Nebraska's State Auditor says a part-time government employee defrauded a state agency and an Omaha company. The audit alleges the executive director of the Abstracters Board inflated his work hours, resulting in over 20-thousand dollars in unearned pay. According to the report, the man often clocked in for his government job while also working at his other job in Omaha. Officials say the matter has been turned over to law enforcement.
The Omaha Mayor's Office says it's not connected to a poll being conducted about the homeless encampment issue. The poll is being run by Poll the Vote, a nonpartisan Omaha-based company called Ideologix. On Friday, the company started a poll about the issue of homelessness. Mayor John Ewing's office says that some poll users might be led to believe that Ewing called for, coordinated, or is connected personally to this poll, when he is not.
The Omaha City Council is considering zoning regulations for medical marijuana. The proposed ordinance would set rules for where medical marijuana can be sold and grown in the city. Four types of medical marijuana licenses would be classified including dispensaries, manufacturers, transportation, and cultivation.
Construction is underway on a seven-million-dollar project in downtown Ralston. City officials held a groundbreaking for the Independence Square Project. The project calls for a new gazebo, fountain, and a central plaza. The project was funded by a donation from resident LaDonna Johnson, who left the city several million dollars after she passed away.
A new study shows rent prices are fluctuating in Lincoln and Omaha. National rental property website Zumper looked at rent prices in 100 cities across the country. In Omaha, the average price for a one bedroom apartment is one-thousand-dollars per month, no change from last month but a drop of nearly four-percent compared to last year. In Lincoln, a one bedroom apartment costs 890-dollars per month on average, an increase of over four-and-a-half-percent compared to last month but a decrease of over seven-percent year-over-year.
Frozen shrimp from Baker's locations in Nebraska is being recalled because it might be radioactive. AquaStar Corporation is recalling its Kroger Raw E-Z Peel Shrimp, Kroger Mercado Cooked Shrimp, and AquaStar Shrimp Skewers. The F-D-A says the shrimp may be contaminated with a radioactive material that could increase cancer risk with long-term exposure. Officials say anyone who bought the recalled shrimp is urged to throw it away or return it for a full refund. No illnesses have been reported.