Social Services
Diplomats from south of the U.S. border open two new consulates to serve Nebraska migrants
OMAHA — A third Latin American government is setting up an Omaha office to serve its citizens who have settled across Nebraska — a sign of continued cultural shifts and an unprecedented consular presence in the Cornhusker state. When the Consulate of Guatemala officially opens in a few weeks, it will join the nearby Consulate […]
Nebraska state treasurer tapped to head state retirement agency
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional detail and comments from Jason Hayes and Gov. Jim Pillen. LINCOLN — Nebraska’s state constitutional officers will be getting a shake-up this year after a state agency selected Treasurer John Murante on Monday as its next director. The Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Board voted 6-0 (with member […]
Labor trafficking in Nebraska, how prevalent is it? UNO research team aims to find out.
OMAHA — Local university researchers are embarking on a two-year probe into how widespread illegal labor trafficking is in Nebraska. Boosted by a roughly $500,000 grant from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the project is led by Teresa Kulig and Sadaf Hashimi, both assistant professors of criminal justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. […]
Disabled state employee wins grievance over ‘essential functions’ of job
LINCOLN — A disabled state employee, fired because he couldn’t perform an “essential function” of his job assessing people for state benefits, recently won a grievance reversing his dismissal and awarding him back pay. Shawn Paillot was a community coordinator in the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, performing assessments of people applying for […]
Nebraska Lutheran Family Services cuts HQ space, but still grows
OMAHA — Nebraska’s 130-year-old Lutheran Family Services has settled into its new and smaller headquarters in central Omaha, and is making adjustments to some satellite sites across the state. Many of the shifts respond to efficiencies honed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the statewide human services nonprofit had to pivot to more online services and […]
Two NE nonprofits to host free Omaha clinic on building generational wealth
LINCOLN — Two Nebraska organizations are partnering to offer free individualized sessions Aug. 12 on how homeowners can build generational wealth. The Omaha sessions will delve into how the homeowner can have more control over the future of their home, and how family benefits can accrue from that asset. The generational wealth clinic sessions, co-hosted […]
State auditor accuses Omaha couple of culling excess payments from nonprofit
LINCOLN — Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley, in a report issued Wednesday, accused an Omaha-area couple of using their influence to obtain excess profits from an agency that provides services for the developmentally disabled. Rhonda Bojanski had been the director of Milestones Disability Service of Omaha. She and her husband, Randall, had provided management services […]
Wayward dog gets private flight home after being lost in North Platte
Update: Chewy was officially home and reunited with family as of about 11 a.m. Sunday. LINCOLN — Behold the love of pets. A dog that ran away in North Platte, Nebraska, a week ago is getting a private flight home to Tennessee this weekend to be reunited with his family. “Chewy,” a 10-year-old Border Collie, […]
Nearly $2 million grant seeks to reduce brain injury related to partner abuse
OMAHA — A nearly $2 million grant to the University of Nebraska Medical Center aims to help reduce brain injuries and improve outcomes for survivors of intimate partner violence. The funding from the National Institutes of Health will allow UNMC to collaborate with community-based organizations that work with domestic violence across Nebraska. The investigatory team, […]
Report says better suicide-prevention training needed for those involved in child welfare system
LINCOLN — A new state watchdog report says there’s a lack of suicide awareness and prevention training for those working in the Nebraska child welfare system. The Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare, in its report, recommended that because of a higher risk of suicide among youths involved in the welfare system, “consistent training” and […]
The poverty-fighting ‘Center for People’ makes new moves in Lincoln
LINCOLN — In operation now for 20 years, Lincoln’s Center for People in Need is shortening its name, updating its brand, enhancing employment services and moving into more visible space. Now to be called the Center for People, the nonprofit serving low-income clients plans an Aug. 12 event in its parking lot to celebrate past […]
AARP pitches in to help Omaha’s affordable housing plight
OMAHA — A national organization aimed at making life easier for the 50-and-older crowd has jumped in to do its part for Omaha’s affordable housing crunch. AARP’s Nebraska chapter recognizes that different residential options and designs can lighten the load for all ages, including those in or nearing retirement, said state director Todd Stubbendieck. He […]