The Summerland Advocate-Messenger - Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community

It has been a very busy and productive past several months at the Nebraska Public Service Commission. As spring arrives, I wanted to share another quarterly update on the work over the past three...

I saw a quote recently and it’s been on my mind since then: “The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised.” I like surpr...

Either it’s irony or a divine sign that SPS English instructor Katie Schneider shared a blog post on social media last week about the teacher shortage. I’ve been gathering data on the topic for nearly...

Coming to a TV or social media channel soon: “How To Survive Cooking With Your Spouse.” You no doubt think I’m joking, but Scott and I have talked about it for years. It might not be like the Food...

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...

It has been just over one year since I was sworn in as the public service commissioner for the 31 counties of District 4. I wanted to share another quarterly update on the work over the past three...

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Find you tribe and appreciate them. I (and even Scott) appreciate everything our freelance photographers do for our publication. Whether they’re takin...

Nebraska lawmakers are gathering once again in Lincoln for another year of debating and passing legislation. The democratic process is something America prides itself on and one that requires input...

Best-selling true crime author and Nebraska native Harry Mac-Lean knew he'd one day examine the most infamous crime in Nebraska history, the 1958 Charles Starkweather murder spree. But MacLean's...

“I don’t need stress; I need my shopping bag. It’s almost Black Friday.” Um, I’ve never uttered those words, much alone given day-after-Thanksgiving sales a lot of thought. I’ve gone shopping on...

A journalism friend of mine recently hit a milestone birthday - she’s 65 now and thinks she will officially retire from the daily grind of deadlines and late night writing sessions which have fueled m...

The holiday season is right around the corner and it comes with great news. According to a Gallup survey, 74% of holiday shoppers said they expect to pay about the same amount or more on holiday gifts...

Despite hysteria from social media, late night comedy shows or even presidential administrations, net neutrality is not a policy that needs to be controversial. Net neutrality is the idea that...

To paraphrase Atticus Finch in "To Kill A Mockingbird," sometimes, you just need to walk in someone else's shoes. Noah Coughlan knows all about shoes. He figures he's gone through at least six pairs...

Ask 10 people who they would choose as the most loved television or movie couple and you’ll get 10 different answers. While Ross and Rachel spark excitement for “Friends” followers, the chemi...

As families are preparing the return to school and fall sports practices are beginning, the hard work and great memories of county fairs starting to wrap up and farmers beginning to see their crops...

"Mom, Zach ruined one of my Barbies again! Mom, Emma ripped my Barbie's hair out." These sayings were common occurrences of mine, as a middle child, meaning my Barbie's went through the trenches....

Technocrats are voicing concern about the safety of artificial intelligence. Should we let them take charge of figuring out how to regulate it? Alarmism in online articles generates sensational news...

In a rare move, seven months into the Jim Pillen reign, I'm going to suggest we cut the new guy some slack. Seems that a social media tweet raised concerns about First Amendment rights and dredged up...

I am curious as to what ever happened to scruples in public life. Anybody know? You remember scruples: Stand-up people, the do-the-right-thing-regardless crowd? Maybe my naivete is showing, but I swea...

Each year, dozens of American farmers are injured or killed after they climb into a grain bin. A father-son duo from Aurora founded their one-of-a-kind company with one mission: No more boots in that...