Humanities Desk

A community blood drive is underway to honor fallen Lincoln Police Officer Mario Herrera in Lincoln. Investigator Herrera was shot one year ago this week and lived until September 7. A year later, Lincoln Police Department and Fire and Rescue are holding a blood drive during the same period, called ‘12 Days of Hope.’

A suicide bomber reportedly killed civilians and injured U.S servicemen outside the Kabul (Kah-bull)l airport in Afghanistan today (Thursday). As the August 31st. deadline for a withdrawal of US troops approaches, the situation in the country seems to be becoming more desperate every day. I talked to Congressman Don Bacon about the ongoing evacuation, how the effectiveness of nation-building, and whether the US will ever recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

In Arnold, there is only one reliable internet provider – but even then, it’s sometimes not good enough. For Carson, the issue is not just one of comfort but of trying to grow her small town.

CHERYL 3: “Those kinds of jobs that you could get working from home, while the kids are at school, that could be a really important thing for some families to be able to do stuff like just as if you were in a larger community.” (0:10)

NUTGRAF: If you ask, you quickly learn that broadband is not just a nice thing to have but, rather, a necessity in today’s way of life – even in the most remote parts of the state. It’s places and towns like these in rural Nebraska that could stand to gain the most from reliable internet and programs that make that happen.

Expanding high speed internet access in Nebraska is not a new subject.

STUBBENDIECK 4: “Ok, Governor Ricketts, my first question is why is broadband or high speed internet so important to the state of Nebraska in your opinion?” (0:06)

RICKETTS 5: “Well, one of the key things for us with regard to broadband is that it really facilitates many of the things that we take for granted in more of our urban areas.” (0:12)

Earlier this month, AARP Nebraska hosted a tele-town hall with Gov. Ricketts to talk about broadband. AARP polling found that nearly 80 percent of Nebraska voters 50 and older believe elected officials should work to make high speed internet available to the entire state.

The 2021 Nebraska State Fair is so close you can almost smell the funnel cakes cooking.

Nebraska Public Media sat down with Fair Executive Director Bill Ogg at his office in Grand Island to talk about expectations for this year’s fair, how the pandemic will affect proceedings, and how the organization is moving forward after the former finance director was accused of stealing around $150,000 in funds.

Sharon Brodkey, with Lutheran Family Services, talks about preparations underway to welcome and resettle refugees fleeing Afghanistan.

Repairs will begin soon on the gold-tiled Nebraska Capitol dome and other parts of the iconic building

Repairs will begin soon on the gold-tiled Nebraska Capitol dome and other parts of the iconic building

Clean-up continues after the huge Garth Brooks concert at Memorial Stadium over the weekend. Matt Davidson is an Associate Athletic Director for UNL and former Husker football player. He said there was no major damage to the stadium following the concert but there was more trash to cleanup compared to a typical football Saturday.

Greg Bay lost his four-year old son, Tyler, to a rare form of brain cancer in 1999. Now, Bay works for Bristol-Myers Squibb, which leads a biking fundraiser called ‘Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer,’ which benefits the ‘V Foundation.’

Garth talked with the Nebraska media a couple of hours ago about playing in Lincoln, country music fans in this state, and what those fans can expect to see Saturday night.