The Omaha City Council is rejecting a proposed ordinance that would ban homeless encampments on city property. The measure failed during a vote by the Omaha City Council during yesterday's meeting. Omaha Mayor John Ewing had threatened to veto the ordinance had it passed.
A new judge is appointed in Douglas County. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has appointed Richard McGowan of Omaha to the bench in the Fourth Judicial District. McGowan replaces Judge Leigh Ann Retelsdorf, who is retiring.
The Iowa DOGE task force is out with its final report. The group's final submission released yesterday shows 45 recommendations aimed at potentially cutting local and state government, along with increasing efficiency. Among the recommendations were changes to the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System. Governor Kim Reynolds said yesterday the pension program wasn't going anywhere despite the report. The task force was created earlier this year through an executive order by the governor.
The Iowa Farm Bureau says the state's cattle farmers and beef industry are at risk from the effects of President Trump's foreign policy. They are urging the state's congressional delegation to defend the industry and farmers from the federal policy. Iowa Farm Bureau says corn and soybean farmers in the state have suffered over one-and-a-half billion dollars in the economic impact from corn income falling 38 percent and soybean income down 40 percent. IFB president Brent Johnson says Congress badly needs to pass a new farm bill.
The Board of Regents is narrowing its search for Iowa State University's next president to four finalists. The school says those finalists, who haven't been announced, will be on campus next month for on-campus interviews. The Board expects to make an announcement on November 11th.Current President Wendy Wintersteen is retiring next year, having held the post for the past eight years.
The annual Good Life Halfsy has sold out, with over nine-thousand people registering for Nebraska's largest road race. Organizers say this year's number us up more than 25-percent than last year's. The race returns to Lincoln on Sunday, November 9th.