKA TEACHERS, WHO REPORT 'LITTLE STUDENT SUCCESS'

OMAHA- Some of Nebraska's kids have been able to keep pace academically, but many others have fallen so far behind that they are failing or at risk of failing according to teachers and school leaders. Normally, students who struggled before the pandemic were those without parental support or engagement, but now even the normally successful students have been having a much more difficult time. Teachers are saying it could take years to know the full scope of learning losses. 

“Some kids have really truly benefited from it,” she said. “They will do well with whatever situation you give to them. ... I think that even the struggling students, I feel I’ve been able to reach some of them.”

Several teachers have said they spend hours trying to get students to participate. Much of the time students won't turn their cameras on and won't respond to questions or emails. It takes so much effort to remote teach and success is much harder to come by. There will still be a fully remote option for students which more people are signing up for after spikes in cases at school towards the end of the semester. Other schools are experiencing a decrease in students selecting the fully online option. 

OPS students will begin the semester fully online until the middle of January. The district will then transfer to a hybrid model which divides students into two groups in which the groups alternate days they spend at home versus in school. 

Teachers also worry that the procrastination and low expectations that came from remote learning will continue to hurt students and will be a problem for much longer than the pandemic will be. 

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RICKETTS PLANS TO SEEK LIMITS ON SCHOOL SPENDING TO LOWER PROPERTY TAXES

LINCOLN- Gov. Ricketts has made it abundantly clear that he is not done pushing for lower property taxes. He will be pursuing legislation that will place limits on school spending during the 2021 session. That was something he believed was left out of the property tax relief bill which passed last session. He maintains that spending limits are the only way the increased state credits will result in lower property tax for home owners. 

A school board member says he does not understand the need for the limits, he says "We are pinching every penny." 

LB1107 established a refundable income tax credit which would allow Nebraskans to receive a refund on a portion of what they pay in property taxes to support K-12 schools. This year, Nebraskans will be able to claim the new credit which will deliver $125 in relief. This addition will total $650 million in state funds devoted to offsetting property taxes. This will represent a 21% reduction for a farmer and a 17% reduction for the urban homeowner. The bill was a result of a compromise the legislature reached on three issues. It also included a revamping of state business initiatives and a pledge to devote state money if UNMC is chosen as the site of a national center to respond to disasters and emergencies. 

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BIDEN EMERGES AS U.S. GAS' UNLIKELY ALLY-- FUNDING FIGHT CONTINUES

WASHTINGTON, D.C.- U.S. gas and oil leaders have spent years fighting the government's clamping down on emissions of methane. However, a growing group of companies say President-elect Biden's promised regulations could be exactly what the industry needs. 

 "In part it's because they get the global picture. They understand it's no longer tenable to make the claim that gas is a clean, low-carbon resource and then fight against implementing regulations that guarantee that's the case," said Mark Brownstein with the Environmental Defense Fund. 

The change of heart doesn't come from a new found environmental consciousness, it comes from the growing pressure to pacify investors who are increasingly worried about sustainability. The industry is hoping to continue to tap into the U.S. shale reserves that have allowed for gas to be the main fuel choice for homes but also hopes to expand to foreign markets. The sharp growth in production that helped natural gas replace coal has been accompanied by methane emissions, which are far more potent than carbon dioxide, although the lifespan in the atmosphere is much shorter. 

An oil and gas lobbyist said the regulations need to be extremely explicit under the Biden Administration. The President-elect has already promised to crack down on methane emissions as soon as he is in the White House. 

Read President-elect Joe Biden's plan on methane emissions HERE

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DEB THOMAS, FORMER UNMC VICE CHANCELLOR FOR BUSINESS AND FINANCE, DIES AT 64

OMAHA- Deb Thomas, a former state administrator and vice chancellor for business and finance at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, died on Dec. 10. Thomas’ death was announced by the university Wednesday. She was 64 years old.

Thomas joined the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2006 as associate vice chancellor for finance and business services. She also served as senior associate vice chancellor and became vice chancellor for business and finance in 2016, after serving as the interim vice chancellor for a year. She left UNMC in 2017, according to university communications.

Chancellor Jeffrey Gold said that during her time at the university, Thomas “provided thoughtful leadership and experienced judgment, particularly with our state government business relationships, to many aspects of our UNMC business development and academic growth strategies.”

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EDITORIAL: SHAME ON NEBRASKA OFFICIALS FOR JOINING FOOLISH TEXAS ELECTION LAWSUIT

LINCOLN- One question remains after the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the Texas attorney general's lawsuit that claimed election laws were broken which led to Joe Biden becoming President-elect Biden. Would Nebraska have been involved if Donald Trump were the winner? Governor Ricketts insists that the interest of the state was not political, rather he wants states to follow their own laws. 

What the 17 Republican-led states did was baldly political, not to mention dangerous and undemocratic. The argument Texas made was that Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia expanded voting in ways their legislatures did not approve. "It argued Texas voters were harmed because they must live under President Joe Biden, elected in allegedly unconstitutional way." The argument was underpinned by conspiracy theories that say states somehow handed Biden the presidency, even though Republicans made gains in congress... using the same ballots. 

If the states won the lawsuit, it would have disenfranchised 20 million Americans who voted in those states. To be clear, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson who was backed by Governor Pete Ricketts and Secretary of State Bob Evnen signed onto that on behalf of all Nebraskans. 

Republican Senator Ben Sasse said any American who cares about the rule of law should take comfort in the Supreme Court quickly slapping this lawsuit down and is happy that even the justices President Trump picked closed the book on the nonsense. A Quinnipiac Poll showed that 77% of Republicans believed there was widespread fraud in the November 3rd election. U.S. Attorney General said no fraud has been found, along with 90 judges that have also dismissed the claims. 

The lawsuit was shameful and was an attempt to block 20 million Americans their most fundamental right. 

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TELEHEALTH'S EVOLUTION IN 2020 WILL CONTINUE IN THE NEW YEAR WITH MORE STREAMLINED TECHNOLOGIES

NEW YORK- Even through the challenging year, telehealth has made strides, taking it from a fringe offering to a mainstream treatment model. Through this, patient satisfaction is at an all-time high. 

"It's a testament to how challenging it is to change things without some bigger impetus," said Dr. David Nickelson, VP of client growth at digital consultancy Nerdery. 

The industry at large will have to take a new look at what the patient experience really means. There needs to be a more cohesive and integrated strategy that will allow patients to transition between modalities such as talk, chat and a complete transition to telemedicine. Officials say some providers find telemedicine to be difficult, but patients really like it, especially millennials. 

Certain files that lend themselves to telehealth such as dermatology have seen a boom in platforms and tools that support them. This allows for other specialties to see how smooth the transition can go and will follow. 

"It relates to virtual care because you want to have these remote sensors out there, recognizing and alerting people to any issues that may come up, and then be able to intervene remotely without bringing the patient in, or at least doing an initial diagnostic," said Nickelson. "This will drive virtual care in the years ahead."

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WHISTLEBLOWER: NEBRASKA CHILD WELFARE CONTRACTOR SPENT $80K ON CUBS TICKETS

OMAHA- St. Francis Ministries, the Kansas-based private agency that oversees Nebraska's child welfare caseload, had to borrow money to pay foster parents while also spending $80,000 on Cubs tickets. During the time of the transition from Nebraska's previous oversight company, PromiseShip, St. Francis was struggling to pay weekly expenses, making questionable spending decisions and attempting to cover up a major data crash. A report outlining these problems was sent to Kansas child welfare officials and they responded by hiring an accounting firm to audit St. Francis, the report was made public after a request by the Omaha World Herald. 

After the most recent whistleblower report, the board launched an internal investigation which ended with the departure of two top officials-- the president and CEO and the COO. The Nebraska DHHS was informed about the report but has not yet seen it. 

The report did not mention if the ticket purchase was related to St. Francis' bid for the Nebraska contract, as Gov. Ricketts family owns the Cubs.  A spokesperson for the governor said the governor was unaware of the purchase of the tickets while also noting that he no longer sits on the Cubs' board. 

Quarterly state reviews show that St. Francis is continuing to struggle with overburdened case managers and most of the workers have caseloads higher than what is allowed in state law. The reports also concluded that the company has not done thorough enough background checks in which the state has barred those employees from having unsupervised contact with the children. 

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NEBRASKA AGENCY ACCUSED OF SUBMITTING IMPROPER GRANT REQUESTS TO NEBRASKA ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST

OMAHA- A watchdog group is accusing a state agency of submitting requests for environmental grants that don’t follow state law. The group, Friends of the Environmental Trust, is calling for the disqualification of three grants submitted by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.

The agency is seeking about $3.7 million in funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, which hands out grants from state lottery proceeds for projects such as dredging silted-in lakes and enhancing wildlife habitat. But the Friends group, which consists mainly of former board members of the Environmental Trust and those involved in establishing the trust, said it appears that the grants sought by the agency would fund state regulatory activities, which is not allowed under laws that set up the Environmental Trust nearly three decades ago.

The trust should disqualify the grants, the Friends group says, or seek a legal opinion from the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office before funding them. A spokeswoman for the Department of Environment and Energy said Tuesday that the agency would have no comment about the claims. But the chair of the Friends Group, Chris Beutler, a former Lincoln mayor and a state senator when the Environmental Trust was established, said that using trust grants to fund normal, regulatory activities of state government is “clearly” not allowed by state laws.

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CITY OF PAPILLION DROPS MASK MANDATE AFTER 10 DAYS FOLLOWING FALLING NUMBERS

OMAHA- Papillion, unlike other metro-area communities, tied its mask mandate to the state's rolling average for COVID-19 hospitalizations, a move given the state’s dropping rolling average of hospitalizations has allowed the city to drop its mandate only 10 days after its implementation. Papillion’s threshold to drop the mandate was 20% of hospital beds in use, which is also when Governor Rickett’s Directed Health Measures returned to guidance instead of enforceable measures.

Coronavirus experts believe this removal of the mandate and ones similar across the county early in falling numbers could lead to another spike in cases. Papillion will be without a mask mandate until at least January 5th when another public hearing will be held on the matter. Businesses in Papillion will still be able to require masks on their premises. 

“Hospitalizations are a lagging indicator, they don’t necessarily give you any insight into what’s happening right now,” Dr. James Lawler of UNMC said. “It’s like driving by looking in the rearview mirror.”

City officials are encouraging people to mask up, wash their hands and social distance. Papillion businesses will also continue to have the right to require masks on their premises.

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STARING DOWN DEADLINE, CONGRESS NEARS $900 BILLION STIMULUS DEAL

WASHINGTON — After months of stalemate, congressional leaders were on the verge on Wednesday of cementing a roughly $900 billion stimulus deal to deliver emergency aid to individuals and companies devastated by the toll of the worsening pandemic, racing to finish the details and stave off a government shutdown on Friday.

The measure, which has been under discussion for months as the coronavirus has ravaged the economy, is expected provide a new round of direct payments to millions of Americans as well as additional unemployment benefits, food assistance and rental aid. It would prop up sputtering businesses with federally backed loans and provide funding for schools, hospitals and the distribution of a just-approved vaccine.

While the agreement was not yet final, Republicans and Democrats alike signaled that they were ready to coalesce around the main elements, marking an extraordinary shift from just weeks ago. Republicans, for their part, were wary of any new federal spending and insisted on a much narrower plan that would extend sweeping coronavirus liability protections. They appeared to have put that demand aside in recent days in exchange for Democrats backing off their insistence on a large new infusion of state and local assistance.

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ALASKA HEALTH WORKER HAD A SERIOUS ALLERGIC REACTION AFTER PHIZER’S VACCINE

JUNEAU- A health care worker in Alaska had a serious allergic reaction after getting Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday, symptoms that emerged within minutes and required an overnight hospital stay. 

The middle-aged worker had no history of allergies, but had an anaphylactic reaction that began 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, Alaska, a hospital official said.  She experienced a rash over her face and torso, shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate. She quickly recovered following a epinephrine shot, but symptoms returned and she was given steroids and an epinephrine drip 

When doctors tried to stop the drip, her symptoms re-emerged yet again, so the woman was moved to the intensive care unit, observed throughout the night, then weaned off the drip early Wednesday morning, Dr. Jones said. He said the woman felt well, remained enthusiastic about the vaccine and was set to be discharged later Wednesday.

Dr. Paul A. Offit, a vaccine expert and member of an outside advisory panel that recommended the Food and Drug Administration authorize the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use, said the appropriate precautions are already in place. For instance, he said, the requirement that recipients remain in place for 15 minutes after getting the vaccine helped ensure the woman was quickly treated.

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NEBRASKA HEALTHCARE WORKERS GET FIRST DOSES OF COVID-19 VACCINE; RICKETTS SAYS GENERAL POPULATION AVAILABLE IN APRIL

OMAHA- The arrival of the first batches of vaccines is just the start of what will be a long process to vaccinate enough Americans to battle the virus. Creighton University Medical Center-Began Mercy in Omaha received 3,900 doses of the vaccine on Monday. Bryan Health in Lincoln received about 975 doses. Both hospitals vaccinated over 400 frontline workers on Monday alone. Hospitals around the state will continue to receive the vaccine throughout the week to help their staff. 

Healthcare providers say this is a light at the end of the tunnel. Many workers not only worry about themselves but are also cautious about bringing the virus home to their families. 

Officials still stress that although there is now a vaccine, everyone still needs to be cautious and follow protocols. In order to achieve vaccinated herd immunity to slow the virus, it is estimated that 70% of Americans will need to get the vaccine. 

The vaccine is 95% effective after two doses. 

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NEBRASKA COVID NUMBERS HAVE FALLEN, BUT 'THINGS COULD STILL TURN SOUTH'

OMAHA- After a huge surge of cases in October and November, Nebraska maintained one of the highest rates of new cases in the nation. Now, cases are down 37% and hospitalizations are down 30%. The numbers are still much higher than they should be, officials said.

UNMC officials say the mask mandates passed outside of Omaha in Lincoln in late November are most likely having a huge impact on the state's infection rate. Nebraska has seen the nation's second-steepest reduction in hospitalizations, only trailing neighboring state Iowa. More coronavirus victims from nursing homes are also now able to be treated in the homes rather than automatically being sent to the hospital. Deaths last week were at 157, following a week of record-number deaths in the state which was 202 fatalities. Governor Ricketts would still like to see Nebraskans reduce the number of people at holiday gatherings and to continue to do what many know as right.

“Even with the improvement, the numbers where we are right now would have appalled us in the spring,” Dr. James Lawler said. “We have a vaccine rolling out, but that doesn’t change the overall picture. We’re still in a pretty dangerous spot. Things could still turn south pretty easily.”

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NEBRASKA RECEIVES FIRST SHIPMENT OF COVID-19 VACCINE

LINCOLN- Nearly 5,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Nebraska on Monday. By the end of the week, the state is expected to have received 15,600 doses, as more deliveries of the vaccine are expected over time. Two of the state's largest hospital systems following delivery of doses began administering vaccines on Monday, with many other systems following Tuesday. 

The state is not mandating the vaccine, however the Department of Health and Human Services is strongly urging people to be vaccinated as soon as they are able. While some have expressed worries on social media about the vaccine, proven side effects of the vaccine are similar to that of a flu shot, tens of millions of which are given each year. The Pfizer vaccine has also shown high effective rates of 90%, an outstanding number while considering the flu vaccine, which is highly effective, sits around 60%.

The state has devised a tiered strategy based on the ACIP's recommendations to distribute the vaccines to Nebraskans, with frontline healthcare workers scheduled to receive the first dose of the vaccine as early as possible. The state is currently in Phase 1A, Tier 1 of it’s multiple step plan for vaccinating Nebraskans. 

Read the News Release of the vaccination plan as published by the Department of Health and Human Services HERE

CENTRAL CITY FARMER IS NEW FARM BUREAU PRESIDENT

LINCOLN- Mark McHargue, a farmer with a diversified agricultural operation has been selected to lead the Nebraska Farm Bureau. The organization is the state's largest and most influential agricultural organization with over 58,000 member families. McHargue wants to focus on the diversification and development and expansion of new markets. He wants to see more trade opportunities and for Nebraska agriculture to consider how it could help grow smaller meat processing facilities.

He is happy with President-elect Biden's decision to appoint Tom Vilsack, former Iowa governor as Secretary of Agriculture. Vislack also served as President Obama's agriculture secretary. He is happy that someone from the Midwest is representing the agricultural industry. McHargue is looking forward to working with officials on exploring new trade agreements. This could include some form of participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was abandoned by the Trump Administration.

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DEMOLITION UNDERWAY AT CROSSROADS; NEW $500 MILLION PROJECT 'WILL REVIVE THIS CORNER'

OMAHA- Demolition finally began Wednesday on the former Sears Auto Center at Crossroads Mall, a major step in the redevelopment of the corner at one of Omaha's busiest areas. Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said the mall that originally opened in the 60's will be a part of Omaha's history, but needs to be revived. The demolition should be completed in June and should open in 2024. 

The new venture, “The Crossroads,” could reach 10 stories at its high point. O’Connor said work is going according to schedule.

Demolition of the mall (minus the Target store that will remain) should be done next June, James said. The 2,200-stall parking garage to the north also will remain intact. Already torn down are the former Best Buy and Applebee’s buildings to the west. Lockwood’s Emily O’Connor said some demolition work already had begun inside the mall structure. In its new form, The Crossroads is to include a series of structures containing offices; apartments; hotel rooms; retail stores; fitness, dining and entertainment venues; and a “signature” pavilion.

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GROWING MEDICAL STAFFING COMPANY BUILDS NEW $18 MILLION HEADQUARTERS

FREMONT- RTG Medical, the Fremont-based company that has connected traveling medical professionals to job sites nationwide for two decades is now building a new headquarters in the town. The 54,000-square-foot building will be triples the size of the old building and is near Highway 275 and Highway 30.

A majority of the new jobs that will be housed in the new headquarters will be six-figure salaries. 

The Fremont City Council approved LB840, a $700,000 forgivable economic development loan to support the project, which also received new market federal tax credits to provide jobs in non-metro Fremont. Many of the employees commute from Omaha but the community is welcoming and will be able to provide more people for the workforce. 

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