Nebraska

EXPLAINER: How the port strike could impact Nebraska economy, agriculture, healthcare

Published

1 year ago

October 2, 2024

EXPLAINER: How the port strike could impact Nebraska economy, agriculture, healthcare

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – Longshoremen on the east and Gulf coasts went on strike at midnight Tuesday and it’s already causing headaches for Nebraska exports.

The Nebraska Farm Bureau told 6 News the widespread strike is impacting exports like beef, pork, corn and wheat, and President Mark McHargue said buyers and shippers of some products are giving them a discouraging outlook.

“They’re telling us for every day that this strike goes on, it’s going to push product back a week,” he said. “So, I mean, very quickly you get into, say, a five-day strike — you’re looking at a five-week delay.”

He said it could also put a damper on imports for equipment parts during the beginning of harvest season.

“Our hope is that it’s only a few days,” McHargue said. “(It) would obviously be the least disruptive. This drags on for a couple of weeks, and we have a whole different situation.”

If this strike does last that long, he said products will spoil, leading to losses for investors. You’ll also see prices soar at the grocery store.

By how much?

UNL supply chain management and business analytics professor Dr. Scott Swenseth didn’t want to speculate.

“Even from a historical standpoint, seeing this impact on top of what’s already been a very inflationary period, I don’t know if we’ve experienced — at least in recent times — anything that we could use as a comparison there,” Swenseth said.

As for non-agricultural goods, Swenseth said price hikes would depends on the organization.

“Larger organizations that have seen this coming would have had the ability, potentially, to speed up some of their earlier shipments and may have received some of the things that will help them get through for a while,” he said. “Smaller and mid-sized companies that didn’t have the ability to get it in early or reroute it like some of the larger companies could, may see that impact sooner.”

When it comes transporting these goods, Swenseth told 6 News we’ll probably see shipping delays lasting longer than the strikes themselves.

“They’re going to handle that in different ways, and depending on the size of the company and what they have the ability to reroute. If you have an independent or real small trucking companies that are operating without being part of that larger organization—the independent drivers—if they don’t have a load, they don’t have a load.”

Which means they wouldn’t get paid.

Swenseth said even without the dockworkers strike, Hurricane Helene’s impact on the area is already significant.

The storm struck a Baxter International plant in Marion, N.C., which is a major supplier for intravenous products.

Both Nebraska Medicine and CHI Health said they’re not experiencing any shortages at this time.

CHI said it’s looking to other manufacturers while that Baxter facility gets back online.

Nebraska Medicine said it maintains a four-to-six-week supply of critical medications. It’s expecting to see an impact from the Baxter plant’s closure and is putting plans in place, like conserving IV fluids, and making sure it’s prioritizing patients with the highest needs.

6 News also reached out to Methodist Hospital, which said it’s still working on an answer for this.

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Nebraska

Hail, rain, snow move into eastern Nebraska, western Iowa

Published

4 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Hail, rain, snow move into eastern Nebraska, western Iowa

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – An active weather pattern is moving into the region starting tonight, bringing some snow into the region, according to KTIV’s forecast in Sioux City.

A First Alert 6 viewer sent footage of the storms while traveling on Interstate 80 near West Branch, Iowa.

Hail near West Branch, Iowa

TUESDAY NIGHT

In Siouxland, a batch of precipitation moves in after midnight. It could initially start as rain, but most of the precipitation will fall as snow. Snow showers will likely last through sunrise on Wednesday morning.

The snow will stay light with accumulations near an inch or less. This could create some slick spots on the Wednesday morning commute. Temperatures will probably fall a bit below the freezing mark.

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Nebraska

Shelter in place issued after suspicious object found in mailbox

Published

16 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Shelter in place issued after suspicious object found in mailbox

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — UPDATE: Grand Island Police said around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday that the shelter in place order has been lifted .

GIPD said the item was retrieved by the Nebraska State Patrol Bomb Squad, who is investigating.

The area has also now been reopened.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The Grand Island Police Department has cordoned off a local block and is urging residents to shelter in place.

According to GIPD, officers responded to the 4300 block of Sherwood Road just before 2:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. A resident reported finding a suspicious cylindrical object wrapped in duct tape inside a home.

The Nebraska State Patrol Bomb Squad has been called to the scene to investigate the device.

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Nebraska

68 students chosen as Nebraska Young Artist Award winners

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

68 students chosen as Nebraska Young Artist Award winners

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts has announced the winners of the 29th annual Nebraska Young Artist Awards.

The awards recognize 11th-grade students from Nebraska for their talents in visual art, dance, music, theatre, and film and emerging media arts.

Sixty-eight students from more than 40 high schools across the state have been selected as award winners and will be invited to a day of activities on campus March 25.

“Our faculty always look forward to this event,” said Chris Watson, director of recruitment for the college and coordinator of the awards. “They love meeting enthusiastic young artists, working with them and celebrating their talent.”

Students applied for the recognition and submitted an example of their work. Applications were received from 92 students. Hixson-Lied College faculty chose the winners.

Award winners were also asked to nominate the teacher who provided them with the greatest amount of mentoring and support in the development of their special talents.

Each student will receive a certificate and an original piece of artwork commissioned for the event and created by a School of Art, Art History and Design student.

Following is a list of award winners by hometown, with their high school and specialty area(s).

Aurora: