EXECUTIVE ORDER ALLOWS TAKEOUT FOR MIXED DRINKS WITH LIDS

LINCOLN- Gov. Pete Ricketts issued a new executive order Thursday that will allow restaurants and bars to provide mixed drinks with lids for takeout. The executive order comes as bars and restaurants have been shuttered to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Ricketts' action ordered the Liquor Control Commission to temporarily change an existing law that mandated that alcohol be sold in its original package as a way of providing relief for struggling restaurants and bars.

“Our restaurants and bars have been some of the hardest hit businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ricketts said. “I've signed an executive order to help them by allowing takeout for pre-made cocktails and other alcoholic beverages as long as they are sealed with a lid.”

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LINCOLN COUNCIL TO CONSIDER 'ARENA TAX' DEFERMENT FOR BARS, RESTAURANTS TO BOLSTER CASH FLOW IN HARD TIMES

LINCOLN- Restaurant and bar owners in Lincoln could put off making their occupation tax payments to the city while they adapt to restricted operations and reduced revenue stemming from the pandemic.

The proposal by City Councilwoman Tammy Ward suspends the payment of the 2% occupation tax collected after March 1 to June 25, without penalty or interest. 

Ward looked into what could be done to help bars and restaurants after hearing from a Haymarket restaurant owner who had seen sales fall 90% after the spread of the coronavirus led city officials to recommend social distancing. That owner told Ward he was already falling behind on remitting occupation taxes to the city, so she crafted her proposed ordinance to provide these businesses with slightly more cash flow at a time when owners and managers are weighing which bills to pay and how long to keep on employees, she said. 

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OMAHA POLICE OFFICER AND FIREFIGHTER TEST POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

OMAHA - An Omaha police officer and Omaha firefighter have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, city officials said Thursday.

The officer, who is not being identified by The World-Herald, said Thursday on his Facebook page that he will be treated at the Nebraska Medical Center while battling COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

The officer had recently traveled to Hawaii. Police Chief Todd Schmaderer has ordered any officer who traveled to self-quarantine for two weeks.

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COLLEGES DONATE LEFTOVER MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA HOSPITALS, HEALTH CENTERS

LINCOLN - With no college students in the biology and chemistry labs for the remainder of the semester, there's also no demand for gloves, masks and hand sanitizer.

Where there is demand, however, are the local hospitals and health clinics where doctors, nurses and other health care professionals are on the front lines against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nebraska Wesleyan University and Southeast Community College donated their remaining caches of personal protective equipment and cleaning products this week as testing and treatment of the novel coronavirus continues to expand in the state.

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NEBRASKA IS 'AHEAD OF THE CURVE' IN SLOWING THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS, RICKETTS SAYS

LINCOLN — Nebraska is “well ahead of the curve” in slowing the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Pete Ricketts said Monday, while encouraging Nebraskans to continue to practice “social distancing” and other preventive measures.

“We have a plan, we’re working our plan and will continue to work our plan,” Ricketts said at his daily update with news media at the State Capitol. 

The governor said that Nebraska’s plan of attack against the virus was developed in conjunction with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which has national experts on pandemics, and that the spread of coronavirus in Nebraska has been slower than in states like New York. The state’s plan, he said, does not include shelter-in-place orders, like those placed on residents of California, Illinois and other states, and restrictions should get no worse than those imposed in the Omaha area, which have led to the closure of restaurant dining rooms and bars.

Still, Ricketts wouldn’t predict when things might return to normal.

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NEBRASKA SEES A 'TIDAL WAVE' OF UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS

LINCOLN - Unemployment claims skyrocketed in Nebraska last week, mirroring an unprecedented surge across the U.S. There were 15,668 initial unemployment claims filed in the state for the week ending March 21. That was a more than 1,800% increase from the 799 claims the previous week.

The number of claims was nearly four times bigger than the previous record for weekly claims, which occurred in January 2010, said Labor Commissioner John Albin, who referred to the number of claims as a "tidal wave."

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$71 MILLION FRAUD CASE IN SOUTH DAKOTA PUTS HARSH SPOTLIGHT ON ORGANIC SUPPLY CHAIN

LINCOLN - A $71 million fraud case in South Dakota is the latest blow to the organic supply chain. Federal prosecutors in February accused Kent Duane Anderson, a Rapid City businessman, of passing off conventional grain and seed as organic for more than five years.Anderson pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

The case is the second large-scale organic fraud case in the Midwest to attract federal prosecution in less than a year and comes amid ongoing concern over fraudulent organic imports. The South Dakota case is frustrating but unfortunately not a surprise, said Erin Heitkamp, a vice president at Pipeline Foods, a Minneapolis-based organic supply-chain company. Her firm has reported concerns, often about middlemen such as Anderson buying and selling grain from a desk, to certifiers and government regulators.

“There will likely be more investigations and prosecutions,” Heitkamp said. “I expect to see more and more shoes drop over time.”

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LAWMAKERS QUICKLY ADVANCE $83.6 MILLION EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO HELP BATTLE CORONAVIRUS

LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers advanced an $83.6 million emergency appropriation to battle the novel coronavirus Monday with no dissent and virtually no debate.

The 44-0 vote on the appropriation came after State Sen. John Stinner of Gering, the Appropriations Committee chairman, urged his colleagues to show unity in support of the state.

“It’s our turn to lay down our partisan politics and pass the bill,” he said.

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GOVERNOR RICKETTS PRESS CONFERENCE: 10 PERSON LIMIT IN PUBLIC VENUES, UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT CHANGES, SCHOOL CLOSURES

This afternoon Governor Pete Ricketts held a press conference focusing on state actions towards preparing for, and reducing the spread of COVID-19, otherwise known as the CoronaVirus. 

As released by the CDC earlier today, Nebraska's government is following suit in limiting gatherings to 10 people or less, including employees. This includes businesses (child care, movie theaters, restaurants, bars, gyms, etc), as well as personal gatherings in homes. This is subject to change, but should be expected to last at least the next two weeks. 

Additionally, the state is waiving regulations for unemployment and will not require recipients to be looking for work, and have eliminated the waiting period. This will take effect on March 22nd, and continue through May 2nd. SNAP and ADC will be adjusted as needed to help those in need.

All schools, both public and private, across Nebraska will be closed by the end of this week. This closure can be expected to last 6-8 weeks, but continued review by the state as well as districts will be in place. 

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BREAKING NEWS: GOVERNOR RICKETTS ISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDER TO GIVE PUBLIC BOARDS THE FLEXIBILITY TO HOLD VIRTUAL MEETINGS

LINCOLN – Today, Governor Pete Ricketts issued an executive order to permit state and local governmental boards, commissions, and other public bodies to meet by videoconference, teleconference, or other electronic means through May 31, 2020.  The Governor’s order stipulated that all such virtual meetings must be available to members of the public, including media, to give citizens the opportunity to participate as well as to be duly informed of the meetings’ proceedings.  The Governor’s order did not waive the advanced publicized notice and the agenda requirements for public meetings.

 The Governor’s executive order comes a day after the White House Coronavirus Task Force issued guidance limiting social gatherings to 10 people or less through March 31, 2020.  The executive order is part of an overall public health strategy to increase social distancing to stem the spread of the coronavirus disease.

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Governor Ricketts Announces Directed Health Measure for Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, & Washington Counties

LINCOLN – Today, Governor Pete Ricketts announced the Nebraska’s first Directed Health Measure (DHM) for COVID-19.  The DHM imposes an enforceable limit on public gatherings.  The measure comes a day after the Douglas County Public Health Department confirmed its second case of community transmission of COVID-19.

The DHM applies to all communities in Educational Service Units (ESU) #3 and #19 which encompass Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, and Washington counties.  It will be in effect until April 30, 2020.  Among other steps, the DHM requires restaurants and bars in these areas to close their dining areas immediately and move to takeout service, delivery, and/or curbside service only until further notice.  Additionally, schools in these areas are directed to operate without students in their buildings.  This restriction does not apply to school staff working in school buildings.

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WOULD YOU LIKE SOME BOOZE WITH THAT? RICKETTS LOOSENS LIQUOR LAWS

OMAHA-  Gov. Pete Ricketts on Thursday announced the state's first measure to enforce the cap on public gatherings of 10 people in Douglas, Cass, Sarpy and Washington counties.

Restaurants and bars in the Omaha area, where two COVID-19 cases of community spread have been reported, must close their dining areas and move to takeout or delivery service. Alcohol sales are restricted to takeout and delivery only in Omaha. To provide some relief to those businesses, Ricketts issued an executive order that permits establishments statewide to sell beer, wine and spirits to customers placing takeout or delivery orders. Restaurants and bars will also be able to sell alcohol on drive-thru or curbside orders without customers having to exit their vehicles. 

In addition, temporary operating permits will be extended from 90 to 180 days, and the state will waive penalties for late payments on excise taxes.

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A NEBRASKA HOSPITAL AIMED TO CONTAIN THE VIRUS. BUT IT HAD ALREADY SPREAD

OMAHA — Just a month ago — back when hardly anyone in the United States had tested positive for the coronavirus, back when the federal government spoke hopefully about keeping the virus from spreading in American cities, back when the mass cancellation of school and work and basketball seemed unimaginable — a small hospital ward in Omaha was at the center of the country’s effort to quash the illness.

Nebraska Medicine’s Biocontainment Unit is where the federal government sends people with the most fearsome pathogens. In 2014, its doctors and nurses treated Americans who contracted Ebola in Liberia and Sierra Leone. And in February, after a cruise ship near Japan became a floating coronavirus petri dish, those same doctors were tasked with helping more than a dozen American passengers.

The goal? To keep the virus’s presence in the United States limited to a handful of people who had been exposed overseas, and to prevent them from spreading it to others.

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INSIDE THE NATIONAL QUARANTINE CENTER, THERE IS NO FEAR OF CORONAVIRUS. THERE IS ONLY URGENCY.

OMAHA - The National Quarantine Center, this nation’s only federal quarantine facility, sits on a single floor of a new building on the campus of the University of Nebraska Medical Center west of downtown Omaha. It holds 20 beds, 15 of which are occupied by patients exposed to the novel coronavirus, or SARS-CoV2, including several passengers from cruise ship Diamond Princess.

A couple of blocks away sits the UNMC biocontainment unit, the largest of its kind in this country, which takes up part of an upper floor in a large inpatient-care facility. Ten beds, with a 35-bed surge capacity. Two pressurized entrances providing constant negative air pressure via a HEPA airflow system, and decontamination autoclaves for waste disposal. Currently four of the beds are occupied by contagious COVID-19 patients. (“COVID” means coronavirus disease.)

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NEW OMAHA-AREA CHILD WELFARE CONTRACTOR REPEATEDLY LEFT CHILDREN OVERNIGHT IN WAITING AREA

LINCOLN — A Nebraska state government contractor repeatedly left abused and neglected Omaha-area children overnight in a place meant for stays of only a few hours.

The incidents occurred at least 44 times over three months and involved 31 youngsters, according to state officials. Twelve youths had multiple overnights. At least one spent three separate overnights at the Project Harmony Triage Center.

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RICKETTS CONFRONTS CORONAVIRUS WITH NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER AT HIS SIDE

LINCOLN - Gov. Pete Ricketts has had to rearrange his time, attention and priorities to tackle the coronavirus challenge that has crept into his state, but he says he feels "very, very blessed" to have the acquired knowledge, talent and resources of the University of Nebraska Medical Center at his side.

A governor who has been a manager in the private sector and is generally viewed as a quick learner has moved coronavirus to the top of his to-do list, with a growing understanding of how to measure its threat in Nebraska and how he should respond.

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NEW LEADER CHOSEN FOR NEBRASKA'S FOSTER CARE REVIEW OFFICE

LINCOLN — Monika Gross, an attorney with more than 15 years of experience in Nebraska’s child welfare system, has been named the new executive director for the state’s Foster Care Review Office.

Gross spent nine years working for PromiseShip, an Omaha-based nonprofit that contracted with the state to manage Omaha-area child welfare cases. She was interim president and CEO of the agency for the past six months. Previously, she worked eight years as an attorney with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

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CORRECTIONS PROCEEDING WITH INFORMATION REQUEST FOR NEW PRISON

LINCOLN - The Department of Correctional Services has posted on the state purchasing website a request for information to build a new prison.

Prisons Director Scott Frakes said in a news release that responses are due May 27 and that the sealed requests will be opened that day.

It is the first step, he said, in identifying what is required, given current and projected prison populations. In calendar year 2019, the average daily number of prisoners was 5,661, 92% of whom were males.

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SCHEER DOES NOT RULE OUT LEGISLATIVE SESSION OUTSIDE OF LINCOLN

LINCOLN - The Legislature will reconvene at some yet-to-be-determined date, perhaps as early as Monday, to appropriate the state funding that may be required to help aggressively battle the coronavirus in Nebraska, Speaker Jim Scheer of Norfolk said Thursday.

While Scheer anticipates senators will meet in the legislative chamber at the Capitol in Lincoln, he does not rule out the possibility of "going off campus" at some point and convening in another city in the state if that emerges as the safest and most prudent way to complete its 2020 session, the Speaker said in a telephone interview.

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BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY SHAREHOLDERS WON'T BE ABLE TO ATTEND ANNUAL MEETING, BUFFET SAYS

Berkshire Hathaway shareholders won't be able to attend the May 2 annual meeting this year because of the coronavirus threat, founder Warren Buffett said in a letter Friday.

"The annual meeting will be held at 3:45 p.m. on May 2nd as scheduled," Buffett wrote. "However, we will not be able to allow shareholders to physically attend the meeting, and all special events are canceled."

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