Margaret Reist

Education reporter for the Lincoln Journal Star, covering K-12 local and state education issues

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

@RobertDanielWay Thanks, Robert

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

The governor's office just sent out an advisory: a news conference tomorrow with Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird "concerning the siting of the new 1,512-bed prison facility." No further details.

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

The city and state will do a land swap: the city land east of north 70th for the land at 112th and Adam’s.

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

Prison is going on city land near landfill north of interstate along north 70th.

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

At news conference on prison site: hasn’t started yet but mayor and governor will make comments , then sign and agreement together.

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

The city said they'd earlier turned down an offer to buy city land for the prison but wanted to be kept in the loop. Pillen said Monday the state was interested in land near the city landfill on Bluff Road, a much less densely populated area.

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

But Gov. Pillen's announcement last week that he planned to build the prison at 112th and Adams streets just outside city limits - in one of the fastest-growing areas of the city -- angered northeast Lincoln residents and took the city by surprise.

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

He didn't respond directly when asked if he'd consider re-opening negotiations with the city an alternative site to the 300 acres near 112th and Adams on which the state has signed a purchase agreement.

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

The city-owned land the state was initially interested in buying to build a new prison was north of Interstate 80 near the landfill, the governor said during a monthly call-in program on KLIN today.

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

Actually: the city will ask residents to restrict watering to certain days based on whether their addresses are odd- or even-numbered. Gonna drink that second cup of coffee right now.

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

Despite last night’s rain, drought conditions mean Lincoln will begin voluntary water restrictions for the first time since 2012. Residents are asked to
water their lawns on even- Or odd- numbered days starting Friday.

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

Unofficial final results:
District 1
Taylor Wyatt: 7,652
James Michael Bowers: 8,472

District 2
Tom Duden: 15,106
Bailey Feit: 12,351

District 3
Elina Newman: 6,979
Justin Carlson: 10,957

District 4
Brodey Weber 6,365
Wayne Reinwald: 4,421

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

In Lincoln City Council unofficial final returns, Tom Duden pulls ahead of Bailey Feit in District 2. Other candidates who had early leads maintain them. Assuming additional early ballots don't change anything, Council will maintain a 6-1 Democrat majority.

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

With about 3,000 additional early votes still to be counted, along with provisional and resolution votes, the outcome's not likely to change.

Unofficial final:
Gaylor Baird: 42,072
Geist: 35,404

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

Official final results: Voters re-elect Leirion Gaylor Baird as Lincoln's mayor, with about 54% of the vote, leading former state Sen. Suzanne Geist by about 6,600 votes.

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

City Council races with first returns from the polls:

District 1
Taylor Wyatt 4,830
James Michael Bowers 5,741

District 2
Tom Duden 7,036
Bailey Feit 7,537

District 3
Elina Newman 2,884
Justin Carlson 5,675

District 4
Brodey Weber 8,185
Wayne Reinwald 1,762

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

First returns from polls are in and Gaylor Baird still leads, but it's shrunk to 60%. Turnout at 23% now -- election commissioner is predicting about 38%

Gaylor Baird: 24,682
Geist: 16,061

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

Council early returns:
District 1
James Michael Bowers: 4,180
Taylor Wyatt: 2,752

District 2
Bailey Feit: 6,583
Tom Duden: 5,559

District 3
Justin Carlson: 4,905
Elina Newman: 2,238

District 4
Brodey Weber: 2,820
Wayne Reinwald: 1,507

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

First returns are in and, not surprisingly, Gaylor Baird and Democrats in the council races are leading. Gaylor Baird has 64% of the 32,076 early votes:
Gaylor Baird: 20,582
Geist: 11,413

[Margaret Reist @LJSreist]

Unofficial final election returns: Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and Sen. Suzanne Geist advance to general election, along with City Council Dist. 4 candidates Wayne Reinwald and Brodey Weber and Dist. 2 candidates Tom Duden and Bailey Feit. Both candidates in Dist 1 and 3 move on.