Edging Toward Employment Equity
Reporter Leah Cates presents a retrospective of 2021 Omaha Jobs columns.
Published in Omaha Jobs and The Reader (print edition).
Reed Moore’s Daily Rundown
Happy National Winnie the Pooh Day: Today’s news invites us all to relive our childhoods with the lovable Pooh Bear and his honey jar: GOP state Sen. Mike Flood is running to take indicted Congressman Jeff Fortenberry’s seat, Omaha City Council members Brinker Harding, Aimee Melton and Don Rowe join Attorney General Doug Peterson’s lawsuit against Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse, and Nebraska Medicine’s Dr. Dan Johnson, a critical care specialist, invites the council members, along with Mayor Jean Stothert, to tour the hospital’s COVID-19 wards.
Harper’s Index Facts of the Day
- Average amount of outstanding student debt
owed by U.S. public school teachers: $56,900 - Average salary of a U.S. public school teacher: $65,090
Source: National Education Association (Washington)
Reed Moore’s COVID-19 Roundup
As announced in the Wednesday, Dec. 29, bonus newsletter, in light of the Omicron variant, Reed Moore will replace the “Thing To Do” section with a COVID-19 spotlight featuring coronavirus-related content. The Reader believes it’s irresponsible to promote events when hospitals are nearing capacity and some community members refuse to get vaccinated. As cases continue, The Reader won’t promote any events — be they concerts, plays, art-gallery openings or stand-up comedy — that don’t require
masks, vaccination and social distancing.
- COVID-19 in Lincoln: Lincoln’s mask mandate returns, and Lincoln Public Schools calls off in-person classes for the upcoming three Fridays.
- COVID-19 in Local Schools: In light of staffing shortages, Millard Public Schools schedules three remote-learning days, and Jan. 18 marks the first day of Bellevue Public Schools’ temporary indoor mask mandate.
- COVID-19 in Hospitals: As statewide coronavirus cases surge, health care leaders open up about the COVID-19 crisis in hospitals, which are experiencing a shortage of nurses. The president of the Nebraska Hospital Association believes we’ve yet to see Omicron cases peak.
- COVID-19 and Local Government: Omaha City Council members Brinker Harding, Aimee Melton and Don Rowe join Attorney General Doug Peterson’s lawsuit against Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse, who declared an emergency mask mandate last week. A critical care specialist, invites the council members, along with Mayor Jean Stothert, to tour COVID-19 wards.
For nationwide COVID-19 case
and vaccination trends, click here.
Around Omaha
- The Rev. Michael Gutgsell, a former chancellor for the Roman Catholic Church’s Archdiocese of Omaha, is charged with yet another count of theft.
- Four local school districts — Omaha, Millard, Gretna and Springfield Platteview — file suit against the Sarpy County treasurer for allegedly neglecting to repay over $6.5 million in tax payments, following three years of being underpaid.
- Two local business owners, brothers Steven and Adam Braithwaite, are sentenced to prison for breaching worker safety standards before a 2015 railcar explosion resulting in two employee deaths.
- The Open Door Mission desperately needs volunteers. Here’s how you can help.
- “I’ve lived in a few cities, and I’ve never seen anything like it”: Read about the work of the Omaha 360 anti-gun violence coalition.
- The Orpheum Tower is purchased by a national buyer, who’d like to remain private.
Around Nebraska
- State Sen. Mike Flood, a Republican, is running to take indicted Congressman Jeff Fortenberry’s seat.
- Almost 60 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. paid a visit to Lincoln.
- A Nebraska meatpacking plant worker dies after sustaining an injury on the job.
- In Case You Missed It: Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation seeks to bring healing to Whiteclay, Nebraska.
The City Council and Douglas County Board of Commissioners are not meeting today, so Reed Moore has nothing to report on the local government scene.
The Daily Funny
Click the image to see the full comic by Jen Sorensen,
plus more daily funnies.
