About a year ago, we surprised our children with an addition to our family - our first dog, Annie. Over the course of the year, we have had our ups and downs - potty training was easier with three of my kids - and Annie has decided to fit right in with the Gerlach gang in that she is ornery as heck and the pickiest eater imaginable with everything except the stuff she shouldn’t have.

What does it mean to practice humanity in medicine? The phrase is used as a tagline and in book titles. Humanity and compassion .in medicine is touted as something to aspire to, a noble accomplishment. But in reality, the biomedical model of health, the business model for healthcare, is not set up to support it. Algorithms and best practices set forth by insurance companies and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid do not account for the time required to establish meaningful human interaction between patient and caregiver.

The NSA sanctioned bowling as a high school sport for the 2020-2021 school year. Tornado Alley in Arapahoe recently hosted the first area triangular meet with teams from Arapahoe, Southern Valley, and Ogallala.

It’s that time of year again - we’re supposed to look forward to the new year with thoughts of how things will be better next year than this. Within that, we set betterment goals called “New Year’s Resolutions.” I have tried this before and it never quite works out how I planned. Something about stickto-itiveness.

With 2022 nearly upon us, so too is the tradition of the New Year’s resolution. Merriam-Webster defines the New Year’s resolution as “a promise to do something differently in the new year.” I would argue that in practice, the resolution is less of a promise and more of a hope or intention.

Our state’s rural areas have much to be proud of: low crime rate, outstanding community pride and neighbors willing to lend a hand are just a few. But it’s no secret that collectively, Nebraskans have watched our rural populations decline over the decades. With those decreases, we lose resources, services and schools, leaving communities disadvantaged in their fight for sustainability. Those of us who are also working hard to support economic development know how tough it has become to retain and recruit businesses and a dynamic workforce to rural communities.

In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman World. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was Governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register.

Food intolerance and food allergy are common these days. When I was a kid, no one asked about nut allergies or gluten sensitivities when inviting you to a birthday party. You could bring homemade snacks to school. Peanuts were served to everyone on airplanes. Today, we are constantly reminded to beaware and take precautions to help prevent exposure for those who are intolerant or allergic.

Earlier this month, eight months after President Biden created a group to study “Supreme Court reform,” the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States finally released its report. The far left has been waiting eagerly for this moment for months.

It has been a miserable existence as a Huskers fan this fall. To find these tough of times in Husker football, you’ve got to hearken back to the Bill Jennings years. Listen kids, anytime you’re comparing to Bill Jennings, it is bad news.