Vanishing $100 Million: Nebraska health officials decry federal cuts

Molly Pofahl had big plans for the $370,000 in federal money awarded to the East Central District Health Department in March.

They would use the money to provide cleanup for homes with high lead levels in Boone, Colfax, Nance and Platte counties, said Pofahl, the department’s chief public health officer. They could make it easier for people living in the district’s rural areas to get vaccinated. She planned to get training for her staff to better teach central Nebraskans about preventing infections.

Lessons learned during COVID-19 informed their plans for the money – it showed them areas, she...