“Falletta Conducts ‘Pines of Rome'”
Omaha, NE—Omaha Symphony welcomes guest conductor Maestra JoAnn Falletta, and guest violinist, Blake Pouliot, for a performance this weekend in homage to Rome. Maestra Falletta, the only female conductor of a top 40 orchestra, will lead the orchestra in the works of Berlioz and Respighi.
Road to Omaha – Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
Omaha, NE – On today’s episode of “Road to Omaha,” KVNO’s Brandon McDermott spoke with Oral Roberts head coach Ryan Folmar.
Heineman gives lukewarm response to foster care recommendations
December 20th, 2011
Omaha, NE – Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman gave a lukewarm response Tuesday to a committee’s recommendations on child welfare.
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Gov. Heineman said he's concerned with the potential costs of the legislative committee's recommendations. (Photo courtesy State of Nebraska)
Governor Heineman responded to a hefty report released last week. It was compiled by a legislative committee tasked with investigating the state’s efforts to reform its unwieldy child welfare system. Among 17 recommendations, the report advised the state re-take control of the system from private agencies and create a new division to oversee children’s services. Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services has come under fire for its efforts, which began in 2009, to privatize the child welfare system. Critics say the reform was too hasty, and implemented without enough planning.
The state contracted out case management to five private agencies; three have since dropped out, saying the state expected too much and paid too little.
But in a conference call with reporters Tuesday, Governor Heineman said he’s concerned about the potential cost of the recommendations, and that he’s waiting to see how lawmakers intend to pay for it. Heineman said these are “complex issues†and if there were easy answers, the state “would’ve found them a long time ago.â€
Heineman also said he still needs to discuss the report with lawmakers and services providers, and he hopes to find “common ground.â€
In an interview with KVNO News, Vicki Maca, an administrator in the Division of Children and Family Services at HHS said the department stands ready and willing to adapt to whatever changes are decided on. Maca added she welcomes the attention to child welfare in Nebraska, and says it’s high time children’s services were given top priority in the state.
We’ll have more on Maca’s interview, and what it takes to navigate the child welfare system in Nebraska in a series of reports in January.
The power brokers in the state do not give a rats ass about children in the state and never will. The Guv said in a World Herald article the children should not receive care because the sins of the parents should be visited on their children. This is not a political issue but a religious issue and the fundamentalist dominated state will always be taking advantage of the poor and minorities of this state. Yes, what I am saying is that Christianity is to blame largely for the poor treatment of children in this state. Christianity and the corporate culture which exploits people for profit. I will get to that at another time. By the way your articles are the best written and most incisive of any new organization in the state.
Robert Hancock