OMAHA SHOWS STIFFER SENTENCES AREN'T ONLY WAY TO TACKLE GUN VIOLENCE

OMAHA - A recent meeting of the Omaha 360 anti-gun violence coalition began with a grim rundown from Omaha police precinct captains and the gang unit chief on the latest shootings — among them the slaying of a 22-year-old and critical wounding of two others.

The focus quickly turned on how to prevent the next shooting.

Galat Toang, an Omaha police gang specialist, spoke on recent efforts to reach out to gang members and other youths at risk of falling into gangs. Toang asked one boy if there was one thing in his life he wished he could change and was met with tears from the youth.

“There are a lot of kids who wish to be something different,” Toang said.

Omaha has greatly altered how they deal with street gangs and gun violence in the past decade.

All-new tactics have developed due to Omaha police officials working closely with affected communities in North and South Omaha. Some of which include a beefed-up gang specialty unit, shot detection technology that speeds response to shootings, enhanced rewards for tips that solve shootings, and street-level intervention.

The changes seem to have made a difference.

Shootings and homicides are down significantly in the past decade. In addition, those who commit violent crimes are far more likely to be caught and face justice.

The issue Omaha police and community members are trying to solve is one that goes back to the 1980s when Los Angeles-based street gangs arrived and began violently competing for the city's drug trade.

As a result, gun violence in Omaha hit a peak in July 2007 when there were 31 gun assaults in 31 days. Of these, arrests were made in only two.

In response, state lawmakers passed the 2009 law that stiffened penalties for crimes involving guns, including a number now carrying mandatory minimum sentences.

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SOME OMAHA EMPLOYERS DROP VACCINE REQUIREMENTS AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING

OMAHA- In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday blocking the Biden administration’s requirements that employees at large companies either get vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested regularly, some Omaha companies said they will no longer require employees to receive the vaccine.

Spokespeople for First National Bank of Omaha and Conagra said they are no longer proceeding with the steps specified in the now-blocked emergency temporary standard (ETS) issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in November.

A Mutual of Omaha spokesperson said Monday that the company was collecting the vaccination status of its employees and requiring unvaccinated employees to wear a face-covering in the workplace, but was not requiring its employees to either be vaccinated or tested.

The spokesperson said Mutual has not changed any of its protocols in the wake of the 6-3 Supreme Court decision.

Several other large employers contacted by The World-Herald did not specify whether they would require their employees to receive a vaccine or be tested for COVID-19.

Nationally, some large employers, including Target and Ford Motor Co., said they were reviewing the court’s decision.

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SALE OF CONTAMINATED BIOCHAR FROM ALTEN HALTED AFTER STATE AGENCY INTERVENES

MEAD- A few hundred sacks of contaminated solid waste will remain at AltEn for the time being after state regulators intervened in the former ethanol plant’s plan to sell biochar to a Kansas landowner.

The biofuel plant, where seed coated with pesticides was turned into ethanol along with highly contaminated solid and liquid byproducts, told the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy it found a buyer for the charred distiller’s grains in December.

But the Topeka-area landscape company owner who initially agreed to remove the biochar from AltEn told the Journal Star he wasn’t aware of the ethanol plant’s operations and history of running afoul of state environmental regulations until this month.

“Once I learned it was under investigation, it was just a no,” said Brady Yingling, owner of B. Cole Agriculture, which was identified by AltEn as the buyer in records kept by the state.

Yingling said he has long been interested in biochar as a substitute for chemical fertilizers, using the natural product — most often, biochar is wood turned into charcoal — in place of anhydrous ammonia, nitrogen or petroleum-based products.

His plan, he said in a phone interview, was to apply biochar to the fields surrounding his home north of the Kansas capital, measure the results and promote the method to farmers as a cheaper organic option for improving soil health.

In the market for the product, he said he reached an agreement with AltEn to purchase the biochar in November.

Tanner Shaw, AltEn’s president, told the state in a Dec. 27 letter the biochar would be land applied to corn and soybean acres. He disputed an analysis of the product that found it heavily contaminated with neonicotinoids, pesticides commonly used in seed treatments.

Testing done by the state ultimately found trace amounts of pesticides in air emissions coming from the biochar system, while a sample of the biochar itself showed concentrations well above the recommended rate set by the chemicals' manufacturers.

"Therefore, NDEE continues to consider the biochar to be a solid waste," the agency told AltEn in a March 26, 2021, letter. "Due to the nature of the pesticides contained in the waste, NDEE is prohibiting land application."

Green Disposal Mead later told the department in October 2021 it was decommissioning the biochar unit, leading to questions from the state on what was happening to the machine, as well as the sacks of charred wet cake remaining at AltEn.

AltEn's response, in turn, brought Yingling to the state's attention.

"The last thing I want is to bring a product to this community that would harm anyone," he said. "I'm glad I didn't get in the middle of it."

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SENATOR PROPOSES NOVEMBER VOTE TO CREATE PARTISAN LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling introduced legislation Thursday calling for a general election vote in November on a proposed constitutional amendment that would transform Nebraska's unique nonpartisan Legislature into a partisan body.

"It's high time we end the idolatrous practice of celebrating Nebraska's nonpartisan unicameral simply because it's unique," Slama said.

"This form of government has failed to address structural issues in our state — from property taxes and school funding to Second Amendment rights — on the altar of being 'special,'" she said in a written statement accompanying her introduction of LR282CA.

"This measure brings a renewed transparency to the Nebraska Legislature," she said.

Slama is a registered Republican who was appointed to the Legislature by Gov. Pete Ricketts in 2019 at the age of 22. She was elected to a four-year term in 2020.

The Nebraska Legislature is unique not only as the nation's only one-house state legislature, but also because its members are elected on a nonpartisan basis and its organization is not structured on a partisan basis.

The current Legislature has 32 Republicans and 17 Democrats.

"There is no evidence to support claims that Nebraska's nonpartisan Legislature offers any benefit to Nebraskans in policy outcomes," Slama said.

"No other states in America have adopted and maintained a similar form of government," she said.

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GRETNA TO VACATE 2021 CLASS A FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER FIELDING INELIGIBLE PLAYER

GRETNA- There will be no Class A football state champion for the 2021 season.

After a lengthy four-hour deliberation during the NSAA board of directors monthly meeting, the board voted to uphold Executive Director Jay Bellar's determination that Gretna fielded an ineligible player during the 2021 season.

The Dragons defeated Omaha Westside 7-3 in the Class A state championship game on Nov. 23, but there will now be no state champion listed for the 2021 season. By rule, Gretna will return the state championship trophy, but the board also voted that Gretna's players will be able to retain their state-championship medals from the game.

The ruling centers around junior Tyson Boganowski, who transferred to Gretna after two years at Papillion-La Vista South. The board ruled that Boganowski failed to establish residency within the district, thus making Boganowski ineligible to play during the 2021 season. He played in all 13 of Gretna's games and caught 22 passes.

"The Board voted to uphold the Executive Director's determination, with some clarification which will be shared with Gretna Public Schools," Bellar told the Journal Star. "The Board determined that Gretna failed to comply with its constitution and bylaws. The 2021 Class A football championship will be vacated, and there will be no Class A football champion listed for the 2021 football season."

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OPS TEACHERS TELL BOARD THEY'RE 'RUNNING ON EMPTY' AMID STAFF SHORTAGES

OMAHA- Several teachers in the Omaha Public Schools say they don’t feel valued or supported by the district in the current staffing crisis, which has been made worse by a raging omicron surge.

Six OPS staff members spoke at Thursday’s school board meeting to express their fears about the vacancies left by sick staff in schools and asked the board to come up with more solutions to help address the shortage.

Michelle Settlemeyer, a member of the Omaha Education Association board of directors, said 53 teachers had to cover staff absences at one high school for a single day last week.

Settlemeyer said classrooms are not getting cleaned, classes are being split between teachers, and “we are all running on empty.” Teachers are working more than 20 extra hours a week, she said.

The district needs to act now to alleviate the staff shortages, she said.

“We are feeling like we are talking to a wall,” Settlemeyer said. “It makes coming back the next day that much harder.”

The shortage is out of control, and classrooms are growing in size because there are no substitute teachers, said Robert Miller, president of the teachers union.

Teachers who are sick with COVID-19 have to stay home without being paid if they are out of sick days, he said.

The Millard and Bellevue school districts have shortened their school weeks to address the staffing shortage. Other Nebraska districts that have announced closures include Beatrice, Lincoln, Grand Island, Hastings, and Wahoo.

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'WE'RE IN CRISIS MODE': MILLARD STRUGGLING TO STAFF SCHOOLS AMID OMICRON SURGE

MILLARD- Millard Public Schools Superintendent Jim Sutfin said his school district is in “crisis mode” as it struggles to keep schools staffed amid the omicron surge.

“Folks, we’re in crisis mode,” Sutfin told his school board this week. “We are absolutely in crisis mode.”

Some Nebraska school districts, including Millard, are shortening their school weeks to prevent classrooms from not having a teacher. Millard has scheduled remote learning for Friday, Jan. 28; Monday, Jan. 31; and Friday, Feb. 11.

By going remote, the district is hoping teachers and students who have contracted the virus can recuperate at home without missing as many school days, the district said in a letter to parents.

In addition to staff absences, Sutfin said the district is seeing a record number of students absent for COVID-19 and also a few more absences due to the mask mandate.

Requiring masks has been hotly debated in Millard, and the district had made them optional prior to a mask mandate being instituted in Omaha last week.

For each student's absence, teachers must create makeup work and catch students up when they return. And because of staffing shortages, more staff are being asked to cover lunch and their co-workers’ classrooms, often giving up their own plan time in the process. Staff must then do their own work after school or on the weekends.

“It’s just not a great situation for our teaching staff, and it’s really, really worn them down,” Sutfin said.

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NEBRASKA AG FRUSTRATED OVER DELAY IN HEARING FOR OMAHA MASK MANDATE LAWSUIT

LINCOLN- Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson expressed frustration Tuesday over the length of time before a court can hear his challenge of Omaha’s mask mandate.

He filed a lawsuit Thursday in Douglas County District Court. The case initially was to be heard Tuesday, but Douglas County District Judge Shelly Stratman set the matter for a hearing at 10 a.m. Jan. 24.

At a press conference Tuesday, Peterson said he understood the challenges of setting a court calendar. But he said the process can be frustrating because the mandate remains in effect until the judge rules otherwise or until Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse deems it no longer necessary.

“In my mind, each day that that mandate is in effect, it’s in effect upon the citizens of Omaha without authority to do so,” he said.

The lawsuit against Huse and other county and city officials alleges that she ordered the indoor mask mandate for Omaha in violation of state law. It asks the judge to enjoin the mandate temporarily and ultimately permanently and to bar Huse from ordering any other public health measures in violation of state law.

Other plaintiffs in the suit are the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and Director of Public Health Dr. Gary Anthone.

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TEXT MESSAGE ABOUT CRT SPARKS CONTROVERSY IN WESTSIDE SCHOOL BOARD RACE

OMAHA- The Westside school board’s upcoming caucus became enflamed in controversy this week when a text message circulated on social media urging support for candidates who would “give us a chance to get the critical race theory bulls—- (white shaming) out of the schools.”

The message, which was shared widely on social media, was sent by Joe Fulcher, who has since apologized and said he was speaking for himself and not the candidates he was backing.

In the text, he urged people to vote for four candidates — Miles deMayo, Suzanne DeJong, Mike Boyle and Colby Rinker — in the Feb. 1 caucus.

Boyle and Rinker have since dropped out of the race, leaving seven candidates running for two seats on the Westside school board. The top four candidates from the caucus will advance to the May 10 election.

Fulcher noted in the text that current board members Adam Yale and Kris Karnes are both seeking re-election.

“If we can get people to vote for our 4, it eliminates votes for adam & kris,” Fulcher wrote, adding later: “Please keep this on the down-low, as we want to surprise the ‘enemy.’ “

The text message drew an apology from Fulcher.

“I was speaking only for myself, and I never actually discussed the issue of CRT with any candidates,” Fulcher said in a statement. “I’m sorry that my tongue-in-cheek humor didn’t translate via text.”

People will have the opportunity to vote on Feb. 1 in the seven-candidate race. Terry Buckman, Jaime Kruse, and Jessica Powell are also running.

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INDIGENOUS GROUP TO TURN EX-BOOZE HOTBED INTO HEALING CENTER

VERMILLION, SD- Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation wants to change the narrative of the small unincorporated border town of Whiteclay, Nebraska.

The liquor stores in town sold 4 million cans of beer annually, mostly taking advantage of the tribal citizens just 2 miles to the north. In 2017, the Nebraska Liquor Commission declined to renew the stores’ liquor licenses.

It took years of work by a variety of people to make that happen. Whiteclay’s booming alcohol industry, which took advantage of existing social issues faced by the people of Pine Ridge, was effectively shut down. Thunder Valley hopes the healing can now begin, South Dakota Public Broadcasting reported.

Thunder Valley CDC started on the Pine Ridge Reservation as a way to connect youth with the Lakota way of life. It continues its efforts to enhance the Oglala Lakota Oyate by offering a variety of initiatives such as food sovereignty, Lakota language education, housing and homeownership, regenerative community development, and more. The corporation recently acquired 48 acres of land in Whiteclay with the intent of building a holistic healing community.

Former Oglala Sioux Tribe attorney general and current Thunder Valley Executive Director Tatewin Means wants to write a new chapter focusing on healing and changing the narrative around Whiteclay and the connection it had to her people.

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SEN. GROENE, A FORMER FOE, INTRODUCES MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL IN NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- A previously outspoken opponent of medical marijuana is now proposing to legalize its use in Nebraska under strict regulations.

State Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte introduced Legislative Bill 1275 on Thursday, the last day for bill introductions this year. It was among 593 bills and nine proposed constitutional amendments tossed into the hopper.

His proposal would establish a system under which people with specific medical conditions could obtain limited amounts of marijuana. The marijuana would have to be supplied by state-regulated dispensaries, which would be limited to five per congressional district.

Only patients with stage 4 cancer, uncontrolled seizures, severe or persistent muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis or muscular dystrophy or a terminal illness with a life expectancy under one year could qualify to obtain medical marijuana. Those patients would not be allowed to grow marijuana, and they couldn’t ingest it by smoking.

The bill is similar to one introduced last year by Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, who has been the Legislature’s leading advocate of medical marijuana. Her proposal was blocked by a filibuster, after which she turned her attention to an initiative petition drive aimed at putting the issue before voters in November.

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OMAHA BUSINESS OWNERS SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ROLE IN DEADLY 2015 RAILCAR EXPLOSION

OMAHA - Two Omaha business owners were sentenced to prison on Friday for violating worker safety standards before a 2015 explosion that left two of their employees dead.

Brothers Steven and Adam Braithwaite and their company, Nebraska Railcar Cleaning Services, pleaded guilty in July to a litany of federal charges.

Former president of NRCS, Steven Braithwaite, pleaded guilty to two counts of violating a workers safety standard causing a worker death and one county of knowingly endangering others by violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. He will serve 30 months in prison and pay $100,000 in restitution.

Adam Braithwaite, vice president of the company, pleaded guilty to two counts of violating a worker safety standard causing death, two counts of falsification of records in a federal investigation, and one count of perjury. He will serve one year and one day in prison in addition to paying $100,000 in resitution as well.

NRCS pleaded guilty to all 21 of the charged counts.

The federal indictment stated that on April 14, 2015, workers were removing petroleum residue from inside a rail tanker car when a spark ignited and caused a deadly explosion.

Petroleum residue, which was known to be in the car, is both highly flammable and contains benzene; a known carcinogen. Despite this information, workers were sent into the car without testing for benzene levels.

In addition, the tanker car had tested positively for explosive gas levels prior to the employees being told to enter. In fact, the test showed that explosive gas levels "greatly exceeded" the acceptable levels established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Roughly an hour into the removal process, the contents exploded, killing Adrian LPour, 44, and Dallas Foulk, 40.

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THREE OMAHA CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS JOIN LAWSUIT AGAINST DOUGLAS COUNTY HEALTH DIRECTOR

OMAHA - Three Omaha City Council members have joined a lawsuit launched by the Nebraska Attorney General in an attempt to stop the enforcement of the city’s mask mandate.

Council members Brinker Harding, Aimee Melton, and Don Rowe announced their participation in the legal action against Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse in a press release Friday.

Nebraska's Attorney General, Doug Peterson, filed a lawsuit against Huse earlier in the week in response to the indoor mask mandate in Omaha.

The council members stated that "By unilaterally decreeing a mask mandate, Dr. Huse has levied a substantial and invasive burden on the citizens of Omaha without the consideration and approval of their democratically-accountable representatives on the Council and in the Mayor’s office.”

In addition, the council members allege that Huse "has assumed for herself a legislative function and usurped the City Council's legislative power."

Douglas County District Judge Shelly Stratman has scheduled a hearing on the lawsuit for 10 a.m. Jan. 24.

The mandate will remain in place until either Huse deems it no longer necessary or the judge overrules it.

Huse said that, in anticipation of push back, she conferred with the county attorney and city attorney; both of which said she was on solid legal ground.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said the city’s Law Department will take the lead in defending the order because Huse issued the mandate in her role as the city’s health director.

Peterson is seeking a temporary and permanent injunction declaring the mandate “void and unlawful.” He argues that Huse did not have “jurisdiction or authority” to issue the mandate.

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'TRIGGER BILL' WOULD BAN ALL ABORTIONS IN NEBRASKA IF ROE V. WADE IS OVERTURNED

LINCOLN — All abortions would be banned in Nebraska if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade under a bill introduced Monday in the Legislature.

Legislative Bill 933, introduced by State Sens. Joni Albrecht of Thurston and Mike Flood of Norfolk is a “trigger bill.”

Like similar laws passed in a dozen other states, it would take effect only if a ruling by the nation’s high court, adoption of a U.S. constitutional amendment, or passage of a federal law gives states full power to regulate abortions.

States’ authority is currently limited by past court rulings that declared abortion to be a constitutional right.

If triggered, LB 933 would make it a felony for anyone to provide any medication or undertake any procedure with the intent of ending the life of an unborn child, defined as an “individual living member of the species homo sapiens ... from fertilization to full gestation and childbirth.”

The woman undergoing an abortion would not be considered in violation of the law.

The bill would not provide exemptions but would allow licensed physicians charged under the law to use as a defense that the abortion was necessary to prevent the woman’s death or serious, permanent impairment of a life-sustaining organ.

The measure is the second proposal aimed at ending or sharply curtailing abortions in Nebraska. LB 781, introduced by Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling, would ban abortions after a so-called fetal heartbeat can be detected. That usually occurs at about six weeks gestation, before most women are aware that they are pregnant.

The Supreme Court is expected to announce a ruling on abortion in June.

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PILLEN HAS RAISED $5.4 MILLION FOR EXPENSIVE GOP GOVERNOR CONTEST

LINCOLN - Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen already has raised $5.4 million in contributions to his campaign, a figure that dwarfs the amount of money that previous Republican candidates for governor reported in their initial campaign finance reports.

Pillen had cash on hand for his campaign totaling $4.1 million moving into 2022.

His figures include 18 donors contributing $100,000 to the Columbus pork producer, who is a member of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

The Pillen numbers compare with about $1.4 million raised by Gov. Pete Ricketts in 2013 as he prepared for his initial gubernatorial race eight years ago.

Pillen counts 1,328 Nebraska contributors and has contributed $1 million of his own money to his campaign.

The multi-candidate Republican gubernatorial primary contest appears likely to feature a costly battle with Pillen and Charles Herbster, a Falls City cattle producer, leading the campaign finance charts.

The Pillen campaign's estimate of Herbster expenditures thus far approaches $3 million, with nearly $1.5 million in television and radio outlays already in the books. 

Herbster, who was an agricultural adviser to former President Donald Trump, has received Trump's endorsement. Pillen is expected to garner Ricketts' endorsement, but the governor has been silent so far.

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CITY OFFICIALS: TECH COMPANY EXPANSION WOULD HELP CONNECT FUTURE PARK TO THE SOUTH HAYMARKET

LINCOLN - A major expansion of a longtime high-tech company in the Haymarket would help connect a future downtown park to the area, officials told the City Council during a public hearing Monday. 

A local company that makes light-measuring instruments called spectroscopic ellipsometers, J. A. Woollam Co., plans to double the size of its existing facility at Seventh and M streets. 

The planned expansion is some of the first since the city announced a master plan to draw more people to Haymarket South and increase the connection to the South Salt Creek neighborhoods, said City Urban Development Director Dan Marvin.

Currently, the Cotswold Building, which was built in 1894, sits at the edge of the planned South Haymarket Park and houses J. A. Woollam Co. A $1 million donation to the park project was made by the company in 2019. 

35 parking stalls on the north side of the building are expected to be added in an effort to help integrate the area with the future park, planned to sit at Seventh and N streets.

Park patrons will be able to use the stalls at night and on weekends after employees leave. There are also plans to include pedestrian access to the park.

Along with the park, the company hopes to add a three-story addition to the west side of the Cotswold Building at 311 S. Seventh St. This addition is estimated to cost $20 million and will add 57,000 square feet of space. 

Marvin said the expansion is consistent with the downtown master plan's goal of trying to create a "talent pipeline" that encourages young people who graduate from the university to remain and work in Lincoln, specifically the downtown area.

The City Council will vote on January 24, 2022, for a zoning change and whether the project conforms to the downtown redevelopment plan. 

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LAWMAKERS PROPOSE 4,000 ACRE LAKE BETWEEN OMAHA AND LINCOLN

LINCOLN — A reservoir bigger than Iowa’s Lake Okoboji could be bound for eastern Nebraska, under a proposal unveiled Monday by state lawmakers.

The lake would span 4,000 acres, reach 30 feet or so deep, and stretch 7 miles, according to Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln, speaker of the Legislature. And it would be dredged near the Platte River in a location roughly equidistant from Omaha and Lincoln.

Hilgers announced the proposal along with a list of other water-related projects Monday, the result of a half-year process undertaken by the Legislature’s Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (STAR WARS) special committee, which was created by Legislative Bill 406. 

The committee will request $200 million from the state to support the projects, Hilgers said.

The idea of damming the Platte to create a lake along the Interstate 80 corridor has come up every so often in Nebraska. The earliest push was in 1896. In the past, residents of Ashland, which would have been left underwater in past proposals, have pushed back when the Legislature has proposed studying it.

But Hilgers said this proposal is different. First off, it doesn’t include a dam.

He said the group was mandated to not explore damming the Platte and to not affect Ashland or the communities and economic development in that area. And, he said, they’re trying not to negatively affect those that draw water from the Platte, such as Lincoln and the Metropolitan Utilities District.

“We believe that there is an opportunity to build a reservoir of this size that will do all of those things: that will add economic opportunity for our state and help us control more of our own water, sustain more of our own water while not in any way impacting Ashland and the surrounding communities,” Hilgers said.

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ARCHITECTURE DEAN NAMED UNL'S CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER

LINCOLN - Katherine Ankerson was announced Monday as the next executive vice chancellor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The dean of the College of Architecture since 2016, Ankerson succeeds Elizabeth Spiller, who left UNL on Nov. 20.

In a news release, Ankerson said she was "honored, humbled and excited" by the opportunity.

"Our university is a place where every person and every interaction matters," Ankerson said. "I look forward to building upon our shared momentum, our unwavering belief in the transformational power of education, and our ability to effect positive change in this world."

Ankerson is an award-winning educator and was named the International Interior Design Association's 2020 Educator of the Year.

Before joining UNL, she was the head of interior architecture and product design at Kansas State University from 1996 to 2011 and has taught at Radford University in Virginia and Washington State University.

At UNL, she has overseen a rising six-year graduation rate among students, as well as an increase to 100% job placement for graduates.

She was also a member of UNL's N150 Commission and the N2025 Steering Committee, which created a five-year strategic plan for the state's flagship campus.

Chancellor Ronnie Green called Ankerson "the right leader at the right time for this very important role."

"She is a collaborative, inclusive, and strategic leader who will take a 'what if' approach into this vital role for our academic mission and help propel us forward," Green said in a statement.

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NEW FEDERAL RULE WILL IMPACT NEBRASKA CDL DRIVERS, TRAINERS

LINCOLN - The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles will begin enforcing a new federal rule in February 2022 that establishes new requirements for some commercial driver’s license (CDL) applicants and CDL training providers. 

Drivers seeking their first CDL will now be required to receive federally approved entry-level driver training by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This applies only to new applicants. Those holding a CDL issued before Feb. 7, 2022, will be exempt from this requirement. 

The FMCSA will have to approve a provider to train the new CDL applicants under this rule. Third-party training providers who charge for entry-level driver training will need to be approved by the Nebraska DMV as an official Driver Training School. 

Companies or "trainers" that do not charge for training are exempt from the state requirement but will still be subject to federal requirements.

The approval process for training providers could take up to one month, so it is recommended that training providers who are required to become an approved Driving Training School should apply as soon as possible.

“This new rule will make a significant impact on those who want to obtain a CDL as well as CDL training providers,” said Sara O’Rourke, Driver Licensing Services Division administrator. “It is important to remember that anyone who currently has a CDL will not be required to receive this training unless they someday apply for an upgraded CDL class or a passenger, school bus or hazardous materials endorsement.”

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AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN COULD PAY NEBRASKA ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES

LINCOLN - The state senator from Bellevue hopes her proposed bill can withstand three rounds of debate to give teachers and other education staff retention payments.

Sen. Carol Blood drafted Legislative Bill 696 to appropriate funds from the American Rescue Plan Act since education professionals are leaving schools.

"They are tired and they are worn out and they feel underappreciated," Sen. Blood said. "Many are suffering from PTSD and severe depression. If we can't do something to address those issues, we're going to have a much bigger problem than what we have now. And I fear it's going to be our children and their families that suffer." 

According to Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA), a small fraction of the more than $1 billion in ARPA funds could greatly contribute to keeping 50,000 state education employees on the job.

More than a thousand school teachers plan to exit the profession at the end of the coming school year according to an NSEA survey done December 2021 due to stress, increased mental health issues, and being overworked.

Even $1,000 to employees shows gratitude and demonstrates the state's appreciation of its education employees, said Benson.

As more school teachers leave the profession, the increased workload falls on the teachers that stay. 

"Ultimately, it is your child who suffers when there are more kids in a classroom than need be," Sen. Blood said. 

Blood also drafted LB690 which would allow teachers alternatives to taking an expensive and difficult certification called the "Praxis" exam.

"There are a lot of qualified teachers that can't work in Nebraska because they can't pass that exam," Senator Blood said. 

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