Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 1 - 12 of 12
Nebraskans decided a couple weeks ago that public funds for education should fund public education … and only public education. You can skip the “well, duh.” Without two petition drives, a solid campaign and Nebraskans doing the right thing, the question in question — Legislative Bill 1402 — may very well have started using tax dollars for private school tuition next fall. The decision to repeal LB 1402, which provided public money for private school scholarships, was fairly loud and quite cle...
Farm to School is a win for students, a win for farmers and a win for communities. It strengthens our food system and our local economies, and it provides opportunities for students to develop new skills, such as agricultural or livestock production, and marketing, business and entrepreneurship. Over the past decade, the farm-to-school movement has exploded across the U.S., reaching millions of students in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories. School gardens, school farms, high...
Molly Aschoff spends a lot of her time listening. As the new superintendent of Summerland Public School, Aschoff believes listening is one way to hear what needs the system faces. It's a way to gauge essentials and plan for the future. "I'm hearing a lot," she said. "I think I'm still in that 100 days of listening, getting a grasp of what's going on in the building." Aschoff, who assumed the superintendent's position on July 1, said she's outlining goals for SPS, ranging from reinstating the...
District 4 Leadership Development Events were held Dec. 6 at Lutheran High Northeast. Summerland FFA advisor Jacob Goldfuss said the local chapter took took 20 members and they all did very well. "There are 20 schools in our district and each chapter can send two individuals or teams for every contest, so to get top three and make it to state is quite hard," Goldfuss said. In addition to the two teams in the photos, several individuals qualifed or will be an alternate for state. Jenna Funk got...
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...
Our September State Board of Education public meeting was held at the Leadership Center in Aurora. State Board of Education meetings are typically held on the first Thursday and Friday of most months of the year. Thursday is a workday during which committees meet. The four committees are the Executive, Rules and Regulations, Budget and Finance, and Planning and Evaluation. I serve on the Budget and Finance and Planning and Evaluation committees. Much discussion takes place during the workday to...
Almost four decades ago, two coaches - one from the east coast, the other from the land of the Cornhuskers - formed an alliance. Maine and Nebraska would become as thick as thieves. Despite the large differences between the two states, a friendship was pinned down and has lasted for years. Lincoln Southeast wrestling coach, Mick Pierce, and Maine's, Wally LaFountain, a wrestling official from Maine, met in the 80s during a wrestling trip to Europe, according to current Maine coach Brian Cote....
As Justin Taubenheim combined soybeans in a Buffalo County field on an October afternoon, he thought about why he does it. "I'm not farming to get rich,” he said. “I'm farming to maintain a legacy, a way of life. Faith, family and farming, in that order. The farm is kinda like the icing on the cake." Taubenheim, 31, sports fewer gray hairs than your normal Nebraska farmer. The average age of a principal Nebraska farm or ranch operator: 56.4 years old, according to census figures. The rising worry: There won’t be a next generation to carry...
Last week, I received a survey from the Husker athletic office, asking questions about Memorial Stadium upgrades and potential structural changes that could be coming in the future. Questions ranged from seating arrangements, tiers and costs of various seating arrangements, food and beverage sales, legalized gaming, parking and tailgating. Another section asked about the development of a membership-only dinner club. Little did I realize, during the 15 minutes it took to complete the survey, I wo...
Fall is here which is the perfect time for students to bite into local foods. October is Farm to School Month when Nebraska will be defending its title in the Mountain Plains Crunch Off. During this event, our state competes with Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota on the number of students who crunch into local foods. While the event is only one day, it can be a valuable experience and inspire teachers, administrators and students to learn more about...
The Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation and two Nebraska Cattlemen affiliates in northeast Nebraska have thrown their support behind the Nexus project to build new agriculture facilities at Northeast Community College. Together, the Cattlemen Foundation, the Boone and Nance County Cattlemen, and the Cuming County Feeders have donated $50,000 to the project, currently under construction near the intersection of E. Benjamin Ave. and Hwy. 35. "We are pleased to be able to support the education of the...
Patience, determination and confidence. Eleven-year-old Derek Sayers, of Orchard, says 4-H has developed those traits. He has a poster - and ribbon - to prove it. "It's taught me how to get things done," he said. Sayers has been an independent 4-H member for three years. His interest in the youth program began after he listened to a talk about it at Orchard Public Schools. "I asked my parents if I could try it and they said 'Oh yeah.'" He's shown beef, goats and poultry. This year, he recevied...