A PAIR OF LONGTIME NEBRASKA NONPROFITS SERVING REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS JOIN AS ONE LEGAL ENTITY

OMAHA- The Immigrant Legal Center has absorbed the Refugee Empowerment Center as a program, officials announced this week. The move will not prompt any layoffs, according to a media release, and current services offered in Nebraska and southwest Iowa are to remain intact.

“Our passion is to help our clients in the entirety of their needs, to set them up for success and a life without fear,” said Erik Omar, executive director. “With the merger, we are building a unified organizational culture as the only agency of its kind that serves the legal and transitional needs of immigrants in the Heartland.”

The Immigrant Legal Center's practices are staying the same, and the firm recommends clients stick with them.

The merger announcement comes about a year after the refugee center’s former executive director left and the Immigrant Legal Center leadership took on management of the refugee center’s operations and administration.

Over the past year the groups have helped resettle nearly 600 newcomers to Nebraska.

The combined organizations represent more than 50 years of service to the area and serve people from over 60 countries with legal representation, social work and resettlement.

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HHS TEAM APPLAUDS WORK OF UNMC, NEBRASKA MEDICINE

OMAHA- Following a visit to UNMC and Nebraska Medicine, the Department of Health and Human Services is praising the preparedness, collaboration, sustainability commitment, and sharing of knowledge of the facilities. 

The HHS team had the opportunity to visit and observe the med center campus, the Davis Global Center, the national Training, Simulation and Quarantine Center, the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center and the Nebraska State Public Health Lab. HHS was also briefed on the National Emerging Special Pathogen Training & Education Center (NETEC), the Regional Disaster Health Response System, Air Force C-STARS Omaha, iEXCEL and UNMC’s nursing and public heath training programs. 

Region 7 HHS Director Joseph Palm shared the following remarks, "The UNMC/Nebraska Medicine biocontainment and quarantine units are known worldwide because of their work handling patients with Ebola virus disease and COVID-19, but to see it up close is truly impressive." 

"This entire operation is an incredible commitment to the security of the United States of America and provides a largely unseen and unheralded security layer for the nation." 

The operation was called a leader not only for the region, but for the entire nation. 

Nebraska Medicine has said they continue to build relations and collaborate with HHS and Region 7 which includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and of course Nebraska.

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MAKING BEEF SUSTAINABLE: PLANT'S IMPACT ON NORTH PLATTE COULD RIPPLE THROUGH GENERATIONS

NORTH PLATTE- Nebraska ranchers say they are leading their financial future by putting their dollars to work to get their product to consumer tables.

“We got together and decided to do something about it,” Trey Wasserburger says.

Fed up with packing plants controlling their product, Nebraska ranchers decided to do it themselves. And nearly 2 years after they started talking about ways to make the industry sustainable, Sustainable Beef breaks ground.

Construction has begun on a packing plant for the ranchers and it estimated to employ nearly 800 workers. 

The North Platte mayor highlighted the jobs, housing purchases, and the migration of workers coming into North Platte in a press release.

While it's all rancher-led, CEO David Briggs says that investment alone wasn't enough.

“We are incredibly proud to call North Platte home at Walmart,” a Walmart rep told the crowd in Lincoln County.

The world's largest retailer now joins forces with Nebraska's biggest industry, with a minority stake.

“When you had Walmart step in, that was huge to make this viable,” said Sen. Deb Fischer.

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WILDFIRE IN NEBRASKA NATIONAL FOREST DEEMED 94% CONTAINED

HALSEY- High humidity and lower winds aided firefighters seeking to corral a blaze that has blackened over 18,000 acres of the Nebraska National Forest in Halsey and nearby ranchland. 

Brian Scott, a spokesman for the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team, said some rainfall also helped to slow the so-called Bovee Fire, which destroyed a 4-H camp and lookout tower at the Halsey forest on Sunday.

The fire was deemed 94% contained as of October 6th.

A mapping airplane, deployed earlier in the week, calculated that 18,932 acres had burned on the forest and on adjacent ranches.

About 200 firefighters, including two elite “hot shot” crews, were fighting the fire, Scott said.

He said there had been no additional loss of life or structures.

Although, on October 2nd, Mike Moody, 59, the assistant chief of the Purdum Volunteer Fire Department, died after experiencing a “medical emergency” while working the initial attack on the fire. 

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STATE EDUCATION BOARD CANDIDATES SPAR OVER NEBRASKA TEST SCORES, HOT BUTTON ISSUES

OMAHA- Incumbent Deborah Neary and challenger Marni Hodgen sparred Tuesday over student test scores at a public forum where they were asked about some hot-button education issues.

The two are running for the Omaha-area District 8 seat on the Nebraska State Board of Education. 

Hodgen and Neary were asked about transgender issues, social-emotional learning and parent concerns that some school libraries are stocking inappropriate books. Hodgen pointed to Nebraska public school students’ proficiency levels on state tests, saying they are “all below 50%.”

In 2020-21 state testing, 48% of students in grades third through eighth were proficient in English language arts, and 46% in math, according to the Nebraska Department of Education. In 2019-20, testing was canceled because of the pandemic. Scores for tests taken last school year have yet to be made public.

Neary said state proficiency scores are not a good indicator of student achievement.

Asked whether biological male students who identify as female should be allowed to use girls restrooms and participate in girls sports, Hodgen said she’s “adamantly against” it. 

Neary said Nebraska schools have been dealing with such issues for many years “because it’s a real biological thing.” 

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NEBRASKA COVID CASES FALL, BUT LOW VACCINATION RATES CONTRIBUTE TO MOUNTING DEATH TOLL

LINCOLN- Cases continue to fall in both the country and the state, but vaccinations and deaths are still a large focus.

The 35 Nebraskans who were added last week to the state’s toll of confirmed or probable COVID-19 deaths brought the total for the 2½-year pandemic to 4,542. For perspective, that’s over 100 times the 44 people who died in the state’s last pre-pandemic flu season. 

Many experts say that the majority of these deaths were preventable, in fact, Dr. James Lawler of UNMC said "Almost all of them."

“If we had everyone fully vaccinated and were taking precautions (like indoor masking) to reduce spread in high-risk environments, we would not be seeing very many deaths at all," he went on to say.

Vaccination rates were never very strong, and they’ve only lagged further in the past year as additional boosters have been recommended. 

While 76% of Nebraska adults ultimately got their original vaccination series, fewer than half have received even one booster shot. Even among the most vulnerable age 65 and over population, while some 94% received initial vaccinations, only 74% received a booster, and only 34% got the recommended first two boosters. The U.S. figures are even more dismal. 

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NEBRASKA SCHOOLS USING FEDERAL COVID RELIEF TO INVEST IN SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING

OMAHA- Some schools in Nebraska are changing up their morning routines in interesting ways. Through the use of federal COVID-19 relief funds, schools are investing in what they call "social and emotional learning," allowing them to not only pledge allegiance, but also to do morning mood check-ins.

The pandemic has caused sizable mental health problems for certain students over the past two years, so Nebraska is focusing on using its federal relief funds to hire mental health specialists, roll out new coping tools, and expand the aforementioned social and emotional learning curriculum. 

Justina Schlund, spokeswoman for Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, stated that around one-third of Nebraska schools have allocated COVID-19 funds towards mental health improvement.

Superintendent Josh Weber, of Creighton Community Public Schools, is happy with the new funds and is excited to expand mental health care in the schools he represents. According to Weber, this is the first time the schools have been able to do so, making this a big milestone.

Creighton Community Public Schools is allocating around $25,000 for social and emotional learning programs for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

"One week might focus on being a good listener, and the next they will learn what it means to be kind," said Weber, "I hope it is going to be a really positive program for us."

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, around 70% of public schools have reported an increase in students seeking mental health support, and around 76% reported an increase in students exhibiting symptoms of depression, anxiety, and trauma.

Ralston school district has begun checking in on students daily through morning meetings, which take place in every classroom and include a greeting, a sharing activity, and an activity focused on a specific behavior.

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DATA SHARING BETWEEN NEBRASKA HOSPITALS, UNMC, EXPECTED TO SPUR NEW RESEARCH

OMAHA- A new data sharing agreement has been made between Nebraska's 92 hospitals and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, allowing patients to receive better-tailored care and doctors to know which treatments work best with certain patients.

Leaders with the Nebraska Hospital Association stated that the data is extracted from every health claim that hospitals submit to insurers, and not from medical records, so no names or addresses will be revealed to doctors.

The records, and the data contained within them, could help UNMC researchers improve health care and lower cost. According to Jeremy Nordquist, Hospital Association President, the data UNMC receives will contain ZIP codes, diagnoses, treatments, and readmissions. 

One UNMC researcher gave an example of what this new data would allow them to do. The researcher stated that, by using ZIP code data, they could locate a cluster of pediatric cancer patients, determine the causes, and find ways to prevent more cases.

Dr. Jeffrey Gold, chancellor of UNMC, is happy that the University got the chance to work with the new data. "The value is huge," said Dr. Gold, "Having access to administrative data, real-time data, allows us to monitor the outcomes and the distribution of access to health care across the State of Nebraska."

One of the most important reasons why the Hospital Association decided to release the data was to study the disparities between rural and urban Nebraskans, and Nebraskans of color and white Nebraskans. "The goal of all of this is to improve access, improve quality, and improve value," Gold stated, "It's very exciting. It's a very forward-thinking relationship, and we're very grateful."

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RICKETTS VISITS SOUTHERN BORDER TO THANK NEBRASKA GUARD PERSONNEL AND TAKE A SWIPE AT FEDERAL BORDER POLICIES

LINCOLN- Gov. Pete Ricketts took an unannounced visit to the Southern U.S. border to thank Nebraska National Guard personnel deployed there and to criticize “failed” current border policy.

“I saw firsthand that you are undermanned and under-resourced,” Ricketts said in a press release. “America urgently needs to change course at the national level to fix this ongoing emergency.”

Jane Kleeb, the executive director of the Nebraska Democratic Party, called the trip a “political stunt.”

The Guard members are providing mission-enhancing support to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection security operations.

Nebraska’s 376th Aviation Battalion, a helicopter unit based in Grand Island, has been assisting border patrols since at least June by providing aviation support. The mission is under the direction of U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force North.

“By strengthening border enforcement, you’re helping to keep dangerous drugs like meth and fentanyl off of our streets,” he said.

Ricketts also met with U.S. Customs and Border Protection leaders to discuss their mission and the challenges they face.

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PROBLEM-SOLVING COURTS BROADLY POPULAR, BUT HOW TO EXPAND THEM REMAINS UNCLEAR

LINCOLN- A very low number of accused felons in Nebraska — just over 4% — can access a problem-solving court, touted by officials as a more effective way to turn lives of crime around and a much less costly alternative than prison. 

Last year, about 1,100 individuals were able to get into problem-solving courts across the state, which is 4.2% of those charged with felonies.

“There’s obviously some huge room for improvement,” Nebraska Supreme Court Judge Jeffrey Funke told members of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.

32 such courts are spread across the state in which a district judge, utilizing tough love and highly supervised requirements such as taking a job and remaining drug-free, seeks to turn around the lives of “high-risk, high-need” offenders. 

Funke said a new study found that the cost of problem-solving court supervision was $5,387 a year and that the recidivism rate for those completing the program was 19%.

That is about one-third the cost, or less, of housing someone in a state prison, where the most recent recidivism rate — the percentage of inmates returning to prison within three years — was about 29.8%.

Webb Bancroft, a public defender in Lancaster County whose primary job is working with problem-solving courts, said offenders regularly say that the most important factor in their success was the time they spent with a judge. 

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NEBRASKA GETS $30 MILLION TO INSTALL CHARGING STATIONS FOR ELECTRICAL VEHICLES

LINCOLN- Nebraska was recently approved for $6 million in federal funding, and the state is planning to use it to build several charging stations along Interstate 80 and two Omaha highways.

Funding for the charging stations is coming from President Biden's infrastructure bill which was passed in November. The state also has the option to apply for more funding, this time from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation the first installations, which feature four charging stations apiece, will be built along Interstate 80 by Omaha, Kearney, Gothenburg, York, Kimball, Sidney, Big Springs, and along Highways 31 and 6 in the Omaha area.

The charging stations will be publicly accessible. The Federal Highway Administration is seeking to create "alternative fuel corridors" all over the country, and Nebraska is next in line since receiving the new funding.

John Selmer, Director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation, is looking forward to the changes. "These funds will allow us to move forward with plans to make EV charging stations available to Nebraskans across the state," he stated.

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OPS SUPERINTENDENT CHERYL LOGAN WINS AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP DURING PANDEMIC

OMAHA- Dr. Cheryl Logan, Omaha Public Schools superintendent, was recognized last week by the University of Pennsylvania and McGraw Family Foundation for her leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Logan received the 2022 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. According to a media release, Logan enabled "Omaha to be one of the first large, urban school districts in the nation to return to in-person learning in 2020."

Logan's partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center for a Covid-19 testing study also bolstered her case for the award, and showed her dedication to the students of OPS.

Shavonna Holman, school board president, praised Logan for her work in Omaha. "Omaha Public Schools is stronger because of Dr. Logan's student-centered service and leadership. We are proud to share our heartfelt congratulations."

The McGraw prize, which was established in 1988, seeks to recognize educators who empower students and enhance society.

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EPPLEY AIRFIELD LEADERS LINK LOW SURVEY RANKING TO ONGOING CONSTRUCTION

OMAHA- A new report released last weekend found that customer satisfaction at Omaha's Eppley Airfield ranked fifth from the bottom among 18 medium-sized North American airports.

Despite this, officials at Eppley Airfield are confident that ongoing construction projects, once completed, will change how customers feel when using Eppley to travel.

In the annual report, which was conducted by J.D. Power, Eppley Airfield scored 791 out of a possible 1,000 points. Michael Taylor, J.D. Power executive, stated that this number is two points shy of last year's. With COVID restrictions being lifted, and heavy inflation increasing the cost to fly, airports all over the country have experienced depressions in their customer satisfaction scores.

Taylor also stated that the many construction projects at Eppley Airfield may be the cause of the airport's sinking scores. "Construction has probably the second-biggest effect on satisfaction," sid Taylor, adding that passenger volume is the largest factor.

One project currently being worked on at Eppley is a $20.3 million roadway and entrance expansion, with a new $600 million effort to "modernize" the airports main terminal slated to begin next year.

Steve McCoy, chief information and development officer for the Omaha Airport Authority, agreed that the factors examined by J.D. Power are important to flyers. "We appreciate the patience of travelers at Eppley Airfield while we work to improve the customer experience," wrote McCoy.

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SENATOR BEN SASSE ON PATH TO RESIGN FROM U.S. SENATE TO LEAD UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

LINCOLN- The University of Florida's presidential search committee announced their unanimous recommendation for the next president: Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse.

“This is right for the University of Florida, right for the state of Florida and right for the Sasse family,” said Rahul Patel, chair of the search committee.

In the same announcement, Sasse said he was “thrilled about the opportunity to work alongside one of the nation’s most outstanding faculties.”

Sasse will interview on November 1st. If Sasse is hired at the university, he will resign from the senate allowing Governor Pete Ricketts to select who fills his seat.

The chosen individual would serve through 2025. An election would be held in 2024 to fill the seat for the remaining two years of the term, and the person appointed by the governor would be eligible to run at that time.

With Sasse still in office, Governor Ricketts's office has yet to comment on who or how candidates will be chosen.

The Governor did offer a statement thanking Sasse for his service to the nation and the state of Nebraska. He went on to wish him luck as the University of Florida makes its final decision.

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SASSE EXPECTED TO RESIGN FROM SENATE

WASHINGTON- According to two sources close to Sen. Ben Sasse, and KFAB talk show host Ian Swanson, the Senator is expected to resign his seat in the coming months to assume the role of president at the University of Florida.

In the case of a Sasse resignation, Governor Ricketts would fill the empty seat with a person of his choosing. This appointed Senator would serve in the seat until 2024, causing both Nebraska Senate seats to be up for grabs during a presidential election year. Afterward, in 2026, the seats would resume their normal rotation. 

Sen. Sasse is currently serving his second term in the seat, and has made a name for himself in the Senate as a Trump-critic and unwavering Conservative vote-caster. 

Sasse played a sizable role in former President Trump's second impeachment trial, denouncing the ex-President's claims that he had won the election "by a landslide." 

Sasse stated during an impeachment hearing that "First, President Trump lied that he 'won the election by a landslide.' He lied about widespread voter fraud, spreading conspiracy theories despite losing 60 straight court challenges, many of his losses handed down by great judges he nominated. He tried to intimidate the Georgia secretary of state to 'find votes' and overturn that state’s election."

The University of Florida, who will be hiring Sasse as president, announced today that Sasse emerged as the sole finalist among several applicants for the position. Officials with the university, in an attempt to ally any doubts, claimed the selection process was "exhaustive."

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DOUGLAS COUNTY ATTORNEY CANDIDATE'S AFFAIR, PROMOTION OF WOMAN LED TO HIS OUSTER FROM FIRM

OMAHA- Douglas County Attorney Candidate Dave Pantos, who is attempting to unseat current Attorney Don Kleine, has become embroiled in controversy after it was revealed that Pantos had an affair while working at one of Nebraska's largest non-profits: Legal Aid of Nebraska.

Pantos, who has very little trial and prosecutorial experience, has pointed to his time at Legal Aid as experience enough, and has been running on that message.

It was revealed this weekend that Pantos was ousted from Legal Aid in 2014 after promoting the woman with whom the candidate was having an affair. The woman was the wife of a lawyer working under Pantos at Legal Aid, and reportedly had little to no legal credentials.

When asked about the alleged affair and promotion, Dave Pantos was quick to deny it. "Who said that?" Pantos asked,

I don't know what you're talking about."

Later, Pantos sent an email to reporters acknolowding the affair, but claimed that the promotion happened before the extended affair took place.

Pantos stated, "This consensual situation was a lapse in professional judgment and I regret it. However, all parties have moved on since this happened over eight years ago. I want to specifically note that there were no improper hiring or promotion decisions made at the time. Any suggestions otherwise are patently false."

Attorneys from Legal Aid dispute these claims, stating that the woman did not have a law degree and that she assumed an "outsized" role in the firm, often appearing alongside then-director Pantos' side at agency leadership events.

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REP. DON BACON RECOVERING FROM EMERGENCY APPENDECTOMY

OMAHA- U.S. Rep. Don Bacon had an emergency appendectomy last week after being rushed to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.

Bacon was released the following day, saying that he was "All good. An appendix can go north to south so quickly. I thought it was food poisoning. But as the day went on I realized it was more serious. I could hardly walk last night. Surgery worked magic!"

Bacon, a retired Air Force brigadier general, went to Walter Reed after feeling pain in his abdomen during a meeting. Doctors at Walter Reed claimed his appendix was three times the normal size.

Bacon's office has not put out word on how long he will take to recover. However, they stated that they are working on plans to make sure the congressman can vote by proxy if needed.

Sen. Tony Vargas, against whom Bacon is running for Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, offered Bacon "prayers for a speedy recovery, and stated that he was glad the surgery was successful.

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SPARKS FLY IN FINAL 1ST DISTRICT HOUSE DEBATE BETWEEN FLOOD, PANSING BROOKS

LINCOLN- Sen. Pansing Brooks and Rep. Mike Flood held a debate on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus to discuss the pressing issues they'll support in Congress. For Pansing Brooks, it's reproductive women's rights. For Flood, inflation and crime.

Sen. Pansing Brooks urged voters during the debate to trust her political consistency in supporting and upholding women's rights, citing the years of work she did in the Legislature.

Rep. Flood used his party's record on inflation and tax reduction to garner support during the debate, claiming that Pansing Brooks would do nothing to solve these problems. "Inflation, crime is increasing," said Flood, "Who do we have to thank for this mess? It's the Democrats."

Besides the issues above, the candidates for Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District also debated birth control, gun control, and student debt forgiveness.

The candidates also traded ad hominem jabs, with Sen. Pansing Brooks warning the audience that she would be fact-checking everything Flood said with what she calls "Flood alerts," and Rep. Flood calling her at one point "Patty Pansing Pelosi."

However, the candidates did find some even ground during the debate, with both of them agreeing that the nation's southern border had to be secure. But that's where their agreement ended. Flood stated that former President Trump's border wall should be expanded and improved, while Pansing Brooks just thinks more law enforcement should be stationed on the border.

After this, the question of gay marriage came up, with Pansing Brooks pointing out the possibility that the Dobbs decision could be repealed by the Supreme Court. Flood argued against this, stating that Dobbs is not at risk, but Pansing Brooks responded by bringing up Flood's no-vote on codifying gay marriage in the House.

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24 LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES PLEDGE TO SEND SECRET VOTES FOR COMMITTEE CHAIRS

LINCOLN- Former gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster and his PAC announced that they have had 24 legislative candidates pledge to end Nebraska's system for electing chairs of legislative committees.

That is 24 of 46 candidates who have pledged to end the secret ballot votes for committee chairs. This group is a mix of incumbents and challengers.

The pledges are the latest step in a two-decade conservative push to change legislative rules to require recorded votes on leadership.

Gov. Pete Ricketts, former Gov. Dave Heineman and the Nebraska Republican Party have pressed potential legislative appointees and candidates for years on their willingness to step away from the longtime practice of the officially nonpartisan body.

They have said that the change would add transparency for the voting public.

Those who have signed on include: Senator Rob Clements, Brad Von Gillern, Christian Mirch, Marilyn Asher, Lou Ann Goding, Merv Reipe, Senator John Arch, Senator Ben Hansen, Connie Peterson, Christy Armendariz, Russ Barger, Roy Christensen, Loren Lippincott, Rick Holdcroft, Senator Dave Murman, Tyler Cappel, Barry DeKay, Keith Kube, Senator Mike Jacobson, Chris Bruns, Theresea Ibach, Don Lease II, and Brian Hardin

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FIRST EARLY FALL BALLOTS BY MAIL GET SENT OUT THIS WEEK IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- Nebraskans who requested early mail ballots should be checking their mailbox this week, as early voting ballots were sent out on October 2nd.

For those looking to vote in person, county election offices are set to open early in-person voting as early as October 11th, next Tuesday.

However, early in-person voting will only be held at the Election Commission Office, located off of West Center Road in Omaha. Voting will be available there from 8:30am-5:00pm on weekdays until the election, and Saturday, October 29th and November 5th from 9am-1pm.

October 28th is the final day to register to vote in this election, and for those sending in voter registration forms by mail, they must be postmarked no later than October 21st.

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