News

For a four-year term, one person from every state is chosen as a delegate to serve on the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) Board of Directors.

Recently, JoDe Kinnaman was installed as Nebraska’s delegate. She ran for the office last spring and was elected in June, being sworn in last week.

Formed in 1968, NASN is a non-profit united voice for student health and support for all nurses across the United States.

NASN advocates for positive student outcomes by advancing an accurate school nurse public narrative, facilitating school nurse expertise in population health, facilitating school nurse knowledge and influence to build a culture of health in communities where students live, learn, play and work.

According to the TeamMates Mentoring Program website, “by spending just one hour each week with a student and showing your interest in their life, you can increase the likelihood they will graduate from high school and become a contributing member of society.”

“Mentors help identify the gifts and talents of young people that provide them a sense of hope and vision for their life.”

For Harvard student Maizie Boyd, that description perfectly captured her mentor, Melanie Knight, so much so that Boyd and her mom, Mirinda, nominated Knight for a great honor.

Recently, Knight received the TeamMates Mentor of the Year title from the program, and will be presented with the award at the TeamMates Conference in Lincoln this summer.

In her nomination, Maizie noted, “Melanie has been my mentor since fifth grade and has continued to put even more of her time into our relationship and meetings.

In mid-March 2020, over 350,000 Nebraska K-12 students and their teachers were sent home to begin remote learning during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This sudden and historic transition sent school districts scrambling to provide computing devices and digital content.

Meanwhile, some families were unserved or underserved with home internet, and parents found themselves juggling their work lives with part-time tutoring responsibilities.

Network Nebraska operated in the background throughout the pandemic, keeping schools connected to the internet, and assisting the Nebraska Department of Education and the Educational Service Units in their pandemic response.

During this week of the second session of the 107th Nebraska Legislature, bill introductions have ended, committee hearings are filling the calendar, and some bills have advanced to floor debate. Here is this past week’s notable action on relevant bills in the Nebraska Unicameral:

GENERAL – UPCOMING HEARINGS

LB815 is scheduled for a hearing on Feb. 28 in the Business and Labor Committee. Introduced by Sen. Terrell McKinney (Dist. 11) of Omaha, this bill would adopt the Diaper Changing Accommodation Act to ensure public accessible baby diaper-changing stations be made widely available throughout the state.

LB916 is scheduled for a hearing on Feb. 15 in the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee. Introduced by Sen. Justin Wayne (Dist. 13) of Omaha, this bill would adopt the Rural Municipal Broadband Access Act to expand broadband access in un-and underserved rural communities.

Cow-calf production, like any farming venture, succeeds with the right combination of production management and marketing skills for a specific herd.

Nebraska Extension’s annual Cow/Calf College, held Jan. 28 at the Clay County Fairgrounds in Clay Center, draws beef producers from across the state seeking ideas of how best to tailor their operations.

This year’s line-up of speakers centered on what makes for a successful calving season via breeding strategies—the results of which generally are not realized until at least nine months into the future.

“What this gets back to,” said Dr. Robert Cushman, research physiologist at the USDA Roman L. Hruska Meat Animal Research Center located between Clay Center and Glenvil, “and this is the theme of the day, is that not everything that we do has just an immediate response.”

On Jan. 28, Harvard and Sutton celebrated 100 days of school. Above, Harvard students form a “100” on the gym floor to signify the day. At the left, Sutton Elementary students walk through the halls during a parade, while upperclass elementary students watch from the library. ASHLEY D. SWANSON | CLAY COUNTY NEWS

During this week of the second session of the 107th Nebraska Legislature, bill introductions are slowing down and committee hearings are ramping up. Here is this past weekís notable action on relevant bills in the Nebraska Unicameral:

GENERAL – Introduced Bills

LB1079, introduced by Sen. Ben Hansen (Dist. 16) of Schuyler, would allocate federal funds to Nebraska residents through prepaid debit cards. This bill has been referred to the Appropriations Committee.

LB1180, introduced by Sen. Mike Groene (Dist. 42) of North Platte, would adjust the individual income tax brackets. This bill has been referred to the Revenue Committee.

Upcoming Hearings

LB740, is scheduled for a hearing on Jan. 27 in the Revenue Committee. Introduced by Sen. Wendy DeBoer (Dist. 10) of Omaha, this bill would allow individuals who pay rent for housing to qualify for an income tax deduction.

During this week of the second session of the 107th Nebraska Legislature, bill introductions are slowing down and committee hearings are ramping up. Here is this past week’s notable action on relevant bills in the Nebraska Unicameral:

JUSTICE & LAW ENFORCEMENT – UPCOMING HEARINGS

LB886 is scheduled for a hearing on Jan. 27 in the Judiciary Committee. Introduced by Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh (Dist. 6) of Omaha, this bill would prohibit restraints on the abdomen, waist, or chest of a pregnant prisoner or detainee. This proposal also allows pregnant prisoners to have at least one support person of her choice in the delivery room during labor and recovery.

OTHER ACTION

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing for LB732 on Jan. 19. Introduced by J. Cavanaugh, this bill would prohibit peace officers from using deception when questioning juveniles during an investigation of a crime.

Safety for students and staff at any school is an important goal, and South Central Unified’s school district is keeping on top of yearly safety training and connecting with local emergency responders to help make that goal a reality.

About 20 emergency responders, including local police, EMTs, firefighters, and Clay County Emergen cy Management, were updated on safety trainings at SCUD and asked how the school can be of better assistance during times of emergency.

“The reason we have all of these safety trainings is unfortunate, but back in the day you never heard of these things happening and now it’s almost a daily occurrence,” SC High/ Middle School Principal Jason Searle said. “We’re going through multiple trainings and there’s a lot of things we can work on, but the number of opportunities to work with all of you [EMS] is limited.”

Originally the Big Allis Solar project, planned for the Spring Ranch area, was to be constructed and in operation this year.

Then APEX Clean Energy, the Virginia-based company behind the 305-megawatt project development, hit a snag and the timeline has adjusted.

Construction is now most likely to begin in 2025 with an operational date in 2026, APEX’s senior development manager Dylan Ikkala told Clay County News.

“We’re still very excited for the project,” he said. “It’s just going to be a little later.”

Big Allis Solar is a commercial project encompassing a little more than 3,000 acres secured in 40-year leases in a general area south of Highway 74 and west of Deweese east and south to the Adams and Webster county lines. Once up and running, the solar farm will generate enough electricity to power 57,000 average U.S. homes per year.