Protesters Need to Turn Out at the Polls, City Council Proposes Mask Mandate, Teachers Retire Early to Stay Safe and More Top Local News for Monday, August 3

• After the Douglas County health director decided not to issue a mask mandate, city council members proposed a mask requirement that, if passed, could be in place by September or earlier.
• Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center discovered potentially infectious, airborne COVID-19 particles in the hospital rooms of coronavirus patients.
• Six coronavirus deaths were reported on Friday in Douglas County.
• Members of the Omaha Public Schools Board are urging the city council to implement a mask mandate before schools reopen.
• All Omaha Public Schools students will receive iPads by the end of September for school use.
• Protesters wrote messages like defund the police with chalk on the sidewalk surrounding the Omaha Police Department’s headquarters on Saturday.
• ProBLAC, the organization that led the July 25 protest, which ended in mass arrests, saw a rise in attendance at its meeting to discuss future demonstrations in Memorial Park.

Around the State

• Nebraska high school band directors are anticipating a season without competitions due to the coronavirus and are choreographing crowd-pleasing performances for football games instead.
• Some Nebraska teachers are retiring early or requesting a leave of absence due to the health concerns of teaching in-person classes.
• A restaurant and bowling alley in Lincoln refused to follow the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department’s order to close for 24 hours because the establishment violated the city’s mask mandate.
• Another Nebraska State Penitentiary staff member tested positive for COVID-19.