Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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It’s time to go bowling ... and I’m not talking about rolling an eight-pound Columbia 300. I haven’t been to a bowl game since 1981. That’s a 43-year drought where I’ve had to watch bowl games from afar or, gasp, suffer without a post-season game for the ‘Skers. So stop complaining because it has been eight years since our boys of fall last competed in late December. Forty-three is almost half a century. That’s ... old. Saturday’s Husker win over the stinkin’ Wiscy Badgers secured a bowl bi...
When it comes to running a successful small business, providing a great product or service is only half the battle. Whether you’re selling handcrafted products, offering professional services, or running a local shop, knowing who your potential customers are—and how to reach them—can make all the difference in your business’s success. What is a target market? Think of your target market as a group of your ideal customers. These people likely have similar characteristics outside of being most lik...
ace, we can all agree on that. And it's a very difficult place to manage, given that many inmates don't want to be there and have histories of violence, deception and mental illnesses. But inmates sent there shouldn't end up dead, unless they're sentenced to life in prison or given the death penalty for especially heinous murders. That – death – has been the result for at least three inmates in recent years who were placed in the same cell with another prisoner in solitary confinement cel...
A community, just like a person, is an unfolding process. Ever changing, growing and maturing, a community always needs to appreciate the present while focusing on the future. This year Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) is celebrating its 30th anniversary of helping Nebraska hometowns do just that: create new community capacity, better teamwork and a progressive vision for a future that motivates and inspires the next generation to want to be in community with us. In November NCF held its...
It’s funny how reading something can lead me down a rabbit hole, filled with history and memories. As I perused a daily “ideas” email from a writing group, the following question was posed: If you could design a theme park around any concept, what would it be? That simple question provoked thoughts of amusement parks in Nebraska. Kids today, more than likely, think about the mega-waterparks made popular by lazy, floating rivers and crazy slides or a Fun Plex, where video games can keep you occupied for hours. More than 50 years ago, Chaut...
Nebraskans decided a couple weeks ago that public funds for education should fund public education … and only public education. You can skip the “well, duh.” Without two petition drives, a solid campaign and Nebraskans doing the right thing, the question in question — Legislative Bill 1402 — may very well have started using tax dollars for private school tuition next fall. The decision to repeal LB 1402, which provided public money for private school scholarships, was fairly loud and quite cle...
We're all glad the election is over and we're no longer subjected to wall-to-wall campaign ads on TV and radio. The faster we can get back to watching "Green Acres" reruns the better! But I can't get over how differently Nebraskans in the east, and Nebraskans in the west voted this year. We might as well be two states – "East Cornhusker" and "West Cornhusker" (and I know several people who would prefer that). Let's take the hottest race in the state, pitting incumbent U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer v...
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, which song would you choose? I hope this scenario doesn’t play out. Ever. Music is one of my top three learning styles, woven into the fabric of everyday instances. Let’s face it, it’s practically one of my love languages, forging a bond that strikes a right chord, creating harmony on all levels. When Plato wrote, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything,” I wonder wh...
Dear Summerland Advocate-Messenger, Thank you for donating money for the Level I photography champion award. I had fun trying all the Level 1 classes and was excited the judges liked my fun with mirrors photos. My siblings and I had a lot of fun creating them. I look forward to improving my photography skills and explaining and taking pictures with the new camera I received. We’ll see if I get brave and try Level 2 classes or do Level I one more year. Thank you for supporting youth through the 4-H program. Sincerely, Adelyn F...
As November begins, so does the busiest shopping season of the year. We're familiar with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but let's not overlook Small Business Saturday - a day dedicated to supporting the businesses that keep our communities vibrant and unique. On this day, shop small and make an impact close to home by supporting the shops, services, and makers in our own backyards. Rural and local businesses face unique pressures. They compete not only with the convenience of online shopping...
The election is thankfully over, but I still can't get over how much money pours into these campaigns. Back in the day, if a state legislative candidate spent more than $100,000 on a campaign to get elected to a $12,000-a-year post at the State Capitol, it was a big deal. Now that kind of spending is par for the course. Nearly every race for the 25 seats being contested in the Nebraska Legislature had a candidate who spent more than six figures. As of Oct. 21, candidates for the so-called "Hall...
Be kind. That’s it. Pretty simple, right? Be kind. Stop spreading rumors about others. Stop the trash talk. Stop trying to make yourself feel better by putting others down. Stop being a bully. You are responsible for your happiness. You are responsible for your actions. Want the world to be a better place? Be genuine. Be kind....
Transparency is essential to effective policy making and is the cornerstone of earning stakeholder trust. When people understand the reasoning behind a policy, they are much more likely to accept the final outcome, even if it does not align with their individual preference. The future of clean energy depends on the successful implementation and adoption of solar and wind policies to provide needed rural economic opportunities and preserve the health of our natural environment. Achieving good...
Medicare enrollment period begins on Oct. 15, extending through Dec. 7th. Throughout this time, seniors across Greater Nebraska will receive numerous calls and letters urging them to switch to Medicare Advantage plans. While these plans often promote cost savings and added perks, the reality for patients and health care providers can be much different. Patients face delays and higher costs Unlike traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans often require prior approval for care. In fact, nearly all Medicare Advantage enrollees must get prior...
Like a comet that swings by the earth every few years, there's been talk now and then about placing some huge development between Omaha and Lincoln along the Platte River. Between the state's two largest cities would be an ideal location for a new football stadium for the Cornhuskers, the reasoning goes. An airport there would attract more flights to and from our state. And wouldn't a huge lake look great along Interstate 80 in that spot? Back in the day, the idea was to dam up the Platte River...
It may seem cliché but one of the funniest Halloween costumes is the blind referee. If you’re a sports fan, the referee scenario undoubtedly has run through your mind. I’m not into conspiracy theories but ... At least six calls were missed during Saturday’s Nebraska-Ohio State football game, calls that could have given Nebraska a signature road win or handed Ohio State an even bigger margin of victory. Two of the most notable: the spot on Emmet Johnson’s first-down run that turned into a third...
In the past three weeks, I outlined all six ballot initiatives and referendum measures that will be on this year’s general election ballot. This editorial is dedicated to my personal perspective on two ballot measures: Initiative Measures 434 (Protect Women and Children) and 439 (Protect Our Rights) relating to abortion. In my mind, we should strive to do the most good and preserve human life. This is why I am encouraging pro-life voters in Nebraska to consider voting for Initiative Measure 4...
Over the years, I've covered a few elections – probably more than I'd like to remember. Back in the day, we didn't get the wall-to-wall commercials slinging mud or the daily update on what the polls say. But one thing hasn't changed – elections are maybe the most observed, double checked and overseen functions of government. Vote counting machines are double- and triple-checked. Each political party employs "poll watchers" to make sure there's no hanky panky and the boards that count and rec...
As I'm writing this, two weeks stand between now and Nov. 5, the general election. I don't often write about politics. A long time ago, in J school, a professor shared a belief that in community journalism, it's best to let the public make their own decisions. Present the facts. Neighbors don't need to tell neighbors how to vote, she would say. Let the big city dailies endorse a candidate. Here, in small-town America, let residents investigate and research candidates and issues and form an...
Labels in politics are a tricky thing, particularly in Nebraska. If you're a "Republican," do you align with the wing of the party that identifies with former governor and U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts? Or do you roll with the new GOP, the group that tossed out Ricketts' loyalists? (You might also be a "moderate" Republican, though they are harder to find than a 25-cent cup of coffee.) Same holds true for the Democrats. Are you a Democrat who holds more moderate views on abortion and government...
Public school administrators and board of education members across the country face tough decisions when it comes to addressing how to pay for the repair or replacement of aging equipment, vehicles and infrastructure. The direct-pay provision in the Inflation Reduction Act enables schools and other tax-exempt groups to receive certain clean energy and climate-related tax credits as direct cash refunds from the Internal Revenue System. Entities can receive up to 30% of a clean energy project’s co...
We have a choice in the November 5 election between two initiatives regarding abortion, Initiative 434 or Initiative 439. Initiative 434 would protect unborn babies from abortion in the second and third trimesters except for cases of medical emergencies, sexual assault or incest. The laws we currently have regarding parental notification for minors, informed consent before abortion and in-person requirements to receive abortion pills would remain in place. Common-sense laws like basic safety regulations for abortion facilities and requiring a...
This week, I will be discussing Initiative Measure 437 and Initiative Measure 438. Both of these initiatives revolve around the issue of cannabis and propose a framework to legalize medical cannabis in the state. Should these two ballot initiatives pass, the Legislature will likely play a role in shaping some of the finer details of implementing medical cannabis in this state, much akin to the implementation of casino gambling in 2021-22. Initiative Measure 437 proposes to create a new law...
One of my favorite play scripts is “First Night” by Jack Neary. In it, Danny Fleming, a video store clerk, sees his eighth-grade crush, Meredith O’Connor (who is now a nun), enter the store. What ensues is a roller coaster of emotions from puppy love to midlife angst. The play answers questions: Does he still love her? Is she in love with him? After 20 years, will she leave the convent to build a life with the man of her dreams? The best line first comes from Danny, talking about Mered...
Farm to School is a win for students, a win for farmers and a win for communities. It strengthens our food system and our local economies, and it provides opportunities for students to develop new skills, such as agricultural or livestock production, and marketing, business and entrepreneurship. Over the past decade, the farm-to-school movement has exploded across the U.S., reaching millions of students in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories. School gardens, school farms, high...
