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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Called “the most dreadful scourge of the human species,” smallpox begins with fever, muscle pain, headache, and fatigue. Days later lesions will appear first inside the mouth and on the tongue, and later, lesions will attack the skin on forehead, face, trunk, and arms. By days six or seven, each lesion swells into a pustule, a painful pocket that drains fluid, hence the name “pock[et]s” or pox. During an endemic, mortality rates will exceed 30%. Of those who live, a percentage are blinded...
I wrote last week about increasing open discussion among commentators and pundits about attempting to find ways to peacefully split the U.S. into two or more new countries. The premise of the national conversation along these lines is that America is already so sharply divided on key political and social issues that it would be better if we just went separate ways. Those who advocate this idea fail to grasp just how difficult it would be. For purposes of discussion, let us say Nebraska joined...
When President Trump proposed building a wall at the southern border, and entering the country could only be done through official entry points, he was called a racist and a list of other names. Complaints were made that the wall would disturb natural habitats and sacred grounds. Fast-forward, President Biden’s administration has said the number of immigrants entering the country illegally has declined. Then headlines suddenly announced a border crisis surrounding the swelling number of Haitians...
Yes, sir! I was a real privileged young Caucasian. I was able to experience things that the vast majority of today’s youngsters never will. It was late fall in 1956 when the Sunderland family pulled up to a 3-room shack on the edge of boomtown Fairbanks, Alaska. Fairbanks grew during WW2 from a dirty little town serving the area’s trappers, and miners. (The movie “Ice Palace” was the knick-name of the Northrop Building in Fairbanks.) Now it was a dirty larger town serving 3 military bases. Most...
Liberty is worth fighting and dying for. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” In 2003 Congress used this quotation as the foundation for the Benjamin Franklin True Patriot Act, an Act which was written to preserve our civil liberties but which never became law. Because America is still the home of the brave, protecting our liberties remains an essential American principle worthy of...
The question was posed recently of “what do you like about Sidney?” As a relative newcomer — I was reminded recently I’m losing the “odor” of a recent arrival — I decided to offer my take. My wife and I made the move about 3 ½ years ago. She had been working here for most of a year and I was in a job transition period, unexpectedly, so when I saw an opportunity in Sidney, we talked and came to an agreement. Many employers know that is the easy part. The next step is getting the family “marrie...
Not very long ago, anyone speaking about the dissolution of the United States of America into smaller, independent nations was thought to be a fool, conspiracy theorist or stupid. But since 2016, and especially in the last two years, more and more perfectly sane and educated individuals are confessing they’re beginning to see no way forward for our country. Why? Because we’ve become a divided nation comprised of two large groups with irreconcilable differences. We’re no longer one nation under...
There is no shadow of a doubt in my mind that President Joe Biden should be impeached as a result of the mishandling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. He and his top dogs in the cabinet are trying to shrug it off. He has tried to shift attention away from himself and his administration by pointing fingers at former President Trump and his administration. That and any other excuses that may be presented just won’t fly. As President, Biden is the Supreme Commander. Period. The buck stops with him. I...
On August 9th President Joe Biden went before the camera and blamed 80 million unvaccinated Americans for the persistent spreading of the coronavirus and mandated that all federal employees, save the U.S. Postal Service, and all employers with more than 100 employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 or get weekly virus tests. Biden insisted that “This is not about freedom or personal choice; it’s about protecting yourself and those around you…” I disagree. Biden’s vaccine mandate is unconstit...
Several years ago, there was an Adam Sandler movie called “Click.” On the surface it was the perfect story line. An executive acquired what looks like a generic remote control that can be purchased at any given retail store. The remote allows the character to zoom past all of the difficult, uncomfortable or otherwise uninteresting chapters of life; like reading every other chapter of an epic novel and expecting to feel satisfied with the last few sentences. In this particular adventure, he beg...
On September 11, 2001, the United States of America was changed forever. The world watched and held its breath as terrorists attacked our nation. In New York City, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon, Americans lost their lives at the hands of ruthlessness. While we commemorate that terrible day annually, it is receiving special attention this year, on its twentieth anniversary. As we honor the victims of one of the worst days in American history, we continue to pray for their families, and we...
I’m seeing things happen in America today that point to the end of the republic as envisioned by our founders. Collectivists have assumed control of the government, education system, media, corporate boardrooms and even large denominations. As a result, collectivist ideologies are now being forced on everyone, and anyone who resists is “banished” from society as surely as those exiled from kingdoms in the past were for failing to swear fealty to the throne. Our founders envisioned a colle...
During the 1990’s, the Clinton administration received sufficient warnings that Osama bin Laden’s terrorist organization, al-Qaeda, intended to continue to carry out attacks upon U. S. citizens and their property, by enlisting suicide bombers. From bin Laden’s cave complex in Tora Bora, a mountainous region in northeast Afghanistan, he recruited and trained individuals from across the globe to engage in terrorist operations. He was at war with the United States, and few inside the Federal govern...
With summer coming to a close, I have been spending my time visiting with Nebraskans and traveling our state. The conversations I have at meetings, community events, round-table discussions, and tours of local businesses are invaluable to me as I work on federal policies to improve the lives of people in our state. In Lincoln, I had the opportunity to meet with the Nebraska Association for Home Healthcare and Hospice. This group helps ensure Nebraskans can receive home care and hospice...
These days a certain segment in our political arena is hell bent on centralizing more and more power into the federal government. They are using end runs hoping the common citizen does not see it. Misrepresentation of their agenda is also used to prevent the real purpose of their legislation being discovered. The radical left is relying on a few things in order to blind side the mass of Americans: a left leaning news media that routinely skews the news in one direction, an internet controlled...
In case you haven’t heard the news, the Nebraska State Board of Education voted 5-1 on Friday to indefinitely postpone development of their new health education standards. Voting in favor of the proposal to halt the process were board members Robin Stevens, Lisa Fricke, Patti Gubbels, Maureen Nickels and Patsy Koch Johns. Voting against the proposal was Jacquelyn Morrison. Deborah Neary abstained from the vote and Patricia Timm was absent from the meeting. This represents a huge victory for t...
I was interim editor at a nearby newspaper about 20 years ago. I approached the office each day with the goal of turning out the best paper I could with the resources I had, staff and technology. On Sept. 11, 2001, I entered the building a little earlier than usual, even more focused on my deadline than usual. I had stories to review and pages to design and only a few hours to get it all done. Then the phone rang. This call is both expected and odd. It was my publisher asking if I was watching...
Dear Editor: September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This is a time for each of us to reach out to those around us and take steps to prevent suicide. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s theme for the month is “Together, we can help #StopSuicide.” One action I’m taking this month to help #StopSuicide is contacting my public officials and urging them to prioritize funding for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and our local crisis call centers. In July 2022, the new 988 number will be fully operati...
Twenty years ago, the United States suffered the terrorist attacks of 9/11. No one old enough to remember that day will ever forget it. It was surreal to watch the Twin Towers collapse and heartbreaking to see images of first responders covered head to toe in dust, searching through the debris in Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks claimed 2,977 innocent lives. The casualties included a number of individuals with ties to Nebraska. Jennifer Dorsey-Howley, a graduate of Lincoln Southeast, worked at Aon...
I’ll leave it to other pundits to speak about the utter ineptitude and disastrous incompetence demonstrated by American leaders in regards to Afghanistan. There will be investigations, hearings and inquiries into how our withdrawal from that nation was carried out. Bottom line is what’s done is done. I want to focus on the consequences we will now face as a nation. America has just continued an embarrassing track record of abandoning people who’ve helped us and nations/jurisdictions that have...
The United States departed Afghanistan on August 31, after almost twenty years of nation-building, the most recent foreign power to surrender that harsh, cold, Himalayan terrain, “the graveyard of empires,” back to the Afghan people. The British tried three times to tame the poor but fierce Afghan fighters. In the first Afghan War, 1839-1840, the British marched in with high hopes, but suffered one of the worst military disasters of the nineteenth century, an outright slaughter. The Afghan peo...
I’m reading some news stories of the day when I am reminded of a bike ride I took several years ago. I was a rookie in many respects, and in comparison to the two guys I hoped to ride with. On this day, riding an older bike as I recall, I was promptly told to skip this ride. I wasn’t ready. My equipment — tires — were not safe. So how’s that tie in with current events? Don’t stage an event you’re not prepared for. The American people were shocked to learn President Biden apparently ma...
To The Editor, This goes out to the wonderful people of this community. How do we ever thank you enough? You took time out of your already busy day to help find Roger, and you did not quit until he was found. What an awesome community and beyond we have! A big thank-you go to the following: Lodgepole Fire Department; Gurley Fire Department; Dalton Fire Department; Ron Leal with his drone; Adam Frerichs and crew of the Cheyenne County Sheriff Department; the Nebraska State Patrol; Chadron - Scottsbluff - Troupe E – Sidney – North Platte; Sea...
How well informed are you? Do you get all of the news or only snippets of the news? Unfortunately, keeping up with all of the news today is like taking on a second full-time job. Few of us have the time, the energy, or the interest in researching every angle on every story. Complicating matters is the fact that our major media outlets slant the news according to their own political worldviews. Mainstream journalism (not our local press) is very biased. Seldom does a person ever get both sides...
Energy reliability and independence are pillars of our country’s national security. A reliable power grid has helped our nation build the world’s largest economy, and our focus on developing domestic sources of energy has made our country’s fleet of automobiles and airplanes less dependent on overseas oil. Earlier this year, U.S. News and World Report ranked Nebraska #3 nationally for power grid reliability and #8 overall in their energy category which “tracks the reliability of power grids, ren...
