Nebraska Update

A simple text saying “summit” was sent as the five senators reached the highest peak in Africa. The team returned to the flat ground on Thursday Nebraska time.

Republican Senator Tom Brewer planned the climb before four others asked to tag along. Anna Wishart, Justin Wayne, Dave Murman, and Ben Hansen, two democrats and two republicans, respectively, in the officially nonpartisan legislature. It’s as diverse racially as they are in political philosophy. Brewer is Native American and a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and Senator Wayne is part African American, while the other three are white.

Brewer said the Nebraska group hiked up the mountain alongside a much more limber group of people, compared to themselves.

The House passed the reconciliation bill nearly on party lines – with just one Democrat voting against the bill. Biden’s spending package now heads to the senate.

From Iowa to Oklahoma to Kansas, universities are working more closely with agribusiness in search of ways to pay for projects where tax dollars have become more scarce. Critics worry that agriculture schools might focus more on industry than the public interest.

Last year two Native American girls in Cody, Nebraska had their hair cut at school without their parents’ permission. That action prompted a First Amendment lawsuit in which the girls’ parents said their family’s religious rights were violated.

Last year two Native American girls in Cody, Nebraska had their hair cut at school without their parents’ permission. That action prompted a First Amendment lawsuit in which the girls’ parents said their family’s religious rights were violated.

In 2013, the largest farmland asset manager in the world made a five million dollar gift to the University of Illinois to establish a research center. As part of the Big Ag U series, Harvest Public Media’s Dana Cronin reports on how the center was founded to study the very area of investment where the company has few rivals and has wandered into controversy.

Chadron State College became the first school in Nebraska to sponsor an NCAA sanctioned women's wrestling team. Chadron’s Director of Athletics, Joel Smith, did not believe the lack of competing teams was a reason to turn away this new sport. He saw it as an opportunity. Adding a new sport had the advantage of being a good business decision.

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission approved today what would be the biggest solar energy installation in Nebraska.

CDC stats show that COVID cases are up nearly 20% over the past two weeks in Nebraska. The Cornhusker State is among many northern states seeing increases. Overall, cases are up 18% nationwide

COVID hospitalizations are increasing too. Active hospitalizations increased to 477 statewide on Tuesday, which is nearly 11% of the state's beds. At the same time last week, there were 415.

Chamber of Commerce leaders from the state and nation discussed today (Wednesday) how Nebraska could benefit from the hard infrastructure bill recently passed by Congress. As Will Bauer of Nebraska Public Media News reports, those Chamber leaders believe the state could see projects during the next construction season.