LINCOLN COUNCIL APPROVES 2050 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESPITE SOME CONCERNS OVER FLOOD PLAIN POLICIES

LINCOLN- The Lincoln City Council approved a 10-year update to its comprehensive plan — a document that guides the city’s land use to 2050 — but made clear members see it as a “living plan” that can be updated or modified.

“This is a plan,” said Councilman Bennie Shobe. “It’s always changeable if we have new information. It’s kind of written in sandstone, not real stone.”

Several developers, or those representing them, testified about policies related to the Salt Creek flood plain resiliency study, an extensive study of flood plain management of the Salt Creek basin.

Developers are concerned that changes in floodplain policies could negatively impact future or existing development and result in increased housing costs.

City Planner David Cary told the council the resiliency study was not part of the comprehensive plan. The planning department will be part of a collaborative effort to review the study and what changes should result from it, he said.

Several council members said they appreciated the efforts to get input from the community on the plan.

The council unanimously approved the comprehensive plan — called Plan Forward 2050. It is largely a land-use document but also includes sections focusing on early child care and education.

The document is based on a few assumptions: That over the next 30 years Lincoln will need 48,000 new housing units to handle city growth; that 25% of Lincoln’s households will be built inside existing city limits; new growth will require 7 square miles of new land; and that Lincoln’s population will get older and more diverse.

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NEBRASKA AG JOINS PROBE OF INSTAGRAM'S MAREKTING TO CHILDREN, YOUNG ADULTS

LINCOLN- Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson has joined a bipartisan group of attorneys general investigating Instagram over efforts to market the social media app to children and young adults.

The probe comes amid ongoing fallout for Instagram and its parent company, Meta Platforms, after a whistleblower leaked documents to news outlets and provided high-profile testimony to Congress. Meta was previously known as Facebook before rebranding in October.

According to a news release from Peterson’s office, the attorneys general are working to determine if the company violated state consumer protection laws and put the public at risk.

The group intends to investigate Meta’s techniques for increasing young users’ engagement on Instagram, and the resulting harms.

In addition to Nebraska, the investigation includes attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont.

Meta has repeatedly denied the characterizations stemming from whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former Facebook data scientist who leaked the documents.

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ALL THREE NEBRASKA CONGRESSMEN VOTE AGAINST BIDEN'S SPENDING PLAN

NEBRASKA - Nebraska’s three Republican congressmen voted against President Joe Biden’s expansive social and environmental package, dubbed the “Build Back Better” plan.

The House approved the plan by a slim margin of 220-213 which sent the bill to the Senate. There, it will undoubtedly face changes as a result of criticism from the all-Republican congressional delegation.

Nebraska's Republican representatives mostly take issue with the increased federal control embedded into the proposed bill, which includes far-reaching changes in taxation, health care, energy, climate change, family services, education, and housing.

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry said, “Americans are about to have a new form of governance, concentrated in D.C.”

These concerns were echoed by Rep. Don Bacon, who said, “Our nation does not desire to be a giant welfare state with ‘cradle to grave’ government oversight controlling our lives.”

Included in the bill's 2,100 pages are initiatives to bolster child care assistance, create free preschool, curb seniors' prescription drugs costs, and increase efforts to slow climate change. Also included are tax credits to spur clean energy development, bolstered child care assistance, and extended tax breaks for millions of families with children, lower-earning workers, and people buying private health insurance.

Tax increases on the wealthy, big corporations and companies doing business abroad would be used to pay for the initiative.

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STATE SENATOR PATTY PANSING BROOKS OFFICIALLY RUNNING FOR JEFF FORTENBERRY'S HOUSE SEAT

LINCOLN- State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln officially announced a bid for U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s seat representing Nebraska’s 1st District in the U.S. House.

Fortenberry will be tasked with trying to hold onto the seat he’s held for over a dozen years while facing federal charges.

Pansing Brooks didn’t take any jabs at the sitting congressman for his current legal situation — but she did take aim at his recent vote against major infrastructure legislation.

Pansing Brooks, 63, is an attorney and was first elected in 2014 to represent the 28th District in the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature. She’s not eligible to run for reelection to her legislative seat due to term limits. Now, she’s running as a Democrat for the congressional seat that Fortenberry, a Republican, has held since 2005.

In an interview, Pansing Brooks offered a message of unity, collaboration, and change. Her official campaign kickoff was scheduled for the evening of the 15th in Lincoln.

Pansing Brooks said she’s part of the fourth generation of her family to live in the district, and her kids represent a fifth. Among her key issues are expanding access to broadband, economic and workforce development, infrastructure, and health care. She also has a fundraising track record, serving as co-chair for a $6 million campaign for an urban park in Lincoln, the $9.6 million Centennial Mall renovation, and a $250 million Lincoln Public Schools bond issue in 2007, according to her website.

Chad Kolton, Fortenberry’s campaign spokesperson, said in a statement issued soon after the announcement: “Jeff Fortenberry has faithfully and effectively served Nebraska and America in Congress and will ask the voters to re-elect him in 2022 to continue that work. The contrast will be very clear: Patty Pansing Brooks will faithfully advance Joe Biden’s agenda and have to explain a chaotic economy, overrun border and dangerous foreign policy.”

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NEBRASKANS COULD SAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS DURING MEDICARE OPEN ENROLLMENT

NEBRASKA- Volunteers with a local nonprofit group have been able to help seniors save hundreds — or in some cases thousands — of dollars during Medicare open enrollment this year.

Volunteers Assisting Seniors helps seniors review Medicare plans and find the one that best fits their needs, often saving them lots of money on prescription drugs.

One Omaha man will save more than $2,300 by switching plans, said Sue Fredricks, executive director of Volunteers Assisting Seniors. The man, who is in his 80s, recently was prescribed a new — and expensive — eyedrop medication. His current plan wouldn’t cover it. But volunteers with the group found a plan that would.

Last year, the group helped 1,200 people save a total of nearly $1.1 million, averaging about $895 a person.

Medicare open enrollment, which runs through Dec. 7, gives beneficiaries the opportunity to review their Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans, also known as Part D.

If beneficiaries like what they have, they can keep those plans. But Fredricks said because plans change every year — changing premiums and copays and even dropping medications and pharmacies from their preferred lists — seniors should review their plans each year.

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GOP CANDIDATES HERBSTER, THIBODEAU GOT PANDEMIC RELIEF LOANS

LINCOLN- Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster, who has criticized government handouts, received a $1.55 million federal loan forgiven under a pandemic relief program last year.

The loan was provided to Conklin Company’s manufacturing operations and distribution warehouse in Shakopee, Minnesota, through the Paycheck Protection Program. Herbster is the owner and CEO of Conklin, as well as other farms and agriculture-related businesses.

The loan was forgiven under the terms of the pandemic relief program, which required businesses to keep employees on the payroll and spend the money for certain types of expenses.

But Herbster, who aligns himself with former President Donald Trump, denied any contradiction between taking the loan and his position on “government handouts.” He described that position in an April radio interview, saying that “every time we ask for a handout from the federal government or even the state level, we give up something.”

“President Trump’s Payroll Protection Program was not a government ‘handout,’” he told The World-Herald. “It was developed in response to a once-in-a-century pandemic that forced business to shut down and workers to be shut out.

Two other GOP gubernatorial contenders also received PPP loans.

University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen got pandemic loans totaling $7.8 million for 16 businesses affiliated with his Columbus-based Pillen Family Farms. Those loans also were forgiven; however, Sarah Pillen, co-CEO of Pillen Family Farms, said the businesses later returned $5.08 million of the loans.

Former Sen. Theresa Thibodeau, the newest entrant in the race, got two loans totaling $440,745 for her corporation, Anjoel. The company operated her daycare business, the Primrose School of La Vista. She has since sold the daycare.

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DRAFT RULES SET PRICE TAG FOR NEBRASKA CASINO LICENSE AT $1 MILLION

NEBRASKA- Companies that want to open a casino at a Nebraska horse racetrack will have to pony up $1 million for a license.

That’s one of the requirements of the rules released by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission.

The 67-page document lays out everything from license applications to how to handle money to how to deal with problem gambling and sex trafficking.

Included are two key provisions that are likely to make some people happy and others unhappy: All casinos will be smoke-free, and only law enforcement officers or licensed security guards will be allowed to carry firearms.

Tom Sage, executive director of the commission, said the proposed regulations are a “hodgepodge of best practices” from casino regulators across the Midwest.

The commission hired Gaming Labs International, an industry consultant that has worked with other states, including Ohio, to help it write rules for casino gambling.

“They basically took what worked in some of those other states and incorporated it into our rules,” Sage said.

The $1 million fee, to be paid upfront, would secure a license for 20 years. Casinos would also face an annual assessment to help fund the activities of the commission.

Sage said that details of the annual assessment still have to be worked out but that it would likely be based on how many gambling machines and table game spots a casino has.

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NEARLY $1 TRILLION IN WEALTH EXPECTED TO BE TRANSFERRED TO NEBRASKA GENERATIONS

NEBRASKA - Historic amounts of wealth will be transferred from one Nebraska generation to the next in the decades ahead, according to a study released this week by the Nebraska Community Foundation. And if families bequeath a small percentage to their communities, the effect could be transformational, according to the foundation.

Nebraska families are expected to transfer roughly $100 billion in assets to the next generation over the coming 10 years, said Nebraska Community Foundation CEO Jeff Yost. However, more than $950 billion is expected to be transferred over the next 50 years.

Assets expected to transfer consist of real estate, securities, retirement accounts and other assets.

This is a common theme across the United States as baby boomers and their parents continue to transfer wealth to the next generations.

It would be the largest transfer of wealth in Nebraska's history.

An estimated 5% of the expected transfer would be enough to place communities in a position to flourish, regardless of the current uncertainties, Yost said.

With that figure in mind, the Nebraska Community Foundation has launched a campaign entitled "Five to Thrive," which encourages people to bequeath 5% of their passed-along estates for their communities.

One of the main concerns for the foundation is the high proportion of younger generations that have moved out of their hometowns, which could benefit greatly from the influx in wealth. This is a driving factor in their latest campaign.

In 71 of Nebraska’s 93 counties, the transfer of wealth is expected to peak within the next 25 years, Yost said.

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LEADER OF NEBRASKA TEACHERS UNION STEPS DOWN CITING FAMILY HEALTH ISSUES

NEBRASKA- Maddie Fennell, executive director of the Nebraska State Education Association, is stepping down, the association anounced.

Fennell, who has held the post since 2017, cited family health reasons, the association said. The association board has named Trish Guinan as her replacement. Guinan was the association's director of advocacy.

In a statement, Fennell said she's grateful for the faith that the board and members placed in her during her time as director.

“Unfortunately, the continued health needs of my husband, my son, and other members of my family require more attention than I can give while also fully executing the responsibilities of executive director," she said.

Fennell, the 2007 Nebraska Teacher of the Year, has been a member of the NSEA since 1986. She said she "will continue my support of the important work done by the incredible members, leadership, and staff of the association.”

Guinan, a 43-year member of the NSEA, taught mathematics at the secondary and college levels, the association said. She began her association work as a field representative for members in 1996, becoming director of member rights in 2000, and director of advocacy in 2012.

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2022 NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE SESSION EYED AS RARE MOMENT OF OPPORTUNITY

LINCOLN - The approaching 2022 legislative session is emerging as a rare moment of challenge and opportunity for Nebraska, state senators and business leaders told a Lincoln Chamber of Commerce legislative breakfast audience.

A strong stream of state revenue accompanied with $1 billion in federal pandemic recovery assistance offers "some significant opportunities," Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers of Lincoln said.

Workforce development is atop of the list of the state's economic challenges, remarked Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 92% of employers now say that is the No. 1 challenge for Nebraska businesses.

Among strategies to combat economic challenges, Hilgers has his sights set on the potential water development project that could lead to long lasting benefits for recreation, tourism, flood control, economic development and water sustainability.

Hilgers is chairman of the Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resources Sustainability (STAR WARS) Committee that is considering projects throughout the state, including the possibility of constructing a large reservoir between Lincoln and Omaha.

Kristen Hassebrook, the Nebraska Chamber's executive vice president for legislation and policy, said the Chamber is "very excited" about the recently signed $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill as it provides funding for roads, ridges, and broadband. The Chamber is less excited about the proposed $2 trillion social spending package that could follow.

Senator Suzanne Geist is focused on small-business needs and was supportive of the Ricketts administration's action which negotiated a significant pay increase for state correctional officers.

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RICKETTS CALLS ON FANS TO ACT RESPECTFULLY, SPEAKS OUT ABOUT RESPONSE TO KNEELING PLAYERS

LINCOLN - Gov. Pete Ricketts urged Husker fans to treat opposing players respectfully, even those who kneel during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Fans at the Nebraska-Maryland volleyball match last week shouted at three Maryland players who knelt during the national anthem. One yelled, "Stand up you piece of trash."

“I think it’s disgraceful to kneel during the national anthem, especially when we’re talking about Veterans Day,” the governor said. “We have people who died for this flag.

“Having said that, however, we’re also known for having the best fans in college sports, and two wrongs don’t make a right here,” he said. “Our fans should be respectful to the teams that come in from other places.”

Coach John Cook said that he was disappointed in the behavior of the fans and that a volleyball match is not a place to express personal views.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green and Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts followed suit and called for more respect from fans to visiting teams, while also apologizing to the Maryland volleyball program.

The Nebraska volleyball team met with Maryland players after the game and apologized for the pre-game incident, as well.

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UNMC, NEBRASKA MEDICINE TO TEST COVID-19 ANTIVIRAL DRUG

OMAHA - Thekisselkohoutes.com/news University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine have launched a new clinical research trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an oral drug that could prevent COVID-19.

The trial will reportedly evaluate the drug Molnupiravir which is sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.

The trial is randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled. Adult participants will be used to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Molnupiravir, specifically whether it prevents hospitalization or death in adults who are living with a person who has COVID-19.

For 12 hours a day for five days, participants will randomly receive either the drug or the placebo and be asked to follow-up over the course of the next 30 days.

The study plans to research the effectiveness and safety of the medication in over 1,300 international participants.

Those who qualify for the study must be at least 19 years of age, have not gotten a COVID-19 vaccine, have never had COVID-19, and live with someone who recently tested positive for COVID-19.

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BUFFALO CREEK WILDFIRE CONTINUES TO BURN IN WESTERN NEBRASKA

NEBRASKA - The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency says the Buffalo Creek Wildfire burning in Western Nebraska is now 40 percent contained.

Approximately 2,538 acres have burned since the Buffalo Creek Wildlife Management Area caught fire last weekend.

The fire is roughly eight miles south of Gering and is burning mostly in Banner and Scotts Bluff Counties.

Two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, accompanied by nine Army National Guard soldiers, have provided support to the crews from surrounding areas and from Lincoln.

Gering Fire Chief Nathan Flowers and Banner County Fire Chief Tim Grubbs, in coordination with Nebraska Game and Parks and the Wildland Incident Response and Assistance Team, have established Unified Command.

“Rugged, inaccessible terrain and wind-driven runs have hampered firefighting efforts,” Flowers said. “Potential Red Flag warnings might continue to hamper suppression efforts.”

Low humidity, strong winds and warm temperatures are associated with increased fire weather danger, and have led to a Red Flag Warning designation.

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'WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE LEAVING': NEBRASKA'S TEACHER STAFFING CRISIS

NEBRASKA - Educational leaders in Nebraska are calling on local school boards, state lawmakers and Gov. Pete Ricketts to address a growing school staffing crisis.

More than 1,000 teachers have left the state's two largest school districts since the pandemic began.

Omaha Public Schools reported 239 teachers left in 2019-2020 and 320 in 2020-2021. Lincoln Public Schools saw similar departures with 251 teachers leaving in 2019-2020 and 241 in 2020-2021.

One former Nebraska teacher says she left the profession for a less stressful 9 to 5 job and claims that many of her colleagues have considered the same.

The Nebraska State Education Association calls it a crisis. They have since asked their 28,000 members what needs to be done in order to not only retain teachers, but to attract future teachers to the profession.

"We need to really listen to educators who are in the classroom doing the work and that's very important for our school boards and our legislators," Benson said.

Benson said they've already made some recommendations including using Federal American Pandemic Recovery Act funds to give $1,000 bonuses, allowing more planning time for teachers and additional family leave for COVID-19 related exposures.

Governor Pete Ricketts said that the issue is more in the hands of local school boards than it is the state's, but he is open to conversation on the topic if the legislature decides they want to discuss it.

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AS COVID CASES RISE, DOUGLAS COUNTY HEALTH DIRECTOR URGES MASK WEARING, DISTANCING

DOUGLAS COUNTY- With local hospitals brimming, COVID cases rising and flu season coming, Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse is pleading with people to not let down their guard — or their face masks.

She used her weekly appearance before the Douglas County Board to make an urgent appeal to people to get vaccines against COVID and the flu, wear masks indoors, be socially distant, and be aware and cautious in settings where there may be a lot of unvaccinated people.

“While we were cautiously optimistic in previous weeks presenting this data, I really wanted to make sure that I was expressing concern today,” Huse told the County Board. “Especially having heard from our hospitals and knowing that flu season is on the way. And we still have RSV circulating. We kind of have a convergence of a lot of things besides COVID that are all kind of mixing to create a really bad situation for our hospitals.”

Hospital occupancy rates in metropolitan Omaha are higher than at any point during the pandemic, Huse said. The hospitals’ staffed beds have hovered around 90% full over the past week.

People are hospitalized for a host of reasons besides COVID. But COVID hospitalizations have been holding steady at an elevated level of about 190, with more than 30 of those people on ventilators, according to data Huse presented. The county recorded 10 more COVID deaths last week.

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CONTROVERSIAL SOLAR FARM IN LANCASTER COUNTY FINALLY CLEARS PLANNING COMMISSION

LINCOLN- It took two votes, but the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission finally signed off on the second part of a large proposed solar farm east of Lincoln.

Commissioners voted 6-1 to approve a special permit for Ranger Power to put solar panels on about 1,430 acres of land stretching from 148th to 190th streets and from O Street to Havelock Avenue.

On Oct. 27, the commission voted to approve a special permit for the other half of the proposed 250-megawatt farm, on land stretching from 120th to 148th streets and from O to Havelock, which is in the city's zoning jurisdiction.

But they failed to approve the county portion, mainly because of a provision that allows panels to be placed on agricultural outlots, something that sparked strong opposition from homeowners in the area.

Several commissioners again voted against allowing the special permit because of the outlot issue. But they failed to get the required five votes.

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NEBRASKA SETS NATIONAL RECORD WITH 1.9% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

LINCOLN - For the first time ever, Nebraska's unemployment rate has dropped below 2%.

According to data released Friday by the Nebraska Department of Labor, the state's unemployment rate for October was 1.9%. Not only has the rate never been that low in Nebraska, it's never been that low in any other state, either. A big part of the reason the unemployment rate continued to drop so low last month was the increase in people working. The number of filled jobs in the state grew by more than 30,500 compared with October 2020 and by more than 10,700 from September.

Commissioner of Labor John H. Albin said the month-to-month jobs increase was the highest ever recorded for October.

Despite the increase in people with jobs, Nebraska still faces a huge labor shortage. As of this week, there were more than 50,000 jobs being advertised statewide on the Department of Labor's website. A recent study from the Pew Charitable Trusts found that Nebraska has the largest shortage of workers in the country based on available jobs to unemployed workers, with a ratio of three open jobs to every one unemployed worker.

The state's unemployment rate was less than half the national rate of 4.6%

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NEBRASKA SCHOOL AID CHANGES WOULD SHIFT BURDEN TO STATE, SAVE $715 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAXES

LINCOLN - A trio of Nebraska education leaders unveiled a plan Thursday aimed at revamping the state’s school aid formula and saving property taxpayers $715 million a year.  Application of the plan this year would have meant $1.762 billion for state school aid instead of the currently budgeted figure of $1.047 billion. The plan would require a similar figure to be matched by state dollars, resulting in a 68% increase in state support for K-12 education.

Chair of the Legislature's Education Committee, State Senator Lynne Walz, announced that she would be introducing the bill in the upcoming legislative session. It is more than an education funding plan to her, citing the funds saved by property owners which can help improve local communities as well. 

“We recognize that education is the cornerstone to economic development and a strong workforce,” Walz said. “Education is a priority for every Nebraskan. We need to be responsive and assure that the funding and resources are available not only today but well into the future.” 

Nearly 60% of the total property tax bill statewide is funded by school property taxes, leading lawmakers to continually increase state aid to schools as a means of easing property taxes. Recently, however, lawmakers have preferred property tax credit programs that provide money directly to property owners to offset their tax bills. The state will provide nearly $1 billion for those programs in the coming year.

This shift in preference is likely the cause of Education Committee members not signing off on the plan yet. Other groups, like Greater Nebraska Schools Association, are still studying the issue as well.

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RICKETTS REBUKES UNL ON RACIAL EQUITY PLAN, SINGLES OUT CHANCELLOR GREEN

LINCOLN - Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts on Thursday rebuked UNL for its new racial equity plan and singled out Chancellor Ronnie Green for criticism. The comprehensive plan would examine everything from hiring to financial aid and from enrollment to classroom instruction. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln released the plan Wednesday.

Ricketts said the plan would inject critical race theory “into every corner of campus.”

“It will pit people against each other by conditioning everyone to see others through the lens of race rather than as individuals with unique strengths,” Ricketts said in a statement. “I urged Chancellor Green to avoid divisive policies,” the governor said. “Since then, Chancellor Green has misrepresented my position on it in conversations with university stakeholders. He has told people that I support it, and nothing could be further from the truth.” 

Ricketts said Green called him Tuesday to advise him of the plan’s pending release. Green and the UNL administration declined to respond to Ricketts’ comments. University of Nebraska President Ted Carter also declined to comment.

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NEBRASKA STATE SENATORS REACH THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO

TANZANIA- Nebraska’s mountain-climbing state senators reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro Wednesday morning.

“Summit,” read a one-word text message from Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon that was received in Lincoln at 12:16 a.m. Wednesday. It was 9:16 a.m. on the storied mountain in Tanzania.

A map-tracking site showed Brewer at an elevation of 19,315 feet at Uhuru Peak, near a glacier at the summit at 12:32 a.m. Lincoln time.

The peak of the mountain reaches 19,340 feet.

Brewer and four fellow state senators, Anna Wishart of Lincoln, Justin Wayne of Omaha, Ben Hansen of Blair, and Dave Murman of Glenvil, were scheduled to descend on a long journey down to a base camp after leaving the summit.

That would complete a challenging 18-hour day of climbing and descending the mountain that began with a departure from a base camp below the summit at midnight.

Summit night, as it is called, is considered to be the most challenging part of the ascent — cold, dark, usually windy, and the steepest part of the journey up the mountain.

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