Opinion

University of Nebraska volleyball has been one of the hottest tickets in Lincoln for some years now, so it was no surprise to see the Graff Events Center filled to capacity Saturday for what is arguably the biggest event it has ever hosted in its short history...

Who will care from me when I am too old to care for myself, when I need skilled nursing care? The current Medicaid crisis in payments to Nebraska nursing homes may cause there to be no care home for me. The local facilities may be forced to close due to shortfalls of $35 to $50 per day in payments for Medicaid patients. ...

Twenty years or so ago, Mike O’Dell was putting together a weekly paper in McCook to compete with the Gazette and asked me to write a weekly column for it. In his introduction of me and my column, he described me as being “irascible.” That word is defined as having or showing a tendency to be easily angered which I disagreed with because that has never been my nature. But I do sometimes fit a secondary characterization of the word as being “edgy.”...

Weather forecasting is important because a change in weather affects all living things here on earth. Human beings have carefully observed the weather since ancient times. Matthey 16:2 states “it will be fair weather: for the sky is red.” Our modern-day saying is “red at night, sailor’s delight.” Matthew 16:3 points out that in the morning, it will be foul weather, because the sky is red. The modern adaptation of this is “red at morning sailor’s warning.”...

LB227, the ag nuisance bill I introduced, was filibustered during the first reading on general file on April 8. However, I had enough votes to bring it back for a second three hours on Wednesday, April 10, and to break the filibuster that day. It was eventually passed through to select file...

We agree with Omaha Sen. Lou Ann Linehan that the Revenue Committee’s tax plan is a step in the right direction, With the sluggish farm economy sunk further by flooding in much of the state, this may be the year farmers and ranchers get a break on their property taxes, sharing an average 20 percent reduction in school property taxes, which are the largest component of property tax bills...

“Is this our reality now?” one observer posted in social media, with a link to the story about Denver-area schools being shut down in the face of a “credible and general” threat. The action seems appropriate, with one of the schools affected being Columbine High School, which will mark the 20th anniversary Saturday of the attack that killed 12 students and a teacher...

This Nebraska Nursing Home crisis has been a jolt to our system for senior care. State Health and Human Services committee members now are being made aware of their need to re-evaluate distribution of funds available for nursing homes. Many people are encouraging the state senators to approve changes for the better...

Boeing makes good airplanes. Ye old scribe speaks from experience having flown two of the iconic products from that company of great renown. Following Air Force pilot training I was assigned to fly the KC-97. Big ugly, ungainly looking on the ground still it was a pleasure to fly. ...

One South Dakota student boasted to cooks at his elementary school that his sister is “the best cook ever” because she made ketchup soup for him the night before. Gay Anderson, president of the School Nutrition Association, told the Patch online news service that situations like the one she described above are common in every community across America...

In [reference] to the Feb. 12, 2019 article: “McCook Public Schools tightening belt”. The Atlantic’s January 30, 2015 article, “It Takes a Village: The Rise of Community-Driven Infrastructure” written by Greta Byrum, urban planner and a senior field analyst at the Open Technology Institute; “Thinking local—and integrating social engagement into systems planning—means reimagining infrastructure as we know it.”. Who’s on the ‘team’ in educating our children?...

We all hear the mantra about diet and exercise leading to longer life, but how about our zip code? That can make a difference, according to a University of Nebraska Medical Center team that is unveiling a new Life Expectancy Calculator and Mapping for Nebraskans website...

The Washington Post has determined that up through 801 days of being President, Donald Trump made false or misleading statements or claims 9,451 times. That’s 11.8 a day, every day. That would be absolutely shocking and unforgiveable if the rest of us weren’t doing it too but we are. We’ve become a dishonest nation and I remember when we weren’t...

We cannot afford to bob and weave when it comes to the Medicaid Crisis happening in Nebraska. Without change it will just keep getting worse, and closures will happen. Legislative Bills have been created, committees have been formed, and Nebraskan’s have been and are continuing to be educated on Medicaid Crisis...

Have you ever been talking about a certain product or subject, and then had an advertisement for it pop up next time you go online? Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe you just forgot doing a search for it earlier. Then again ... Amazon was the pioneer in smart speakers, to the point that the first word many babies speak is “Alexa ...”...

As I write this, we’ve been in full-day debate for one week, and the tone of the Legislature last week was not well. There is a lack of trust within the body, and certain members have already begun engaging in time-consuming behaviors. If this continues, late night floor debate may begin sooner than in previous years and could continue for the remainder of session. ...

As I write this, we’ve been in full-day debate for one week, and the tone of the Legislature last week was not well. There is a lack of trust within the body, and certain members have already begun engaging in time-consuming behaviors. If this continues, late night floor debate may begin sooner than in previous years and could continue for the remainder of session. ...

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of a Norton, Kansas, high school sophomore, Thunder Linner, who was killed in a farm accident Monday. Officials haven’t released many details, other than saying he died using farming equipment while doing chores on the family farm...

Actually, as a person born and raised in Denver, I never owned a horse. However, I spent my summers riding them and working with them at the Flying G Ranch or Girl Scout Camp on the edge of Pike National Forest. Recentlty, I read a copy of the magazine America’s Horse published in October and November 2018. On p.p. 46-50 was a story of a quarter horse, Blondey’s Dude...

Fish fry Friday—only one more before Easter. Baker “hotted up” the Cajun variety and made it even better. Good food, visiting with friends, can’t beat it and all for a good cause. Grannie Annie and I sat with Bob and Marie Smith—think Hillside Perk. ...

You’ve probably seen the sign, on the internet if not in real life. It reads: Reminders From Your Child: --I’m a KID --It’s Just a GAME --My Coach is a VOLUNTEER --The Officials are HUMANS --NO College Scholarships will be Handed Out Today The weather has been more of a factor in disrupting the spring sports schedule, but obtaining officials for various sports is always an issue...

Dear Editor, All nursing homes in Nebraska and the United States of America have been facing a financial crisis compared to a volcano that silently smolders underground until it erupts. Many care facilities have closed in the last few years. Some were for obvious reasons, but now the survivors are facing increasing regulations and tightening of funds. ...

Human beings are born essentially tabula rasa or a “blank slate.” That simply means we have to learn how to do everything through living and replicating the behaviors we see in others because we aren’t born with any a priori knowledge. Scientists generally agree that some people are born with certain skills or abilities but even those have to be nurtured through interactions with others. ...

In reference to the online responder’s comments in mid-February: The reader wrote-“The last two houses built on the golf course were built by ALL out-of-town workers, what a shame” It is true that some of the work was done by out-of-town workers and of course they slept, ate, bought gas and other supplies from McCook businesses...

In order to act intelligently in our efforts to turn our country around, we need to hear from people who see the total picture and can identify the main factors in our modern problems. Ben Sasse doesn’t always represent the views of the voters in our state, which may have some repercussions at election time, but he has written two interesting books, including the input of many sources and the results of research analyzing the deep angst gripping the United States at the present time, and some suggestions how to resolve our differences and get back on track.. ...