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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By Calvin K. Sunderland, edited by Michael K. Sunderland When Roosevelt came in, things worsened quickly for the Sunderlands. FDR’s first act in office was to close every bank in the nation for the historic bank holiday. There was panic in some quarters and banks went under to the dismay of their depositors. A flood of emergency measures came from the White House quickly rubber-stamped by a thoroughly cowed Congress. Whatever Roosevelt wanted, he got with hardly a murmur of dissent. The radical...
A thought came to me recently that some might call a moment of doubt, even dark. However, that perception misses the mark. Here is the question: What is your legacy? Maybe we can’t know until there’s a post-mortem assessment. So maybe we need to reword the question a little. What are you known for, followed by what do you want to be known for? Pay attention to the change in time sequence. What are you known for is about the present state, what do you want to be known for implies a desire and...
“You are fearfully and wonderfully made in the sight of God.” God has plans for you! Psalm 139. Psychological growth begins in the womb, as you sense your mother’s reaction to situations. You hear at 16 weeks and feel pain at 20 weeks. Your little brain is developing its synapses, but your lungs aren’t ready for air. When Mom and Dad pick you up and love you, your brain starts working to grow you up, physically. Mom’s hugging, nursing and rocking brings together your thoughts and system ne...
I’m an avid reader. From soup can labels, magazines in doctors’ offices, street signs, newspapers, and just about anything that has the printed word I’ll pick up and read. Early in my life, around 7 or 8 years old I discovered the Tom Swift books and I was hooked. By my early teens I had read every sci-fi book in the Fairbanks Public Library from the Tom Swift series, to the great authors. Over the years the list grew to include Robert A. Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, H. G. Wells, George Orwel...
Nebraska has always been a leader in public education, even during the pandemic. Nebraska K-12 education was considered to have had one of the best responses in the US. This was due to the leadership of our State Board of Education, the Nebraska Department of Education and the good practices of local school leaders and staffs. As of today, schools are now open to all of our students providing them a safe academic environment. So, as school administrators, we were shocked and appalled when we read that certain candidates for the Nebraska Board o...
In the year 2000, the horror fiction writer Stephen King came out with a different kind of book, a nonfiction book that he entitled, “On Writing: a Memoir of the Craft.” He begins with a series of scenes from his childhood, and explains how he launched his career of writing popular fiction. King uses a metaphor, that of a toolbox, to describe how he works when he writes. At the bottom of the toolbox lie the fundamentals: appropriate vocabulary, sticking with accepted grammar, the use of act...
Even in the 1970’s some of the old gold rush style miners lived the life of a hermit and it was a risk to life and limb to explore the mountains in Northern Nevada. You never knew when you would stumble across one of these characters. The first indication you were trespassing on their claim would be the sound of a bullet ricocheting off a rock at your feet. Taking a page out of Wild West history, in mid-summer of 1974 one of Winnemucca’s sheriff’s deputies decided to put together a gang and r...
“For he who sows to his flesh, will, of the flesh, reap corruption, but he who sows to his spirit will, of the Spirit, reap everlasting life.” Galatians 6:8 “He who rules his spirit is [mightier] than he who takes a city”. Proverbs 16:32 Culture, no matter where one lives in the world, is learned behavior. Human beings grow physically, psychologically, intellectually, emotionally (as in coping devices), socially and spiritually (p.p.i.e.s.s.). We addressed the Will, Emotions and Thought...
All of the signs are indicating that the U.S. economy is entering into a long-term recession. Last Wednesday the Federal Reserve raised the key interest rate by three quarters of a point and raised the short-term interest rate from 3 percent to 3.25 percent, the highest level since 2008. Add to this the Biden Administration’s plan for student loan forgiveness plus $13.7 billion in assistance to Ukraine, $22.4 billion to fight COVID-19, $4.5 billion for a Monkeypox vaccine, and $6.5 billion f...
As a retired educator and supervisor of student teachers in the western part of NE. I have been in many public and private school classrooms and I’m very proud of the teachers and administrators who are educating our students. I have not witnessed in district 7 schools the teaching or grooming of (CSE) Comprehensive Sexual Education, or about CRT Critical Race Theory. I’m very concerned for those supporting Elizabeth Tegtmeier running for a seat on the State School Board and her so called dream team spreading lies about how Nebraska sch...
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I believe it’s critical we ask ourselves the following the questions: Is the United States fully prepared to respond to the changing threat environment of the 21st century? And if we are not, what actions do we need to take? There is no one-size fits all solution, but one immediate action we can take to boost our preparedness is to strengthen U.S. munitions manufacturing. Unfortunately for years, we’ve underinvested in our munitions production....
By Calvin K. Sunderland Edited by Michael K. Sunderland The following is a short excerpt from the Family History my father worked on until Alzheimer’s progressively destroyed his memory. The nation, and the world, found itself beginning the slide into The Great Depression by 1930. The unprecedented economic disaster began with the stock market crash of October and November 1929. It can hardly be argued the crash caused the depression, but it was the curtain raiser. The Great Depression is s...
“For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:35-37 Every word we speak leads to a life-or-death decision. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love [using their tongue] will eat the fruit of it.” Proverbs 18:21. God simply speaks truth. Satan knows the legal meaning of every word and will hold us to that legal meaning. Father God says, “Do not take (carry) My Name in vain (futility, fruitlessness, emptiness)” Commandment...
A few years ago, my wife and I saw a movie called “Words.” It is labeled as a romance story, but it goes much deeper. Yes, there are two primary characters in a relationship. After that, there is a moral dilemma brewing. He is an aspiring writer, as the reviews call him. I sort of take issue with the phrase since attending a writing workshop years before. A speaker and published author made it clear that many people overthink the process, or better said the identity. Who is a writer, or art...
This week I participated in a Ways and Means Committee hearing on the future of our trade relationship with Taiwan. The hearing explored opportunities provided by ongoing trade talks between the U.S. and Taiwan. In the midst of increased pressure from China through dialed-up military exercises and heavier tariffs, Taiwan is eager to strengthen ties with the U.S. and our democratic values. Done right, expanding our trade relationship could be a win for American businesses and consumers, and a win...
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...
I often talk about the importance of investing in our core infrastructure. That’s things like our roads, bridges, railways, airports, drinking water systems, and ports. But in today’s digital age, internet connectivity is just as integral to modern life as any other more “traditional” form of physical infrastructure. Many small businesses need reliable access to broadband services to function. Family farmers and ranchers, who are increasingly integrating digital sensors, “smart” devices, and oth...
It started in the work environment. I had a routine every morning. Young in the trade, routine was even more important than it is now. I would make four to five stops before getting to the office in the morning. At one of those stops, I met a night crew of nurses. They had the look of professionals who finished a long and hard night. Among that crew stood one who had a twinkle in her eye like even with her occupation she didn’t take life too seriously. She also had the look of someone I had a...
God created us a spirit exactly like Himself. He gave us a soul and manufactured an earth-suit for our journey here. We are a triune being but unlike God, earth dwelling brings up a fourth dimension of reckoning: Culture’s Learned Responses. A comedian once noted, “Getting through life is like running through a pasture without stepping in something.” John Denver sang, “Life is a funny, funny riddle.” Apostle Paul lamented, “What am I doing? What I want to do, I don’t do. What I don’t want to do,...
With the on set of warmer temps I invite you to come with me on a short trip to 1968 and visit a couple of “cool” events in my past. As related in an earlier story, “The Blizzard of 1968”, Fairbanks, Alaska was visited with one of the largest snowfalls seen in recorded history for the state. So far as I know the 16 feet of new snow deposited by one storm was the most ever recorded since the Ice Age. Another first was soon to follow. The coldest time of the year in Fairbanks usually comes i...
A new political action group has been formed in our state known as Nebraska First. As you may have guessed, the name closely resembles former president Donald Trump’s political slogan, Make America Great Again (MAGA), except that this one is specific to the State of Nebraska. The founder of Nebraska First is former gubernatorial candidate, Charles W. Herbster. Nebraska First has asked all State Senators as well as candidates for the State Legislature to sign a pledge for greater transparency i...
Every August, I always enjoy travelling the state to visit directly with Nebraskans. Taking a moment to speak with constituents, listen to their concerns, and talk about how we can best serve them is an important part of my job. This year, I had the opportunity to travel through the western portion of our state and visit with folks in ten different communities. We started our travels in Gordon, where I visited the First National Bank of Gordon. The bank, like many other community banks across...
Queen Elizabeth passed away last week, Thursday, September 8, 2022, at 96. She was born on April 21, 1926, and had one sibling, a younger sister named Margaret, born August 21, 1930. When ten, Elizabeth discovered she was next in line to inherit England’s throne, whenever her father, King George VI, would pass away. Eight-year-old Margaret asked Elizabeth, “Does this mean you have to be the next Queen?” Elizabeth replied, “Someday.” Margaret said, “Poor you.” When a child, Elizabeth und...
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...
Ah! September!! It is just like Father to start a new year with a bountiful harvest and a time of rest and rejoicing. As a youngster, I loved September. Haying was finished. Stacks were set aside for winter feeding and the baled hay was ready for sale. Snow fences were shored up for winter snows. Cattle were brought home from summer pasture. Bulls were penned, older cows culled and steers separated for October shipping. A choice steer was selected for butchering. I would be off into Dick & Jane...
