Latest news with #UniversityofNebraskaatOmaha
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Underwater robot finds college athlete dead in reservoir, Utah officials say
The body of a 22-year-old student-athlete has been found after he drowned in a reservoir, Utah officials said. On Aug. 16,22-year-old Deng Ador was in Blackridge Reservoir with Sa Mafutaga, 21, when Ador began struggling in the water, according to a Facebook post by the Herriman City Police Department. Mafutaga, who was able to get back to the shore, went back into the water to try and help Ador but wasn't able to, police said. Ador was about 35 yards from shore when he went underwater, according to police. Mafutaga was treated at the scene and sent to a hospital where he's expected to fully recover, police said. Ador's body was found roughly five hours later by a dive team using an underwater robot, officials said. 'We are devastated to learn of Deng's passing. On behalf of our university community, our love and sincere condolences are with his family during this difficult time. We also wish his friends and teammates in Omaha, North Dakota, and Salt Lake City family, peace as they process this tragic loss,' University of Nebraska at Omaha's director of athletics, Adrian Dowell, said in a news release. Ador had recently joined the University of Nebraska at Omaha's basketball team, the Mavericks. Previously, Ador was a basketball player for the University of North Dakota where he appeared in 42 games and averaged 5.7 points per game, helping lead the team to the Summit League Tournament semifinals during the 2024-25 season, the university said in a release. 'He had the biggest smile, one that could brighten any room, and a natural gift for cheering people up. Deng leaves behind six siblings: Angelina, Achol, Christina, Ngor, Achan, and Nyanbol, and our devoted parents, Alei and Abele. Though our hearts are broken, our love for him will never fade,' a GoFundMe page said. Anyone who may have seen the incident is asked to call 801-858-0035, police said. Herriman is about a 25-mile drive southwest from Salt Lake City.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Historical marker dedicated for Lincoln-born Eiseley, a 'modern Thoreau'
Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and University of Nebraska at Omaha professor Bing Chen, (to her left), were among those celebrating the placement of a state historical marker in a Lincoln park on Friday commemorating Loren Eiseley, an anthropologist, author, philosopher and educator who grew up near Irvingdale Park. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — While growing up in south Lincoln, Loren Eiseley would often venture down to a small stream near his home to gather specimens for his homemade aquarium. Once, the story goes, he almost drowned while exploring at a nearby pond, a pond now located on the Lincoln Country Club golf course grounds. A musical opera created by Eiseley scholar and performer John Cimino will be performed in May in Omaha and Scottsbluff. The piece is based on Eiseley's book, 'The Star Thrower,' which highlights the author's beliefs that 'we are of Nature, not above Nature.' 'An Evening with Loren Eiseley's 'The Star Thrower' ' will be performed May 23 at the Western Nebraska Community College recital hall in Scottsbluff at 7:30 p.m. MDT, and on May 27 at 7:30 p.m. CDT at the Strauss Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Cimino, based in New York, is an award-winning composer and concert artist who has performed throughout the U.S. and Europe. He has performed alongside the famous tenor, Luciano Pavarotti, as well as at the International Verdi Festival in Italy, the Wexford Festival in Ireland and the New York City Opera. He is an advocate for the arts in education and professional life, and now serves as president and CEO of Associated Solo Artists. — Paul Hammel On Friday, Lincoln officials and Eiseley fans gathered to dedicate a state historical marker along the small stream in Irvingdale Park, a stream that helped inspire the writings of an author once praised by Publishers Weekly as 'the modern Thoreau.' Eiseley, who died in 1977, was an anthropologist, philosopher and natural sciences writer who grew up in Lincoln. After drifting across the West, he graduated from the University of Nebraska with English and geology/anthropology degrees. Eiseley served as editor of the 'Prairie Schooner' literary magazine at NU, and participated in digs for fossils and human artifacts across the western part of the state and southwestern U.S. He later earned a doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania, and later taught at the University of Kansas and Oberlin (Ohio) College. Eiseley eventually returned to Penn. At his death, he was the Benjamin Franklin professor of anthropology and history of science. With 36 honorary degrees, he was said to be the most decorated professor at the University of Pennsylvania since Ben Franklin. His essays, written in a poetic style, eventually found a wider audience, as did his books, which included 'The Immense Journey,' 'The Star Thrower' and 'The Unexpected Universe.' His friend, science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, said that Eiseley's writings 'changed my life.' Bing Chen, a long-time engineering professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and president of the Loren Eiseley Society, praised Eiseley at the dedication ceremony as a 'great American author' whose writings are 'timeless' and still very relevant today given global warming and climate change. Chen quoted from his writings: 'We have joined a caravan … and we will see as far as we can. But we cannot in our lifetime, see all that we wish to see, or learn all that we hunger to know.' Gaylor Baird said it was fitting that a historical marker be placed along a stream in Lincoln that influenced Eiseley's writings and philosophy. His most famous quote, she said, was 'If there is magic in this world, it is contained in water' — a quote that was placed on the historical marker. 'I hope this marker inspires people of all ages to pause, to look around — put down their phones — and feel some of the magic in these green spaces that Loren Eiseley felt,' Gaylor Baird said. She added that a special exhibit on Eiseley's life had just opened at the Eiseley Branch Library in Lincoln. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Immigrants help push Omaha metro past 1M population mark as more Nebraska counties grow
The Omaha metro area's population is now over 1 million people for the first time in a Census estimate, and Nebraska's is over 2 million. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) OMAHA — The Omaha metro area of eight counties has surpassed the million-person mark, another record-setter that follows an earlier Census report that Nebraska's statewide population topped 2 million. Also revealed in population estimates released Thursday are county-level growth patterns that showed 48 of Nebraska's 93 counties gaining population and two remaining the same in the latest year tracked, mid-2023 to mid-2024. That's an improvement over only 24 counties that finished the 2010s with positive growth, according to an analysis by the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Center for Public Affairs Research. A key driver overall of the recent population rise was an influx of people from other countries. 'International migration is still the star of the show,' said Josie Schafer, who heads the UNO CPAR office, which is Nebraska's designated data center and partner for the U.S. Census Bureau. On average, she said, a county in Nebraska attracted 81 foreign-born newcomers from mid-2023 to mid-2024, compared to an average of 59 the year before. Some counties, including Madison and Lincoln, dropped in overall population but still increased its number of international migrants. Thursday's latest batch of population estimates focused on county- and metro-level data — building on the December release of state-level numbers for the same time period, which showed Nebraska exceeding the 2 million milestone with an estimated 2,005,465 people. County-level data sheds more light on how that growth was distributed across the state. Such information is used in part to help legislators, policy-makers, businesses and others better understand trends as they make policy decisions affecting the state. While notable that Nebraska's foreign-born newcomers between 2023 and 2024 more than doubled the estimated increase in the previous year, the sharp increase is more due to a change in methodology used to track data than a sudden influx, Schafer said. She said the immigrant numbers in previous counts were underestimated, and this year's data essentially caught up to better reflect long-term trends. 'It reminds us how important international migration is to population growth in this state,' said Schafer. Overall, she said, 67 of Nebraska's 93 counties gained population from international migration in the latest 2024 figures, compared to 58 counties the year prior. The growth was most pronounced in the state's most populous counties. Douglas County, for example, showed an increase of 5,307 international migrants compared to 2023's bump of 2,066 people. In Lancaster, growth in international migrants was about 3,080, up from 1,088 the year before. Sarpy showed an influx of about 900 international migrants, up from 301 the year prior. Aside from the international swell, Thursday's Census release showed some of the state's smallest counties gaining the highest percentage increases in population. Though the actual number of new residents in those cases might be relatively small, the UNO team said the uptick shows that rural growth remains possible. 'Not huge in overall numbers, but to see growth in lots of these counties — it's a big deal,' said Schafer. 'I really believe there was effort made to bring people to rural Nebraska, ' Blaine County was ahead of that pack with a 5.3% population rise from mid 2023 to mid-2024, adding 23 residents. Logan showed a 5% increase of 33 residents. In both counties, the new people came largely from elsewhere in Nebraska or another state. Sarpy County was fifth fastest-growing overall, with a 2.2% increase, or 4,351 people. All of Nebraska's largest counties posted population gains between 2023 and 2024, including Douglas with a 1.3% increase; Lancaster with 1.2% increase and Hall with a 0.3% increase. The biggest percentage loss of residents was Thomas County, with a loss of 6.1% or 41 people, and Sioux County with a loss of 4.5% or 52 people. According to the CPAR analysis, 50 Nebraska counties showed a net loss in 'domestic migration' — that is, more people left for other states and other parts of the Cornhusker State than entered. Some of the largest domestic migration losses were felt in the counties of Douglas (-1,083) and Hall (-853). Counties with high net gains from domestic migration included Sarpy (2,348), Adams (235) and Buffalo (159). The total population gain for the state from 2023 to 2024 was about 0.9%, ranking Nebraska the nation's 17th fastest-growing state. Natural change — which is births minus deaths — also played a role in overall population growth from 2023 to 2024, with Nebraska posting 6,135 more births than deaths in that time. Forty counties in the state recorded positive natural change, the UNO analysis showed, with the largest jumps in Douglas (3,283), Sarpy (1,106), Lancaster (1,051) and Hall (393). According to the Census analysis: The Omaha metro grew from 2023 to 2024 by an estimated 12,144 people, or 1.2% — to 1,001,010. Its eight counties are Douglas, Sarpy, Washington, Cass and Saunders in Nebraska and Mills, Pottawattamie and Harrison in Iowa. Lincoln metro of Lancaster and Seward Counties in Nebraska grew by an estimated 4,186 people, or 1.2%, to 350,626. Sioux City metro grew an estimated 924 people, or 0.6%, to 145,994. Its counties are Dakota and Dixon in Nebraska, Woodbury and Plymouth in Iowa and Union in South Dakota. Grand Island metro of Hall, Hamilton, Howard and Merrick Counties in Nebraska grew an estimated 310 people, or 0.4%, to 77,278. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska should encourage AI innovation
Nebraska is considering legislation to regular artificial intelligence. Image created using Canva. (Courtesy of Cassie Mallette/University of Nebraska at Omaha) Search online for 'artificial intelligence.' Do it daily for a week. Thanks to how quickly this technology is advancing, you'll get seven very different search results. As quickly as AI is developing, state legislatures are moving just as quickly to try to control it — including here in Nebraska. LB 642, which its sponsors call the Artificial Intelligence Consumer Protection Act, threatens AI development across the state. Not only would it add at least $10,000 in compliance costs for small businesses, but it would raise prices, reduce options, and strip access to life-changing AI tools from everyday Nebraskans, too. Instead of advancing this problematic proposal, legislators should take steps to help consumers by driving more innovation in AI. That includes relying on existing legal frameworks to solve any problems that the technology might cause. As well as cutting both red tape and taxes to make it easier to innovate here—which will create more jobs, spur more investment, and unleash more opportunities for Nebraska families. The primary focus of LB 642 is 'algorithmic discrimination,' which might seem like a reasonable thing to stop. No decent person wants discrimination, right? But there are plenty of local, state, and federal laws on the books that already prohibit discrimination. And there are numerous agencies and enforcement offices with decades of expertise and experience in enforcing those laws when they're broken. That's why, just last year, the Attorney General of Massachusetts clarified that existing consumer protection laws would apply to AI. There's no reason Nebraska could not do the same. This bill would not just add unnecessary complexity, though. It could cause damage. LB 642 includes a long list of disclosure and reporting requirements for both AI developers and companies that use AI to follow if they want to do business here. But why? We don't force farmers to get permission before they try new methods of seeding fields or harvesting crops. In the same way, demanding that businesses preemptively explain to the government why their AI development does not break the law effectively treats them as 'guilty until proven innocent.' That's unfair. It's also expensive, because these exhaustive reporting requirements would carry enormous compliance costs. After all, businesses wouldn't just need to fill out a simple checklist once. They would need to update their disclosure information each time they made a substantive change to their program. New interpretations of the law by the courts or regulators could move the goalposts so that what was acceptable under the law one day becomes a violation the next. It's obvious where that would lead: Only big businesses with a lot of money and lawyers could afford those compliance costs, while small businesses and startups could be forced to close down or leave town. In fact, a think tank in Virginia found that a similar proposal would subject that state's small businesses to anywhere from $10,000 to $500,000 in compliance costs each year—while larger corporations might spend $10 million or more to stay legal. That kind of economic impact helps explain why even California did not pass a watered-down version of this policy last year. Of course, the people who would pay the biggest price wouldn't be business owners. It would be consumers. It's impossible to calculate the damage they would suffer because of overregulation of AI, from higher bills and worse service to fewer options for every imaginable service. Who knows what life-changing opportunities Nebraskans would miss as AI revolutionizes everything around us — from farming and ranching to health care and entertainment? If policymakers in Lincoln truly want to protect Nebraskans from harm, they should refuse to strangle the seed of innovation before it has the chance to grow. Existing laws already prohibit discrimination. There's no need to pile on redundant regulations. Instead, lawmakers should take a pro-growth approach like those of states like Utah and Indiana, where industry leaders collaborate on identifying the barriers they face when deploying AI to lower prices, improve outcomes, and solve problems across industries. We have an opportunity to make Nebraska a leader in AI development and to enjoy all the benefits that would bring. For the sake of our economy, our businesses, and our people, let's make the most of it. That means encouraging innovation, not smothering it. Andy Reuss is a former U.S. Senate technology policy advisor and White House speechwriter. He runs The Penn Ave Group, a communications consulting firm based in Elkhorn, with his wife.
