Rental Assistance, Gretna Pharmacy Supplies State with Drugs for Execution, New Police Oversight Bill and more Top Local News for Friday, July 24

•  UNO and UNMC have laid off nine employees and will leave their positions unfilled.
• Alisha Shelton, the Nebraska Democratic Party’s choice to replace Chris Janicek in the upcoming Senate race, might not get to be on the ballot. However, Shelton says she will be running for mayor in 2024 if Janicek does not step down from the race this year.
• After 40 years of providing day care, rehabilitation and community support programs for adults with mental health needs, Omaha’s Friendship Program will close in August.
• The Metro bus system in Omaha plans to restore the routes pulled back in March because of the pandemic by the end of the month.
• Omaha parents are frustrated over confusing deadlines to register their children for remote learning in the fall.
• Event centers were hit hard by coronavirus cancellations, but they are seeing a slow return to normalcy.

Around the State

• Nebraska lawmakers voted to add language to an existing bill to prevent counties and cities from implementing a plastic bag ban.
• Local health experts say that nothing will help schools reopen safely in the fall more than decreasing transmissions rates of COVID-19 in the greater communities.
• Due to pandemic-related safety concerns, the Nebraska state marching band competition has been cancelled this fall.
• State lawmakers debated the property tax relief bill and an update for the state’s tax incentives for business growth, but neither bill has advanced yet.
• The University of Nebraska president announced that he wants fall sports to happen and believes that the college students returning to Nebraska campuses in five weeks can be kept safe.
• The state education agency called on Governor Pete Ricketts to provide mask requirements, purchase protective equipment and to supply free, rapid COVID-19 testing for schools in the fall.
• Nebraska’s new unemployment guidelines require people applying for benefits for longer than 16 weeks to prove they are searching for another job, but many of the unemployed plan to go back to their old jobs once their workplaces reopen.