Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Remember the Christmas bonus? Probably a thing of past given the changed face of the workplace. Perhaps your "bonus" allows you to work from home. Be grateful the next time you slide in behind your computer, in your jammies at some odd hour to complete a project. It seems that even the work-from-home mentality is changing in favor of the hybrid work week – two or three days in the office and two or three days working remotely. The latest figures from the University of Nebraska at Omaha's C...
The University of Nebraska at Omaha celebrated its newest alumni as over 1,100 graduates received degrees at the fall 2023 commencement ceremonies. Degrees were conferred to graduates in two ceremonies, Friday, Dec. 15, at UNO’s Baxter Arena. UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA presided over both ceremonies. One area resident participated in graduation ceremonies. Nalleli Zermeno-Lechleidner, Orchard, received a Bachelor of Science Degree in business administration....
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln conferred 1,172 degrees during commencement exercises Dec. 15 and 16 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The 1,159 graduates are from 48 countries; 39 U.S. states and the District of Columbia; and more than 150 Nebraska communities. Chancellor Rodney D. Bennett presided over the ceremonies. Area residents receiving degrees include Kathryn Hawk, Ewing, College of Business, Bachelor of Science Degree in business administration; Emily Kurpgeweit, Ewing, College of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources, Bachelor of S...
Graduate and undergraduate degrees will be conferred for 446 winter graduates at University of Nebraska at Kearney commencement exercises, Friday, Dec. 15, at UNK's Health and Sports Center. Students graduating with honors have the honors noted. Honors, along with grade-point averages necessary to earn those honors, include: summa cum laude, 3.90-4.00; magna cum laude, 3.80-3.89; cum laude, 3.70-3.79; and honorable mention, 3.50-3.69. Kelsie Maria Waller, of Clearwater, will receive a Bachelor...
When Janneken Smucker, professor at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, was researching quilt making using the Library of Congress’s resources, she came across hoards of quilt-making photos from the early 1930s. This seemed out of the norm to Smucker, a lifelong quilt maker and researcher. Upon further digging, Smucker learned quilts were integral to the federal government’s New Deal strategy to mend the country’s economy and morale during the Great Depression. This discovery started a yearslong research and curatorial process, resulting i...
The structure of county government day in Holt County may have a different look next fall. Suupervisor Doug Frahm said for a number of years, the local veterans service officer has assisted with organizing the day’s program. “Ken (Stenka) doesn’t feel he has the responsibility or the time to do it anymore,” Frahm reported. “And he’s right, it’s not his program, it’s the American Legion’s program. He did volunteer to do it at the time ... before Arnold Hall, the county commander or a po...
Governor Jim Pillen wants all state government employees at their desks in their assigned departments beginning next month. He said the pandemic-era remote is over, although both empirical and anecdotal evidence nationwide show a workplace change that was pandemic caused has become the new normal. Oh, and never mind the fact that some state agencies have remote and telework policies that have been in place for 15 years. And, of course, not every department has the physical space available for...
People gathered at the Nebraska Library Commission’s meeting, Nov. 16, to urge commissioners to limit the accessibility of certain databases and books available to Nebraska children in city and public school libraries. The Nebraska Library Commission, established in 1901 as a part of the Nebraska executive branch, promotes, develops and coordinates statewide library services in city, school, university and institutional libraries. The commission is governed by a six-member board appointed by the governor. The Nebraska Library Commission’s Nov...
Kierra Bearinger, a 2020 graduate of the last senior class of Clearwater High School, and Kirsten Krebs, a 2021 Elgin Pope John High School graduate, have been named winners of the Schuchardt Family Scholarship for the 2023-2024 academic year. Bearinger, the daughter of Jarod and Tammy Bearinger of Clearwater, graduates in spring 2024 with a degree in elementary and early childhood education in the College of Education and Human Sciences. She completes her second-grade student teaching at...
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...
As the conversation and stigma surrounding mental health continue to evolve, access to care, or lack thereof, remains a barrier, even in the presence of heightened public awareness and empathy. “We need kind of both,” Dr. Marley Doyle said. “We need an increase in mental health awareness. But then we also need an increase in access to care. Because if you don’t have both, then it’s not going to really improve things.” Doyle, a psychiatrist serving as director of the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska, said the shortage of mental h...
Not all gardeners are used to changing their gardens with the seasons, but the city of Lincoln has a routine for prepping its gardens for winter weather. Every fall, employees remove all the plants at the Sunken Gardens and host an event called “Put the Beds to Bed.” This year, the annual event was on Nov. 4. Every year, Lincoln Parks and Recreation invites volunteers to dump compost into the beds and turn over the soil. Parks employees remove all flowers and plants before this volunteer event. “Specifically, we try to get everything in there b...
There has been no formal request, but speculation runs high that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletic Department may ask for funds to help with the planned $450 million renovation of Memorial Stadium. Earlier this year the Legislature directed $30 million in state funds to Creighton University in Omaha, including millions to help the private school build new baseball and softball stadiums to accommodate needs for the annual College World Series. School officials said the baseball stadium...
Nebraska is home to over 100,000 of our most honorable American heroes. These heroes left home and family to follow a call. They showed grit and dedication throughout taxing training. They fought hard for their homeland and made countless sacrifices. Many of them made the ultimate sacrifice - they sacrificed their own lives to protect others. These heroes are our veterans. Earlier this year, three of our own Nebraskan World War II veterans met in Omaha to remember their service so many years...
Nebraska's first-ever research satellite will be heading to space in March if the Big Red Satellite Team has its way. The cube-shaped satellite, called a CubeSat, is scheduled to orbit the Earth and test the effectiveness of an emerging type of solar cell. The Big Red Satellite Team includes eighth- through 11th-grade students from Nebraska, as well as members of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Aerospace eXperimental Payloads team. The AXP team members lead the planning and building of the...
There are plenty of distractions. Ukraine vs Russia, Israel vs the Palestinians, Republicans vs other Republicans. The list is endless. But let’s turn our attention to a couple of Nebraska issues about which we can possibly do something. I’m talking about civility and transparency, or the lack thereof. Civility was cited in the recently-released Nebraska Rural Poll. A number of court filings for public records and a pending legislative bill speak to the transparency issue. Most rural Nebraskans see the lack of civil discourse in the pol...
Every day, Ellen Rudd ventures down to the basement of the Nebraska Wesleyan's theater building, Elder Theatre Center. She enters a whole new world – or rather, an infinite amount of worlds. Rudd doesn't have a typical job and this isn't a typical basement. Rudd is manager of the costume library, which holds an inventory of an estimated 60,000 costumes, props and shoes. Established in 1980, the costume library acts as a significant resource for theater departments in and outside of Nebraska. I...
"For it's a long, long while from May to December But the days grow short when you reach September And the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame..." -- September Song I decided it was time to get out of the office and go see Nebraska. It's been a post-pandemic while since I have done so. I jumped at the chance to ride to Chadron with a friend with numerous stops along the way. Call it a visual checkup to see how the Cornhusker State is holding up amid almost daily reports of increasing...
They knew the record-breaking attendance number before the rest of the world. The iconic attendance number that hovered over the northeast corner of Memorial Stadium on the night of Aug. 30 was the work of Fantasy Drone Shows, a Norfolk-based aerial entertainment company. The assistant athletic director of marketing and fan experience confirmed the final attendance number at approximately 7:50 p.m., leaving the company with less than an hour to program and launch 150 drones to announce the...
An open letter to Colorado. It's fitting that I am writing this on the 22nd Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America, the day that hatred manifested itself openly on American soil. I am writing about a now-past football game and the comments made by the showboat coach of the University of Colorado and his son the star quarterback who said to more than one media outlet "We don't like Nebraska." That comment is somewhat toned down from Saturday evening reports that he uttered that he "hated" Neb...
Wayne State freshman and Summerland High School graduate, Faith King, is experiencing many firsts at college. Her most impressive is being the first student to be a criminal justice major while a part of the Career Scholars Cooperative Education Program, Rural Law Opportunities Program and Honors Program. The Career Scholars Cooperative Education Program allows students to have three years of building skills for leadership and the workforce, with a fourth year in the chosen career field. Student...
On September 11, 2001, America suffered a series of terrible losses. Some lost offices or jobs when the Twin Towers came crashing down. Some lost a sense of safety and security as we watched buildings crumble on TV. Most tragically, many of us lost dear friends or family members to these atrocious attacks on our nation. Nebraska was no stranger to the widespread suffering caused by 9/11. Some of our own were lost that day and we remember them on this 22nd anniversary of the attacks. Navy Capt....
A memorial mass for Bill Koenig, 58, of Ewing, was held Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in rural Ewing, with Fr. John Norman officiating. Burial was at St. Patrick's Catholic Cemetery in rural Ewing. Bill died unexpectedly on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023, at his home in Ewing. Memorials may be directed to his family for future designation. Arrangements were entrusted to Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill. ~~~~~ William Joseph Koenig was born on June 12, 1965, in Neligh to...
