Nebraska Update

Creighton and Nebraska didn’t lose a set in the first and second round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament over the weekend.

The University of Nebraska’s economic impact on the state has grown from $5.8 billion to $6.4 billion in the past three years, Paul Umbach from consulting firm Tripp Umbach said at the Board of Regents meeting Friday.

A Nebraska congressman is sponsoring legislation intended to bolster protocols for the organization responsible for handling cases of abuse in sports.

The 76th annual Nebraska State Christmas tree lighting ceremony is Sunday and will be held at the capitol in Lincoln. The tree was donated by Pat and Terry Hastreiter. The couple said they heard about the search in the newspaper and thought to enter their four spruce trees for consideration.

Charles Hoffman, a spokesperson for the Air Force Global Strike Command, says the wing will allow the Air Force to improve nuclear communications, command and control. The 95th Wing is expected to add around 70 personnel to the base and be fully operational by January.

A wood building material can be used in high-rise structures, giving it the potential to replace materials that are bad for the climate, while also locking carbon into buildings for decades.

Thousands of insect species use vibrations to communicate. Now, in part because of the foundational research of a Midwestern biology professor, more researchers are exploring insect vibrational communication to ward against pests and understand climate change.

BMO employees and United Way of the Midlands volunteers assembled more than 200 homeless outreach kits for Giving Tuesday. New Visions Homeless Services will distribute the kits across the Omaha metro area. United Way of the Midlands spokesperson Carmen Steele says the process was rewarding and she is thankful for the work of the volunteers.

The Nebraska State Board of Canvassers met to certify the results of the 2024 general election Monday afternoon. Deputy Secretary of State for Elections Wayne Bena said nearly 70,000 ballots were hand counted after the election and only 7 had discrepancies between the hand count and machine count. Bena said the implementation of voter ID had a negligible effect on the election and fewer than 350 ballots were rejected due to the new requirement.

It’s been 79 years since the end of World War Two, where an estimated 15 million lives were lost. Some families got to bury their loved ones, but others were left with more questions than answers. A family in Syracuse recently had they're 80-year mystery answered and more.