May 17, 2012

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USDA official pushes new school meal plan

April 5, 2012 By

A top official with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is touting new federal guidelines designed to make meals served in schools in Nebraska and nationwide more nutritious.

Kevin Concannon, undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer sciences, says changes taking effect July 1st will increase federal dollars provided for the school meals program.

“We see this as a major opportunity, not only to help children have access to nutritious food every day, but it can also — in schools — take some of the pressure off the households and people who may be struggling in this economy,” Concannon says.

During a stop in Sioux City, Iowa, Concannon said the move to serve school children more fruits, vegetables and other low-fat foods followed recommendations from health and medical professionals and others.

“We had a national group of retired Army generals and admirals from the Navy and Coast Guard who lobbied congress on the basis of…we have such an obesity problem in the United States, it’s not just a health problem, it’s a national security problem,” Concannon says.

Government statistics show 36% of adults and 17% of children in the U.S. are obese.

A public outcry over a type of lunch meat served in schools sparked a recent policy change at the USDA. Concannon says schools will have a choice between using “lean, finely textured beef” — sometimes referred to as “pink slime” — or another less-lean ground beef.

“At the end of the day, that lean finely textured beef is safe, leaner than the average beef that comes through the beef supply and it is less costly,” Concannon said. “But, we recognize it is a choice and that’s something new we will have this coming school year.”

The so-called “pink slime” is made from leftover beef trimmings and treated to kill off bacteria. It has been in the U.S. food supply since the early 1990s, according to Concannon.

McDonald’s announced earlier this year it would discontinue use of the controversial meat product made by South Dakota-based Beef Products Incorporated.

BPI factories that produced the product in Iowa, Kansas and Texas have been closed in recent weeks. The only plant that remains open is in South Sioux City, Nebraska.

Filed Under: Agriculture, Education, Featured Stories, Health & Medicine, News

State ag group launches campaign to promote ag careers to kids

March 30, 2012 By

Despite assurances from the U.S. Department of Labor that it will modify proposed regulations on children working in agriculture, Nebraska Farm Bureau and Nebraska FFA officials are not convinced.

The Nebraska Farm Bureau is announcing a new campaign called “Let Me Get My Hands Dirty.”

Farm Bureau president Steve Nelson says it’s another way for adults and children to voice their concerns over the proposed regulations.

“We’re still very concerned about a number of situations that take place commonly in agriculture today that still would be affected by the rules,” Nelson says. “We see no reason to back away from this. This is a huge thing for the future of agriculture.”

Anita Wollenburg, ag instructor and FFA adviser at Wilber-Clatonia High School, says “learning by doing” is an important part of the FFA curriculum.

Wollenburg is especially concerned with how the rules could impact the FFA’s Supervised Agricultural Experience-or SAE-program.

“If we strip these students of the opportunity to be in production agriculture and learn by doing, we are stripping them of their ability to learn,” Wollenburg says. “We are taking that right and that privilege away from them.”

The Department of Labor wants to strengthen the safety requirements for young people in agriculture. Nelson agrees that the safety of children is a top priority, but says the proposed rules go too far in restricting what children have historically been allowed to do on farms and ranches.

Thanks to Ken Anderson at Brownfield

Filed Under: Agriculture, Education, News

Lawmakers approve money for Healthier Nebraska Initiative, Chadron and Peru State

March 27, 2012 By

State lawmakers have approved the money the University of Nebraska says it needs to finance its Healthier Nebraska Initiative as well as money to pay for capital improvements at Chadron State and Peru State.

University of Nebraska president, J.B. Milliken, says the university will leverage the state funding to raise private funds to finance the $450 million initiative.

“This initiative will address cancer treatment and research in a major way, provide new nursing education and physician’s assistance and allied health education in central Nebraska and provide for a veterinary diagnostic laboratory for the state’s largest industry; the livestock industry,” Milliken tells Nebraska Radio Network affiliate KLIN.

It took a while to get to this point. Gov. Dave Heineman first expressed reservations about whether the state could afford to provide the $91 million request from the University of Nebraska. Negotiations began and legislators settled on providing most, but not all, of the money.

The key project in the Healthier Nebraska Initiative is a $370 million cancer research and treatment center on the Omaha campus of the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Plans call for building a 250,000 square foot cancer research tower with 98 new laboratories for cancer research. The tower itself is estimated to cost $110 million. The state would provide $50 million with the university committed to raising $60 million to complete the financing.

The legislature also approved $18 million for a health care program at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. The money would pay for an expansion of Bruner Hall of Science on the UNK campus which would allow the Kearney campus to expand its nursing and allied health professions programs.

Nearly $7 million has been allocated to expand and renovate Armstrong Gymnasium at Chadron State College. The college has pledged to raise $2 million in private funding to complete the rehabilitation of the building constructed in 1964.

Lawmakers also allocated $7.5 million to renovate Oak Bowl at Peru State College. The legislature approved $5 million with no strings attached, but requires Peru State to raise $1.5 million in private funding to receive an additional $2.5 million in state funds.

The budget bills now go to Gov. Dave Heineman for his consideration.

KLIN contributed to this report.

Filed Under: Education, Legislature & Government, News

Tuition hike of $3/hour approved for Southeast Community College

March 21, 2012 By

Tuition at Southeast Community College will rise almost six-percent this coming year.

The SCC Board of Governors on Tuesday approved a tuition hike of three dollars per credit hour, increasing the charge from $51 to $54.

College President Jack Huck says any of the options considered by the board, ranging as high as a nearly 10% increase, would have kept the college competitive.

A CEO advisory team and administration team both recommended the tuition increase approved by the college board on a 9-0 vote.

Student senates on the Beatrice, Lincoln and Milford Campuses, had favored an increase of closer to four-percent.

Board member Kathy Boellstorff of Johnson says the tuition hike means both students and taxpayers contribute a little more.

College officials point out that a large increase in agriculture land values may negate a property tax hike for the coming year.

Huck says SCC expects about a five-percent decline in enrollment this coming year, based on the current trend. With the increase in tuition, fees charged to students will remain the same as the past year.

Meeting on the Beatrice Campus Tuesday, the school’s board also approved a room and board increase for the coming year, which ranges between three and four-percent.

By Doug Kennedy, KWBE, Beatrice

Filed Under: Economy, Education, News

Hearing impaired children receive help through Omaha Hearing School Foundation

March 21, 2012 By

The former Omaha Hearing School continues its mission of helping children with profound hearing loss across the state. Dr. Britt Thedinger is a board member of the Omaha Hearing School Foundation and says the organization was formed when the Omaha Hearing School closed last year. The building has been sold they provided a grant to the St. Joseph School for the Deaf in St. Louis. Through that school children in Nebraska can take advantage of their “ihear” program.

Dr. Thedinger says speech pathologists are able to work with children one-on-one on-line with skype. He says this is a big benefit to children who live in rural areas as the pathologists basically come into their own home. He says this is saving time and money for families who don’t have to make the drive from Valentine or Chappell to Omaha, Lincoln or Kearney for therapy appointments.

The “ihear” program is receiving national attention for its results. The cost of each therapy session is $35 an hour.

Filed Under: Education, News
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