Humanities Desk

A North Platte television news director will clean out her desk Monday night after the station fired her over the weekend for helping collect signatures for a ballot initiative to ban abortions in the neighboring town of Curtis.

The vice president and general manager of KNOP in North Platte confirmed Melanie Standiford was fired on Friday – the same day the Flatwater Free Press quoted Standiford about a petition drive in Curtis.

The Supplemental Nutrition Education Program (SNAP-Ed) is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and helps SNAP recipients learn how to eat healthy food on a budget. Its employees complain of wages so low that they themselves qualify for SNAP.

The City of Lincoln filed a lawsuit that aims to keep a housing development moving forward, despite concerns from local Native American groups. Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer has more on the growing rift between the city and the Niskíthe prayer camp.

The craft beer industry is driving farmers in the Midwest to grow hops for their local beer makers. But the crop is not easy to grow — it’s labor intensive and expensive.

New York Times Best Selling Author Candice Millard is this year’s Governor’s Lecture in Humanities Series. Throughout her career, Millard has used her skill as a journalist and author to explore, humanize and contextualize people and events in ways that may be surprising to readers. In her latest book, River of the Gods, Millard explores the ill-begotten journey to discover the source of the Nile River in Egypt. Nebraska Public Media’s William Padmore got the chance to sit with Millard a few days before the lecture and has this preview…

The Nebraska Board of Pardons unanimously voted to deny Earnest Jackson’s commutation request for immediate release on Monday.

Jackson’s family, friends, lawyers, volunteer groups – and the victim’s family – all say Jackson did not kill Larry Perry – a crime which Jackson has served 22 years in prison for.

“I'm so hurt that I'm speechless,” said Jackson’s sister, Remee Greer. “I came here optimistic, hoping for the best, praying for the best but understanding how things go.”

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in Nebraska. Addressing this issue – especially in rural parts of the state – can be difficult. Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer reports about the challenges to prevent suicide in rural areas and what officials plan to do about it. We should note: Some people may find this four minute story disturbing.

Long after church bells have stopped chiming, this small northwest Iowa bar holds a different kind of Sunday communion. Folks from across the state pilgrimage to Pomeroy, a town of just under 500 people. All because of one unassuming bar that’s drawing big acts from all over the country and then letting the bands keep the money.

Lincoln’s Sunni Muslim population is growing. With the addition of more Afghan refugees in the past few months, their mosque needs an upgrade. Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer reports on the Muslim community’s to plan to finish a long standing project.

Mount Rushmore and the Great Lakes are a couple of the Midwest’s tourism magnets, but some states sometimes have to work against their reputations to attract visitors. They’re getting creative by highlighting amenities that can be a bit off the beaten path.