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Lincoln City Councilman Tom Duden wanted to change his vote to reappoint three members to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Board of Health – all of whom served during the pandemic – but his colleagues on Monday said "no." Last week, the council voted 6-0 (Councilwoman Sändra Washington was absent) to reappoint Tom Randa, Katherine Garcia and Stacie Bleicher to the board. On Monday, Duden asked for a vote to reconsider.
Lincoln City Council Member Tom Duden wanted to change his earlier vote to reappoint three members to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Board of Health, but his fellow members on the council voted against the reconsideration. Duden said he wanted to change his vote from yes to no because of Lancaster County's extended emergency clause during the pandemic, and because he thinks others should be given the chance to serve. He said he wasn’t asking any other council members to change their positions.
He said he'd gotten some feedback that changes on the health board were needed and he was trying to support his constituents. People are also reading..
. “I made a mistake and I’m trying to correct it,” he said. A day after the council voted on the health board reappointments last week, the Lancaster County Board also voted on the reappointments, with Commissioner Matt Schulte voting no.
He voted not to reappoint three other members of the health board last year. Schulte’s vote also was related to the controversial directed health measures during the pandemic. “These members of the health board oversaw the disastrous implementation of COVID lockdowns and regulations that far exceeded the rest of the state," he said during the meeting.
“It’s time for some new leadership on this board.” Schulte and Duden are the lone Republicans of the County Board and City Council. On Monday, the council voted 5-2 not to allow a reconsideration of the vote.
Tom Beckius and Duden voted to allow the reconsideration. His request got some pushback from Councilman James Michael Bowers, who is president of the Board of Health. Lincoln City Council Member James Michael Bowers, who is also president of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Board of Health, defended the qualifications of the board Monday when fellow Councilman Tom Duden asked to reconsider an earlier vote to reappoint three members.
“I want to make sure I fully understand the reasoning, especially considering the rarity of asking for a reconsideration, particularly when it comes for people I work with directly,” he said. Duden said he wasn’t questioning the board members’ qualifications or suitability for serving, but worried that reappointing members to multiple terms leads to a good-old-boy mentality. That led Bowers to ask whether he planned to vote against reappointments to other boards.
“It depends on the board and the issues,” Duden said. Bowers also pointed out that the Board of Health isn’t a policymaking board, but an advisory board, and he enumerated the qualifications of the board members, saying he wanted to make sure they were on the record. Randa, just appointed to his fifth term, has been director of the Good Neighbor Center since 2012, and has volunteered at Lincoln Public Schools working with various communities.
Garcia, the vice president of the board who is seeking her fourth team, is a pediatric dentist, a leader in local and state organizations and hosts an annual “Give Kids A Smile” day for elementary students that don’t have access to a dentist. Bleicher is a pediatrician and medical director of BraveBe Child Advocacy Center, works as a pediatric hospice physician and has contributed to several gubernatorial committees. “I think these people are well-qualified and not at all in line with the good old boys network but have a proven record and proven skills that our health department needs,” Bowers said.
Humanities Nebraska cuts; Herbie's Market; welcome to Pawnee City Top Journal Star photos for March 2025 A man walks through swath of light shining through an upper window in the rotunda last week at the Capitol, where lawmakers plan to spend 37 more days working on legislation that has been introduced. Speaker John Arch warned Monday that only "essential" bills are likely to receive attention as the clock winds down toward the end of the 90-day session. Lauren Schilz of Wadsworth, Ill.
(left), and her mother Robin Schilz play a game of cornhole during Admitted Students Day on Saturday at Nebraska Coliseum. The day offered students who are considering attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln a chance to explore campus and talk to students, faculty and alumni. Nebraska celebrates after a home run against Oregon State on Friday at Haymarket Park.
Fourth grade students from Grant Elementary in Norfolk eat lunch on the lawn of the Capitol after a field trip Thursday, where they learned about the building's architecture and the Legislature. Driving instructor Tariq Qasim guides Najla Shamo as she practices driving using a simulator during a driving class for refugee women at Lutheran Family Services' Lincoln office Friday. The resettlement agency was able to purchase the simulator and curriculum for the classes thanks to a grant from the Nebraska Presbyterian Foundation.
The Nebraska Mens Gymnastics Team celebrates Joey Pepe’s performance in the horizontal bar event on Friday, March 21, 2025, at Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln. Framed through glasses of water, Sen. Deb Fischer speaks to invited guests during the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce's Congressional Report at the Lincoln Country Club on Thursday.
Nebraska’s Lauren Camenzind slides into home plate on Sunday, March 23, 2025, at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln. Nebraska's Britt Prince (center) and Jessica Petrie walk out of the court after losing to Louisville in the NCAA Tournament on Friday at the Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Kevin McCaffrey runs at Holmes Lake on Sunday.
McCaffrey has been running a 50-mile ultra-marathon at the lake each month this year, inviting others to join him and raise money for good causes. A blood moon during a total lunar eclipse is seen over the sower on top of the Nebraska Capitol early Friday morning. Lunar eclipses happen when the moon, Earth and sun align just so, causing the moon to blush a coppery red because of stray bits of sunlight filtering through Earth's atmosphere.
Lunar and solar eclipses happen anywhere from four to seven times a year, according to NASA. If you missed out on Friday, the next total lunar eclipse visible from Nebraska will be on March 3, 2026. Omaha Skutt's George Ziebell (50) is mobbed by his teammates after scoring the game winning bucket with .
5 seconds left on the clock to secure the win for the SkyHawks during their Class B semifinal state tournament game against Norris on Friday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Omaha Westside's Lee'Murhion Robinson brings his jersey up to cover his face after falling to Papillion-La Vista South in the Class A state championship game Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. O’Neill St.
Mary’s John Mlnarik (22) embraces O’Neill St. Mary’s Gage Hedstrom (24) after cutting off a piece of the basketball net following the Class D2 State Championship game on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews battle a fire on Thursday at an automotive business near 36th Street and Cleveland Avenue.
Ashland-Greenwood players lift the championship trophy after defeating Omaha Concordia to win the Class C-1 state championship game Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Lincoln Southeast celebrates winning the game on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. Papillion-La Vista South's Reece Kircher (22) waves the net after defeating Omaha Westside to win the Class A state championship game Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Papillion-La Vista South's Jayden Herrera (24) recovers the ball after it was shot by Omaha Westside's Lee'Murhion Robinson (second right) as he was boxed out by La Vista South's Bryson Bahl (first right) and Grant Beckenhauer (23) in the first half of the Class A state championship game Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Johnson-Brock's Casen Dalinghaus (13) scores over Howells-Dodge's Dane Meyer (1) in the second half of the Class D-1 state championship game Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska’s Jordyn Bahl claps with dust on her hands after sliding into home base on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln.
Ja’mylah Barbee, 7, adds glue to pipe cleaners while making a model house out of recycled materials on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at Belmont Community Center in Lincoln. Lincoln Pius X's Michael Haith (4), Charles Morrow (10) and Parker Kelly (5) go up to defend a shot by Norris' Evan Greenfield (22) in the first half of a Class B first-round state tournament game Thursday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Lincoln Lutheran's Ryan Hager (12) is hit in the face by Fillmore Central's Jarin Tweedy (5) as he tries to score a layup in the second half of a Class C-1 first-round state tournament game Wednesday at the Devaney Sports Center.
(From left) Oakland-Craig's Sabrina Rost (11), Oakland-Craig's Carolyn Magnusson (13) and Oakland-Craig's Brinley Burton (15) celebrate winning the Class C-2 state championship game on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. Rob Andersen (left) helps Keiron Taylor put on a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Personal Protective Equipment suit during HazMat inventory and training on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at the Nebraska Task Force One Warehouse in Lincoln.
Waverly's Mia Jackson (left) protects the ball as York’s Kinslee Kern attempts to steal it from her on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. Dorchester's Mackenzie Yager (23) and Falls City Sacred Heart's Alise Reschke (11) battle for the ball during the Class D-2 state championship game on Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Lincoln Christian team celebrates after defeating Milford during the Class C-1 state championship game Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
A baby goat mills around the Lincoln Children's Zoo on Monday. Goats have returned to the zoo's feeding space after leaving in September 2023. Milford players celebrate the win over Minden during a Class C-1 semifinal state basketball tournament game on Friday, March 7, 2025, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Congressman Mike Flood addresses the questions and concerns of audience members during his town hall on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at Columbus High School in Lincoln. Elizabeth Evans, a food service manager at Open Harvest Co-op Grocery, cradles a selection of cheeses featured in this year's Cheese Madness tournament. The bracket-style competition pits various cheeses against each other for customers to vote on.
Contact the writer at [email protected] or 402-473-7226. On Twitter at @LJSReist.
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