Iowa reports first flu-related deaths of season

COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon, and on Tuesday, Omaha doctors warned of a new variant that is the most contagious strain yet. This comes as the Food and Drug Administration considers making booster vaccines an annual option like the flu shot. The good news is infections in Nebraska are staying steady, just a 10 percent positive rate.

OMAHA, Neb. — Proposals to increase abortion restrictions in Nebraska send the legislature into gridlock. With tempers running short, opponents extended debate even though they likely lack the votes to stop the legislation from moving forward. They'll resume their attempt again in the morning to derail LB626, the bill...

Iowa's new attorney general wants to increase penalties for drug sales that lead to someone's death. The bill passed out of subcommittees in both chambers yesterday. If it is signed into law, "delivering a drug resulting in death" would become a Class B felony and would carry up to a 25-year prison sentence.

LINCOLN, Neb. — A joint statement by multiple hospital groups said Gov. Jim Pillen's proposed budget ignores the "crisis" providers are facing as they care for Nebraskans. If you're impacted by a lack of access to health care services, the Nebraska Hospital Association said it could get worse. They...

Iowa OSHA is investigating after a contractor died in an accident at Adventureland amusement park in Altoona. A spokesperson for the family of 20-year-old Zachary Alesky said he was carrying a steel beam when he slipped on ice, and the beam came down and crushed his chest. Family members say...

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska's economic state has never been stronger. That was the message from Gov. Jim Pillen in his first State of the State Address. "We have more money in our coffers than anyone can believe, or quite frankly comprehend. There's bushel baskets of it," Pillen said. A...

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen addressed his goals for the state, including a number of tax cuts, in his first State of the State address on Thursday. At the state capitol, the governor introduced a budget limiting the growth of state spending to an annual average of 1.3% during the next two years.

LINCOLN, Neb. — Guns are back at the Legislature, as Nebraskans testify to state lawmakers. Law enforcement and civilians are speaking for and against a bill that would allow permitless concealed carry across the state. State Sen. Tom Brewer, of Gordon, proposes LB77 — a proposed law that's lived...

OMAHA, Neb. — Lowering property taxes and preventing brain drain in Nebraksa were two priorities Gov. Jim Pillen laid out in his state of the state address this week. He proposed the state take on the funding of Nebraska's community colleges rather than letting property taxes be responsible. The...

OMAHA, Neb. — Transportation Security Administration officers in Nebraska found 17 firearms in travelers' carry-on luggage in 2022, contributing to the 6,542 firearms discovered at 262 airports across the country. The previous record of firearms discovered by TSA was 5,972 in 2021. "As a responsible gun owner, we really...

OMAHA, Neb. — Pets can command our lives. They can even be a power dynamic in our relationships, according to a gender-based violence expert with the Women's Fund of Omaha. Freedom from Violence program manager Nick Zadina and other advocates have tried to add pets to domestic abuse protection orders through legislation in Nebraska. It would allow police to arrest abusers who threaten animals they share with a domestic partner.

Leaders from Council Bluffs private and public schools differ on whether they think Iowa's newly signed school voucher law is good for students. At Saint Albert Catholic Schools, President Anne Rohling is happy with the legislation. "It's a great day for the state of Iowa. It's a wonderful day. Parents...

LINCOLN, Neb. — Joined by educators and students from private and parochial schools across Nebraska, Gov. Jim Pillen backed a new proposal to give tax breaks to families with children in private schools. "No matter what socio-economic background you come from, if public education isn't for you, you ought...

OMAHA, Neb. — One of the organizations that gets help from the United Way is Heartland Hope Mission — the nonprofit provides families across Nebraska with food and other essentials they may need. "We primarily serve working-poor families, so most of the people coming through our doors are...