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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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...
“These [words of God] are seeds sown in good ground: those who hear the Word, accept it, act on it and bear fruit some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundredfold.” Mark 4:20. Faith-SEED is over and above the tithe for a specific vision or dream. Ask for seed to sow. 2 Corinthians 9:10. Sow any percentage of NET increase. Choose the time, place and purpose. God is looking for your plan. Every seed has a harvest date. Genesis 9:22 “While the earth remains, seed-time and harvest ... shall...
Earlier this month I wrote an article on how the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services has been unable to account for $10.5 billion in State expenditures. $10.5 billion is more than the State’s annual budget for two whole years. One of the major players in this accounting fiasco has been the Nebraska Department of Labor. So, today I would like to show you some examples of how the Nebraska Department of Labor accounts for the way it spends your taxpayer dollars. On April 28, 2022 C...
It is often noted by counselors that one of the most important parts of life is finding importance. There is Robert Fulgrum’s book “What on earth have I done with my life?” There is the thought that in some definitions of depression, the client feels life is meaningless. What if here, like many other chapters in life, we overthink the equation? What if the challenge is finding your niche? I’ve traveled. Compared to some I’m still in the starting block, and in other stories I could write boo...
Reducing the number of people who return to prison is a key goal of any criminal justice system. In Nebraska, more than 70 percent of those discharged in 2019 have not returned to the custody of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) – a significant benchmark. Recidivism is typically measured in three-year increments. Based on just released data, Nebraska’s recidivism rate has dropped to 29.8 percent. This is the third year in a row that recidivism has trended downward in Nebraska. In comparison to publicly available data for...
Every fall, spring, and summer, my office provides some outstanding college students with the opportunity to intern in Washington, D.C. or at one of our state offices. These internships give students the chance to learn more about public policy, our system of government, and constituent service. This summer, I welcomed four interns to our D.C. team. These college students are all from Nebraska, and over the last 8 weeks they have done important work on behalf of the state. I am always delighted...
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...
Mark 14:44-46 “And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. And as soon as he was come, Judas went straightway to him, and said, Master, master; and kissed him. And they laid their hands on him, and took him.” When you think of the disciples of Jesus, which one do you think of first? The impetuous Peter (Luke 22: 50), or perhaps “the Disciple Jesus loved” (John 13: 23). Very likely, many think of Judas,...
On July 13, a public meeting was held on a proposed Creative District in downtown Sidney. The discussions included, why are people moving to Sidney, what can be done to promote more curiosity of downtown, add more growth, and bridging the gap between the highways and downtown Sidney. We need to move past the stage of, “we tried it before and it didn’t work,” and ask the question of why didn’t it work, and what can be done differently. Sidney, and Cheyenne County overall, has history streaming through it. The rails that once fed into “Sinful...
Seeking the Kingdom as in Matthew 6:33, teaches that Father God gives and we receive according to our faith (believing that what He says, He will do). “Come, now, let us reason together, says the Lord. If you be willing and obedient, you will eat of the good of the land, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.” Isaiah 1:18. “Reverence of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (also wisdom).” Proverbs 1:7. Father God is determined to show heirs of His Promise immutable evidence that by Jesus...
On June 26, 1284, officials in a German town called Hamelin hired a musician to rid the town of its rats. The “rat-catcher’s magical flute” hypnotized the rats that followed the piper out of Hamelin’s gates and into the Weser River, where they all drowned. Although the story is based upon verifiable historical facts, it has since passed into folklore, as a fairy tale once told by the Brothers Grimm. One can only wish for as simple a solution as a magic flute to drown and destroy all forms o...
I wonder if there’s been many studies on the psyche of society overall? We, collectively, want freedom, but only if approved policies favor our perspective of life. Person X expects to have the freedom to do Activity Y. Resident B objects to Activity Y because it doesn’t line up with his or her views. Ironically, on some platforms Person X and Resident B are on a level playing field. They can turn off or walk away from the conflicting point of view. Some of the conflict is the social viewpoint i...
On July 9th delegates from across the state gathered in Kearney, Nebraska for a convention of the State Republican Party. While I did not attend this year’s convention, I was not saddened by the results. Conservative delegates from Lancaster County implemented a well-designed coup to oust party chairman, Dan Welch, and install their own county party leader, Eric Underwood, as the new chairman. While Welch accepted his removal with poise and dignity, the hostile take-over was a long time c...
As a Nebraska State Senator, I serve on the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee. The Appropriations Committee is responsible for deciding how the State spends its money…well, to a certain extent, anyway. The Appropriations Committee prepares the State Budget, but state agencies are supposed to keep track of how they spend the State’s money. The job of appropriating the State’s money is never an easy task, but in recent years it has become a nearly impossible task due to the way the executi...
“They overcame by the Blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony and they did not cling to their old lives.” Revelation 12:11 Kingdom Plenty is accessed by prayer, but merging into debt freedom requires understanding how God’s Kingdom works. It is a cycle of sowing, reaping, giving, receiving. God is the Giver. We, His designated receivers! Matthew 6:33 “Seek ye, first, the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (whatever you need/desire) will be added unto you”. His ‘hot...
I was watching a replay of sorts, a talent contest, when one of the contestants said “you can’t wait until life is perfect to feel happy.” It is a very insightful challenge for so few words. It is akin to the cycling challenge: “Wait for perfect weather and you will never ride.” But what constitutes happiness, or did she really mean contentment? Can you be more, or less, happy depending on your circumstances? If so, happiness is an emotion that varies with your situation. You’re happy when...
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...
Jeremiah 30: 2 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.” Over the years I’ve found myself hurrying throughout most days and finally realized I was missing some very important parts of my life by trying to accomplish too many things. I once heard said, “A journey is not only about the destination, but also about the trip.” For many years, I’ve believed life is about the experiences we have. During those years, the accumulation...
Winston Churchill is credited with one of the shortest, but most challenging speeches of the time. He didn’t cheer on the fighting men of the United Kingdom. He didn’t talk down the German advancement. He was speaking at Harrow School in 1941, his alma mater. The remarks he is still known for are: “ never give in, never give in, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to conviction of honour and good sense.” Death of a child is a chapter in life that leaves the parents constantly asking the...
Should government agencies be allowed to hire lobbyists? This is a question that has bothered me ever since 2016 when I first went to Lincoln to serve as a State Senator. Lobbyists are supposed to represent the interests of select groups of people, not the interests of government entities. This is an important question to ask because last year 20.3 million dollars was spent on paying lobbyists to influence State Senators in the Unicameral Legislature. The problem with allowing government entitie...
“For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes those things he says will be done, he will have (possess, own) what he says.” Mark 11:23 In the little words, “I do!” I became $90,000 in debt. I moved to Julesburg, became a farmer, not a rancher. and learned the intricate skills of wielding a 9/16 wrench and how combines work. My sales business remained intact, for the time. At a goal setting sal...
The logo for the Broadway musical “1776” features an eaglet inside a broken egg shell, biting down on a flagpole. The small flag atop the pole shows its colors: red and white stripes, and a blue field in the upper left corner. Across the bottom portion of the egg appears a larger English flag. The musical begins with John Adams alone in the Pennsylvania State House’s belfry, four floors up, leaning on a massive bell. A messenger approaches and informs him that he must return to the hall. He ra...
Hello, my name is Kelsey Hauge. I am a mother of three who lives in Sidney, Neb. I created the Women’s Rights March that was held in downtown Sidney on July 3rd. I made this decision after the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe V. Wade. There are women and children all across our country who will die because of this ruling. There are circumstances when abortion is deemed medically necessary, but with the bans in place throughout the states women will not have that option. They can be denied e...
There was recently a momentous victory for life when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision on June 24, 2022. This marked an amazing day for our nation and a huge victory for the pro-life movement. In a 6-3 ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Court upheld a Mississippi state law that prohibits abortions after 15 weeks of gestation except in certain cases. The court also affirmed that there is no constitutional right to abortion. Both c...
First, let us glory in the God Who gave us Old Glory, the stars and stripes. Her grandeur has endured through the most trying times our nation has ever faced; One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all is still her standard. Battered and tattered, she flew over Ft. McHenry, Gettysburg, the Alamo, Pearl Harbor, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and, of course, 9-11. Military flag-folding ceremonies espouse Godly principles, and honor the original intent of our Founders who...
