Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Despite hearing research supporting early childhood education programs and discussing ways to identify learning and behavioral needs earlier, Summerland Board of Education members voted 6-0 on June 17 not to accept a $50,000 Nebraska Department of Education grant that would have expanded preschool services to three-year-olds. The board spent significant time discussing the proposal before board member Jeremy Wagner made a motion to accept the grant. The motion ultimately failed on a 6-0 vote,...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION JUNE 17, 2026 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at the school board meeting room. President Schwager opened the meeting, which was advertised in the June 10, 2026 newspapers, to order at 7:32 p.m. The meeting was moved to the commons area in the school to accommodate the number of people attending, President Schwager noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the room. Roll call was taken and all board members were present: Ryan...
Summerland Public School board members will tackle several facility, staffing and policy matters when they meet Wednesday, June 17, for their regular monthly meeting. Among the most significant items on the agenda is consideration of the Nebraska Department of Education Preschool Expansion Grant. Board members are scheduled to discuss the opportunity and determine whether to move forward with the grant application. While details of the proposal have not yet been made public, the grant could...
NOTICE OF MEETING SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Summerland Public School Board of Education will hold a regular meeting, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 7 p.m., in the school board meeting room at 51293 857th Rd., Ewing, Nebraska. The agenda sequence is provided as a courtesy only. The board reserves the right to consider each item in any sequence it deems appropriate. Therefore, we encourage visitors to attend the meeting from the beginning. The tentative agenda contains a list of subjects known at...
Nebraska Public Power District identified four locations for a potential nuclear plant. So far, plans haven't sparked the backlash generated by previous wind and solar projects. This story is made possible through a partnership between Flatwater Free Press and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. Applause echoed through the halls of the Gage County courthouse. The county board had just approved new, more stringent wind energy regulations, and the overflow crowd of residents...
Ella Ricker was sitting in her elementary school orchestra class when she first considered a career in teaching. Her orchestra teachers at Lincoln Public Schools made learning to play music so fun, she wanted to share that joy with others. As a teacher, Ricker said, seeing her students excited to play their instruments and perform in school concerts was her favorite part of the job. But it was also only one part of a growing list of responsibilities in a profession in which she said a good work-life balance had become unattainable. So, after...
The Nebraska Social Studies Standards are in the process of being revised with the anticipated adoption date being September 2026. This revision process began in January 2025 with a public input survey. Since that time, a 21-member writing team has developed proposed revisions. A second survey is available to the public from May 14-June 10. I encourage Nebraskans to review the proposed standards and submit input. The survey is available on the Nebraska Department of Education's website...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION MAY 13, 2026 Summerland Public school Board of Education met in regular session, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 7 p.m. President Nate schwager opened the meeting, which was advertised in the May 6, 2025, newspapers to order at 7 p.m. Schwager noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the boardroom. Roll call was taken with all members present: Ryan Ahlers, Chelsi McLain, Nate Schwager, Scott Thiele, Austin Twibell, and Jeremy Wagner. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Motion by Wagner, second...
In this most recent legislative session, I introduced a total of sixteen bills and one constitutional amendment resolution. Additionally, the Agriculture Committee, of which I chair, introduced two so-called committee bills. Fourteen of those measures passed. This week, I would like to outline seven of my bills which became law. LB769 authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to create and issue up to three University of Nebraska State Museum License Plate designs. Alphanumeric plates will...
A new Flatwater analysis shows the state has fallen behind its neighbors. Business leaders are diagnosing why - and hoping new efforts will reverse the troubling trend. Not long ago, Nebraska's growth was quite literally a national cover story. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts soared through the air wearing skis and goggles on the Olympic-themed March 2018 cover of Site Selection, an economic development industry magazine. The cartoon image illustrated Nebraska's high-flying, three-year run as...
Regenerative agriculture is gaining real momentum in Nebraska as producers search for ways to stay profitable in a very tough economic environment. Farmers are facing a significant financial squeeze in 2025–2026, driven by high production costs, low commodity prices, and rising debt. At the same time, a growing number of ag producers and rural communities are recognizing another urgent priority: protecting the soil and water beneath our feet. Across the state, what was once considered a niche i...
Can we all agree on one thing? Seeing Americans shot and killed on American streets by fellow Americans is not at all good. I've purposely waited to write about the killing of two people on the streets of Minneapolis by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol to allow more information to come out. There was quite a rush to judgment in both cases. Renee Good, who was shot and killed a month ago, was immediately labeled a "domestic terrorist" who "ran over" a federal...
The month of January is Cervical Cancer Prevention Month. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services encourages women to schedule regular Pap tests and discuss other preventive measures, such as the Human Papillomavirus vaccine, with their healthcare providers, to dramatically lower the risk of developing cervical cancer. According to the National Institutes of Health, the five-year relative survival rate for cervical cancer is 67% overall. However, that rate jumps to 91% when the...
The Nebraska State Education Association strongly opposes Gov. Jim Pillen’s plan to include $7 million for a private school voucher program within the Nebraska Department of Labor’s budget. At a time when Nebraska’s budget is under intense scrutiny and lawmakers are weighing cuts to essential services, this proposal raises serious concerns about misplaced priorities and a lack of respect for voters’ clear rejection of voucher schemes. “Despite sending a very clear message at the ballot box in the last election, the governor has decided y...
Dr. Ali Khan knelt down outside a Karachi doorway and extended his hand. The young girl who, moments earlier, had just received the polio vaccine extended her hand and a skeptical look toward the smiling doctor in a red hat emblazoned with a white N. "On the front lines in Karachi, meeting a superstar who just got her polio protection. Every drop counts!" Khan wrote in an October social media post accompanying the photo. The dean of the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska...
Dr. L. Dale Van Vleck died Dec. 23, 2025, after a brief illness. Dale was born on June 11, 1933. He grew up near Clearwater on his family farm. Dale earned his bachelor’s (1954) and master’s (1955) degrees from the University of Nebraska prior to serving in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps. He then continued his education at Cornell University, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1960, working with Dr. Charles Henderson. Continuing his career at Cornell, he served as a research geneticist prior to a tenure-track position in which he was promoted thr...
Gov. Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance gave final approval Nov. 12 to the final charter for the launch of Telcoin Digital Asset Bank in Norfolk. As a result, Telcoin will manage the first regulated digital asset depository in the United States, with leadership expecting operations to begin in December. State experts said the burgeoning market of digital assets means more economic opportunities for entrepreneurs and developers of fintech and crypto in Nebraska. It...
Eight area schools will see a boost in funding and resources after collaborating with ESU 8 to successfully win a federal grant meant to boost literacy in the state of Nebraska. In the Fall of 2024, the Nebraska Department of Education announced it had successfully applied for a $55 million literacy grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Local Education Agencies were encouraged to create plans and apply for a portion of those funds. After collaborating with area administrators and...
Last week, I started a series where I would highlight several of the priority bills and resolutions that are pending and could be scheduled early in the next session. This week’s newsletter will provide an overview of several more of these bills and resolutions. LB455 by Senator Hallstrom would modify existing laws relating to worker’s compensation. Under current law, if an employee is injured on the job, employers are required to file a report of first injury with the Nebraska Workers’ Compe...
A Celebration of Life visitation for James M. Blackburn, 78, of Neligh, was Monday, June 9, at the Neligh American Legion in Neligh. Beyer Snider Memorial Funeral Home of Neligh handled the arrangements. Jim died on May 31, 2025 at the University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Condolences may be directed to the family at www.beyersnidermemorialfh.com The family has requested no flowers. In lieu of flowers or plants, a memorial in Jim's name may be given to Grace Lutheran Church, Pope John...
As entrepreneurs face uncertainty because of the defunding of state grant programs and worries over global tariffs, Nebraska state leaders and organizations continue to voice strong support for small businesses. Earlier this month, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen issued a proclamation for Nebraska Small Business Week 2025 in conjunction with National Small Business Week. The May 20 event at the Capitol was an opportunity to highlight small businesses' contributions to their communities and the work of...
The Legislature gave first-round approval this past week to a $10.8 billion biennial budget for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027. It consisted of five bills advanced to the floor by the Appropriations Committee. Going into debate, senators faced a nearly $262 million projected budget deficit over the next two years due to federal rate changes for Medicaid and a late report by the Economic Forecasting Advisory Board. In developing the budget proposal, the Appropriations Committee had used Feb...
Remember her name: Kiana Arellano. Jay Martin, director of school safety and security for the Nebraska Department of Education, shared Arellano's story with sixth- through 12th-grade students and a handful of parents and grandparents during a May 1 assembly at Summerland Public School. A victim of cyberbullying, Arellano attempted suicide in 2013 after receiving messages via social media that said, "You're pathetic. No one likes you." At school, the 14-year-old was verbally attacked and even enc...
As a school psychologist working for a small public school, I remember a teacher asking me to observe a student in her classroom. She expressed concerns about an elementary student's unusual behavior, lack of playing with classmates, lack of communication and even some unusual motor movements, including flapping her hands. This was in 2001, and I was experiencing my first referral for a student who would eventually receive an educational diagnosis of autism. At that time, autism was considered...
Issues arising from digital platforms, apps and social media will be addressed Thursday, May 1, during an assembly at Summerland Public Schools. Jay Martin, school safety and security director for the Nebraska Department of Education, will speak to students in grades six to 12 about "Building a Better Digital Culture." Parents are invited to attend the assembly, scheduled for 10 to 11 a.m. Martin has spoken nationally on the topic. He has firsthand experience in school shootings prior to his...
