Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 124
After three years of work, Holt County's updated comprehensive plan and zoning regulations are near completion. Planning and zoning officer Marv Fritz broke the good news to supervisors when they met in regular session on April 17 in O'Neill. "We're planning a hearing for both on May 22," Fritz said. "After the meeting, we'll hand off the plan to the supervisors." Updates began in 2022, when the county planning and zoning commission hired Marvin Planning Associates, of David City, to assist...
Nebraska is seeing an increase in a type of scam tied to cryptocurrencies and social media called “pig butchering.” This has nothing to do agriculture; it’s a scam initially developed by criminal organizations in China in which scammers develop a relationship with their victims over a long period of time to repeatedly steal money. This form of fraud is also known as a relationship scam, financial grooming, or confidence scam. How Pig Butchering Works Scammers often initiate contact by sending a “wrong number” text, email, or social media mes...
Governor Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture are partnering to provide Nebraskans with information about the appearance of avian influenza in wild birds this time of year. On March 21, the Douglas County Health Department reported the detection of H5N1 in dead geese at ConAgra Lake in Omaha. “Nebraska is situated in the heart of the migratory bird path, especially waterfowl. It’s well known that wild waterfowl can be infected with avian influenza and transmit the virus to other birds, including backyard and commercial pou...
In recent weeks, action taken by the federal administration has left many individuals wondering about the status of a small-town staple—the U.S. Department of Agriculture county office. In February, the Trump administration laid off USDA staff across Nebraska and the nation by sending unexpected termination notices to probationary employees. In Nebraska, this resulted in a loss of dozens of staff that directly serve farmers, ranchers, small business owners and rural community members. On M...
For more than 15 years, the brick building in south Lincoln has served as a local hub for the U.S. Department of Agriculture - a place where farmers meet face-to-face with federal workers overseeing complex conservation projects on their land. But last month the Department of Government Efficiency, a cost-cutting initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk, moved to cancel the building's lease months early and claimed it saved taxpayers more than $62,000. DOGE reports on its "Wall of Receipts" to...
Federal resources benefit all Nebraskans, funding essential services like education, health care, infrastructure, and disaster recovery. However, recent actions by the current administration have put rural programs at risk, including those supporting agriculture and energy. Disruptions to federal funding, including those initiated by President Trump’s Executive Order, Unleashing American Energy, pose a risk to rural communities. For example, in July 2024, the Nebraska Department of E...
NORTHEAST NEBRASKA TELEPHONE COMPANY STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public...
This past week, senators gave first-round approval to two bills advanced to the floor by the Agriculture Committee: LB7 and LB372. My bill LB7 would make a number of technical updates to the Foreign-owned Real Estate National Security Act. This Act was created last year by my priority bill, LB1301. More specifically, LB7, as amended, would do three main things: (1) clarify that Native American tribes are not considered “foreign governments” under the Act, (2) update federal regulations in Neb...
When the new Trump administration directed a temporary freeze on federal grants and loans last month, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen's office offered a calm public-facing reaction. But emails and text messages show that many Nebraska state agencies - like organizations across the U.S. - were simmering with questions and concern. The federal directive had thrown into question if and when governments and organizations would get billions they use for everything from housing programs to highway constructi...
As a young reporter, I got the opportunity to cover, and learn a few things, from maybe the greatest state senator ever, Jerome Warner. He was the kind of state senator who just commanded respect, and unlike some politicians, had a well-formed group of beliefs that guided his decision making. For instance, one was that user fees should finance certain aspects of government. For example, roads. The primary users of roads and highways should pay for them, Warner reasoned. Thus, he believed that...
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture has opened the application process for high school juniors and seniors interested in attending the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute. NAYI is one of Nebraska's biggest agriculture youth outreach events. The five-day program brings together students to network with ag leaders, learn more about the industry, and discover careers available in agriculture. NDA helps sponsor and coordinate NAYI every year. This year's theme is "Agriculture: It's in our...
Nebraska USDA Farm Service Agency is partnering with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability on a webinar designed to educate commodity crop producers on the 2025 Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs election and enrollment process. The ARC/PLC signup period is open through April 15, and producers are encouraged to begin working with their USDA county Farm Service Agency office to complete the election and enrollment process. Producers can learn about the ARC and PLC options for 2025 duri...
They're known as The Greatest Generation. On Friday, six Nebraskans who served in World War II were recognized at the Holt County Courthouse Annex in O'Neill. Each received a medal and certificate marking the 80th anniversary of WWII's end, part of a program introduced by Gov. Jim PIllen and the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs. Bernard Hoffman, of Chambers, and John Schultz, of O'Neill, attended the ceremony. John Hilgert, NDVA director; Scott Menish, O'Neill mayor; and Ken Stenka,...
The targeted investments of the Inflation Reduction Act have real-world impacts that are hard to ignore. Since its passage in August 2022, the IRA has been quietly bringing tangible benefits to Nebraska's farms, public schools, small businesses and families. In July 2024, Nebraska's Department of Environment and Energy was awarded $307 million in IRA funding to implement measures outlined in the state's priority action plan. These funds will assist Nebraska producers in implementing advanced liv...
I first want to start this week’s update by expressing my gratitude to our state’s congressional delegation with regards to the recent passage of Senate Bill 1478 in Congress. This bill would designate U.S. Hwy 20 in the states of Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts as the “National Medal of Honor Highway.” While then-Governor Ricketts approved the renaming of U.S. Hwy 20 in Nebraska as the “Nebraska Medal of Honor Hi...
This past week, the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee held an interim hearing to discuss the status of highways and broadband in Nebraska. The Committee first heard from Director Vicki Kramer of the Nebraska Department of Transportation who testified that the impact of inflation is presenting challenges to fulfill future highway construction and maintenance projects. Nebraska’s current highway needs for the next 20 years currently sit at $16.9 billion, but when inflation is a...
One word best defines how Megan Landes-Murphy and her husband Tom Murphy met, made career choices and launched a unique-to-Nebraska business. Sheep. Neither spent much time around the animals while growing up in northwest Wisconsin and the Omaha area, respectively. Now, they have sheep, a few chickens and two Great Pyrenees dogs named Milo and Birdie on their 12-acre ranch east of the small south-central Nebraska town of Lawrence. Two years ago, Landes-Murphy launched Kestrel Ridge Pellet Co.,...
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the deadline for commodity and specialty crop producers to apply for the Emergency Relief Program for 2022 natural disaster losses is Aug. 14. USDA's Farm Service Agency began accepting ERP 2022 applications in October 2023. "If natural disasters impacted your farm or ranch in 2022, there's still time to submit your application for Emergency Relief Program assistance," said Tim Divis, FSA acting state executive director for Nebraska. "Don't...
Conservation Reserve Program contracts in Nebraska are set to expire on more than 150,000 acres before the end of 2026, leaving landowners with the decision of what to do next. One option to consider is a unique program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency-the CRP-Transition Incentives Program. When a CRP contract expires, landowners typically choose to either re-enroll their acres or bring them back into production. The decision may depend on a number of factors, in...
Early on a hot, summer Monday morning, a string of cars line Nebraska Street in Clearwater. They slip out of their vehicles and trek across a driveway to a mint-green stand, complete with crock pots, mini fridge and drop box. The sign in front of it says it all: Self serve stand open. Welcome to Rollin' Farm Stand, the brainchild of Haily Schlecht. It's a little bit produce stand, a little bit grab-and-go food source. No matter how it's labeled, it's filling Clearwater residents' stomachs with...
On April 18, the Legislature completed its work for this 60-day legislative session. Although the last day is typically reserved for veto overrides and closing remarks, the Legislature also took action on 15 bills remaining on Final Reading. Notably, the governor’s proposed property tax package contained in LB388 stalled when it became clear that the bill did not have the votes to break a filibuster. LB388 was then passed over on the agenda at the request of the introducing senator, meaning t...
This week, my personal priority bill, LB1301, was put before the Unicameral for the first stage of consideration. LB1301 would modernize our state’s existing laws relating to foreign land ownership. The bill would add greater oversight and tighten restrictions on so-called restricted entities or their agents, trustees or fiduciaries, referenced in two federal lists: the persons and entities designated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control and the six countries designated as foreign a...
One of the most iconic symbols of Nebraska and its history still dots the state's landscape, blades circling in the air, pumping clean clear water from the ground. Three Summerland students believe a windmill designed and constructed at the school will pay homage to Nebraska's roots - and be a visitor favorite - at this week's Norfolk Home and Garden Show at the Chuck M. Pohlman Agriculture Complex in Norfolk. The 12-foot windmill, designed by Summerland sophomore Caydence Schumacher, and...
We are now two-thirds of the way through the 60-day session and have completed public hearings for the year. Senators will now meet in full-day sessions for floor debate. Discussion will focus on bills that have been given priority status either by a senator, a committee, or the speaker. The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn April 18. LB1087 by Sen. Jacobson would adopt the Hospital Quality Assurance and Access Assessment Act. This bill would have Nebraska join 44 other states in obtaining...
Agricultural producers and private landowners can sign up for the general Conservation Reserve Program through March 29. This conservation opportunity gives producers tools to conserve wildlife habitat while achieving other conservation benefits, including sequestering carbon and improving water quality and soil health. The competitive program, administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, provides annual rental payments for land, which is devoted to conservation purposes. As one of the largest private l...
