Articles by Margery A. Beck

Statewide Computer Outage Disrupts Nebraska Government Operations

A systemwide outage of Nebraska goverment computers shut down everything from the work of the Legislature to driver’s licensing offices for several hours Thursday. The state Office of the Chief Information Officer confirmed that the outage affected all state connections …

Nebraska Certifies Ballot Measures to Legalize Medical Marijuana

Nebraska certified two ballot measures Friday to legalize medical marijuana even though the state’s Republican attorney general said their supporters may have submitted at least several thousand invalid signatures, which could keep them from becoming law. Attorney General Mike Hilgers …

Tornado Devastates Iowa Town, Killing Multiple People

GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP) — Multiple people died Tuesday and at least a dozen were injured when a powerful tornado tore through a small Iowa town, carving a bleak landscape of destroyed homes and businesses, shredded trees, smashed cars, and widely …

Multiple Tornadoes Hit Nebraska and Iowa, Leaving Trails of Damage

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A tornado plowed through suburban Omaha, Nebraska, on Friday, damaging hundreds of homes and other structures as it tore for miles along farmland and into subdivisions. Some injuries were reported but there were no immediate reports …

Crash Tests Indicate Nation’s Guardrail System Can’t Handle Heavy Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles that typically weigh more than gasoline-powered cars can easily crash through steel highway guardrails that are not designed to withstand the extra force, raising concerns about the nation’s roadside safety system, according to crash test data released Wednesday …

Teachers Could Physically Restrain Unruly Students Under Nebraska Bill

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow teachers and school staff to physically restrain disruptive students and remove them from classrooms without fear of being disciplined, even as critics say physical restraint has been …

Missouri Won’t Shut Down Summer Camps Despite Virus Outbreaks

Missouri leaders knew the risk of convening thousands of kids at summer camps across the state during a pandemic, the state’s top health official said, and insisted that camp organizers have plans in place to keep an outbreak from happening. …

After Flooding, Davenport, Iowa, Now Mulling Mississippi River Wall

Hundreds of communities line the Mississippi River on its 2,348-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico, but Davenport, Iowa, stands out for the simple reason that people there can actually dip their toes in the river without scaling a flood …

Communities Along Mississippi River Prepare for Record Crest

Communities in several states along the Mississippi River are watching the skies this week as rainfall will likely determine whether the river reaches record crests and how much it will raise floodwaters. The National Weather Service had issued flood warnings …

Midwest States Want More Control Over Missouri River After Floods

Three Midwestern Republican governors of states ravaged by recent flooding are demanding more authority over management of the Missouri River system. Following a meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and …