Columns

By Ashley D. Swanson

Reading through countless news articles Thursday morning, I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that someone walked into a newsroom and killed five journalists and injured two staff members.

What is wrong with people? It’s a question I asked myself, and others, many times since that day.

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By Tory Duncan

This past week has led me to a whirlwind of thoughts that kept changing by the day, sometimes by the hour, which I am used to during the busy school year, but not necessarily during a routine summer week.

By Tory Duncan

Duncan’s at it again many of you will say...you’d be right! However, I’m cheating a little bit to “preach” my thoughts.

This past weekend I found a piece written by York Public Schools Superintendent Mike Lucas. Man did it hit home and make sense, not just for students but adults alike!

I traveled to Albion Saturday to take in the Six-Man All-Star football game and made it north in time to stop at the local Pizza Hut and have lunch. In the place were fans from both Nebraska and Wyoming...full families and groups of what I assume are friends and it just totally blew me away how many people were glued to their phones, with four to five people sitting at the same table...doing the same thing.

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By Ashley D. Swanson

The first responders of Clay County, and just any first responder for that matter, have my immense respect.

What they do comes at a price—they miss or have to leave family functions; some situations can be tough on their mental well-being; at times, the hours are long; the trainings take quite a bit of time...but through all of that, first responders never complain about having to help someone who’s having the worst day of their life; they never think someone else will get to the call; they’re present, even at the worst of times.

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By Ashley D. Swanson

There comes a time in everyone’s life where they have to grow up. Where they have to fully accept they’ve become an adult, and soak in all the responsibilities that come with being an adult.

The moment probably starts for some when they’re in high school. When they get their first job and have to pay for their gas.

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By Tory Duncan

Once in a while a little break is always welcome, especially after the month of May in this business with the end of the school year, graduation, state events, district events and all sorts of things going on, the month of May seems like it lasts 12 months. 

Now that we’ve had a little bit of a break, although we’re always packed with plenty to do, the summer, in my mind, really kicks in with the big weekend of Dugout Days and Edgarfest, and then throw on top of that Clay Center’s Fourth of July celebration, the end of June kicks in our official start to summer activities and community events.

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By Ashley D. Swanson

Many lessons are learned growing up—that’s why they call it growing.

You learn by making mistakes, and hopefully you don’t make them again, or they’re less severe the next time around.

We had one TV station throughout junior high and high school, so the entire family knew the programming schedule.

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By Tory Duncan

Sometimes it just hits you hard. I’ve kind of prided myself on being a “mostly” level headed thinker. But this past week, with big news hitting our coverage area I do find myself a bit numb...to say the least!

Thursday morning in small town Grafton, which I realize anything can happen anywhere, a young thief walked in and gained enough money to maybe get him into Iowa...was it really worth it?

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Nebraska decriminalized public intoxication in 1979, one of 12 states to do so. That means law enforcement relies on civil protective custody as an alternative to jail.

In 22 states, people are still charged with public intoxication and go to a drunk tank in a jail, said a Lancaster County Commissioner, who is concerned that state funding for Lincoln’s main detox facility – The Bridge Behavioral Health – may come to an end. Not only is $150,000 in jeopardy, but state licensure is in question. Without the license, The Bridge’s civil protective custody unit would have to close. Similar programs statewide could be subject to state licensure scrutiny.

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These past few weeks in Washington have been very productive, but I always look forward to spending time on the road in Nebraska. Recently, I began a week-long state work period traveling our state with stops in Omaha, Lincoln, Norfolk, Stanton, Bellevue and Hebron. I cherish the opportunity to visit local communities around our state and listen to Nebraskans. Being able to identify the needs of families and communities is an essential part of my job as your senator.

One highlight of my week in The Good Life was welcoming Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr to Northeast Nebraska.

We visited Northeast Community College where we learned about their fascinating precision agriculture curriculum, which focuses on familiarizing students with new farming technologies.