Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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I don’t get enough sleep. I’m guessing, neither do you. Daily, as I sync my FitBit, I’m reminded that a sleep score in the 70s isn’t good. “Catch more Zzzzzs,” the app taunts. When I look at my REM pattern, frankly, it scares me. I know I need more deep sleep. Four to five hours a night may have been sufficient in college, or most of us convinced ourselves it was enough to get by. But now, four or five hours of rest leaves me feeling more tired then when I went to bed. The biggest reason I kn...
How do we sustain rural America? The question was discussed Monday in Norfolk during a town hall meeting titled "Growing Together." The event, sponsored by the Aksarben Foundation, included speakers who addressed brain drain - students who leave the area following graduation and do not return home - and how to make the northeast region of the state a more desirable place to attract young professionals. Former state senator Mike Flood presented data regarding the ages of population in area...
A recent New York Times article, "Farm Country Feeds America. But Just Try Buying Groceries There," by Jack Healy, nailed what happens when a community loses its grocery store. The article shares the story of Winchester, Illinois, whose only grocery store shuttered. After fundraising efforts, similar to a grassroots movement we experienced in Clearwater, a community-owned grocery store opened; however, members were unable to land a produce supplier. Now, the store sells produce and baked goods...
A faded envelope sat tucked inside Dad's top dresser drawer. On it, a list of dollar amounts written in his precise penmanship. More than 10 columns crossed the expanse of that pouch, each line crossed off, with the next entry either increasing or decreasing. A childhood throwback, the envelope held chore money. Laurie had one too, and if we wanted to spend any of our hard-earned cash, we asked permission first. Mom or Dad would question if the purchase was something we honestly needed and...
It's funny when people on the coasts figure out Midwestern culture. For several months, I've read magazine articles about and website postings dedicated to what may be a true middle-of-the-country delicacy: the pairing of chili with cinnamon rolls. It's even funnier when Midwestern folk figure out what's popular in the Midwest. Even a Sioux Falls radio station featured a segment on the union of soup and dessert, noting it's popular in Nebraska, Colorado, Utah Montana and Kansas. In South Dakota?...
Success breeds success and fuels momentum. At the moment, momentum and success for Summerland activities and events are cause for excitement. In the co-operative's inaugural year, the cross country program made major strides, drawing approximately a dozen students into competition and qualifying two athletes for the state meet in Kearney. If you have not attended a cross country meet, add it to your bucket list next season. What a great showing of dedication and determination! A definite sense...
Most of us have one, that single being who keeps us grounded and offers support even when we don't deserve it. I'm talking about man's - and woman's - best friend that is not of the canine persuasion. In a time seemingly filled with countless obligations, family demands and self-imposed craziness, we rely on friendships for a sense of stability, a key element for living a happy and fulfilling life. Even when we reach a low point in our lives, friends provide a sounding board and offer guidance....
It's definitely Monday. Five pairs of leggings, three shirts and two sweaters lay on top of the bed. Since 6 a.m., I've been trying variations of each outfit, with no luck. In the back of my mind, black jeans, a purple print top and coordinating cardigan felt like Monday. Except it didn't. Feel like Monday, that is. Monday ended up feeling like a black leggings, mustard tunic, herringbone vest and blue scarf kind of day. Perhaps it's texture or the type of material that makes the difference....
Almost every time I tell Dad goodbye, see you in a few days, he makes a simple request: Maybe you can eat lunch with me soon. I try to visit and share a meal with him at least once a month, more, if possible. It didn't dawn on me until last Friday, while he made his way through a plate of beef tips and noodles and I picked through a salad, why sharing mealtime still matters. Sunday dinner at our house was a thing. A big thing. A fried chicken and mashed potatoes kind of thing. Or pot roast and g...
It's National Newspaper Week. Normally, I would write about the week's theme and how it relates to you, the reading public, and me, as a journalist. Think F1rst - the 2019 theme - resonates with us because it forms the backbone of our democratic society. The first amendment is important, maybe now more than ever, as we the people hold governmental entities accountable. Limits to the five freedoms - religion, speech, press, assembly and right to petition - exist. Harmful speech is not protected....
I predicted how the latest episode would play out; I didn't know exactly when. Once the prodigal son decided to return home and resurrect a football program clinging to life support, I told Scott - my Scott, not the Frosty version - fans would flip out and sport their badges of negativity proudly, if he didn't win immediately and turn the program around in two years. And, without missing a beat, the bandwagon chanting "Fire Frost," sung by armchair quarterbacks and hidden social media trolls,...
In "An Enigmatic Escape: A Trilogy," Dan Groat writes, "The bones of the oak tree that had stood by the spring branch during my youth were scattered about the ground, pieces of the skeleton of a majestic life that had passed while I was growing up and old." I know how he feels. For the first time in my life, the giant bur oak tree in the backyard of my great-grandparents, then grandparents, then parents and now sister's house, in Tilden, no longer shoots toward the heavens. Saturday, family memb...
I walked into my home office the other day and wondered when it transformed from functional work space to messy craft room. There's a half-finished Valentine's Day wreath I started making for Dad's door at the care center. A pile of scrapbook materials lay atop the counter. Obviously, I started cutting out something - what, I have no clue; maybe a cutout for my Happy Planner - because a pair of scissors is next to a piece of paper sporting one swift cut. Wood letters I picked up for the...
Throughout the summer, as Scott and I watched preseason coverage of the Husker football team, we both noted the number of young men sporting mullets. I always thought Mike Gundy earned best mullet honors until my 'Skers proved they're rockin' the tunnel walk with the achy-breaky hairdo. Since my main man decided to bring back the party in the front and business in the back, a flashback from his high school senior year, he thinks the modern mullet obsession is cool. Awesome. So cool that this sum...
One of my childhood icons celebrates 60 years of entertainment and controversy in 2019. Barbie originally featured strawberry blonde hair, pulled back into a ponytail, with a tightly curled poof of bangs. Her painted on blue eyeshadow, cherry red lipstick, black and white striped one-piece swimsuit and cat eyes mascara were on fleek for the time period. By the time I received my first Barbie® as a gift, she'd grown up a little - or at least her clothing choices kept evolving with the times....
Since we opened the Advocate-Messenger, Scott and I have fielded several questions about the inner workings of the newspaper, so after discussion, we decided to take this opportunity to respond. One of the first questions we were asked is if the Advocate Messenger is a legal newspaper. The answer is yes and no. We formed a limited liability company when we created ColdType Publishing and trademarked our name, so the business, itself, is a legally-operated business according to the State of Nebra...
21-5309 may belong to Jenny. 555-1212 offers all kinds of assistance. What does your phone number say about you? Plenty, according to tech writer Brian Chen of the New York Times. After reading one of his articles, I thought about the number of times an individual’s phone number is tied to us as a means of identification. Turns out, quite often. Chen says we’ve been “conditioned to share a piece of personal information without a moment’s hesitation: our phone number.” Sign up for an app? Supp...
The to-do list resting on my desk has 37 items requiring completion. Each line includes a box for a checkmark or bullet point, denoting it is done. The list grows or narrows, depending on the day of the week, and some of the entries have been included for more than two weeks. "I'll get to those tomorrow," I tell myself while perusing the contents and deciding which items are today's priority. This weekend, while on our way to Ponca State Park for a family shindig, I started another list and was...
During the Antelope County Fair, I saw a lot of fun T-shirts proclaiming "Keep calm, it's fair week" or "I heart 4-H" or "4-H Head Heart Hands Health." Next year, I think I'll sport one that declares "I survived being a 4-H grandma." Not that I did as much work as my grandson's parents overseeing the preparing of projects for the week-long event, but ... I did push, -er, help him decide which projects to try. And I did survive a two-day barn quilt workshop, where hopes for more Husker decor to...
Recently, I read an article about the structure of high school and how it sets up students for failure. The article's premise and subsequent offer for solution, gave me pause. The basic theme: "We are married to a system that has not been properly re-evaluated for 21st-century capabilities and capacities." An example featured the structure of the seven- or eight-class period day, how student attention is diverted multiple times during each 50-minute class period. And, to top it off, we uproot...
If you are reading this on July 25, today’s a special day. I am celebrating another trip around the sun, for which I am grateful. It’s a tale old as time: sometimes, you think you have life mapped out and believe you know where you’re headed. Then, God sets up a roadblock, noting something different is about to play out in your life. Take a right turn and you’ll head down the beaten path. Venture left and discover the proverbial road less traveled. I suspect he knew what direction I would c...
