Humanities Desk

A festival in the Omaha-metro area highlights Latinas in what some may view as unconventional. The Midwest Chingona Fest empowers women by directly combatting a centuries-old philosophy.

More than 4,800 students are considered homeless in Nebraska, and school districts can do only so much to help. Many rely on partnerships with local organizations to support student needs outside of school.

Queer Nite, an organization in Omaha, celebrated an event called "Out in the Park" Sunday afternoon. It celebrated Omaha’s LGBTQ+ history through drag performances as well as promoting the Queer History of Omaha Mapping Project and UNO’s Queer Omaha Archives.

Election officials and security experts from across the country met in Omaha Wednesday to discuss how to mitigate security risks ahead of the general election. Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen said each ballot counting machine is tested three times prior to election day and county websites are monitored for cybersecurity threats weekly. He encouraged citizens to volunteer as poll workers and election observers to see the process firsthand.

Lincoln’s South Branch Library unveiled its new mural Wednesday. The library chose Chloe Burgett (BUR-Gitt), a local children’s book artist, to paint the installation. The process began in September with a community event where people from the neighborhood painted the background.

Republican Congressman Don Bacon and Democratic State Senator Tony Vargas clashed over issues of abortion, public safety and bipartisanship during their second debate Tuesday evening hosted by Nebraska Public Media. Vargas touted his record of cutting taxes in the Unicameral and criticized Bacon for cosponsoring the Life At Conception Act three times. Bacon spoke about his ability to work across the aisle in Washington, while accusing Vargas of being anti-police.

A Monday morning explosion in O’Neill Nebraska destroyed the St. Patrick’s Parish Center and damaged a nearby school and hospital. There are no injuries reported, but patients at Avera (uh-VAIR-uh) Saint Anthony’s Hospital were evacuated to another hospital and classes were canceled at St. Mary’s Grade School and High School. An investigation from the Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s office is ongoing into the cause of the explosion.

A Monday morning explosion in O’Neill Nebraska destroyed the St. Patrick’s Parish Center and damaged a nearby school and hospital. There are no injuries reported, but patients at Avera (uh-VAIR-uh) Saint Anthony’s Hospital were evacuated to another hospital and classes were canceled at St. Mary’s Grade School and High School. An investigation from the Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s office is ongoing into the cause of the explosion.

Every month tens of thousands of people go through the process to become U-S citizens—with hundreds choosing to have their naturalization ceremony in Nebraska. Dozens of New Americans in Grand Island became U.S. citizens this year with a main goal in mind: participating in the election.

The State Board of Education discussed a policy arming authorized school staff in smaller school districts at its meeting Friday.