Nebraska

Diaper drive helps Omaha organizations replenish Nebraska Diaper Bank

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2 years ago

June 4, 2024

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Diaper drive helps Omaha organizations replenish Nebraska Diaper Bank

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A third of Nebraska families struggle to afford diapers for their children.

That’s according to the Nebraska Diaper Bank, which provides 80,000 diapers to more than 1,200 area children.

Tuesday, a few local organizations — North Omaha Community Partnership, Nebraska For Us, I Be Black Girl, and Black Men United — worked together to help take a little pressure off the Diaper Bank and help families in need.

A stack of diapers and baby wipes is a prize to such families.

“It’s something that you really don’t think about, but it is a huge expense to families,” said Tamika Mease, executive director of North Omaha Community Partnership.

She says the need for diapers in the community is growing.

“We get about, I would say, five to 10 new clients per week that call in for our diaper and wipes program,” Mease said.

The organization also helps families with baby items and formula.

“In addition to offering formula, we offer baby essential items. We offer personal hygiene items for the families, and other kids in the family,” she said.

They also help with other hygience items and baby food — but diapers are the main focus.

Nebraska For Us Executive Director Angie Lauritsen says diapers are an expensive necessity.

“So families are having to make choices when the cost of necessary goods go up,” she said. “They’re making choices: ‘Do we fix the car? Are we late for a rental payment? Are we not going to make our medical payments?”

Mnay people who donate often give the smaller, or newborn diapers; but there is also a need for pull-ups or diapers for little ones moving around.

“You need those bigger diapers for a longer period of time,” Lauritsen said. “The other issues is with shelves in the stores — less diapers are in those large diper sizes. You need more of those; that doesn’t mean that you need them less, or less often. They just come in smaller packages.”

All the diapers and baby supplies are here for free for families in need. Mease says it’s about helping people, not about income brackets.

“There are so many families that are experiencing crisis, you know; that’s not my main focus. I focus on the need,” she said.

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Nebraska

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appoints Antonio Gomez to Racing and Gaming Commission

Published

9 hours ago

March 26, 2026

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Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appoints Antonio Gomez to Racing and Gaming Commission

LINCOLN, Neb — Gov. Jim Pillen has appointed Antonio Gomez of Jackson to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, adding a longtime Siouxland business leader and public servant to the panel.

Commission members serve four-year terms and are subject to approval by the Nebraska Legislature.

Gomez launched Gomez Pallets in South Sioux City in 1983. He has since retired from daily operations, but last year the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce recognized him with the W. Edwards Deming Business Leadership and Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.

Gomez previously served on the Nebraska Commission on Latino Americans from 1981 to 2002. He also served as a Dakota County commissioner for 12 years and was on the Foundation Board for Northeast Community College.

Gomez’s appointment is effective April 1.

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Nebraska

CBS Sports predicts Nebraska-Iowa basketball in the Sweet 16

Published

22 hours ago

March 26, 2026

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CBS Sports predicts Nebraska-Iowa basketball in the Sweet 16

The Nebraska Cornhuskers will face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. This is the Huskers’ first Sweet 16 in program history, while Iowa is playing in its first Sweet 16 since 1999.

Nebraska defeated Vanderbilt 74-72 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa advanced after beating the defending national champion, the Florida Gators, 73-72.

CBS Sports reporter Isaac Trotter broke down Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup. Trotter started by looking at the two previous matchups in this series.

These teams have played twice. Iowa won at home in a 57-52 rockfight. Nebraska returned the favor by winning at home, 84-75 in overtime, in another to-the-death brawl.

It’s no secret that Nebraska’s defense caused significant problems for the Iowa offense in the second game, and if the Hawkeyes are going to win the rubber match, Trotter believes that turnovers will be the key.

There are no secrets in the rubber match. Nebraska’s no-middle defense has given Iowa real problems both times. The Hawkeyes turned it over 20% of the time in Game 1 and 26% of the time in Game 2. That can’t happen in the third encounter.

CBS Sports believes that Iowa has the best player on the floor in Bennett Stirtz, but Trotter also believes that Nebraska’s defense is just too much in the end for Iowa.

Iowa has the best player on the floor, Bennett Stirtz, and can hurt Nebraska on the glass, but the Huskers get the nod because of this pick-and-roll defense. You have to be able to guard ball screens effectively to shut down Iowa, and Nebraska has been an elite pick-and-roll defense, rating in the 99th percentile nationally, per Synergy.

In the end, Trotter selected Nebraska as his pick. Should the Huskers advance to the Elite Eight, Nebraska would play the winner of the Illinois-Houston game. Nebraska-Iowa play in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m. CT on TBS.

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This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: CBS Sports predicts Nebraska-Iowa basketball in the Sweet 16

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Nebraska

Protect Colorado agriculture — do the homework on Nebraska canal plan (Letters)

Published

2 days ago

March 25, 2026

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Protect Colorado agriculture — do the homework on Nebraska canal plan (Letters)

We need to do our homework on Nebraska canal plan

Re: “Colorado’s water war with Nebraska comes to a head,” Sept. 21 news story

Farming in northeastern Colorado has never been easy, and it is getting harder. Markets are tough, input costs are up, and young people are leaving. What keeps communities in Northeastern Colorado going is agriculture, the water, the ground, and the community that ties everything together. The proposed Perkins County Canal — to carry South Platte River water into Nebraska — threatens all of it.

When you take water off farmland, the damage does not stop in crop yields. Equipment dealers, elevators, local banks, and businesses all feel it. Schools and roads will suffer. We have seen what happens to towns that lose their agricultural base, and we cannot let that happen again without a real fight.

That fight needs to be a regional one. I am asking communities across northeastern Colorado to come together and hire an independent economic consultant to assess the true local impact of this project (acres affected, jobs at risk, income lost, tax base eroded).

The Corps of Engineers will do its own analysis, but we need our own numbers. If their conclusions do not match what our communities are actually facing, we need the documentation to say so and demand they take another look.

Rural communities have always figured out how to help each other when it counts. This is one of those times. I urge local officials, water boards, farm bureaus, and civic leaders to set aside any differences and work together on this. The permit process will not wait, and neither can we.

Kimberly L. Kinnison, Ovid

Don’t let our children be ‘policy pawns’

Re: “District accused of violating Title IX,” March 14 news story

The Trump administration seems intent on the persecution of transgender children, excluding them from bathrooms, sports and school activities. Refusing to allow transgender children to participate in school in a manner consistent with their gender identity promotes the exclusion of particularly vulnerable children.

Participation in sports, access to bathrooms in which they feel comfortable, and full inclusion are critical components of healthy development for all children.

Some children are taller, faster, or stronger, have been training with private coaches or attending schools with better facilities, but the requirement of biological uniformity applies only to transgender children.

Exclusion harms children. Is this in dispute? Our children are not political pawns.

Jane Cates, Jefferson County

Don’t forget the Denver Chamber Music Festival

Re: “Classical blast,” March 15 feature story

Thanks to Ray Rinaldi for a terrific article about classical music festivals in the mountains this summer. I’d like to add one, and it’s right here in town: the Denver Chamber Music Festival from June 5 to June 13. World-class musicians, including the amazing classical/bluegrass violinist Tessa Lark, our first composer in residence, and local favorites Stephanie Cheng and Margaret Dyer Harris, and the members of the Colorado Cello Quartet.

All performances are at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts; tickets available at denverchambermusicfestival.org. Avoid Interstate 70 and enjoy phenomenal music in Denver!

Alix Corboy, Denver

Editor’s note: Corboy is executive director of the Denver Chamber Music Festival

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