AUGUST 8, 2012 (LINCOLN, NEB.)—The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) has awarded $1,145,010 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to Columbus, Fremont, Grand Island, Kearney, Norfolk and North Platte  to pursue community projects targeting neighborhoods benefitting low- and middle-income residents. These grants, made in the Comprehensive Revitalization (CR) category, are administered by DED from the state’s annual allocation of CDBG funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

AUGUST 10, 2012 (LINCOLN, NEB.)—The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) has awarded $79,791 HOME funding to Sandhills Resource, Conservation & Development, Inc., (Sandhills RC&D), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Mullen, Neb., to undertake a Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation (OOR) Program.

(Shanghai, China) Gov. Dave Heineman today finalized an agreement between the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Tongji University to create one of the most extensive partnerships ever between U.S. and Chinese academic institutions. The Shanghai-U.S. Health Science Initiative (SSUHSI) is a collaborative health science partnership that involves educational, clinical and research components.

“This is truly a momentous occasion,” said Gov. Heineman. “To be a competitive force in today’s world, it is absolutely vital to have global partnerships. I am thrilled that these two great institutions have come together in this initiative. It will pay tremendous dividends for generations to come.”