County CARES Funds, Burke High Reckoning, Racist Incident at Oriental Trading Company and More Top Local News for Wednesday, June 24

• Burke High School graduates are looking to rename their alma mater and get rid of its namesake, Harry A. Burke, who once fought against integration in schools.
• The Douglas County Board of Commissioners allocated $41.6 million of its CARES Act funds to address the effects of COVID-19. That money went toward a mass vaccination program, rental assistance and other causes.
• The Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an incident at Oriental Trading Company where one employee left a noose on his colleague’s chair. The employee was also fired after an internal investigation.
• The Henry Doorly Zoo reopens its desert dome and aquarium today.
• An Omaha man swindled money from Medicare recipients with pizza and ice cream. Yesterday a judge found him guilty of fraud.
• Omaha police have started a fireworks hotline as they prepare for a busy Fourth of July.
• Bars and restaurants continue to fill up with a mix of masked and unmasked patrons despite the ongoing pandemic.
• The Iowa Department of Natural Resources said Council Bluffs can release up to 200,000 gallons of untreated wastewater into the Missouri River, just north of Dodge Park.
• Immigration officials said they can’t celebrate the Supreme Court win for DACA for too long. Now comes the state-level battle for protections as well as the overarching goal of providing DACA recipients a path to citizenship.
• Following renovations, the 100-seat Benson Theatre is returning soon with capacities for music shows, stand-up comedy and movie screenings.

Around the State

• College baseball faces a potential reckoning following COVID-19. Right now, coaches are trying to figure out how the game can innovate and survive.
• Lincoln’s Pershing Center once housed large events near downtown Lincoln. Now the dormant building may be torn down and replaced with affordable housing and a library, part of a $54 million project that awaits the Lincoln City Council’s approval.
• To combat coronavirus-related revenue losses, the state is raising its gas tax to an all-time high 33.2 cents per gallon.
• Nebraska’s State Education Association began “Equity Starts With Education,” a program to address diversity in their own ranks as well as how teachers talk to kids about racism.
• The Lincoln Police Department announced it would review its use of force policy following the brutalization of some protesters.