Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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The search for the truth should be a top priority for a journalist. It’s a journalist’s responsibility to present factual information in a clear and precise manner. Even when the reporter is nine years old. I’m intrigued with Apple TV’s series, “Home Before Dark.” It’s a fictionalized take of real-life reporter, Hilde Lysiak, who, at nine years old, broke a local murder case in her self-published newspaper. The show - part-mystery, part-drama, with a dose of comedy - shows Lysiak’s determination...
The Legislature debated several of my bills last week. On Tuesday afternoon, we debated my amendment to my LB 561, a bill to further define and implement the voter-approved initiative on casino gaming at racetracks. As 70% of the tax revenue derived from these casinos is dedicated to property tax relief, it is important to get this done right. Gambling is a divisive issue in our Legislature and the debate reflected that. After the question was divided on the issue of electronic keno, we spent a...
Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” I was reminded of the quote during Sunday’s town hall meeting in Orchard. The quote isn’t specific to our local communities. No, it’s a question worth asking no matter where you call home. But, the premise of King’s words - the notion that volunteering and making an impact in another person’s life - is what sticks out. Sunday’s meeting reinforced the meaning. It’s one of the great...
Greetings, SAM readers. For the past two weeks, I have shared a breakdown of the differences between news articles and editorial items, after SAM began a partnership with Trusting News, a project of the Reynolds Journalism Institute and American Press Institute. We worked to devise strategies that promote responsible and ethical journalism. One goal I established, through the project, is to provide a breakdown of what makes a news article, an editorial and a column. This week, I will address...
By now, all registered voters in Nebraska should have had the opportunity to fill out an application for an early (absentee) ballot. That application should be mailed to your county’s Election Commissioner, which for most folks reading this will be your county clerk. Once you have your ballot, please be sure that it is received by your county offices by May 12. I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage all of you reading to exercise your Constitutional right to vote. I won’t use this space...
On a typical Easter, local churches fill with worshipers celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. This year, Easter was anything but typical. Church doors were shut during Sunday's services, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on God's houses. Instead, local pastors offered online services, streaming on smart devices and computers in Summerland-area homes, rejoicing as the stone was rolled away from the front of the tomb and the light of the world reappeared. Mark Hoffman, pastor of Ewing Full...
The Nebraska Legislature remains adjourned until further notice. However, just over a week ago, we reconvened for three days to approve an emergency request from the governor to help fund the state response to COVID-19. The bill appropriates $83 million toward medical needs, protective measures, equipment,and programs related to the virus. It passed unanimously. That’s a statement I can rarely make, especially in these polarized times. I am proud to say legislators from across the aisle came t...
This is a love story, of sorts; a stream-of-consciousness gathering of thoughts and concerns, a song of praise for unsung heroes whose daily routines have been upended. Teaching isn’t an easy career to begin with. Sure, there are those people who think it’s an 8-to-4 job, with summer’s free and two weeks of Christmas vacation. What they don’t realize is, after staying in your classroom until 5 p.m., every day, you take work home - papers to grade, lessons to fine-tune, phone calls to parents...
Don't panic. That's the message Ewing Principal Greg Appleby wants parents and students to follow as the school transitions into a continuity of learning plan. The plan went into effect Wednesday, April 1. Students picked up assignments and textbooks on Monday. "I feel good about what our teachers have planned," Appleby said. Students have been out of the building since March 17. Enrichment activities were distributed then, with work set to wrap up March 30. Appleby said those activities came...
Six members of the Orchard original and advisory boards of education, meeting jointly at the high school last Tuesday evening, heard that five compressors in the Trane HVAC system had failed the previous month. A timeline for replacement was not available. Principal Cathy Cooper said the compressors will be covered under warranty and administration is hopeful an estimated $12,900 in labor and the cost to rent electric heaters will be covered by the school’s insurance company. A Trane company representative was also asked to estimate the cost o...
It’s that point in the legislative session when only bills with priority status make the agenda. The deadline for selecting priority bills was Feb. 21. Every senator is authorized to select one bill as his/her personal priority bill. Committees are allowed to select two bills and the speaker of the Legislature can designate up to 25 bills as speaker priority bills. Since committees are limited in the number of bills that they can select, they tend to incorporate a number of other bills into t...
What will the world look like in 2030? The New York Times posed that question to a group of public figures, ranging from politicians to authors to academics. After reading most of the responses, the outlook seems pretty bleak. Former N.S.A contractor Edward Snowden discusses how the things society demands for the sake of convenience will be our downfall. He writes, “As consumer electronics get cheaper and more disposable, the more they will leach their minerals into our groundwater, poisoning t...
"Strong schools attract families and feed a town." The observation, made by Cross County Superintendent Brent Hollinger, showcases how the idea of a cornfield school benefits educational opportunities and provides financial efficiencies. Cross County Community Schools, located near the intersection of Nebraska Highway 66 and U.S. Highway 81, sits approximately three miles south of Stromsburg or five miles north of Benedict, a neutral location between two communities it serves. Hollinger did not...
The Orchard advisory school board approved several policies when three members and Principal Cathy Cooper met last week at the school. Board member Nathan Schwager was absent. The policies included several to align activity policies in the three schools forming the Summerland Bobcat cooperative, Orchard, Clearwater and Ewing, along with changes recommended by the state school board association. Several statewide changes deal with electronic nicotine delivery systems, alternative nicotine products, tobacco products, look-alikes and products...
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...
