NEBRASKA VOLUNTEERS TO BE HONORED IN OCTOBER FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE

LINCOLN- Nearly a dozen community volunteers from across Nebraska, as well as one state lawmaker, are set to be honored for their work in October by Gov. Jim Pillen, who recently announced a list of awardees for the 2023 Step Forward Award. The event will be held in Lincoln on October 6th at 11:00am.

"Volunteers are a vital part of keeping Nebraska communities strong," said Pillen in a statement, "I'm proud to be Governor of a state where community service is central to our culture." The awardees were selected, in conjunction with Gov. Pillen, by ServeNebraska and the Nebraska Volunteer Service Commission, two organizations that help coordinate volunteer funding each year and choose winners for the Step Forward Award.

Among those receiving awards are Marah Shai of Gering, who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for a "life full of public service," State Sen. Mike McDonnell for "introducing legislation to safeguard Nebraska's commitment to service," Dennis Hynes for leading numerous student tours at the Durham Museum, and Roger Peek for his thirty years as a volunteer firefighter and membership with the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services Team.

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LINCOLN COMPANY PAYING $7.125M TO PUT NAME ON EVENT CENTER

LINCOLN- Come December, the Lancaster County Event Center will have a new name thanks to a lucrative naming rights deal. Sandhills Global, the Lincoln-based information technology and publishing company, will pay over $7 million to put its name on the building for fifteen years. Beginning December 1st, the facility will be known as the Sandhills Global Event Center.

"Sandhills' brands align well with the types of events and visitors at the future Sandhills Global Event Center and stand to benefit both organizations and the community at large," said Shawn Peed, executive officer for Sandhills Global, "We are proud to support this valuable, hometown facility that serves and engages all element of our great ag community."

The expensive deal will also allow Sandhills to place its name on individual pavilions used at the event center. A public ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for later this year to unveil the new exterior and interior signage. This is the second major naming rights deal for Sandhills Global this year. In March, the company announced that it would be donating $4 million to put its name on a new youth baseball and softball complex, which is currently under construction just southeast of First Street and Cornhusker Highway in Lincoln.

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KOCH JOHNS WON'T SEEK ANOTHER TERM ON STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, ENDORSES CANDIDATE

LINCOLN- Patsy Koch Johns, on Thursday, announced that she would not seek reelection to her long-held District 1 State Board of Education Seat. A Democrat, Koch Johns ran unopposed in 2020 for the officially nonpartisan seat, where she represents Lincoln and a portion of northwest Lancaster County.

"I wouldn't trade my experience for anything in the world. It has been a wonderful experience," said Koch Johns, a former Lincoln High School teacher who was once Nebraska Teacher of the Year, "Now I'm not saying it's always been easy, and that I always succeeded in what I felt was important for kids and to provide for them, but I am saying that it was definitely worth my years."

Kristin Christensen, a Lincoln-based Democrat, recently announced her candidacy for the seat, and is now being endorsed by Koch Johns, as well as Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, Board of Education members Lisa Fricke and Deb Neary, and several state lawmakers. "She's just like me," Koch Johns said of Christensen, "she has the desire to serve even deeper."

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NEBRASKA STATE TREASURER TO EXIT ELECTED ROLE TO HEAD STATE RETIREMENT AGENCY

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems (NPERS) Board announced current Treasurer John Murante as its next director. Murante must step down from the State Treasurer’s Office to lead NPERS after being nearly unanimously voted to lead the agency. When the transition is made, Gov. Jim Pillen will need to select a successor who will serve the remainder of Murante’s term through 2026.

“I look forward to the opportunity to keep serving the people of Nebraska in some form or fashion,” Murante told the NPERS board. Murante is a familiar face in Nebraska as a former state senator and just recently won reelection in the Treasurer role. Murante will still need to be confirmed by both Gov. Pillen and the legislature.

Murante said that through his roles in the Legislature and the Treasurer’s Office that he has worked with all public boards and commissions in the state and has worked closely with NPERS as the custodian of the agency’s funds. Murante will most likely double his previous salary of $85,000 to $185,000 in the new role. Other candidates for the job included Jason Hayes and Tyler Cummings. Retiring director Randy Gerke is expected to leave the role on September 10th.

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GOV. JIM PILLEN NAMES FORMER BANKER AS NEBRASKA'S NEW STATE TAX COMMISSIONER

LINCOLN- Gov. Jim Pillen has named Jim Kamm, a University of Nebraska at Omaha administrator and former banker, as Nebraska’s new state tax commissioner. Kamm currently is the assistant vice chancellor for UNO’s Business and Finance Division. He will be paid $190,000 in his new position and start Sept. 5.

The position, the top job in the Nebraska Department of Revenue, has been filled by an interim director since December. Pillen said he chose Kamm because of his decades of experience in banking and financial services, along with his interest in public service. Before working at UNO, Kamm held leadership roles at First Westroads Bank, TierOne and First National Bank of Omaha.

He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in finance and a master’s degree in business administration from UNO. While at UNO, Kamm worked for a previous state tax commissioner, Doug Ewaldt. Scott Moore, a Union Pacific Railroad executive and former Nebraska secretary of state and state senator, praised the choice.

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NEBRASKA GOVERNOR'S USE OF 'EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE' TO WITHHOLD RECORDS TROUBLES TRANSPARENCY ADVOCATES

LINCOLN- While on the gubernatorial campaign trail, Gov. Jim Pillen occasionally joked about phone conversations being exempt from public disclosure. Now, at least in recent months, his office seems to have taken small, unprecedented steps to shield his communications. Recently, a Nebraska-based transparency advocate organization requested access to four emails that the Governor had sent, but were met with denials from his office for reasons relating to "executive privilege." 

When asked, around six other current officials and transparency advocates couldn't recall any instances in the past when a Nebraska Governor invoked executive privilege to deny access to records. One press freedom advocate in Nebraska described its novel use in Nebraska as "disturbing." Former Gov. Dave Heineman, who served in Nebraska between 2005 and 2015, said he was unfamiliar with the concept of executive privilege relative to governors' emails. 

"When you're the governor, you're a publicly elected official and your records are subject to freedom of information requests, and we routinely complied with those," said Heineman, "I think that's important, because the public has the right to know what a governor is doing and the kinds of emails that we get." Echoing this sentiment, Jack Gould, a board member with the government watchdog group Common Cause Nebraska, said this is the first time he had heard of a Nebraska Governor invoking executive privilege to deny access to records. 

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OPS KINDERGARTEN TEACHER BEGINS 41ST YEAR IN THE SAME NORTH OMAHA CLASSROOM

OMAHA- For the past four decades, Omaha Public Schools teacher Kaye Kiepert-Hensley has welcomed numerous students into her classroom at Franklin Elementary School, with this year, her 41st, being no different. "Every day, every year, is a new day and a new year. Every group is different," said Kiepert-Hensley, "They're fun. They're excited to be here. I'm excited to see them."

Besides some recently installed blue carpet, Kiepert-Hensley has remained in and maintained essentially the exact same classroom over the past 41 years, with very little changing from year to year. The veteran teacher graduated from what was once known as Technical High School before its closure in 1984. Today, her old stomping grounds exist as the Teacher Administration Center.

Her reason for staying at Franklin Elementary: "I love to see the families, because it's the same families that I had many years ago, when they were students in here. Now I have their babies again. So, they know it's a safe and a loving place in our room." Franklin, along with the rest of the elementary schools within OPS, began the fall semester on Wednesday, with Kiepert-Hensley set to instruct around 14 kids; a number she says will grow as more students move into the neighborhood throughout the fall.

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NEBRASKA REMOVES WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE WEBPAGE USED TO TRACK COVID-19

LINCOLN- On Tuesday, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services removed a tool from its website that was pivotal in tracking the spread of Covid-19. The wastewater surveillance page on the Department's website, which was removed, provided weekly updates on the concentration of Covid-19 in wastewater from more than a dozen sites across the state. With reductions in Covid-19 reporting over the past year, wastewater surveillance was considered one of the most effective ways public health officials were able to monitor disease levels.

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services said the state's wastewater data was taken down in response to the Biden administration's ending of the national emergency and public health emergency declarations for Covid-19 in May. "Data continues to be tracked for that program and is available upon request," said the spokesman in an email. He also confirmed that the agency will be consolidating information on its website relative to the rates of Covid-19 reporting.

Laura Strimple, a spokeswoman for Gov. Jim Pillen, wrote in an email that the wastewater surveillance page was removed in consultation with the governor's office, and also cited the end of the health emergencies as a reason for its removal. Strimple also stated that the program is being wound down so that more resources can be devoted to the monitoring of other illnesses, like influenza and RSV.

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NEBRASKA RANKS 37TH FOR RATE OF LABOR FORCE WORKING FROM HOME

LINCOLN- According to a recently-released report by the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the Cornhusker State ranks 37th among all others for the share of workers conducting their jobs from home. The study found that around 12.3% of Nebraska's workers are currently working remotely.

The study's primary researcher, Josie Schafer, believes this data debunks the notion that the Covid-19 pandemic steered many individuals away from crowded states and into the less-congested Nebraska, while still working remotely at their original place of employment. "The idea of, 'I'll live in Nebraska for the quality of life but work for a Silicon Valley tech company'-- I don't see it in the data," said Schafer.

Rather, Schafer believes that the data suggests that most people who live in Nebraska but work for an out-of-state business are commuting across state lines, rather than working remotely. Nationally, the rate of individuals working from home has increased as a result of the pandemic. Nebraska's 37th ranking, according to Schafer, "has everything to do with our workforce mix." Indeed, a large majority of Nebraska workers, around 584,242, work in low-wage jobs, which often require in-person work. That's compared to Nebraska's 433,166 high-paying jobs, which sometimes offer the opportunity for remote work.

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ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION CASTS DOUBT ON POWERS OF LEGISLATURE'S INSPECTORS GENERAL

LINCOLN- In a 38-page legal opinion issued Wednesday, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers argued that investigative powers conferred on the state's inspectors general, especially in the realms of child welfare and the state's prison system, violate the separation of powers clause of the Nebraska Consitution and "significantly impairs" the powers of the executive branch and state judiciary to govern their operations.

More specifically, Hilgers claimed that the Inspector General's power to obtain "immediate access to the Department's and Division's document, information, and facilities violates the rights bestowed upon by the state's executive and judiciary branches by the constitution. "The traditional tools of legislative investigations--voluntary requests for information and subpoenas for documents and testimony--allow each branch to protect its interests." stated the opinion drafted by the Attorney General.

Speaker of the Legislature John Arch responded to the argument almost immediately, and said that further review of the opinion must be undertaken before the Legislature develops a strategy to continue oversight of two agencies that carry "a high level of risk for the population served." The two offices being questioned by Hilgers, namely the office of the Inspector General for Child Welfare and the office of the Inspector General for Corrections, were established by the Legislature in 2012 and 2015 respectively, with the aim of providing more accountability in these two contentious areas.

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PILLEN APPOINTS JUDGE TO DISTRICT COURT VACANCY IN DOUGLAS COUNTY

OMAHA- On Tuesday, Gov. Jim Pillen announced that Derek Vaughn, who currently serves as a Douglas County Court Judge, will move to the County's District Court bench. Vaughn's appointment to the role comes just a short time after Judge Michael Coffey, who has held the position since his appointment in 1998, announced his retirement from the District Court.

Seven applicants applied for the role, and the Judicial Nominating Commission selected the top four candidates for Pillen to choose from.

Vaughn, before being appointed to the Douglas County Cout bench in 2013, graduated from the University College of Law. Prior to his judgeship, he served as a deputy county attorney in Douglas County for 14 years.

In County Court, where Vaughn served for the past ten years, judges have jurisdiction over misdemeanor criminal and traffic infraction cases, as well as small claims, probate, adoption, and other civil matters. District Court judges are general jurisdiction trial courts that oversee proceedings in all felony cases and civil cases concerning more than $57,000.

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NEBRASKA CONGRESSMAN SAYS FBI TOLD HIM CHINESE HACKED HIS EMAILS

WASHINGTON, D.C.- According to Rep. Don Bacon, Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District representative, FBI cyber-analysts told him that his campaign and personal emails had been hacked by Chinese spies earlier this summer. "They were in my emails for 31 days," said Bacon in an interview. According to the FBI, such instances of hacking are part of a larger campaign by foreign actors to target U.S. State Department and Commerce Department accounts.

Microsoft, in response to the hacking campaign, confirmed that a July 11 attack by a "Chinese-based threat actor" had indeed been undertaken as a result of a vulnerability in their software. The company also confirmed that the email accounts of individuals from 25 different organizations, including government agencies, had been hacked. Bacon said that he hadn't learned of the breach until Monday, when the FBI informed him, but did recall receiving a notification from Microsoft encouraging him to change his password.

Besides that, however, nothing felt wrong to the Congressman. "I didn't have any indication," he said, "Nothing stuck out." Bacon said in an interview that he believes he was specifically targeted because of his criticism of the Chinese government, adding that the nation may see him as an "adversary." Bacon also confirmed that he is unaware if any other member of Congress was targeted by the hack.

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NEW LEADER OF NEBRASKA HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HAS CONTROVERSY IN HIS PAST

LINCOLN- Dr. Steve Corsi, acting CEO of the Central Wyoming Counseling Center, was picked on Tuesday by Gov. Jim Pillen to lead the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Pillen, in an announcement, said Corsi will assume the role on September 11th, bringing a "wealth of experience and leadership" from his past work in director roles in Wyoming, Missouri, and California. 

In the past, Corsi faced controversy in Missouri for collecting paychecks from two state agencies, an agreement made with then-Gov. Eric Greitens of Missouri that allowed Corsi to be paid $128,000 for leading the Missouri Department of Social Services, in addition to $14,000 from another agency he worked closely with. Several Missouri Democrats took issue with this agreement. A separate controversy surrounding Corsi took place in 2016, when the Wyoming Boys' School purchased a restraint chair, containing shoulder lap, wrist, and ankle straps, similar to those used at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp. 

Following the announcement that Corsi would assume the leadership role at the Department of Health and Human Services, several state lawmakers highlighted posts that Corsi had 'liked' on Twitter, including several that challenged the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine and others that disparaged transgender individuals. In response to these, Sen. Megan Hunt noted that Corsi will need to be confirmed by the Nebraska Legislature next year, but claimed that the body will "reject him in 2024." 

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KEEP KIDS FIRST CALLS ON SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS TO STOP PETITION DRIVE ON TAX CREDIT, SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS SAY THEY'RE ON TRACK IN 90K SIGNATURE GOAL

OMAHA- Surrounded by students from a Catholic school in North Omaha, advocates of Nebraska's new scholarship tax credit law called on the state's teachers union to stop their petition to place the issue on the ballot, adding that the value of the tax credits for Nebraska's students far outweighs the costs. Standing in front of Holy Name Catholic School, Tanya Santos, the school's former principal, and Jayleesha Cooper, a former Holy Name student who had received a scholarship to attend the school, lauded the new law.

"I actually attended this amazing school behind me, only thanks to private donor scholarships," said Cooper, "Without scholarships, that would have been a reality for me, and it would not have been a reality for many of the students standing next to me today." At the event, Santos acknowledged that many private schools already offer students need-based scholarships funded by private donors, but argued that many children end up on waiting lists because of a lack of funding.

Standing behind the speakers was Sen. Justin Wayne of North Omaha, who, alongside Sen. Terrell McKinney, supported the Opportunity Scholarships Act, saying that they want families, especially those living in North Omaha, to have more choices on where they send their children to school. Opponents of the new law, including the Omaha Chapter of the NAACP, led by Rev. Michael Williams, argue that the Opportunity Scholarships Act will divert funding from public schools. Brad Christian-Sallis, of the Nebraska Civic Engagement Table and a former Holy Name Student, also argued that funding should remain in the public treasury, and should be spent on public schools if the need arises.

On Thursday, petition circulators attempting to place the scholarship tax credit on the ballot confirmed that they are on pace to collect their goal of 90,000 valid signatures. While Karen Kilgarin, a spokeswoman for Support Our School, declined to state how many signatures had been collected thus far, but said that they plan on collecting the final round of signatures on August 28th before turning them in on August 30th, the deadline set by the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office.

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NEBRASKA MEDICINE AND HELIX PARTNER TO PROVIDE PRECISION CARE IN NEBRASKA TO HELP FIND HEALTH ISSUES INDIVIDUALLY AND STATEWIDE

OMAHA- Nebraska Medicine has announced a new partnership with Helix, the leading population genomics and viral surveillance company in the nation. The two entities announced a partnership to launch a population genomics program to drive precision medicine for all individuals in Nebraska called the Genetic Insights Project.

The research program will identify participants' risk for a variety of cancers and other potentially life-threatening diseases with a single test, with the goal of not only helping to improve the lives of individual patients but also identifying trends for everyone across the region. "This new genomics program will help patients and their providers understand if they're genetically predisposed to having an increased risk of one of several significant diseases," says Allison Cushman-Vokoun, MD, PhD, medical director of Nebraska Medicine's Molecular Diagnostics and Human Genetics Laboratories.

The Genetic Insights Project will provide important information about serious health conditions by testing for mutations in genes connected to a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer, Lynch syndrome (which is related to colorectal cancer), and high cholesterol. The research program may also expand its panel of genetic markers in the future, potentially providing information about other conditions.

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NEBRASKA GAMING TAXES ON THE RISE IN JULY FOR SECOND STRAIGHT MONTH

LINCOLN- Receipts from gaming taxes rose for the second straight month in Nebraska in July, according to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. The amount of taxes collected at WarHorse Lincoln rose to $841,714.98 — an increase of nearly $88,000 compared with June. Grand Island Casino Resort collected $440,895.60 in taxes in July, up from about $414,000 in June.

Meanwhile, the Harrah’s Casino in Columbus, which opened its doors in June, ponied up $262,354.62 in taxes in July — an increase of more than $83,000 from its first month. Together, the three casinos combined to produce nearly $1.545 million in gaming taxes for July, making it the second-best month ever after March.

WarHorse Lincoln saw more than $4.1 million in gross revenue for slots and electronic games played in July, while adding another $82,113.16 in revenue at its sportsbook. Lincoln and Lancaster County each received roughly $105,000 in taxes generated through casino gaming in July. That brings the year-to-date total to $738,595.

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EIGHT NEBRASKA COMMUNITIES TO SHARE ABOUT $7 MILLION FOR FLOOD RECOVERY PROJECTS

LINCOLN- Eight Nebraska communities will share about $7 million in grants to assist with long-term disaster recovery projects. The awards, announced by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, come from the federal Community Development Block Grant program. They provide a local 25% match, or gap funding, required for federal funding allocated earlier to Nebraska in the wake of devastating floods in 2019.

According to the DED, the funds will help projects focused on floodwater mitigation, residential elevation and residential and commercial property acquisitions. Fairbury is among the places set to get an award. “The City of Fairbury is excited to utilize this funding to assist homeowners with mitigation of flood-prone properties and to financially help them to build resilient futures,” said Laura Bedlan, director of development services.

DED anticipates awarding another $7 million for more flood disaster projects soon. That batch of awards is to be used on infrastructure repairs to roads, bridges, culverts and public parks and facilities.The eight communities set to share the initial nearly $7 million in grants: Omaha, Winslow, Platte County, North Bend Drainage District, Dodge County, Wood River, Peru, and Fairbury.

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FOUR OF SIX PEOPLE CITED DURING NEBRASKA CAPITOL PROTESTS FACE CHARGES, TWO TO FACE DIVERSION

LINCOLN- Four of six people who were jailed during protests at the Nebraska Capitol on May 19 over a bill combining a stricter abortion ban with new restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors face criminal charges in Lancaster County. Benjamin Buras, 40, and Sara B. Crawford, 34, both of Lincoln, are scheduled to be in court Thursday. Mar Lee, 25, of Lincoln, and Danna Seevers, 56, of Seward, were accepted into pretrial diversion programs.

The commotion after the vote, which also included chanting and shouting, prompted Speaker John Arch to clear out the Legislature’s balconies. Prosecutors filed no charges against Lucia Salinas, 24, of Omaha and Maghie Miller-Jenkins, 36, of Lincoln, threw tampons and feminine pads from over a balcony railing onto the legislative floor, according to the Nebraska State Patrol.

The Patrol had cited Salinas and Miller-Jenkins for disturbing the peace and obstructing a government operation. Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon offered no immediate explanation of his decision. No charges were filed against a legislative staffer who several witnesses had said shoved someone with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska during the protests.

On Thursday, Crawford received permission from Lancaster County Judge Matt Acton to enter a pretrial diversion program. She was charged with obstructing a peace officer after she tried to push past a Nebraska State Patrolman. Buras' lawyer requested that he be allowed to enter a pretrial diversion program as well, but the request is still pending as of Friday. Buras was charged with with resisting arrest. 

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKER AMONG THOSE BACKING COMMON SENSE PROPOSAL TO ADDRESS STUDENT LOAN DEBT

LINCOLN- A possible solution to the ongoing challenge of student loan debt has surfaced. Rep. Don Bacon of Omaha is among the members in the U.S. House of Representatives who have signed on to HR4144. The Federal Assistance to Initiate Repayment (FAIR) Act is designed to make paying back- not completely forgiving- student loan debt easier.

The FAIR Act varies greatly from President Bidens unsuccessful attempt to forgive massive amounts of student loan debt. Rep. Bacon said he believes in the FAIR Act since it would simplify the repayment process, end ballooning loan balances, provide repayment assistance and provide targeted student loan relief. The bill uses an income-based repayment system that would require borrowers to pay back 10 years' worth of interest before interest is capped.

The plan includes payment schedules and interest forgiven to those below the federal poverty level. "This fiscally responsible alternative to President Biden's plan will be a critical step toward fixing our student loan system and will provide a path for 40 million borrowers to pay back their loans," said Bacon.

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RURAL WATER SYSTEM IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA LOOKS FOR ALTERNATIVES AMID CONTAMINANT CONCERNS

KNOX COUNTY- For more than four decades, the Cedar-Knox Rural Water Project has drawn water from Lewis and Clark Lake and pumped it into communities and homes across northeast Nebraska, some nearly 40 miles away. But a constant influx of fine sand and other sediment and the organic material that comes with it has created challenges for the regional water system.

Better known as THMs, trihalomethanes have been linked to bladder and colon cancers, and are suspected of causing a range of other health issues affecting the liver, kidney and central nervous system. The Cedar-Knox Rural Water Project has until recently been able to keep its THMs level underneath the threshold deemed safe by the EPA, but it's becoming increasingly difficult.

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy put the water system under an administrative order for the first time in 2017 after the concentrations rose above the threshold deemed safe. $7 million was approved by state lawmakers to help address the problem but fell victim to a veto from Gov. Pillen. The system is now receiving a boost in attention due to funding secured by Sen. Deb Fischer in Washington.

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