Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 76 - 95 of 95
The process may be a little different for the May 12 Primary Election in Nebraska, but registered voters in the state will still have the opportunity for in-person voting. During a recent press conference, Governor Pete Ricketts announced the primary election will continue as scheduled. Ricketts emphasized that fulfilling the state's duty to carry out elections is vital to the health of the democratic republic. Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen confirmed polling sites will be open for...
North Central District Health Department reported Monday they were made aware of a positive COVID-19 case in Antelope County. The individual and family are in quarantine. According to a press release from NCDHD, public health officials have initiated contact investigations and have been assessing potential exposure. All identified close contacts will self-quarantine, at home, and be actively monitored twice daily by public health officials for fever and respiratory symptoms. Community exposure...
UPDATED: APRIL 1, 2020 @ 8:04 P.M. North Central District Health Department, in communication with state officials, have signed the NCDHD counties, including Antelope, Boyd, Brown, Cherry, Holt, Keya Paha, Knox, Pierce and Rock, into the Directed Health Measures, effective April 1, at 10 p.m., through May 11, unless the order is extended. Please read the Directed Health Measures in full carefully, they can be found on the Department of Health and Human Services website at htt...
The first deaths in Nebraska, related to COVID-19, were reported Friday. According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, a 50-year-old man from Douglas County, with underlying health concerns, is believed to be the first Nebraskan to die from COVID-19. The man, who had been in self-isolation at home since March 11, had contact with a known COVID-19 case out of state. Dr. Adi Pour, director of the Douglas County Health Department, expressed sympathy to the family and said,...
Chubby Checker's 1959 classic "The Twist" blasted from cars, pickups, SUVs and the occasional minivan traveling the main drag in area towns Saturday night. Unlike a scene from the 1950s or early '60s, carloads of teenagers didn't unload and fill a local malt shop, sharing cheeseburgers and sipping chocolate shakes from separate straws. In the age of COVID-19, participants of the Coronavirus Cruise Night, sponsored by KBRX, in O'Neill, remained in their vehicles, took a few whips along Main...
The Legislature was called back into session March 23 to pass emergency funding relating to the spread of coronavirus. An amendment was added to LB 1198, a bill that originally sought to appropriate funding for the restoration of doors to the legislative chamber. LB 1198 had already received first-round approval. An amendment offered by the chair of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. John Stinner, struck the original content of the bill and replaced it with an appropriation of $83.6 million from...
Rural communities are showcasing resiliency by ensuring kids are fed during widespread school closures caused by coronavirus. With so many uncertainties surrounding us, where the next meal is coming from should not be one of them. This should especially not be a concern for growing young bodies who happen to be our rural legacy. In West Point, all students will be provided free breakfast and lunch while school is closed. Households pick up meals at regular bus stops in town and in nearby communities the school also serves. Other rural schools...
Governor Pete Ricketts welcomed news that the Small Business Administration has issued a statewide economic injury declaration for Nebraska. The declaration qualifies small businesses throughout the state to apply for SBA disaster assistance loans. “As Nebraska steps up its efforts to combat coronavirus, we’ve limited the size of public gatherings and asked people to stay home when possible,” said Ricketts. “These temporary measures are vitally important to public health, but they present challenges for the day-to-day operations of many sm...
The first deaths in Nebraska, related to COVID-19, were reported Friday. According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, a 50-year-old man from Douglas County, with underlying health concerns, is believed to be the first Nebraskan to die from COVID-19. The man, who had been in self-isolation at home since March 11, had contact with a known COVID-19 case out of state. Dr. Adi Pour, director of the Douglas County Health Department, expressed sympathy to the family and said,...
Governor Pete Ricketts announced he is requesting $58.6 million of emergency funding from the Nebraska Legislature to support the state’s efforts to combat coronavirus 2019 disease. Dr. Gary Anthone, the state’s chief medical officer, joined the governor for Friday’s press conference. He overviewed the state’s procedures to test patients for COVID-19 and trace contacts of anyone testing positive for the disease. He also talked about how the state and the medical community are expanding capacity to perform tests. Ricketts was also joined...
Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company will offer a one gigabyte credit for customers with a student at home, per closed school day, per student, during the coronavirus outbreak. Customers with students at home, college or otherwise, are asked to complete the form at https://nntc.net/closed-school-student-form/. Proof of the student's identity and school will be needed. Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company recognizes the importance of internet to do schoolwork from home with the possibility of...
The need for blood donations is always present. According to Governor Pete Ricketts, approximately 4,000 blood drives across the country have been canceled since the COVID-19 pandemic began. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued a call to action Monday afternoon, requesting healthy and able individuals donate blood. "If you want to contribute, please visit aabb.org/giveblood and make an appointment in advance. This will help manage the influx of incoming donors and ensure social distancing me...
By now, you’ve more than likely seen photos on social media or in other media outlets showing bare shelves in grocery stores. Those photos give the appearance that America is running out of food (and toilet paper, but that’s another issue). Those photos lead to unnecessary panic and anxiety. While a picture is worth a thousand words, those photos don’t tell the whole story. Ask dairy farmers and meat producers. The food supply chain isn’t empty. In many cases, a large surplus of goods is stoc...
COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, has begun to dominate the headlines. To say that events are unfolding rapidly on a global, national, state and even local level, would seem an enormous understatement. We are in uncharted waters, with many unknowns. But the goal needs to be to reduce the spread and impact as best we can, in order to protect the most vulnerable among us. That means adhering to the recommendations of our experts on issues such as hygiene and social distancing. Besides the obvious...
Despite ongoing concerns about the outbreak of COVID-19, the Nebraska Legislature stayed in session March 9 through March 12 and had all-day floor debates. However, concerns about the coronavirus outbreak may force the Nebraska Legislature to suspend the session, according to Patrick O’Donnell, clerk of the Legislature. Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer made the decision to halt the session, March 16. For now, O’Donnell said everyone at the Nebraska State Capitol is doing what they can to prevent the virus from spreading among leg...
In a proactive effort to prevent the potential for spread of the coronavirus disease at its facilities, parks and events, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is limiting some public access. The commission aims to protect its staff and customers by removing opportunities for crowds to gather at facilities and events and by maintaining clean facilities. To do so, the agency has taken the following steps: -- All agency-sponsored events and activities scheduled through May 31 have been canceled. This includes the Cornhusker Trap Shoot, National...
After much speculation regarding the future of the Nebraska Legislature, Speaker Jim Scheer announced in a statement Monday morning that the current session will not reconvene Tuesday and is postponed until further notice. The announcement came after legislative officials hinted last week that senators may not reconvene for the 41st day of the session due to concerns over COVID-19. Over the weekend, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended organized events with 50 or more people be postponed or canceled for the next eight...
Organizations and institutions across Nebraska are taking precautionary measures amidst concerns about COVID-19. While no cases have been reported in Antelope, Holt or Wheeler counties, the North Central District Health Department has identified a presumptive positive case in Knox County. NCDHD received notification a Cherry County individual tested negative for the disease. Here is a list of cancellations, as of Friday, March 13: Fish fries On Thursday, the Archdiocese of Omaha requested its...
Sometimes, human nature amazes me ... and not in a good way. The entire coronavirus conversation makes me shake my head. While I understand worse-case scenarios are often used as a prompt to get people to think, a little common sense, a dollop of soap and a lot of hot water should clear up any misconceptions. Here’s what we know for sure: • As of March 9, 555 confirmed cases have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with individuals from 35 states and the District of...
At some point, most people have experienced sniffling, aching, coughing, stuffy head and fever associated with the human coronavirus. But symptoms of the common cold differ from COVID-19, a new or novel disease not previously seen in humans. Here's what is known, according to Dr. Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology at Harvard Medical School: • COVID-19 first appeared in Wuhan, China, on Dec. 8, 2019; • Officials assumed the virus was caused by zoonotic - animal to human - tra...
