Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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The Nebraska Legislature reconvened on July 20, after a break of more than four months due to the pandemic. When we recessed, we had 17 working days remaining to debate and pass legislation, and those days have been moved to late July through early August in order to complete our work. While things could always change again, we are currently slated to work through the 13th of August to finish out the 60 working days of our session. In the intervening weeks and months, many Nebraskans have had...
TRENTON BUHR Policy Assistant Center for Rural Affairs Nearly two years after voters approved a measure to expand Medicaid, Nebraskans will finally start to see the benefits take shape. Enrollment will begin Aug.1. To be eligible, an applicant’s annual income must be at, or below, 138% of the federal poverty level, which is roughly $17,000 for an individual or $35,000 for a family of four. Additional circumstances, such as a health condition, dependents or valuable assets, could alter eligibility. As is standard practice, enrollee eligibility w...
We made it. Happy first anniversary to the Advocate-Messenger family. One year ago, Jenna, Cassidy, Sandy and I were using my dining room table as a desk and took over the Schindler hacienda, creating and putting the pieces together for the inaugural issue. Quite a bit has changed in 12 months: we purchased The Office building in Clearwater, waded through the pandemic, applied for our periodicals postal permit (what an experience!) and have hired a veteran community journalist to join our staff...
ERIN SCHOENBERG Project Associate Center for Rural Affairs Recently, rural Americans have missed out on many services usually offered in their communities. However, library employees have worked even harder to provide for their patrons. For example, in Wayne, library staff have stepped up to show their community how resilient small-town libraries can be. A week after closing to the public, the library initiated curbside book pickup. They are also offering virtual assistance to patrons through online resources like Ebooks and audiobooks, online...
After the pandemic started, I was sent home from college. With no classes to attend or any of my school friends to see, I had to find something to fill up all of this new amount of time. I, like many people my age, turned to TikTok. For the longest time, I put off using and even downloading the app for no real reason. Out of complete boredom, I downloaded it just to see what was so amazing about the app. I quickly understood what it was. I realized that TikTok is very similar to when Vine was...
Some weeks, I know exactly what I want to say when it comes to this column. The idea takes root and over the weekend, I write and rewrite in my mind before committing word to paper. Other weeks, it seems like a million ideas swirl and nothing catches my complete attention. That’s sort of how I feel this week: a lot of words could be written on multiple topics, but I’m not sure there’s anything new to say about politics, the state of the nation, defunding police and the virus that disru...
CENTER FOR RURAL AFFAIRS On June 26, U.S. Reps. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, and Abigail Spanberger, Democrat from Virginia, members of the House Agriculture Committee, introduced a companion bill to the Growing Climate Solutions Act, H.R. 7393. The Senate bill, S. 3894, was introduced by Sens. Mike Braun, Republican from Indiana, and Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse in early June. The bill would standardize the agricultural carbon market and was referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. “These bills come at a critical t...
A look out the kitchen window into the flower garden this morning revealed the usual lilies, zinnias and petunias in bloom. The tiger lilies green buds hang down waiting for their turn to open. In this hot, dry season I’m lucky to have color. Listening to the spit, spit, spit of the sprinkler rotating on the vegetable garden, I move to the patio for a bowl of cereal and hope something new might be blooming in the flower garden. Then I saw it, the garden phlox is starting to show color. Late last summer I planted two. I’ve had them before, but a...
This is my favorite time of year. Sweet summer is in full swing, sun lights the sky until late evening, we fire up the grill nightly and outdoor activities occupy spare time. Summertime means my favorite holiday is only a few days away. I have always preferred the Fourth of July to other holidays. It reminds me of family time, baseball games, picnic lunches, swimming and fireworks. What’s more perfect than that? My all-time favorite Fourth story includes a family softball game at my g...
Kayla Bergman Policy associate Center for Rural Affairs A recently introduced piece of legislation into the U.S. Senate is a positive step forward in addressing climate change in rural areas. The Growing Climate Solutions Act, intended to establish a certification program for private parties who work with producers to receive payments for carbon sequestration, comes at a critical time for the agriculture industry and the environment. Introduced by Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I) in early June, the bill also further...
I first met Vinne about 10 years ago, when he ventured from Boulder, Colorado, to Norfolk, to participate in the amateur division of the Great American Comedy Festival. He had a presence on stage that was hard to forget. He paced back and forth, wearing a path, like a tennis ball ricocheting side-to-side. And, there was something about his voice. He commanded attention. His timing was impeccable, delivering the twist of a joke. He made an impression. We chatted after the competition and...
“Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy board games, and that’s good enough.” It is unclear who initiated this statement, but it’s true. Money spent on board games is money well spent. Board games offer valuable life lessons: luck, strategy and teamwork. Don’t we all need a little luck now and then? Our family plays board games at every get-together. A stack of game boxes sat on the top shelf of the entryway closet at our grandparents’ house. Aunts and uncles would bring other games, and at...
I do not consider myself a conservative and I do not consider myself a liberal - I do not identify as either. I see myself as a person for humanity who believes in doing what is right and finding the good in people. I believe people have different views, perspectives and ideas that make them unique. None of these ideas are right or wrong. People come from different backgrounds and that needs to be celebrated and embraced. It may be difficult to understand, but learn about them, ask questions,...
LU NELSEN Policy associate Center for Rural Affairs As the global COVID-19 pandemic has swept across Nebraska, it has taken many clean energy jobs with it—especially in the solar energy industry. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the novel coronavirus has led to the loss of 105 jobs in Nebraska, a decrease of 29% from the original forecast. In addition to job loss, COVID-19 may also impact the projected growth of solar in the state. As recently as 2019, the solar industry employed 1,332 Nebraskans and about 47 megawatts o...
We all have one, an area where our view is obstructed. A blind spot corresponds to a specific area in one’s eye that is insenstive to light, where the optic nerve connects with the retina. At that junction, an interruption distorts the normal pattern of light-sensitive rods and cones. We also have a blind spot while driving, even though some of us do not want to admit it. It’s that tricky area to the side and slightly behind our field of vision that is not reflected in the rearview mirror. Many...
KAYLA BERGMAN Policy Associate Center for Rural Affairs Planting and emergence progress for both corn and soybeans are currently ahead of the five-year average across the Midwest. But, still fresh in farmers’ minds is the 2019 planting season, which was severely delayed due to record-breaking precipitation that led to flooded fields and excess soil moisture. According to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, on June 2, 2019, corn-producing states had completed only 67% of planting. In addition, NASS reported the soybean-producing s...
One of the most fitting quotes I have read concerning protests for the death of George Floyd is the simple truth. “Speaking out against white supremacy and race-based violence does not make you anti-white, anti-police, right or left. It makes you pro justice, pro all lives, pro accountability and pro racial equality. Caring about the life of another isn’t political. It’s human.” Somewhere, in the midst of seven days of chaos since Derek Chauvin spent eight minutes and 46 seconds pressin...
While we have all done our best to stay healthy and safe during the coronavirus pandemic, rural communities have risen above the challenges forced upon them during this unprecedented time and shown what true fortitude and grit look like - coming together to make sure neighbors, friends and family are safe, well-fed and cared for. One sector—rural grocery stores—has stepped up to provide for their customers. During the onslaught of new restrictions and regulations, people started panic buy...
A cottony billow of dandelion seeds caught my attention Saturday, while I placed flowers along the row of family members’ graves in the Oakdale cemetery. The flower seemed out of place among the carpet of velvety green grass, its wispy, circular head swaying in rhythm with the gentle breeze. By the time I’d placed bouquets near each headstone, most of the seeds had scattered. The moment reminded me of family and Memorial Days past, times we would gather at our grandparents’ farm and celeb...
ANNA JOHNSON Policy Manager, Center for Rural Affairs In approving a $9.5 billion agriculture relief package in March, Congress asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use the funds to support producers, including livestock, specialty crops and local food producers. However, USDA’s new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) includes multiple provisions designed to allow the largest producers to side-step normal payment limitations and provides almost no support for small producers selling to local markets. First, CFAP allows o...
Freshman year cut short. These four words pretty much sum up what my college experience, being sent home, meant to me. Don’t get me wrong; I absolutely love it back home. In the same sense, it would be an understatement to say I’m bummed. This is the time we’re supposed to start spreading our wings and figuring out where we want to go and who we want to be. Freshman year of college includes a lot of new experiences. While attending Wayne State College, I have already created many life-long frien...
Some of the best gifts received from family didn’t cost anything, except time. Memories of baking in both grandmothers’ kitchens still flood to mind every time I try a new recipe or attempt to roll pie crust to an acceptable thickness. P.S. Grandma Fields, I’m still trying to master that skill. Frozen pie crusts are so much easier but do not taste a quarter as good as yours. When I watch baseball, I’m back in Wausa, walking to the ballfield with Dad and Grandma, waiting for the town team to take...
On Monday of this week, Speaker Scheer announced the Legislature would return from our extended adjournment on July 20. I believe that this is an appropriate time to allow the curve in Nebraska to flatten and to give senators and staff time to prepare to finish our session for this year. I am grateful for the time laid out before us to work on how the Legislature can best set up the state for success as we emerge from the conditions we have been under. The top item on my list of priorities...
What is your why? Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook posed the question to University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduates during Saturday’s virtual ceremony. His question got me thinking. Okay, actually his entire 11 and one-half minute address got me thinking and has been on my mind all day. Why? Mindset makes all the difference in life. Coach Cook is successful, so why not apply his lessons? First things first: What is my why? What’s my motivation? What inspires me - and you - to become our bes...
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...
