Nebraska Update

Kinkead’s ashes were recently discovered in Seattle through the ‘Missing in America Project’ where he passed away in 1916.

John Surman with the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War said it's special for his organization to be able to return Kinkead’s remains to Plattsmouth.

“I think any Veteran has a right, and I don’t care what war they were in, to have a proper burial,” Surman said. “It’s the very least that we owe them, and we actually owe them a lot more than that.”

Fortenberry has represented Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District since 2005 and has only faced Republican primary challengers twice in that span, in 2010 and 2012. University of Nebraska-Lincoln political science professor John Hibbing said his status as an established Republican in a solidly red state will help, but he likely won’t escape without some damage to his political reputation.

Earlier this week, 26 state senators, including Ben Hansen of Blair, delivered a letter to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office, asking for a special legislative session to address mandatory vaccine requirements. Although 33 senators would have to agree to a special session, Hansen said there’s hope some could come around in the next ten days.

Tourism isn't one of the biggest money makers for the state of Nebraska, but implementing the newer market of astrotourism could change that. Author and dark sky enthusiast, Marlin, traveled to Nebraska to talk about the opportunity lying under our skies.

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First District Congressman Jeff Fortenberry is indicted for allegedly lying to the FBI and trying to cover up illegal campaign contributions.

Dr. Anh Ta is an assistant professor of supply chain management at UNO and said what we’re seeing now is the result of a perfect storm; a pandemic, production shutdowns, an upcoming holiday and fewer truck drivers. We’ve heard the warnings about the availability of toys and other seasonal products, but Ta said this probably won’t last long.

Gov. Pete Ricketts says local law enforcement should handle threats against school board members.

Some of the 480 striking employees at the Omaha Kellogg's factory will return to work Tuesday. The union's president says the workers could have faced consequences for not honoring their contracts with the cereal company.

Over the last two weeks, according to the CDC, cases in Nebraska are down 13 percent. That’s a drop from an average of 650 cases per day to an average of 560 cases. Nebraska’s cases reflect a broader nationwide drop from the Delta variant.

Hospitalizations are also headed down. The Nebraska Dept. of Health and Human Services tallies 375 hospitalizations as of Sunday. During the peak of Delta, hospitalizations climbed to about 450. The strain on the state’s hospital system also appears to be waning. More than 31 percent of regular adult beds are available in Nebraska hospitals. Just 22 percent had been free at the beginning of the month.

The 7-day average for vaccinations also saw a slight uptick in the past couple days. About 1,800 people receive a dose each day. With booster shots being rolled out, it’s expected the number of doses given may rise just as it did in the spring.