Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 124
STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company 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 assistance...
Much of this week’s activity focused on broadband and the Nebraska Department of Transportation, along with some controversy relating to education policy. The Transportation and Telecommunications Committee heard three of my bills this week. LB1038 would make a small change to the membership requirement of the Nebraska Information Technology Commission, which develops and reviews our state’s information technology plans. The commission currently has nine voting members and one member from the...
This week, I presented my priority bill for this year before members of the Agriculture Committee: LB1301. This bill would adopt the Foreign-owned Real Estate National Security Act and bring our antiquated foreign land ownership statutes up to date. Our statutes were first enacted in 1889 and many sections were last updated only in 1943. The bill would modernize these statutes by restricting federally-designated foreign adversaries from owning agricultural land, empowering the attorney general...
Organic certification can be a valuable economic avenue for farmers to pursue, as it allows them to access both new markets and higher price premiums. However, many farmers either are not familiar with the organic certification process and are not able to assess whether it would work for their operation, or are daunted by the scope of change and record-keeping needed to obtain organic certification. New resources are available for farmers and ranchers interested in learning more about organic...
Just when you thought the drought was bad, deserts have started popping up in Nebraska. Pick a topic: childcare; food; maternal health care. They have been discussed in the interim by lawmakers and deserve to be included among bills under consideration next session. It's time to start looking at problems affecting Nebraskans and not the national agenda of one political party. For example, the state could help encourage more doctors to dedicate their time and specialty to labor and delivery care...
Researchers are investigating how artificial intelligence can help improve Nebraska crops. Although AI has become a popular new topic for many, researchers have been discussing, for several years, the ways this technology may help the future of farming. Unlike what most people mean when they talk about using generative Large Language AI models like ChatGPT, Michael Tross, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln complex biosystems graduate student, said researchers are using AI to generate more than...
The holidays are for celebrating and Small Business Saturday is a celebration of the key role independent, locally-owned businesses play in Nebraska's economy. Founded by American Express in 2010 and officially co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration since 2011, Small Business Saturday will be Nov. 25, the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Chambers of commerce, economic development organizations and small businesses across Nebraska have embraced Small Business Saturday and the...
What's working at Summerland Public School and what improvements can be implemented to benefit students? The answer to those questions will be determined by responses to a district-wide survey, which is part of the school's strategic planning process, that is required per Rule 10 of the Nebraska Department of Education. Superintendent Kyle Finke said strategic planning will assist in identifying goals, developing strategies to accomplish goals and determine how the district will take that step....
If you are a farmer or rancher, there has never been a better time to apply for popular conservation programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In Nebraska, the deadline to submit initial paperwork for the Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program is Nov. 17. For years, CSP and EQIP have provided financial and technical assistance to implement beneficial practices on agricultural lands, like cover crops and rotational grazing. In 2022 alone, 1.7...
Over the past decade, the farm-to-school movement has reached millions of students in the United States and its territories. From school gardens and farm field trips to local food on cafeteria trays, farm-to-school practices help children learn about nutrition and agriculture while also creating new markets for local and regional farmers. To recognize the connections made between schools and local farmers and their role in promoting well-being among children and building strong local economies, in 2010 Congress designated October as National Fa...
Our September State Board of Education public meeting was held at the Leadership Center in Aurora. State Board of Education meetings are typically held on the first Thursday and Friday of most months of the year. Thursday is a workday during which committees meet. The four committees are the Executive, Rules and Regulations, Budget and Finance, and Planning and Evaluation. I serve on the Budget and Finance and Planning and Evaluation committees. Much discussion takes place during the workday to...
Agriculture, broadband connectivity and tax savings were key topics addressed during Gov. Jim Pillen's town hall meeting, June 28, in O'Neill. Pillen opened by telling the crowd of approximately 80 that his team strives to work for "all Nebraskans. "I can't stand politics. I can't stand politicians," the governor said. "The privilege I had in the first six months, it is unbelievable how many incredible public servants we have serving the state of Nebraska." One of Pillen's goals has been to...
Northeast Nebraska teachers visiting the Haskell Agricultural Laboratory this month learned that the 550-acre site is full of learning opportunities for students. Teachers from Summerland Public School participated in the event. The arboretum at the Haskell site, part of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s network of ag research centers around the state, can help children learn identification and biology for trees and plants. The beehives and pollinator gardens illustrate the interactions of insects and plants. The sweeping fields of corn and...
MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING VILLAGE OF EWING BOARD OF TRUSTEES May 22, 2023 The Ewing Village Board of Trustees convened for a special session on May 22, 2023, at 7 p.m., at the city hall. Notice of the meeting was published May 10, 2023, and May 17, 2023, in the “Summerland Advocate-Messenger.” The purpose of the meeting is to provide the opportunity for the public to comment on the Village of Ewing application to USDA Rural Development for financial assistance in the amount of a $50,000.00 grant for the purchase of a payloader. An agenda was...
If you are a farmer or live in a rural area, you know that planting season is in full swing. Progress rates are well ahead of last year. On May 22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that 87% of Nebraska’s expected corn and 95% of Iowa’s, has been planted. Soybeans and other crops are not far behind. Each year, the first farmers planting are those using conventional production methods. Weeks will pass before organic farmers follow suit. Organic corn, for example, is typically pla...
The Legislature gave second-round approval to the budget bills this past week. This effort will allow the budget to be read on Final Reading next week, meeting the requirement to have it pass by the 80th legislative day. The budget would provide money for capital construction projects such as the Perkins County Canal Project and a new prison facility. Additional funds are appropriated to cover salary increases recently negotiated with the state employee’s union and for staff at correctional f...
The year 2023 marks a milestone at Northeast Community College. On Fri., May 12, the college will hold its 50th commencement ceremony to celebrate the success of its graduates. Three commencement ceremonies will be held in the Cox Activities Center on the Norfolk campus at 9 a.m., 12 p.m., and 3 p.m. At 9 a.m., nursing graduates will receive their nurse pins and participate in commencement. The ceremony at 12 p.m., will award credentials to graduates in applied technology and health and public...
Concerns about sewer rates and the cost of the Clearwater lagoon project were expressed during the April 10 village meeting held at the Clearwater fire hall. Trustees tabled the purchase of geographic information system equipment to use for locating water and sewer lines. According to former village trustee Jay Snider, the hand-held equipment, currently requested by village maintenance man Troy Behnke, was to have been included in grant funding the village received. “It was part of when we l...
Antelope and Holt counties are two of the 55 Nebraska counties designated as primary natural disaster areas, due to a recent drought. United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack notified Gov. Jim Pillen of the designation, March 31. Based on the U.S. Drought Monitor data, counties included in the designation either suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season for eight or more consecutive weeks or fell into extreme or exceptional drought categories....
Nebraska USDA Farm Service Agency, along with several partners in conservation, will be conducting informational meetings for agricultural producers and private landowners interested in the Conservation Reserve Program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture opened a CRP General signup in February and it runs through April 7. CRP is a cornerstone voluntary conservation program offered by USDA. General CRP helps producers and landowners establish long-term, resource-conserving plan species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil...
This week saw the Legislature resume floor debate and consider several gubernatorial appointments and reappointments. The following people were confirmed this week: Jim Macy as director of the department of environment and energy, John Bolduc as the superintendent of the state patrol, John Hilgert as director of the department of veterans affairs, Jason Jackson as director of the department of administrative services and Sherry Vinton as director of the department of agriculture. Additionally, I...
A survey of participants in the Midwest shows the Conservation Stewardship Program is making strides in providing financial and technical assistance for producers to maintain agricultural production on their land and simultaneously address resource concerns with conservation practices. Results of the survey, conducted in spring 2022, are part of a new report, recently released by the Center for Rural Affairs. “Producing a Sustainable Future: Producers’ Feedback on the Nation’s Leading Conservation Program,” authored by Kelsey Willardson, policy...
From the food they eat, to the clothes they wear, agriculture impacts everyone. To highlight and celebrate agriculture’s many contributions, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture is sponsoring a student poster contest. NDA’s annual poster contest is in its 20th year and is open to all Nebraska students in first through sixth grades. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Nebraska Agriculture.” “NDA’s poster contest highlights Nebraska’s number one industry and reminds all Nebraskans that agriculture is a big part of all of our lives,” said NDA dire...
From the food they eat, to the clothes they wear, agriculture impacts everyone. To highlight and celebrate agriculture’s many contributions, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture is sponsoring a student poster contest. NDA’s annual poster contest is in its 20th year and is open to all Nebraska students in first through sixth grades. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Nebraska Agriculture.” “NDA’s poster contest highlights Nebraska’s number one industry and reminds all Nebraskans that agriculture is a big part of all of our lives,” said NDA dire...
As Justin Taubenheim combined soybeans in a Buffalo County field on an October afternoon, he thought about why he does it. "I'm not farming to get rich,” he said. “I'm farming to maintain a legacy, a way of life. Faith, family and farming, in that order. The farm is kinda like the icing on the cake." Taubenheim, 31, sports fewer gray hairs than your normal Nebraska farmer. The average age of a principal Nebraska farm or ranch operator: 56.4 years old, according to census figures. The rising worry: There won’t be a next generation to carry...
