Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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It's a busy month, personally and professionally. I have a "milestone" birthday, although it's just another trip around the sun. Daughter Lacey and her husband, Ross, will soon welcome a new family member. We'll make the trek to their home for a diaper shower. I have so many gift ideas, but Scott keeps telling me I need to spread them out over the first year instead of dropping a mammoth package on the doorstep. We'll see about that. SAM will begin its eighth year in business mid-month. (Oh gosh...
For nearly 30 years, I’ve been a season ticket holder for Nebraska volleyball matches. I also used to cover the sport. I was around when then-Coach Terry Pettit was begging football fans to attend volleyball matches after watching a football game. Way back in the day (years before I caught the volleyball bug) loyal fans used to set up their own folding chairs so they could watch a match. Fast forward to today. Home volleyball matches in Lincoln have been sold out for years, making it harder f...
A year ago, I wrote about why the July 4 holiday is one of my favorite times of the year. A week later, a reader told me I obviously didn't believe in freedom and America and democracy because of an immigration column printed on the same editorial page as my Fourth favorites. Opinions on the editorial page vary, as they should, representing individuals from all walks of life. The person questioning my choices didn't bother to ask if I agreed with the column. Instead, I was labeled a liberal...
Department of Nebraska When Americans volunteer to serve in uniform, they enter into a contract with their nation. They agree to place themselves in harm's way, to answer the call wherever duty requires, and, if necessary, to sacrifice their health, their future, and even their lives in defense of our freedoms. In return, America makes a promise. That promise is simple: if military service leaves a veteran injured or ill, our nation will provide the care, support, and compensation they have...
A good buddy has a favorite saying: “We’re all smart. We have smartphones.” It’s funny, and I’ve used it several times. After all, smartphones have, in a lot of ways, made our lives easier and smarter. Got an unfamiliar address to find? Use the smartphone to give you directions. Hungry for a burrito? Use a smartphone to find the nearest restaurant. Engaged in a heated argument over who hit the most home runs, Willie Stargell or Harmon Killebrew? Google it on your smartphone. They have basically...
On Saturday, July 4, we will celebrate Independence Day. This day celebrates the foundational principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence, specifically, that all people have fundamental, unalienable rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” Notably this day will also mark the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. When the United States declared its independence in 1776, it established a radical new system of government whose experiment in self-governance revol...
Finally got around to eating the fortune cookie from my Saturday trip to Hastings. This little gem was inside: You are admired as a leader in your community. Aww, thanks, Panda Express. In reality, I’m just a small-town girl at heart, who grew up watching her parents volunteer for everything. Pitching in, helping out was, and is, expected. It’s part of who I am, like the other volunteers and leaders in our communities. Drive through any small town on a Saturday morning and pay attention. Som...
Recently, many of you received your new property valuation notices. Once again, many of you saw increases in your property value, even if you made no improvements to your property. This is not surprising given the high-demand for housing, farm, and ranch land. It is rare that a home or land is sold for less than the tax assessed value. When the market value of real estate rises, county assessors are required by law to adjust tax valuations to reflect those current market prices. In determining...
Across the U.S., rural grocery store owners are doing far more than stocking shelves. Running a grocery in a small town is more complex, and more essential, than it often appears. When a rural grocery store struggles, the impact affects the entire community. Here’s five lessons we learned from working alongside grocery stores: 1. Ownership models matter: In locally owned stores, owners constantly weigh what their community needs against what the business can sustain. That stands in contrast t...
Back in the day, reporters used to be able to hitch a ride with the governor or National Guard to the site of a disastrous tornado or flood. One of those trips involved a flight to Coleridge, in northeast Nebraska, after a tornado had destroyed two farm homes and damaged several residences on the north edge of the town. At one of the farms, the owner stood just outside the now-bare foundation where his house once stood. The house was gone. “It could have been worse,” he said. No one had bee...
This week, I would like to discuss LB1010, the second significant energy bill that passed this year. LB1010 was a measure introduced by Sen. Tom Brandt to establish a legal framework for grid-scale battery energy storage facilities. Across the country and now in Nebraska, interest in grid-scale battery energy storage is growing. A 200-megawatt battery energy storage facility can be built out and deployed in as little as two years. In contrast, a new gas electric generation plant or high voltage...
Gov. Jim Pillen has always insisted that he’s “not a politician,” but more of a regular guy. “Speech-i-fying” isn’t his cup of rhetorical tea. I’m sure he’d admit that. But every so often, we get evidence of, shall we say, a misstep of the vocal variety. Most recently, it was when he was signing an executive order intended to “further eradicate” antisemitism, a worthy goal. Pillen had already ordered state agencies to use a definition of antisemitism developed by an organization, the I...
During Saturday's Holt County Historical Society Caravan Tour, I was reminded that history isn't just found in textbooks or archives. Sometimes it's tucked inside a faded photograph, an old movie ticket, or a well-worn letterman's sweater hanging on a display wall. The tour made several stops throughout the county, each sharing stories that helped shape the communities we know today. In Ewing, local historian Butch Rotherham welcomed a large group of visitors and shared stories about the village...
A crusty, old state worker once told me that "the story of government is not what is said is not so, it is what is so is not said." Wise words that seem to get wiser by the year. That's because the opportunity to actually interview an elected officer or state agency director, face to face, with no questions off the table, are getting as rare as a snowstorm in June. Most often – almost always – a request to talk to a governor, director or congressional representative goes unanswered and goes to v...
Rural communities looking to improve electricity reliability and affordability may be eligible for support through the Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership. The program, offered through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity, provides funding and technical assistance to help eligible communities build, operate, or improve microgrid systems. Proposals are due July 2 and may include requests of $200,000 to $575,000 and up to 24 months of technical assistance. Projects must s...
Every year about this time, I start making grand plans. This is going to be the summer I get things done. I'm going to organize closets. Pull weeds before they become a crop. Hose off the deck. Clean the garage. Maybe even tackle those projects that have been sitting on my to-do list so long they've become family heirlooms. The motivation arrives right on schedule, usually sometime in May when the first warm breeze blows through and the trees start leafing out. By June, however, that motivation...
Memorial Day has come and gone, so it's time to hit the road. As a lover of Nebraska stuff (you know, corn, the Huskers, Busch Light) I've never understood why more people don't vacation in our state. There's plenty of stuff to see and experience. And with gas prices through the roof, you can save a buck or two. But I guess the Cornhusker State isn't for everybody. (Oops, that last phrase got a state tourism director fired. Better be careful). Anyway, here's my list of cool, and sometimes...
Summer is right around the corner, so this week, I would like to provide a reminder of two important deadlines that occur on Tuesday, June 30. First, June 30 is the last day for individuals to file for a Homestead Exemption for property tax relief. The Homestead Exemption is a state-funded program that lowers or eliminates property taxes on a primary residence. Applications (known as Form 458) must be filed with the local county assessor between Feb. 2 and June 30 each year. Homeowners can...
It’s late Monday evening, and rain is spilling from the heavens, with a few pieces of hail thrown in for good measure. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning and, judging by the lake flowing down our sidewalk, it’s easy to see why. Last week’s drought monitor, released May 21 by the University of Nebraska, showed approximately two-thirds of the state in severe to extreme drought. Across eastern Nebraska, most counties ranged from abnormally dry to severe, with only the s...
Elections often bring surprises, but the upset victory of retired Omaha businessman Scott Petersen in the Republican primary for Secretary of State wasn’t that surprising. Sure, he defeated an incumbent, Lincoln attorney Bob Evnen, who was seeking a third, four-year term. His office runs our state elections and handles several different tasks, like registering corporations. More than a couple of things were working in Petersen’s favor. First off, Petersen appeared to mount a more aggressive camp...
Are you one of the many farmers without an identified farm successor? Purdue University says that's around 75%, and about half expect nonfamily members to take over. A gradual shift of responsibilities and ownership, plus an extended mentoring period, can help ensure the continued success of the farm business. After checking out a candidate's experience and references, a short trial period with paid labor can be a good step. This probationary period can help both of you assess how well you work...
Monday, May 25 was Memorial Day, a day we pay our respects to all those men and women who gave their lives for our country while serving in the armed forces. So many have given their lives in defense of our country so that we could grow up and live in the greatest nation in history. In addition to remembering those who lost their lives, we should also use the day to thank all those who served who came home from their service with a permanent disability, whether mental or physical. These...
Every summer in rural America begins the same way: somebody unfolds a lawn chair. Not because they particularly want to sit in the heat for six hours. Not because the food lines are short. Not because mosquitoes have suddenly become enjoyable. They show up because that’s what small towns do. This weekend begins another season of community celebrations across the Summerland area, and before long our calendars will blur into parades, rodeos, ballgames, barbecue smoke, gravel parking lots and l...
Every so often, you’re reminded that people are generally good. And, you get some idea how important the media is in helping generate good news. My latest refresher came via a story I wrote for the Nebraska Examiner, an online news site that used to consume most of my labors. It involved a woman I met when writing for the Omaha World-Herald about the tiny village of Whiteclay, where four beer stores were selling more than 3 million cans of beer a year to residents of the nearby Pine Ridge Indian...
Senior policy associate Center for Rural Affairs Across the country, farmers, landowners, and rural communities are taking a closer look at how solar development can work alongside agriculture instead of competing with it. Agrivoltaics, or dual-use solar, is growing interest as people look for ways to keep land productive, support conservation, and create new opportunities. Agrivoltaics includes beneficial practices such as growing crops beneath panels, grazing livestock on solar sites, and the...
