PFIZER OUTLINES A CASE FOR BOOSTER SHOTS, BUT THERE'S A DEBATE OVER WHETHER THEY'RE NEEDED

GLOBAL- Pfizer reported on Wednesday that the power of its two-dose Covid vaccine wanes slightly over time, but nonetheless offers lasting and robust protection against serious disease. The company suggested that a third shot could improve immunity, but whether boosters will be widely needed is far from settled, the subject of heated debate among scientists.

So far, federal health officials have said boosters for the general population are unnecessary. And experts questioned whether vaccinated people should get more doses when so many people have yet to be immunized at all.

“There’s not enough evidence right now to support that that is somehow the best use of resources,” said Natalie Dean, a biostatician at Emory University in Atlanta.

Still, the findings raise questions about how much the Pfizer vaccine will prevent infection in the months to come. And with coronavirus cases surging again in many states, the data may influence the Biden administration’s deliberations about delivering boosters for older people.

In a study posted online but not yet peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal, Pfizer and BioNTech scientists reported that the vaccine had a sky-high efficacy rate of about 96 percent against symptomatic Covid-19 for the first two months following the second dose. But the figure declined by about 6 percent every two months after that, falling to 83.7 percent after about four to six months.

Against severe disease, however, the vaccine’s efficacy held steady at about 97 percent.

“It’s not a big drop, but it is noteworthy,” Dr. Dean said. “Overall, they find that the vaccine is still performing very well, at very high efficacy.”

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OMAHA CITY COUNCIL BLOCKS APPOINTMENT OF BEN GRAY TO LAND BANK BOARD

OMAHA- The Omaha City Council rejected Mayor Jean Stothert’s appointment of Ben Gray to the Omaha Municipal Land Bank Board of Directors on Tuesday.

Stothert had sought to appoint Gray, who lost his City Council District 2 seat in May, to be the District 2 resident representative on the board. But council member Juanita Johnson, who defeated Gray in the May election, opposed his appointment. So did a number of District 2 residents who testified at a public hearing on the appointment earlier this month.

Council members Vinny Palermo and Danny Begley joined Johnson in voting “no” on Tuesday. The vote was 4-3 in favor of appointing Gray, but that fell one vote short of the supermajority required by city code.

“My reason for opposing it is because land banking can be used as a tool to help those in underserved communities have a leg up in purchasing property in the area,” Johnson said. “In order for that tool to be effective, we have to be very mindful with who we choose to manage that.”

The land bank board has seven voting members, one from each council district. The City Council recently appointed Johnson to the land bank board as a nonvoting representative of the council.

Gray had extensive experience with the land bank, including working on state legislation that enabled its creation and on the city ordinance that created the land bank.

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OMAHA'S EXECUTIVE DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF WILL FILL IN FOR SCHMADERER WHEN HE'S UNAVAILABLE

OMAHA- Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer will handpick one of his five deputy chiefs to serve as chief when he’s unavailable thanks to a newly created position that was approved last week by the City Council.

But the executive deputy chief position — which comes with a 6% raise for whoever gets it — raised questions from two council members about the selection process and whether the appointment is essentially a succession plan.

The municipal code addition reads that the police chief has the “authority to designate” a second in command from among anyone who holds the rank of deputy chief.

The language outlining the new position doesn’t list a specific job description. It says, however, that the person will “perform the administrative and supervisory duties determined by the Chief” and will be acting police chief when the chief is away.

At the July 13 City Council meeting, Schmaderer said he thinks the position would have helped during Omaha’s protests last summer and for other large events.

“... (A) clearly identified No. 2 will streamline operations in my absence and provide an extra layer of accountability to the department,” he said. “Just like when the council president is gone, we know who the vice president is, it’s not a guessing game.”

The ordinance was approved July 20 on a 7-0 vote. But no one has yet been named to the post, and Schmaderer has not announced a timeline for when he will fill it, Lt. Neal Bonacci, a police spokesman, said Tuesday.

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40 COUNTIES IN NEBRASKA HAVE SUBSTANTIAL OR HIGH COVID TRANSMISSION

NEBRASKA- Forty of Nebraska’s 93 counties, including Douglas County, are considered communities with substantial or high rates of transmission of COVID-19.

Under the revised recommendations from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that means even vaccinated people in those communities should mask up in indoor public places.

And, yes, it’s a recommendation, not a mandate. While school districts and governmental entities in some states have rushed to require masks, what appears to have been Nebraska’s last mask mandate — the one enacted by the Omaha City Council — expired in late May.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said Tuesday that the state will not be adopting the CDC’s recommendation. Ricketts repeatedly has opposed mandates for masks or vaccines.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC’s director, said some counties and states now have 300 cases per 100,000 residents, an “extraordinary amount.”

Some of the Nebraska counties with substantial or high transmission, however, actually may not have a large number of COVID cases. In counties with smaller numbers of residents, even a relatively small cluster of cases can skew the numbers. Rates also can fluctuate from week to week.

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OMAHA-AREA SCHOOL DISTIRCTS REVIEWING NEW COVID GUIDANCE FROM CDC, UNMC

OMAHA- Officials with Omaha-area school districts are reviewing new federal and local COVID-19 guidance as they prepare for the upcoming school year.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, experts from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the American Academy of Pediatrics all have recommended that students and staff wear masks in school, regardless of their vaccination status.

With the highly contagious delta variant on the rise, the CDC on Tuesday recommended that even some vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in areas of the U.S. where the virus is surging.

The indoor spaces include schools, the agency said, meaning the agency is recommending that all teachers, staff and students wear masks in buildings this fall.

Some metro-area school districts already had released their COVID-19 safety protocols for the upcoming school year, but school officials on Wednesday said they are closely monitoring conditions. District officials have said plans could change.

Wednesday evening, OPS sent staff and families specifics on health and safety protocols for the upcoming school year. The district said many safety protocols from the 2020-21 school year will continue, such as frequent handwashing and enhanced disinfecting of high-touch surfaces, classrooms and shared materials. 

OPS is recommending that everyone who is eligible be vaccinated against COVID-19. The district also is recommending that anyone who has not been vaccinated wear a mask while on district property. 

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SARPY COUNTY BOARD ASKS PUBLIC DEFENDER TO RESIGN AMID ALLEGATIONS HE HAD SEX WITH SUBORDINATE

SARPY- County Board members have asked another elected official to step aside amid allegations of misconduct.

Tuesday, the board voted 4-0, with one member abstaining, to pass a resolution objecting to Sarpy County Public Defender Tom Strigenz’s behavior, which, they say, included having sex with a subordinate on county property.

“Strigenz is having a sexual relationship with a subordinate employee, engaging in sexual conduct on County property, and his conduct is causing discontent in the Public (Defender’s) Office,” said the resolution, introduced by Board Chairman Don Kelly.

The board has “asked Strigenz to voluntarily resign, which he declined to do,” according to the resolution.

Kelly wrote that the County Board has no authority to force an elected official to resign. However, the board “encourages employees to promptly report any additional information or concerns to Human Resources.”

The board said it received three anonymous complaints about Strigenz and his relationship with an employee.

The World-Herald received a copy of one of those anonymous complaints. In it, the unnamed writer complained that Strigenz had a sexual relationship with an employee that included “sex in the office.” It also alleged that Strigenz gave the woman a higher salary and job duties.

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DON WALTON: GROENE OFFERS A CRITICAL LOOK AT A NON-PARTISAN LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte has written a highly critical, inside assessment of Nebraska's nonpartisan Legislature and its current power structure. Even if you may not agree with it, or all of it, it's interesting reading.

Groene suggests there are 22 conservatives in the current Legislature and 17 who he defines as "progressive-liberal."

"There are 10 who I consider Unicameralist; although registered Republicans, they are truly non-partisan independents," Groene writes.  

"They have the power in the Legislature, unbound by political ideologies or loyalty to the members of a political party who elected them; they are free to roam free from issue to issue."

Now, of course, that's exactly what George Norris had in mind.

Norris led the effort to create a one-house legislature with senators unbound by political party affiliation, allegiance and dictate. They are free to make their own informed and independent judgments on legislation.

Unlike the party-driven-and-divided U.S. Congress that you see in action today.

Inaction might be the better word as members of Congress respond to party discipline. There aren't many Liz Cheneys. 

Groene's assessment is contained in an op-ed in The North Platte Telegraph.

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FORMER WORKER SUES PORK PRODUCTION COMPANY OWNED BY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE JIM PILLEN

LINCOLN- A former employee of the pork production company owned by gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen has alleged in a lawsuit that he was fired for refusing to participate in hiring workers without proper citizenship documents and falsifying documents so workers could avoid taxes. Luis Lucar filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Pillen Family Farms Inc., alleging he lost his job because he wouldn’t participate in company practices he claimed were illegal.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Lucar said he  worked for Pillen Family Farms from 2012 until he was fired in 2019 for "inability to work with our team."

He alleged that he repeatedly complained and refused to participate in alleged illegal activities by the company, including hiring workers who lacked authorization to work in the U.S., changing names on government and company documents so workers could avoid paying taxes or child support payments, and misclassifying workers as "independent contractors" to avoid payment of taxes. Lucar also claimed that company executives failed to address his complaints about discriminatory conduct against some workers because of their immigration status or ethnicity. L

A representative of the Pillen campaign said Thursday that the candidate was aware of the lawsuit and would issue a statement in response.

Pillen is the founder of Pillen Family Farms and one of three Republicans, including State Senator Brett Lindstrom and businessman Charles Herbster, who have announced their candidacies for governor in 2022. Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts is term limited and cannot run for a third term.

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OMAHA CITY COUNCIL APPROVES $17.5 MILLION TIF PLAN FOR CASINO AT HORSEMEN'S PARK

OMAHA- Despite public concerns over allotting a tax subsidy to a casino developer, the City Council approved a multimillion-dollar financing plan for the proposed redevelopment of Omaha’s Horsemen’s Park on Tuesday.

Council members, on a 6-1 vote, authorized up to $17.5 million in tax increment financing for the Horsemen’s Park project, which envisions transforming the property into a casino, racing and entertainment complex, according to the proposal.

Don Rowe was the lone “no” vote on the resolution. The District 5 councilman said he has long been a proponent of TIF. Rowe also said he signed the petition to allow Nebraskans to vote on the legalization of casinos in the state, which voters overwhelmingly approved in 2020.

“When I talk to my constituents, they are OK with the project,” Rowe said. “They’d rather spend their entertainment money in Omaha than go to Council Bluffs, no question about it, but they are having trouble with understanding why we should rebate back tax dollars to pay for the infrastructure costs.”

Tax increment financing, known as TIF, is a frequently used but sometimes controversial redevelopment tool based in state law. It allows developers to take out a loan to help cover eligible redevelopment expenses in areas deemed blighted. 

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KAWASAKI LOOKS TO ADD 550 JOBS IN LINCOLN IN TIGHT JOBS MARKET

LINCOLN- Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing is planning a $200 million expansion of the company's operations in Lincoln that will add about 550 jobs.

The company, which is a subsidiary of Japan-based Kawasaki Heavy Industries, said it plans to invest in its consumer products division over the next 18 months to increase capacity to make Jet Skis, ATVs and other small vehicles. The $200 million will be used to add capacity to assembly, paint and welding lines, the company said, as well as increase automation.

Despite the increase in automation, which Kawasaki said is necessary due to the Lincoln area's low unemployment rate, the company said it still plans to add employees in both its consumer products division and its rail car operations.

Jason Hellbusch, director of administration for Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing, said there are a number of reasons driving the expansion, which is one of the largest in the company's history and one of the largest in the city overall in at least the past decade.

Kawasaki has been in Lincoln since 1974, when it opened its only North American manufacturing plant. However, most of its investment in the plant over the past couple of decades has been to support its growing rail car division as well as its new aerospace division, which opened in Lincoln in 2017.

Kawasaki is Lincoln's largest manufacturing operation, with more than 2.4 million square feet of space at Northwest 27th Street and U.S. Highway 34. It also is one of the city's largest private employers, with more than 2,400 employees.

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DOUGLAS COUNTY SHERIFF CANDIDATE ENDORSED BY RICKETT'S, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS

OMAHA- Omaha Police Sgt. Aaron Hanson, who announced his intention to run for Douglas County sheriff last week, has picked up three prominent endorsements — including one from his boss.

Hanson, who is a Republican, received the backing of Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine and Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer.

Ricketts and Kleine are Republicans, and Schmaderer is registered as a nonpartisan. Schmaderer said he was endorsing Hanson as a private citizen. In a commercial posted to YouTube highlighting the endorsements, Schmaderer is wearing a suit jacket, not his police uniform. Hanson, who is 47, has worked for the Omaha Police Department for about 25 years and graduated from the academy seven months after Schmaderer did.

“I’ve watched him lead for 25 years,” Schmaderer said in a statement. “Now, it’s his time to lead as the Douglas County sheriff, and I fully support his candidacy.”

In a statement from Hanson’s campaign announcing the endorsements, Ricketts and Kleine lauded Hanson’s work history.

“He makes the right decisions, and he makes them for the right reasons,” Kleine said in the statement. “I consider him a good friend, and somebody that I think is a model police officer.”

Hanson currently serves as the supervisor of the Omaha Police Department’s fugitive unit and is on the Metro Area Fugitive Task Force.

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NEBRASKA AGREED TO PAY FOR STATE TROOPERS' TEXAS DEPLOYMENT; OMAHA WORLD HERALD CALLS IT POLITCAL SHOWBOATING

LINCOLN- The agreement under which Nebraska sent its state troopers to the Texas-Mexico border includes no provision for Texas to pay the estimated cost of $334,000, according to documents obtained by The World-Herald. A statement from Gov. Pete Ricketts and the Nebraska State Patrol said that it’s still possible that the state could be reimbursed. But it’s unclear how that would happen.

Ricketts is among several GOP governors who have sent law enforcement in response to requests from the governors of Arizona and Texas, who are also Republicans. The border-state governors sent a letter June 10 requesting other governors send all available law enforcement “in defense of our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” citing a “crisis” at the border.

An agreement related to the deployment states that Nebraska will not seek reimbursement from Texas. A patrol spokesperson previously has said the funding was not finalized and said the cost of previous deployments like this one, made through the interstate Emergency Management Assistance Compact, had been reimbursed. The compact is a mutual aid agreement that allows states to share resources in emergencies.

The bottom line is that Nebraska taxpayers are on the hook for probably half a million dollars, and the administration no doubt recognized that would draw significant criticism. The June 12 agreement estimates costs at $334,000 — before Gov. Pete Ricketts extended the deployment for 15 of the 25 officers sent to Texas.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, after similar rhetorical jive from her administration, also fessed up that her state would pay for sending about 25 troopers to Texas.

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NEBRASKA STATE SEN. TOM BREWER, A WAR VETERAN, SEES TRAGEDY AHEAD IN AFGHANISTAN

LINCOLN- Tom Brewer sees a tragedy unfolding. “People will understand how brutal the Taliban is,” Brewer says as he contemplates what lies ahead in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. military forces. Brewer has been there. He knows.

“There will be executions on polo fields in Kabul as a Saturday event if the capital falls, a systematic mass killing of the educated who accept the western way, anyone who has helped,” he said. “I feel sick about it.”

Brewer left his own blood in Afghanistan.

In 2002, he was there as a volunteer on a military mission to help train Afghan troops in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attack on targets in the United States that propelled the nation into major military involvement in the Middle East.

In 2003, Brewer was shot six times during a spontaneous firefight with the Taliban at a desolate site near Ghar Mountain in Kabul Province; in 2011, he was wounded again during his sixth tour in Afghanistan when shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade ripped through his body.

The retired Army colonel, a member of the Nebraska Legislature, is watching from afar now as President Joe Biden withdraws U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

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NEBRASKA CORN BOARD HELPS PAY FOR CALIFORNIA ETHANOL PUMPS

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Corn Board for years has given grants to Nebraska fuel retailers to incentivize them to add higher blends of ethanol, such as E-15 or E-85.

But now the organization is going out of state to promote the fuel.

The Corn Board announced earlier this month that it has partnered with a company called Pearson Fuels to put two E-85 pumps at stations in California, the first time it has provided a grant to help pay for pumps out of state.

The two pumps are at stations in Chatsworth and Agoura Hills, two Los Angeles suburbs.

While promoting corn-based fuel from conservative Nebraska to drivers in liberal California may seem like an odd marriage, it makes a lot of sense.

“California is the largest E-85 market in the country, and the demand opportunity is enormous,” said John Greer, a farmer from Edgar who is District 2 director for the Corn Board. "Plus, most of Nebraska’s ethanol is sold to California." 

It's likely the California deal will be more than just a one-time experiment for the Corn Board.

"We’re interested in doing further grant work in major population areas," said Jeff Wilkerson, the Corn Board's director of market development. "California is of specific interest for that reason, along with California being a major destination for Nebraska ethanol."

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NU REGENT BOB PHARES SAYS HE WON'T SEEK REELECTION

LINCOLN- Longtime NU Regent Bob Phares has said he won't seek a fourth term in 2022. 

Phares, who is from North Platte and represents western Nebraska, said serving on the board of the University of Nebraska was one of the greatest honors of his life.

Currently vice chairman of the board, Phares said he has worked to keep tuition affordable, draw bright students to the university and create synergy with business in a way that grows the state's economy.

He has been on the board for 15 years. During that time, annual tuition increases have dropped from 8% to 3.5%, giving NU the lowest in-state tuition of Big Ten schools.

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UNEMPLOYMENT RATE TICKS UP SLIGHTLY IN OMAHA, LINCOLN, GRAND ISLAND

NEBRASKA- Nebraska’s unemployment rate remained almost unchanged last month while the rates in some of its biggest cities increased slightly, according to state figures released Friday.

The Nebraska Department of Labor reported a statewide, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.5% in June, compared with 2.6% in May.

The rate is substantially lower than the 6.6% unemployment rate in June 2020, in the heat of the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, the non-seasonally adjusted rates in the Omaha, Lincoln and Grand Island areas ticked upward.

The Omaha area’s unemployment rate increased to 3.2% in June, from 2.7% the prior month. The Lincoln area’s rate increased to 2.5%, from 2.2% the previous month. And the Grand Island area’s rate rose to 2.8% in June, up from 2.4% in May.

Total nonfarm employment statewide was 1,018,392 in June, an increase from 1,013,414 in May, according to the department.

The total in the Omaha area was 498,572 in June, compared with 493,786 in May. For Lincoln, it was 189,262 in June and 189,704 in May. And in Grand Island, it was 41,479 in June and 41,423 in May. In Iowa, the unemployment rate rose slightly to 4% in June as more residents began looking for work, according to statistics released Friday.

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NEBRASKA OVERDOSE DEATHS JUMPED NEARLY 43% LAST YEAR

NEBRASKA- More than 200 Nebraskans died of drug overdoses in 2020, an increase of nearly 43% from the previous year, according to a new federal report.

In the report, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that Nebraska tallied 209 drug overdose deaths in 2020, compared to 146 in 2019. The country as a whole saw a new peak of 93,000 such deaths last year, an increase of 29% from more than 72,000 overdose deaths in 2019. The data are considered provisional, according to the agency.

While the report does not outline the reasons behind the increase, Dr. Alëna Balasanova, an addiction psychiatrist with Nebraska Medicine, said she suspects factors tied to the pandemic — loss of access to addiction treatment services and the social and economic stresses of the pandemic itself — plus an influx of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

In Nebraska, Balasanova said, methamphetamines, not opioids, as in some other states, have been the predominant contributor.

Currently, providers are seeking to get the word out that people can get help, Balasanova said. Nebraska Medicine just added one addiction specialist and will bring another on board in August.

“The need is out there,” she said. “A lot of folks don’t realize help is available.”

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NORTH OMAHA NEWS WEBSITE STILL WAITING, AND WONDERING, IF IT WILL GET RICKETTS' OK

LINCOLN-  A North Omaha-based, nonprofit news website is still waiting, and wondering, if it will be granted access to Gov. Pete Ricketts’ press conferences — more than a month after submitting applications for press credentials. The credentialing process was created in April after a NOISE Omaha reporter was denied access to a Ricketts press conference at the State Capitol because, a spokesman for the governor later stated, NOISE was “an advocacy organization funded by liberal donors” trying to appear as a news organization.

That denial raised concerns from other Nebraska news outlets and journalism professors, who pointed to court rulings that determined media cannot be excluded from access to government officials and events based on their perceived political viewpoint. Among those concerned was a national organization, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which funds lawsuits over First Amendment issues.

“I don’t think it’s taken this long for other news organizations to get credentials. We never got any answers back,” said NOISE Omaha’s interim executive director, Myles A. Davis, who called the delay “a push off, run around.”

On June 15, NOISE submitted applications for credentials for its 11 staff members. A couple of days later, Taylor Gage, the governor’s director of strategic communications, emailed a response, thanking them for applying.

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MAYOR STOTHERT PROPOSES 2% REDUCTION IN OMAHA'S PROPERTY TAX LEVY

OMAHA- Mayor Jean Stothert is proposing a tax cut in the upcoming city budget, marking the third time she has pushed to reduce the city’s property tax levy during her tenure leading City Hall.

Stothert’s recommended 2% tax reduction for the City of Omaha levy is the result of a few things, she and her budget planning team said this week: a higher-than-normal rise in property valuations by the Douglas County assessor, solid investment returns, and an expected $112 million payout from the most recent federal coronavirus relief package, half of which the city already has in the bank.

Stothert, who won a third term as mayor in May, proposed the tax cut during her 2022 budget proposal to the public and the Omaha City Council on Tuesday.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 3 in the Legislative Chambers of the City-County Building at 1819 Farnam St.

Other notable items from Stothert’s proposed budget and capital improvement program include early plans for a new police and fire headquarters, more Public Works employees to oversee additional street repairs and money to kick-start Omaha’s tourism industry as the area continues to emerge from the ongoing pandemic.

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OMAHA SEEKING INPUT ON HOW TO SPEND $112 MILLION IN COVID RELIEF FUNDS

OMAHA- Omaha is receiving about $112 million from the federal government to help recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funds are coming from the American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion package intended to combat economic effects of the pandemic, including by sending financial aid directly to local governments.

The city received half of its allotment in May and will receive the other half next spring.

The city is asking for feedback from the public about how it should use the dollars, Stothert said. A feedback form and more information can be found on the city’s website at: cityofomaha.org/american-rescue-plan-act.

“We want to get that out to the community as soon as we possibly can,” Stothert said. The deadline to submit feedback is Aug. 15.

Council President Pete Festersen said he looked forward to reviewing Stothert’s proposed 2022 budget in more detail and receiving public input.

Festersen said he’s most interested in working in how the federal relief dollars can be used.

“That presents an opportunity to do something truly innovative and impactful in the community when it comes to addressing issues such as affordable housing, mental health, poverty and small business assistance,” Festersen said.

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