It may be spring, but some Nebraska residents are bracing for cold weather. A Frost Advisory is in effect for east central and south central Nebraska until today at 9:00 a.m. Temperatures could fall into the upper 20s, and the frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation.
Rising fuel costs are hitting the Food Bank of Iowa especially hard. The organization delivers to partner pantries and meal sites across a service area of 30-thousand square miles. The food bank's truck fuel costs have increased 47-percent since February. Annette Hacker with the Food Bank of Iowa says the bank is spending about five-thousand dollars more per month for gas compared to February -- the equivalent of more than eight-thousand meals. The food bank is funded by donations and has seen a rising need in food assistance over the last four years.
The Nebraska Public Service Commission is approving a stipulated agreement with a grain company. An investigation of Roberts Seed Incorporated last fall determined that it has been buying commodities from Nebraska producers and storing them without the proper licenses. Under the terms of the agreement, Roberts will buy grain only for the purpose of selling it as seed and pay a 24-hundred-dollar civil penalty.
The Hastings City Council is passing the first reading of a new ordinance that imposes a two-point-five percent occupation tax on diners. The tax will be added to everything purchased at a restaurant or bar, including dining out, drive-through orders, prepared food at grocery stores and coffee shops. The city says the tax is fair since people use city services when they go out, such as roads and police services. City leaders said they plan to hear public feedback about the tax before they make their final decision.
Another milestone is reached in the construction of the Omaha Streetcar Project. Crews have begun concrete pouring near 10th Street, between Dodge and Capitol Avenue in the Capitol Loop. The Omaha Streetcar is expected to carry its first riders in 2028.
The Pacific Street ramp to northbound in I-680 in Omaha is closed. Crews are completing bridge reconstruction, paving, and culvert work on the bridge. Construction is expected to last into the fall.
The Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park in Ashland is opening a new exhibit. "Dinosaurs Unearthed: A Trek Through Time" gives visitors the chance to travel from the classic time periods in which dinosaurs existed and return to the present day, allowing people to see connections to Nebraska's fossil history. The exhibit also features 22 animatronic dinosaurs. "Dinosaurs Unearthed" is now open through the end of October.