What happened in the Midlands on this day? Here's a sampling from the World-Herald archives.
INSANE CARE COST .5 MILL
Feb. 26, 1937: Douglas County residents would face an extra half-mill state property tax levy as the result of Gov. Roy Cochran's signing of the "insane patient" bill, Walter L. Pierpoint, president of the Association of Omaha Taxpayers, said. The bill required counties to pay the cost of patients committed to state hospitals for the insane. "On the basis of cost of care per year of $193.20 per patient this would mean Douglas County taxpayers would need to pay $119,784 per year to the state for this care," said a statement issued by Pierpoint.
1965: Omaha School Superintendent Paul A. Miller said Sept. 13 was the target date for the first programs on Omaha Educational Television Channel 16. It was hoped federal approval would come in late April or May. Construction then could begin on a tower on the University of Omaha campus, he said. It would take about two months to build the tower. Dr. Miller estimated that one-third of the early programs would be live, two-thirds taped. Sixteen teachers from four school districts were training to become Channel 16 teachers.
1992: A 19-year-old inmate was listed in satisfactory condition at a Lincoln hospital with a stab wound suffered in what may have been a gang-related dispute at the Lincoln Correctional Center, officials said. Warden John Dahm said the inmate received a 1½-inch cut to his abdomen and managed to walk out of the gymnasium to report the stabbing to a guard. "There is a good possibility it was gang related," Ferguson said. "We don't know that for a fact."
2003: Proposed changes would force Omaha homeowners who want a wall between them and noisy roads to get more of their neighbors' approval and to help pay for it. The changes, proposed by the Public Works Department, could limit new noise walls in Omaha and affect a planned project to widen Harrison Street between 128th and 144th Streets. Acting Public Works Director Norm Jackman said the intent was to make Omaha's standards mirror state and federal ones and to ensure that people who directly benefit from noise walls help pay for them.
An analysis on the Harrison project should wrap up shortly. Jackman said it could call for upwards of $1 million in noise walls.
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
