Humanities Desk

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen ceremonially signed legislation to aid Nebraska National Guard recruitment efforts Monday. He was joined by state senators Tom Brewer, Rita Sanders and Loren Lippincott. Adjutant general for the Nebraska National Guard, Craig Strong, thanked the legislature and encouraged them to continue to reach out to service members for new legislative ideas.

Former Nebraska regent and Omaha businessman Howard Hawks died at age 89 on Dec. 6. Hawks served 18 years as a board member for the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. He also co-founded one of the largest independent energy companies in the country, Tenaska.

A bust of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled at the state capitol building Friday. It was given by the Consulate General of India in Seattle and will be located in Governor Jim Pillen’s hearing room. Pillen also declared December 6 as “A Day of Remembrance for Mahatma Gandhi” throughout the state of Nebraska.

The 76th annual Nebraska State Christmas tree lighting ceremony is Sunday and will be held at the capitol in Lincoln. The tree was donated by Pat and Terry Hastreiter. The couple said they heard about the search in the newspaper and thought to enter their four spruce trees for consideration.

Charles Hoffman, a spokesperson for the Air Force Global Strike Command, says the wing will allow the Air Force to improve nuclear communications, command and control. The 95th Wing is expected to add around 70 personnel to the base and be fully operational by January.

A wood building material can be used in high-rise structures, giving it the potential to replace materials that are bad for the climate, while also locking carbon into buildings for decades.

BMO employees and United Way of the Midlands volunteers assembled more than 200 homeless outreach kits for Giving Tuesday. New Visions Homeless Services will distribute the kits across the Omaha metro area. United Way of the Midlands spokesperson Carmen Steele says the process was rewarding and she is thankful for the work of the volunteers.

The Nebraska State Board of Canvassers met to certify the results of the 2024 general election Monday afternoon. Deputy Secretary of State for Elections Wayne Bena said nearly 70,000 ballots were hand counted after the election and only 7 had discrepancies between the hand count and machine count. Bena said the implementation of voter ID had a negligible effect on the election and fewer than 350 ballots were rejected due to the new requirement.

It’s been 79 years since the end of World War Two, where an estimated 15 million lives were lost. Some families got to bury their loved ones, but others were left with more questions than answers. A family in Syracuse recently had they're 80-year mystery answered and more.

It’s been 79 years since the end of World War Two, where an estimated 15 million lives were lost. Some families got to bury their loved ones, but others were left with more questions than answers. A family in Syracuse recently had they're 80-year mystery answered and more.