Opinion

Ding dong! The doorbell announced the arrival of two groups of church youths bearing gifts. The eager young people had been shopping items for Grannie Annie to send to “her” soldiers via her Adopt a Chaplain program. The funds to buy had been credited to each youth earned by hours volunteering at the county fair food booth. ...

In response to the column by Mr. Pat Pope, CEO of Nebraska Public Power District, I would suggest that he and NPPD are not necessarily the good guys in white hats as in the rose-colored picture he paints. While historically public power has been good for Nebraska and its early electrification, NPPD is now a bloated government subsidiary with minimal oversight by the state...

Nebraska’s frustrations with property taxes go back over 150 years, when Nebraska was still only a territory. Throughout the decades, many proposals have been made to reduce the burden of the property tax system, but none have really worked. In 2016, the State of Nebraska collected almost $4 billion in total property tax, or $2,048 per person...

Love it or hate it, there’s one thing you can say about Halloween — it puts off the Christmas rush just that much longer. In fact, Halloween has become more and more a retailer’s dream in recent years, according to Sarah Hollenbeck of offers.com. The National Retailers Federation estimates consumers will spend a record-breaking $9.1 billion on Halloween this year, and a survey of 1,000 U.S. ...

Cleanliness is next to godliness, goes the old adage, and that’s especially true when it comes to the work day. If you’ve ever worked in construction, you’ll know how frustrating and dangerous it can be if tools aren’t returned to their rightful place, materials aren’t where they can be accessed, power cords are tangled and the job sight is in general disarray...

Along with pumpkin spice and everything nice, October is known as a month of change. With the leaves turning and the weather finally cooling down, people and pets alike are starting to snuggle up on the couch and enjoy fall. Dogs young and old are looking for new homes before the cold of winter settles in. ...

In January, State Auditor Charlie Janssen issued a scathing audit on the misuse of tax increment financing (TIFs). Last week, I testified at a legislative hearing on an interim resolution examining the use of TIFs. And after hearing other testimony from mostly public officials explaining why they had unintentionally misused TIF from misinterpretation or confusion, I concluded that the entire TIF statute requires remediation...

I haven’t written about sports in quite a while but developments this week mandated that I do so today. The Nebraska football team has been installed as a 25 point underdog at home this Saturday to the Ohio State Buckeyes. That makes them the biggest underdog they have been since 1956 when they played Oklahoma and won only one game that year...

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse won’t gain many votes among his constituents, the majority of whom voted for President Trump, but he’s never been known to shirk his duty as a member of the legislative branch of government when he feels it’s time to question the head of the executive branch...

The current Republican administration is showing an unprecedented cruelty toward children. The Republican-controlled House voted to take access to health care away from 20 million people including our nation’s poorest and sickest children, those using Medicaid...

When you work in an industry like public power, it is easy to understand the adage, “History repeats itself.” More than 125 years after the City of Crete began lighting its streets in 1887, using direct current generated by a turbine at a dam of the Big Blue River, Central City became the first city to generate electricity with a community solar array...

President Obama’s Clean Air Plan was estimated to prevent up to 3,600 premature deaths a year and 90,000 asthma attacks in children, according to the American Lung Association. Public health advocates said it would be especially beneficial to poorer populations in major cities, living near coal-fired power plants...

Today, Oct. 9, 2017, The brother of the mass murderer Of Las Vegas repute arrived at the airport in Las Vegas where he was picked up by agents of the FBI where he will be interviewed and questioned about his brother. Those of us who witnessed his comical response but nonetheless pathetic response to the media questions the day after the massacre, with the frenetic and nervous repetition of the words, Nothing!...

I have to agree with fellow columnist and friend Mike Hendricks. Hillside Perks at Culbertson is a fine place to dine. Actually, the atmosphere makes it more in the spirit of eat, visit over coffee and a community current information exchange kind of place. ...

I have spent the entire summer traveling around the district going to county fairs and community celebrations, by far the most talked about issue is property taxes. With the next legislative session set to begin in January, I have no doubt this issue will be front and center on the minds of most of my colleagues in the legislature. I have visited with many of my fellow Senators and a majority of them are hearing the same thing. We need property tax relief!...

We live in a time of countless innovations, but sometimes it takes adversity to bring the most out of available technology. Rural areas have long used video conferencing to deliver education — we remember students in the Australian Outback receiving their schooling via shortwave radio, and they’re probably on a satellite Internet service these days...

My good friend Margaret Shapiro subscribes to International News, which is published in Sacramento, Calif. The complete title of this publication is International Travel News: A Celebration of Travel. The August 2017 edition of this publication featured Venice, Italy. The location of the world ‘s first ghetto, a story by Julie Skurdens...

I would like this to be an open letter to all of those people who don’t understand the reasons for the shooting in Las Vegas. The answer? People (Some) are infested with swarms of demons. Demons enter people through trauma (mental and physical), sin, certain types of pride, certain movies, books, etc.Like roaches, these demons are active and cause hate, discontentment, and jealousy...

The Post Office, banks and government buildings are closed today for Columbus Day, but not in Austin, Texas, where they are closed for Indigenous Peoples Day. The same goes for places like San Francisco, Seattle and Denver, which have done away with Columbus Day, over concerns that the explorer did not actually “discover” the New World, and helped enslave and decimate and people who were already living there...

The FBI defines mass murder as the murder of four or more people during the same incident and time frame and Americans are really good at it. The United States makes up only 4.4% of the world’s population but is responsible for 31% of the world’s mass shooting incidents. And this obviously doesn’t count the carnage that goes on in the streets of America’s cities every day...

Americans are blessed to have a right to govern themselves through their vote, but recent revelations show the wisdom of the founders in creating a republic, where voters choose representatives to make decisions, rather than a direct democracy, even if the majority choose not to take part...

A dear friend is celebrating a birthday. A very special birthday as it is number eighty. Family and friends were gathering for a “surprise” celebration a couple days early so Grannie and your old columnist took part. It was a time to look back as a bit over 74 years ago Velma the honored guest and I, along with Charlene, Leonard, Ernie, Ruth and (twins)Jerry & Larry, all started kindergarten together. The school was District 8, a few miles south of McCook...

Dear Editor, Questions about Nebraska Cooperative Republican Platte Enhancement Project’s (N-CORPE) ownership of property have recently been raised by some Lincoln County residents who would like the property to be in private hands. We believe they and others who share their concerns deserve a response...

In response to Senator Dan Hughes’ recent column on the power industry, I must say that some of his statement are conflicting and confusing. He is concerned about bringing LB 504 out of committee because “it would be limiting the property rights of landowners….” LB 504 would put a temporary hold on wind energy development in the Nebraska Sandhills, but possibly should include the entire state. ...

I’ve heard from many in this conservative enclave we call home during the past week or so that the NFL has a rule that addresses player conduct and that it specifically details behavior to follow during the playing of the National Anthem. This is a timely subject this week because isolated examples of protest during the pre-game festivities reached a boiling point this past Sunday, culminating in teams either kneeling in unison or staying off the playing field until the National Anthem had been played. ...