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 poet Robert Frost once said that a liberal is someone too broad-minded to take his own side in a fight. What would he say about those on the right who seem to be confused about the same question? Over the last few days, Donald Trump told a rally about how he'd supposedly warned the leader of a NATO nation that he'd encourage the Russians "to do whatever the hell they want" against countries that weren't spending enough on defense, while the former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson...
Our seniors face ever-growing challenges. Rising costs, attacks on their retirement savings, fraud, and identity theft threaten what they spent a lifetime building. Many of the facilities that care for this vulnerable population are struggling to stay afloat due to burdensome regulations and other factors, threatening the availability of care in rural areas across the country. This week, I held an Aging roundtable conversation with Nebraskans in senior care to discuss solutions to many of these...
One of the things I am most proud of from my time as Governor was how we improved services. One way we did this was by helping low-income Nebraskans find quality, higher-paying jobs through an innovative program called SNAP Next Step. The program helps families on SNAP, otherwise known as food stamps, with job training, resume writing, and job search coaching to find that better job – that next step toward a better future. We prioritized giving people a hand up, not a handout. The results were i...
The deadline for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms for the 2023-2024 academic year recently closed on June 30th. FAFSA is the form students and prospective students fill out to apply for grants, work-study, and low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Education. Before the next FAFSA application cycle opens up on October 1, there is a critical error that Congress must fix to ensure farm families can continue to receive fair consideration of their applications for aid...
As we gather to celebrate the birth of our great nation on this Fourth of July, it is an opportunity to reflect upon the values and ideals that have made America the greatest country that has ever existed. For centuries, our American flag has inspired and rallied Americans through times of triumph and tragedy. It reminds us of the sacrifices made to secure our freedoms. It represents the ideals upon which our nation was founded – freedom, justice, and equality – and our perpetual quest to for...
One year ago this week, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down one of the most important decisions in its history. For years, loud voices on the left have demanded the right to an abortion be absolute, including horrific practices like third-trimester and partial birth abortions. Despite an unprecedented leak and a politically-motivated assassination attempt against a sitting Supreme Court Justice, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, the Court restored the right of the American...
From our southern border to our own backyard, law enforcement are essential to our safety and security. These courageous women and men in blue make the Good Life we enjoy in Nebraska possible. They put their lives on the line to enforce our laws and keep our streets safe. As we celebrate National Police Week, this week, let us recognize the service of those who chose a job that requires the utmost integrity. While other states attempt to defund the police, Nebraskans respect and support the...
Last week, I spoke on the Senate floor to fight a blatant power grab by the federal government. The Senate considered a resolution attempting to block the "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) rule from President Biden's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This rule would change the definition of navigable waters to include things like roadside ditches, puddles on construction sites, and farm ponds. Think about that – President Biden's EPA and his Army Corps of Engineers apparently believe t...
The holiday season is full of examples of Nebraskans taking the time to help one another. Just think of the bells we hear and the red Salvation Army buckets we see at the entrances of the stores where we run our daily errands. The toy drives and free meals offered by organizations like People's City Mission in Lincoln to Nebraskans who've fallen on hard times. Or the clothing donations and the outreach to the lonely and shut-ins that are put on by the diverse communities of faith across our...
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...
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...
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...
In 2024, NASA will send a small surgical robot from Nebraska to the International Space Station. The tiny, two-pound robot will be able to perform surgeries on the space station that would normally require a surgeon’s expertise and much larger equipment. The surgical robot can operate more or less on its own, performing complex procedures at the flip of a switch. The device, developed by Nebraska-based Virtual Incision, is a significant step toward making it possible for surgeons to operate r...
Over the years, Nebraskans have built thousands of miles of trails, rails, power lines, and highways to connect our state. This connectivity has helped our urban and rural communities thrive. Yet as more of our lives have gone online, we’ve seen a digital divide develop. It’s easier and less expensive to deliver high-speed internet to houses close together in cities than it is to reach ranch homes spaced miles apart. For this reason, broadband infrastructure in rural Nebraska has lagged beh...
Fifty years ago, women’s volleyball wasn’t even a varsity sport at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Fast forward a half century, and Nebraska volleyball is must-see entertainment. Matches at the Devaney Center are standing room only. The Huskers again led the nation in home attendance last year with crowds averaging over 8,200 per match. And their national championship match against Wisconsin in December broke collegiate volleyball records for both in-person attendance (18,755) and TV v...
Nebraska is experiencing terrific growth. We’ve seen big success creating jobs, cutting taxes, and attracting investment to our state. This week, I’m hosting Nebraska’s Ag and Economic Development Summit in Kearney. The Summit convenes key leaders from across the state to discuss how to build on our strong momentum. Over the course of the Summit, we’ll dive into the challenges and opportunities we face as a state. Some topics are familiar: developing our workforce, opening new markets for Nebras...
We’re less than a month away from our state’s biggest annual celebration — the Nebraska State Fair. From August 26th through September 5th, Nebraskans from across the state will gather to share all that Nebraska agriculture has to offer. It will be the 153rd time we gather for this time-honored tradition. Last year, the State Fair attracted more than a quarter-million attendees to Grand Island, including visitors from 10 countries and 43 states. This year, we’ll be ready to welcome even more gu...
This month, I issued a proclamation declaring July 2022 as “Victims of Communism Month” in Nebraska. This is the second year in a row that I’ve issued this proclamation as a way to highlight the atrocities committed by Communist governments. There’s no clearer example than the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), whose regime is a human rights abuser to its own people. In recent years, the CCP has ruthlessly crushed dissent in Hong Kong. It has committed genocide against ethnic Uighurs. And it is o...
One of America’s greatest civil rights heroes is from Nebraska. Yet nationally, almost nobody knows about him. As Nebraskans, we’re changing that by telling Chief Standing Bear’s story. In the 1800s, Chief Standing Bear’s tribe — the Ponca — peacefully hunted and farmed on land in northeast Nebraska along the Niobrara River. In 1868, the federal government signed a treaty with the Sioux tribe, mistakenly granting them much of the Ponca’s territory. This led to conflict between the two tribes ove...
In 1937, the Nebraska Safety Patrol was formed to address the rising problem of crashes on our state’s roads. Eighty-five years later, that organization still stands—now known as the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP). Their mission to help keep our communities and citizens safe hasn’t wavered. But they continue to adapt the ways they carry out that mission to meet the needs of Nebraskans. As we celebrate 85 years of the NSP, let’s recognize all they do for our state. They keep us safe on the roads, pr...
Americans are experiencing pain at the pump and sticker shock at the store. Prices continue to soar. This out-of-control inflation is corrosive to the financial health of America’s families. The failed policies of the Biden-Harris Administration are directly responsible for this runaway inflation. It’s time the President takes action to bring it under control. Here in Nebraska, we’ve shown how to achieve sustained growth — even in the face of floods, fires, and a global pandemic. We’re t...
Mental illness is a national public health issue that affects Nebraska as well. During my time as Governor, we’ve made mental health a priority and have rolled out several programs to identify mental illness and get Nebraska’s students, veterans, and others the care they need. As a result of these efforts, U.S. News and World Report now ranks Nebraska as having the fourth-best mental health in the nation. However, we still have plenty of room for improvement. As we work to prevent mental ill...
Dear College Graduates, Congratulations! You did it! You persevered through a once-in-a-century pandemic to earn your degree. Your disciplined study and hard work have paid off. You’ve put yourself in a great position to move toward your dreams. It’s an exciting moment. As you consider your next step, I encourage you to put down roots in the Good Life. We want you here in Nebraska. Our state has a lot to offer: great-paying jobs, family-friendly communities, and an unparalleled quality of life....
Grit and determination. Readiness to help at a moment’s notice. Willingness to work long and hard. Steadfastness in the face of difficulty. These are the qualities that define us as Nebraskans. And we saw them on full display last month as our state battled the worst fires in a decade. On the evening of April 22nd, 16 fires broke out throughout Nebraska. They were brought on by a combination of drought, low humidity, and gusty winds. These dangerous conditions caused the wildfires to spread q...
Nebraskans have long been strong supporters of the right to keep and bear arms. Nearly 85 years after it was enshrined in the Second Amendment at the federal level, Nebraska’s leaders chose to make our stance on gun rights crystal clear. Article I of the Nebraska Constitution proclaims that “the right to keep and bear arms for security or defense of self, family, home, and others, and for lawful common defense, hunting, recreational use, and all other lawful purposes...shall not be denied or...
