Briefly: News notes Wednesday

Take a tour of historic homes

The Blackstone Neighborhood Association will have a historic home tour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets, $10 each or $15 for a couple, will be available at the Brandeis Mansion, 500 S. 38th St., the day of the event. The tour begins at the mansion, which is the 2009 ASID Designer Showhouse.

Five homes on the National Register of Historic Places and one church will be open for tours. The Designer Showhouse will have an ice cream social on the lawn at the Brandeis Mansion.

Contra Dance Omaha event Saturday

Contra Dance Omaha's next dance will be from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday in the Seymour Elementary School gym, 4900 S. 79th St., Ralston.

Contra dances have patterns similar to square dances but are done in long lines. Dancers of all ages and abilities, singles and families, are welcome.

All dances are taught and called to live music. The cost is $6 for adults and $3 for students and children older than 13.

Car show planned at Mid-America Center

After a nine-year absence, the 27th annual Pontiac-GMC-Oakland Show will return to Council Bluffs Sunday on lot A at the Mid-America Center.

Registration starts at 8 a.m., with awards at 4 p.m. There is no charge to view the entries. More information is at www.geocities.com/poadrag.

Another event tied to the show is the Pontiac Challenge All GM Drag Races. Elimination races begin at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Rolling Thunder Drag Strip at the Mid-America Motorplex in Glenwood. Admission is $5, with children younger than 12 admitted free.

Minnesota nursing educator to speak

A national leader in educational innovation will be a guest lecturer Aug. 21 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Dr. Joanne Disch of the University of Minnesota School of Nursing will present the second annual Audrey Solberg Smith Distinguished Lectureship for Teaching Excellence from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Disch's presentation, “Embracing Paradox and Ambiguity in Nursing,” will be in Room 3002 in the Sorrell Center on the UNMC campus. It will be made available live via video to College of Nursing campuses in Lincoln, Kearney and Scottsbluff.

The public is invited to this free presentation, but registration is required by Friday. Leave a message at 559-6731 or e-mail concne@unmc.edu, with name, organization, address, phone number and e-mail address.

Check out the highway department's new digs

The Wymore (Neb.) Area Community Coffee will be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday, hosted by the Gage County Highway Department, Gage County Sheriff's Office, Wymore Police Department, Gage County Attorney's Office, Gage County Emergency Management Department and Gage County Weed Department.

The gathering will be at the highway department's new building in Wymore. The public is invited.

Cobblestone Fun Run scheduled for Aug. 22

The Aug. 22 Cobblestone Fun Run at Stanton Lake in Falls City, Neb., will benefit the healing garden at Community Medical Center in Falls City.

Registration forms are available online at www.cmcfc.org or in the hospital lobby. Registration for the 7 a.m. one-mile and 7:20 a.m. 5K and 10K events are $10 if received by Friday and $15 after that.

Mail registrations to Community Medical Center, P.O. Box 399, Falls City, NE 68355 Attn.: Linda Santo; or fax them to 402-245-6607; or e-mail them to lsanto@cmcfc.org.

Why walk? Ride your bike through the zoo

Hop on your bicycle and take a Critter Ride on Thursday evening at the Henry Doorly Zoo.

Participants can ride their bikes through the zoo from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Food will be provided by local companies, including Omaha Steaks, Frito Lay, McDonald's and Sara Lee. Riders also will get to experience special animal education encounters.

The cost of the ride is $15 per person, which includes admission to the zoo. The funds will go toward the zoo's scholarships and various projects.

Those who would like to preregister for Critter Ride can do so online at www.omahazoo.com or by calling the zoo at 733-8401. Participants also can register Thursday evening.

Compiled by Sue Story Truax and Carol Bicak