Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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The Legislature's Appropriations Committee has signed off on providing the funds to build a $366 million prison in the Lincoln-Omaha area just as the Department of Corrections brings on a new director who appears to favor programming and investing in the humanity of the incarcerated. That brings some hope to a small but fierce band of senators who don't think building is the best way out of the problem for the nation's most overcrowded prison system. The money is a big part of the budget which...
Last summer, Imperial farmer Dirk Haarberg made the hard decision to let some of his milo crop die. The heat and the wind had proven too much and Haarberg needed to save water for his other cornfields. Haarberg's water pumps also ran nonstop, he said during an interview, drawing more water than usual from the Ogallala Aquifer to feed the thirsty crops he was keeping alive. "We don't overwater, but when it was as dry as it was last summer, there's not much you can do but just water 24 hours a...
Pretend for a moment that Nebraska somehow halted all use of nitrogen fertilizer – not a single speck more on our lawns, golf courses and corn fields. What would happen? Nothing fast. That's because, experts say, generations of corn growing, feedlot runoff and oft-unwitting nitrogen overuse has left a legacy of nitrate, creeping slowly downward toward our water supply. "It's there, it's moving towards the groundwater, and there's not a thing we can do about it," said Don Batie, a farmer near L...
Nick Herringer claps along with a metronome. He draws lines on a big screen, repeating patterns drawn by the computer. He identifies icons of cars when they flash before his eyes. This is the 22-year-old's speech and cognitive therapy, which he has been doing at least twice a week. Every week. For three years. Nick's thick brown hair hides a massive, ear-to-ear scar from his four brain surgeries for glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer he has battled since he was a teenager. His mom, Tammy Herringer, drives Nick to therapy and back. She...
In 2024, NASA will send a small surgical robot from Nebraska to the International Space Station. The tiny, two-pound robot will be able to perform surgeries on the space station that would normally require a surgeon’s expertise and much larger equipment. The surgical robot can operate more or less on its own, performing complex procedures at the flip of a switch. The device, developed by Nebraska-based Virtual Incision, is a significant step toward making it possible for surgeons to operate r...
A spark. That’s all it takes to ignite a wildfire. With the pheasant and rifle deer season openers rapidly approaching, hunters are reminded to act responsibly in the field and to do their part in the prevention of wildfires. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln drought monitor, 80% of the state is experiencing severe to exceptional drought conditions. These prolonged conditions have increased the risk of wildfires across much of the state, and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission urges hunters to take the following precautions: R...
When Dr. Dana Suskind takes a child from the arms of their worried parents and heads into the operating room, she knows the great responsibility of performing surgery on the delicate structure of the ear won't fall on her alone. To conduct cochlear implant surgeries, the pediatric surgeon relies on a team. Nurses. An anesthesiologist. Everyone pitches in and has a critical role to play, checking instruments or monitoring vital signs. All work together for the good of their tiny patient. So why,...
Every fall, spring and summer, my office provides some outstanding college students with the opportunity to intern in Washington, D.C. or at one of our state offices. These internships give students the chance to learn more about public policy, our system of government and constituent service. This summer, I welcomed four interns to our D.C. team. These college students are all from Nebraska and, over the last eight weeks, they have done important work on behalf of the state. I am always...
Nebraskans have achieved a great deal despite extraordinary challenges over the past few years. Looking around the country, I have no doubt our state is in a stronger position than most as we move past the pandemic. I’m proud to say the University of Nebraska System is part of that success story. When Covid-19 hit, we acted decisively for the benefit of the state. We created the Nebraska Promise, providing tuition-free education to qualifying Nebraskans. We launched a plan to partner with s...
About a mile and one-half east of Concord, in the rolling hills of Dixon County, is the Haskell Agriculture Laboratory or HAL. HAL, owned by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is where agricultural research projects are being put to the test on the land. On Wednesday, Aug. 3, all are invited to take a look at what HAL has to offer, visit with experts and ask agriculture-related questions during the Science and Ag Family Field Day. Events will start at 9 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m....
The University of Nebraska System will work to set “a new model for student access and success” and invest in people, workforce development and research strengths, under an updated strategic plan released recently by President Ted Carter. The plan – an update of the document the NU System created in 2020, following a collaborative process with students, faculty, staff and stakeholders from across the campuses – is accompanied by new sets of metrics by which the university will measure its progress in key areas like enrollment, student outcome...
This spring we celebrated 7,200 new graduates of the University of Nebraska – new Husker, Maverick, Loper and UNMC alumni who are future leaders of our state. It’s one of my favorite times of year. Commencement brings to life the fundamental reason why public higher education exists: To create opportunities for students to build a better future for themselves and the world around them. Each graduating class of the University of Nebraska transforms our state in ways that are impossible to qua...
It’s an exciting time of year. The robes, mortar boards and tassels are on display as Nebraska’s graduates are celebrating with their friends and loved ones. I am always so encouraged to see our state’s young people succeed and pursue new opportunities. Graduates, congratulations on your achievements. I know I join Nebraskans all across our state in saying how proud we are of you. These moments can feel bittersweet as you reflect on what you have accomplished and the fond memories of your past...
LEO ADAM BIGA Flatwater Free Press University of Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook entered the 2009 season having won 281 of his first 300 games – a ridiculous .937 winning percentage. At age 52, he had already won two national titles. But, inside, Cook didn't feel like how you are supposed to feel when you reach the summit. Instead, even as his squad went 31-3 and reached the Final Four that year, Cook felt empty. Lost. He felt like a failure. "I thought I had it figured out and then it a...
Nebraska News Service As Pat Mooney walked around the dugout, he overheard Kyle Kubat. “Never have and never will,” Kubat muttered. Kubat was pitching in the Nebraska Class A American Division State Legion baseball championship against Papillion La Vista South. Creighton Prep won the game 10-1 and Kubat did not disappoint. He pitched eight innings, struck out 12 and added a home run to boot. After the game, Creighton Prep head baseball coach Pat Mooney asked Kubat what his pregame phrase meant. “He told me this team has never beat me and never...
In 2011, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services wrote a bill that would allow well-behaved prisoners the chance to shorten their time behind bars. Eleven years later, that same department is applying the resulting law in a way neither the state senator who sponsored the bill nor the then-director of Nebraska’s prisons intended. Prison officials now shorten a prisoner’s final release date, but never change the day that prisoner becomes eligible for parole. The result: Thousands of prisoners sentenced under the law have potentially sta...
LINCOLN--Higher education institutions could adopt a statewide goal aimed to increase the percentage of Nebraskans who have a postsecondary education. A legislative resolution, LR335, introduced by the Nebraska Education Committee March 16, proposes a statewide goal that at least 70% of Nebraskans, 25 to 34 years old, have a degree, certificate diploma or other recognized credential with economic value by 2030. The current attainment rate for this age group is approximately 58%, according to the resolution, and rate is about 55% for Nebraskans...
LINCOLN - Doctors may have a legal way to deny services based on their personal views, under a bill considered by the Nebraska Health and Human Services Committee, March 2. Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil introduced LB963, the Medical Ethics and Diversity Act, which would legally state medical practitioners and healthcare institutions cannot be forced to perform procedures that go against their ethical, moral or religious beliefs. This is also commonly known as a right of conscience. Medical practitioners include doctors, physicians assistants,...
Ramey Vachal, Hanna Christensen, Chin Tung Tan Nebraska News Service State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks announces run for Congress State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of District 28 announced her bid for Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District. Brooks cannot run for her state senate seat in 2022 due to term limits. The incumbent of the first district is Congressman Jeff Fortenberry. Fortenberry is under indictment for allegedly lying to the FBI and has not said if he will run again in 2022. Three snow leopards die at Lincoln Children’s Zoo due to COV...
For months, a silence fell across Nebraska’s auditoriums and theaters. Spaces where excited patrons once congregated were forced to remain empty because of COVID-19. But now, as many theaters around the state are starting their second full seasons in the pandemic, a sense of hope for venue staff abounds as they welcome patrons back in full. Located on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s campus, the Lied Center for Performing Arts must follow all COVID-19 safety protocols implemented by the university, which includes a mask mandate. Mat...
Summerland School District will feature five new staff members in the 2021-2022 school year, including one elementary and four high school educators. Staff members met for inservice training, in Orchard, Aug. 16 and 17. On Aug. 23 and 24, staff and students moved materials from the three former sites into the new facility, in preparation for the Aug. 30 start date. Jacob Goldfus His first impression of the Summerland School system and new facility can be summed up in one word: incredible. Okay,...
Antelope Memorial Hospital will soon welcome Dr. Josh Thoendel to its medical staff. Originally from rural Ewing, Thoendel is a 2002 graduate of Chambers High School. He attended college at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, graduating in May 2006 with Bachelor of Science degrees in biochemistry and math and a minor in chemistry. As an undergraduate, he was active in research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center - College of Dentistry in Lincoln for a year. He also volunteered at St....
St. Boniface and Pope John Central Catholic XXIII have announced Lisa Schumacher as principal and administrator. She assumes the position following the retirement of Betty Getzfred, who served as principal for a dozen years and spent 44 years in the school system. The announcement was made Monday, by Father John Norman, school president. A graduate of St. Boniface and Pope John, Schumacher earned an undergraduate degree in elementary and middle school education, with an emphasis in math and...
State senators are considering a bill that would create an anonymous reporting system for potential threats, assault and mental health concerns in all Nebraska K-12 schools. Had there been a system in place, like LB322 five years ago, Mark Adler is certain that his son, Reid Adler, would still be alive today. At 15 years old, Reid took his own life. Mark Adler, superintendent of Ralston Public Schools, shared his son’s story as he testified in support of the bill. “Reid was a victim of continuous cyberbullying, to the degree that he could not...
The search for a superintendent is over. Kyle Finke, elementary principal at Battle Creek Public Schools, will assume the position in official capacity, July 1. The announcement was made during Monday's Summerland School board of education meeting in Ewing. Finke attended the meeting and will begin to implement a transition plan he presented to board members during a Feb. 8 formal interview. He will assume the position following the retirement of current superintendent, Dale Martin, who...
