Mutual of Omaha’s downtown headquarters building at 14th & Farnam Street is nearing its final height of 677 feet, solidifying the tower’s presence atop the city’s skyline. The shear core is now complete to the top of the building, with steel erection around the core advancing through the upper levels of the structure.  Despite winter weather conditions, construction remains on track to be completed this fall. The building was first announced at the beginning of 2022, while the official groundbreaking took place in January of 2023. The developer is Omaha-based Lanoha Real Estate Company, and the general contractor is JE Dunn Construction. Temporary heat and enclosures have been installed throughout the tower to protect completed work and maintain quality during cold-weather operations. These measures have enabled construction crews to continue completing interior activities without interruption.  “This steady, floor-by-floor progress signals a pivotal transition from primary...

by Cindy Gonzalez, Nebraska Examiner "Brain drain” is loosening its grip on Nebraska, although some new Census data shows positive strides likely are more evident among freshly minted college graduates than young talent with more experience. The most recent portrait of so-called brain drain — when educated people leave the state for better employment opportunities or the social or political climate elsewhere — comes from the latest American Community Survey estimates. That information, covering 60 months through 2024, was derived from an ongoing survey separate from the broader statewide population estimates the Census Bureau made public earlier this week. Experts at the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, which acts as the official census liaison, said Friday that the latest data set shows Nebraska trending “in the right direction” when it comes to retaining educated residents with a four-year bachelor’s degree or higher. Spotlight helps turn...