Business in Nebraska #292 - January 1969

Changing Patterns of Communities in the Midwest (Dorothy Switzer) The regional concept of economic planning and development discussed in the December issue of Business in Nebraska was the subject also of a workshop conference on Changing Patterns of People and Communities in the Midwest, held in Omaha last month. It is deemed appropriate to report here the most significant highlight of the conference because the panel presentations and subsequent discussions further developed several important apects of regional growth. Business Summary (R. L. Busboom) Both Physical Volume and Dollar Volume Indexes for Nebraska indicate that the October, 1968 level of business activity was above that of October, 1967. For the U.S. these indexes increased over the same period at a rate slightly more than Nebraska\u27s. From September, 1968, to October, 1968, Nebraska\u27s dollar and physical volumes fell, being down about 1.6 percent. The indexes for the U.S. show some increase, with physical volume up 2.1% and dollar volume up 3.4%. Review

Business in Nebraska # 270 - March 1967

Nebraska\u27s Agricultural Exports (Dorothy Switzer) Importance of Nebraska as the 9th ranking state in the nation and 4th in the top-ranking region, the West North Central, in value of agricultural commodity shipments in fiscal 1965-66 has been revealed in a new study by the Economic Research Service of the I.S. Department of Agriculture. Because Nebraska is one of the ten leading states in farm exports in this country, which is in turn the world\u27s largest exporter of such commodities, explicit world market information pertaining to the state has long been sought. The significance of such information is considerable both to Nebraska farmers and to that part of the business community dependent, to whatever extent, upon the agricultural sector of the economy. Business Summary (E. L. Burgess) December\u27s dollar volume of business in Nebraska increased 2.2% over last year compared with a 4.0% increase for the U.S. Nebraska\u27s physical volume changes from last month +4.9% and +1.1% respectively. construction activity in Nebraska remained down from the previous year (-16.1%). The only other indicator showing a decline from a year ago for Nebraska was electricity produced (-1.6%)

Business in Nebraska #283 - April 1968

Nebraska Educational Expenditures (Dorothy Switzer) In terms of expenditure, education is by far the leading function of state and local government. In terms of socio-economic progress in the modern world, attainment of high educational standards is obligatory. Educational expenditures in Nebraska in comparison to other states, therefore, become a matter of extreme urgency as we attempt to build a climate conducive to economic and business growth. Business Summary (E. L. Burgess) January\u27s dollar volume of business in Nebraska (Table I) rose 10.5% from January, 1967. Nebraska\u27s physical volume for the same period rose 6.3%. This indicates a significant rise in prices during this period. The U.S. dollar volume increased 8.8% and the physical volume increased 5.2%. Nebraska\u27s December, 1967, to January, 1968, changes in dollar volume and physical volume were +4.7% and +0.9%. January, 1967, to January, 1968, changes in the individual business indicators ranged from +1.0% for construction activity to +11.2% for life insurance sales and electricity produced. How Does Your City Grow? (E. D. Solberg

Business in Nebraska #297 - June 1969

Nebraska\u27s Export of Agricultural Products (Dorothy Switzer) Nebraska moved up from fourth to third place among the seven states in the West North Central region in dollar volume of agricultural exports in fiscal 1968 and retained its position as ninth ranking state in the nation, according to recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Sales amounting to $229.5 million of Nebraska farm products constituted 14.5$1,578.9 billion in volume of sales. Business Summary (R. L. Busboom) Generally, the State\u27s business activity in March was well above that of last year. A 13 percent rise in physical volume combined with the well - known rise in level of prices to effect an overall dollar volume increase of 30 percent. A large increase in construction activity was the major factor in the overall, year -to -year gain. Employment levels were notably higher in 1969 than in 1968. Manufacturing employment was nearly 5 percent higher and other employment showed a gain of 4 percent. Revised Population Estimates (E. S. Wallace) In making 1968 county and city population estimates it was necessary to change slightly the methodology used, since the head tax has been repealed and is no longer available as one of the indicators. In connection with publication of 1968 estimates in our April issue it was stated that some previous estimates would be recalculated using the new method and that if substantial differences were indicated previous estimates would be revised. Review

Business in Nebraska #294 - March 1969

Extent of Corporation Farming in Nebraska (Dorothy Switzer) Concern has been expressed in many quarters over the apparent increase in the number of nonfarm corporations that are buying land and initiating new farming enterprises in Nebraska. It has become important, therefore, to know the facts about the number of these corporations and the amount of farm land they are operating in the state. This information has recently been made available because Nebraska is one of 22 states included in a preliminary report summarizing a survey of corporate farming. Reprints State and Local Taxes in Nebraska (E. S. Wallace) According to figures recently released Nebrdska ranked 32nd among the 50 states in state and local taxes per resident in 1907. Of the 18 states below Nebraska, 11 were in the Southeast Region. In the Plains Region only Missouri and North Dakota were lower. Review Business Summary (R. L. Busboom) Both Physical Volume and Dollar Volume indexes indicate Nebraska\u27s general level of business activity in December, 1968, was that above that of the same month last year. Both indexes also indicate that the November, 1968, general level of business appears to have been maintained through December. Both the Nebraska indexes were, however, at levels approximately 4% lower than those of the U.S. On a month-to-month bases, however, Nebraska\u27s changes were nearly equal to those of the U.S

Business In Nebraska #244- January 1965

Stock and Bond Yields (Keith Broman) The recent change in the Federal Reserve discount rate has focused attention on interest rates both here and abroad. Equally important is the relationship between bond and stock yields. Business Summary (Kim McNealy) In October, the dollar volume of business for Nebraska rose 4.6% from the same month in 1963, but dropped 3.7% from September of 1964. The same index for the U.S. behaved similarly, the dollar volume of business rising 2.1% from October, 1963, and falling 1.9% from September, 1964. Business activity as measured by the Physical Volume Index increased 2.5% over last year in both Nebraska and the U.S. Compared to last month, the volume of Business transacted decreased a slight 1.5% in Nebraska and .9% in the U.S. In the individual series, construction activity registered the greatest decline from September, having dropped 9.1%. Employment changed only slightly in both Nebraska and the nation over the same period. Financing Higher Education (E. S. Wallace) The benefits of higher education are probably more highly esteemed and more universally sought after now than ever before. Hardly anyone would deny today that both society and the individual are richer, in material as well as in cultural terms, because of the contributions of our colleges and universities. A college degree has become not just a status symbol but an actual prerequisite for many kinds of employment. Indeed, recent studies have shown that a college education is the common characteristic of leaders in industry, government, and the professions. Education has made it possible for the sons of janitors, unskilled laborers, and tenant farmers to become college presidents, corporate executives, and surgeons. Creating New Jobs (E. S. Wallace) Conventional industrial development programs seek to create more jobs by establishing new manufacturing plants. Another way of making more jobs, however, is to build up the volume of existing plants. Wisconsin has recently completed a project aimed at increasing industrial employment in northern and rural areas of the state by bringing more business to plants already in operation. Reviews in Brie

Business in Nebraska #286 - July 1968

Implications of the Growth of Corporate Farming (Dorothy Switzer) Economic studies of farm size have shown that, as farm size increases, average costs either decrease, remain about the same, or increase slightly for very large farms- but still remain below average returns. If this were always so, large farms would be the most profitable, and it might be expected that the size distribution of farms would rapidly shift in this direction. But, as Wilcox reported to the Subcommittee on Antitrust and Monopoly, farm size has been increasing almost uniformly for all size categories. Of all farms, the largest 10 percent produced 44 percent of all farm production in 1949, 46 percent in 1959, and 48 percent in 1964. The smallest 20 percent of all farms produced about 3 percent in each of these years. Business Summary (E. L. Burgess) In April, retail sales (-3.0%) and construction activity (-27.5%) were the only Nebraska business indicators below April, 1967, levels. The indexes below. with April, 1960, equal to 100.0, indicate the extent of the decline in construction activity. Factory Farms or Family Farms (Everett E. Peterson and Glen Vollmar) Symposium on the Great Plains (Dorothy Switzer) Review

HIV Infection Linked to Injection Use of Oxymorphone in Indiana, 2014-2015

BACKGROUND: In January 2015, a total of 11 new diagnoses of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were reported in a small community in Indiana. We investigated the extent and cause of the outbreak and implemented control measures. METHODS: We identified an outbreak-related case as laboratory-confirmed HIV infection newly diagnosed after October 1, 2014, in a person who either resided in Scott County, Indiana, or was named by another case patient as a syringe-sharing or sexual partner. HIV polymerase (pol) sequences from case patients were phylogenetically analyzed, and potential risk factors associated with HIV infection were ascertained. RESULTS: From November 18, 2014, to November 1, 2015, HIV infection was diagnosed in 181 case patients. Most of these patients (87.8%) reported having injected the extended-release formulation of the prescription opioid oxymorphone, and 92.3% were coinfected with hepatitis C virus. Among 159 case patients who had an HIV type 1 pol gene sequence, 157 (98.7%) had sequences that were highly related, as determined by phylogenetic analyses. Contact tracing investigations led to the identification of 536 persons who were named as contacts of case patients; 468 of these contacts (87.3%) were located, assessed for risk, tested for HIV, and, if infected, linked to care. The number of times a contact was named as a syringe-sharing partner by a case patient was significantly associated with the risk of HIV infection (adjusted risk ratio for each time named, 1.9; P<0.001). In response to this outbreak, a public health emergency was declared on March 26, 2015, and a syringe-service program in Indiana was established for the first time. CONCLUSIONS: Injection-drug use of extended-release oxymorphone within a network of persons who inject drugs in Indiana led to the introduction and rapid transmission of HIV. (Funded by the state government of Indiana and others.)

Business in Nebraska #285 - June 1968

The Growth of Corporate Farming (Dorothy Switzer) The structure of agriculture, its organization and control, is changing. Although the changes now perceived are not sudden developments, they will determine the nature of tomorrow\u27s agri-business. The focus of this article is on corporate farming, one of the institutional changes being observed in agriculture. Business Summary (E. L. Burgess) Both physical volume and dollar volume indexes of business in Nebraska indicate that the March, 1968 levels were below those of March, 1967. For the U.S., both the dollar volume and the physical volume increased from March, 1967. Construction activity dropped off considerably more in Nebraska (-27.4%) than in the U.S. (-5.4%) from March, 1967. For Nebraska and the U.S., the dollar volume and the physical volume declined from February, 1968. This is as expected since a slight seasonal surge of activity generally takes place during the month of February. Two Retire From Full-Time Teaching (Dorothy Switzer) Revie

Business in Nebraska # 281 - February 1968

Exports of Nebraska Manufacturers (Dorothy Switzer) Total exports of manufactured goods from Nebraska amounted to almost 55 million dollars in 1966, according to data revealed recently in the revised published report of a study made by the Bureau of the Census of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Figures from Nebraska fully confirm the spectacular increase in exports of the state\u27s manufactured products reported in the August, 1967, issue of Business in Nebraska, and based on data collected in a Bureau of Business Research survey of a sample of Nebraska manufacturers. The national study also corroborates the local survey as to rapid-growth export industries in Nebraska, with both surveys showing high rates of increase in exports of all kinds of machinery, including agricultural equipment, and electrical machinery; fabricated metal products; instruments and related products; and transportation equipment. Business Summary (E. L. Burgess) November\u27s dollar volume of business in Nebraska (Table I) rose 5.0% from November, 1966. Physical volume for the same period rose only 3.0%, this giving us an indication of the extent of rising prices. Comparison with year-ago changes in the U.S. dollar volume (+9.5%) and the physical volume (+5.7%) indicates that prices may have risen less in Nebraska than for the U.S. as a whole. Nebraska\u27s November increase in manufacturing employment (+3.7%) over November, 1966, is the 42nd consecutive month having an increase over the same month a year ago. Reviews (Dorothy Switzer