MIDLANDERS OF THE YEAR: NEBRASKA'S SCHOOL WORKERS CARE FOR STUDENTS THROUGH COVID

OMAHA- Three consecutive school years have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Full remote learning at the end of the 2019-20 school year morphed into teachers simultaneously teaching in-person and remote students in 2020-21.

Along the way, workers in school districts across the Omaha metro area have overhauled their operations and worked long hours to meet new demands.

Custodians sanitized surfaces according to enhanced cleaning protocols.

In kitchens and parking lots, nutrition workers and other staff formed human assembly lines to package and pass out thousands of to-go meals.

Teachers taught students who were prepping food in restaurants and watching virtual classes on their phones because their families needed the extra income. Then teachers organized help sessions outside normal hours to catch students up.

“It’s not like somebody said, ‘Look, here’s the model. This is what you’re going to have to do.’ We just got it put in our laps, and then we had to figure it out,” Hillside Elementary Principal Cynthia Bailey said. “We continue to try to figure it out.”

For their work educating, feeding, comforting, and caring for students and their families throughout the pandemic, The Omaha World-Herald honored all school workers. They named teachers the newspaper’s Midlanders of the Year for 2021.

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REDISTRICTED SEN. MATT WILLIAMS STILL REPRESENTS THOSE WHO ELECTED HIM

LINCOLN- Sen. Matt Williams, who lives in Gothenburg in central Nebraska, now is the state senator in a legislative district in Sarpy County that edges the Iowa border half a state away.

Legislative District 36 was moved from rural Nebraska to the metro area during September's special session of the Legislature to accommodate redistricting demands imposed by the state's shifting population.

But Williams, a Gothenburg banker who has one more year to serve in the Legislature before he's term-limited at the end of 2022, didn't move with his district.

"Technically, yes, I now represent Legislative District 36 in Sarpy County," Williams said during a telephone interview.

"But, practically, I still represent the same people in old Legislative District 36," he said. "I feel like I represent the people who elected me."

There have been no trips to Sarpy County to introduce himself, Williams said, although he may accept some invitations to events in the fast-growing metropolitan Omaha county during the coming year.

There will be no change in his voting pattern, Williams said. He's still the senator from Gothenburg and he's still who he was.

"I think there's a misconception that senators would change their mode of operation after being redistricted," Williams said. "But they really don't.

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TWITTER SUSPENDS ACCOUNT OF NEWLY APPOINTED NEBRASKA BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER

LINCOLN- An appointee to the state board of education who had his account on Twitter suspended appears to have shared posts questioning vaccines for young children and comparing Europe’s response to the pandemic to “Nazi Germany.”

Gov. Pete Ricketts announced the appointment of Republican Kirk Penner, an Aurora businessman, and former school board member, to a vacant seat on the Nebraska State Board of Education last Thursday (Dec. 23rd).

By Friday afternoon, Penner’s Twitter account was suspended. It’s unclear when and why the account was suspended. Twitter did not immediately respond to questions from the Omaha World-Herald regarding the suspension.

A call to Penner on Friday went straight to voicemail. The Governor’s Office did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.

Screenshots of what appear to be tweets from Penner’s account circulated on social media Friday.

One apparent Penner tweet about vaccination said: “Using 5-11-year-old children as guinea pigs is sad. Children are not at risk.”

Penner retweeted a tweet that says, “police are patrolling the streets to check people’s health papers to see if they are allowed to be there,” in an apparent reference to Europe’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. “We used to think this was only something that happened in Nazi Germany in the past.”

In an apparent reply to a tweet from U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Penner wrote, according to a screenshot, “a medical doctor with pronouns in his bio has zero credibility. ZERO.”

Penner will complete the remainder of the term of Patricia Timm, who resigned from the District 5 seat in October, citing personal health reasons. District 5 includes much of the south side of Lincoln and rural areas of Southeast Nebraska largely south of the Platte River from Phillips to Ashland. The term runs through Jan. 4, 2023.

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OGALLALA ANNOUNCES COMMUNITY SOLAR FARM PROJECT WITH NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER

OGALLALA- Ogallala and Nebraska Public Power District are poised to make the Keith County seat NPPD’s seventh retail town with a community solar farm.

The project should allow the city to cut its NPPD power bills and allow Ogallala residents to do likewise by subscribing for shares, said Pat Hanrahan, the district’s general manager for retail services.

Its 1.5-megawatt capacity “would be a very small percentage” of NPPD’s total power generation, “but the impact it will have on the community of Ogallala” will be greater, he said.

Ogallala is one of 79 Nebraska cities and villages where NPPD both sells and delivers electricity.

Hanrahan said GRNE Solar of Lincoln, which will lease the 13.5-acre site from the city and build the solar farm, should start construction this spring and likely will bring the project online next summer.

NPPD would buy the solar farm’s output from GRNE and work with the city in allocating shares to interested customers.

The power district, which has announced a goal of generating electricity with “net-zero” carbon emissions by 2050, launched its community solar program in January 2017.

Venango and Scottsbluff hosted NPPD’s first two pilot projects, with the latter city later adding a second, larger solar farm, Hanrahan said.

NPPD spokesman Grant Otten said Ogallala’s city government could buy power generated by the solar farm for about 4.8 cents per kilowatt-hour — a full cent less than its current cost.

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ARMED WITH DATA, NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS WILL GRAPPLE WITH NATION'S MOST OVERCROWDED PRISONS

LINCOLN- The problems facing Nebraska’s prisons are well-documented: A near-catastrophic staffing shortage and severe overcrowding that for years has been among the worst in the U.S.

Amid apparent progress hiring staff, Nebraska legislators are poised to address the long-standing overcrowding and underlying issues that contribute to that trend during the 60-day legislative session that starts Jan. 5. Armed with fresh analyses of state data, lawmakers will also weigh a pitch to build a new state prison.

“We have a thoughtful (Judiciary) Committee,” said State Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha, committee chair. “We have a diversity of perspectives on the committee, and we have an opportunity with the work that’s been done through the interim to follow through with asking the question, and coming with an answer to: How do we best spend taxpayer dollars on criminal justice?”

As of last week, corrections had received more than 630 applications for corporal positions since salary increases were announced in November, according to the department. It had received just 162 such applications in the five weeks prior.

As applicants come in, the prisons are still severely unstaffed for the time being. Another option being explored is a new prison in itself.

This has received opposition and support, some citing they are not ready to allocate the tax dollars.

One of those people is Sen. Terrell McKinney. He said, "The one thing I hope, overall, though, is, regardless of if they build it or not — I just hope that we can get some real legislation passed that’s really going to be transformative for the criminal justice system and the prison system before anyone signs off on that prison,”

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NEBRASKA'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE HAS GROWN, BUT STATE STILL HAS SHORTAGE

LINCOLN- Despite growth in Nebraska's behavioral health workforce, a new study has found that the state still has a shortage of professionals in the field.

Findings in the legislative report from the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska, which is housed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, showed a 33.5% increase in the behavioral health workforce across the state.

The study, which ran from 2010 to 2020, also showed a 32% increase in prescribers and a 39% increase in psychologists and mental health therapists.

Despite the overall growth, the report showed a shortage of behavioral health professionals across much of the state as well as an aging workforce.

News that the workforce has grown is promising, said Marley Doyle, director of the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska.

One in five Nebraskans has a mental health diagnosis or substance abuse disorder, Doyle said. Those numbers have increased because of the pandemic. Last year, she added, overdose deaths in the state rose by 43%. And teachers have reported seeing many young people struggling with their mental health.

"So we know that there is a great need for behavioral health services. We also know that there are not enough behavioral health providers to meet this need," Doyle said.

The Behavioral Health Education Center has several partnerships with graduate behavioral health training programs across the state and is working on improving access to behavioral health care.

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BIDEN TAPS FORMER STATE SEN. BOLZ TO LEAD NEBRASKA USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT

LINCOLN - Kate Bolz, a former state senator who lost a 2020 bid for Congress, will join the Biden administration as Nebraska’s USDA rural development director.

President Joe Biden named Bolz, an aide to Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, to the position Friday, December 17. She will transition to her new job, which will be based in Lincoln, at the beginning of the year, she said.

Gaylor Baird named Bolz her aide for economic development in December 2020, after the two-term state senator was defeated by U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry in the 1st District House race last year.

Before Election Day, Bolz, a Democrat, was viewed as a serious challenger to Fortenberry, a Republican who has represented the 1st District since 2005. She raised more money than the previous Democratic challengers and garnered high-profile endorsements.

Still, she ended up losing the race by more than 20 percentage points, which led one political observer to conclude that Nebraska’s 1st District — which includes Lincoln and much of eastern Nebraska outside of Douglas County — was not as competitive as Democrats had hoped.

In her new role, Bolz, who grew up on a family farm near Palmyra, will work to improve the quality of life in small Nebraska towns, working on affordable housing, energy programs, and supporting businesses and community facilities through grant and loan programs.

“I’ve genuinely enjoyed working with Leirion Gaylor Baird and serving the Lincoln administration,” she said.

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PLATTSMOUTH NATIVE NAMED COAST GUARDSMAN OF THE YEAR

MORRO BAY, CALIFORNIA - Gerrod Britton has always been a hero to friends and family members for his service in the United States Coast Guard.

Earlier this month, though, the Plattsmouth native was recognized as a national hero during a ceremony in Morro Bay, California.

Britton accepted the United Service Organizations (USO) Coast Guardsman of the Year Award on Dec. 10. He received a commemorative plaque with special patches and insignias in front of fellow Coast Guard members in the oceanside ceremony.

Britton said he was humbled to receive the national award. He was surprised when Benjamin Snider, the officer in charge of U.S. Coast Guard Station Morro Bay, told him that he had been selected.

“When I found out that I was going to be receiving this award I was completely caught off guard and honored at the same time,” Britton said. “My officer in charge nominated me for the award before I knew anything about it, so a huge thank you to Senior Chief Snider, and of course the USO!” 

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'HISTORIC' INITIAL RULES APPROVED FOR NEBRASKA CASINOS

LINCOLN - In a move that one commissioner called “historic,” the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission on Friday, December 17 voted unanimously to approve rules for casinos at the state’s horse tracks.

The 6-0 vote moves the package of rules on to Attorney General Doug Peterson and Gov. Pete Ricketts, who must sign off on them. Once they do, the rules will go to Secretary of State Bob Evnen and become effective about a week later.

That opens the door to allowing casinos at the state’s horse tracks almost 90 years after Nebraska authorized betting on horse racing.

“This is kind of a very historic moment today in the history of Nebraska racing,” said Dennis Lee, chairman of the commission.

It’s taken more than a year to get to this point, after voters in November 2020 overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment allowing casinos at the state’s licensed tracks.

Despite the long process, racetrack and casino operators have had nothing but praise for how the commission has approached the issue.

Global Gaming Nebraska’s Boyd said earlier this month that he believes that the state can support eight to 10 casinos.

It’s possible that the Legislature may limit the number of casinos in the state. Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, chairman of the Legislature’s General Affairs Committee, plans to introduce legislation next month that could require casinos to be at least 50 miles apart and have a minimum number of annual live race days. That could limit further casino development, especially in eastern Nebraska.

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$768 BILLION DEFENSE BILL INCLUDES RAISES FOR MILITARY, FUNDING FOR OFFUTT PROJECTS

BELLEVUE - The record-busting $768.2 billion defense authorization bill that cleared Congress last week contains a little sugar for Nebraska, courtesy of the state’s congressional delegation.

The bill, which passed the Senate 88-11, includes a 2.7% pay increase for military personnel while making landmark changes to the way the military handles sexual assaults, keeping women out of the draft, and laying the groundwork for a new war on terror memorial on the National Mall.

The House passed the bill 363-70 in September and is now awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature.

Sen. Deb Fischer and Rep. Don Bacon, who serve on the Armed Services Committees in their respective houses, claimed credit for steering some of that money to benefit military personnel and commands in Nebraska.

At least $150 million is slated for construction at Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue. Of that, $100 million is for the reconstruction of parts of the base damaged in the 2019 flood.

That’s on top of more than $400 million for cleanup and repairs in previous years, and $234 million to replace RC-135 flight simulators destroyed in the flood.

The bill also authorized $50 million for the rehabilitation of family housing at Offutt.

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TD AMERITRADE PARK, HOME OF CWS, TO BE RENAMED 'CHARLES SCHWAB FIELD OMAHA'

OMAHA - The new year will bring a new name for Omaha's TD Ameritrade Park.

The home of the College World Series will be renamed Charles Schwab Field Omaha after the Charles Schwab Corp. obtained naming rights to the baseball stadium located in north downtown Omaha, the company announced in a press release Monday, December 20.

The words “TD Ameritrade Park” have hung on the baseball stadium since its grand opening in 2011. The Omaha-based financial company obtained naming rights to the stadium for 20 years beginning in 2009.

In 2020, TD Ameritrade was acquired by Charles Schwab, transferring the rights to the financial services firm.

TD Ameritrade paid $750,000 for the naming rights in 2009, a cost to increase by 3% each year, for a total of $20,152,782 paid out over the course of 20 years, with the agreement's expiration in 2029, according to a naming rights agreement between the company and the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority.

New signage and branding revealed by the financial services company Monday, December 20 showed that TD Ameritrade’s green and white lettering will be replaced by Charles Schwab’s blue and white in the coming months. 

The costs of the rebranding will be covered by Charles Schwab, said Kristyna Engdahl, a MECA spokesperson.

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RICKETTS, TOP DOCTORS URGE NEBRASKANS TO GET COVID VACCINES, TESTS

LINCOLN — Gov. Pete Ricketts issued a pre-holiday warning to Nebraskans on Monday, December 20 urging them to get vaccinated, tested, and, if necessary, seek monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 as the state sees a spike in cases.

But Ricketts and Dr. Gary Anthone, the state’s chief medical officer, stopped short of joining one of the state’s top infectious disease experts, who said the state is facing its most dangerous scenario since the coronavirus arrived.

Dr. James Lawler, a co-executive director of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Global Center for Health Security, said omicron has an explosive growth rate in the communities where it has been introduced — faster than any previous COVID-19 variant.

The omicron variant appears to pass more easily from person to person, Lawler said, and it seems to cause disease more quickly. Its incubation time also appears to be shorter.

“The math catches up to you very quickly,” he said. “So even if omicron is half as lethal or a third as lethal as delta, if the transmission data hold up, we’ll get far more hospitalizations and deaths from omicron than delta.”

Ricketts, who has opposed vaccine and mask mandates, said he called the press briefing on COVID-19 as a pre-holiday reminder to get vaccinated, not because he expects a big surge ahead.

He said the “primary line of defense” against the pandemic remains vaccination. Nine out of 10 people in hospitals are not vaccinated, said Ricketts, who has been vaccinated and received a booster.

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COURT SUSPENDS BIDEN VACCINE MANDATE FOR FEDERAL CONTRACTORS IN NEBRASKA, 9 OTHER STATES

LINCOLN - A federal court in Missouri on Monday, December 20 temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from mandating vaccines for federal contractors in 10 states, including Nebraska.

Two months ago, Nebraska was a co-leader in a coalition that filed suit to stop the mandate.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said the preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Missouri is significant for federal contractors and their employees.

The court ruled that the Biden administration lacked the authority to issue the mandate. An appeal of the ruling is expected.

“This means that employees of federal contractors will not need to be vaccinated in order to keep their jobs and that federal contractors will not need to implement the federal government’s vaccine policies,” Peterson said in a press release.

The ruling applies to 10 states: Nebraska, Missouri, Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The lawsuit was filed on Oct. 29.

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UNION MEMBERS APPROVE CONTRACT WITH KELLOGG, ENDING STRIKE

OMAHA - The union representing Kellogg’s striking workers announced Tuesday, December 21 that its members have ratified a new five-year labor contract, thus ending the strike.

In a statement, Anthony Shelton, president of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union, thanked striking union members for holding their ground until they achieved a fair contract.

According to the union, highlights of the contract include a clear path to regular full-time employment, no permanent two-tiered system, maintenance of cost of living raises, and no cereal production plant shutdowns through October 2026.

“Our striking members at Kellogg’s ready-to-eat cereal production facilities courageously stood their ground and sacrificed so much in order to achieve a fair contract. This agreement makes gains and does not include any concessions,” Shelton said.

In a statement posted online, Kellogg Co. Chairman and CEO Steve Cahillane said: “We are pleased that we have reached an agreement that brings our cereal employees back to work. We look forward to their return and continuing to produce our beloved cereal brands for our customers and consumers.”

Dan Osborn, president of the local union, said last week that striking workers would return to work on Dec. 27 following the ratification of the contract.

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RICKETTS SAYS HE ASKED TRUMP NOT TO ENDORSE ANYONE IN NEBRASKA PRIMARY

LINCOLN - Gov. Pete Ricketts confirmed Monday, December 20 he asked former President Donald Trump to "stay out of the race" and not endorse anyone in the Nebraska primary.

He also used it as an opportunity to take a shot at Charles Herbster who has been endorsed by Trump.

"When it comes to the candidate that he ultimately endorsed, that I don't believe if you put your company headquarters in a different state that you're going to be able to be effective with regard to economic development here in the state," Ricketts said referring to Herbster, a Falls City businessman who runs Herbster Angus Farms. 

Currently, there are six Republican candidates: Charles Herbster, NU Regent Jim Pillen, State Senator Brett Lindstrom, Omaha IT manager Breland Ridenour, Lincoln military veteran Micahel Connely, and Herbster's former running-mate, Theresa Thibodeau.

So far, State Senator Carol Blood is the lone Democrat candidate.

Despite former Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman's announcement to not run, he intends to make his voice and concerns heard in the race. He has not yet endorsed anyone, however.

Ricketts said he wants to wait until everybody who is running has announced their intention to do so before he endorses any candidate. Although, it has been widely speculated that he will support Jim Pillen.

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'WE ARE REALLY FACING A CRISIS': SEVERAL RURAL NEBRASKA NURSING HOMES SHUTTING DOWN

ARAPAHOE, NE - Rural Nebraska nursing homes are facing troubles as some shut down portions of their care or close altogether. 

Residents and their families are left scrambling to find care because of the nursing shortage and Medicaid reimbursements that can't keep up. 

The president and CEO of Nebraska's Health Care Association, Jalene Carpenter, said that at least 6 nursing home facilities closed or partially closed this year.

The Westside Regency Assisted Living wing closed in Stanton, Nebraska, as well as the assisted living wing at Parkside Manor in Stuart, Nebraska.

Closures of this kind are forcing families to travel up to 100 miles for the care their loved ones require.

Many families mention the benefits of being around a community of people with who they are familiar and comfortable with and this has become increasingly difficult for those who are located in rural areas.

Arapahoe Mayor John Kollar is urging state lawmakers to act on the coming closure of their local nursing home, Good Samaritan Society, on December 31.

Medicaid patients currently make up roughly 60 percent of nursing home patients. This comes at the detriment of the care facilities as they report losing between $20-40 on each Medicaid patient.

In an effort to combat this growing issue, Governor Pete Ricketts said on Monday, December 20 that he would increase the Medicaid reimbursement figure by $20 per day for patients at long-term residential facilities, beginning January 1.

“If you do the math of $30 per day for one resident over the course of a month, and then you have a facility that potentially has anywhere from 20 to 40 residents on Medicaid, that adds up very quickly,” Carpenter said.

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REP. JEFF FORTENBERRY'S LAWYERS SAY HE IS A VICTIM OF 'POLITICAL PROSECUTION"

LINCOLN — Indicted Rep. Jeff Fortenberry is the victim of a “political prosecution,” lawyers for the Republican lawmaker said.

“This prosecution was brought not because it was material to any investigation. It was brought because (lead prosecutor) Mack Jenkins was offended,” attorney John Littrell told a federal judge.

Jenkins’ fellow prosecutors disputed that claim during a one-hour hearing before U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld. Lawyers argued a trio of defense motions seeking to dismiss three felony charges against Fortenberry.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Har said that as more evidence was collected amid a five-year investigation into illegal political contributions from a Nigerian billionaire, it got to the point that “you cannot not charge” the Nebraska lawmaker.

“(This case) boils down to you cannot lie to a federal officer,” Har said.

Blumenfeld took the motion to disqualify the prosecutor, as well as others filed by Fortenberry’s lawyers, under advisement.

Fortenberry, who has represented eastern Nebraska’s 1st District since 2005, is charged with three felonies — two counts of making false statements to federal agents and one count of seeking to conceal the source of $30,000 in “conduit” political contributions from a 2016 California fundraiser.

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FREIGHT RAILS TRYING OTHER LOCOMOTIVE FUELS TO CUT EMISSIONS

OMAHA, Neb. — The major freight railroads across North America continue to experiment with alternative locomotive fuels as a way to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

BNSF railroad said that it plans to test out a hydrogen-powered locomotive along its lines, joining Canadian Pacific in experimenting with that technology. Canadian National railroad recently announced plans to test out a battery-powered locomotive to haul freight across Pennsylvania, and Union Pacific has said it would like to try using battery-powered locomotives in some of its railyards once they are more widely available in a few years.

Several other past tests at other railroads have looked at natural gas-powered locomotives and battery-powered options. Using some combination of these new fuel options will be key to helping the railroads achieve their goals to significantly cut their emissions in the coming years.

Both of the major locomotive manufacturers, Wabtec and Caterpillar's Progress Rail unit, are working on developing locomotives that use other fuels.

But the railroads all caution that these are only pilot tests at this stage, and the new technology won't be ready to start replacing the diesel workhorses that have been pulling freight across the continent since World War II for at least several more years.

"This technology could one day be a lower-carbon solution for line-haul service, as it has the potential to reduce carbon emissions and remain cost-competitive," said John Lovenburg, BNSF's vice president of environmental.

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RICKETTS, 4 OTHER GOVERNORS CALL ON DEPT. OF DEFENSE TO SCRAP NATIONAL GUARD VACCINE

LINCOLN- Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds have joined three other governors in asking the Department of Defense to withdraw its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for National Guard members who have not been called up for federal service.

The letter addressed to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III, asked Austin to withdraw the mandate for Guard soldiers and airmen in Title 32, or “state active duty” status.

At the direction of President Joe Biden, Austin ordered all service branches on Aug. 24 to set deadlines for all service members to receive the COVID-19 vaccinations.

The deadlines have passed for active-duty members of the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force, as well as Air National Guard and reserves. December 15th was the deadline for active-duty Army soldiers.

The active-duty branches have all achieved vaccination rates of 95% or higher, and only a small percentage have refused the vaccine.

Guard officials say 94% of Nebraska Air National Guard airmen have fully complied with the vaccination order (with 1% more having received the first of two doses). In the Iowa Air National Guard, 91% of airmen have complied.

In both states, all Air National Guard members who haven’t gotten the vaccine have requested exemptions on religious or medical grounds.

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OPS WORKERS SAY 'EPIC' STAFF SHORTAGE JEOPARDIZES STUDENT SAFETY AND LEARNING

OMAHA - Four Omaha Public Schools staff members stood before the school board and said they are worried about the safety of their students.

Already facing what one teacher described as an “epic” staff shortage, the staff members said student behavior problems have increased, leaving teachers to break up fights and deal with bullying and other student behaviors that should be handled by a counselor or a social worker.

"When teachers say, ‘I don’t feel safe at work, nor do I feel those children are safe,’ I take that very seriously,” science teacher Michelle Settlemyer told the school board. “As should you.”

Only four staff members spoke at the meeting last month but their co-workers sat behind them and wore red in solidarity, seemingly demonstrating that they spoke for everybody.

Their words are in line with what the Nebraska State Education Association found in a recently released survey of its members: Student behavior problems are on the rise across the state. Teacher stress is up. And staffing shortages are compounding the problem.

Staff absences and unfilled positions cause an unpredictable rotation of instructors who are having to teach subjects they are not certified to teach. Class sizes have also increased due to staff shortages. This has led to large numbers of students being put into a room, or even the cafeteria, with one or two adults.

It is not difficult to see how staff shortages can negatively impact the students they are trying to serve.

The World-Herald was granted an interview with Chief Talent Officer Cecil Hicks, Student and Community Services Chief Officer Lisa Utterback, and Chief Strategy Officer Fateama Fulmore.

Fulmore said that despite seeing teachers have a difficult time, she does not see them as ready to quit; they are looking for resources and support.

“What you saw at the board meeting that night is what we do as educators,” Fulmore said. “We advocate for our children. We advocate for what we need to be best for our children.”

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