KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 32-year-old man was fatally injured when his sport-utility vehicle crashed on the east edge of Kearney in south-central Nebraska.
The crash occurred around 2:40 a.m. Saturday. The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office says the driver was ejected when his SUV went out of control and rolled, ending up in a field. The sheriff’s office says the driver died later CHI Health Good Samaritan hospital in Kearney.
His name hasn’t been released.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A foundation that has long supported Nebraska education wants to stimulate the state’s workforce.
The Aksarben Foundation intends to double the number of people who earn career certification and two-year associate degrees in Nebraska and increase the number of four-year graduates.
The foundation’s workforce development initiative is still in the planning stage, but one part will be a $500,000 challenge grant fund, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Some of it will go to each of the six Nebraska community college districts. The grants will require the colleges to also raise money to support workforce development programs.
Aksarben will award 100 two-year scholarships valued at $4,000 each toward students’ associate degrees or program certifications in the 2019-20 academic year.
“Anybody that wants to go to a community college, we’ll find a way to get them there,” said Terry Kroeger, board of governors chairman for Aksarben, a 122-year-old charitable organization.
The state’s lack of workforce growth stunts economic progress and leaves employers with too few qualified workers for jobs they want to create, the state’s business and economic leaders have said.
“This gets at some of the core challenges we have as a state and as a city,” said Dana Bradford, vice chairman of Aksarben’s board of governors and chairman of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. “There is a huge gap between workforce supply and demand.”
About 9,000 people a year are earning certificates or two-year degrees in Nebraska— a figure that needs doubling, he said.
“We need new workers and jobs that pay higher and better wages,” Bradford said. “You don’t grow your economy on $25,000-a-year jobs. People can’t live on that.”
The foundation also intends to raise its Aksarben/Horatio Alger four-year scholarships next school year to $10,000 a year from $6,000.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot will top $620 million this week because no one won Saturday’s drawing, but that may seem relatively small compared to the $1.6 billion Mega Millions drawing expected on Tuesday.
Both lottery jackpots will approach new heights this week. The Mega Millions jackpot will likely set a new record, and the Powerball jackpot will be the third largest ever for that game on Wednesday.
The second-largest jackpot was a $1.586 billion Powerball drawing on Jan. 13, 2016.
The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing since July, when a group of 11 California office workers won $543 million.
It costs $2 to play either game.
The odds of winning Mega Millions are about one in 302 million. The Powerball odds are slightly better at one in 292.2 million.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new survey says farmland prices are expected to continue their decline in parts of 10 Plains and Western states.
The latest Rural Mainstreet survey shows that on average, bank CEOs in the region estimated farmland prices declined by 4 percent over the past 12 months. They expect farmland prices to fall by another 3.2 percent over the next 12 months.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the survey also shows the farm sector is being weakened by negative impacts of tariffs and low agriculture commodity prices.
The overall economic index for the region increased slightly to 54.3 from 51.5 in September. That score still suggests growth because it is above 50, while any score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy.
Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate was unchanged at 2.8 percent in September, a figure credited in part to a good month for the state’s manufacturing sector, the state Labor Department said Friday.
The rate was down a tenth of a point from the year-ago figure of 2.9 percent, the state report said.
“Manufacturing contributed to another strong month of employment numbers, with a 5 percent statewide employment increase in manufacturing over the year,” state Labor Commissioner John Albin said. “In the Omaha metropolitan area, manufacturing jumped over 9 percent over the year.”
Last month’s rate was well below the U.S. number, which dropped two-tenths of a point to 3.7 percent in September from 3.9 percent in August.
Nebraska nonfarm employment was 1,037,445, up 18,065 over the year and up 4,148 over the month, the department said.
Private industries with the most growth year on year were manufacturing, up 4,906; leisure and hospitality, up 4,736; and professional and business services, up 4,374.
Month to month, the largest gains were seen in professional and business services, up 982; manufacturing, up 448; and education and health services, up 48.
The preliminary Omaha-area rate for September declined to 2.6 percent from 2.8 in August. The new rate was a tenth of a point lower than the 2.7 percent of September 2017. Lincoln’s preliminary rate dropped two-tenths of a point, hitting 2.4 percent, compared with 2.6 percent in August. The year-ago figure was 2.5 percent. Grand Island’s preliminary rate for September was 2.6 percent, down two-tenths of a point from August’s 2.8 percent. The August 2017 figure also was 2.6 percent.
The unemployment rates for Grand Island, Lincoln and Omaha have not been seasonally adjusted, so they cannot be directly compared with the state unemployment rate.
Here are preliminary area labor market unemployment rates for September, followed by the August rates:
— Beatrice: 2.7, 2.9
— Columbus: 2.4, 2.6
— Fremont: 2.5, 2.7
— Hastings: 2.7, 2.8
— Kearney: 2.2, 2.4
— Lexington: 2.4, 2.5
— Norfolk: 2.2, 2.4
— North Platte: 2.6, 2.8
— Red Willow: 2.5, 2.8
— Scottsbluff: 3.0, 3.1
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hy-Vee has recalled six meat and potato products for possible salmonella and listeria contamination.
The company says the potential danger was discovered when McCain Foods, a Hy-Vee supplier, announced it was recalling its caramelized mushrooms and fire-roasted tomatoes, which are ingredients used in the Hy-Vee products.
No illnesses have been reported.
The Hy-Vee products are:
— Hy-Vee Bacon Wrapped Cowgirl Chicken Grillers — 8 ounce each, UPC Code 023092600000
— Hy-Vee Fire Roasted Tomato, Spinach, Mozzarella Twice Baked Potato — 5 ounce each, UPC Code 023755400000
— Hy-Vee Cowgirl Chicken Griller Patty — 6 ounce each, UPC Code 023100200000
— Hy-Vee Gourmet Steakhouse Mushroom & Swiss Burger — 6 ounce each, UPC Code 023168400000
— Hy-Vee Ground Beef Sliders Mushroom & Swiss — 2 ounce each, UPC Code 023164300000
— Hy-Vee Ground Beef Sliders Mushroom & Swiss — 12 count, 30 ounces, UPC Code 023266600000
The products have a “best if used by” date of Oct. 22, 2018, or sooner.
The items can be returned to Hy-Vee stores for a full refund.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police are investigating the death of a wounded man who was found on a Lincoln street.
The Lincoln Police Department says officers were sent to the scene a little before 8:30 p.m. Thursday to check a report about a man jumping out of a moving vehicle. Officers found 42-year-old Stacy Talbot, formerly of North Platte, who’d been shot in the chest.
Police said Friday that Talbot died about 45 minutes later at a Lincoln hospital.
No arrests have been reported.
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Officials say plans are in the works for a new outdoor concert venue at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island.
Station KSNB reports the idea found favor Tuesday when fair officials pitched it Tuesday to the Grand Island City Council.
The proposed venue could cost $10 million and could hold more than 10,000 people in a half covered arrangement. The Nebraska State Fair board members hope the new setting would open up Fonner Park up to more diverse performances and encourage more people to attend the fair at Fonner Park.
Rain caused two concerts to be moved inside this year.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s child welfare agency is moving forward with a new approach to child welfare cases designed to help more youths stay with their families.
The plan was outlined Thursday as part of a series of meetings held throughout the state. The new approach encourages case workers to spend more time with at-risk families, discuss solutions to their problems and work with them to create a network of positive influences, such as relatives or neighbors.
The Division of Children and Family Services borrowed the strategy from San Diego, which has seen a reduction in the number of serious abuse and neglect cases.
Division Director Matt Wallen says the system is intended to help families before their situations become too dire. He says children in danger will still be removed from homes.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials say a rare illness that can paralyze children has been confirmed in two Iowa cases and is suspected in one Nebraska case.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says at least 62 cases of acute flaccid myelitis have been confirmed in 22 states this year.
Dr. Mark Rupp is an infectious disease specialist for Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, and he says it’s “a mysterious disease, very rare and there’s a lot that we don’t understand about this.”
Iowa state medical director Caitlin Pedati says both Iowa patients were younger than 18 and were treated and then released from hospitals in western and central Iowa.
Health officials in Nebraska’s Douglas County say they’re investigating a possible case that could take up to three weeks to confirm.
