LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska’s fall wild turkey season begins Sept.

CAMBRIDGE - City Councils across Southwest Nebraska are in the initial stages of discussions to determine what to do with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. If there’s one certainty, it is this. The funds will be put to good use.

ARAPAHOE- Following a public budget hearing, the Arapahoe-Holbrook School District adopted the 2021- 2022 budget during their regular board meeting on September 13, 2021. The total budget of $9,137,316 includes (General, Depreciation, Employee Benefits, Activities, School Nutrition, Bond, Special Building, and Student Fee Funds) According to Interim Superintendent Brian Gegg this number is inflated by about $ 1.3 million because the state requires that ESSER money be included in the budget.

BEAVER CITY – The Beaver City Council held their annual budget meeting on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, followed by their regular monthly board meeting. The city council approved the budget for the upcoming fiscal year that runs from October 1, 2021, through September 30, 2022.

Elwood – The Elwood School Board approved their 2021-22 budget during their regular board meeting on September 13, 2021. The General Fund Budget of $4,724,750 represents a six percent increase over last year.

Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) had 89 new cases of COVID-19 reported from September 7 to September 13, 2021, bringing the weekly average to 84 cases per week in the last 30 days. A breakdown by age includes: 0 to 19 – 25; 20 to 29 – 17; 30 to 39 – 15; 40 to 49 – 6; 50 to 59 – 7; 60 to 69 – 13; 70 to 79 – 5; 80 and over – 1. The total number of cases is 4,414. Vaccination rates across the health district have reached 48%.

What I remember most is the silence. She was 19 years old, just starting her first semester of college.

Agricultural technology has come a long way since farmers used oxen and horse-drawn plows to break the prairie sod. Huge advancements are being made each year in ag tech, and Nebraska’s companies and universities are leading the way. The technologies they’re developing run the gamut from pioneering livestock management techniques, to innovations in the way crops are grown, to advancements in equipment.

With summer coming to a close, I have been spending my time visiting with Nebraskans and traveling our state. The conversations I have at meetings, community events, roundtable discussions, and tours of local businesses are invaluable to me as I work on federal policies to improve the lives of people in our state.

Although the Nebraska Unicameral is a non-partisan body, the process of redistricting every 10 years following the Census, proves to be contentious along Republican and Democrat lines. This year is no different as the Legislature will approve boundaries for the Nebraska Public Service Commission, the courts, the University Board of Regents, the State Board of Education, Nebraska’s three congressional districts, as well as the Legislative map.