Daily Minute: Tax delinquencies spike; penguin named; Huskers invited to combine

Tax delinquencies spike

The number of property owners who have yet to pay their 2023 property tax bill spiked this year, an increase that coincides with a record increase in property valuations and higher tax bills for many.

Last week, the office published the details of 1,365 properties that have delinquent taxes — a nearly 70% jump over the 804 published in the newspaper last year, according to figures from the Lancaster County Treasurer’s office.

In January, the Treasurer’s Office sent letters to property owners notifying them of their unpaid taxes, as it does every year, said Lancaster County Treasurer Rachel Garver. This year, the office sent 2,528 letters — representing nearly 2% of the owners of all 128,241 properties in the county — the most letters the office has sent in at least the past five years.

Penguin chick named

The Lincoln Children’s Zoo has officially named its newest Humboldt penguin chick that will soon be visible to the public.

On Thursday, the zoo introduced Chile, a female penguin chick that hatched on Dec. 15.

Zoo officials held a naming contest last week and collected more than 200 name suggestions. More than 1,300 votes were submitted, with Chile taking the lead.

Huskers invited to combine

Four Nebraska football players have been selected to participate in this year’s NFL Combine.

Defensive lineman Ty Robinson, tight end Thomas Fidone II, defensive back Tommi Hill and wide receiver Isaiah Neyor are among the 329 players who were invited to take part in the pre-NFL Draft scouting event.

The four invitees are the most Nebraska has had since the 2022 season.

That’s it for Friday, Feb. 14. Stay in the know with Lincoln’s longest-standing news source at JournalStar.com and we will see you back here tomorrow.