Tis’ the season for giving and a new report by the financial website WalletHub shows that folks in Nebraska are a generous group. Analyst Jill Gonzalez says they conducted a survey of the nation’s largest cities and Lincoln and Omaha ranks high.

WalletHub looked at 40 indicators to determine the rankings. That included volunteering, homeless shelters, child poverty rate, and the number of social workers, paramedics, police officers and firefighters per capita.

The report shows that Lincoln came in 3rd best among the 100 cities surveyed. Lincoln came in 12th best when it comes to caring for the community, 11th best for the number of volunteers and 14th for population working in social services and public service. Omaha came in 4th best for sheltering of the homeless population, 18th for volunteering and 26th for teachers caring for student’s well-being. Both cities also ranked high in caring for the environment and caring for the vulnerable.

The top two cities that beat Lincoln out of first place were Madison, Wisconsin and New York City.

Gonzalez says Omaha could do better in a few categories. She says, “Overall, when it comes to things like favors for neighbors and food and clothing distribution, in particular, those numbers could be higher.”

To view the whole report click here.

It is getting mighty close to December 25th and guys in Nebraska know exactly what their best girl wants - something that sparkles in a velvet box. If the wallet is a bit thin there is a great option for guys on a budget. Sally Morrison is with Lightbox Jewelry and says diamonds can now be lab grown in a very short period of time.

Morrison says, “Lab grown diamonds share the optical, chemical and physical properties of natural diamonds. The difference is natural diamonds occur in the earth. They were made there billions of years ago. Lab grown diamonds by contrast are literally made in a laboratory and that takes about two weeks.”

The process starts with a real diamond wafer that goes into a machine. It is brought up to intense heat and then bombarded with atoms and kept at low pressure. Slowly the crystal grows. At the end of two weeks there is about a carat of rock that is cut and polished the same way natural diamonds are processed.

Morrison says, “They are absolutely real diamonds. The only difference, and it is obviously an important difference, but the only difference is the way they were made. Most people will not be able to tell the difference. These are diamonds. They sparkle in the same way. They are actually spectacular. They look great.”

Now the price difference. A one-carat stone costs about $800 compared to thousands for a natural diamond. That does not include the setting. Lab created diamonds come in several colors, white, pink and blue. Retailers say customer demand is surging.

The best show in the state is tonight and it doesn’t cost a thing. The Geminids meteor shower happens every mid-December over Nebraska skies. Krista Testin is the director of the Mallory Kountze Planetarium at the University of Nebraska - Omaha and says it gets its name from the constellation Gemini.

Testin says, “The Geminids meteor shower is actually peaking on Thursday. Meteor showers occur when the Earth runs through the tail or trail of a comet usually. In this case it is an asteroid. When the asteroid orbits the sun it leaves behind a rocky trail. Every year mid-December we run through this trail and we see a bunch of what people call shooting stars.”

The constellation Gemini will be directly overhead around 2 a.m. However, you should be able to see some shooting stars at 9 a.m. and they will come from all parts of the sky. At the peak, people should be able to see between 60 and 120 an hour.

Testin says you don’t need any fancy equipment to experience the meteor shower. She says, “When you are trying to look through a telescope or binoculars, your field of view gets so small. You don’t want to zoom in and get a small field of view. It is actually a good idea to take a couple people with you, a few friends, and look at different directions in the sky. That way you have a better chance of seeing more of them.”

Those who live in cities won’t have the best experience. Testin recommends driving to a secluded, dark area and look to the skies. If you can’t make it tonight the meteor shower will continue on Friday but there may not be as many to view.

A number of radio stations have banned the popular Christmas song, “Baby It’s Cold Outside” saying the lyrics are controversial, offensive or are calling it a date-rape song. The Women’s Center for Advancement in Omaha is an organization that assists women and men with domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking. Spokesperson Elizabeth Power is pleased that the topic is on the table for discussion.

Power says, “Overall, we are really happy that people are listening to lyrics in songs and having discussions about what is appropriate and what isn’t. However, We did the research and we know the song was written so very long ago and know the intent behind it was not cohesive or threatening. We think if people are uncomfortable with it then absolutely voice their opinions on it but we kind of like the song. It’s nostalgic.”

The song was written by Frank Loesser and his daughter, Susan says it is not a date-rape song. It is a flirtatious song. Power agrees. She says when you look at more recent music genre’s, lyrics are much more violent towards women.

Power says the Women’s Center for Advancement has seen more activity since the #MeToo movement started. She says, “We have seen a tremendous increase in our services in the last 12 months. We think part of this is due to #MeToo. Part of it is we have more space in our new building. Part of it is people are starting to feel safer and understand there are services available to help them.”

Not all living in homes in Nebraska are enjoying the holidays. Many pets would prefer to skip it all together. Arden Moore is a pet health and safety coach and says look for these signs for a stressed out pet.

Moore says, “If the dog is lip licking, whining, pawing or piddling in the house or the cat is over grooming themselves, these are signs they are not having a jolly good time this holiday season. Some of the triggers are doorbells ringing because there are deliveries and friends coming over and house guests and strange things in the house that shimmer shine and blink.”

There are things Nebraska pet owners should do to help out their companions. Moore says, “Don’t skip that daily walk with your dog. Exercising a dog is really good to keep them tired and happy. Playing with your cat five or ten minutes a day with a feather wand toy or other things is a great way to have your cat engaged. You can do food puzzles because that brings out their inner hunter and keeps them occupied on something else beside the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

If your pet is really stressing out, talk to your veterinarian about medications to help them ease through the season. Besides medications, Moore says there are pet chews that promote relaxation without causing drowsiness. There are also pet pheromone sprays and diffusers that are especially effective for cats.

Parents of students at Manchester Elementary School in Elkhorn received an email from Principal Jennifer Sinclair last week that stated she wanted to be inclusive and culturally sensitive to all students during the holiday season. That meant there would be no Christmas decorations that included Santa’s, Christmas trees, no playing of Christmas music and no candy canes because of their historic representation of Christ.

Wednesday, Sinclair sent out a message apologizing to parents as that original memo was intended for internal staff only as to what can and cannot be done in a public school during the holiday season. The memo stated she wanted families to know the information initially provided was incorrect and apologized for any confusion or concern.

The Elkhorn Public School District states Sinclair’s memo does not fall under the district’s policy. The district sent out this memo Thursday morning:

Good morning Manchester families,

I am reaching out with an update regarding Principal Sinclair. As of Thursday, December 6, 2018, Principal Sinclair has been placed on administrative leave. District administrators will be on site throughout her absence to ensure the school environment is not disrupted and the daily routines of students are not affected.

Also, as an added safety measure and in an act of extreme precaution, Officer Miller will be present at the school throughout the coming days.

I appreciate your continued support of Manchester Elementary and the Elkhorn Public Schools, and am happy to discuss any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Bary Habrock, Superintendent

No other schools are impacted by the district’s decision.

There is another Officer Orozco patrolling the streets of Omaha. Officer Kerrie Orozco was killed in the line of duty nearly three years ago. She left behind a newborn daughter. Orozco’s husband, Hector no longer had time to care for their horse so he donated it to the department’s Mounted Patrol Unit. He got the idea after seeing the horse on duty in the downtown Omaha area.

Sergeant Joe Svacina says the horse, named “Orozco”, has been put through extensive training and is ready for duty. He says, “That horse had really been sheltered as a hobby horse and we had to bring him into the middle of the city. Some horses just can’t do that. We put in a lot of time to make him a good police horse.”

Police Chief Todd Schmaderer welcomed the new addition and is pleased the horse is named after the fallen officer. He is also grateful to Kerrie’s husband, Hector who donated “Orozco” to the force. Chief Schmaderer says, “He has carried himself amazingly well in the aftermath of the most tragic of incidents. He is still part of our family and always will be and so will their daughter.”

“Orozco” started his patrol duties late last week.