Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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While traveling the Third District in recent weeks, I have been encouraged by the expertise and creativity our communities possess and sobered by the challenges we face. We have much to be thankful for, but there is also no shortage to the adversity we must overcome. After closely monitoring the recent severe wildfires across southern Nebraska, I joined Governor Ricketts, Nebraska National Guard Adjutant General Daryl Bohac and other local officials earlier this week to survey the devastation...
Since its inception in 1972, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts have been planting conservation trees and shrubs for windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife habitat and other conservation purposes. This spring, the NRD Conservation Tree Program plants its 100 millionth tree – that’s approximately 50 trees for each Nebraskan. “Nebraska has a proud history of planting trees, and putting the 100 millionth tree in the ground reflects Nebraskans’ willingness to invest in the future,” said Dr. Orval Gigstad, Nebraska Association of Resources D...
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture announced Friday, an order cancelling all poultry events across Nebraska, due to highly pathogenic avian influenza. The order prohibits birds of any type at events including, but not limited to, fairs, expositions, swap meets, exotic sales and live bird auctions. The order is effective immediately and will be in effect until May 1, at which time the order will be reevaluated. “The decision to cancel poultry events was not taken lightly but is a necessary s...
Editor’s note: In last week’s edition of SAM, the jump for this story was not included. We are running the article in its entirety and regret the error. After hearing public comment on a proposed moratorium, March 7, Holt County Planning and Zoning Commission members voted 6-2 to recommend an 18-month moratorium on all industrial pipeline, wind and solar power development to Holt County Supervisors. Commission member Mary Kaczor told an audience of more than 35 individuals, that the cou...
A decision on a perpetual easement for the Graham Crowe Ranch, LLC, in northeastern Holt County, will be revisited at 10:30 a.m., during a March 16 meeting of the Holt County supervisors. Supervisor Don Butterfield, of Atkinson, made a motion to table a decision, Feb. 28, following a public hearing which lasted more than 90 minutes. "I need to have a little time to mull this over," Butterfield said. Chairman Bill Tielke said it's unfair to make a quick decision. "Don, I'll agree with you. This...
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture is urging poultry owners to monitor flocks for signs of the avian influenza. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed HPAI in commercial and/or backyard flocks in Iowa, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York and Virginia. As of Friday, the virus has not been found in Nebraska. “While we have not seen HPAI in Nebraska since 2015, protecting the health of pountry in the state is a top priority,” said state veterinarian Dr. Roger Dudley. The virus can cause sudden death in birds,...
After hearing public comment on a proposed moratorium Monday evening, Holt County planning and zoning commission members voted 6-2 to recommend an 18-month moratorium on all industrial pipeline, wind and solar power development to Holt County Supervisors. Commission member Mary Kaczor told an audience of more than 35 individuals, that the county’s current comprehensive plan was written in 1980. “It’s totally out of date,” she said. The commission has hired Marvin Planning Associates, of David Ci...
After a three-month break, the Legislature convened Wednesday, Jan. 5, to begin the 107th legislative session, second session. Senators were called into special session in September to complete the redistricting process, based on new census data. Legislative District #40 no longer contains Boyd or Rock counties. Rock and Boyd counties are now part of Legislative District #43, represented by Sen. Tom Brewer. Legislative District #40 also lost the southern portion of Dixon County, which will be...
A large number of America's military veterans have returned home to civilian careers and often want to continue the service mission they committed to in the armed forces. Many veterans from rural areas have found that mission through farming and ranching. These farmer-veterans provide food, protect natural resources, and contribute to the vitality of their local communities while running their own businesses. With the average age of a U.S. farmer at nearly 60 years, and millions of acres...
Farmers and ranchers struggle to recover financially from recent panhandle wildfires that damaged their crops and infrastructure along with forcing a relocation of cows and calves. Two wildfires burned more than 8,200 acres of pasture and cropland in Scottsbluff and Gering. The Panhandle of Nebraska is an open, dryland where fires easily start in canyons from wind and brush. More than 11,000 acres burned from wildfires this past year due to severe drought and heavy winds that caused brush to ignite. Wildfires often result in financial peril...
Small business development is important in rural areas of our nation, where access to employment opportunities are limited and where jobs pay less. Microbusinesses (businesses with 10 or fewer employees) provide all or most of the income for many rural households. In our home state of Nebraska, self-employment provides up to 90% of all jobs in most rural counties. For others, it is part of a patching strategy to make ends meet. However, access to capital is a challenge for many rural business...
It’s application time for one of the biggest youth agriculture outreach events in the state—the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute. This year, NAYI is celebrating 50 years of bringing together high school students to learn more about Nebraska agriculture, network with agriculture leaders and discover careers available in agriculture. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture sponsors and assists with coordinating NAYI every year. The institute will be held July 12 through 16, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus and will follow a...
A farm cooperative that serves customers in a 30-county region of northeast Nebraska has pledged its support to improvements in agriculture facilities currently underway at Northeast Community College in Norfolk. Farmers Pride, headquartered in Battle Creek, has pledged $50,000 to the Nexus project at Northeast to build a new veterinary technology clinic and classroom building and other facilities on the Acklie Family College Farm. "Many of our employees and customers have graduated from...
North Central District Health Department reported 38 new cases in the district Jan. 4, including: seven, Antelope; 0, Boyd; 0, Brown; one, Cherry; six, Holt; 0, Keya Paha; 15, Knox; nine, Pierce and 0, Rock. NCDHD has received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and is proceeding to disperse vaccine to Phase 1A partners, as outlined in the Nebraska COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. As of Dec. 31, 784 north central Nebraska residents received the first dose of the vaccine. NCDHD will notify the public as the district transitions to each phase. The speed of...
For those who have served in the military, agriculture can be a rewarding next move. Veterans who have gotten involved with farming after retiring from the military have found possibilities they hadn't previously imagined. Caring for plants, animals and the land can be an antidote to PTSD, an avenue to channel a strong work ethic and skill set and a chance to reach new horizons and connect with new and supportive networks. But, how does one get started? Many resources exist for veterans...
While the apprenticeship model has been instrumental for decades, the current system applies to more than the typical occupations that often come to mind - plumbers, electricians and linemen, among others. Apprenticeships have greatly expanded in the last decade to include more non-traditional occupations in areas that include healthcare, information technology (IT), advanced manufacturing, and engineering. The United States Department of Labor currently has 1,349 approved occupations that...
Antelope County may need to weed out candidates depending on how many applications it receives from people wanting to replace a longtime employee. The board of commissioners received a letter of resignation from county weed superintendent Bruce Ofe during its meeting Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Neligh. The Oakdale man plans to retire from the full-time position Dec. 31 after more than 40 years of working for the county. "I'd be willing to stay that long so that if you get somebody hired, I could help...
I remember a story my mom used to tell about her coworker, Opal, and Opal's two little boys. One night, Opal asked the boys what they wanted for supper. One of the boys, about 4 or 5 years old, scrunched up his face and said, "Let's have ... let's have ... let's have ... POP TORN!" That answer became a joke in my family for years because I never met anyone who liked popcorn more than my mom. Popcorn was often her choice for supper. But it wasn't just popcorn my mom liked - she liked the butter...
Don and Rachel Linquist invite people to be curious about their cattle company. The couple own and operate DH Longhorn, a Page-based business that provides pasture-raised Texas Longhorn beef from their ranch to people’s tables. “The ranch-to-table process is just that – right from our ranch/pasture to our customers’ tables,” Rachel said. The beef is dry aged for three weeks at Wausa Lockers and inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Our beef goes into the locker right from our pa...
People who want to enjoy an agricultural field day that will feature a variety of topics will soon will have the chance. A demonstration field day will be held 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Bazile Groundwater Management Area’s soil health site near Creighton. To find the soil health site, people will need to travel two miles south of Creighton on Nebraska Highway 13, turn east onto 870 Road and travel three-fourths of a mile. The outdoor event, during which social distancing will be...
A couple of weeks ago, a lifelong friend and I took a road trip through Western and North Central Nebraska. We checked out Chimney Rock, the Scotts Bluff National Monument, Toadstool Geologic Park near Crawford and the Niobrara River near Valentine. Social distancing was not a problem. The first night of that five-day trip we spent in Oshkosh, where I grew up and where my travel companion and I met on her third birthday. Her family was new to the neighborhood, her mom was looking for enough...
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture reported Tuesday Nebraska citizens have received unsolicited packages of seeds in the mail in recent days. "Our team has, and will continue to, work with USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service on any reports received in Nebraska," department personnel reported on its social media accounts. Individuals who receive one of these packages should not open it. The seeds should not be planted, either. Anyone receiving a sealed seed packet should keep packets...
CENTER FOR RURAL AFFAIRS On June 26, U.S. Reps. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, and Abigail Spanberger, Democrat from Virginia, members of the House Agriculture Committee, introduced a companion bill to the Growing Climate Solutions Act, H.R. 7393. The Senate bill, S. 3894, was introduced by Sens. Mike Braun, Republican from Indiana, and Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse in early June. The bill would standardize the agricultural carbon market and was referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. “These bills come at a critical t...
KATIE ANDERSON Nebraska News Service Property tax relief is on the agenda for the 17-day legislative session later this month, but opponents argue that the proposed property tax relief plan will hinder school district spending and taxing authority. State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, chairwoman of the revenue committee, is leading the charge to get a property tax relief package passed when the Legislature resumes on July 20. “We have a property tax crisis more severe now in agriculture but moving toward suburbia,” Linehan said. “If you b...
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture recently announced student delegates selected to attend this year’s Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute. Alyssa Moser, of Clearwater, has been tabbed as one of the delegates. In its 49th year, NAYI challenges its delegates to learn more about the agricultural industry and careers available to them in their future. To slow the spread of COVID-19, this year’s Institute will be held virtually. NAYI is coordinated by NDA and the members of the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Council. “NAYI is the longest runni...
