Omaha World Herald. Nov 22, 2019
Methamphetamine threat to Nebraska and the Midwest is no laughing matter
South Dakota has taken much ribbing for the catchphrase it’s using for its anti-methamphetamine campaign: “Meth. We’re on it.”
The more significant concern, though, is that meth has a terrible power to destroy lives. Nebraska unfortunately is one of the Midwestern states that has seen an upsurge in meth accessibility in recent years.
The vast majority of meth now arrives in Nebraska from foreign producers or over the Internet, rather than from local meth labs.
The highly addictive drug, which can be swallowed, snorted, injected or smoked, has noticeably greater potency and purity than in the past, boosting its appeal - and its danger. The price, meanwhile, has fallen by some 71% since 2005.
Law enforcement agencies in Nebraska seized 52 pounds of meth, valued at $325,000, during the first six months of this year. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration placed its 23rd division office nationwide in Omaha in 2018, in response to the growing need.
Nebraska’s overdose rate from meth and other drugs has increased from 2.3 per 100,000 residents in 1999 to 8.1 by 2017. Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have begun a multi-partner project to study rural drug abuse in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas, using a five-year, $11.85 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
The meth threat is no laughing matter.
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The Grand Island Independent. Nov. 22, 2019
Zabuni Coffee to benefit Kenya and Grand Island
A business opened in Grand Island this week that will have a profound impact on family farmers half a world away.
Zabuni Specialty Coffee Auction opened its doors in Grand Island to its first auction. For sale: coffee beans grown in Kenya, which is 8,500 miles away from Grand Island.
The business, led by owner and CEO Laban Njuguna of Grand Island, will warehouse the coffee beans in Grand Island and market it to 5,200 independent buyers throughout the U.S.
This will help Kenyan farmers in a number of ways. First it will eliminate middle men who often suck up all of the profits. Second, it will get them a better price for their crops.
The potential market for Kenyan - and African - coffee is huge. Coffee is big business in the U.S. and throughout the world.
If Kenyan coffee can be established as a popular brand, demand will skyrocket. And it should grow in popularity, as it is a good, high-quality coffee.
That will not only help Kenyan farmers, it will put Grand Island on the map as the warehouse source of Kenyan coffee.
Coffee connoisseurs know that coffee from specific parts of the world gather a following or provide a variety for coffee drinkers. For example, there is coffee from Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Brazil and elsewhere that has attracted followings. Kenyan coffee can take its place with those other coffees as its quality and taste is just as good.
All it needs is some good marketing and a fair business model - and Zabuni Specialty Coffee Auction will provide both of those.
Njuguna’s vision for his company has become a reality thanks to strong support from the Grand Island Area Economic Development Corp. EDC President Dave Taylor and others worked tirelessly on the project, including leading a trade mission to Kenya and welcoming Kenyan visitors to Grand Island.
In addition, Grand Island developer Ray O’Connor redeveloped a property for Zabuni in downtown Grand Island and hosted delegations from Kenya.
City officials also played a part as the Grand Island City Council approved a $100,000 forgivable loan over four years through the LB840 economic development program. Ten new jobs were created with help from the funding and one can see more coming if the demand for the coffee takes off like expected.
Zabuni Specialty Coffee Auction’s opening, years from now, may be seen as an important turning point in economic development in both Kenya and Grand Island.
It should bring more money to Kenyan farmers, improving their quality of life. It also has the potential to bring jobs to Grand Island and will help diversify the local economy.
As Zabuni becomes a success, it will benefit Kenya and - 8,500 miles away - Grand Island.
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Lincoln Journal Star. Nov. 22, 2019
Intercity bus service needs ridership to be a success
Mass transit requires the masses to function.
As plans for a regular Lincoln-to-Omaha bus route kick into a higher gear, the proposed routes must appeal to and attract the 23,000 commuters who travel between the cities on a daily basis. Without their buy-in, though, the concept may struggle to take hold.
Don’t get us wrong – we’re very interested in the idea of creating a recurring route here, especially as the number of Nebraskans traversing back and forth continues to grow. Because we want the bus to stick, it must be as accessible, affordable and efficient as possible to benefit the whole state.
The expansion of Interstate 80 from two lanes to three, completed a decade or so ago, improved traffic flow between the state’s largest cities. A dedicated bus service would build upon that success, so long as it’s sufficiently utilized by residents – something even local bus routes struggle to attain.
Convincing commuters to trade in their private vehicles for public transit will no doubt be a hard sell. Yielding the autonomy and freedom of driving on one’s own schedule to an entity that’s shared among others and makes stops along the way may not appeal to all.
But the benefits – reducing wear and tear on both roads and personal cars, not to mention also reducing emissions – offer something to Nebraskans of all ideologies.
Residents of Nebraska’s largest metropolitan area and its capital city alike have long wished for a high-speed rail line connecting the two.
The corridors along Interstate 80 and U.S. 6 provide ready-made routes. But people have balked at the cost, both for the main line and necessary connections to public transportation in both Lincoln and Omaha.
Proposed extensions along Nebraska 2 into southeast Lincoln or down Omaha’s Center Street corridor, for instance, could work with the individual cities to better link to and leverage municipal bus routes. One model is Denver, which is the focal point for a long-range bus service that also has terminals at hubs of local bus and train lines, not to mention park-and-ride stops that will need to be created here.
Instead, Nebraska has adopted more incremental measures, with some sporadic bus services and a federal grant to the state sparking the two-year-old vanpooling program. This marks the biggest step forward, with annual costs estimated to be between $1.39 million and $2.65 million, plus costs for gas, capital improvements, marketing costs and administrative overhead.
Both the direct route between Lincoln and Omaha with limited stops and another stopping in communities along U.S. 6 – namely, Waverly, Greenwood and Ashland – serve different purposes. The volume will be critical to the long-term viability of this needed service.
Again, this concept is promising for Lincoln and Omaha. But it will require riders to be the long-term success we hope to see.
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