Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Accurate data is a must if Nebraska is going to improve broadband access in rural areas. Due to recent federal legislation, accuracy is also the key to ensuring states receive their full share of federal grant funding. Soon the Federal Communications Commission will determine the amount of money each state is allocated through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program. Because these decisions are based on the FCC’s new broadband availability map, correcting inaccurate data is more i...
As the demand for local foods grows, small- and mid-sized meat and poultry processors are looking to make investments to expand their capacity, create new markets for their product and train the next generation of workers. These efforts, which come as many in the industry work to regain their footing after a tumultuous two years, are not going unnoticed and continue to receive support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Through its Meat and Poultry I...
For two years, processors and producers across rural Nebraska have fought hard to get a program to improve and expand Nebraska's meat processing capabilities approved and established. Their work, along with that of the Nebraska Legislature and staff at Nebraska Department of Agriculture, has paid off as grant applications for the Independent Processor Assistance Program are now being accepted. This development is not only good news to processors who've spent the last two years doing everything...
Discussion and debate has always been a part of rural America. From coffee shops to the local co-op, rural residents aren't afraid to show their loyalty for one candidate or another, share their thoughts on the issues of the day and voice their distrust of the government. Sometimes opinions can spur disagreement and raise tensions. But, in the end, most of us will agree to disagree, shake hands, and go about our day. Lately, this seems to have changed. The divisive politics of Washington have ma...
Small businesses continue to feel the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. While they are doing their best to keep the doors open, they are hurting. That is especially true in our rural towns. Congress has acted to provide businesses with loans through the Small Business Administration six months of payment forgiveness. This is a lifeline for big city enterprises, but it doesn’t help rural entrepreneurs. That is because many rural businesses do not have access to an SBA lender and must borrow f...
One of the great benefits of living in a rural community is our ability to enjoy food grown locally. Families appreciate easy access to high quality nutrition. Many farms and ranches depend on these local sales. Like so much of our daily life, this system was disrupted by COVID-19. When work is interrupted at industrial processing facilities, commodity producers flood local meat lockers with their product. With already limited reservation space being taken up by large growers, those who depend...
