Nebraska Update

Hundreds of people gathered outside a University of Nebraska-Lincoln fraternity on Tuesday night to protest an alleged sexual assault early that morning.
A sexual assault reportedly occurred at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house, also called FIJI, early Tuesday morning.

Driven by the Delta variant, COVID-19 trends are rising at an alarming rate statewide. Will Bauer of Nebraska Public Media News has more on this week’s data update from the Department of Health and Human Services.

On the other hand, the percent of positive tests dropped 1.5 percent this week. About 7 percent of tests taken came back positive this past week.

Hospitalizations increased to 314 beds in Nebraska. That’s just more than 7 percent of the state’s hospital beds. However, hospitals in Lincoln and Omaha have said they are close to capacity because of regular procedures. If the previous DHM was in place, 10% would trigger restrictions. Currently, no DHM is in place.

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.

Nurses at Bryan Medical Center in Lincoln say their mentally and physically exhausted as they treat the newest wave of COVID-19 patients.
Most of the nearly 70 COVID patients at Bryan Medical Center are unvaccinated and nurse Katherine Wolverton said Tuesday it’s difficult to deal with some who still deny they have COVID even while on ventilators. For some, she said, no level of reasoning is effective.

An ongoing staffing shortage at Nebraska state parks is forcing the Game and Parks Commission to close facilities at the Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park temporarily.

Late last year Congress passed a second relief bill to help students catch up from pandemic learning losses in schools all across the country. Lincoln Public Schools is deciding what they’ll do with their $63 million dollars in funds for next school year.

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

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green says there's a low rate of infections as classes set to begin; pandemic has created confusion for many, including athletic departments

Staff members at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Center for Afghanistan Studies are working with the U.S. State Department to facilitate the evacuation of Center employees based in Kabul as the situation there continues to be concerning for citizens with American ties.

This stems back to more than a century ago, when the Nebraska Legislature drafted the Honest Election Law of 1913. In the legislation, the state's governor is allowed to appoint an election commissioner for counties that have populations higher than 100,000. That only includes Lancaster, Douglas and Sarpy counties. All other Nebraska counties vote for their respective election commissioners. Fast forward to today, the Nebraska Supreme Court said that should remain for now.