Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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“Well, doc,” the patient was telling me, “I get winded so easily now. I can hardly go to the mailbox without stopping to catch my breath. It did not used to be that way. Do you think something is wrong?” Many of us have experienced shortness of breath. After a period of inactivity, such as winter or a busy month, when we decide to exercise again, it may be easier to feel winded. That experience can be due to deconditioning, feeling out of shape. A good remedy for that is a gradual increas...
During our most recent family movie night, we watched one of my favorites: Encanto. At one point in the movie, a character who has been gifted supernatural strength confesses that she fears she will crumble under the weight of all that is expected from her. Although she accomplishes amazing things, it never feels like enough. She never feels like she, herself, is enough. Popular culture suggests she should prioritize "self-care," which is usually represented by manicures or massages and long...
Sunshine Week is March 10 through 16, and this year, there's an even greater need for you to get involved.Sunshine Week annually celebrates freedom of information laws in every state. It also salutes efforts by good government advocates and journalists to use and ensure the effectiveness of those laws to get the information we need as self-governing citizens. The name is a play on the commonsense words spoken more than a century ago by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, that "Sunlight...
Transitioning to become a parent can be one of the most pivotal changes in a person's life. Rarely are the hard moments of this change talked about enough. For example, did you know one in five women and one in 10 men suffer from postpartum depression? Parents of any culture, race, age or income level can be affected. We commonly hear and get confused about postpartum depression being the "baby blues." This is a common misconception. The baby blues are very common and happen to 80% of women in...
This week marked the halfway point of the 2024 legislative session, meaning the remaining time will be spent on senator, committee and speaker priority bills. Given the time left in the session, I will be focused on my priority bill for the year, LB1301. LB1301 would adopt the Foreign-owned Real Estate National Security Act, put guardrails and protections in place on foreign ownership of ag land and help safeguard sensitive military installations from threats posed by foreign adversaries. I...
“I’ve got this cough that just won’t go away,” my patient says, and I know this story all too well. Chronic cough, a cough that lasts more than two months, is a common ailment which in most cases is benign. But for the patient it is both bothersome and worrisome. If your cough has lasted for less than two months it may just be the residual effect of an upper respiratory infection. Dry cough after having one of many viruses can last for weeks and weeks and the only cure is time. In patient...
Approximately 2,390 students at the University of South Dakota are being honored for high achievement during the fall 2023 semester. Taelyn Switzer, Clearwater, and Hadley Cheatum, Page, have been named to the dean's list. A 3.5 grade-point average or higher is a requirement to be named to the list....
“No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” This is the beginning of a poem from 1624. In it, the poet John Donne appreciates how humans are all connected. Indeed, humans are social beings and social connection is a factor in our health. We all know the importance of a healthy diet and exercise for our health. We are getting better at understanding the importance of mental health. One thing we do not discuss much, however, are the ben...
I confess that occasionally even doctors get squeamish. Or perhaps more honestly, this doctor does. My personal list has gotten pretty short, but one of the things that still makes me squirm is something I nevertheless frequently recommend to my patients. So what is this mysterious and rather ominous medical recommendation? Nasal saline irrigation. The practice of rinsing the nose out with liquid probably originated centuries ago in India and it remains part of spiritual ritual as well as...
Full disclosure: My wife and I drive a four-year-old hybrid sedan. It runs on the electric motor up to 15 miles -per- hour before the gasoline engine engages. It feels and sounds like it's dead at stop signs. It averages 44 miles-per-gallon in highway driving. But it's a hybrid, not an all-electric vehicle. U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts has vowed to use every tool he has to fight President Joe Biden's electric vehicle mandates. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has signed a letter to Biden as one of 16...
Several defendants either admitted to committing crimes or allowed themselves to be found guilty by pleading no contest when they faced the Honorable James Kube in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh last Wednesday, Jan. 31, Plea bargains with Antelope County attorney Joe Smith were announced in five cases, with defendants set for sentencing March 27. Koda Fernau, 19, of Stanton appeared with his court-appointed attorney, Ryan Stover, of Norfolk, charged with a Class 3A felony, terroristic threats, related to . He pleaded guilty to...
Winter weather has finally arrived this year. Getting outside for some activity, even in winter, is great for your overall health. However snow, ice and cold can turn a stroll in the park into an obstacle course. Having proper footwear is not only important for warmth, but also the wellbeing of your feet. Choosing the correct boots for the elements could mean the difference between enjoying the outdoors and needing an urgent care visit. What makes good footwear for enjoying the outdoors safely?...
Jeffrey A. Reinke, 35, of Omaha faced the Honorable Donna Taylor last Wednesday, Jan. 17, in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh, in a five-year-old case. He was charged with Count I, leave accident, fail to furnish information, a Class 2 misdemeanor, and Count II, no operator’s license, a Class 3 misdemeanor. Reinke’s attorney, Gregory Pivovar of Bellevue, had filed a motion to dismiss or discharge, on Jan. 14. He indicated, in the motion, that neither the complaint filed Feb. 26, 2018, nor a warrant issued in May 2018, were ever ser...
My family has a fondness for crime dramas and thrillers. It isn't uncommon to watch a scene in which a peacefully-sleeping individual wakes when a shadowy figure approaches their bedside with a pillow. Predictably, the assailant calmly presses that pillow over the face of their victim and waits until the struggling stops. For millions of us, the threat in our bedrooms isn't some malevolent other, but rather our own bodies and brains. We may get our next breath, but for those with sleep apnea, it can be a struggle. Sleep apnea has two basic...
High school seniors from Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin now have a chance to receive one of 10 college scholarships worth $1,000. Registration is open through April 30. Parents are also now able to register their student. High school seniors or their parents may register for the ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Midwest. ISL Education Lending will award $1,000 scholarships to 10 students whose names are randomly drawn after the registration period. There are no financial need, grade-point...
Denis F. Kerkman, 90, of Tilden appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Jan. 3, for pretrial conference on a charge of violating a protection order, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Kerkman pleaded guilty, pursuant to a plea agreement. In return, Antelope County attorney Joe Smith agreed to recommend probation, with no jail time. Taylor ordered a pretrial investigation and set sentencing Feb. 7. Bond is continued, in the amount of $20,000, 10%, with an order for no contact, neither direct nor...
Since we're writers, we, at SAM love lists. Trust us, we keep and use them every single day. But, how does one determine which articles should be at the top of the yearly list? In the past, we've based it by reader count from our website. This year, we're still relying on reader count, featuring the top-read article by month. We wrote nearly 2,000 articles in 2023 and, while some of our favorites don't appear on the list, we're sure these are a newsworthy representation of the Summerland region....
Nathaniel N. Fonseca, 22, of O’Neill faced the Honorable Kale Burdick, in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill on Dec. 19, 2023, for sentencing on charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, first offense. Burdick fined Fonseca $500, revoked his driver’s license for 60 days and placed him on probation for six months. The probation order includes fees totaling $210 and he was ordered to pay $105 costs. Fonseca, who was represented by Brad Montag of Norfolk, pleaded guilty Oct. 17 after reaching a plea agreement with Holt County attorney Br...
Robert J. Suhr, 24, of Elgin, faced the Honorable James Kube in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh, on Dec. 20 for pretrial on two charges, Count I, child abuse, a Class 3A felony, and Count II, third-degree domestic assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor. A plea agreement with Antelope County attorney Joe Smith was announced and Kube re-arraignmed Suhr on charges in a new complaint filed by Smith, specific to Count I, child abuse/neglect, a Class 1 misdemeanor that carries a penalty up to one year imprisonment and/or up to a $1,000...
Summerland girls' wrestling team finished ninth in team standings at the Dec. 28 Winnebago Lady Indian Invite. Thirty-seven teams from Nebraska and South Dakota participated in the one-day event, which saw Norfolk take home the team title. Omaha Westside finished in the runner-up position. Nine Bobcat wrestlers finished in the top six in their weight classes in varsity and junior varsity competition. Ava Cleveland worked through the championship bracket in the 110-pound class and finished...
Myths are just stories we tell ourselves and others to make sense of the world around us. Myths convey beliefs or values and attempt to tell truths. In their effort to tell the truth, myths may exaggerate or misrepresent things. Sometimes this misrepresentation is innocent, while other times it is used as a tool to regulate or manipulate people. Myths can be used to give a sense of power and control over an overwhelming situation. Of the many types of myths, ones that deal with medicine are...
Have you started Christmas shopping or are you one of those people who have completed the task and have everything wrapped? I belong to the first group. While I blame my tardiness on my over-scheduled time, part of me also knows I don't need to hurry because I can get everything I need locally. The push for shopping local hit home last week, when a 20-something year old shopped the Sidebar for holiday gifts. She told me she's "keeping it local." Her holiday gift giving will feature only items...
This week, House Republicans took action to push back on proposals by President Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency effectively forcing consumers to drive only electric vehicles by 2032. The EPA’s out-of-touch policies are unworkable for the Third District because of our winter weather and expansive driving distances. Furthermore, China, which holds 78% of the world’s EV battery cell manufacturing capacity, recently implemented export controls on raw EV battery materials. In the inter...
Urinalysis, or testing of the urine, has ancient origins dating back to the time of Hippocrates and beyond. Although we have evolved in our methodology of studying the urine and our understanding of the meaning of its characteristics, we do still rely on urinalysis in making clinical diagnoses frequently in medicine. In centuries past, the tools of urinalysis were blunt and primarily involved human senses of sight, smell and taste (yes, taste). Ancient physicians noted that sediment in the...
The Honorable James Kube, presided from the bench in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh on Nov. 29. Morgan K. Anson, 25, appeared for sentencing on three crimes committed Dec. 9, 2022, Count I, theft by receiving stolen property valued between $1,500 and $5,000, a Class 4 felony; Count II, attempted possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, a Class 1 misdemeanor; and Count III, use of a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Antelope County public defender Pat Carney asked for a probation sentence. He...
