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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The massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut has caused grief and reflection across the nation. I join all Nebraskans and Americans in mourning the victims and in prayer for their families and friends. Such an act of horror naturally invites debate over what can and should be done to protect children and prevent senseless acts of violence in the future. President Obama and others were quick to insist on new gun restrictions. We all share the goal of reduced violence, but I believe further gun control measures would not...
America has endured times of great challenge and great triumph. At a time when doubt is growing about the prospects of a bright future for America, we must remember that the road to prosperity has never been an easy one. And our success has always been because we, as a people, are greater than the challenges we face. Without a doubt, years of economic recession have taken a significant toll on our country. During this period, unemployment climbed to 10 percent, remaining alarmingly high in January, at 7.9 percent. The financial markets have...
Let’s Get Mad, Men! A recent study published in the February issue of the American Sociological Review raised a whole lot of discussion last week. The study has been all over the Internet, where I found it (I canceled my subscription to the American Sociological Review years ago, when I realized I didn’t know what Sociology was). The study showed that husbands who help out with traditionally “wifely” chores have sex less often than more manly guys who stick to more traditional guy pursuits like cutting the grass, fixing the car and hammering aw...
Four years ago, Michelle Obama picked up a shovel and made a powerful symbolic statement about America’s food and farm future: She turned a patch of White House lawn into a working organic garden. That was a great move, earning kudos from just about everyone this side of Monsanto and the pesticide lobby. But now, as she begins another four years in the people’s mansion, the first lady is probably asking herself: “How can I top that? What can I do this time around to plant a crop of common sense in our country’s political soil that will link Am...
Democratic Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey is having a bad month. He recently wrote a check to a large donor for nearly $60,000 reimbursing him for the generous gift of trips on a private jet. The paperwork had “fallen through the cracks,” an aide explained. Under investigation by the FBI regarding allegations that he engaged underage prostitutes during visits to the Dominican Republic (the destination of those jet trips), the senator was also recently embarrassed when it emerged that an 18-year-old intern on his staff who was hel...
So I think enough time has passed that the fear of 12-21-12 and the misconceptions that came along with that have passed. While in pursuit of my Bachelor’s Degree in Photography I had to take an English Comp 2 class, as everyone going for a BA knows you have to do, and this particular class was nothing but essays and writing skills. For one of my assignments I had to write an informative paper that would do two things: the first take a topic and clear up misunderstandings and secondly give actualities of the subject. Anyone who has been in c... Full story
Before we know it summer will be here and students will be actively searching for internships to enhance their skills. This is a great time to remind businesses and students about Nebraska’s internship program – Intern Nebraska. I am pleased to announce the new and improved InternNE.com website is up and running. Since going live in early January, the website has seen an increase of nearly 100 registered students. The new, streamlined design and easier navigation capabilities make this a positive change for both students and business lea...
Every week, it seems, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s name inches higher on the list of potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates. As a result, unlike any public figure in recent memory, he is increasingly compelled to assure reporters and the general public that his weight does not impair his ability to lead. Christie, by any measure, is obese. This has provided endless fodder for late-night talk show hosts – David Letterman has ridiculed him for years – and politicos who hope to use his weight against him. Stereotypes masqu...
I stand out among my conservative friends in disliking guns. I favor reasonable restrictions on the Second Amendment, such as bans on fully automatic weapons, background checks for purchases and forbidding the sale of guns to those with histories of mental illness or criminality. Yet I cannot agree with liberals that more gun control will lead to fewer gun crimes. President Obama’s choice for defense secretary, Chuck Hagel, actually illuminated one of the weaknesses of the gun control case. Hagel had been closely associated with Global Zero (...
Fear. When I was younger I had an intense fear of heights. My father too said he had the same fear so at the time I felt a little better in knowing that the person I saw as the bravest man on Earth could have fears as well. However when I was a kid I felt that fears would stay permanent and that there was no way you could get past something you once found terrifying. But over the years I learned of the kind of freedom that comes from getting over your fears and what significant impact that can have on your life. When I was a sophomore in colleg... Full story
Accountability and risk. There was a time in the late 1960s or early 1970s when Lyndon Johnson put his presidency on the line with the civil rights movement. His advisors and many from his political party felt he shouldn’t do that and the president, being as he was – Texan and unafraid said, “Well what’s the presidency for if you can’t put it on the line? – to make people’s lives better, to improve their station and to provide opportunity.” This, in my opinion, is the way it should be about anything. If you take a political office or if you are... Full story
Last week’s decision by Japan to amend a nine-year restriction on certain beef imports is a promising sign for Nebraska beef producers. Beginning this month, the Japanese will be able to import high quality American beef from animals aged 30 months old or younger. Japan halted its U.S. beef imports in 2003, when a single case of BSE was detected in the United States. In 2005, Japan resumed limited imports, only allowing beef from animals 20 months old or younger. Lifting these restrictions opens opportunities for Japan’s import of more saf...
In case you missed it (and it you did, you live in a cave) Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te’o recently got himself in a whole lot of hot water after he received sympathy and attention by announcing that his girlfriend had died. When reporters later discovered that the girlfriend had never existed, Te’o claimed he’d been “catfished”, and that the girl was someone he’d met, and fell in love with, without ever actually seeing in person. The entire relationship was over the Internet. Catfishing is a relatively new term, and basically m...
If you are sensitive to stories of human suffering and economic hardship, let me warn you that the following report contains material that could be upsetting, so discretion is advised. It’s about a fellow named Jamie. He lives in New York City, and he has recently had a very rough go with a large financial institution. Such behemoths can be heartless, so as you can imagine, it’s tough to stand up to them. The giant in this case is JPMorgan Chase, Wall Street’s biggest bank, and it went after poor Jamie Dimon hard. In the end, the bank took...
In the days since the second Obama inauguration, I’ve been thinking about Kelly Clarkson and Beyonce. No, not the great lip-synching controversy, but the choice of popular entertainment for a solemn national rite. That Beyonce apparently lip-synched her beautiful rendition of the national anthem is a triviality. It’s cold on the steps of the Capitol and even the greatest singer might have trouble sounding good in those conditions. Kelly Clarkson apparently sang live (and perhaps paid a price in quality). Four years ago, at Obama’s first inaugur...
The Sun-Telegraph series on what it is to be each denomination is finished and I want to take a moment to thank every one of the Pastors, Father and Reverend who gave me a piece of their day – before I finish out the series with what it is to believe as I do in this week’s column. I appreciate each and every one of you and thank you for helping me make that series as successful as it was, the talks with all of you impacted me a great deal. I have to say I am very proud of the turnout especially since I was told not to get my hopes up – somet... Full story
Two weeks ago I saw Steven Spielberg's recent movie, Lincoln, and came away impressed. Sally Fields did an admirable job playing Mary Todd Lincoln, and Tommy Lee Jones played Thaddeus Stevens, but it was Daniel Day-Lewis, playing Abraham Lincoln, who was mesmerizing, riveting. It was if I was watching the real Abraham Lincoln, with all of his diffidence, hesitations, awkward mannerisms, ugliness, and squeaky voice fully displayed, with warts and beard and over-sized ears. Critics agree that Day-...
Recently, a reader wanted to know whether I was aware that Creators Syndicate, which distributes my column, identifies me as a “liberal” on its website. Is this really the first thing you want readers to know about you? she wondered. Her intentions were kind. I assured her I’m fine with it. I already had been a columnist for five years when, in 2008, Creators started identifying all of us by our politics to give newspaper clients a better idea of who we are. At first, I bristled. I was afraid the label would alienate conservative readers who t...
It isn’t often that you get reading suggestions from a United States senator, but that’s what happened this past weekend for those who attended the National Review Institute’s summit meeting in Washington, D.C. The three-day conclave, part election post-mortem and part revival meeting (that is, reviving conservatism and America), featured a bracing dose of conservative intellectuals along with activists, campaign professionals and office holders. Newly minted Senator Ted Cruz of Texas spoke in his characteristic fashion — fluidly without...
Most people have some sort of brain capacity to recall most events or things that they have to do in a given day. I am not one of those people. If you are like me you can walk from one room of your house to another and in those few short steps and have already forgotten why in the world you even got off the couch. Granted I also have just “brain farts” sometimes where I can be searching the house for a good five minutes before realizing that the cell phone that I am frantically looking for is in my hand. Sometimes I question my sanity at tim... Full story
Freight trains carry 1.8 billion tons of cargo on more than 138,000 miles of track across the United States each year. It is amazing when you think about the amount of force railroad lines withstand to keep this massive industry on track. Without those parallel strips of steel, relatively small when compared to their burden, there would be nothing to guide the massive trains to their destination. The federal budget is a bit like those tracks. Without them, there is no guide for federal spending. They provide the direction needed to ensure...
One of the most basic functions of government is to pass a budget – to decide how to use tax dollars based on the needs of the nation. The House of Representatives has passed a budget every year since Republicans won a majority, but the House cannot act alone. The Senate, which has not passed a budget in nearly four years, must also act to address our long-term deficit and debt. The budget serves as a policy outline establishing guidelines for appropriations and other spending and revenue bills through the rest of the year. Federal law r...
As I write this column, I am getting ready to cut the cord. In a day or so, I am gathering my courage, picking up the phone and telling my cable provider to go jump in a lake. We live in a hilly area where TV signals don’t get all that far, so without cable, we get one station and only once in a while. Three years ago, we upgraded to one of those package deals where the cable company provides all of our electronic entertainment needs for one low, low monthly price. Because it was such a low, low price, we signed up for a whole slew of movie c...
Running a daily newspaper, or any newspaper for that matter, offers opportunities that make the job very enjoyable. It also enhances, or at least it has mine, the number of experiences I can count in my life. Thursday night here in Sidney I had the pleasure of attending the Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet. The rewards were many – as I was able to see the smiles, hugs and handshakes as guests arrived – and I was joined by four staff members here at the table and for the evening. I watched intently as the mc for the night... Full story
The Republican Party is picking up the pieces. Speaking of the ticket’s loss for the first time since the election, Rep. Paul Ryan noted that many voters “don’t think or know that we have good ideas” on fighting poverty and “helping people move up the ladder of life.” It’s not surprising that Ryan, who got his start working for Jack Kemp and William Bennett at Empower America, sees the world this way. Though it’s a total secret to members of the press and the Democratic Party, conservative intellectuals have been grappling with the problems of...
