Governor Jim Pillen is saying the state is taking steps to address mental health through legislation. Pillen visited Revive Inc., a drug and alcohol treatment center in Hastings, on Thursday. President Christine Kasperbauer walked Pillen through the building and told him the facility needs more funding, with it already at capacity with a wait list of about 20 people. Kasperbauer also said she wants to upgrade the facility for new learning opportunities and infrastructure improvements, with a three-percent increase in state funding being the help they need. Pillen said 218-million-dollars are going to be utilized on "a number of fronts" through the Rural Transformation Bill.
A man is dead after he crashed his vehicle into a school in Omaha. The incident happened over the weekend when police say Walter Sperzel Jr. crashed his SUV into a building at St. Pius X-St. Leo Catholic School in the midtown area. Sperzel was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center where he later died. It's unclear why the vehicle left the road in the first place.
An investigation is underway into a shooting at a Ralston convenience store. The shooting happened late Saturday afternoon at the store near 84th and Harrison streets. Responding officers found a 30-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the leg. He was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. What led up to the gunfire is unclear.
Food Bank for the Heartland is expanding in the hopes of helping more people in the region. The organization has opened a new facility in Omaha near 84th and L streets. The larger warehouse features enhanced cold storage and increased dock space, which will help speed up distribution of food. The organization brings food service help to families in 93 counties through Nebraska and Iowa.
The rising cost of food is forcing Iowans to change their grocery store purchases. That's just one of the findings of a new poll released today. The online survey by the Iowa Food Bank Association shows 77 percent of respondents are buying different amounts or types of food because of rising prices. The same percentage supports universal food programs at schools. 80 percent think food insecurity is a problem in Iowa and an equal amount support increased state funding for food banks.
A group of Iowa healthcare providers is working to train A.I. to catch complex medical issues. The Iowa Primary Care Association is being awarded a grant of over half-a-million dollars from the National Institutes of Health for the project. It's believed that artificial intelligence can be trained with health care records to catch serious illnesses doctors might miss by recognizing common patterns. No personal patient data is shared and all HIPAA privacy laws are observed.