LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Chief Financial Officer for the city of Lincoln is moving onto a new job with the state of Nebraska.

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird announced Friday that Lyn Heaton accepted the position of Director of Innovative Finance with the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the residents of Lincoln,” Heaton said. “Leading the City’s Finance Department has been a deeply rewarding experience. I want to express how much I’ve enjoyed working alongside the many dedicated and talented employees within the Finance Department.”

Heaton joined the City of Lincoln’s team in 2022. Prior to that, he served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Nebraska Department of Transportation, Deputy State Budget Administrator, and Budget Analyst in the Budget Division of the State Department of Administrative Services.

Heaton succeeded Brandon Kauffman, who served as Lincoln’s Chief Financial Officer between 2016 and January of 2020.

“I thank Director Heaton for his outstanding service to the city of Lincoln over the past two years,” Mayor Gaylor Baird said in a press release. “His leadership has been instrumental in guiding our award-winning Finance Department with excellence and integrity. We are committed to finding a capable successor who will continue to uphold our high standards and support our dedicated finance team.”

Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.

Copyright 2024 KOLN. All rights reserved.

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) – The Nebraska State Fair announced they have added Los Huracanes Del Norte, who recently celebrated 50 years in 2022, to the Nebraska Lottery Concert Series.

The multiple Grammy nominated norteño music group is filling the Thursday, Aug. 29, slot originally featuring Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos del Norte, who canceled their tour. The group will perform on the State Fair’s outdoor stage at TD Landing.

“Not only are we excited to have Los Huracanes Del Norte at the 2024 State Fair, we are incredibly thankful they happened to be available on short notice to fill the open slot,” Jaime Parr, Nebraska State Fair Executive Director, said. “This is a great solution for our fairgoers who enjoy this genre.”

Tickets are on sale now. A small number of VIP tickets are still available. Tickets are $37 for general admission, $57 for pit and $77 for VIP.

All Ramón Ayala tickets will be honored for Los Huracanes Del Norte, the Nebraska State Fair said. Individuals who prefer a ticket refund can contact the Nebraska State Fair Box Office by calling (308) 382-1620 or stopping by the Nebraska Building on or before July 17.

Click here to subscribe to our KSNB Local4 daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.

Copyright 2024 KSNB. All rights reserved.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Four petitions focusing on abortion have been circulating around Nebraska the past few months.

In Nebraska, abortion is banned after 12 weeks, with exceptions for sexual assault, incest and medical emergency.

The Protect Our Rights campaign looks to change that.

Its petition would provide a right to abortion under the state constitution.

Mo Neal, a petition circulator for the initiative, said this issue is a matter of health.

“It protects all persons — not just women, not just children,” she said.

In particular, Neal said it protects rape victims and allows women pregnant with fetuses that have “known genetic deformities” to “get the medical care they need.”

She said the reception from voters has been good, but there is more work to do.

“We need more signatures,” Neal said. “If you haven’t signed any of these yet, get out and find a place to sign. Or it doesn’t happen. It’s your vote.”

On the other side, there are three petitions.

The Now Choose Life Initiative would amend the Nebraska Constitution to recognize unborn children as persons under the law.

Then there’s the Human Life Protection Initiative, which would ban all abortions except to save the mother’s life.

Finally, the Protect Women and Children Initiative seeks to put the state’s current abortion restrictions in the constitution.

A petition circulator for this initiative, Walter O’Neal, has a close connection to the issue, saying he was almost aborted.

“We’re all products of the fact that our mamas were pro-life,” he said. “So, mine in particular, because I wasn’t supposed to be here.”

He said the initiative is a compromise on such a divisive topic.

“Let the voters decide between these three initiatives, and hopefully pick the one in the middle that’s going to satisfy the most people,” O’Neal said.

Supporters of each of the petitions have until July 3 to get enough signatures to get the issue on the ballot.