News
Northeast Nebraska officials vent frustration on delayed expressway work
LINCOLN — Leaders from Norfolk, Columbus and northeast Nebraska expressed frustration Monday that a 34-year-old plan to link the state’s largest communities with four-lane expressways is still far from being completed. The grumbling came during a public hearing on a proposal by State Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk to require the Nebraska Department of Transportation […]
State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks formally enters Nebraska’s 1st District race
LINCOLN — State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks pledged to put “people over politics” on Monday as she officially registered as a Democratic candidate in eastern Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District. “The numbers have changed in CD1 so I’m really optimistic about the ability to win this race,” Pansing Brooks said. She was referring to the recent […]
Bacon leads the Omaha-area pack in 2nd District House fundraising
U.S. Rep. Don Bacon heads into the 2022 re-election year with nearly $1 million in the bank and a pair of Democrats raising enough money to wage a competitive primary to face him. Bacon raised about $728,000 in the final quarter of 2021, based on year-end fundraising reports filed by Monday’s deadline. His fundraising rebounded […]
NU Law program recognized for its tenant assistance project
The University of Nebraska College of Law was among the 99 law schools that responded to the U.S. Attorney General’s call in August to help people in their communities access emergency rental assistance. Law schools overall acted with urgency, the Justice Department said, and over the past five months have continued to draw upon resources […]
Flood’s fundraising surges, Fortenberry’s sputters
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9:30 p.m. Monday. LINCOLN — U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s campaign fundraising took a hit after he was indicted last October, accused of lying to federal investigators. Fortenberry, a nine-term Republican, raised just $70,000 from donors during the last three months of 2021. By comparison, he raised more than […]
Schools provide ‘kindling’ for COVID outbreaks in the community, officials say
LINCOLN — Schools provide the “kindling” for viral outbreaks, and schoolchildren are getting infected at higher rates right now, making it essential that more kids get vaccinated for COVID-19, two health experts said Sunday. Only 18.5% of children 5-11 years old in Nebraska have been vaccinated so far, and 51.1% of youths 12-19 have gotten […]
New funding for rural housing programs seen as ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ boost
AURORA, Nebraska — This city has a problem shared by lots of rural communities across the state: plenty of jobs but a shortage of housing for local workers. Local real estate agents relate stories of prospective buyers waiting months before they find the right house. One family, they say, lived in a trailer for several […]
Nebraska utilities say Bostelman plan to avoid rolling blackouts is unnecessary
LINCOLN — Representatives of the state’s public utilities lined up last week to oppose a bill that was portrayed as a way to avoid the rolling blackouts of last year’s polar vortex. No one testified in favor of a proposal presented Thursday to the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee by State Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard, […]
Creighton Law School steps up
Creighton University in Omaha was among 99 law schools recognized Friday by the Biden administration for their response to the U.S. attorney general’s call to address the housing and eviction crisis. Attorney General Merrick Garland said he asked the legal community for help, and law students and lawyers across the country stepped up to take on […]
Omaha explores new 72nd and Dodge library branch
Omahans might see a new and different library facility rise southwest of the busy 72nd and Dodge Streets intersection. That public library, which is not a done deal, is separate from the City of Omaha’s ongoing and controversial process to relocate the downtown W. Dale Clark Library to 1401 Jones St. Mutual of Omaha said […]
Republican Lindstrom touts teamwork, ‘new generation leadership’ in first ad
The first television ad from Republican gubernatorial candidate Brett Lindstrom emphasizes his “teamwork” as a Nebraska football player and says he would bring “a new generation of leadership” to the state. The ad launched Friday. Lindstrom, a state senator and Omaha financial adviser, faces an uphill battle to match the spending of the two most […]
Nebraska lawmakers overcome filibuster, pass ‘Convention of States’ resolution
LINCOLN — Nebraska became the 17th state on Friday to pass a resolution calling for a “Convention of States” to draft proposed constitutional amendments to limit federal spending, impose term limits on U.S. senators and representatives and reduce the size of federal government. State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings and 18 co-sponsors, all Republican, proposed […]