DOUGLAS COUNTY HEALTH DIRECTOR RECOMMENDS MASKS IN ALL SCHOOLS

OMAHA- The Douglas County Health Department is recommending to school superintendents that everyone in local schools wear masks, County Health Director Lindsay Huse said Tuesday.

“The recommendation to all school districts was to follow CDC, AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommendations and they were all given the exact same recommendations, which are that everyone right now should be in masks,” Huse told the Douglas County Board. “How they implement that is a local decision, although we have worked closely with all superintendents on how they are going to make that decision and what that’s going to look like.”

As of Tuesday, a majority of metro Omaha districts were still planning to start the school year with masks optional. But it’s possible some districts may be prompted to reconsider following Monday’s announcement from Westside Community Schools that masks will be required for students, staff and visitors at its elementary schools.

Huse made clear Tuesday where the Health Department stands and why.

Huse expressed concern about COVID cases rising among Douglas County school-age children, especially elementary students. She said the number of cases among children under 19 had tripled in the past couple of weeks, and that they comprise 26% of all COVID cases in the county — the largest of any age group.

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OPPONETS TELL OMAHA TO BE 'IMAGINATIVE' WITH POLICE FUNDS, BUT CHEIF WARNS OF OFFICER CUTS

OMAHA- Critics of the Omaha Police Department banded together Tuesday to voice their frustration over another city budget proposal that gives more money to the police.

Much of an hours-long public hearing on Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert’s proposed 2022 budget was filled with testimony from dozens of people who balked at a proposed 3.25% increase to the Police Department’s budget.

That increase, which would bring the police budget to $169.9 million, should be used for more mental health services, affordable housing, job-seeking services and education, many opponents said.

Community organizer Jaden Perkins summed up some of the opposition when asking council members why the Police Department is set to receive a $5.3 million raise “at a time when the community is suffering from economic anxiety, a health care crisis, a housing crisis, rising crime and ongoing racial disparities when it comes to traffic stops.”

As the public hearing played out inside the City-County Building downtown, community groups like the Revolutionary Action Party gathered outside for speeches, chants and chalk-drawing.

Earlier Tuesday, during a police budget discussion between Police Chief Todd Schmaderer and the City Council, Council President Pete Festersen asked the chief what the consequences could be if the department failed to receive its $5 million bump.

The impact would be heavy, Schmaderer said, because 89% of the department’s budget is dedicated to personnel costs. The department also is contractually obligated to pay officers more because of the city’s recent negotiations with the police union.

The proposed police budget keeps the number of budgeted police officers at 906. Schmaderer said about 50 of them could lose their jobs if the department lost out on millions of dollars.

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EMAILS OVERWHELMINGLY CALL ON NU REGENTS TO REJECT PILLEN'S CRITICAL RACE THEORY RESOLUTION

LINCOLN- Early response to a proposed resolution curbing the teaching of critical race theory at the University of Nebraska has largely been against the idea put forward by Regent Jim Pillen.

For weeks, members of the NU community, including students, faculty, alumni and others, had been penning emails blasting Pillen's resolution opposing "any imposition of critical race theory in curriculum" at NU, which will likely be considered by regents on Aug. 13.

The messages, provided to the Journal Star through a public records request, started landing in university inboxes just days after Pillen said he opposed critical race theory being taught at NU.

Calling the framework for examining systemic inequities stemming from race and racism "un-American" and "divisive," the Columbus agribusiness owner and former Husker defensive back clarified at the time he was speaking as a candidate for governor and not as a member of NU's governing body.

That didn't assuage some, who emailed Pillen after his comments were printed in news outlets.

"Unfortunately, you are following our current governor's and former president's playbook by stroking racial prejudices for political gain," Tim Gross wrote to Pillen on June 27. "This might very well get you elected in this very racist state, but in the process you will lose the respect of folks like me who believe integrity, character, dignity and truth matter."

Other regents, including Jack Stark of Omaha and Bob Phares of North Platte, thanked those who submitted emails and responded they would bring the concerns to the attention of the whole board.

The agenda for the board's Aug. 13 meeting, which is expected to include Pillen's resolution, will be published on Friday.

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AFTER JULY POWER OUTAGES, SOME NEBRASKANS STILL WAITING FOR REPLACEMENT FOOD AID

NEBRASKA- After a record-breaking storm rolled through eastern Nebraska last month, Susan Ochoa of Bellevue was among the many who lost power for nearly a week, she said. Without power, she also lost the food in her refrigerator and freezer.

An extended outage that spoils food is inconvenient in any circumstance. But it presents a particularly dire situation for Ochoa and others like her who rely on monthly nutrition assistance benefits.

Ochoa told The World-Herald she had used last month's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, formerly known as food stamps, before the storm hit. She submitted paperwork within days, requesting replacement benefits via the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, she said, but still hadn't received them as of Tuesday.

Regular SNAP benefits are issued at the beginning of each calendar month on the first through the fifth, according to a DHHS spokesperson, based on the last digit of the head of household’s Social Security number. 

Ochoa has received dry goods through the local food pantry, she said, but her diabetes makes the need for replacement benefits all the more urgent.

“It’s been a nightmare,” she said. “My blood sugars are up and my doctor had to increase my insulin. I don’t want to go to the hospital, and I’ve just been very depressed, sitting here, worrying, wondering when I’m going to get the nutrition in the house that I need.” 

The July 10 storm left 188,000 homes and businesses without power, the most in Omaha Public Power District's history. Nebraska DHHS received 8,505 requests for replacement benefits due to food lost in the power outages that had been purchased with SNAP benefits, according to spokesperson Garret Swanson.

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TIGHT JOB MARKET, VACANCIES PROMPT NEBRASKA TO OFFER HIRING BONUSES OF UP TO $15,000

LINCOLN — A tight labor market in Nebraska, plus a rising number of staff vacancies, has caused the state to offer new and more generous hiring and retention incentives for jobs at state prisons, veterans homes and other facilities that require round-the-clock staffing.

State officials described the moves as short-term steps to remain competitive, while “holistic, long-term solutions” are explored.

Eric Maher, a spokesman for the State Department of Administrative Services, said labor negotiators will be meeting with union representatives in September to discuss possible solutions.

One union official said higher wages, not temporary bonuses, are the answer to staffing shortages he described as the worst ever at facilities such as the Tecumseh State Prison.

Workers are regularly called on to work a second shift at the rural Tecumseh prison, and often, activities for inmates must be canceled due to a lack of security staff, despite workers being transported daily from Omaha, said Mike Chipman, the head of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 88. The union represents security staff at state prisons and regional centers.

“It’s getting worse and worse,” Chipman said. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

He said at least 150 of the 300 vacant security staff positions at state prisons are at Tecumseh, and there are 50 vacant posts at the Lincoln Regional Center, which houses inmates with mental illnesses.

Job vacancies are at a record high at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. The 988 vacancies are more than 200 more than on Jan. 1, a DHHS spokeswoman said, prompting new incentives for nurses and food service workers.

Gov. Pete Ricketts announced the new hiring and retention bonuses on Friday, with extra incentives offered to protective services staff willing to relocate to the Tecumseh prison for a year. They would receive an immediate $7,500 bonus.

That’s on top of the stipends Tecumseh workers receive for commuting there, which range from $100 to $200 a month. All prison security staff hired before July 31 will be eligible for $500-a-month retention bonuses — billed as a pilot program — over the next year.

Hiring bonuses for new prison staff are being increased from $10,000 to $15,000, payable over three years, and new bonuses for HHS and Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs workers are being offered up to $10,000. Bonuses also are offered for employees who recruit new staffers.

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OMAHANS FINALLY DECIDE IT'S TIME TO GET COVID VACCINE; INCENTIVES SWEETEN THE DEAL

OMAHA- Suzanne Krajicek hasn’t been afraid of the coronavirus and its variants. But the 66-year-old Omahan said she doesn’t have time for it.

Krajicek said Wednesday that she figured it probably was time to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

At a drive-thru clinic hosted by the Visiting Nurse Association, Krajicek got the first of two Pfizer vaccine shots from the comfort of her car. And while she waited out the 15-minute observation period, she had a doughnut.

The drive-thru clinic was hosted by the Visiting Nurse Association with assistance from the Douglas County Health Department. Officials said 57 vaccine shots — 26 of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson and 31 first shots of the Pfizer vaccine — were administered during the three-hour clinic outside the VNA headquarters near 125th Avenue and West Center Road.

Attendees drove up to the clinic, filled out the required paperwork and received the shots, all without leaving their cars. Boomer Radio provided musical entertainment from one corner of the lot. And while vaccine recipients waited the 15-minute observation period, workers from the radio station dropped off Hurts Donuts, Scooter’s coffee, refreshments and gift bags.

The gift bags, valued at $100, were stuffed with gift certificates, Adventureland tickets, cups, T-shirts and other goods. Participants also were entered into a raffle to win a $500 Nebraska Furniture Mart gift card.

Douglas County had seen a drop in vaccination rates, said Igor Hadzisulejmanovic, emergency response coordinator with the county. But kids heading back to school and an uptick in the delta variant have motivated some folks to get vaccinated now, he said.

The highly contagious delta variant has led to a rise in COVID-19 cases in the state. The state recorded 1,611 cases for the week ending Friday, up from the 978 the previous week and more than double the 690 the week before that.

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NEBRASKA DOCTORS HELPING TO RESTORE HOSPITAL FOUNDED BY NATION'S 1ST NATIVE AMERICAN PHYSICIAN

LINCOLN — Nebraska’s doctors are stepping up to help restore a historic hospital founded by the nation’s first Native American physician.

The Nebraska Medical Association just launched a fundraising effort to encourage doctors to donate to the final phase of restoration work on the long-closed Walthill hospital founded by Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, the nation’s first Native American physician.

Dr. Britt Thedinger, an Omaha ear doctor and surgeon, said he was astounded a couple of years ago to learn the story of Picotte, who, after years of using a horse and buggy to visit her patients on the Omaha Indian Reservation, opened the hospital in 1913. 

“This is a remarkable woman who accomplished incredible things,” Thedinger said. “How did this go under the radar?”

It prompted the doctor, a former president of the Nebraska Medical Association, to join the effort to restore and reopen the historic Picotte hospital, and to ask fellow doctors to get involved.

“The physicians of this state need to know this story. She’s a colleague, she’s a member of our profession,” Thedinger said. “Our idea is to bring awareness of Susan La Flesche and her story, to honor her service, sacrifice and dedication.”

Restoration of the Picotte hospital, first launched in 2017 in conjunction with the Omaha Indian Tribe, already is underway.

A new roof was installed two years ago, and the original windows and lap siding of the wood-sided, 33-room structure have been restored.

Now, the nonprofit foundation behind the restoration work is seeking to raise the final $2.5 million to complete the job of turning the once-neglected hospital into a modern community center. It will include a medical/mental health/substance abuse clinic for the tribe, as well as programs for youths, Native American arts and culture, and a historical exhibit of Picotte’s life and work.

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GENDER IDENTITY REFERENCES ‘LARGELY STRICKEN’ FROM 2ND DRAFT OF NEBRASKA HEALTH EDUCATION STANDARDS

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Department of Education has revised its proposed health-education standards, stripping out many of the sex-education references that provoked a groundswell of opposition to its first draft.

Nebraska Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt said he hopes the changes are enough to move the standards forward.

This second draft of the standards is expected to be posted Thursday morning to the website of the Nebraska Department of Education and is open to public comment. Blomstedt said he expects that some people still won’t be satisfied — whether they are critics still upset by what’s included or others upset by what’s been cut. He said he hopes that, moving forward, both sides can find common ground.

Supporters of the first draft said the original wording would save lives. They had said the language recognizing diverse family structures, gender identities and sexual orientations would make those children and families feel welcome instead of leaving them ostracized and vulnerable to depression and suicide.

Blomstedt said he did not run the revisions past Gov. Pete Ricketts, who sharply criticized the first draft, but he said the two have talked about the governor’s concerns. Ricketts has been touring the state calling for scrapping the sex-education topics from the standards, saying they were not age-appropriate and that they were developed with input from activists.

As of last week, 47 Nebraska school boards had passed resolutions or sent letters to the department expressing opposition to the first draft. An opposition group calling itself Protect Nebraska Children has flooded meetings of the Nebraska State Board of Education to voice its displeasure.

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GOV. RICKETTS DECLARES STATE DISASTER FOR AREAS AFFECTED BY JULY 9-10 WINDSTORMS

LINCOLN- Governor Pete Ricketts issued a disaster declaration in response to the severe windstorms that struck Nebraska on July 9-10, 2021, knocking out electricity and causing extensive damages.  The declaration allows for use of the Governor’s Emergency Fund in response to damage that occurred as a result of storms and high winds that downed power lines and trees and created power outages.  The state declaration is needed to request a federal disaster declaration for public assistance.

The State of Nebraska and local agencies continue to conduct damage assessments.  Once sufficient information is gathered, a request for Federal Public Assistance will be sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regional office, then to FEMA headquarters, and finally to the White House for review and approval.

“It is important to note that the phrase Public Assistance refers to assistance for public entities such as utilities and infrastructure,” said Nebraska Emergency Management Assistant Director Bryan Tuma.  “On this event, Nebraska would qualify for the FEMA Public Assistance program but not the FEMA Individual Assistance program.  Individual Assistance is based on extreme impact such as widespread loss of housing for individuals and families, loss of employment, loss of services across multiple sectors which results in extreme hardship, etc.  This event, while significant, does not meet those thresholds.”  

If a person or family needs help replacing spoiled food, removing tree limbs, cleaning up property damage, or has any other unmet needs, they are advised to contact:

• United Way’s 211 system — Call 2-1-1 or text your zip code to 898211.

• Nebraska Rural Response HOTLINE — 1-800-464-0258 which offers the same services.

• Insurance Provider — Many insurance policies include incidentals such as food spoilage, debris management, etc.

County Emergency Management Directors are compiling damage reports and may be aware of additional resources in their local communities to assist individuals or families in need.  Contact information for County Emergency Management Directors is available on the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency website: https://nema.nebraska.gov/overview/county-emergency-management-directorscoordinators.

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EDITORIAL: TO TRULY BE PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES, COPS AND FIREFIGHTERS MUST BE VACCINATED

OMAHA- It was disheartening to learn that 41% of Omaha police officers have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 — and further discouraging to see that the police union president is steeped in disinformation that justifies their decision.

Police officers’ self-declared role is to protect and serve society, but these unvaccinated officers risk endangering themselves and members of the public.

The Fire Department has done better than police, with 73% of firefighters vaccinated, but those numbers can still improve.

As much as we all dearly wish otherwise, the pandemic is not over.

It is the availability and acceptance of vaccines by a majority of Americans that has enabled society and the economy to reopen to the extent we enjoy this summer. With some exceptions, it is the often-ideological refusal of a minority that fosters a breeding ground for mutations of the virus and jeopardizes our progress.

While the general population cannot be coerced into being vaccinated, the city can and should do more to minimize the danger posed by our unvaccinated public safety employees. The city has taken a good step in ending a policy that generally presumed first responders who contracted COVID had done so on the job, making them eligible for workers’ compensation. Now, workers’ comp won’t be approved for unvaccinated employees.

We urge the city to employ further carrots and sticks to increase the safety to the public of public safety employees — even if it doesn’t want to require vaccinations, which according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would be within its power.

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'OPERATION BLINDSIDE': PROPOSED KANSAS-NEBRASKA NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA DEALT A SERIOUS BLOW

LINCOLN — From his farm west of Davenport, Iowa, Glen Keppy has watched as a plastics factory and now an Amazon warehouse have gobbled up acres that used to produce corn, beans and wheat. The encroachment of development, Keppy said, is one of the reasons why it’s so important to preserve the history of farming through efforts like a multicounty National Heritage Area, a locally governed adjunct to the National Park Service.

“People come in by the busload,” he said, to watch demonstrations of old-time farming with teams of horses and steam-powered tractors.

“That’s what you call preserving what Iowa was made of,” said Keppy, a former president of both the Iowa Pork Producers Association and the National Pork Producers Council.

He just ended a three-year stint on the board of the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, which promotes historic farms, museums, bed-and-breakfasts and tourism in a 37-county area of northeastern Iowa.

When asked if such heritage areas threaten private property rights — as has been claimed by critics of a proposed heritage area in Nebraska and Kansas focused on prairies and homesteading — Keppy said not at all.

“We are not at all into forcing preservation; we’re just suggesting it. We’re just an organization that tries to put things together,” he said. “There’s not an evil bone in the body of the organization, or the individuals.”

Some officials at tourist attractions in south-central Nebraska and north-central Kansas express similar puzzlement.

They say they were blindsided, and disappointed, after Gov. Pete Ricketts and a coalition inspired by a retired Colorado researcher-writer whipped up a firestorm of protest over the proposed Kansas-Nebraska Heritage Area.

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NEBRASKA COULD WIND UP WITH $100 MILLION FROM OPIOID SETTLEMENTS

LINCOLN — Nebraska is in line to potentially receive $100 million as part of national settlements over the distribution of opioids that contributed to a national addiction epidemic.

A settlement announced this week requires three major drug distribution companies — AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson — to pay a combined $21 billion over 18 years to a coalition of state and local governments. The settlement also requires drug maker Johnson & Johnson to pay $5 billion over nine years.

It’s the second opioid-related settlement Nebraska has been a party to. Earlier this year, Attorney General Doug Peterson announced that the state would receive $2.59 million as part of a $573 million settlement with McKinsey & Company, one of the world’s largest consulting firms, which worked with drug manufacturers in a promotional role.

Nebraska is also a party to a settlement being negotiated with Purdue Pharma.

Peterson said he expects the state to receive about $100 million total from the three cases over the next 18 years.

Most of that money will go directly into Nebraska’s Opioid Recovery Fund to be used for treatment and prevention purposes. Some of the money will go to counties and cities that joined the suit individually.

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REPUBLICAN HOPEFULS HEAD TO IOWA, TAKING CARE NOT TO STEP ON TRUMP'S TOES

DES MOINES — No notable Republican has declared outright a challenge to President Joe Biden in 2024. But plenty of them are flocking to Iowa — courting activists, establishing political action committees and criticizing Democrats — signaling that the GOP presidential primary is already underway.

But this cycle has a Trump-induced twist. As the former president keeps Republicans guessing on whether he will run again, politicians are being especially circumspect about their own White House aspirations.

“Usually, when the race is over and (Republicans) don’t win ... the very next day, the race is on,” said Bob Vander Plaats, president of the Family Leader, an influential network of Christian activists in the state. “That hasn’t been the case so much. A lot of people are still asking, ‘What is Trump going to do?’”

The looming question has added an extra degree of coyness as possible contenders cozy up to voters in Iowa, which traditionally has held the first contest of the nominating season. Despite some prominent conservatives in the state sensing desire for a new Republican standard-bearer, politicians are working hard not to alienate Donald Trump, who still enjoys broad popularity with the party’s base.

The prominent Republicans who have visited so far include former Vice President Mike Pence; Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Rick Scott of Florida; ex-Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley; and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

“It’s been earlier, and more intense, for year one of a four-year presidential cycle, but I would also say all of them are very, very careful not to even intimate that they are potentially looking at a presidential run,” said Jeff Kaufmann, chairman of the Iowa Republican Party.

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RICKETTS' ORDER ON 30-BY-30 CONSERVATION EFFORT IS SHORT ON ACTUAL ROADBLOCKS

LINCOLN — In his battle against the federal government, Gov. Pete Ricketts has directed state agencies to take “any necessary step” to resist a federal initiative to conserve 30% of American land and waters by 2030.

He signed the executive order last month, in the leafy shade of the garden at the Governor’s Mansion, flanked by allies from rural county governments and agricultural organizations.

“Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers are the original conservationists and they have a long tradition of being great stewards of our state’s land and water,” he said. “Supporting their conservation efforts is the best way to ensure that we can grow the food we need to feed the world and pass along the land to the next generation of ag producers.”

Ricketts said his order is aimed at stopping implementation of what he calls “the 30x30 land grab.” But a closer look at the order shows it to be long on education and information-gathering and short on steps that would block the expansion of conservation efforts.

The Republican governor’s target is a goal that Democratic President Joe Biden included in a January executive order intended to bring attention to climate issues. A follow-up federal report called for the 30% by 2030 initiative to be voluntary, locally led and respect private property rights.

But Ricketts argues that the federal government will have to use strong-arm tactics to reach its goal. He raises particular concern about conservation easements, especially permanent ones.

“It could be the federal government already knows exactly what they want to do and they’re just not telling us,” he said. “It could be devastating to rural Nebraska.”

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SHOTS FIRED, FORCING REP. FORTENBERRY, OTHERS TO DEPART FUNERAL FOR HAITIAN LEADER

LINCOLN — U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry and a delegation of American officials were forced to abruptly exit a funeral service for assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse on Friday after shots were fired nearby.

Fortenberry and a group that included United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield and U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks, D-N.Y., were hustled to an airplane and returned to the U.S. safely Friday afternoon, according to Andy Braner, Fortenberry’s chief of staff.

In a video shot before the delegation boarded their plane, Fortenberry sounded shook up but expressed regret that the Americans had to leave the funeral service so hastily.

“Circumstances on the ground here are very tense. The situation is volatile. There’s a lot of anger,” he said.

Fortenberry, who serves on the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee on Appropriations, said he was invited to attend as part of a White House delegation for the funeral for Moïse, who was assassinated on July 7.

The Associated Press reported that hundreds of protesters gathered outside the private compound where Moïse’s funeral was held. Some mourners inside shouted, “Justice for Jovenel!” and others jeered and threatened the national chief of police when he arrived, accusing him of contributing to the attack.

U.S. and United Nations delegations left about 10 to 15 minutes after arriving. Gunshots were heard, and tear gas cannisters were fired at protesters. 

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NEBRASKA'S CROPS DOING BETTER THAN NEIGHBORS', BUT DROUGHT COULD 'INTENSIFY VERY QUICKLY'

NEBRASKA- Compared with its neighboring states plagued by drought, Nebraska has fared well — so far, anyway. But that could change with the heat wave set to hit the state this week. And that could potentially affect Nebraska’s crops.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of North and South Dakota, Colorado and Wyoming are dealing with extreme drought conditions.

According to Bloomberg News, in North Dakota, where the entire state is in a drought, hay crops are only 10% to 25% of normal, while cattle ranchers already are reducing herds by boosting animal sales at auction, Jeff Schafer, president of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, said during a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration webinar.

In Nebraska, severe drought has crept over the South Dakota border into parts of five counties in the northeast corner of the state. Pockets of moderate drought have been recorded in central and southern Nebraska and the Panhandle, according to the Drought Monitor.

Mark Svoboda, director of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said almost 22% of the state is experiencing some form of drought. The counties experiencing severe drought make up just about 2% of the state.

“In Nebraska, we’re holding the drought at bay right now,” he said. “But our fear is that these droughts can intensify very quickly.”

Right now, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the condition of Nebraska’s crops is quite strong.

A report from Monday shows that 76% of the 9.7 million acres of corn planted are in good or excellent condition. Ditto for the 5.4 million acres of soybeans planted, with 82% of that crop considered in good or excellent condition.

For the full article click HERE

OMAHA'S BLACKSTONE DISTRICT PROPOSES WIDER SIDEWALKS, NEW LIGHTS

OMAHA- The Blackstone District has revealed plans for a streetscape makeover expected to boost pedestrian safety and commerce by widening sidewalks and narrowing driving lanes along the trendy midtown Omaha strip.

A burst of sparkle — in the form of light strands across a stretch of Farnam Street — also is part of the $4.4 million package. The plan comes on the heels of a Blackstone apartment dweller getting struck and seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver in June as she crossed Farnam between 39th and 40th Streets.

Blackstone leaders say proposed changes have been in the making a few years, though, dating back to a merchant’s search for signature lighting for the area. They describe the streetscape proposal as the next major infrastructure upgrade since car flow through the district turned from one way to two way in 2014.

Funds have yet to be raised, but leaders from three Blackstone groups supporting the plan are optimistic the district can be sporting its new look in 2023.

The focus of the redesign is Farnam Street, the spine of the business district that’s also been buoyed by growth of its bookends: the University of Nebraska Medical Center to the west; Mutual of Omaha’s Midtown Crossing and downtown to the east.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA BEGINS BUDGET PERIOD WITH A $101 MILLION DEFICIT. WHY OFFICIALS AREN'T WORRIED

LINCOLN — Despite coming off a year of record tax revenue, Nebraska looks to be starting its current two-year budget period in the red, according to a report released Thursday.

The report from the Legislative Fiscal Office points to the state’s new property tax relief program, along with other tax cuts and a drop in federal coronavirus relief, as the reasons for a newly opened $101 million budget gap.

But a key state lawmaker expressed confidence about closing that gap without cutting the state’s $9.8 billion budget for the two-year period ending June 30, 2023.

“There’s a good betting chance” that revenue projections will improve when the numbers are reviewed again, said State Sen. John Stinner of Gering, the Appropriations Committee chairman. The state’s economic forecasting board will meet to update those projections in October.

“I will almost guarantee the forecasting board will take care of the deficit,” he said.

Legislative Fiscal Analyst Tom Bergquist sounded a similarly optimistic note in delivering the report to the Tax Rate Review Committee, a group that includes four top legislative leaders and State Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton. The group meets between legislative sessions to review the state’s fiscal status.

For the full article click HERE

JOSLYN ART MUSEUM BREAKS GROUND ON $100 MILLION ADDITION

OMAHA- Construction will begin soon on a pavilion that will add 42,000 square feet to the Joslyn Art Museum, dramatically altering the museum’s profile and creating space for an important collection of modern art, museum officials and the pavilion’s designer said Tuesday.

“It will be really great for the city for decades and decades to come,” said Jack Becker, Joslyn's executive director and CEO.

The pavilion will be named for Omaha philanthropists Rhonda and Howard Hawks of the Hawks Foundation. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday on the museum grounds.

Becker declined to reveal the cost of the project, but a public application for a Nebraska COVID-19 relief grant listed it at $100 million. The project so far has been financed by specified private funds, he said.

The Rhonda and Howard Hawks Pavilion is scheduled to open in 2024, though Becker said no date has been set. The museum, at 22nd and Dodge Streets, will close from spring 2022 until the pavilion is completed. Becker said that’s common for museum projects as a safety measure for staff, visitors and valuable art.

For the full article click HERE

HERBSTER'S RUNNING MATE IN GUBERNATORIAL RACE STEPS ASIDE

OMAHA- Former State Senator Theresa Thibodeau, announced that she would be stepping aside as Charles Herbster's running mate in the gubernatorial race due to what she described as "potential opportunities that would conflict with the campaign."

“At this time, I do not feel I will be able to devote the needed time to the campaign," Thibodeau said in a press release. "In fairness to Charles and his wonderful team, I want to thank them for their support, and wish them the best for a successful election. I look forward to the continuation of conservative leadership in Nebraska.” 

“I greatly respect Theresa’s decision as well as her devotion to her community," Herbster said in the same press release. "She is a great steward of conservative values, and I look forward to working with her in the future.” 

Neither of Herbster's leading Republican primary opponents, University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen or State Sen. Brett Lindstrom, have named running mates at this point.

For the full article click HERE