Nebraska
Poverty elimination is goal of proposal aired at NE Legislature | Nebraska Examiner
LINCOLN — A proposal calling for Nebraska cities to create a five-year anti-poverty plan was met mostly with support Tuesday at a legislative hearing, though a few opponents worried it would be an expensive undertaking for smaller towns.
The Poverty Elimination Action Plan Act was introduced by State Sen. Terrell McKinney to promote upward mobility.
The North Omaha lawmaker, in testimony to the Legislature’s Urban Affairs Committee, said he grew up poor. “It wasn’t easy,” he told committee members. He said he hoped a mandate to establish a more concerted, purposeful strategy would spare another kid from a similar economic journey.
Tina Rockenbach, executive director of Community Action of Nebraska, was among a handful of others voicing support for Legislative Bill 840, which has no funding allocation.
Rockenbach said she recognized the process — which would include community input, goal-setting, data analysis and laying out plans to use public incentives for anti-poverty efforts — was a “heavy lift.”
“The good news,” she said, is that agencies such as hers have done some of the footwork already and could offer that expertise.
Under the act, cities with populations of 50,000 or more would review their reports every two years and update them every five. The bill seeks to develop a statewide and comprehensive poverty elimination action plan that addresses unique challenges of various areas.
Lynn Rex, executive director of the League of Nebraska Municipalities, said her objection to the bill was not a sign that poverty elimination was not important. She said, however, that to pay more than just “lip service,” such studies likely would require a consultant and staffing, which could be a financial struggle, especially for smaller cities.
She suggested providing a funding mechanism and a prototype that would guide cities.
The committee did not take action on the proposal.
Also Tuesday, the Urban Affairs Committee heard support for proposed changes to the “Middle Income Workforce Housing Investment Act.”
Legislative Bill 843 would reduce the match contribution required of eligible applicants from 50% to 25%. It also would increase the maximum grants that the Department of Economic Development could award to nonprofits from $5 million to $10 million in a two-year period.
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The University of Nebraska–Lincoln expects to confer a record 3,800-plus degrees during commencement exercises May 8-9.
Pinnacle Bank Arena, 400 Pinnacle Arena Drive, will host a ceremony for students earning graduate and professional degrees, 3 p.m. May 8, and two ceremonies for those earning bachelor’s degrees, 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. May 9. Doors open to the public at 1:30 p.m. May 8 and 7:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. May 9. A College of Law ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. May 9 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, 1600 Court St., with doors opening to the public at 1 p.m.
Interim Chancellor Katherine S. Ankerson will preside over the ceremonies. The morning undergraduate ceremony will feature graduates in the Colleges of Business, Education and Human Sciences, Fine and Performing Arts, Journalism and Mass Communication, and Public Affairs and Community Service. The afternoon undergraduate ceremony will feature graduates in the Colleges of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Architecture, Arts and Sciences, and Engineering.
DeMoine Adams, motivational speaker and former Husker football student-athlete, will deliver the keynote address, “The Power of People,” during the morning undergraduate ceremony. Nebraska Builder Awards will be given to College of Architecture alumni and university supporters Scott W. Killinger and Richard L. Youngscap during the afternoon undergraduate ceremony.
Adams is the founder and CEO of The Game Plan — Ready, Set Perform, a Lincoln-based leadership and motivational speaking business that aims to inspire people to lead with purpose and be winners in the game of life. He also recently served for five years as CEO of TeamMates Mentoring, co-founded by legendary Husker football coach Tom Osborne. A first-generation college graduate, Adams holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and Master of Arts in educational psychology from Nebraska.
A native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Adams was a standout Blackshirt defensive end and helped lead the Huskers to a Big 12 championship and national championship Rose Bowl appearance. He also earned Academic All-American and All-Big 12 honors. He went on to play professionally in the National, Canadian and Arena football leagues.
A native of Hebron, Nebraska, Killinger earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Nebraska in 1961 and a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania in 1966. He has since built an international career as an architect, educator and civic leader. He is principal and founding partner of Kuang Xing International, a 50-person architecture, landscape and urban design practice based in Beijing and Philadelphia, and a founder of the Killinger Center for Urban Studies in China, which has strong ties to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He has taught and lectured at the university and served as the interim dean of the architecture college in 2015-16. He has also taught and lectured at Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Savannah College of Art and Design, and leading Chinese universities.
A longtime advocate for his alma mater, Killinger served on the College of Architecture’s Professional Advisory Council from 2004-2015 and as a trustee of the University of Nebraska Foundation since 2012. In 2008, he received the distinguished Alumni Master award from the Nebraska Alumni Association. He is also a member of the NU Foundation’s Burnett Society for sustained philanthropic giving.
Youngscap is a lifelong Nebraskan, earning a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Nebraska in 1961. His early career was marked by a commitment to thoughtful urban development and land conservation. In 1965, he acquired 16 acres in southeast Lincoln to protect it from high-density urban sprawl — a decision that led to the creation of Firethorn Golf Club, one of Nebraska’s most celebrated golf venues. In the 1990s, he recognized the potential of Nebraska’s Sandhills region, an ancient seabed with unique natural features ideal for golf. Partnering with architects Bill Coore and the PGA’s Ben Crenshaw, he developed the Sand Hills Golf Club, which opened in 1995. The course, celebrated for its minimalist design and harmonious integration with the natural landscape, has consistently been ranked among the top courses in the world.
In 1997, Youngscap received the Dr. Herbert H. Davis Memorial Award from the Nebraska Golf Hall of Fame. In 2019, he was honored with the Virgil A. Parker Special Recognition Award by the Nebraska Golf Association for his contributions to golf in Nebraska.
To maintain a secure environment, the commencement venues enforce a clear-bag policy that limits the size and type of bag that may be brought inside. Details are available here. To avoid inconveniences, guests and graduates are encouraged to arrive early and travel light.
No tickets are required for the ceremonies. All seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
The public may sit in any non-reserved seats in Pinnacle Bank Arena other than on the main floor, which is set for graduates, faculty and dignitaries. Accessible seating is available on the concourse level in Sections 106, 107, 110, 112, 114, 117 and 118. Beverage stands will be open. Open captioning for people with hearing impairment will be provided through the ribbon screens at the corners of the arena concourse level. Guest services and first aid will be on Level 3 at Gate 112.
Paid parking, including accessible spaces, is available in Haymarket area garages and on the street. Additional information can be found here.
A drop-off area for mobility-restricted guests will be available on the south side of the U.S. Post Office building, 700 R St., directly east of Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Graduating students are to check in no later than 2:20 p.m. for the graduate and professional degree ceremony, 8:20 a.m. for the morning undergraduate ceremony and 2:20 p.m. for the afternoon undergraduate ceremony. Graduates should enter the south lobby, off R Street. A graduate-only entrance sign will be posted. Participants should bring their graduation regalia, as well as their NCard, or a photo ID and NU ID number, for check-in. Graduates will be given a name/number card to find their place in the processional lineup. They should bring this card to the stage to receive their diploma. Limited coat room space will be available, so graduates are encouraged to leave personal items with family or friends.
Guest parking for the College of Law ceremony is available in Lot 58, east of the Devaney Center. Guests should enter the venue via the north ramp. Accessible parking is also available east of the building. Attendants can direct guests to accessible seating. Limited guest services will be available.
Law graduates should park in Lot 57, just south of The Ice Box; enter through the Francis Allen Training Complex, northwest of the Devaney Center; and proceed to the track area. They should check in no later than 1:15 p.m. Graduates should bring their gown, tam and hood, as well as any honor cords or medallions. Personal items should be left with family or friends or in a locked vehicle. Graduates will return their robes in the track area following the ceremony.
Those participating in the Family Traditions Ceremony should arrive at 12:30 p.m. and follow signs to the main level of the Devaney Center, near the Athletic Training Office. The ceremony will begin at 12:45 p.m. and conclude in time for graduates to report for lineup.
The graduate and undergraduate ceremonies are expected to last about two-and-a-half hours, and the College of Law ceremony is expected to last 90 minutes to two hours. Graduates and their guests are asked to stay for the entire ceremony.
The commencement livestreams can be accessed here. The ceremonies also will be broadcast live on Spectrum channel 1303, Allo channel 23 and Kinetic channel 1080.
Additional information on May commencement is available here or by emailing commencement@unl.edu. For more information on the College of Law ceremony, contact Paige Debrie at 402-472-5117 or pdebrie2@unl.edu.
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) -On Saturday, North Platte High School hosted the inaugural Nebraska State Video Championships.
Students from across the state had the chance to show off their filmmaking skills. There were screenings and breakout sessions with media professionals.
Students say that this day wouldn’t be possible without the people around them.
“I think it’s awesome. I give all my credit to Mr. Willey, and just like everything that he has done for me and a couple of my friends and stuff, it’s been so inspiring. And he definitely helps us, like, really bring this to a real-life perspective,” Will Cox, North Platte Student, said.
The Nebraska State Video Championships are a pivotal moment for students dreaming of a career in media.
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