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Northeast/North Central Nebraska’s most trusted, comprehensive, and timely news source
Northeast Community College plans to purchase a building in downtown Norfolk that would be the site of the new Northeast Nebraska Innovation Studio. The 18,000-square foot studio would contain a fabrication lab, collaboration spaces and offices that would grow the talent pipeline and support area manufacturing and agriculture-related innovation and entrepreneurship.
Northeast Community College plans to purchase a building in downtown Norfolk that would be the site of the new Northeast Nebraska Innovation Studio. The 18,000-square foot studio would contain a fabrication lab, collaboration spaces and offices that would grow the talent pipeline and support area manufacturing and agriculture-related innovation and entrepreneurship.
Northeast Community College will have its own downtown Norfolk facility in the future.
During a Northeast Board of Governors meeting on Thursday, members approved the purchase of a building located at 707 and 713 West Norfolk Ave., which is where Kustom Kitchens now operates.
The owner of the building is working with the current tenant on a relocation plan, according to the college, and no renovation work will take place in the building until relocation occurs.
According to a press release from Northeast, the building is 18,000 square feet and will be renovated into fabrication labs, collaboration spaces and offices. The new facility will be called the Northeast Nebraska Innovation Studio and will include areas for wood, metals and rapid prototyping. Northeast also is working with area manufacturers to design a space for robotics and automation work.
Leah Barrett, the president of Northeast, said during Thursday’s meeting that the new facility would be created in partnership with University of Nebraska’s Innovation campus in Lincoln. Invest Nebraska, area manufacturers and school districts also have partnered with Northeast for the project.
“Northeast Nebraska Innovation Studio is a project that we have been working on with area business leaders and our faculty to support creating career pathways,” Barrett said, “and opening people's eyes to the world of career technical education (CTE) and, specifically, agricultural technology.”
According to Barrett, the new facility will serve as a place for hands-on learning for students. But it also will help up-skill current workers as well as encourage children to join the CTE and agriculture technology workforce.
“It represents the spirit of the people of Northeast Nebraska — we're problem solvers,” Barrett said. “We like to figure things out on our own, and when you have access to the machinery and tools to do that, you can make that happen. We (also) need places where we can work with our industries to do up-skilling and workforce training for employees.”
According to Barrett, Northeast is waiting on a federal grant from the U.S Economic Development Administration (EDA) to complete the final sale of the building.
If Northeast obtains the grant, it would partially fund the project. The rest of the funding would come from dollars allocated to the college from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), according to Barrett.
Barrett said Northeast is still estimating the cost of the future Northeast Nebraska Innovation Studio.
Construction could start as early as next year with an estimated completion date of spring 2024, according to a Northeast press release. The dates of the construction schedule are depending on if the funding is secured.
The Northeast Community College Board of Governors met Thursday at the Lifelong Learning Center.
Board members present: Donovan Ellis, Nicole Sedlacek, Steve Anderson, Terry Nelson, Del Ames, Pat Wojcik, Julie Robinson and Jeff Scherer.
Others in attendance: Several college administrators and two members of the media.
— Approved the minutes of June 9 meeting.
— Approved the purchase of real estate; subject discussed in public hearing. (See page 1 for more.)
— Approved an additional 1% increase in the total 2021-22 general fund budget limit authority.
— Accepted the full-time equivalency/reimbursable educational units enrollment audit report for 2021-22.
— Approved the College Center at South Sioux City interlocal agreement.
— Approved the continuation of the information technology program and the wind energy program.
— Approved the Pathways 2 Tomorrow partner agreement.
— Approved the interlocal agreement between the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and Northeast Community College.
— Second reading and approval of the deletion of several board policies relating to college property naming; conflict of interest; information security policy and recognized student organizations.
— Second reading and approval of revisions to board policies relating to monitoring president performance and organizational integrity.
— First reading of revisions to asset protection and access to education.
— First reading for the deletion of board policies relating to fraud and whistleblower; recognition; communicable diseases; tobacco and alternative nicotine products use; alcohol and controlled substance testing for commercial driver’s license policy; child abuse or neglect.
Dymtro Halai stood on the steps of what will be his temporary home and thanked God and the people gathered in front of him for bringing him and 21 other Ukrainians to Norfolk.
A pursuit through Columbus this past weekend resulted in the arrest of a Schuyler man on suspicion of multiple charges.
The Norfolk City Council’s scheduled working session on Monday was cut short when a citizen raised concerns about the meeting possibly being a violation of the open meetings act.
MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) — Africa's national parks, home to thousands of wildlife species such as lions, elephants and buffaloes, are increasingly threatened by below-average rainfall and new infrastructure projects.
Norfolk Middle School staff stood in the school’s parking lot Thursday morning to direct cars dropping off children.
New artwork created by students is now on display in Union 73 on the Norfolk campus of Northeast Community College.
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Plans are still in the works for the Norfolk City Council to put forth a bond issuance that would fund everything from a police station overhaul and expansion to new recreational opportunities.
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