Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Here's a rundown of three of those ballot issues, a referendum to repeal a private school voucher law and the pair concerning medical marijuana: In one of the more hotly contested issues in recent years, voters will decide whether to repeal, or retain, a controversial law was passed earlier this year that allows the State Treasurer to administer a scholarship program to private and parochial K-12 schools that was funded with $10 million of state funds. Legislative Bill 1402 served to replace a l...
Hard to imagine, but in our deep-red state we now have a competitive race for the U.S. Senate. It's been a while since a Republican had to break a sweat to get re-elected to the Senate in Nebraska. Even former governor and U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey – a widely known Democrat nationally – couldn't crack the GOP's grip on the state's two Senate seats. But here comes a regular guy and nonpartisan from Omaha, Dan Osborn. His long-shot run against two-term incumbent Sen. Deb Fischer has caught fire, ins...
All University of Nebraska athletic venues now have full approval to sell alcohol. On Oct. 4, the Nebraska Board of Regents voted 7-1 in favor of allowing beer, wine and liquor sales at all NU athletic venues, replacing a 2022 vote that allowed alcohol sales case by case. Until today, Nebraska was the sole Big Ten school that did not sell alcohol in its football stadium. "The advantage of all 17 schools in the Big Ten doing this already is there are best practices," athletic director Troy Dannen...
Nebraska doesn't get many national headlines about politics, but a recent, last-minute push by major Republicans to get the state to ditch its unique system of awarding electoral votes for president did just that. Former President Donald Trump and leading GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham were among those applying the pressure recently to return to a "winner-take-all" system. Only Nebraska and Maine don't give all of its electoral votes to the statewide winner of the popular vote for president. Instead, N...
Voter Registration Requirements The last day to register to vote in the November 5th, 2024 General Election is Friday, October 25th, 2024 at 6:00 PM in the office of the County Clerk/Election Commissioner. All persons wishing to vote must be United States citizens, a Nebraska resident and at least 18 years of age on or before the first Tuesday, after the first Monday in November of this year, that being November 5th, 2024, Eligible applicants must complete a Nebraska Voter Registration...
Hand counting of election ballots will not take place in Holt County anytime soon, despite a request from citizens made at the Sept. 16 supervisors' meeting in O'Neill. Grace Coleman of Atkinson presented petitions discouraging use of electronic tabulators and encouraging a return to hand counting of ballots at the precinct level. She said individuals from Holt, Boyd, Antelope, Cedar, Knox, Dixon and northern Pierce counties signed the petitions, which were circulated over the summer months....
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...
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...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska Sept. 17, 2024 The clerk was completing a claim call. The Antelope County Board of Commissioners convened in special session on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, at 8:06 a.m., in the county commissioner’s meeting room, Antelope County Courthouse Annex, Neligh, Nebraska, for the purpose of a budget hearing. The meeting was called to order by board chairperson, Charlie Henery, with the following board members in attendance: Jacob, Dittrich, Krebs, Williby and Henery. Chairman stated t...
Ironic, isn’t it, that a system that provides so many advantages for its citizens also provides the means of its own demise. Unlike nearly every other system of government that came before it, U.S. democracy offered its citizens individual freedom, respect and relative equality. Yes, it’s true that the founders left women and enslaved people out of their plans, but, thankfully, the nation has moved to implement the founders’ original principles as we have learned more about and moved to embrace what they actually mean. American democracy makes...
The State of Nebraska has more than 200 boards and commissions staffed by professionals and regular citizens. They deal with a broad range of subjects, from the recently-created Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementia Advisory Council and State Child Death Review Team, to more recognizable boards, such as the Board of Parole and Board of Trustees for State Colleges. The governor gets to appoint members to many of these boards and the appointments often go to supporters of the governor and people...
Holt County Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit, Aug. 22, for VRDG, LLC, to construct a commercial solar conversion system. Matt Robinette, of Bluestem Energy Solutions, represented VRDG, LLC, and explained the 325-megawatt nameplate capacity site. Three hundred Holt County acres would be used in the project, with the balance of construction set to take place in Knox County. Approximately 68 megawatts would be produced in Holt County and 257 megawatts would come from the Knox...
Nebraska isn't known as a battleground state when it comes to presidential elections. That tag usually goes to Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, along with Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. But the recent pick of Nebraska native and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the vice presidential running mate for Kamala Harris is revving up talk that the Cornhusker State – at least Omaha's congressional district – is in play and may help decide this fall's presidential election. Walz, a 60-year-old former teache...
A court advocacy program will receive $10,000 in funding from Holt County following a vote by county supervisors during a July 31 meeting. Theresa Liewer, president of Court-Appointed Special Advocates for Children of North Central Nebraska, along with Holt County Sheriff's Office office manager Tami Malolepszy explained the program, which provides trained, court-appointed volunteers for abused and neglected youth in the foster care system in the service area. CASA volunteers serve as a voice...
Two new paraprofessionals hires were approved Monday by the Summerland Public School Board of Education during its regular meeting. Superintendent Molly Aschoff told the board that administration had posted a job notice for a special education/Title 1 para position, with a van route to the Central Learning Center in Clearwater. During that period, a late para resignation was received. Elementary principal Cathy Cooper said four or five applications were received and three individuals were...
The Legislature’s General Affairs Committee took a half step Monday toward letting the public vote on the future of online sports betting in Nebraska. But the committee’s decision to punt a companion bill means any vote will likely wait until after the November election. The amended version of Legislative Resolution 3CA stopped short of letting voters decide the issue all at once. Instead, they would be asked to give the Legislature the constitutional authority to decide the issue. The amendment from State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, a Democr...
Nebraskans are reminded to check the mail this week if they regularly vote early in Nebraska elections and filed a standing request with their county election commissioner to do so again. Election commissioners in Douglas, Lancaster and many other Nebraska counties recently mailed ballot request cards to people on their regular early voter lists. Douglas County has mailed out 160,000 cards. Lancaster County mailed out 64,000 of its blue postcards Friday. People can return the early voting...
As you may have read or heard, Governor Pillen announced his intention to call the Legislature back in special session relating to property taxes beginning July 25 until “unfinished business” is resolved. On the last day of session, the Legislature did not take a final vote on the session’s property tax package since that bill’s introducer did not believe they had the votes necessary to overcome a filibuster. Since the Legislature adjourned, senators, including myself, have spent countless hours...
“When there’s a will, there’s a way.” That was a phrase that surfaced regularly at the end of state legislative sessions. It referred to the hope that bills that appeared dead might be resurrected. Somehow, someway – like the zombie in a horror movie that would never die – some of those bills came back to life and were passed. Again, when there’s a will, there’s a way. That was the case at the end of the tumultuous 2023 session of the Nebraska Legislature, when filibusters were a daily routine...
Back in the day, a small, "trial balloon" would be sent aloft to discern wind speed and direction before a balloon carrying people was launched. Folks were rightly concerned about rising into the heavens blindly, without knowing if a catastrophic whirlwind was aloft. Right now, we're seeing plenty of trial balloons sent aloft by Gov. Jim Pillen to determine if a plan to dramatically reduce local property taxes might have a shot at success during his special session, scheduled to start July 25....
GENERAL ELECTION NOTICE & OFFICES TO BE FILLED BY ELECTION AND FILING DEADLINES I, Lisa Payne, Antelope County Clerk/Election Commissioner, hereby give notice of the offices to be filled by election that will appear on the 2024 General Election Ballot to be held Nov. 5, 2024, in Antelope County, Nebraska, as per State Statute 32-601. Notice is also given that the filing deadline for such offices are: July 15, 2024, for incumbents and Aug. 1, 2024, for non-incumbents. An incumbent is anyone serving in an elective office, even if they are filing...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES June 10, 2024 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met for a regular meeting Monday, June 10, at 7 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Meeting opened at 7 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger, was posted at US Post Office in Clearwater, Clearwater Market and Cornerstone Bank-Clearwater and was given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kelly Kerkman, Marsha...
Have you been to the grocery store or courthouse lately and been approached in the parking lot by not one, but two people seeking signatures on initiative petitions concerning abortion rights? Confused? You’re not alone. For what appears to be the first time in history, Nebraskans are being asked to sign not one, not two, but three petitions seeking to determine if and when a woman can have an abortion. And, according to Secretary of State Bob Evnen, if more than one petition makes the ballot, t...
Clearwater voters will decide whether to allow keno gambling in the November general election. Clearwater Village Board of Trustees held the first reading of Ordinance 2024-2, regarding placing the question of allowing the lottery within village limits on the November 2024 ballot when it met May 13. Second reading will take place at the June 10 meeting, with the third reading to take place during the July meeting. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions or offer comments during the...
There is a lot of information floating around on social media about the integrity of elections. Since the May 14 primary election is around the corner, I wanted to share more insight into election procedures in Holt County. Holt County, like every other county in Nebraska, operates its own elections. Our duties include handling our county’s voter registration list, operating precincts on Election Day, operating and testing election equipment and completing other election-related requirements. Our office, including the permanent and temporary e...
