Briefs
Six Nebraska communities awarded grants for historic preservation
LINCOLN — A 98-year-old flour mill and a ballroom in Schuyler are among the recipients of federal grants for preserving structures on the National Register of Historic Places. Six projects will share in $328,000 worth of grants allocated by History Nebraska for communities of populations under 30,000. The Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants will be […]
Mother who lost daughter in crash urges Nebraskans to buckle up
LINCOLN — A Lexington mother who lost a daughter in a 2008 vehicle accident joined law enforcement officials last week in urging Nebraskans to buckle up. Jackie Rowan, whose daughter Erika wasn’t using a safety belt, said you never get over such a loss. “My life will never be OK, not ever,” Rowan said. “By […]
Nebraska’s latest unemployment rate drops slightly, as state yearns for more workers
LINCOLN — Nebraska’s unemployment rate has dropped from a pandemic-era high of more than 8% three years ago to 2%, according to the latest data released Friday by the Labor Department. The dip contributed to the Husker state’s top national ranking in a new report by WalletHub that considered various unemployment-related metrics over multiple years. […]
New campus opens in Lincoln for health and wellbeing. Advocates hope it’s duplicated across state.
LINCOLN — A ribbon-cutting ceremony this week celebrated the opening of the new CenterPointe Campus for Health and WellBeing. It’s the kind of facility that state lawmakers hope will be duplicated across the state to improve behavioral health treatment. On Friday, the Nebraska Legislature gave final approval to Legislative Bill 276, a measure sponsored by […]
Legislature takes steps to ensure decorum during Friday’s debate on abortion/trans health care
LINCOLN — Nebraska Legislature leaders issued a plea Friday for decorum during the expected emotional debate in the afternoon over abortion and transgender health care for minors. State Sen. John Arch, the Speaker of the Legislature, and three others senators issued a memo Friday morning to fellow senators and legislative staff laying out “ways to […]
State pays compensation to five first responders killed in action in 2022
LINCOLN — Families of five Nebraska first responders killed in the line of duty in 2022 will receive $250,000 each under a new state law that provides compensation for fallen public safety officers. The Legislature first adopted compensation in 2021, then upped the compensation from $50,000 to $250,000 last year under a bill from then-Sen. […]
Medical marijuana advocates file petition to place issue on 2024 ballot
LINCOLN — Advocates for medical marijuana announced plans Thursday to mount an initiative petition drive to place the issue on the 2024 ballot. The group, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, filed papers Thursday with the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office. Crista Eggers, who is a spokeswoman for the advocates and whose son struggles with frequent seizures, […]
Democratic attempt to expel Santos from U.S. House handed over to ethics panel
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Wednesday agreed on a motion to refer to the Ethics Committee a Democratic-sponsored resolution to expel New York Republican Rep. George Santos from Congress. The motion led by Republicans was approved 221-204, with seven Democrats voting present. The expulsion resolution introduced by freshman California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia was […]
Hartington is set to dedicate a memorial to military veterans on May 27
LINCOLN — More than three years of planning and fundraising in Hartington will culminate May 27 with the dedication of a veterans memorial in its business district. The granite, steel and concrete memorial lists names of 1,060 veterans from the northeast Nebraska community who served in the military. “Our goal was to deliver a memorial […]
Nebraska attorney general joins governor in blasting proposed federal regulation on Title IX
LINCOLN — Nebraska’s attorney general is joining Gov. Jim Pillen in condemning a recent Biden administration proposal that would make it harder for schools to block transgender youths from participating in sports based on their gender identity. Attorney General Mike Hilgers said Tuesday that he has signed onto a letter with nearly two dozen red […]
Gov. Jim Pillen tackles ‘obstacle’ to getting new teachers into Nebraska classrooms
LINCOLN — Nebraska is eliminating what Gov. Jim Pillen called a costly and unnecessary obstacle to getting new teachers into classrooms suffering from the statewide workforce shortage. Tuesday, the governor announced the repeal of Rule 23, which requires a basic skills test of math, reading and writing that budding educators must pass to get their […]
Effort to save crumbling Willa Cather birthplace appears to have succeeded
LINCOLN — A grassroots effort to save the crumbling Virginia birthplace of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Willa Cather appears to have succeeded. A Virginia realtor, Katherine Solenberger, has purchased the house to spare it from demolition, and she intends to donate it to a nonprofit within a year or so, according to Ashley Olson, executive director […]