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 661 - 685 of 1658
After watching evening news commentators from both sides of the fence, I’ve concluded that few, if any of them really know what kind of national governmental system we have in this country. Far worse than that is the seeming lack of knowledge by our nation’s elected officials. Or, it might be a deliberate distortion of the truth by the liberal media and ignorance on the minimally conservative media. In truth I think the last sentence is most accurate. In order to give you a better und...
During the month of October, Americans from across the country come together to raise awareness about a disease that will affect one in eight U.S. women at some point in their lives: breast cancer. This year alone, nearly 300,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. It’s the most common form of cancer among American women, with a new diagnosis turning a family’s life upside down once every two minutes. Because it touches the lives of so many women, chances are you know som...
It’s alarming to see half-built, new farm equipment sitting idle, car dealerships vacant, and store shelves empty, but this is the harsh reality behind President Biden’s current supply chain crisis. Across the country we are seeing bottlenecks and cargo backups at ports and terminals, as well as an abundance of workforce shortages causing massive delays throughout our supply chain. It is critical we take action now to address the stalemates preventing American products from both being produ...
Earlier this month, a New York Times reporter named Andrea Elliott published a book, Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City. In the book, Andrea delves into the life of a family: Chanel, the mother; Supreme, her husband; and her seven children. In 2012, the family resided in a single room in the Auburn Family Residence, in Brooklyn, New York. Andrea started her investigative reporting on the city’s poor and destitute by drifting around the Auburn’s front door. In Oct...
“Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.” Revelation 13:16-17 Christians have been looking for signs of the “End Times” ever since Christ ascended to heaven, but, as a pastor, I’m seeing increased discussions about the subject in recent months. Astute believers are noting things happening in the...
We are hearing a lot these days from a certain boisterous and routinely violent segment of our nation about how privileged a certain portion of us are. These claims of privilege are based strictly on the color of one’s skin. Excuse me, but isn’t that being racist? I don’t know about you, but it sure would have been nice to have been born into a privileged family! My parents were survivors of the Great Depression and both of their families were poor, and I mean poor, having little with which...
Once in a while, there is a glimmer of reality in our trip on this crazy ride. There is a sitcom recently introduced that plays with the concept of an Afghan interpreter moving to the U.S., and living with a soldier who served there. I’m leaving out some of the details, but the story line often involves his adjustment to American society, the soldier adjusting to stateside society and the two often acting like brothers from different mothers. The story had the opportunity to borrow from h...
The Nebraska State Board of Education has lost all credibility with the people of Nebraska. On August 6, 2021 I called for all of the members of the State Board of Education, including the Education Commissioner, Matthew Blomstedt, to resign. Last week Patricia Timm who represents district 5 in southeast Nebraska did the right thing by announcing her resignation. I am still waiting for the other seven members of the State Board of Education and the Commissioner to resign. The Education...
The last 18 months have been a roller coaster for the entire world. While many places have struggled, even in America, Nebraskans have come together to power through the pandemic. Our healthcare professionals have worked with compassion and skill to care for Nebraskans. Communities have supported their local businesses throughout the pandemic. Employers have overcome market disruptions to preserve and create jobs. Parents and schools worked to get kids back in the classroom. Our ag producers onc...
Sorry folks, I wish I could write numerous articles full of laughter and fun, but I can’t. After watching the evening news and comparing the way various news channels handle reporting the same event I usually end up shaking my head in sorrow. One gives a positive spin on everything that is wrong while another spins the good as something bad. The national news networks seem to have become aligned with one or the other major political movements. And another tries to hold the other major networks t...
Talk of a cashless society has been around for decades, but the explosion of interest and participation in cryptocurrency markets, coupled with better and faster computing power, has moved such talks from theoretical to nearly inevitable. Those in positions of power among the elites in global banking and finance are openly advocating for conversion of the world’s currencies to digital. Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are digital versions of money circulated by central banks such as t...
Twice in a short period of time I’ve heard the phrase “be fiercely kind.” It sounds like the craziest of oxymorons. Be fierce, and be kind. Kind, fierce. Opposite ends of the spectrum, or complimenting sides of the same coin? The most recent time I heard this was in a memorial. A friend of mine left this earth. His wife, children early in their adulthood, and his friends are left to move on. During the celebration of life service, many talked about how he was such a “get-it-done” kind of guy, a...
The withdrawal from Afghanistan is the biggest U.S. foreign policy blunder in decades. We left hundreds of American citizens and thousands of our Afghan allies at the mercy of the Taliban, the same group that gave safe haven to al Qaeda as it planned the 9/11 attacks. A suicide bombing at the Kabul airport killed 13 American servicemembers, including a Nebraskan, Marine Corporal Daegan Page, making it the deadliest day in Afghanistan for the United States since 2011. The American people deserve...
October is Manufacturing Month here in Nebraska. It is a great opportunity to celebrate the innovators and makers creating jobs across the Cornhusker State. Our state has a rich tradition of inventing and manufacturing premium products. Over the years, the imaginations of Nebraskans gave birth to ski lifts, center pivots, vise grip pliers, Kool-Aid, and Dorothy Lynch salad dressing. Today, companies in our state manufacture everything from subway cars, to combines, to the syringes used to...
Fall is the time for writing new bills. Therefore, this week I would like to tell you about what kinds of legislation I have been working on for next year. There are many issues facing our State right now and no State Senator can tackle all of them. Some will have to be taken up by other State Senators. Nevertheless, I want to introduce the kinds of bills that are of utmost concern to the folks living in Western Nebraska. In regards to property tax relief, next year I will continue to push for...
Tuskegee University is a “private, historically black, land-grant university” in east central Alabama, with an endowment of $129 million, as of 2019. That same year 2,876 students were enrolled, and of those, 2,379 were black. Of the 560 degrees offered in 2019, women received 358, men 202. The school began with an agreement made in 1880, between a former Confederate Colonel, W. F. Foster, who was running for Alabama’s Senate, and a local black leader, Lewis Adams. Foster asked Adams to try t...
During the 1960’s Barry McGuire sang a rather bleak soul-shaking song called the Eve of Destruction. In it he lists various reasons why he believed the world was on the brink of destruction. Among the reasons he listed were such things that was (and still is) going on in the Middle East, the threat of nuclear war, the hate in Red China, and the general increase of violence in the U.S. and the world in general. Most of my generation was relatively familiar with the song as virtually every r...
The special session of the Nebraska Legislature for redistricting has now ended. The last three weeks of September have been filled with the most intense negotiations I have ever been a part of. Nevertheless, we now have new district maps which will apply for the next ten years. It was very important for the Legislature to meet the September 30th deadline. Had we not passed this redistricting legislation in September, it would have had to wait until we could revisit it in January. Revisiting...
Credit unions and banks across the country are jointly opposed to an item being considered as part of the proposed $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. The bill may include a provision requiring credit unions and banks report to the IRS the account transactions (deposits or withdrawals) of accounts that hold more than $600. What does this mean for you, the consumer? An invasion of your privacy and potential additional taxes. This proposed fishing expedition is bad for consumers. The proposal states that if your account balance is above $600 at...
Perhaps you, like me, have gone shopping for a specific product recently, only to learn the store was out of stock with no indication as to when replenishment would take place. This is becoming commonplace across the U.S. and, while for most of us it’s a minor inconvenience, on a national and global scale it’s potentially catastrophic. My life can go on pretty much as normal without the brand of flavored bottled tea I enjoy. For a factory making a product that depends on a certain raw mat...
Our country’s collective memory appears to be seriously flawed, so I’m going to take this opportunity to remind us of a couple of very important facts. The following seems to have been either overlooked or deliberately removed from much of our nation’s educational system. Either way these two quotations should be bright beacons illuminating the seriously misconstrued (outright lying) of the socialistic left wing organizations in America. In 1815, President James Madison proclaimed, “No people...
Once every 10 years the Nebraska State Legislature must create new district maps for all of our State elected officials. This process is known as redistricting. The Nebraska State Senators have been meeting in a special session since September 13th redrawing district lines for the United States Congress, the State Legislature, the State Supreme Court, the University of Nebraska Regents, the Public Service Commission, and the State Board of Education. By far, the most controversial map concerns...
Many of us remember a time when Americans were kinder, or thoughtful of others, where “what can we do together for each other” was the norm rather than “It’s all about me.” Yes, as a youngster I remember very well the personal and family sacrifices during and after World War II — all for the common good, for the protection of a unified nation, and allied against those who would do us harm. Now, contrast that scenario with where we are today as a country, where “rights” and personal freedoms supersede common decency and what is best for all. W...
The Sidney Park Project would like to provide an update regarding the current status of the project. The Project includes a complete remodel of the current Legion Park next to the pond in Sidney. The project grew from a dream shared by Madi Wilkinson and Michelle Weimer. Both ladies work in the physical therapy field and wanted to see a playground all children could enjoy without limitations. The current playground is dated and in much need of renovation. Recently the Sidney Playground Project has been notified the building cost will be a bit...
As we move into our sixth week of school I want to commend everyone for a successful beginning of the school year. We want to continue moving forward with in person learning, no masks and as few cases of Covid-19 as possible. We are also approaching the Flu and Cold season. While we have not had the challenges that school districts across the nation have had, we do still need to stay vigilant. Covid cases in young people are up across the state and in the panhandle. Please remember to do the RIGHT thing by doing your part to not spread germs....
