Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
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The family unit plays a crucial role in shaping a child's life. A loving home is a tremendous blessing –it's easy for many of us to take that for granted. But there are nearly 500 children in Nebraska still waiting on a forever family. At the State, we are working diligently to find every one of these children a safe, loving home. I encourage you to consider what you can do to play a part in changing a child's life through adoption or foster care. Many of us entered the world greeted by the warm... Full story
As Nebraskans, we're fortunate to live in a state where we enjoy peace, prosperity, and the blessings of liberty. As we celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family, there are plenty of reasons to be grateful here in the Good Life. First and foremost, Nebraska is filled with friendly, generous people. Nebraskans are quick to lend a hand-whether that's shoveling the driveway of an elderly neighbor, delivering a home-cooked meal to a family with a newborn, or helping a fellow rancher round up... Full story
In 2024, NASA will send a small surgical robot from Nebraska to the International Space Station. The tiny, two-pound robot will be able to perform surgeries on the space station that would normally require a surgeon’s expertise and much larger equipment. The surgical robot can operate more or less on its own, performing complex procedures at the flip of a switch. The device, developed by Nebraska-based Virtual Incision, is a significant step toward making it possible for surgeons to operate r...
Over the years, Nebraskans have built thousands of miles of trails, rails, power lines, and highways to connect our state. This connectivity has helped our urban and rural communities thrive. Yet as more of our lives have gone online, we’ve seen a digital divide develop. It’s easier and less expensive to deliver high-speed internet to houses close together in cities than it is to reach ranch homes spaced miles apart. For this reason, broadband infrastructure in rural Nebraska has lagged beh...
Fifty years ago, women’s volleyball wasn’t even a varsity sport at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Fast forward a half century, and Nebraska volleyball is must-see entertainment. Matches at the Devaney Center are standing room only. The Huskers again led the nation in home attendance last year with crowds averaging over 8,200 per match. And their national championship match against Wisconsin in December broke collegiate volleyball records for both in-person attendance (18,755) and TV v...
Nebraska is experiencing terrific growth. We’ve seen big success creating jobs, cutting taxes, and attracting investment to our state. This week, I’m hosting 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’ll dive into the challenges and opportunities we face as a state. Some topics are familiar: developing our workforce, opening new markets for Nebras...
We’re less than a month away from our state’s biggest annual celebration — the Nebraska State Fair. From August 26th through September 5th, Nebraskans from across the state will gather to share all that Nebraska agriculture has to offer. It will be the 153rd time we gather for this time-honored tradition. Last year, the State Fair attracted more than a quarter-million attendees to Grand Island, including visitors from 10 countries and 43 states. This year, we’ll be ready to welcome even more gu...
This month, I issued a proclamation declaring July 2022 as “Victims of Communism Month” in Nebraska. This is the second year in a row that I’ve issued this proclamation as a way to highlight the atrocities committed by Communist governments. There’s no clearer example than the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), whose regime is a human rights abuser to its own people. In recent years, the CCP has ruthlessly crushed dissent in Hong Kong. It has committed genocide against ethnic Uighurs. And it is o...
One of America’s greatest civil rights heroes is from Nebraska. Yet nationally, almost nobody knows about him. As Nebraskans, we’re changing that by telling Chief Standing Bear’s story. In the 1800s, Chief Standing Bear’s tribe — the Ponca — peacefully hunted and farmed on land in northeast Nebraska along the Niobrara River. In 1868, the federal government signed a treaty with the Sioux tribe, mistakenly granting them much of the Ponca’s territory. This led to conflict between the two tribes ove...
In 1937, the Nebraska Safety Patrol was formed to address the rising problem of crashes on our state’s roads. Eighty-five years later, that organization still stands—now known as the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP). Their mission to help keep our communities and citizens safe hasn’t wavered. But they continue to adapt the ways they carry out that mission to meet the needs of Nebraskans. As we celebrate 85 years of the NSP, let’s recognize all they do for our state. They keep us safe on the roads, pr...
Americans are experiencing pain at the pump and sticker shock at the store. Prices continue to soar. This out-of-control inflation is corrosive to the financial health of America’s families. The failed policies of the Biden-Harris Administration are directly responsible for this runaway inflation. It’s time the President takes action to bring it under control. Here in Nebraska, we’ve shown how to achieve sustained growth — even in the face of floods, fires, and a global pandemic. We’re t...
Mental illness is a national public health issue that affects Nebraska as well. During my time as Governor, we’ve made mental health a priority and have rolled out several programs to identify mental illness and get Nebraska’s students, veterans, and others the care they need. As a result of these efforts, U.S. News and World Report now ranks Nebraska as having the fourth-best mental health in the nation. However, we still have plenty of room for improvement. As we work to prevent mental ill...
Dear College Graduates, Congratulations! You did it! You persevered through a once-in-a-century pandemic to earn your degree. Your disciplined study and hard work have paid off. You’ve put yourself in a great position to move toward your dreams. It’s an exciting moment. As you consider your next step, I encourage you to put down roots in the Good Life. We want you here in Nebraska. Our state has a lot to offer: great-paying jobs, family-friendly communities, and an unparalleled quality of life....
Grit and determination. Readiness to help at a moment’s notice. Willingness to work long and hard. Steadfastness in the face of difficulty. These are the qualities that define us as Nebraskans. And we saw them on full display last month as our state battled the worst fires in a decade. On the evening of April 22nd, 16 fires broke out throughout Nebraska. They were brought on by a combination of drought, low humidity, and gusty winds. These dangerous conditions caused the wildfires to spread q...
Nebraskans have long been strong supporters of the right to keep and bear arms. Nearly 85 years after it was enshrined in the Second Amendment at the federal level, Nebraska’s leaders chose to make our stance on gun rights crystal clear. Article I of the Nebraska Constitution proclaims that “the right to keep and bear arms for security or defense of self, family, home, and others, and for lawful common defense, hunting, recreational use, and all other lawful purposes...shall not be denied or...
The 2022 Legislative Session will go down in history as one of the Nebraska Unicameral’s finest. In just 60 days, the Legislature passed record tax relief, made critical public safety enhancements, and invested in generational water resource projects. As if this wasn’t enough, Senators also allocated $1.04 billion of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Here are some of the highlights of this historic session. Tax Relief The crowning achievement was tax relief. Heading into this sess...
In Nebraska, we know the importance of good stewardship. Our farmers and ranchers responsibly cultivate the land so future generations of Nebraskans can continue enjoying the Good Life for years to come. It’s why, nearly one hundred years before Earth Day even began, J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day right here in Nebraska City. Our farmers and ranchers are the original conservationists. Ag producers play a major role in our responsible stewardship of land and water. They use innovative p...
As we approach the final days of the 2022 legislative session, the Nebraska Unicameral has the opportunity to deliver smart criminal justice reforms that will enhance public safety and benefit all Nebraskans. These changes will allow us to better manage our inmate population and provide modern resources to prepare offenders for life after time served—without compromising public safety. However, there are a small subset of soft-on-crime reforms that would have a large, negative impact. Senator S...
In the remaining days of the 2022 Legislative Session, we must work together to strike the appropriate balance between managing government spending and returning excess revenue to the people. That is how we responsibly steward taxpayer money. True to our collective character, Nebraskans have powered through the COVID-19 pandemic. In its wake, our hardworking citizens and businesses have leveraged that momentum to accelerate our growth and show the world the strength of the Nebraska Way. While mu...
The Nebraska Legislature has reached a critical juncture. In the coming weeks, Senators will make important votes on a budget that will shape the future of our state. On March 11th, the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee released its amendments to my proposed budget. This week, Senators will begin debating what to do with billions of taxpayer dollars. Specifically, they will decide whether surplus State revenues should be used for more government spending or returned to Nebraskans through t...
As Nebraskans, we value resourcefulness and self-reliance. We also care for our neighbors. We recognize that extraordinary times—like a natural disaster or a global pandemic—warrant extra assistance. During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Nebraskans stepped up to help those in need. At the federal and state level, we did the same. The State has received and distributed an unprecedented amount of federal funding to help Nebraskans weather the storm over these past two years. But at a cer...
Russia’s attack on Ukraine is an assault on freedom everywhere. As leader of the free world, the United States must issue a strong response that will isolate Russia – and the world must follow suit. Direct oil and gas sanctions make it clear that the world will not tolerate global aggressors. The Biden Administration can strengthen energy sanctions against Russia by revitalizing our domestic energy production to supply America and our allies. Oil and gas exports are a key driver of Rus...
Nebraskans know every drop of water is precious. Agriculture is our top industry. It makes up 20% of our economy, and it generates one in four jobs in our state. Access to water makes this possible. We have the most irrigated acres of cropland in the country. Three of eight acres of farmland in Nebraska are irrigated. Fifty years ago, far-sighted Nebraskans set up a system of water management, including our Natural Resources Districts (NRDs), that has allowed us to manage our water based on...
Don’t let Nebraska’s location in the middle of America fool you. Our state touches every corner of the globe with the crops we grow, livestock we raise, and products we manufacture. Each year, Nebraska exports around $10 billion of goods and services worldwide. Over 95% of consumers live outside of our borders. To grow Nebraska, we must continue to proactively reach out to international partners and share all the Good Life has to offer. This August 20-28, I am leading a trade mission to the Uni...
Here in the Good Life, we must not take our public safety for granted. We’ve seen other states fail to support law enforcement and underinvest in their corrections. News stories with video footage of rampant theft and outbreaks of violence have become the unfortunate norm in cities like San Francisco and Washington, DC. Residents of these areas feel unsafe, and they’re fleeing to find a better place for their families. More than half of the San Francisco Bay area population plans to leave per...
