Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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I saw a quote recently and it’s been on my mind since then: “The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised.” I like surprises, that’s the optimist in me shining through, looking for a lesson worth learning or a silver lining. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of pessimism in the world today. I see and hear it often in casual conversations and on social media. Its tentacles are permeating society, pulling us farther apart, creating...
Either it’s irony or a divine sign that SPS English instructor Katie Schneider shared a blog post on social media last week about the teacher shortage. I’ve been gathering data on the topic for nearly a month, hoping to pull a story together. I’m sharing Schneider’s post with her permission, on this page, under the op-ed label. Schneider addresses parents in her open letter, talking about respect or the lack thereof, about technology and its effects on a child’s brain and behavior, about letting...
Coming to a TV or social media channel soon: “How To Survive Cooking With Your Spouse.” You no doubt think I’m joking, but Scott and I have talked about it for years. It might not be like the Food Network’s “Down Home With the Neelys” or “Extra Virgin” on the Cooking Channel. No, not at all like these examples. Obviously, we joke about it, too. I’m afraid our cooking adventures would include some old-fashioned ribbing, a few unappreciative glares, a stolen kiss or two and multiple instance...
One of the most iconic symbols of Nebraska and its history still dots the state's landscape, blades circling in the air, pumping clean clear water from the ground. Three Summerland students believe a windmill designed and constructed at the school will pay homage to Nebraska's roots - and be a visitor favorite - at this week's Norfolk Home and Garden Show at the Chuck M. Pohlman Agriculture Complex in Norfolk. The 12-foot windmill, designed by Summerland sophomore Caydence Schumacher, and...
It has been just over one year since I was sworn in as the public service commissioner for the 31 counties of District 4. I wanted to share another quarterly update on the work over the past three months. Many reading this likely may not have heard much of the happenings and work of the PSC. The Nebraska PSC is an elected, five-member statewide board that oversees several industries which affect our everyday lives, including broadband internet and telecommunications, the 911 network and...
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Find you tribe and appreciate them. I (and even Scott) appreciate everything our freelance photographers do for our publication. Whether they’re taking pictures or shooting video at sporting events, we count on their “eyes” on special moments at the games and matches they attend. Sometimes, there’s two or three of us working to capture photographs or video that we use in the print edition or social media channels. We are grateful for their work and ar...
Nebraska lawmakers are gathering once again in Lincoln for another year of debating and passing legislation. The democratic process is something America prides itself on and one that requires input from citizens to thrive. As new bills are being introduced and debated, lawmakers need to hear directly from their constituents on issues that are important to them. So, how can you make sure your voice is heard? The first way is to share your views by interacting directly with elected officials by...
Best-selling true crime author and Nebraska native Harry Mac-Lean knew he'd one day examine the most infamous crime in Nebraska history, the 1958 Charles Starkweather murder spree. But MacLean's reluctance to revisit his own fraught upbringing in Lincoln, where most of the murders occurred, kept pushing that day further away. Until now. MacLean offers his own take on one of the nation's first mass media serial killings in his book "Starkweather: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree That...
Government should be open, effective and responsive. It should serve taxpayers well. In our system, the best way to ensure a high level of customer service is for Americans to have meaningful, transparent communication with those who represent them. Since entering the Senate, I've made it a priority to offer Nebraskans a variety of ways to stay connected. This year I've held in-person meetings and events across Nebraska. Our team has hosted mobile office hours in every Nebraska county. Quarterly telephone townhalls and Instagram Q&As allow...
People gathered at the Nebraska Library Commission’s meeting, Nov. 16, to urge commissioners to limit the accessibility of certain databases and books available to Nebraska children in city and public school libraries. The Nebraska Library Commission, established in 1901 as a part of the Nebraska executive branch, promotes, develops and coordinates statewide library services in city, school, university and institutional libraries. The commission is governed by a six-member board appointed by the governor. The Nebraska Library Commission’s Nov...
“I don’t need stress; I need my shopping bag. It’s almost Black Friday.” Um, I’ve never uttered those words, much alone given day-after-Thanksgiving sales a lot of thought. I’ve gone shopping on Black Friday a handful of times. The first time was nearly 25 years ago. The Menards sales ad listed several great deals and our family decided we needed a certain item from the circular. What item? I don’t remember. I’m sure it was some insignificant piece of plastic made outside of the USA, but hey, t...
A journalism friend of mine recently hit a milestone birthday - she’s 65 now and thinks she will officially retire from the daily grind of deadlines and late night writing sessions which have fueled much of her newspaper career. She’s a community journalist at heart, a farmer’s wife who spends her down time gathering eggs from the chicken coop and maneuvering a grain cart in tandem with the big red combine, harvesting rows of corn and soybeans. There are grandkids to spend time with, committee r...
The holiday season is right around the corner and it comes with great news. According to a Gallup survey, 74% of holiday shoppers said they expect to pay about the same amount or more on holiday gifts this year compared to last. Moreover, 23% of shoppers said they choose one retailer over another because they want to support small and local businesses in their community. Small businesses are essential to rural America. When buying from local small businesses, you are supporting your community in...
Despite hysteria from social media, late night comedy shows or even presidential administrations, net neutrality is not a policy that needs to be controversial. Net neutrality is the idea that internet service providers should treat all data on their networks fairly, without favoring or disfavoring certain types of internet traffic. This means that service providers shouldn’t block lawful content, slow down access to content or unjustly prioritize traffic to certain sites. The basic p...
There are plenty of distractions. Ukraine vs Russia, Israel vs the Palestinians, Republicans vs other Republicans. The list is endless. But let’s turn our attention to a couple of Nebraska issues about which we can possibly do something. I’m talking about civility and transparency, or the lack thereof. Civility was cited in the recently-released Nebraska Rural Poll. A number of court filings for public records and a pending legislative bill speak to the transparency issue. Most rural Nebraskans see the lack of civil discourse in the pol...
To paraphrase Atticus Finch in "To Kill A Mockingbird," sometimes, you just need to walk in someone else's shoes. Noah Coughlan knows all about shoes. He figures he's gone through at least six pairs since he started a cross-country run known as Run For Revival, a 3,500-mile trek from near Seattle en route to Tampa Bay, honoring the nation's veterans and active service members. The journey began on Memorial Day. When he trekked across the Nebraska - South Dakota border, near the Rosebud...
Ask 10 people who they would choose as the most loved television or movie couple and you’ll get 10 different answers. While Ross and Rachel spark excitement for “Friends” followers, the chemistry between Robert Kincaid and Francesca Johnson, in “The Bridges of Madison County,” is undeniable. Questions like this make me chuckle, especially when I receive a press release from a London-based public relations firm, letting me know that Lois and Clark top the most-loved list for a lot of Nebraskan...
As families are preparing the return to school and fall sports practices are beginning, the hard work and great memories of county fairs starting to wrap up and farmers beginning to see their crops take shape in the field after another tumultuous year of weather, things have also been very active and busy at your Nebraska Public Service Commission as well this summer. Last November, I was elected by you to serve as the new Public Service Commissioner for the 31 counties of PSC District 4. I am...
"Mom, Zach ruined one of my Barbies again! Mom, Emma ripped my Barbie's hair out." These sayings were common occurrences of mine, as a middle child, meaning my Barbie's went through the trenches. Missing hair, colored faces, torn clothes; all of these items were normal to see on my beloved dolls. For all who have had to face destroyed toys, we can happily celebrate Barbie-In-A-Blender Day. This holiday, celebrated July 27, was started by Freeculture.org to show support for photographer and...
Technocrats are voicing concern about the safety of artificial intelligence. Should we let them take charge of figuring out how to regulate it? Alarmism in online articles generates sensational news and keeps the marketing machine running. The more hype, the more clicks, the more visits, the more money. Unfortunately, online news surrounding artificial intelligence has not been spared by this trend. Artificial intelligence refers to the ability of machines to perform tasks that would typically...
In a rare move, seven months into the Jim Pillen reign, I'm going to suggest we cut the new guy some slack. Seems that a social media tweet raised concerns about First Amendment rights and dredged up the decades-long discussion on brain drain. Pillen tweeted from the governor's official account that he hoped the 31 Nebraska high school graduates who had perfect scores on the ACT would "return and utilize your talents here" after college. Remember, it was Twitter and other social media that...
I am curious as to what ever happened to scruples in public life. Anybody know? You remember scruples: Stand-up people, the do-the-right-thing-regardless crowd? Maybe my naivete is showing, but I swear scruples used to be a thing. They - or lack of them - came to mind when I read that Italian authorities found the young British tourist who carved "Ivan +Haley 23" into the wall of Rome's 2,000-year-old Colosseum. Pro tip, Ivan: Love may conquer all, make the world go round and find a way, but eve...
Each year, dozens of American farmers are injured or killed after they climb into a grain bin. A father-son duo from Aurora founded their one-of-a-kind company with one mission: No more boots in that grain. Chad Johnson and son Ben Johnson have created a robot, the Grain Weevil, meant to do most of the necessary – and oft-dangerous – tasks that farmers do inside their bins. The pair started developing their robot in 2020, after a farmer friend asked them to build a robot so the farmer would nev...
Mother Nature has been interfering with the Area 1 American Junior Legion baseball tournament. Originally, the Tri-County Titans were slated to play Creighton/Plainview, Friday, July 7, but opening games were moved to Saturday, due to rain. The rain delay may have worked in the Titan’s favor, as they walked away with a 7-6 win over C/P. Coach Jeff Shabram said, “It was a complete team effort, as Ryan Rifer started on the mound, followed by Jake Schroeder and A.J. Hobbs. Wyatt Shabram came in to close out the game.” Tri-County would score two r...
It began with a yellow piece of paper, taped crookedly on a wall by four jagged pieces of electrical tape. A single word, written in blue block letters, spells out the theme of what many need to remember: BELIEVE. Three years ago, Jason Sudeikis’s “Ted Lasso” wrangled his way into living rooms and hearts, sharing his kooky, quirky, optimistic, Midwestern wisdom from Richmond Green, in England. The streaming show, featuring the American football coach taking over a British soccer team, premiered...
