Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Sorted by date Results 402 - 426 of 1718
One of the bills I will introduce in January will affect the way properties get valuated once an appeal has been filed with the Tax Equalization and Review Commission. The current process is a mess and always leaves property owners holding the short end of the stick. So, before I reveal my solution, let me first explain what the problems are. The first problem relates to time. The appeal process takes too much time. Once an appeal is filed with the Tax Equalization and Review Commission, it can...
In Nebraska, the crops we grow, livestock we raise, goods we manufacture, and innovations we develop make an impact far beyond our borders. Nebraskans have long known that. Increasingly, the world does too. Growing Nebraska's international presence has been a pillar of my administration. Since I took office, we've made trade missions to eleven different countries to forge new partnerships and increase investments in the Good Life. As a result of these missions, our state has become its own...
There are those who are so scornful, or maybe afraid, of the past history of the United States of America they want to remove the study of American history and our nation's system of government from our schools. Among the reasons given it is claimed that there are more important things to learn. It is asserted that it is more vital our children learn how to live in today's digital world. Some base this argument on their belief that the past is not relevant to the present. Others contend the...
"Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity. It is like precious anointing oil on the head; like the dew descending, for it is there the Lord commands a blessing - Life forevermore!" Psalm 133 Rejoicing, giving thanks and expectation creates the perfect atmosphere for miracles to occur. Harvest is over, thankfully. There's money for Christmas giving, time for family, friends and food. The heart smiles and the soul sings. "Whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you shall...
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...
Twenty-eight-year-old Naomi Biden married twenty-five-year-old Peter Neal on the south lawn, at the White House, on Saturday, November 19, 2022, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. Because there was no tent, and because the temperature was a chilly 39 degrees, some 250 guests received shawls, hand-warmers, and blankets once they arrived. They also checked in their cell phones. The President and First Lady Jill Biden hosted the ceremony, and the family paid for the wedding. At a few minutes...
Saturday night was Paradise. Sunday morning, hell broke loose. "Let us hold fast our confession of hope without wavering, for He Who promised is faithful. We are not those who draw back, but those who believe to salvation." Hebrews 10:23, 39. The U.S. Pacific Fleet of Navy ships rested, comfortably, at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. War had been declared in Germany for a second time. The young Elizabeth Windsor and her new husband, Philip Mountbatten had come to the States to visit. President Roosevelt t...
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...
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 r...
“For I, wisdom, dwell with prudence to find out knowledge and discretion (reasoning rightly and judging justly) to [bring forward witty inventions]. Proverbs 8:12 NKJV and KJV When I tell people that I attended country school by airplane, they find it a bit incredulous. This is how it happened. North Park, Colorado, has an average snowfall of 132 inches per year. We lived off the main dirt road, so getting children to school was somewhat of a challenge. My father was up to it, however. He t...
Elias Boudinot, a member of Congress in the new Federal Government, introduced a resolution in 1789, to form a joint committee that asked President George Washington to call for a day of prayer and thanksgiving. That joint resolution passed both Senate and House. Washington chose to respond. On October 3, 1789, he called for a day of "Public Thanksgiving and Prayer," that he set for Thursday, November 26, 1789. Washington celebrated that early Thanksgiving, by attending services at St. Paul's...
Some of you can still remember the old television detective show, Dragnet. Sgt. Joe Friday's most famous line on that TV show was, "just the facts ma'am!" The implication of that statement was that good police work derives its conclusions from facts, not from opinions. In the same mentality of Sgt. Joe Friday today I would like to share with you "just the facts" about what some like to refer to as the nonpartisan Unicameral Legislature. When the Unicameral Legislature was created back in 1937,...
Separation of church and state was the deep desire of worshipers known as "Separatists", "Purists" and "Pilgrims". Britain held them in ghastly prisons for their belief that there was just one King: Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Released from prison, they formed a human land bridge for their children to escape and be ferried to Holland. From there, 102 men, women and children were chosen, by lot, to travel to the New World on a tiny, leaky boat named "Mayflower". As the weeks expired, food molded...
Recently, I traveled around our state and visited with many Nebraskans. As always, it is great to meet people where they are and to talk about what matters most to them. Communication with your elected representatives is the bedrock of our republic. I am proud to host these discussions and other in-person sit-downs in communities across Nebraska, which help to make sure that constituents can communicate with me directly in the places they live and work. We kicked things off with a roundtable...
There are those who are so scornful, or maybe afraid, of the past history of the United States of America. They want to remove the study of American history and our nation's system of government from our schools. Among the reasons given it is claimed that there are more important things to learn. It is asserted that it is more vital our children learn how to live in today's digital world. Some base this argument on their belief that the past is not relevant to the present. Others contend the...
Abraham Lincoln once said about elections that “It is the people’s business – the election is in their hands. If they turn their backs to the fire, and get scorched in the rear, they’ll find that they have got to ‘sit’ on the ‘blister’.” In many ways that is how I feel about the election this year. There is so much at stake in the general election on November 8 that it is hard for me to fathom why some people would choose not to cast their vote. When we choose not to vote, we are essentially a...
A good Name is better to be chosen than great riches; Loving favor rather than silver and gold.” Proverbs 22:1 We have discovered who’s who, when enough is enough, and what to do about it, physically, intellectually, emotionally and now, socially. Every baby is unique and precious in God’s eyes and sent for a specific purpose in the society into which they are born. Jeremiah 29:11. Grimm’s Fairy Tales suggests each new baby is greeted by a good witch and a bad witch. The good witch says kind, wo...
In January I had no idea who Elizabeth Tegtmeier was. I was asked by a friend to attend her announcement as a candidate for State Board of Education. It was a low-key, upbeat venue near North Platte. Maybe 40 people in attendance. I listened to Elizabeth talk about her background as a teacher and her degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I found I agreed with her positions on the various issues in the education system. She discussed attending SBoE meetings and how those meetings are what led her to the decision to run for the position. I discov...
Nebraska Public Education is more than you can see from the street or hear on national news or social media. Why? Nebraska is a local control state. What does that mean? It means your local school board makes the decisions as to what schools look like and teach. This includes approving curriculum, textbooks and size of classes just to name a few. That puts you the local voter in charge through your local school board members who are your friends and neighbors. In many states public education systems, you hear or read about on the news or social...
Gaston Leroux published his novel, “Le Fantome de l'Opera,” or “Phantom of the Opera,” in 1911. Earlier he had worked as a theatre critic for a French newspaper, the “L'Echo de Paris,” and had heard talk of a chandelier, fastened above the crowd, in the Paris Opera House, that had crashed down, killing one, injuring others. He also learned of murders and kidnappings at the theatre. He then heard rumors of a ghost that haunted the Paris Opera House, who lived near an underground lake, deep...
The new ACT scores for the class of 2022 were released last week and the scores do not look good for Nebraska. Nebraska’s composite score fell to 19.4, which is below the national average of 19.8. More importantly, though, is how Nebraska’s ACT composite scores have been falling over the course of the last five years. For instance, in 2017 Nebraska’s composite score was 21.4, then in 2018 it fell to 20.1, in 2019 it was 20.0, and last year it was 20.0 again. Nebraska hasn’t seen test scores...
Nebraskans are hard-working, resilient, and innovative. One of the many reasons I love traveling the state is that I get to see that spirit on full display in communities across Nebraska. Just this past week, I had the opportunity to visit with many entrepreneurial Nebraskans and see how their efforts are creating exciting new economic opportunities. In North Platte, for example, I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Sustainable Beef – a new project to create a regional processing plant o...
I am writing to refute the misinformation and mischaracterization Marge Spencer made about Dist. 7 candidate, Elizabeth Tegtmeier. Tegtmeier is a former teacher who only left the classroom to homeschool her 5 children through 8th grade at which time the 3 oldest have, and the two youngest will, enter public high school. The reason she “has no board experience” is because her husband is a 25 year employee of their school district. They have always felt it would be a conflict of interest for her...
Many of us were raised with the saying, “Actions speak louder than words” meaning what a person does carries more weight than any hollow words he or she says. On Feb 4, 2022, the Nebraska State Board of Education had a motion proposed that would permanently reject the health standards. Robin Stevens voted NO; he did not want to reject all drafts of the health standards. Now he is traveling throughout our district talking to people and interviewing with newspapers stating, “I will fight tooth and nail that they not be brought forth during my te...
“Foolishness is born in the heart of a child [therefore] train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:15. 7. Mental health starts with learned behavior (Cultural responses). Intellectual input forms a frame of reference for some 167,000 individual daily decisions. One and one is two. Apples are not oranges. Lions roar, cats purr. Scrapes need Band-aids. ‘Spurty’ wounds need stiches. Intellect soaks up knowledge until about age 6 when atten...
