Editing Columbus, Nebraska (section)

===World War II to 2000===
With the arrival of [[World War II]], Columbus's boosters sought a war plant for Columbus.  They persuaded the federal government to purchase {{convert|90|acre}} in northeastern Columbus, and to build a railroad line to the site.  Before construction of the projected aluminum-extrusion plant could begin, however, it became clear that the war would end soon and that the plant would not be needed.<ref name=sites>[http://sites.nppd.com/aedc/FactsBook/Columbusbook.pdf "Community Facts: Columbus, Nebraska".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714211148/http://sites.nppd.com/aedc/FactsBook/Columbusbook.pdf |date=2011-07-14 }}  [http://sites.nppd.com/ Nebraska Public Power District.]  Retrieved 2010-04-15.</ref>
The site was sold as surplus property to the Loup District for a fraction of its original cost; the district turned it into an industrial site.<ref name=publicpower />{{rp|137–38}}
In 1946, [[Walter Behlen|Behlen Manufacturing]] built a factory on the site;<ref name=curry />{{rp|389}}
the rest of the available land was occupied soon thereafter.<ref name=publicpower />{{rp|138}}

Columbus Public Schools in 1968 cut off non-resident students in order to become financially solvent, leaving students north of town without an education.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Telegram|first=ZACH ROTH The Columbus|title=Lakeview begins to ramp up renovations|url=https://columbustelegram.com/news/local/lakeview-begins-to-ramp-up-renovations/article_8397a56e-fc8d-564f-a317-8e1f58c73319.html|access-date=2021-10-03|website=Columbus Telegram|date=March 14, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> In response, Lakeview Community Schools was formed. There are also several Catholic schools in Columbus, including Scotus Central Catholic High School.

Columbus made headlines in 1997 when 25 million pounds of beef from a Hudson Foods plant in the city were [[Product recall|recalled]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Janofsky|first=Michael|date=1997-08-22|title=25 Million Pounds of Beef Is Recalled|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/22/us/25-million-pounds-of-beef-is-recalled.html|access-date=2021-10-03|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> At the time, it was the largest recall in United States history.<ref name=":2" />

In 1999, the East-Central District Health Department was formed as the Platte-Colfax County District Health Department.<ref>{{Cite web|title=East-Central District Health Department : About Us : Mission and History|url=https://ecdhd.ne.gov/who-we-are/mission-and-history.html|access-date=2021-10-03|website=ecdhd.ne.gov|language=en}}</ref> Platte County, including Columbus, is one of four counties served by the [[Health departments in the United States|health department]], which is located in Columbus along with the Good Neighbor Community Health Center.