Katie Schubert

Russia’s Ambassador to the U.S. says two decades after the Cold War, relations between the two countries remain complex.

Sergey Kislyak discussed international relations during a forum Thursday night at UNO. Kislyak has served as Ambassador since 2008, and says the relationship between the U.S. and Russia has improved steadily over the past few years.

Creighton University’s president says new partnerships with Alegent Health mean health science students will have quality training for years to come.

One agreement expands Alegent’s teaching affiliation with Creighton’s health sciences programs. Creighton president Father Timothy Lannon says the move is good for medical students, and will better address community needs.

Alegent’s Bergan Mercy Medical Center and Immanuel Hospital provide residency slots for Creighton’s medical students.

Nancy Sebring will take over July 1 as the Omaha Public Schools’ new superintendent.

The OPS board unanimously approved Sebring’s contract Wednesday afternoon. She’ll receive a $275,000 base salary, plus $12,000 for transportation expenses and an annuity equal to 14 percent of her salary. The contract does not include bonuses.

OPS board president Freddie Gray says she’s confident Sebring will transition smoothly in to her new role as superintendent.

Expanding Omaha’s bicycle and pedestrian transit system is a key component of the city’s new transportation master plan.

The plan, unveiled Monday, looks at Omaha’s transportation needs over the next 25 years. City officials say there are four goals for the plan, including sustainability, connecting neighborhoods, and providing more options.

Alegent Health expects its two new agreements with Creighton University to become official July first.

The Douglas County Election Commission will reopen some of the 179 polling places closed prior to this year’s primary election.

Election Commissioner Dave Phipps says the polling places will reopen before the November general election. How many polling places will reopen has yet to be determined. Primary election turnout, along with general election results from the past two presidential elections, will determine which polling places reopen.

A half-cent increase in Omaha’s sales tax could generate $45 million for the city.

Nebraska lawmakers last week overrode Governor Dave Heineman’s veto of legislation allowing cities to raise their sales tax rate. Doing so would require supermajority approval from both the city council and voters.

Omaha’s current sales tax rate is 7 percent, with 1.5 percent of it local. Mayor Jim Suttle says there are no plans to put the sales tax initiative on the November general election ballot.

The federal deficit was on the minds of the GOP candidates for Nebraska’s Second Congressional District at a debate Friday. The Omaha Press Club and League of Women Voters sponsored the debate.

Incumbent Congressman Lee Terry has three challengers. One is financial advisor Brett Lindstrom. UNO mathematics professor Jack Heidel and former Douglas County Republican Party Chairman Glenn Freeman are also running for Congress. 

A new report on county health rankings in Nebraska shows Douglas County’s STD rate and percent of children living in poverty are on the rise.

The County Health Rankings report was discussed at this week’s Board of Health Meeting.  Douglas County had 540 reported STD cases per 100,000 population, according to the 2012 rankings. The percent of children living in poverty climbed from 15 percent to 21 percent.