Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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The 109th Nebraska Legislature convened last week for the first days of the 2025 session to swear in newly-elected state senators, elect committee chairmen and begin bill introductions. The Legislature began the first day of its 90-day session on Wednesday, Jan. 8, and swore in 25 senators, including six re-elected members and 19 new members. Senators re-elected Sen. John Arch of La Vista, who ran unopposed, as speaker of the Legislature. The Legislature also elected senators as leaders of its...
When the clock struck midnight on New Year's Day, several new laws, as well as ballot initiative proclamations signed by Governor Jim Pillen, went into effective. The one exception: the paid sick leave initiative. It will go into effect Oct. 1. Minimum wage increases to $13.50 per hour. The increase was part of the scheduled increases outlined in the Nebraska Minimum Wage Statute Initiative, passed by voters in 2022. The first increase bumped the state's minimum wage from $9 per hour to $10.50...
Years ago, I had the pleasure of covering the dedication of a new, $17-million bridge spanning the Missouri River east of Niobrara. The bridge was named after Chief Standing Bear, whose people, the Poncas, once ruled over that area of northeast Nebraska. Standing Bear, known for winning a federal judge's declaration that Native Americans were "persons" under the law, is buried nearby. But the structure, and another bridge built farther east across the Missouri, were dubbed the "Bridges to...
In the summer of 2002, Margaret Stamp returned home to Sarpy County from college four weeks after her 74-year-old grandmother, Phyllis Behm, had died from a short battle with colorectal cancer. Stamp found her dad, Mark Behm, a former northeast Nebraska county attorney and private practice lawyer, wincing in pain on the living room floor. Stamp described him as in shape and thin. She said he looked healthy and didn't drink or smoke. But that weekend, Stamp's father was doubled over, and he told...
PROCEEDINGS HOLT COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Dec. 31, 2024 The Holt County Board of Supervisors met in regular session as per adjournment with all members present. This meeting publicized pursuant to Section 84-1411 R.R.S. 1943.Notice of meeting given in advance thereof by publication in paper as shown by Affidavit of Publication on Dec. 26, 2024, in the Holt County Independent. Chairman Tielke convened the meeting at 9:47 a.m., and informed the public of the location of the Open Meeting poster. Motion by Keyes, second by Frahm, to approve the...
District Judge Mark Johnson will retire after a law career spanning more than four decades. The Nebraska Supreme Court recently announced Johnson's retirement, which is effective Jan. 15. In his retirement announcement to Gov. Jim Pillen, Johnson said, "It has been a distinct honor and privilege to have served as district judge of the Seventh Judicial of the State of Nebraska since April 24, 2013." The judge thanked courthouse staff for their "help, humor and assistance every day in such a...
Summerland students will notice one new change when they return to classes following the holiday break. "From bell to bell, students will not be on cell phones," high school principal Jacob Birch told board of education members during the Dec. 11 meeting. Students will be allowed to have phones during passing periods, lunch, before and after school and at activities. "We're not opposed to other things, but we think this is the first step to tell students, 'Show us you can be off them during...
SCHUYLER – His eyes are tired from scanning the conveyor belt. His feet and back are sore after hours of standing in his steel-toed boots. His brain is fried from searching for faulty welding and chipped paint on the more than 1,000 metal pieces that whiz past him on the belt during the graveyard shift. Marco Gutiérrez has spent the past eight hours inspecting tiny parts that will become car seats in Ford F-150s and Chevy Malibus. Before that, he put in a shift at Panda Express, cooking ba...
APPROVED BILLS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL Amazon Capital Services, Inc., sup/plotter printer (Perkins Grant), 4,017.76; AMG O’Neill, bus driver physical, 150.00; Apple Inc., sup, 89.00; Birch, Dwaine L. mileage, 60.30; Black Hills Energy, nat gas, 199.27 Bluum of Minnesota, LLC, sup, 211.70; Boyd’s Electric, work in shop for paint booth, 1,458.17; Bullseye Fire Sprinkler, Inc., fire sprinkler inspection, 1,030.00; Capital One Bk(USA), NA, conf rooms/meals/sup, 2,391.87; ColdType Publishing, printing, 116.50; Cornhusker International Trucks, Inc...
Funeral services for Dwayne F. "Hike" Hobbs, 88 of Ewing, will be 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 30, at Ewing United Methodist Presbyterian Church in Ewing with Janine Reynolds officiating. Burial will be in Ewing City Cemetery with military rites conducted by Sanders American Post #214. Visitation will be 2 to 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 29, at Snider Memorial Funeral Home in Clearwater. Dwayne passed away on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, at Heritage Bel Air in Norfolk. Snider Memorial Funeral Home is handling the...
While Pete Ricketts was governor, he and his parents spent serious money supporting state senators – and opposing fellow Republicans who had displeased the governor. Longtime observers say that money helped morph the Legislature, making it less independent and more partisan. In January 2017, Patrick O'Donnell entered the Nebraska State Capitol's cavernous legislative chamber, air heavy with the echo of history's fierce debates and whispered negotiations. The longtime Clerk of the Legislature s...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION Nov. 13, 2024 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 in the board meeting room. President Steve Thiele called the regular meeting, which was advertised in the Nov. 6, 2024, newspapers, to order at 7:01 p.m. President Thiele noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the boardroom. Roll call was taken, with all board members present: Ed Nordby, Nate Schwager, Scott Thiele, Steve Thiele, Austin Twibell, Jeremy Wagner. Motion by Schwager,...
Over the years, I've covered a few elections – probably more than I'd like to remember. Back in the day, we didn't get the wall-to-wall commercials slinging mud or the daily update on what the polls say. But one thing hasn't changed – elections are maybe the most observed, double checked and overseen functions of government. Vote counting machines are double- and triple-checked. Each political party employs "poll watchers" to make sure there's no hanky panky and the boards that count and rec...
On Oct. 16, United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Ferretti and Shereece Dendy-Sanders will lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 5, General Election. Ferretti and Dendy-Sanders have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers for the District of Nebraska, and in that capacity, are responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of el...
APPROVED BILLS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL Amazon Capital Services, Inc., sup, 2,271.25; Auto Glass Solutions, windshield replacement, 364.22; Black Hills Energy, nat gas, 136.01; Bluum of Minnesota, LLC, sup, 588.00; Capital One Bk(USA), NA, sup/travel/conf fees, etc, 3,656.07; Clearwater Market, sup, 508.54; ColdType Publishing, printing, 386.38; Cornhusker International, rep, 871.47; Crowne Plaza Hotel, hotel rooms - MTSS conf, 434.85; DAS State Acctg - Central Finance OCIO, internet line, 774.74; DISA, Inc, bus driver testing/annual fee,...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF PAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES The regular monthly meeting of the Village Board of Page was held Monday, October 14, 2024, at the Village office. Notice was published in the Summerland Advocate and was also posted at three public places within the Village of Page. This meeting was conducted in compliance with the Nebraska Open Meetings Act and the Open Meeting Laws are posted at the Village Office. Chair Linquist called the regular meeting of the board of trustees to order at 7:02 p.m. Trustees VanEvery, Tyrrell, Leichleiter and...
In October 1988, the Cold War was still simmering. World War II was just a generation ago, fresh in many veterans’ minds and in the hearts of families who lost their parents and grandparents in the conflict. More recently, many Americans had fought in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and many returned home in need of health care and in search of employment. October 1988 was the month President Ronald Reagan signed the Department of Veterans Affairs Act, which transformed the independent Veterans A...
Back in the day, our high school basketball team used to employ a full-court press when we'd fallen behind. It was mostly a desperation measure toward the end of a game, a frantic effort in hopes that we could suddenly trip up our opponent and turn a defeat into a victory. Well, just recently in Nebraska, we were able to see a political full-court press in action, and such all-out strategy seems to have become the norm when it comes to citizen-led ballot initiatives. Ballot initiatives allow...
There's a map tacked up on the wall in Kameron Runnels' office – squared lines and small text showing who owns what pieces of the Santee Sioux reservation. Six of the squares, big chunks of land, are labeled the same: "school land." Runnels, the tribe's vice chairman, said he always wondered what exactly that meant. Two of the squares are colored in green – land the tribe pays the state almost $65,500 per year to rent and farm, even though it's within reservation boundaries. When Nebraska was...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF PAGE BOARD MEETING Sept. 16, 2024 The regular monthly meeting of the Village Board of Page was held Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, at the village office. Notice was published in the Summerland Advocate-Messenger on the 11th day of September, 2024, and was also posted at three public places within the Village of Page. This meeting was conducted in compliance with the Nebraska Open Meetings Act and the Open Meeting Laws are posted at the village office. Chair Linquist called the regular meeting of the board of trustees to order...
VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER ORDINANCE NO. 2024-5 AN ORDINANCE OF THE VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER, NEBRASKA, TO APPROPRIATE SURPLUS WATERWORKS INCOME TO THE GENERAL FUND; TO PROVIDE WHEN THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ORDINANCE IN PAMPHLET FORM. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CHAIRPERSON AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER, NEBRASKA: SECTION 1. As set forth in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 17-540, all income received by the village from public utilities and from the payment and collection of water taxe...
VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER ORDINANCE NO. 2024-6 AN ORDINANCE OF THE VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER, NEBRASKA, TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE PERTAINING TO DISCONTINUATION OF UTILITY SERVICE AND NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNERS; TO REPEAL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; TO PROVIDE WHEN THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ORDINANCE IN PAMPHLET FORM. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CHAIRPERSON AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER, NEBRASKA: SECTION 1. That Municipal Code...
This week, the Legislature took up the issues of property taxes and adjustments to the state budget. Much of the focus remained on the package crafted by the Revenue Committee and attached to LB34 by Senator Brewer in place of LB1 and LB9. In a long day of constant changes, LB34 was originally intended to resemble LB1 and LB9. During debate, several concerns were raised, including counties and municipalities who opposed the proposed caps, schools that were hesitant that the Legislature could...
NOXIOUS WEEDS MUST BE CONTROLLED You are required to control noxious weeds on your property. The noxious weeds are: Musk Thistle, Plumeless Thistle, Canada Thistle, Leafy Spurge, Knapweed (spotted and diffuse), Purple Loosestrife, Saltcedar, Phragmites, Knotweed (Japanese and Giant) and Sericea Lespedeza. Notice is hereby given this 21st day of August, 2024, pursuant to the Noxious Weed Control Act, section 2-955, subsection 1(a), to every person who owns or controls land in Antelope County, Nebraska, that noxious weeds being grown, or growing...
Jackie Poulsen, also known as Jack Poulsen, 71, of Ericson was sentenced Aug. 1, in federal court in Lincoln, for bank fraud, United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced recently. U.S. District Judge Susan Bazis sentenced Poulsen to 18 months' imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system. Poulsen was additionally ordered to pay $815,000 in restitution. Poulsen was the president of Ericson State Bank from June 2010 until September 2019....
