AIR FORCE VETERAN TO BE NEW SARPY COUNTY TREASURER

OMAHA- On Tuesday, U.S. Air Force veteran and former Greater Omaha Chamber executive Jeff Mikesell was unanimously appointed by the Sarpy County Board to succeed former Sarpy County Treasurer Trace Jones, whose resignation took effect at the end of August. Mikesell will begin his role on Friday of this week. He was selected from an applicant pool of ten people.

"I'm honored to join a team who knows what it means to serve so well and so reliably. They're an impressive group doing important work," Mikesell said in a release, "I look forward to working with Chief Deputy Treasurer Dan Toleikis and serving the staff and taxpayers at the Treasurer's Office."

Mikesell previously served for two decades in the Air Force, and from 2015 to 2022 as the director of military affairs for the Greater Omaha Chamber. Mikesell was pivotal in several infrastructure projects during his time at the Omaha Chamber, including the $1.2 billion U.S. Strategic Command construction project, the $1.1 billion Offutt Air Force base flood rebuild, and the $150 million Offutt runway replacement. He is set to serve the remainder of Jones' term, which lasts through 2027.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS TO STUDY HOW TO ENSURE PUBLIC VOICES HEARD IN PRODUCTIVE WAYS

LINCOLN- Nebraska's 'second house' participated in the legislative process with unprecedented numbers and passion during this past legislative session, which was contentious to say the least. Hundreds of Nebraska citizens showed up in person, filling legislative hearing rooms, overflow rooms, and even the Capitol's hallways for hearings on abortion, voter ID, guns, and gender-affirming care. Despite this, many left frustrated at not being able to testify, or angry about how a hearing was managed by legislators.

For this reason, Speaker of the Legislature John Arch, before lawmakers reconvene in January, hopes to find better ways to ensure that Nebraska's 'second house' can have their voices heard and engage more thoroughly with lawmakers. To do this, Speaker Arch introduced LR179 near the end of session, which calls for an examination of issues and concerns around public participation and which will provide recommendations for change.

"Ensuring that residents of Nebraska have the opportunity to have their voices heard is vital to the legislative process, the resolution states, "To ensure fair and useful dialogue, there must be a standard of respect and decorum in place for both the public, that observes, engages, and testifies in the front of the Legislature, and the members of the Legislature." Arch thinks one of the initial ways to fix this issue is to create new practices and standards for individual committee chairs, as well as work harder to convey to the public the practices and procedures of the Legislature.

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SEN. PETE RICKETTS PROPOSES FEDERAL TAX CUT ON SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME

WASHINGTON, D.C.- When U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts was Governor of Nebraska, then-state Sen. Brett Lindstrom introduced a bill aiming to cut the state tax on Social Security income through a series of incremental steps. Now serving in Washington, Ricketts is seeking to take Nebraska's idea national. On Thursday, the Senator announced that he would introduce a similar proposal, which would, after a time, phase in a reduction of federal income taxes on Social Security payments.

More specifically, Ricketts said he aims to end the federal tax on 10% of the Social Security income that recipients pay taxes on in 2024, and eventually increase the tax cut to 20% in 2025. As of right now, around 85% of a person's Social Security income is taxable, depending on several outside factors like outside income. Ricketts said he wants Congress to work toward cutting the amount of taxable income to zero.

Ricketts indicated that he is looking for a Democrat to co-sponsor the bill, and wants to build his proposal into a must-pass piece of legislation. In Nebraska, Social Security tax cut efforts received bipartisan support, and Ricketts thinks the same should be true in Congress. "I think that a lot of people would want to look at this," said Ricketts, "The general idea of letting seniors keep their own money is one that is going to see enough support."

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OMAHA CITY COUNCIL APPOINTS REPLACEMENT FOR VINNY PALERMO

OMAHA- On Tuesday, the Omaha City Council voted to appoint Ron Hug, a South Omaha native, to former Councilman Vinny Palermo's seat, giving the people of District 4 a representative after nearly 6 months. Hug will be sworn in on September 26th. The new Councilman indicated that his first, and main, priority while serving Palermo's final year and a half term will be to rebuild constituents' trust in the City Council, which he believes was damaged by the Palermo scandal.

"Once I'm sworn in, I'm going to start planning some open house meetings," said Hug, "I'll try to do one a week for the foreseeable future, where constituents won't need an appointment. They'll just come in, and I'll be willing to talk to anybody about any issues they have." Hug was appointed to the position on a 6-0 vote. Currently serving as the operations manager for City Taxi Inc., Hug, a 67-year-old Democrat, had served previously as a board member for Metropolitan Community College.

Hug announced almost immediately following his appointment to the seat that he would run for reelection in 2025, when Palermo's term expires. Although it took three different ballots for the Council to appoint him, Aimee Melton, a Republican Councilwoman, said Hug was a second choice everyone on the Council could agree on. Besides restoring constituent trust, Hug also indicated that he will focus on affordable housing and preventing brain drain while he serves in the role.

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NEBRASKA'S THIRD MEDICAL MARIJUANA BALLOT INITIATIVE KICKS OFF PETITION DRIVE

LINCOLN- After two failed attempts and several years of hard work, organizers of an initiative to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska announced Wednesday the launch of a petition drive a year before the 2024 general election, in the hopes that such an early start will give them the time they need to collect signatures and place the petition on the ballot. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, the group organizing the drive, kicked off its third petition drive with an evening event in downtown Lincoln.

The campaign will utilize two petitions, both aimed at legalizing medical cannabis. Each of these needs roughly 87,000 signatures from registered voters to qualify for the 2024 ballot. "There was never a question that we would come back for a third time," said Christa Eggers, the campaign's manager, "This issue is not one we can give up on; it's people's lives we are fighting for." The group's first attempt came in 2020, and garnered nearly 200,000 valid signatures. However, it was thrown out by the State Supreme Court for violating the 'single-subject rule.'

The effort was resurrected in 2022, which also utilized two petitions, but came up short on signatures. This year's petitions are virtually identical to those used last year, but Eggers believes more funding and organization will help them avoid the mistakes made in 2022. This year's petition is also being circulated sooner than last year's, giving the group more time to collect an adequate number of signatures. Many Nebraska politicians have resisted the idea of legalizing medical cannabis. While Gov. Pillen hasn't been as vocal about the drug as former Gov. Ricketts, Eggers said she expects him to put up a fight.

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OMAHA'S $508 MILLION BUDGET APPROVED, WITH LARGER PROPERTY TAX CUT AND POLICE PAY HIKES

OMAHA- The Omaha City Council voted Tuesday to adopt a $508 million budget for 2024 that will include a 10% increase in police funding once a new contract with police officers is approved. The council approved an amendment, proposed by council President Pete Festersen, which would decrease the city’s property tax levy by 2.5% instead of the 2.1% that Stothert proposed.

Although the budget slightly reduces the city’s tax levy, it does not guarantee lower tax bills. Many Omaha property owners will still pay more in city taxes because of rising property valuations. The budget boosts city spending by about 7 percent, driven largely by initiatives to recruit and retain more police officers and to prepare for the opening the city’s new central library.

The budget includes an increase of about $9.6 million for police recruitment and retention. The budget also includes an 8.3% increase in library funding. Along with the big increase in property valuations, sales tax collections are expected to climb by 7% and restaurant tax collections by 6%. The Fire Department budget would increase 1.7%.

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COMITTEE ANNOUNCED TO COLLABORATE ON LINCOLN CONVENTION CENTER PROJECT

LINCOLN- Lincoln's planning and pursuit of a new convention center took another step with the announcement of a new committee. Assemble Lincoln, a group made up of local, state and federal policymakers, business leaders and members of the Lincoln community, will soon begin meeting every two weeks.

"This is a project that has been years in the making," said Nebraska Sen. Eliot Bostar, Assemble Lincoln's chairman. "... It's been identified as a priority." The group also includes Vice Chairman Kenneth Zoeller, the director of policy and research in Gov. Jim Pillen's office; State Sens. Beau Ballard and Anna Wishart, both of Lincoln; Sean Flowerday, Lancaster Country commissioner; Deb Schorr, a district director for U.S. Congressman Mike Flood; Lynn Rex, executive director of the League of Nebraska Municipalities; and Rich Herink, a community representative.

Bostar said Assemble Lincoln's first step will be to bring on board an experienced consultant. He also stressed the need to identify for taxing purposes the governance structure for the project — essentially who will run it: the city, county or a combination of the two? "With those two things determined, we will then have a clear roadmap to get from where we are today to doors open," Bostar said.

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EFFORT TO SHIFT CITY OF OMAHA FUNDS TO MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FIZZLES, FOR NOW

OMAHA- Inspired by the number of North Omaha merchants seeking State of Nebraska grants to rev up business, City Councilwoman Juanita Johnson asked the City Council to commit $1 million for a city effort. The request got no traction from fellow council members, who said it came too late in the city budget approval process. Council Vice President Aimee Melton said she could not support “moving a million dollars around at the last minute.”

Johnson’s request called for shifting funds in the proposed annual budget — away from places such as library and park allocations — to support the small business development initiative she said is key to her district and overall city economic growth. Under Johnson’s proposal, the $1 million was to go to the Omaha 100 nonprofit, which would use and distribute the funds to help minority businesses grow.

Malinda Williams, president and CEO of Omaha 100, said her research showed only 53 minority-owned businesses received a PPP loan in 2020, or 1.27% of the total Nebraska-based business recipients. Businessman James Overton said that while the request made by Johnson would not cover the need, “It’s still a boost.”

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SPIKE IN NEBRASKA GAS PRICES IS EXPECTED TO BE SHORT-LIVED

LINCOLN- Gas prices have spiked as much as 40 cents a gallon in the past week in Nebraska, but an analyst said the increase should be short-lived. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of unleaded gas in Nebraska as of Monday was $3.83 a gallon, up 28 cents from a week ago. But some individual markets have gone up even more in Omaha and Lincoln.

Nebraska isn't the only Midwestern state to see price spikes. Iowa's average price as of Monday was 38 cents higher than a week ago, while Minnesota's was up 36 cents and North Dakota's 30 cents. The culprit appears to be a refinery outage, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis."Still piecing together exactly what's gone wrong to cause a huge spike in gas prices in the corn belt states, but it involves more than 1 refinery, bad timing, and issues outside the region exacerbating it," De Haan said.

Brian Ortner, a spokesman for AAA Nebraska, said there was some scheduled maintenance at a refinery in Minnesota last week that may have contributed to the quick rise in prices, which he called "uncommon but not unprecedented." He also said other factors, such as a rise in the price of oil, also were contributing to the increase. De Haan expects prices to lower within a week or two.

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NU RESEARCHERS RECEIVE $24.5M TO LOOK FOR TREATMENTS FOR ACUTE RADIATION SYNDROME

OMAHA- After receiving almost $25 million from the Defense Health Agency, researchers at both the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska Medical Center will begin searching for and developing a first-of-its-kind treatment aimed at protecting U.S. troops from the effects of acute radiation syndrome.

The grant, which is the third given to Nebraska researchers by the Defense Health Agency, was made to the National Strategic Research Institute, NU, and U.S. Strategic Command's University Affiliated Research Center. Acute radiation syndrome is caused by high levels of radiation spread by either a dirty bomb terrorist attack, nuclear accident, or the deployment of a nuclear weapon, according to the University of Nebraska.

David Berkowitz, a UNL professor of chemistry and co-principal investigator on the project, said researchers from NU will focus on both prevention and mitigation strategies. "It is really a challenging space scientifically, but I think that is why our team has been so successful," said Berkowitz, "We bring a truly interdisciplinary approach to the science, leveraging the power of the UNL and UNMC collaboration."

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GOV. PILLEN AND NEBRASKA TRADE DELEGATION TELL OF EXPERIENCES IN JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA

LINCOLN- Last week, Gov. Pillen, alongside a delegation of local business leaders, traveled to Japan and South Korea to grow trade relations. On Monday, Pillen, speaking from Japan, said that he and the delegation had made great strides with Japanese and South Korean leaders, as well as with international businesses and trade partners like Kawasaki Motors.

"The part I'm most proud of is we've really had what I would call tangible meetings that are going to result in a lot of business taking place that's going to be beneficial for Nebraska," said Pillen in a phone conference. While the governor didn't detail the creation of any new trade initiatives, he confirmed that that delegation was promoting the growth of the state's clean hydrogen sector, as well as the state's agriculture.

In South Korea, the group met with officials from SK Inc., which seeks to make carbon-neutral energy accessible to global markets. Pillen, whose family runs a Columbus-based hog operation, said he was thankful to see Japanese officials tout Nebraska's pork and eggs, which are two of the state's largest exports. Jason Ball, president of the Lincoln Chamber, also said he felt proud to hear Kawasaki leadership "bragging" about Nebraska's workforce and skills. Kawasaki, next year, is to mark 50 years of operating in Lincoln.

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NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE HIRES OUTSIDE LAWYER TO ADVISE ABOUT WORK OF INSPECTORS GENERAL

LINCOLN- Following a recent opinion issued by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, the Nebraska Legislature hired an outside lawyer to help senators find a legislative solution after the powers of the state's inspectors general relating to child welfare and corrections were limited. The lawyer was hired by Speaker of the Legislature John Arch and Sen. Tom Briese, chair of the executive committee, after some lawmakers had "expressed serious concern about the impact this opinion could have on the Legislaturte's ability to conduct meaningful oversight."

Briese, in a letter detailing the hiring, told his colleagues that they would benefit from the outside opinion, but didn't specify how much it will cost taxpayers. Marnie Jensen, an attorney at Husch Blackwell, was the lawyer hired on to the role. Speaker Arch said her goal will be to help the Nebraska Legislature guide its inspectors general in such a manner so as to not give them unfettered access to state data from the executive and judicial branches.

In 2021, Jensen worked with the Legislature's special investigative committee on child welfare in eastern Nebraska. Her hiring was prompted by Attorney General Mike Hilgers arguing that the legislature-created inspectors general had too much control and access to government data from other branches, violating the state's separation of powers. Part of the problem, wrote Hilgers, was the lack of direct legislative oversight of the inspectors general, who were given, by state law, a lot of independence.

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LINCOLN SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ACKNOWLEDGES AN ALLEGATION HE MADE AGAINST FORMER EMPLOYER WAS FALSE

LINCOLN- In a court filing last week, Lincoln's new superintendent Paul Gausman acknowledged that he had filed a false allegation against his former employer. Gausman, who was recently hired by Lincoln Public Schools, sued Iowa's Sioux City Community Schools in 2022, alleging that they had violated open meeting laws.

In the lawsuit, Gausman called for the judge to remove four school board members with whom he had clashed, more than half of the board. The lawsuit was prompted by allegations that Gausman had attempted to bribe two incoming school board members in November of 2021 to back his pick for board president. When asked about this, Gausman said he had "no comments on matters involving litigation at the advice of counsel."

Part of Gausman's lawsuit alleged that the Sioux City board had failed to properly notify of a January 2022 meeting, which was to discuss the superintendent's job performance. It said that the board "did not notify either Dr. Gausman or the public that Defendants intended to go into closed session to discuss him or a complaint," leading him to argue that it broke open meeting laws.

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FORUM SPARKS QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO TAP INTO MILLIONS THE LEGISLATURE EARMARKED FOR NORTH AND SOUTH OMAHA

OMAHA- During a Saturday forum, State Sens. Terrell McKinney and Justin Wayne were bombarded with questions aiming to help clarify the new road map for the disbursement of roughly $225 million in state grants to help rejuvenate North and South Omaha. "It's not ideal, but it's the process we have to work through," said McKinney of the disbursement selection process, which will now be headed by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

Many of those in the crowd said they were confused by the eight possible grant categories created by the Department, as well as how their businesses or projects might fit into one or the other. Others weren't sure who or what qualified for the grants. As specified under the new law that allowed for the grant, only around 365 private, public, and nonprofit organizations in North and South Omaha, that received similar funding last year, will be eligible to re-apply. Last year's requests were compiled by Olsson Consulting Firm, and the data was used this year by DED officials to recommend 35 frontrunner projects to serve as a "base" for their scoring of other businesses.

Community activist Vickey Parks, who spoke alongside McKinney and Wayne, wanted to know why DED officials weren't at the meeting to "explain this foolishness." Ultimately, however, the questions asked at the forum will be presented to the DED, who will then produce an official response better laying out the steps of the awarding process. Questions arose regarding the absence of Sens. Vargas and McDonnell, who both represent parts of South Omaha, at the forum.

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POPULISTS WIN SARPY GOP LEADERSHIP RACE AFTER OUSTING 50-PLUS MEMBERS FROM VOTING

OMAHA- Last Thursday, the Sarpy County GOP was shaken up after elections were held that changed a large portion of party leadership. The election occurred during the County GOP's most recent central committee meeting, and saw former Papillion City Council candidate Micahel Tiedman beat Sarpy County Vice Chair Michael Cook for the position of Party Chairman. Tiedman won on a 50-23 vote.

Many of those backing Tiedman said the win validated their documented complaints against former Sarpy GOP Chair Nora Sandine, who they claim mismanaged the party and broke county rules. Big names were also removed from the county party, including U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, Papillion Mayor David Black, Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov, and State Sen. Rita Sanders. Many of those removed had previously supported Sandine.

Representatives of the new party leadership said the removals were due to a failure to meet the party's requirement for meeting attendance or county residency. Rep. Bacon said he was sad to see the purge in leadership, but also that he had missed many meetings while serving in Washington, D.C. "I really appreciate Nora and the Sarpy County folks for allowing myself and other elected officials to still be a member of the central committee because we are elected," said Bacon.

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NEBRASKA LAUNCHES MEDICAID REGISTRATION PROGRAM FOR INMATES NEARING RELEASE

LINCOLN- More than a year after the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill meant to help incarcerated Nebraskans access health care coverage upon their release, two state agencies have partnered up and announced their plans to implement the program. The law, sponsored by former Sen. Steve Lathrop, requires the state to provide in-person, over-the-phone, or video conference assistance to inmates attempting to apply for Medicaid benefits at least 60 days before their release.

It also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to process each inmate's medical assistance program application at a pace that ensures the inmate's coverage is effective no later than the day of their release. DHHS has partnered with the Nebraska Department of Corrections to implement the program. "Access to medical and mental healthcare services is key to establishing a stable and healthy life after incarceration," said Rob Jeffreys, Nebraska's Director of Corrections, adding that the program is "essential to a system where we as Nebraska prioritize our citizens and their needs."

Under the law, inmates can elect not to apply for coverage, and the two state departments operating the program are not required to provide assistance when inmates are already enrolled in a medical assistance program with suspended coverage. The law also does not guarantee inmates coverage. They must first demonstrate their need for Medicaid, which is usually done by providing the state with details relating to income, age, and disabilities.

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WARHORSE LINCOLN SEES SURGE OF BETTING AFTER FOOTBALL STARTS

LINCOLN- According to Lynne McNally, CEO of the Nebraska Horsemen and partner at Ho-Chunk Inc., who operate WarHorse Casino in Lincoln, betting is really ramping up in Nebraska as the country eases into football season. "People are buying into the hype," she said, "Maybe there's something to it." Indeed, bets on the college football national championship are already rolling in, with 130-1 Nebraskans believing the Colorado Buffaloes have a shot at it, according to Jason Johnston, WarHorse's sportsbook manager.

"My guess is that the bets we took were even at longer odds prior to last week," he said. Although the Buffaloes have been doing well thus far, it seems that Nebraska's loss to them prompted the surge in betting. However, McNally is skeptical. "I think they're going to crash and burn eventually, but maybe not. I don't know for sure, but it's going to be interesting to see," she said. Either way, betting is on the rise in Nebraska, especially after the opening week of the NFL last week.

"Football is the most wagered-on sport in the country," said Johnston, "It's clear that Nebraskans enjoyed the opportunity to do so in their home state." However, local will be unable to wager on Nebraska's upcoming game against Northern Illinois, since they're playing in the state. Despite this, Johnston is confident. "We don't anticipate much of a drop-off," he said, "There are still plenty of other games outside the state that have people interested. Although August's gambling tax numbers, released by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, only showed modest gains over July, September's tax receipts are expected to jump significantly.

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GOV. PILLEN APPOINTS SEN. TOM BRIESE AS NEW STATE TREASURER

LINCOLN- On Thursday, following several weeks of reviewing applications, Gov. Jim Pillen announced that state Sen. Tom Briese will assume the role of Nebraska State Treasurer, replacing former Treasurer John Murante, who resigned from the position to head the state's Retirement Agency. Currently, Briese serves as the chairman of the Legislature's Executive Board, but applied for the $85,000 a year treasurer's job because he hopes to continue serving the public in office.

"I have truly enjoyed my time in the Legislature and am proud of the accomplishments achieved during my tenure, as well as the relationships that were forged," said Briese following the announcement, "I look forward to this new opportunity." Pillen, despite hearing from a slew of other qualified applicants for the role, said he selected Briese because he "has the respect of his peers and has been a great representative for District 41," adding that Briese has been, during his time in the Legislature, "a proven leader on tax policy reform."

Outgoing Treasurer John Murante is set to leave his post on September 18th, and Briese will assume the role on November 1st. In the meantime, Gov. Pillen announced that he will act in the formal role of treasurer, with Assistant State Treasurer Rachel Biar handling the office's day-to-day duties. Briese will first face voters as treasurer in 2026, the end of Murante's current term. Gov. Pillen will have to select a new state senator to replace Briese in District 41, which encompasses Ord, Albion, Dannebrog, and Wood River.

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GROUP SEEKS TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE TO STATE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM

LINCOLN- A new local taskforce is seeking to come up with ideas to transform Nebraska's child welfare system, which they say is flawed. A state law passed in 2022 by the Nebraska Legislature allowed for the creation of the group, which will utilize input from all three branches of state government, as well as several key stakeholders.

The group's overarching mission is to "reimagine child and family well-being. "Reimagining the way child welfare practice and financing is handled here in the state," said John Stephen, the managing partner at the Stephen Group, a national organization hired by the state workgroup to hold listening sessions with stakeholders across the state.

One of these stakeholders is Monika Gross, who directs the Foster Care Review Office. "It's a good time, I think, to kind of revisit how we do child welfare and child and family well-being in the state of Nebraska," Gross said. Her reasoning for this revisitation is because of the state's rehandling of child welfare cases previously managed by St. Francis Ministries, as well as the fact that the state has a new governor and Department of Health and Human Services director.

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THE FAILED RED WAY EXPERIMENT WON'T STOP LINCOLN AIRPORT'S QUEST TO LAND MORE FLIGHTS

LINCOLN- Although the Lincoln Airport is pretty much back to where it was three months ago, before it had hired the now-failed Red Way Airlines, the Lincoln Airport Authority Board is optimistic that it will be able to lure in air services and expand even further. Some argue that, had it been given more funding, Red Way would've been able to continue offering flights, but several Board members are still disappointed in the company's performance.

"We either need more time in the beginning or more money," said Dave Haring, Lincoln Airport's executive director, "If this had been $5 million, as opposed to $3 million, and again, hindsight being what it is, could you have gotten to October and made the decisions necessary to tweak the program?" To that, Haring says maybe. While Haring, like the Airport Authority Board members, was disappointed in the results of the Red Way experiment, he recognized that these are dicey and uncertain times in the air industry.

More risks, like Red Way, are expected to be taken in the future by the Lincoln Airport, especially if the facility is to grow. However, those attached to the Airport are optimistic. "While Lincoln may have encountered a setback, they should not lose sight of the determination and partnership it took to attempt new solutions that could enhance connectivity and accessibility for Nebraska residents," said Martin Lenss, chairman of the Air Services Committee for the American Association of Airport Executives.

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