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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Several years ago, when I was just starting this adventure called community journalism, I was taking pictures at a gymnastics event. The picture turned out decent, but I was a little nervous about having the right contestant identified. It was during the meet so I couldn’t just walk up to her and ask her name. Gymnastics is like golf at that point. There is a very revered process where an unusual sound or disruption in light could change the course of things. So I submitted said picture for p...
As we emerge from the pandemic and the economy begins to rebound, I’m focused on ensuring the industries that provide Nebraska jobs can continue to grow and thrive. The ethanol industry is one of those. Nationwide, it provides tens of thousands of Americans with good-paying jobs, and it indirectly supports at least 200,000 more. In Nebraska alone, the 25 ethanol plants spread across our state are able to produce more than two billion gallons a year, making us the second-largest producer of t...
On January 27, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. signed his “Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.” In this order, President Biden set a “goal of conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030.” At the time of the signing, very little information was released by the Biden-Harris Administration. We only had the few paragraphs of text in the order and a short fact sheet from the Department of Interior stating “that only 12 percent of lands are perma...
In recent days a native Icelander named Egill Bjarnason published a book, “How Iceland Changed the World.” I wonder about that title’s bold claim, but nonetheless he writes well, is entertaining. He begins with the Vikings, and then steps forward, chapter by chapter, until he finishes in the 21st century. Along the way, he brings in plenty of fascinating details about the island’s towns, people, weather, government, and the Northern Lights, an enjoyable and readable geography primer. In his int...
Warning: this column contains references to sexual content some may find offensive. The Sidney School Board recently voted unanimously to reject the Nebraska Board of Education’s proposed Health Education Standards. Shortly thereafter, the Potter-Dix School Board did the same. I applaud these boards and their members for unanimously standing up and voicing concerns. I cheer the affirmations both boards made in their written resolutions stating that parents are the primary educators of their c...
Dear Editor, The Potter-Dix Board of Education wants you to be aware that the following resolution was unanimously passed by the members present at their meeting on July 13, 2021. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 17-0009 IN THE STATE OF NEBRASKA AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The Board of Education (the “Board”) hereby makes the following findings and determinations: (a) Parents and guardians are the primary educators of their own children, especially In matters of faith and morals, including sex education; and (b) The...
The popular definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. This popular definition of insanity describes what it is like to work with the Nebraska Department of Education. No matter how many times the people of Nebraska testify against the newly proposed education standards and demand that the old curriculum be reinstated, the Nebraska Department of Education continues to press forward with its own agenda. Despite the thousands of emails...
Over the past year, Nebraska has been enjoying rapid growth, creating lots of great-paying job opportunities here in the Good Life. We have the second lowest unemployment rate in the nation at 2.6%. That’s the lowest rate our state has seen since 1999. Right now, we have over 40,000 jobs available on the State of Nebraska’s jobs site: NEworks.nebraska.gov. These are some of the reasons why WalletHub recently ranked Nebraska as the #2 state in the U.S. to find a job. As we grow Nebraska for the...
At Nebraska Community Foundation, we say change happens along the lines of relationships at the speed of trust. New ideas are great, but positive change that sticks happens person to person, friend to friend. Good ideas aren’t enough – trusting relationships are key to cultivating positive change. The Hometown Interns program is our attempt to apply this logic to young people with options. This summer 19 college students are spending the summer in their Greater Nebraska hometowns, helping the...
Warning: Much of the following is capable of generating anger, frustration, nervousness, hot and cold sweats, and other adverse reactions to those of the left-leaning liberal political persuasion. To everyone else you may die laughing. Read on at your discretion. As stated in the previous Murphy’s Laws of Government & Politics #1, the quoted laws are from a lifetime collection of Murphy’s Laws I’ve acquired from numerous sources over several decades. Below are a few more of the laws from my co...
On Sunday morning, Richard Branson became the first billionaire in space when he rode Virgin Galactic Space Ship Unity to an altitude of approximately 53 miles, beating out private-sector spacefaring rivals Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. To be fair, Musk is wholly supportive of Branson and has reportedly purchased a ticket on an upcoming Virgin Galactic flight. Bezos, not to be outdone, plans a trip to space next week on a spaceship developed by his company, Blue Origin. And Bezos did graciously...
One of my favorite pictures was taken at a home construction. I was in another country, generally doing things the way they did things, when I saw an image that felt as much emotional or spiritual as it was physical. There before me was a window still lacking the frame and glass. In this area, the window offers protection as much as appearance. Looking into the half-finished building is another window, then a third. It was almost poetic. I can’t say one was any better than the other except t...
There is a necessary connection between economics and a republican form of government which gives rise to individual liberty. Whenever you alter either a constitutional republic or an economic system, the result is the loss of liberty. Milton Friedman understood this correlation very well when he said, “…a society which is socialist cannot also be democratic, in the sense of guaranteeing individual freedom.” Capitalism is an economic system designed for a free people. Capitalism puts an individu...
As America emerges from the Fourth of July weekend, there’s another important reminder this month of why we should cherish our freedom and liberty. July marks the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). CCP officials have already been holding celebrations to paint a positive image of their work on the world stage. While the CCP pushes propaganda on the anniversary of its founding, it’s important that Americans understand how the communist regime operates. To this end, I sig...
Warning: Much of the following is capable of generating anger, frustration, nervousness, hot and cold sweats, and other adverse reactions to those of the left-leaning liberal political persuasion. To everyone else you may die laughing. Read on at your own discretion. Much to my wife’s vexation I tend to be a collector of oddities. Among them I’ve amassed a rather large collection of Murphy’s Laws and other witticisms. Browsing through them recently I found several that are really appro...
I read a comment recently that would probably make most parents drop their morning coffee. The earth-shaking comment goes against everything most parents would consider “fair and holy.” It is the kind of statement that doesn’t make sense on the average day… until you read deeper. Then maybe. How many parents would wish pain on their children? “None of sound mind” is the likely answer. The mindset of parents is to spare their children from the trials and grief they have gone through. They want th...
Last week the National Education Association, which is commonly referred to as the teacher’s union, adopted a measure to combat attacks on Critical Race Theory. The National Education Association is an extremist Left-wing organization with a long history of endorsing programs which undermine the foundations of our traditional Western educational system. Critical Race Theory is important to all Nebraskans because it is part of the new education standards being proposed to the Nebraska D...
As the year 1776 unfolded, American colonists were confronted with the question of independence. Some favored it, others rejected it, and a third group remained uncommitted. This political question caused hard feelings between colonial Americans. More and more colonists were forced to take sides in this bitter conflict. Some chose. Some refused. Battle lines were drawn. The question divided families, communities, churches, schools, and local governments. Those who spoke out in favor of separatin...
My column in these pages has been missing the last three weeks because my wife and I took a road trip to Virginia Beach to see our children, whom we’ve not seen in nearly two years. Our travels took us through West Virginia, a state with both some incredible scenery and a decent shot at becoming home to a significant number of firearm and ammunition companies. In a bold move to lure gun and ammo makers to West Virginia, the state passed into law a measure that does two things: it offers g...
In colonial America you were an Englishman, or you were not. The common claim was that an Englishman was an Englishman no matter where he stood in the world. The colonists increasingly took this to mean that they were equal in status and rights to any other English subject. British people of the upper classes viewed that idea with some distaste and were often offended when approached with familiarity by a colonial American. Most Americans thought that British attitudes about class and title...
Over time, I’ve heard several coaches bark at their teams “practice like its game time,” and likewise “the play isn’t over until the whistle is blown.” They’re references that probably don’t make sense unless you’re a sports fan, and even more if you’ve spent time in the sweaty practices and under the Friday Night lights. I’m recalling these moments of high-strung coaches and players struggling for their places on the roster as I observe the many levels of society. None of the players on any gi...
11 years ago our founding fathers declared their freedom from Great Britain and began a war for independence against the world’s number one superpower. In the end, they earned their freedom. But, what about us? Will Americans continue to be free? America is a free country today, and our children continue to inherit that freedom, but American freedom from British tyranny came with a very expensive price tag. That freedom will someday be lost unless we raise up future generations who understand t...
Martin Luther King, Jr. once famously said that “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.” For generations, Nebraskans have supported our public schools to do just this—to help build the next generation of educated and involved citizens in our state. To that end, our public schools have generally focused on teaching material that supports our communities, and have steered away from ho...
In my high school days I was honored to receive invitations to speak at the many local and area civic organizations' meetings. This is part 2 of a speech I delivered to the Fairbanks Rotary Club just prior to Independence Day, 1965. Many of the things I said then still apply today, and all of it is important to recall at all times. This was a pretty gutsy thing for a teen to be saying to a roomful of adults. The real purpose, the real reason for Independence Day is to honor the 56 men who...
Allow me to introduce you to a new organization called, the Consumption Tax Institute, Inc. The Consumption Tax Institute, Inc. is a new 501-C4 organization, which is putting together a strategy to put an initiative for the consumption tax on the ballot for November 2022. At some point in the future they hope to announce the start of a new petition drive, but that announcement will have to wait for another day. The reason that I am introducing you to the Consumption Tax Institute, Inc. today has...
