Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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State lawmakers have long since finished their long, 17-day special session in Lincoln and headed back home. The summer session unfolded as a lot of people, including me, expected - a lot of ideas for reducing property taxes were discussed, but only a small, incremental change, one that will result in a 3% drop in property taxes for some taxpayers, was passed. As we've discussed before, reducing property taxes, while a noble and needed move, is a complicated task and requires an adept hike...
The year was 1974. It was early fall. Or was it late spring? Never mind all that, Gary Hergenrader says. It isn't the season he remembers today, but the site: the old campground across the water, a dozen red cabins clinging like ticks to the canyon walls, the lodge overlooking Keystone Lake, the geology exposed in the rocky shelves above. Before retiring in 2005, Hergenrader served nearly 25 years as the Nebraska state forester. But back in 1974, he was a 34-year-old professor at the University...
Much of this week’s activity focused on broadband and the Nebraska Department of Transportation, along with some controversy relating to education policy. The Transportation and Telecommunications Committee heard three of my bills this week. LB1038 would make a small change to the membership requirement of the Nebraska Information Technology Commission, which develops and reviews our state’s information technology plans. The commission currently has nine voting members and one member from the...
Holt County Supervisors learned the district probation office needs more space. Tara Sprigler Price, district probation officer, addressed supervisors, Jan. 31, when the board met in O'Neill. If the veterans' office moves to the former O'Neill school administration building, Price would like to expand to the current veterans' office in the annex."I have a new officer I've hired who's currently in training and I don't physically have an office for him to go to here," Price said. The new officer...
In life and legislative work, a new year brings new opportunities and new undertakings. As we enter 2024 and the second session of the 118th United States Congress, there is much work to do and I’m optimistic we can achieve results for the American people. Commonsense policies promoting economic growth and productivity in our communities can benefit our country as a whole. With no shortage of obstacles to overcome to curb wasteful spending, deliver tax relief and manage federal programs, it i...
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...
With the election of Speaker Mike Johnson, the House is back to work. We certainly have our work cut out for us as we fulfill our responsibilities to the American people. Speaker Johnson hit the ground running to responsibly fund our priorities, including our support for Israel. Supporting our greatest ally in the Middle East as they battle the ruthless enemy that is Hamas is an urgent priority. Regionally, Israel is in a precarious position and our support for them is vital as their neighbors...
This week, the House was set to continue its work on the 12 annual appropriations bills to ensure the government is responsibly funded. Unfortunately, our legislative work to cut wasteful spending was disrupted when a small handful of Republicans voted with Democrats to remove the speaker of the House. I voted against vacating the chair because it sets a disruptive precedent and because the House should be focused on delivering results for the American people. House Republicans already have a...
Nebraska is experiencing terrific growth. We’ve seen big success creating jobs, cutting taxes and attracting investment to our state. Recently, I hosted Nebraska’s Ag and Economic Development Summit in Kearney. The summit convenes key leaders from across the state to discuss how to build on our strong momentum. Over the course of the summit, we dove into the challenges and opportunities we face as a state. Some topics are familiar: developing our workforce, opening new markets for Nebraska’s exp...
Communities in every corner of the country now struggle with a lack of affordable homes, an ailment long associated with fast-growing urban areas. A lack of affordable housing hamstrings rural towns’ abilities to attract workers and slows business growth. Quality housing is also linked to health and well-being, and home ownership remains a primary way working people build equity and ownership. Small towns need affordable, quality housing for people across the financial spectrum. Solving this s...
REP. ADRIAN SMITH The importance of a strong agriculture economy to the state of Nebraska and our entire nation cannot be overstated. Often overlooked in policy conversations, products supplied by farmers and ranchers are fundamental to fueling our lives, filling our plates, putting shirts on our backs and so much more. Yet, American ag producers currently face a bevy of historic crises which threaten their livelihoods and the long-term health of our economy. This comes at a time when relief for Americans suffering because of inflation and the...
JESSICA CAMPOS Center for Rural Affairs Women’s Business Center director Many small business owners wonder how cybersecurity pertains to their business or think they could never fall victim to cybercriminals. But, according to the Small Business Administration, cyber-attacks are a growing threat for entrepreneurs and the U.S. economy. In 2020 alone, the FBI reported that the cost of cybercrimes reached $2.7 billion. While some small businesses have little to no financial resources to devote t...
Earlier this month, the Small Business Administration announced major enhancements to the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, a federal disaster relief loan designed to support small businesses. Changes to the program include: • Increasing the COVID EIDL cap. The SBA will lift the COVID EIDL cap from $500,000 to $2 million. Loan funds can be used for any normal operating expenses and working capital, including payroll, purchasing equipment and paying debt. • Implementation of a def...
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...
JOHNATHAN HLADIK Policy director Center for Rural Affairs As they continue to face challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic, rural small businesses and communities with loans through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program find themselves on the outside once again. Provisions of the Rural Equal Aid Act, a measure with bipartisan support in the House and Senate, were left out of the latest round of stimulus funding approved Monday by Congress. Our elected officials have again let these rural entrepreneurs down and h...
For almost 50 years, the Center for Rural Affairs has been a leading force in standing up for the family farmer and rancher, small business owner and rural communities. We look forward to working with former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack; President-Elect Joe Biden; and the new USDA leadership as they listen to and work with rural Americans. On Dec. 10, Vilsack was officially nominated for the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. All Cabinet appointees, including Secretary of...
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many events to be canceled this year, but it does not take away the opportunity to shop local during the holiday season. Communities across the country have found innovative ways to keep both business owners and customers safe. For example, the Valley County Chamber in Ord, made its annual Snowball Drop a virtual event. Starting in early November, the Chamber posted questions about local businesses on their social media. Every community member who responds to a...
With a crazy 2020 almost on the books, let’s take a look at the opportunities your business has had available and what you need to do to cross the finish line on Dec. 31. Have you spent your Payment Protection Program dollars? This Small Business Administration loan program is closed and now is the time to seek forgiveness. According to the SBA, borrowers may be eligible for loan forgiveness if the funds were used for eligible payroll costs, payments on business mortgage interest payments, r...
Are masks giving people a false sense of security? The question was posed to Summerland School Board of Education members during its Oct. 12 meeting in Clearwater. During public participation, three district patrons offered comments, asking questions about the school mandate, which requires students in all grades to wear masks during the school day. The mandate went into effect Sept. 28. Sara Lemburg asked the board to be "objective and practical." She acknowledged COVID-19 is a dangerous...
Despite bipartisan support, rural small businesses and communities with loans through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program will not be included in the latest stimulus package for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The updated Heroes Act, introduced Monday in the U.S. House of Representatives, does not include provisions outlined in the Rural Equal Aid Act. “Rural small businesses continue to feel the effects of the pandemic and, while they are doing their best to keep the doors open, they are hurting,” said...
Small businesses continue to feel the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. While they are doing their best to keep the doors open, they are hurting. That is especially true in our rural towns. Congress has acted to provide businesses with loans through the Small Business Administration six months of payment forgiveness. This is a lifeline for big city enterprises, but it doesn’t help rural entrepreneurs. That is because many rural businesses do not have access to an SBA lender and must borrow f...
NEBRASKA NEWS SERVICE The Small Business Administration, on Monday, released some details about 4,179 Nebraska businesses that took out Paycheck Protection Program loans of $150,000 or more. The Small Business Administration did not report the exact amount each business took out in loans, offering a range that the loan fell into. Only loans of $150,000 or more were reported. Of the 4,179 loans, 2,394 of them were for the lowest range, $150,000 to $350,000. Statewide, 36 businesses got loans of $5 million to $10 million. Orchard loans reported...
The purchase of a refrigerated semi-trailer and the county fund it was paid from were among matters of contention at the Antelope County commissioners' meeting last week. All five commissioners, several other county officials and others were present in the courthouse meeting room May 5 and the meeting was shared electronically via Zoom. Some of those present were asked to step into the hall at one point, when more than 10 were observed in the room. Jared Reimers addressed the commissioners...
CENTER FOR RURAL AFFAIRS As lawmakers consider legislation to address the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, a group of 64 small business lenders across 32 states are calling on Congress to treat rural and urban businesses equally when it comes to providing relief. While the recently-passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act created a program that provides immediate relief to small businesses with loans from the Small Business Administration, there was no such provision for those who have loans from the U.S. Department...
JESSICA CAMPOS Women's Business Center director Center for Rural Affairs As of Thursday, April 16, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced that the Paycheck Protection Program had reached the maximum loan limit authorized by Congress, just 14 days after small businesses were first able to apply. The program was created as part of the CARES Act, signed into law on March 27, which included $377 billion in relief to small businesses, with $350 billion of that allocated to the PPP. Congress is debating a proposal to add $250 billion to...
