Latest news with #Dungan
New Indian Express
06-07-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
The Karakol kaleidoscope
Surrounding the cathedral, Karakol's residential neighbourhoods have maintained their neat grid of one and two-storeyed homes since the town's earliest days. The dwellings here were first made of adobe bricks, but after being damaged in earthquakes, wood became the predominant construction material. Endearingly nicknamed 'gingerbread' houses, they were built by thriving merchants at the turn of the 20th century. With their pastel colours, panelled shutters, and flowering gardens, they are charming sideshows of history. Just a short walk from the cathedral lies the 115-year-old Dungan Mosque, one of Karakol's most unexpected treasures. Built by the Dungan community, who settled in the city from the 1870s onwards fleeing persecution in China, the mosque pays homage to the traditions of their homeland. Constructed primarily from poplar and elm wood, every structural component was painstakingly prepared over three years and then assembled swiftly in three months without using a single nail. Inside, under the yellow pitched roof, the mihrab (a prayer niche that points towards Mecca) is framed by an intricate wooden portal. But it's the exterior that turns heads. The guide enthusiastically draws attention to the multi-tiered cornice running across the brackets. 'Observe the carvings here. Not only are there plants and fruits, but also—rather unexpectedly—phoenixes and dragons. Where else would you spot that in a mosque?' asks our guide proudly. Karakol's architectural richness hides in plain sight. All it takes is a bit of context, some curiosity, and a passionate Kyrgyz narrator to bring it home.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Watered-down version of Nebraska education package advances as clean-up bill
Legislative Bill 306 largely ended up clean-up language to address terms and provisions in state law relating to higher education. (Getty Images) LINCOLN — An education bill that was once a vehicle for an education package advanced Thursday a lot leaner, as many of the proposals previously included failed to be attached as amendments to the bill. Legislative Bill 306, which largely ended up clean-up language sought by State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil to address terms and provisions in state law relating to higher education, was brought back for debate after a previous attempt at the education package failed on the floor after lawmakers removed Central City's State Sen. Loren Lippincott's proposal allowing K-12 students to be excused during the school day for off-site religious instruction and coursework. Lost in the shuffle again were three proposals that were once married — a measure that would have given Nebraska teachers more paid time off around significant life events, one offering student loan help for special education teachers and the release time proposal. State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha's measure would have helped schools fund more long-term substitutes so teachers can take paid time off. She revised it to give teachers two weeks of paid leave instead of three. The proposal would have funded the leave by implementing a new payroll fee on teacher salaries. The fee would also would have helped pay for special education teacher recruitment and retention. Her amendment, backed by the state teachers union, failed 17-25. State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln offered an amendment that would have provided forgivable loans for special education teachers in the state. Dungan's proposal was combined into Spivey's amendment, as the Legislature's Education Committee had combined the two previously. It also failed 20-23. Lippincott brought back his release time proposal after lawmakers pulled it from the education package. He withdrew the attempt after Spivey and Dungan's amendments failed. The latest version of Lippincott's proposal removed the private cause of action, the ability to sue if a school doesn't enforce the ability to leave for that purpose, which some Republicans had expressed concerns about. 'This is going to be a filibuster; we need 33 votes,' Lippincott said during Thursday's debate. 'I do not want my amendment to put the bill down.' Some social conservatives in the Legislature had been trying to show a growing base of lawmakers willing to consider and advance bills with religious themes. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Effort to let largest Nebraska cities consolidate elections will include Lincoln
Nine of the 10 Lincoln and Lancaster County state lawmakers joined a town hall at Union College on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Lincoln. Back row, from left, are State Sens. Beau Ballard, Carolyn Bosn, Eliot Bostar, Myron Dorn, George Dungan and Lincoln Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Jason Ball. Front row, from left, are State Sens. Jane Raybould, Anna Wishart, Danielle Conrad and Tom Brandt. Not pictured: Sen. Rob Clements. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Lawmakers rejected a last-minute amendment Thursday to keep Lincoln city elections in off years, rather than allowing city officials to tie them to statewide elections. The amendment, from State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln, came after concerns from some Lincoln city officials that the amended Legislative Bill 521 could cause problems for the capital city. The original bill from State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha would have allowed just Omaha to move its elections, but when the proposal was amended and attached to LB 521, it added Lincoln. The amendment to remove Lincoln from the bill failed 16-30. A reconsideration motion failed 18-26. The broader bill advanced by voice vote to the third and final round of debate. Century-old state laws dictate the election timing for cities the size of Omaha (metropolitan class, 400,000 or more residents) and Lincoln (primary class, 100,001 to 399,999 residents). Omaha and Lincoln city officials can already advance changes to their city charter to move election timing, but without a law such as LB 521, the changes could not be carried out. Dungan, who said he just started talking with Lincoln officials shortly before the debate on Thursday, said Lincoln's city charter is 'significantly different' than other cities, such as Omaha. He argued LB 521 didn't necessarily contemplate what to do with elections for Lincoln Airport Authority or Lincoln Public Schools board members. 'I would encourage my colleagues who are not from Lincoln to maybe just defer at this point,' Dungan said. State Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln asked Cavanaugh if he 'would agree that what's good for the Omaha elections to be on some sort of consistent patterns … that same logic would apply uniformly then in other areas.' Cavanaugh responded that he would like to see the elections moved but that he would support Dungan's motion. Cavanaugh has said the back-to-back elections can lead to voter fatigue. Changing the elections could save about $500,000 for Lincoln and more than $1 million in Omaha. State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln, a former member of the Lincoln City Council and Lancaster County Board of Commissioners, said she would have preferred a separate hearing and proposal related to Lincoln, with more local input. In odd-numbered years, Omaha primary elections are the first Tuesday of April, while general elections are the first Tuesday after the second Monday in May. Omaha city elections are every four years, the year after presidential elections. For Lincoln, the general election is the first Tuesday in May, and the primary election is four weeks prior, every other year. Omaha's general mayoral election is this Tuesday. Lincoln held its general election this week; its mayor is not on the ballot until 2027. Of the nine senators who represent parts of Lincoln, the vote fell along party lines. Democratic State Sens. Eliot Bostar, Danielle Conrad, Dungan, Jason Prokop and Raybould, all of Lincoln, supported the carve out. Republican State Sens. Beau Ballard of Lincoln, Bosn, Rob Clements of Elmwood and Myron Dorn of Adams opposed it. 2025 city elections Omaha primary (April 1): 25.69%. Omaha general (May 13): (To be determined). Lincoln primary (April 8): 24.53%. Lincoln general (May 6): 22.40% (nearly 8,000 early vote ballots, about 4% turnout, will be counted later this week). 2024 statewide elections Omaha primary (May 14): 26.79%. Omaha general (Nov. 5): 75.37%. Lincoln primary (May 14): 15.40%. Lincoln general (Nov. 5): 78.02%. 2023 city elections Omaha primary: (N/A) Omaha general: (N/A) Lincoln primary (April 7): 33.38%. Lincoln general (May 2): 46.22%. 2022 statewide elections Omaha primary (May 10): 31.74%. Omaha general (Nov. 8): 53.92%. Lincoln primary (May 10): 33.6%. Lincoln general (Nov. 8): 57.57%. 2021 city elections Omaha primary (April 6): 28.50%. Omaha general (May 11): 32.74%. Lincoln primary (April 6): 24.86%. Lincoln general (May 4): 29.34%.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposal to expand Nebraska college savings accounts to cover private K-12 tuition advances
Lauren Gage, spokesperson for the private school scholarship granting organization Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska, joins Nebraska private school students and lawmakers in honor of National School Choice Week in 2025. Jan. 28, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Nebraska's educational savings accounts designed to help pay for public or private college expenses could expand to cover private K-12 tuition, in line with federal law, beginning in 2029. The proposed change from State Sen. Tony Sorrentino of the Elkhorn area was amended 32-11 Tuesday evening into Legislative Bill 647 after multiple hours of debate. At least 42 states already allow such savings accounts to cover tuition at K-12 private schools, which was first allowed in 2018 after passage of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, for up to $10,000 per beneficiary per year. A 529 savings plan — in Nebraska, NEST 529 — offers tax breaks to encourage families or students to donate and allow the savings to grow tax-free. Multiple attempts to expand the accounts in Nebraska have stalled in recent years. State Sen. Brad von Gillern of the Elkhorn area, who led LB 647 as chair of the Legislature's Revenue Committee, said he didn't have the 'foreknowledge' to use NEST 529 accounts for his children. But he 'very gladly' started them for his grandchildren and suggested others do so. 'It's a great way to save for college education, and with the implementation of this bill … those funds could also be used for primary education,' von Gillern said. Von Gillern said that of the other states without expanded accounts — California, Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan and New York — it is 'probably not a club that you would imagine Nebraska being in.' 'It sort of reminds me in grade school when they showed you pictures of five cats and a dog and said, 'Which one doesn't belong there?'' Sorrentino told von Gillern during the debate. State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln led opposition to Sorrentino's measure, which he noted did not directly send public dollars to private schools. However, he and State Sen. Dunix Guereca of Omaha said it was in the same vein as the defeat of a private school voucher system last fall at the ballot box. 'We are indirectly subsidizing the tax deductions for money that goes to tuition for private K-12 education,' Dungan said of Sorrentino's proposal, originally LB 131. Guereca, who, along with Dungan, has been on the frontlines advocating against recent school choice proposals, said the November vote was about the 'concept' of using public dollars for private schools. He said the tax breaks allowed under Sorrentino's expanded measure could instead be used for a 'plethora of other ideas,' particularly with the state's projected budget shortfall. 'I'm afraid that if we do pass this measure then it's a slippery slope to see more and more school privatization,' Guereca said. Dungan raised concern that Sorrentino's measure would not allow savings to cover K-12 public school expenses, such as for extracurriculars. Sorrentino said he was 'fine' with including public schools but that doing so is not federally allowed. The measure's start date was pushed back to 2029 in part to push it beyond the state's budget woes, not just for the next two fiscal years, at nearly $400 million in the hole with even the cuts proposed in the Appropriations Committee budget, but also following two years to mid-2028. The state would be about $700 million short of the mark future lawmakers would need to hit, based on current projections. Sorrentino's measure could lead to new tax breaks of about $3-4 million each year, but he cautioned that the estimate is based on assumptions of 12,000 to 15,000 people opening new accounts and meeting the maximum $10,000 contributions to those accounts. Of 49 state senators, he said each could come up with a different estimate. He said it could be as much as $5 million or as little as $500,000. He said he thought the number was likely closer to $3 million. State Sen. Bob Andersen of north-central Sarpy County said Sorrentino's measures could alleviate public school overcrowding, possibly leading to overall cost savings to the state. State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln differed from her progressive colleagues and voted for the bill, as did State Sen. Dan Quick of Grand Island, a more moderate Democrat. State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, a Republican who has rebuffed past school choice proposals, voted against adding Sorrentino's measure to LB 647. The other votes largely followed party lines. Conrad said Sorrentino's measure was 'intellectually and practically and policy-based distinguishable from some of the prior measures that we have looked at.' Said Conrad: 'This measure doesn't seem to really raise the exact kind of concerns about a dilution or diminution of public funds into private schools.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Nebraska suicide mortality review team proposal, with emphasis on veterans, advances
At-risk veterans could see more state efforts to explore what contributed to the suicides of people who served. (Stock photo by EyeEmPlus) LINCOLN — State lawmakers are looking to boost action by recent governors to combat suicide in Nebraska through new legislation with an extra focus on veterans and their families. Legislative Bill 414, by State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln, would house a new suicide mortality review team in the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs. The team would review the circumstances around any suicides in the state generally, with an extra focus on veterans with the location. Dungan called the bill a 'first step' toward working to prevent future suicides and said it would 'help Nebraska as a whole.' 'Having this established review team in the Department of Veterans' Affairs would be a game changer for our veterans dealing with mental health issues and for Nebraskans struggling with mental illness across the entire state,' Dungan said last week during floor debate. LB 414, which advanced 37-0, follows efforts from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, seeking similar reviews at the state and community level. Former Gov. Pete Ricketts, now in the U.S. Senate, joined the 'Governor's Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans and their Families' in 2022. Nebraska joined the suicide mortality review efforts under Gov. Jim Pillen in 2024. With Pillen's support, Nebraska leaders have met monthly for such reviews and received federal funding to help, too. Dungan's bill would put the team into state law with additional structure. Among the team's duties would be developing a data collection system, conducting an annual analysis of the incidences and causes of suicides in the state during the prior fiscal year, creating protocols for such investigations, studying the adequacy of laws and training to determine possible changes to help prevent suicides and educating the public. Upon request of the agency director, a county attorney or the Nebraska attorney general could subpoena to request relevant records. The suicide mortality review team established by LB 414 would include: The director or designee of the state Veterans' Affairs Department. A representative of the Nebraska Violent Death Reporting System. A representative of Nebraska Local Outreach to Suicide Loss Survivors. A representative of the Division of Behavioral Health in the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. An education administrator. A hospital representative. An emergency medical services representative. A member of law enforcement. A mental health professional or licensed clinical social worker. A veteran representative. Additional members as needed. An annual report would be required by April 1 summarizing the data by cause of death, factors contributing to the death, age, sex, race, geographic location and date of death. The report could include recommendations to prevent additional suicides. Dungan said he has attended the monthly meetings where mental health officials, law enforcement, county attorneys and others get involved. He said the team, for example, had identified a motel with a high number of suicides happening on the property. The motel later received a grant for staff suicide awareness and prevention training, which was successful, Dungan said. But when the funding stopped, the impact reversed. Dungan said there is already a database for violent death reporting and that nothing in his bill would jeopardize privacy protections. 'I care about this issue a lot. Mental health and the results that come from poor mental health care and other various things are incredibly close and near and dear to us,' Dungan said at his bill's hearing. 'I just want to make sure we take this bill very seriously.' Speaker John Arch of La Vista selected LB 414 as one of his 25 speaker priority bills for the 2025 session. Jenifer Acierno, legal counsel for the Nebraska Veterans' Affairs Department, testified in favor of the bill at its March 6 hearing. She said LB 414 'provides the opportunity to coordinate the next steps in combating veteran suicide.' The Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee unanimously advanced LB 414, including State Sen. Bob Andersen of north-central Sarpy County, one of three veterans on the committee. Andersen, the committee vice chair and a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, described the issue as a 'delicate dance' of ensuring privacy while making certain the suicide mortality review team gets access to all the context of the situation and how a person 'got to the place where suicide was the only way out.' He added that he knows people who have committed suicide and urged Dungan to include a veteran on the review team, who he said might have a background critical in identifying areas not readily apparent to civilians. His idea was ultimately included in an amendment that lawmakers adopted 36-0. Andersen suggested future work to identify high-risk veterans earlier to provide help. 'We've been in situations where we understand why they get where they get, and whatever we can do to isolate in advance and help bring them back [would help them] get on with a productive life,' Andersen said. 'Kudos to you for bringing the bill.' Dungan thanked Andersen, as well as State Sens. Dan McKeon of Amherst and Dan Lonowski of Hastings, the other two veterans on the committee, for their service. 'Suicide is one of those things that I think affects all of us, even if it's tangential,' Dungan said at the hearing. 'We all know stories, and so I think it's something we have to take care of sooner than later.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
