Noteworthy

Michaela Millikan, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from Bennington, will represent Nebraska in the National American Miss Pageant during Thanksgiving week at Disneyland in California. She was crowned Miss Nebraska Preteen last month in Ralston.

Neighbors Donna Wilhelm and Vicki Deniston-Reed, both of the Dahlman neighborhood, won the neighborhood garden beautification competition sponsored by the Bancroft Street Farmers Market.

The Literacy Center recently was accredited by ProLiteracy. The Literacy Center has served the metropolitan Omaha area for nearly 40 years, helping adults improve their reading, mathematics, listening, writing, speaking and technology skills.

Sahling Kenworth’s support of the reserve components of the U.S. military has been recognized in an unusual way. Sgt. Paul Mills, a member of the Army Reserve and a Sahling Kenworth employee, nominated the company for an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Award, then presented it this month to owner John Sahling at the firm’s Kearney, Neb., office. Sahling also has locations in Columbus and York.

Dr. Shireen Rajaram has been named director of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Center for Reducing Health Disparities in the College of Public Health. She had been interim director since January.

Lizzie Hughes of Fremont is the Nebraska Loess Hills Resource Conservation & Development Council’s artist for the month for September. An open house is scheduled from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the council offices in Oakland, Neb.

Dr. Allen D. Dvorak, a 1969 graduate of the Creighton University School of Medicine, was honored Sept. 11 with the school’s 2009 alumni merit award. The award was presented during the annual School of Medicine Alumni Reception and Dinner, held in conjunction with the school’s Destination Creighton Reunion Weekend.

Mary Bomberger Brown, program coordinator of the Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership, recently received the Elliott Coues Award from the American Ornithologists’ Union. Bomberger Brown was honored with Charles R. Brown, a professor at the University of Tulsa, for their research conducted at the Cedar Point Biological Station, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln research site. The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership is based at UNL’s School of Natural Resources. The Coues award recognizes outstanding and innovative contributions to ornithological research.

Charlotte Burke, health promotion and outreach manager for the Lincoln Lancaster County Health Department, is one of 27 American Cancer Society volunteers who received the society’s St. George National Award for distinguished service. She was the only person from Nebraska or Iowa to receive the award.

Community Health Charities of Nebraska (CHC-NE) honored two Nebraska employers with its annual Partners in Health Award at the organization’s recent annual meeting. They are Jim Cada of Lincoln and the City of Grand Island. The award recognizes people or organizations that promote health and wellness and serve as a model of how commerce, government or industry and the health sector interact to improve the quality of life for those in the community.

For 17 years, Dickies has honored hardworking individuals through its American Worker of the Year contest. Scott Pickering, a nursery manager and small-business owner from Omaha, recently was announced as one of the contest’s six regional finalists. The father of four, who has never used a sick day, works for the nursery during the day, runs his lighting company at night and coaches his children’s athletic teams. The grand-prize winner will be announced Oct. 30 and will receive $50,000. The five remaining regional winners each will receive $10,000. Dickies makes workwear.

Jordan Lee Frost will be inducted into the Beta Pi Alpha chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Metropolitan Community College in October. Frost is the son of Tena Barnes and Vic Frost of Omaha. The honor society serves two-year colleges around the world.

The Lincoln Chamber of Commerce recently held its 14th annual Celebrate Business Awards Luncheon to honor nine Lincoln businesses and business people for their success and service to the community. The 2009 Cornerstone Award winner is Fiserv, a service provider to banks, credit unions and lending institutions. The Cornerstone Award serves as the Chamber’s Business of the Year Award. The Burnham Yates Citizenship Award went to the late Larry Arth, who spent 40 years with Ameritas, working his way up from mortgage loan assistant to chairman and chief executive officer. The Roger T. Larson Community Builder Award went to UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman in recognition of leadership and public service that have shaped the Lincoln community. Telesis Inc. — parent company to Lazlo’s Brewery & Grill, FireWorks Restaurant, Empyrean Brewing Co. and Data Security Inc. — received the Green Business of the Year Award. Firespring, a marketing company, was named the 2009 Small Business of the Year. The 2009 Entrepreneurial Spirit Award winner was Nebraska Air Quality Specialties LLC. John Klimpel won the Tourism Development Award. The 2009 Manufacturer of the Year winner is LI-COR, which makes tools for scientists and researchers worldwide. R.U. Nuts is the 2009 recipient of the Woman-Owned Business Award; Charlotte Ralston owns the food company.

The Nebraska Medicaid Program has received a one-year award of technical assistance to support the development and implementation of policies that increase access to medical homes for participants in the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance programs. A medical home is a place or system that provides patient-centered care from a team of providers. A medical home supports partnerships between patients, their families and their physician or other health care provider who coordinates care for both wellness and illness. Nebraska is one of eight states to receive the award.

The Douglas County Department of Corrections has been re-accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, after an on-site audit. It is one of only 500 such accredited facilities among more than 3,700 jails in the United States. — Compiled by Sue Story Truax