Hastings College has postponed all fall competitions up until this Sunday, Oct. 4. They are suspended after the campus reached “Level Pink.” The phases are split into five colors: green, yellow, orange, pink and red. The campus in alliance with the South Heartland Health Department created these categories and once the campus reaches pink, all athletic activities must be suspended. Pink is defined as “Risk is considered elevated for everyone. Students and employees are present on campus but will be primarily working and learning remotely with some in-person interactions taking place. everyone is screening themselves daily for symptoms. The Hastings College COVID-19 task force is meeting this Friday, Oct. 2 to reevaluate the situation and see if activities can resume next Monday, Oct. 5.
The National Western Stock Show Board of Directors announced that the 115th National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado, was postponed until 2022 due to the rules relating to the Pandemic in Colorado. To provide an opportunity for cattle producers who typically exhibit there, the Grand Island Livestock Complex Authority (GILCA), Mayor Roger Steele, and The Nebraskan Livestock Show group have announced plans to develop a one year only alternative livestock show to be held in January 2021 on the Fonner Park Campus in Grand Island. The Nebraskan Livestock Show will be presented beginning on January 9, 2021 with the intent to match the schedule of the anticipated NWSS dates to accommodate the plans already in place within the beef cattle industry.
The undergraduate admissions application fee for University of Nebraska students will be waived from Oct. 1 through Oct. 18. The waiver is part of an effort to expand access and encourage more individuals to enroll. The NU system also said that Oct. 1 is also the date when the 2021-22 Free Application for Federal Student Aid becomes available. The NU system is also offering the Nebraska Promise, the new financial aid program that provides free tuition for Nebraska students with family incomes of $60,000 or less. The university system also offers a two-year tuition freeze, reduction of undergraduate online tuition rates and the addition of a student’s GPA as a qualifying factor for admission.
Grand Island’s West Lawn Elementary School hosted the opening ceremony for a brand new playground behind the school. Parts of the old playground will still remain on campus, but a few that no longer met their safety codes were torn down. During the school day the playground is only for students, but they do encourage the community to share it with them on evenings and weekends.