It's fall! We've experienced spring-like weather and snow since fall arrived, but we are soaking up the change that the season brings and are settling in for winter with the Halloween candy tax that we parents in the office imposed on our kids.

As COVID-19 continues to affect our state, it's important that as we head into the winter months, we each do our part to #keepnebraskaflat so we can #keepnebraskaopen! New Directed Health Measures have been issued for all of Nebraska and are effective beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, November 11, through Monday, November 30.

Proving that #opportunitygrowshere, NGage worked through the spring and summer to secure purchase options on ground outside of Beatrice to develop as a sort of secondary industrial park.

With limited space left in the Gage County Industrial Park, growth is hindered if additional ground is not secured. Looking to the goals identified by the NGage Board of Directors in the last few years, the decision to secure options pointed to the overall goal of land and site development and industry cluster recruitment. Since securing the property options, NGage has submitted on projects totaling over $600 MILLION dollars.

In 2017, NGage commissioned a group to conduct a Lodging Feasibility Study for the Beatrice market area and the results showed a need for additional guest rooms. The following year, Beatrice Lodging, LLC announced plans to build a MyPlace Extended Stay Hotel. Two years later, in 2020, the hotel chain broke ground on land in north Beatrice!

The hotel is being constructed between the Holiday Inn Express and Farm Credit Services on HWY 77. Be sure to look at the progress the next time you drive by!

Three-phase motors, motor starters, wiring, relays, timers, schematics, wiring diagrams, industrial symbology, relay logic, and timer circuits will be covered using discussion and hands-on training equipment. Digital multimeters are provided or bring your own.

Register here and register early! Gap Assistance is available for those who qualify.

The Buffett Early Childhood Institute (or Buffett Institute) at the University of Nebraska is an innovative research, practice, policy, and outreach institute that draws on the resources of the four University of Nebraska campuses. The Institute is dedicated to promoting the development and learning of children from birth through age 8.

During the annual Thriving Children, Families, and Communities Conference held on September 14 this year, Senator John Stinner announced a new statewide survey. In partnership with the University of Nebraska, Stinner is inviting Nebraska parents and business owners to respond to an online survey to share their experiences regarding child care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stinner will share the survey results with the Legislature's Appropriations Committee as part of an interim study on the economic impacts of the pandemic on early childhood education and the overall costs of financing a high-quality early childhood workforce. "Give us some good data to make some good decisions," Stinner said.

If you live in one of the Nebraska counties below, please consider taking the survey!