Straight from the Horse's Mouth

Duane A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator, Webster County February 27, 2010 Edition I had the opportunity this past week to attend my first Farm Bill oriented meeting of 2010. The emphasis was on preparing for reporting to the ACRE program. For those that aren’t aware, producers need to finish gathering together their grain settlement sheets, grain bin measurements and acreage certifications. I think we need to talk this week about what producers need to provide if they opted for the Farm Bill Average Crop Revenue Election and if we have time or room we should discuss stored grain. I think we may see some problems as spring gets closer. ACRE Program Provisions: As I mentioned above, FSA requires producers to give proof of yield for crops on each farm number. There are certain things you can use to report yield and some are still under question. For those producers who have an internet connection you can go to: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_Notice/dcp_215.pdf to download the official USDA Production Evidence for the ACRE Program Guidelines. One thing is certain, producers who have enrolled in the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program can certify production on an FSA-658, “Record of Production and Yield” to establish the benchmark farm yield. The benchmark farm yield is based on the production for the 5 most recent crop years; for 2009 specifically, the benchmark farm yield is composed of data from 2004 through 2008. The FSA form 578 is available from your local FSA office, or contact the Webster County UNL Extension office and we can get an electronic 658 form for use on computer to you. You can enter your data via computer directly to the form and then print it off. Several of us at the meeting were discussing whether or not ACRE would kick in this year, and if it did what the potential payments would be. There is a tool that you can use to help determine this, if you have a computer. This newly released farm management tool estimates the amount of Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) payments a farm will receive for its 2009 crop. The ACRE payment estimator is available for download from the farm analysis solution tools (FAST) section of the Farmdoc website at http://www.farmdoc.illinois.edu/. Any producer who uses the “ACRE Payment Estimator” enters their state and the crop for which ACRE payment estimates are desired. The Excel program then estimates the state ACRE payment. This estimate equals the state guarantee minus state revenue. The state guarantee is known for 2009 and equals the benchmark yield times a benchmark price. The ACRE payment estimator includes state guarantees for corn, soybeans, and wheat for most states in the United States including Nebraska. Good luck!! Corn Storage Problems: We all know that quite of bit of this years' corn crop was put into storage under less than ideal conditions, thus making it somewhat more vulnerable to potential storage losses though moisture related problems like mold growth, heat, etc. And you've probably all heard of stories over the past month or two of corn that has been found out of condition. It was tough to get the corn crop uniformly dried for good storage conditions over the winter. It will be even more important to make sure that the grain mass is uniform in temperature and moisture once spring arrives and we get warmer temperatures, which can cause a greater concern for corn spoilage. Several things to keep in mind for those stored bushels. First, remember that stored grain will vary considerably in moisture even though it may have been run through the dryer or air dried in the bin. It went in the bin with individual kernels varying in moisture by 15-20% from driest to wettest. It doesn't take many wet kernels to cause problems, and that has already happened in some cases across the region. Here are some suggestions to head off some potential problems. During the spring holding period, keep cold grain cold. Seal fans and ventilate headspace intermittently. Wet corn should be checked weekly, and monitored for temperature increases. Walk across or probe the surface to see if crusting has occurred. Take the grain temperature with a grain temperature probe near the bin wall every 20 feet around the outside and a couple places in the middle of the bin. Let the probe stand 7-10 minutes in each place before taking a reading. If there is more than a 10 degree difference in temperature between any two spots in the bin, run the aeration fan long enough to push a temperature front through the entire grain mass. If you don't have a temperature probe, test for signs of heating by turning on the aeration fan and leaning into the access hatch or climb into the bin. Ask yourself if the air hitting your face feels warmer than expected? Do you detect a musty odor? Does condensation form on the inside surface of the bin roof on a cold day? Wet corn should have 0.2 cfm (cubic feet per minute) per bushel of well-distributed aeration - double the normal rates for dry corn. As temperatures rise later this spring, make sure you warm the grain mass to within 10-15 degrees of the outside air temperature. This will reduce moisture condensation. And moisture condensation is one of the biggest enemies of stored grain. Once moisture increases, heat will be formed, and then it's like a snowball rolling downhill: your problem will escalate. It may take just a couple of days to move a drying front through the grain mass, or may take several weeks. It all depends upon fan speed and bushels. Experts are cautioning to not store poor quality corn any longer than winter. Don't take chances if you have grain that is in questionable condition. We will explore this further in next week’s edition. Now go check your grain bins! The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: http://www.webster.unl.edu/home

Child Abuse case bound over to District Court

Blue Hill residents Wilbur "Jake" Cox (27) and his wife Jessica Wahl Cox (26) were bound over to district court by Webster County Judge Michael Offner on felony charges of child abuse at a joint preliminary hearing in Red Cloud February 26th despite arguments against such action by their defense attorney Michael Mead. The Cox's infant daughter Alara Cox, was life flighted to Omaha's Children's Hospital on January 28th after she was taken to Mary Lanning Hospital in Hastings when she began spitting up blood. Alara Cox was born November 26, 2009. The baby was found to have injuries, broken bones, concussion, and bruises as well as injuries to the back of her throat that medical doctors found consistent with child abuse. Jessica Cox told Webster Co. Sheriff''s deputy Ron Sunday who investigated the case that she and the child's father had fought over the child three weeks before taking the baby to the hospital. During the struggle she wrenched the baby from Jake. She admitted hitting Jake but said she never hurt the baby. Cox said the injury to the back of the baby's throat must have happened when they were using a bulb syringe to remove phlegm Deputy Sunday said the child is now in the custody of the Nebraska Department of Human Services. Jake Cox has two children by a previous marriage. Child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury is a class 3 felony punishable by 20 years imprisonment and $25,000 in fines.

News from Your Community College

CCC-Hastings to Offer Dog Obedience Class (Hastings, Neb.) - A dog obedience class will be offered from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays from March 25 through May 27 at the Imperial Mall in Hastings. The class is sponsored by Central Community College-Hastings. Participants will learn how to teach their dogs to heel; walk; sit, lie down and stand and stay; recall and finish; automatically sit when stopped; and other basics. Dogs must be at least six months old. Owners must provide verification of shots and a signed health form signed by their veterinarian and complete a Dog Owner’s Liability Agreement. Class size is limited so preregistration is required to reserve a space. The cost is $59. For more information or to preregister, contact Hastings Community Education Coordinator Susan Rinker at (402) 461-2431; toll-free at 1-877-222-0780, ext. 2431; or by e-mail at srinker@cccneb.edu. Middle, High School Students to Compete in Robotic Competition (Hastings, Neb.) - Fifty to 75 middle and high school students will be competing in the first-ever Robotics Academy Competition March 10 in the Dawson Building Gym at Central Community College-Hastings. The competitors will use VEX robots to test their skills. In "The Cone Game," they’ll try to get as many tennis balls as possible into the top of a cone-shaped dome. The "Clean Sweep" challenge involves a 12-by-12 playing field that is divided in half. The two teams earn points by knocking and/or pushing round balls and football-shaped objects onto their opponents’ side. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. with competition from 9 a.m. to noon. Lunch and a 1 p.m. awards ceremony will conclude the day. Participating schools are Aurora High School, Doniphan-Trumbull High School, Grand Island Northwest High School, Hastings Middle School, Holdrege High School, Kenesaw High School and Superior High School. Teachers from these schools completed their training on the VEX robots in January. The robots are designed to offer students an exciting way to learn about science, technology, engineering and math careers. Funding for the academy is being provided by a Community-Based Job Training Grant titled "Molding Careers to Learn, Earn and Live" to promote advanced manufacturing careers. Minden Class to Focus on Using Facebook in Business (Holdrege, Neb.) - Central Community College-Holdrege will offer a class, "Using Facebook to Enhance Your Business," from 6 to 8 p.m. on March 23 at Brewer’s Coffee House in Minden. Once thought of as a college version of MySpace, Facebook has become the most popular social networking Web site. Students will learn how to tap into the power of this networking giant to reach new customers, connect with target demographics, and keep their business at the forefront of Facebook users’ minds. They also will learn how to build a page for their business, recruit fans and advertise. Class size is limited so preregistration is required to reserve a space. The cost is $22. For more information or to preregister, contact Diana Watson at CCC-Holdrege at (308) 995-8133; toll-free at 1-877-222-0780, option 6; or by e-mail at dwatson@cccneb.edu.

Quote of the Day

“The glass slipper has fit us pretty well so far — right now, we want to keep that thing on.” -- Tim Streff, Coach Blue Hill Girls Basketball.

Bobcat Girls Knock Off Cambridge

Erik Buderus eburderus@hastingstribune.com BLUE HILL — Back in late December, when the Blue Hill girls basketball team opened the season 1-6, few would have thought the team would be where it’s at today. Headed to Lincoln. The Bobcats capped their impressive run through the Class C-2, District 5 tournament, posting a 57-42 victory over Cambridge at C.L. Jones Gymnasium in Minden to secure a bid to next week’s state tournament. Blue Hill (14-8) will unofficially open the tournament as the No. 8 seed against No. 1 and undefeated Elmwood-Murdock (23-0), at 2 p.m. at Lincoln High Thursday. The Bobcats will enter that game as heavy underdogs, but that is nothing new to the team — in fact, that’s part of what helped fuel their run through the district tournament. The Bobcats entered the subdistrict tournament as the No. 4 seed, knocking off Gibbon, then upsetting top-seeded Sandy Creek and second-seeded Shelton, before topping the No. 1 seed out of the other half of the bracket, Cambridge, Friday night. “I’ve never been more proud of another team I’ve coached in my 17 years. These girls are warriors. They just find ways to win,” Blue Hill coach Tim Streff said. “I told them before the game, that I’ve had teams in this position before. Those that came out and played not to lose, lost. Those that came out after it won. These girls came out after it. “The glass slipper has fit us pretty well so far — right now, we want to keep that thing on.”

Congressman's Column

The EPA and Flawed Science by Adrian Smith Like you, I'm concerned our nation relies on foreign sources of energy. The longer we continue to depend on other countries for the energy which drives our economy, the greater the likelihood of again facing sky-high prices. This is why I am working to develop oil and natural gas exploration here in the United States as well as expand research into renewable biofuels. Unfortunately, government bureaucrats in Washington are hamstringing efforts to encourage new avenues of energy production by putting up roadblocks based on questionable science. The EPA recently announced regulations on the energy we use which could prove devastating for production agriculture. The regulations concern indirect land use, a flawed methodology which holds that agriculture production results in carbon emissions from land tillage elsewhere in the world. I am concerned these provisions fail to use science-based standards and are instead based on wrongful assumptions between U.S. agriculture production and deforestation or conversion of agricultural land abroad. There is no widely accepted method or model for calculating changes in land use and such an ambiguous concept should not be allowed to undermine our national priorities by making U.S. energy policy dependent on international decisions. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tremendous power and authority, and the decisions it makes regarding both crop and livestock production agriculture will have a major impact on our rural economy for years to come. It is imperative any regulations enacted by the EPA be guided by sound science, transparent analysis, and economic modeling which stands up to scrutiny. It is simply not practical to draw broad conclusions across a large geographic region concerning the effects of particular land use changes on resulting greenhouse gas emissions. Different greenhouse gas emissions are caused by variations in soil, local climate, and various farming practices. To think we can credibly measure the impact of international indirect land use is completely unrealistic. It is ridiculous for practices in areas as far away as Southeast Asia or Brazil to determine policies which could not only reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but also very well impact our agriculture industries for generations. We cannot allow a misguided edict from the EPA to derail potential renewable energy independence - especially at a time in which the industry can have such an important role in providing needed jobs as well as reliable sources of energy. If our energy policy is going to be prepared for the future, renewable fuels need to be an important part of an "all-of-the-above" energy policy which makes use of all forms of American energy. We can structure our public policy to encourage growth while not interfering with the marketplace. As a member of both the House Natural Resources and House Agriculture Committees, I understand the impact such regulations can have on all aspects of our ag industry. Nebraska's livestock and production agriculture industries are integral important to our state and they deserve policies which bring about stability. Nebraska has more than 45 million acres of farm- and ranch-land, not to mention thousands and thousands of ag-related jobs. With this in mind, I will work to ensure U.S. agriculture policy always takes a balanced approach and is not based on unreliable data and decisions made by other countries.

Bobcats fall in OT to Ravenna

Ravenna (22-2) wrapped up the C2-9 sub district championship with a 47-42 overtime victory over Blue Hill (18-4). John Klosterman led the Bluejays with 10 points. Riley Bonifas had 17 for the Bobcats. Ravenna will play Axtell (21-1) in the district final on Monday. Dave Neilson sports@hastingstribune.com Thursday night’s Class C-2, Subdistrict 9 boys subdistrict championship shaped up as a battle between Blue Hill’s defense and Ravenna’s high-scoring offense. The Bobcats’ defense held the Blue Jays to their second-lowest point total of the season, but Ravenna played some defense of its own and came away with a 47-42 overtime victory before a large crowd at St. Cecilia’s Chapman Gymnasium. “They just played their hearts out,” Blue Hill Coach Jon Coffey said. “This is a great group of kids. Our boys never quit and they never quit all year.” The loss ended Blue Hill’s 14-game winning streak and finished its season at 18-4, a school record for wins.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy everyone would do it. It takes patience. It takes commitment and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure because you won't. It is whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction or whether you learn from it where you choose to persevere." Barrack Obama

Schutte & Sons Win at Cattlemen's Classic

A Heifer shown by BH Alumnus, Afton Hubl, and owned by Ron and Nancy Schutte of Schutte & Sons Polled Herefords of rural Guide Rock was champion in the Polled Hereford division at the Cattlemen's Classic held in Kearney last week. Also in the picture are Wilson and Kaisha Alber and Ron & Nancy Schutte. The Champion Polled hereford bull was co-owned by Schutte and Sons of Guide Rock and Valley Creek Ranch of Fairbury. Schutte & Sons Polled Herefords will hold their annual production sale at the farm, north of Guide Rock (south east of Blue Hill) Tuesday March 2. For more information http://www.schutteandsons.net/

Rosemont Missionaries Host Fundraiser

Reprinted from Open Forum Rural Blue Hill residents Don and Susie Sheltrown and family, along with the Stillwater Fellowship will host a soup supper in Nelson Sunday as a fundraiser for Haitian relief efforts. Don Sheltron is pastor of Stillwater Fellowship which meets in Nelson. The fundraiser, which will be held in the Nelson City Auditorium from 4:30 to 7:30, is open to everyone. In addition to food Music and slide presentations are planned . Donations for the pie/baked goods auction are being accepted. Prior to the Sheltrown’s marriage in 1985 both had spent time working and ministering to the poor in Haiti. Since that time the family has grown to include eight children. Don and Suzie have home schooled their children. Suzie Sheltrown made several trips to Haiti both before and after her graduation from nursing school. It was in Haiti that Suzie and Don first met. The Shelltrowns would like to return to Haiti, taking groups for short-term mission medical and construction projects. Friends of the Sheltron’s , Lisa and Bill Adams, operate Life Ministries of Augusta, GA which has sponsored medical relief to Haiti since the earth quake. Part of the funds raised will go to to that ministry as to Stillwater Haiti Mission Team. For more information, contact the Sheltrowns at 402 756 2979 or shell@gtmc.net

New superintendent 'right match' for Blue Hill

Tony Herrman therrman@hastingstribune.com BLUE HILL — The new superintendent for the Blue Hill Public School has all the qualities that the Board of Education was looking for, the board president said. Joe’l Ruybalid, 43, accepted an offer last month to come to Blue Hill from Mullen, where he is currently the secondary principal. “We thought he was a good fit for our school,” said Dale Harrifeld, president of the Blue Hill Board of Education. “You just have to find the right match.” There are a couple of reasons, Harrifeld said, that Ruybalid is the right fit for the district. “We thought he really had the passion and enthusiasm for education,” Harrifeld said. “Technology-wise he’s on top of things. We thought he was a really fantastic principal. We thought he had good vision for the future at Blue Hill.” He stressed Ruybalid’s proficiency in technology as a strong point. “The way education is, you really have to be on top of technology today,” Harrifeld said.

Blue Hill boys hold on against Sandy Creek in subdistrict tourney

Eric Steitz sports@hastingstribune.com Class C-2 No. 6 Blue Hill had three players score in double-digits and hit 13 fourth-quarter free throws to hold on to beat Sandy Creek 55-48 Tuesday in the semifinals of the Class C-2, Subdistrict 9 tournament at St. Cecilia’s Chapman Gymnasium. Trailing by 15 points at the end of the third quarter, Sandy Creek started the fourth quarter with a 7-2 run and eventually cut the gap to two points with a minute-and-a-half to go after a deep 3-pointer by Chase Murman. “For the first three quarters we did a good job of containing them shooting 3-pointers,” Blue Hill coach Jon Coffey said. “In the fourth quarter, our legs got tired on us and they started making some 3s.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"If freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent may we be led, like sheep to the slaughter." George Washington,

Celebrating more Birthdays

Webster County Relay for Life will be celebrating more birthdays during a kickoff event Sunday afternoon. The public event, which carries the theme, "Celebrating a World with more Birthdays, " will be held 4 p.m., at the Guide Rock Community Center, locted in the gymnasium of the Guide Rock School. It is intended to highlight the fact that more people are surviving cancer, Greater awareness of cancer and its warning signs, earlier detection and more and more research into cancer are all leading to increased survival rates for more and more people. Birthday cake and beverages will be served. Each relay team is asked to bring a cake. Cakes will be judged by cash votes from guests. Everyone has a chance to win a cake by participating in an old-fashioned cake walk. Money raised at the event will be used to finance the 2010 Relay for Life: June 19 and 20 in Blue Hill. The Theme of the Relay for Life will be "Crusin' for a Cure". A car, truck and tractor parade and show will be part of the June event. More teams from Webster County and anywhere else are being sought. Relay for Life in Webster County raised more than $20,000 last year, which was used for cancer research, education and assistance for cancer patients. For more information go to www.relayforlife.org/relay, or contact Chairwoman Sonja Krueger at 402-460-8622 or relayforlifewebster@hotmail.com.

Senator's Column

February 22, 2010 Nebraska Visit Reaffirms My Passion for Representing Nebraskans Dear Nebraskans, I spent the last week in Nebraska reconnecting with many of you throughout the state. Your informed views help to shape my approach in Washington, and always serve as a refreshing reminder of why I love to serve this great state. I was shown many examples of just how closely all of our lives are tied to actions taken by the federal government, which makes it all the more important that we take a thoughtful, open-minded approach when it comes to making laws. Across the state, the message was clear: legislation that costs too much, regulates too much, and gets too involved in our everyday lives is not what Nebraskans want or need. Many people questioned whether Washington understands how worried Americans are about our skyrocketing debt. I share this concern and do not want to leave a legacy of debt to our grandchildren. I also had the opportunity to meet with my Agriculture Advisory Council, made up of producers of all types from across Nebraska. A cattle feeder in central Nebraska is frustrated with government regulations that force her and her husband to capture the water that spills out of the stock tanks used to water their cattle. I heard from another producer alarmed by the possibility that farmers would be required to capture the dust from their combine operations. I agree that unless the regulatory environment in Washington is appropriately restricted, overregulation could drive family farmers out of business and production overseas. In Lincoln, I received a petition signed by hundreds of ag producers from across Nebraska, each concerned that the cap and trade bill, approved in the House of Representatives and pending in the Senate will "raise production costs while lowering farm income." I agree and urge Nebraskans to become more informed on cap and trade's impact on our state and our country. You can find out more by visiting the Agriculture page on my Senate website. I was especially proud to be a Nebraskan after touring the new Nebraska National Guard Army Aviation Facility in Grand Island and meeting with military families in Hastings. Planning for the Grand Island facility began when I was Governor, and it's gratifying to see how well the Nebraska National Guard is making use of this outstanding facility. The hard work and patriotism of our soldiers reminded me how thankful I am to be able to represent Nebraska. I was so inspired when I met with the families of deployed Nebraskans. Their belief that our missions in Iraq and Afghanistan are important and worth their sacrifice affects how I view the wars. I'll close with a quick thank you to the Nebraskans who answered the call for help in Haiti. As I told those I met with last week, I am very proud of you. I appreciate the time so many of you took to share your thoughts and concerns, and as always I will keep them with me as I represent you in the U.S. Senate.

Letter from Congressman Adrian Smith

Knowing of our shared interest in constitutional rights, I am writing to update you on recent developments. As you may know, until 1985 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) required broadcasters to present opposing viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance, even if such efforts failed to capture either listeners or advertising revenue - an obligation known as the Fairness Doctrine. The FCC, however, repealed this regulation due to its restrictive nature on broadcasters' journalistic freedom. Recently, a number of individulas and organizations have proposed reintroducing the Fairness Doctrine. I have serious concerns with the potential consequences of reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, both constitutionally and economically. Because this policy could have a devastating effect on the ability of privately-owned broadcasters, including religious broadcasters, to air programming their listeners want to hear, I have cosponsored the Broadcast Freedom Act (H.R. 226). This legislation would prohibit the FCC from bringing back this ill-concieved policy, which would be particularly devastating to rural broadcasters. Rest assured, I will continue to work to uphold the Constitution and the rights it guarantees. I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts on this matter and welcome your input; as always, please feel free to contact me regarding this or any issue of your concern.

Open Forum #9 -- 2/22/10

The Open Forum is your chance to say something, report breaking news or ask a question -- on any issue. Any topic is fair game, although Blue Hill Today's comment policies still apply. (see bottom of left hand column.) This will be Open Forum #9. The first eight have had 52 comments including topics on; Jason Kort's recovery, sexting, Joseph Stack, Shrine Bowl, SASA Charity Poker Tournament, a local jury trial, local participants in the Nebraska HS Honor Band, Choir & Orchestra, political fallout of the D.C. Blizzard, local weather, fundraisers, the BH Care Center, local county attorneys, the Census, the Mass. Senate vote, subpoena's, County Commisioner's pay increase, Bobcat basketball, citizen of the year, Haiti, good samaratins, child safety, tax deductions for pet owners, parking and personal property, academic achievement of local alum, local service man sends Christmas greetings, the health care debate, birth announcements, quotes from elected representatives, church services, the Mayor, trash disposal and much more. Go ahead and sound off on anything. We are listening. A new Open Forum link will be re-posted every Monday (or there abouts) to keep it towards the top of the recent posts. Of course, your completed news article, news information, story idea, or suggestions to improve this site can still be sent to Blue Hill Today by e-mailing us at bluehilltoday@hotmail.com.

Mrs. Kranau's School News~2/21‏

Dear Parents/Guardians~ **FLASHCARDS: Please make sure your child is doing the required set of flashcards each week! **Math Treats (extra credit) are due Tuesday, Feb. 23. New Math Treats will be due Tuesday, March 9. **Math Activity Checklist is due April 16. **Powerschool is available for you to see your child's grades and lunch accounts. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Uridil. curidil@esu9.org **Students should be taking home graded papers, as they are either passed out in class or put in mailboxes. **Hopefully, you are seeing graded/corrected math papers. **New Scholastic Book Orders will be passed out this week. They will be due Wednesday, March 17. Parents PLEASE WRITE CHECKS TO: SCHOLASTIC. Book orders are on-line. www.scholastic.com Passwords needed: kranausclass and bookorder. Thank you for your online and paper orders!!! **Please be watching for the PAW TRACKS newsletter that is put in mailboxes every Tuesday. **Students that have three or more strikes are in the "Reach for the Stars" program. He/she needs to be checking in with Mrs. Miller, Mr. Uridil or Mrs. Keogh each morning before school starts and before he/she goes home. **Our school website is www.bluehillschools.org Some 5th graders have been researching his/her mathematician already, and I have listed many mathematician websites on our school website. **The DEADLINE for Thramer's and Allen's receipts is approaching fast! Please be saving Thramer's and Allen's receipts. You may drop your receipt in the box designated Blue Hill at Thramer's or drop off the receipts at school. Continue to save Box Tops 4 Education, Campbell Soup Labels, old cell phones, and empty ink cartridges and other fundraisers. Thramer's and Allen's receipts are due March 31. Your support is truly appreciated! Remember: I included information regarding a Cartridge/Cell Phone Drive in the school's newsletter. Thank you for bringing in cartridges, cell phones, and other items for our "Drive". 4th Grade: --Multiplying 2 Digit Numbers; Parentheses; Dividing w/Remainders; and Discussing Years, Decades, and Centuries will be covered this week. --A Quiz after Les. 55 is scheduled for Wednesday. Students need to know vocabulary terms also. --Please be Working on Flashcards... Thank you to the 4th graders that are doing flashcards each week! ;o) --If you get a chance, please give your child some subtraction and/or division problems. --Highlight Vocabulary Terms to Lesson 55. --Students had to write the basic facts that were difficult for him/her on index cards. These index cards should be reviewed every day!! Please ask your child if he/she has these index cards and if not, go over some facts with him/her and if they don't know the fact, it should be written down. --Students need to be correcting every daily math assignment! --We talked in class that any facts that are difficult for your child should be written on a piece of oak tag and then used as an AR book mark. I have pieces of oak tag available for your child. Only a couple students asked for the piece of oak tag last week. 6th Grade: --Adding Mixed Numbers, Adding 3 or More Fractions, and Changing Mixed Numbers to Improper Fractions are concepts that will be covered this week. --Students will have part of Monday and Thursday to work on the February Dynamath Issue. It is due March 4. --Students should continue to highlight math terms in glossaries to Les. 59. --Continue to work on flashcards! --Basic Facts which are difficult for your child were to be written on index cards. --A Math in the Real World letter was distributed to the 6th graders. If you have questions, please contact me. 5th Grade~~Homeroom Class: --We will review Directions on a Compass this week. --We will work in the Computer Lab researching a mathematician on Monday. I want the students to find a mathematician that has some importance to our math world now...this is why they need to research many before deciding on one. One of the questions that I will ask the students when they are done with the interview will be "Did you understand what this person did for the math world?" --Students will have Wednesday to work on the February Issue of Dynamath. Dynamath is due March 4. --Please work on flashcards! Thanks for taking the time to do the required amount. The more you practice...the easier they become. -- We will have DARE on Tuesday, Feb. 23 from 2:30-3:30. Keyboarding is scheduled in the morning. Your child should have brought home a DARE shirt. The DARE deputy has not told me when the last DARE class would be, but I would like for your child to limit wearing the t-shirt until the DARE program. We sure appreciate the BH Fitness Center and Glenwood as they paid for the shirts!

Governor's Column

Get to Know the Nebraska Department of Roads By Governor Dave Heineman February 19, 2010 This week, I’d like to share information with you about the Nebraska Department of Roads and what the department does for you and our state. The Department of Roads provides a valuable service to citizens and thousands of travelers each day in Nebraska. Headed by Roads Director and State Engineer, Monty Fredrickson, the department has district offices in Lincoln, Omaha, Norfolk, Grand Island, Gering, North Platte, McCook, and Ainsworth consisting of 1,400 employees. The department is responsible for the planning, construction, maintenance, and administration of the state highway system, as well as preserving the billions of dollars invested in highways and working to make them safe and reliable. The state began recording statistics on road surfaces in 1949 when 5,213 miles of the nearly 10,000 miles of state highway were unpaved. Today, only 42 the 9,949 miles of the state highway system are gravel roads. State highways carry more than 62 percent of the miles traveled by vehicles in the state and 84 percent of all heavy trucks. At any one time more than 100 projects extending or improving state roadways are underway across Nebraska. In addition to overseeing current projects, the department includes roadway and bridge designers, traffic engineers, developers working with local, county and federal officials to shepherd new projects through the regulatory and permitting process, right-of-way specialists, construction personnel, and researchers testing new materials. The department also issues motor carrier permits and oversees railway crossings. The operations team works 24/7 to keep highways available to motorists by clearing them in the midst of blizzards and other severe weather, and rerouting traffic in emergencies. This includes the administrative and support personnel that manage the agency and the fleet of vehicles, machinery and property that are part of the Department of Roads. Like all of state government, the Department of Roads is continually looking for new ways to utilize technology to improve efficiency. The department works closely with researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and others to explore new technology and materials that can help extend the life of our state highway system. One example is the advances in technology that have led to the use of better materials and equipment in maintaining roads and bridges. Roads officials are also using technology in the forms of GPS and digital tools to help make highways safer for motorists. Operations personnel work with law enforcement and other first responders to control traffic around major crashes and emergencies. From the department’s operations center in Omaha, roads operators can update 47 message boards spread along I-80 to help travelers plan their journey. Another service available to travelers is the 511 hotline and website, which provides real-time road and weather conditions using more than 60 cameras and other tools to monitor highway conditions and communicate road closings. The 511 site is a powerful tool that proved very useful in the midst of several December blizzards and severe storms, logging more than 700,000 visits that month and more than 1.3 million visits in 2009. All of these efforts were developed to improve the safety of state roads, and the work of our roads personnel has not gone unnoticed. Nebraska was recognized by the association of state highway officials for harnessing technology to strengthen road safety efforts. To access roads related services and information, including 511, please log on to the department’s website at http://www.dor.state.ne.us/. The work of the individuals at the Department of Roads is providing a more safe and efficient statewide transportation system that benefits all Nebraskans.

Chemigation Training

For those of you who plan to "Chemigate" this coming year and have not been certified, or if you need to become recertified during 2010, you will need to attend a training session and pass a test to become either certified or recertified. Requirements for initial and recertification are the same. If you plan to become certified, please preregister at the extension office whose training session you plan to attend. If you preregister, you will receive a training manual and calibration workbook to review prior to the training session. On the day of the training session, please bring your Chemigation Training Manual, Calibration Workbook, No. 2 pencil, and calculator along to use during the training. If you do not preregister, you will receive a new copy the day of the training. Review of the material in your training manual will be helpful prior to the training session. Training and testing will take approximately 2.5 to 3.5 hours. There is no charge for the training or the manuals. Here are the training sites that are located the closest to S. Central Nebraska area. Town, Date, Time, Location of Training, Trainer, Contact # Kearney, Feb 26, 9:00 am, Buffalo County Extension Office, Alan Corr, 308-696-6781 Grand Island, Mar 3, 9:00 am, Hall Co. UNL Extension Meeting Room at College Park, Mark Hinze, 308-385-5088 Holdrege, Mar 5, 9:30 am, Phelps County Extension Office, Alan Corr, 308-696-6781 Minden, Mar 12, 1:00 pm, Kearney County Fairgrounds, Alan Corr, 308-696-6781 York, Apr 7, 1:00 pm, 4-H Building, Dave Varner, 402-727-2775 Or the list of training dates and locations can be found at: http://nerec.unl.edu/agriculture under the section Chemigation Training Materials or on the NDEQ chemigation page at: http://www.deq.state.ne.us/Chemig.nsf/Pages/Chemtrai If inclement weather forces postponement of a training session, another date will be publicized or you can learn about the new date by calling the Extension Office.

25th Women in Ag Conference Feb. 25-26 in Kearney

Nebraska women will celebrate 25 years of empowering women in the agriculture industry Feb. 25-26 at the Kearney Holiday Inn. The theme for this year's University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Women in Agriculture conference is "Celebrating Our Heritage, Exploring Our Future." It is not too late to register for the program. Nebraska women will find dozens of workshops, "funshops" and networking to them help cultivate their dreams and learn new information o harvest profits. The two-day conference begins Feb. 25 with 9 a.m. registration followed by a 10 a.m. welcome and keynote speaker Michele Payne-Knoper. One of two keynote speakers, Payne-Knoper, a professional speaker, consultant, agriculture expert and author, will inspire participants to celebrate their unique role, what’s special about rural America and share that celebration with others. On Feb. 26, keynote speaker Yvonne Hollenbeck will address participants. Hollenbeck is an award-winning cowgirl poet who, along with her husband, Glen, raise Angus beef cattle and quarter horses. Participants will be able to choose from more than 30 workshops spread out over five sessions throughout the two-day conference. Topics range from resources for business growth, estate planning and being an advocate for agriculture to computer and software information, how to be a better communicator and stress control. Evening "funshops" are one-hour, optional sessions offered with a goal of networking and fun.The registration fee is $100. The fee includes workshop materials, registration, breaks, lunch and dinner on Feb. 25 and breakfast and lunch on Feb. 26. To register or for more information about the conference, including a complete list of workshop and speaker bios, conference sponsors, booths and lodging information, visit the Women in Ag Web site at http://wia.unl.edu and click on WIA Conference in the left column or call (800) 535-3456, fax (402) 472-0776 or mail Women In Agriculture, UNL Agricultural Economics, 304 Filley Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583-0922.

Central Plains Irrigation Conference and Exposition Feb. 23-24 in Kearney

Participants at the Central Plains Irrigation Conference and Exposition will learn the latest information on irrigation equipment and water management practices Feb. 23-24 at the Kearney Holiday Inn. The two-day event hosted by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension and sponsored by the Central Plains Irrigation Association in partnership with the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Corn Growers Association will offer insight into water management and managing irrigation systems and equipment. CPIA is a joint effort of UNL, Kansas State University, Colorado State University and the irrigation industry. Irrigators, irrigation managers, crop consultants, agribusiness personnel, personnel from resource agencies and state and federal agency personnel involved in water management will benefit from the conference. The conference also will feature a trade show. There will be a lunch time general session each day in addition to eight technical sessions. Speakers for the sessions include experts from UNL, KSU and CSU, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service and the irrigation industry. Registration is $80 or, if applying for CCA CEUs, $90. The Nebraska registration includes admission to all sessions, equipment exposition, copy of the proceedings, breaks, two lunches and social hour. The Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Corn Growers Association are offering a scholarship to attend free to the first 100 Nebraska growers who register for the conference. It may not hurt to try for the scholarship. It may be too late - but who knows? Producers should pre-register by calling Donna Lamm at the number below and state they are a Nebraska corn producer to receive a scholarship. For more information or to register, call Donna Lamm at (785) 462-7574, e-mail donnalamm@yahoo.com or visit the Web at http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/sdi/REvents/CPIAprog.html

Upcoming Webinar on "Shelterbelts for Vegetative Environmental Buffers"

Trees do more than improve the appearance of a farm, they can also help manage air emissions from livestock and poultry facilities. There is a scheduled Webinar on the use of trees in making a Vegetative Environment Buffer later this week. The speakers are Dick Nicolai, South Dakota State University and John Tyndall, Iowa State University. The presentation will be on Friday, February 26, 2010 at 1:30 pm (central) Below is more information on the computer based educational program. Mitigating Air Quality Issues Using Vegetative Environmental Buffers February 26, 2010 Farmers have used tree lines and windbreaks to enhance farmstead environments for many years, but only more recently have shelterbelts been considered and utilized largely for the benefits provided to neighboring residents and communities. As interest in mitigating air emissions and going green grows, forms of vegetative environmental buffers (VEB) will receive expanded attention. Hear the latest information on the effectiveness and value of VEB, especially as an approach to managing air emissions from animal production facilities. How Do I Participate? On the day of the webcast, go to https://www.extension.org/pages/Live_Webcast_Information and follow the links on that page to download the speaker's power point presentations and to connect to the virtual meeting room.

• If you are unable to participate in a live webcast, you can access the archived version (available within a few days after the presentation is completed) at: http://www.extension.org/pages/Archived_Webcasts%2C_Livestock_and_Poultry_Environmental_Learning_Center
• First-time webcast viewers can visit the following page to ensure access to the webcast system. http://www.extension.org/pages/How_Do_I_Participate_in_a_Webcast%3F.
• A schedule of future webcast presentations is available at: http://www.extension.org/pages/Upcoming_Webcasts

Straight From the Horse's Mouth

Duane A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator, Webster County February 20, 2010 Edition Last week I ended this column promising some information that counters what Katie Couric and other media reports used to associate the use of antibiotics in livestock production with antibiotic resistance in humans. There are so many contradictions, let’s start out with MRSA. While CBS and Couric wanted to pin MRSA infections on the livestock industry, she conveniently forgot to tell the public that there are actually three general categories of MRSA. First, there is no doubt that the more virulent forms of MRSA are a serious human health problem. These forms are most commonly found in healthcare settings such as hospitals, dialysis centers and long-term care facilities and are often referred to as “healthcare or hospital-acquired” strains. They can cause serious, invasive illness and even death, particularly in people with weakened immune systems. There is a second, less virulent, form of MRSA commonly found throughout the general population (25-50 percent of people) that can also be found in cats, dogs, and horses. These are typically referred to as “community-acquired” forms and are often linked to shared areas, such as locker rooms. These two forms are commonly found in humans. Then there is the third form of MRSA that is less invasive than the healthcare-associated forms, and are found more commonly in livestock and rarely in humans. MRSA is not just MRSA! This livestock form (Strain 398) does not transmit as easily between people as the other two types. It has however been found in some people who have close contact with livestock (pigs, calves, and poultry), although there is no data to indicate that these people have a higher-than-normal illness rate. This “398” strain has not been found in human disease surveillance for MRSA conducted by either the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or monitored hospitals. It is very unlikely that the people interviewed for the CBS story had the livestock-associated MRSA. It’s much more likely these people had the very common community-acquired strain of MRSA from being in close contact with infected people – not animals. Remember they are talking about “Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus”. The types of antibiotics used in modern livestock production are not associated with the development of MRSA. To my knowledge, Methicillin has never been used in food animal production in the U.S.! The drug-resistant infections referred to by CBS and the other media outcries have little, to no, relationship to any antibiotic use in animal agriculture. Once again I point out that the types of drug-resistant infections that are lethal are often associated with hospital-acquired infections – and the antibiotics used in those facilities – not from livestock or the use of antibiotics in livestock! What really got my dander up is that CBS tried to link these “antibiotic resistant antibiotics” to the meat in our food supply. Couric said in the report that “Evidence of MRSA has been found in the nation's meat supply. But it's unclear how widespread it may be, because only a small fraction is tested for MRSA.” What a load of crap that is! MRSA is not a food-borne illness, thus testing meat is unnecessary. The CDC and the European Food Safety Authority agree that the risk of MRSA from handling or eating meat is extremely low. Except to plant fear in consumers, why did she say that? I found information from Dr. Alyn M. McClure, Arizona DVM, very interesting. It points out the scientific odds of a person to have an antibiotic treatment failure due to acquiring a food-borne bacterial disease from eating or handling meat. According to the study some bacteria are naturally resistant to certain antibiotics; others acquire resistance by genetic mutation over time; and some acquire resistance after exposure to an antibiotic used in human medicine or animal production. This is what really caught my eye. He said that according to the study, the following things would have to happen: The antibiotic would have to be used in the animal; The animal would have to develop a resistant bacterial strain; The resistant strain would have to survive through food processing/handling; The resistant strain would have to survive through food preparation; The resistant strain would have to transfer to the human; The resistant strain would have to colonize; The resistant strain would have to cause a disease; and the antibiotic treatment would have to fail! Let’s put that in the Las Vegas odds category. What is the probability of a person experiencing a treatment failure due to antibiotic use in swine? Here are some risk comparisons by annual probability: Being struck by lightening 1 in 550,000; Dying from a bee sting 1 in 6 million; Dying from a dog bite 1 in 18 million; Acquiring resistant campylobacter from macrolide-treated swine resulting in treatment failure <1>The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to:

Blue Hill Storms Past Bulldogs

Reprinted from Hastings Tribune ERIC STEITZ sports@hastingstribune.com Blue Hill limited Shelton to only seven field goals and Alyssa Willicott scored 15 points to lead the Bobcats to a 36-23 win over Shelton Thursday in the Class C-2, subdistrict 9 championship game at St. Cecilia’s Chapman gymnasium. With the win Blue Hill advances to the district championship next Friday where they will take on Cambridge at Minden’s C.L. Jones Gymnasium at 7 p.m. Thursday’s win was the third in four days and fourth straight for Blue Hill (13-8) which has won 12 of its last 14 games since starting the season 1-6. Shelton (14-8) ran a zone defense for most of the game trying to take away Blue Hill’s Madison Coffey’s outside shooting ability, but that opened up Willicott in the post. “They’re a tough match-up for us because if Coffey gets going it pulls you away from Willicott and then you can’t cover Willicott. It becomes a little bit of a problem,” Shelton head coach Randy Schultz said. “Coffey is one of the best shooters in the state. I have to give our posts credit but Willicott is just a little bit bigger and a little bit stronger.” Shelton jumped out to a 6-4 lead in the first quarter but Willicott scored six straight points to give Blue Hill the lead and the Bobcats didn’t look back from there. Both teams exchanged baskets in the second quarter, but Blue Hill held the lead 16-13 heading into the half. The Bobcats held the Bulldogs to only one field goal in the third quarter with a man-to-man defense, which forced seven turnovers in the third quarter alone. “It was a match-up thing. (Shelton) has a few dribble-penetrators and perimeter-shooters. That’s why we went man,” Blue Hill head coach Tim Streff said. The Bobcats outscored Shelton 20 to 10 in the second half and held the Bulldogs to only three field goals after halftime. “We just couldn’t get anything going offensively,” Schultz said. “It makes it kind of hard if you can’t score enough.” Shelton’s Emma Urbanek led the team with nine points, six coming in the first quarter. She injured her ankle in the fourth quarter, which hindered the Bulldog offense. “We lost that go to person that can do what we need them do to,” Schultz said of the second half injury to Urbanek. The Bulldogs closed the Blue Hill lead to seven points with four minutes to play in the final frame but Coffey and Willicott combined for the next five points to seal the Bobcat win. The Bobcats will prepare for the upcoming district title game with rest, according to Streff. “Three games in four days is tough on your body and mentally to get up for every game,” Streff said. “We’re going to rest and then we’ll get back to what we do.”

4-H & FFA Star in Commercial

Webster County 4-H and Blue Hill FFA Chapter were one of three groups selected to film a TV commercial for ONEOK. The filming was done in Blue Hill this past Wednesday and it was a very educational and learning experience for the youth involved and also for Melissa, Dewey and Donna. The thirty second commercials will begin airing during the Girls State Basketball Tournament and will run on all three local channels during prime time (7:00 to 10:30 p.m.) through March and April. They will then run during this same time span for the next two years. The pictures that were taken during the day have been added to the Webster County Extension Office website (http://www.webster.unl.edu) you may be interested in checking them out. Be sure and watch the commercials for the next two months!

Shrine Bowl Rosters Announced

Reprinted from the Open Forum. This deserves it's own article.

Blue Hill's Riley Bonifas will be a member of the south team in this summer's Shrine Bowl football game which will take place June 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Univeristy of Nebraska's memorial stadium. The south team will be coached by Kevin Kush of Boys Town. Blue Hill Coach Scott Porter was selected to be an assistant coach on the team.

Congratulations Riley!!!! Yeah ... you too Coach!! :-)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go: perchance it will wear smooth - - certainly the machine will wear out . . but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, than I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn." Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience, 1849.

HC student ‘good to go’ after accident

reprinted from the Hastings Tribune TONY HERRMAN therrman@hastingstribune.com BLUE HILL — Jason Kort was little more than two weeks removed — and just out of a coma — from a near-fatal car accident this time last year. At 12:15 a.m., Feb. 1, 2009, he was driving a black 2002 four-door Oldsmobile when he lost control of the vehicle and drove off the left side of Showboat Road. The vehicle rolled and Jason was ejected. He wasn’t wearing a seat belt. He suffered six broken ribs, a severe head injury, collapsed lungs and deep abrasions through the muscle of his hip. He was also in a coma for 10 days. An ambulance took Jason to Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital where he was air lifted to BryanLGH in Lincoln. He was in the BryanWest ICU for three weeks, then spent three weeks as a patient at Madonna Rehabilitation Center, followed by months of physical therapy at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital. “(It was the) toughest year of my life,” he said during an interview last week. “To be honest, I don’t really remember a lot of it.” Jason, now 22, had just begun his final semester at Hastings College when his accident occurred. He resumed classes this last fall. His mother, Nancy, said the last year almost doesn’t feel real. “Right now, I look back and it almost seems like a dream, but it’s not — it’s reality,” she said. “Gosh, how’d we do it? We had a tremendous amount of support.” Now, the only physical sign of Jason’s accident is that the last joint on his left thumb is missing. Jason knocked his thumb against table, which sounded like wood striking the table. “I can’t feel that,” he said. Skin was grafted from the index finger on that hand to give the thumb some cushion. That index finger in turn received a skin graft from his groin. He sill is experiencing problems with short-term memory loss and is undergoing vision therapy. “I didn’t notice my vision, but I guess I’m not a doctor,” he said. “I think what (Dr. Steven) Nicholson has been saying is that I’m pretty much done. I’ve had pretty good improvement and I’m about done with therapy.” Jason admitted that he is a little surprised at how thoroughly he’s recovered. He’s resumed classes and is in the process of obtaining a degree in exercise science. “With the classes, I’ve found it’s taken a lot more time to study cause I can’t remember much so it’s taken a lot more time when I have a quiz or an exam or something,” he said. Over the January term, Jason took biomechanics and kinesiology against the advice of his therapists. He said it was the toughest class he’s taken at the college. Nancy said it wound up being a good decision. “I was a little skeptical, when you have therapists saying that for him,” she said. “But he worked really hard and he spent a lot of time studying. He put his mind to it.” During that class he took an online five-question quiz each day. “I used to be able to read through it once, write certain stuff down and take the quiz and do fine,” he said. “I found myself reading four or five times to make sure. It’s just something you have to deal with. It hasn’t been easy, but I expected that.” Jason is taking six hours in this his final semester at HC. When he’s not studying, Jason spends a handful of evenings each week refereeing junior varsity or middle school basketball games and then covering varsity basketball games for the Blue Hill Leader newspaper. For the last six months or so Jason also has worked at Thramer’s Food Center in downtown Blue Hill. Tim Thramer, who owns the grocery store, said Jason is conscientious, thoughtful, fun to be around and exceptional as an employee. Thramer said how quickly and completely Jason recovered is a little surprising, but taking his personality into account it also makes sense. “Once you get to know him just a little bit it becomes clear that that’s what going to happen,” Thramer said. “He’s a very determined person I believe. It is a little bit (surprising), but if he approached that scenario after his accident like most situations I see him approach — then, not really.” Jason is also obtaining a sports writing minor. He’s preparing to send out his finished résumé to potential employers. “I’d like to find a personal training job, wherever I’m at and then maybe a stringer for some newspaper and cover some sports stories is what I’d like,” he said. “But who knows what will happen.” Whatever Jason chooses to do, Thramer said, he is going to be successful. “He’s obviously a bright young man who, for whatever reason, has had challenges placed in his way,” he said. “He is extremely resourceful and the future looks very bright for him.” Jason learned a lesson from his experience. “Oh yes, you won’t see me without my seat belt on,” he said. Both Jason and Nancy credited the love and prayers of family and friends across country for his recovery. Nancy said the family is thankful Jason is where he is today. On Feb. 1, one year after the accident, Jason and his mother spent most of the day together. It was the first day of the spring semester at HC, but she took it off from work. That evening they went to the basketball games between Blue Hill and Lawrence-Nelson, which he covered for the Leader. “It was nice just to spend the day together,” Nancy said. One of her daughters had made a video to commemorate Jason’s journey toward recovery. “Parts of it were pretty tough,” Nancy said. “It was good. A lot of people said they looked back and forgot how bad it really was.” Assessing her son’s current status, Nancy said he’s not 100 percent “but he’s very close.” “I’m happy with where we’re at,” she said. “A year ago today, things were looking better, but they were still pretty grim.” Jason said he wouldn’t change anything about his recovery. “I wouldn’t want it to happen, but I think since it’s happened I wouldn’t change anything about it,” he said. “I’m good to go. I’m just like I used to be, I’d say.”

Congressman's Column

Energy and the American Economy Energy is the lifeblood of the American economy, and ensuring its affordability and accessibility will be the engine which drives our economic recovery. To say it is "essential" is downplaying its importance. There isn't a segment of our society not reliant on access to affordable energy in one way or another. Unfortunately, the leadership of Congress seems determined to push through an energy bill commonly referred to as "cap-and-trade," a measure which will restrict greenhouse gas emissions from industries and other sources and which will have a tremendously negative impact on our economy for years to come. Cap-and-trade will stifle opportunity and hurt an already struggling job market. Though it purports to create "green jobs," the bill could actually cost our economy as many as 2.5 million jobs. That's because at its core, this bill is a national energy tax certain to be passed onto energy consumers. That's you. Cap-and-trade will kill jobs, bleed budgets, and lead to more government intervention into our energy markets. Annual energy costs for a family of four in Nebraska could grow by as much as $1,700 including taxes, forcing families to reduce consumption of goods and services or making other sacrifices. The stakes are even higher for Nebraska agriculture. Agriculture is an energy-intensive industry relying on fuel for the pick-up truck, to fertilizer for the crops, to generators to keep heaters on during the winter. Even a small increase in the operating costs for agriculture producers would have dire results. I support an all-of-the-above approach to our energy policy, focusing on job creation and innovation in the marketplace to conserve our resources for future generations. America needs to encourage research and exploration into all sources of energy - including solar, biofuels, clean coal technology, hydropower, wind, domestic oil exploration, and yes - nuclear energy. The 104 nuclear reactors in America today provide 20 percent of our electricity, yet no new reactors have been ordered since the late 1970s. We need to begin building new nuclear power plants to create clean, reliable energy - a central theme of legislation I support and co-sponsored last summer: the American Energy Act. Unlike the House-passed cap-and-trade bill which excluded nuclear power from its federal renewable energy standard, the American Energy Act would bring 100 new nuclear reactors online over the next 20 years, directly creating 242,000 jobs and another 404,000 jobs from additional economic activity. Instead of new energy taxes on families and small businesses and regulation standing in the way of domestic exploration and production, Congress should aim lower gas and electricity prices by lifting government impediments. This would allow America's energy entrepreneurs to develop innovative, market-driven solutions to energy needs. For instance, I had the opportunity to visit the National Renewable Energy Lab in Colorado where cutting-edge technology is leading to more efficient uses of domestic energy resources, including biofuel from algae. By developing American energy we can ensure our economy recovers and then remains on stable ground so our nation won't have to rely on foreign sources of energy. As we continue to debate America's energy portfolio, Washington needs to support proven measures to develop domestic energy, eliminate irresponsible government spending, create new jobs, and put our economy back on track.

Senator's Column

February 15, 2010 Strong Support for President's Trade Pledge Dear Nebraskans, In his State of the Union Address, President Obama stated his strong support to double exports within five years, noting how important trade is to job growth and business investment. I could not agree more. It was encouraging to hear the President's views on the importance of trade. At a time of 10 percent unemployment, enacting trade agreements that spur job growth and boost our economy should be a no-brainer. Recently, members of the President's Cabinet have reinforced the Administration's promise on trade, explaining how we can increase American exports. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told a committee in the House of Representatives that it is a "very realistic objective" for the Administration and Congress to "work together to pass strong trade agreements that will expand opportunities in ... foreign markets." Additionally, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has noted the importance of leveling the playing field for American-made products in foreign markets. The good news is that American representatives have been working for years to expand our exports. As Secretary of Agriculture, I traveled the world on behalf of American agriculture and assisted in negotiating trade deals, and the pending agreements with Colombia, South Korea, and Panama would help Nebraska's farmers and ranchers. Our three biggest exports -- corn, soybeans, and wheat - would see barriers eliminated. Unfortunately, while all three agreements have been signed by each country, they still must be green-lighted by the President and sent on to Congress for approval. Allowing these common sense agreements to languish for as much as 1,200 days is not leadership. Currently, American producers are forced to pay substantial tariffs on their exports to Colombian, South Korean, and Panamanian markets, which would be eliminated by the agreements. For example, more than $2.5 billion in tariffs on American exports have been paid since the Colombian agreement was signed in November 2006. By contrast, Colombian producers do not pay any tariff on 90 percent of their products before selling them in the United States. Should Congress ratify the Colombian Trade Agreement, American farmers and ranchers would be allowed to compete on a level playing field with Colombian producers. In South Korea and Panama, it is more of the same. Nearly two-thirds of our agricultural exports to Korea would become duty-free under the agreement, and the U.S. International Trade Commission estimates that reducing these tariffs would increase our exports to Korea by $10 billion per year. The Panamanian agreement would enable more than 60 percent of our agricultural exports to become duty-free, and would resolve regulatory and trade barriers currently faced by American producers. It is time for President Obama to act. I recently sent him a letter supporting his goal of increasing exports, which we can achieve once he sends Congress the pending agreements for approval. I was able to gather a bipartisan list of 17 co-signers. As a Senator, I will do everything I can to see that they become a reality and start benefiting agriculture in Nebraska and across the country.

Congressman's Column

$3,800,000,000,000 On Monday, February 1, President Barack Obama submitted his budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. This is the first step in the budgetary process, though the evolution will continue on for several more weeks as Congress proposes its own version. Unfortunately, this budget got off on the wrong foot. The President's budget more than doubles our national debt, drives spending to a record $3.8 trillion, pushes the deficit to an unheard of $1.6 trillion, and raises taxes by more than $2 trillion over the next ten years. The budget also adds $14 trillion to our nation's debt over the same time period. If the President and Congressional Democrats are serious about creating jobs and getting our fiscal house in order, they need to abandon their agenda of higher taxes and increased deficits. The President's budget adds even more injury by cutting $40 million from the Market Access Program, which is a direct contradiction to his claim in the State of the Union address of wanting to help agriculture producers and small businesses increase their exports. Serving on the House Agriculture Committee and having visited nations with whom we have pending trade agreements, I know well the potential positive impact opening new markets will have on our nation's economy. Every dollar in agricultural exports generates $1.65 in economic activities such as transportation, financing, warehousing, and production. Nebraska's $4 billion in agricultural exports translates into $6.7 billion in additional economic activity. Apart from agriculture, Nebraska's export shipments of merchandise in 2008 totaled $5.4 billion. We owe it to our economy to open markets for U.S. goods and services. The proposed budget also includes $36.5 billion in direct tax and fee increases on American oil, natural gas, and coal. These tax increases will only serve to reduce American energy production, increase energy prices, and destroy American jobs. In addition, the President's budget ignores the $873 billion in new taxes the Congressional Budget Office estimates "cap-and-trade" legislation will impose on our economy. If these additional taxes were included, the President's plan would impose $3.15 trillion in tax increases over the next ten years. That's trillion with a "t." Instead of taking this approach, I support an all-of-the-above approach to our energy policy, one which encourages research and exploration for all forms of American produced energy. Let's take this opportunity to do what is right for the future of our country by tapping into American energy resources and creating jobs here at home. The budget does "freeze" certain discretionary spending at fiscal year 2010 levels for three years - however, it excludes the vast majority of federal spending from the freeze. These savings would be less than one-half of one percent of the federal budget and will not start for another 20 months. I support immediately passing strict budget caps which will limit federal spending. We must also take a hard look at entitlement and other mandatory spending programs which are rife with inefficiency and waste. Congress and the White House must work together to begin the process of making a real difference in our nation's fiscal future. Unfortunately, the President's budget assumes we can borrow, spend, and tax our way back to economic prosperity. As history has proven, this path is unsustainable. Fiscal responsibility isn't a Republican or a Democrat issue. It is our promise to all Americans not to waste taxpayer dollars or spend money we don't have and instead hold the line on spending. During these uncertain economic times, so many people have had to tighten their budgets and make tough spending decisions. Congress should be no different.

Blue Hill girls upset No. 5 Sandy Creek

from www.hastingstribune.com Erik Steitzsports@hastingstribune.com Madison Coffey scored 14 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead Blue Hill to a 42-34 upset of Class C-2 No. 5 Sandy Creek in the semifinals of the Class C-2, Subdistrict 9 tournament Tuesday night at St. Cecilia’s Chapman Gymnasium.The score was almost the exact opposite from when the teams played earlier this season, as the then-unbeaten Cougars captured a 45-31 win over Blue Hill on Jan. 21. This time Blue Hill used a two-three zone defense to stifle the Cougar offensive attack, holding Sandy Creek to 37-percent shooting and one point shy of its season low. “Our shooting woes tonight were bad,” Sandy Creek head coach Russ Ninemire said. “When you don’t shoot well, you aren’t going to win.”Said Blue Hill coach Tim Streff: “We were going to make them beat us from the perimeter.” With the win, their second in two days, the fourth-seeded Bobcats (12-8) advance to the subdistrict finals where they will play second-seeded Shelton on Thursday at 7 p.m. Blue Hill beat Shelton 54-40 during the regular season.

Governor's Column

E-File Your Taxes By Governor Dave Heineman February 12, 2010 Dear Fellow Nebraskans: By now, you should have received your 2009 tax information. I want to encourage Nebraskans to file their individual income taxes electronically this year. Electronic filing, better known as e-filing, is convenient and secure. This option provides a speedy refund, reduces the risk of errors and offers confirmation that your return has been filed and received. Fed/State e-filing allows taxpayers to submit both their federal and state tax returns together. Taxpayers can go online, purchase software or visit a participating tax preparer to file their returns using the Fed/State e-file program. Some software providers allow free federal e-filing, but may charge a fee for state e-filing. Visit http://www.irs.gov/ for more information. NebFile allows taxpayers to file their Nebraska individual income tax return for free using the Nebraska Department of Revenue’s Web site http://www.revenue.ne.gov/. Every year, more Nebraskans are enjoying the speed and convenience offered by e-filing. In 2009, the state received more than 634,500 e-filed income tax returns, a 6 percent increase from the previous year. More than 70 percent of all Nebraska individual income tax returns were e-filed last year. Taxpayers who e-file and choose to have their refund deposited directly into their bank account typically receive their refund in seven to 10 business days. As a leading state in e-file use, the Nebraska Department of Revenue has a new goal of having 75 percent of all state tax returns e-filed during 2010. Of the 120,000 state income tax returns filed so far this year, 118,900 have been e-filed. Nebraska’s e-file successes are also due to the cooperation of Nebraska’s professional tax preparers, who have used it to file their clients’ returns, and to our citizens who have also embraced this technology. The increase in e-filing has helped the Department of Revenue achieve greater efficiency by reducing their reliance on temporary workers at tax time. Seasonal employees are expected to total just 30, down from 150 a decade ago. The ability to file and pay taxes online is one of the many ways our state is striving to provide services that make it easier for Nebraskans to interact with state government. E-filing is a quick and convenient way citizens can help us reduce costs. Please visit the Nebraska Department of Revenue’s Web site for information, new developments, and other electronic options available to taxpayers at www.revenue.ne.gov.

Bobcats Secure SubDistrict #2 Seed

The Nebraska School Activities Association has released the bracketing for SubDistrict tournaments. The Boys Basketball Subdistrict C2-9 Tournament will be held at Hastings St. Cecilia from Monday, February22 to Thursday, February 25. The Blue Hill Bobcat's (16-3) received the #2 seed and will play #3 Sandy Creek (13-7) in their opening round game on Tuesday, February 23 at 7:30 pm. Ravenna (19-3) secured the top seed and will play at 6:00 on Tuesday against the winner of Monday's contest against #4 Shelton (7-12) and #5 Gibbon (3-14). The Bobcat's, who have 12 straight wins since opening the season 4-3, defeated Sandy Creek earlier this year 59-56. The Bobcat's also have blow-out wins over both Shelton & Gibbon this season. The Bobcat's have yet to face Ravenna this season. The Bobcat's will conclude regular season play this Friday against Harvard before entering the post-season tournament. Good Luck Bobcat's!!!

HARRY C. ZIMMERMAN

Blue Hill resident Harry C. Zimmerman, 73 died Friday Feb. 12, 2010 at Good SAmaritan Society-Hastings Village (Perkins Pavilion). Services are 10 a.m. Wednesday at United Methodist Church in Blue Hill with the Rev. Michael Lee Burgess officiating. Burial with military rites by A.L. Shirley Post #176 of Blue Hill will be at Blue Hill cemetery in Blue Hill. Visitation is 9 a.m. to 9 p.m Tuesday with family present 5-9 p.m. at Merten-Butler Mortuary in Blue Hill and one hour prior to services Wednesday at the church. In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the American Cancer Society or the Blue Hill United Methodist Church. Harry was born on April 4, 1936 to Charles E. and Thelma M. (Velvin) Zimmerman at Yale, Va. He served in the United States Air Force from March 7, 1956 to June 1, 1962. He married Margaret J. Bohy on November 17, 1960 in Taylor, Neb. They moved to Blue Hill from Hastings in 1974. He had worked at Thermo King in Hastings as an inspector. He was a member of the United Methodist Church and A.L. Shirley Post #176, Blue Hill, Neb., NRA, and was a former member of the sportman club in Hastings, Neb. He had served as a scoutmaster from 1970-1989 and five of his scouts achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He loved hunting, fishing, camping, gardening and spending time with his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Margaret of Blue Hill, Neb; three sons, James and his wife Heather of Lawrence, Neb., Paul and his wife Teresa of Blue Hill, Neb., Dr. Timothy and his wife Laurie of Hastings, Neb.; two sisters, Barbara Strickland of Richmond, VA., Irene Shields of Jarratt, VA.; two brothers, Robert and his wife Sue of Jarratt, Va. , Ed and his wife Tracy of Pewaukee, Wis.; two sisters-in-law, Mary Smith and her husband Terry of Grand Island, Neb., Martha Ditson and her husband Calvin of Broken Bow, Neb.; seven grandchildren, BreAnna Zimmerman of Chadron, Neb, Nathan, Jonathan, Kaitlyn and Ethan Zimmerman of Hastings, Neb., Logan and Myra Zimmerman of Lawrence, Neb.; numerous nieces, Nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Mrs. Kranau's School News~2/14‏

Dear Parents/Guardians~ Happy Valentine's Day! **Friday, Feb. 19 there is no school due to our Teacher Inservice. **Some students have not returned the signed sheet from "Mrs. Kranau's Progress Checklist". It was due last Friday. **Thank you, parents, for attending conferences or contacting me in some way. **FLASHCARDS: Please make sure your child is doing the required set of flashcards each week!!!!! **Math Treats (extra credit) are due Tuesday, Feb. 23. **Math Activity Checklist is due April 16. I have sent previous weekly e-mails explaining the checklist. **Powerschool is available for you to see your child's grades and lunch accounts. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Uridil. curidil@esu9.org **Students should be taking home graded papers, as they are either passed out in class or put in mailboxes. *******I will ask parents in another week to see if graded math papers have been going home. I will have you respond to that e-mail, so please be looking for it within the next week or so. **Scholastic Book Orders are due Wednesday, Feb. 17. Parents PLEASE WRITE CHECKS TO: SCHOLASTIC. Book orders are on-line. www.scholastic.com Passwords needed: kranausclass and bookorder. Thank you for your orders!!! **Please be watching for the PAW TRACKS newsletter that is put in mailboxes every Tuesday. **Students that have three or more strikes are in the "Reach for the Stars" program. He/she needs to be checking in with Mrs. Miller, Mr. Uridil or Mrs. Keogh each morning before school starts and before he/she goes home.**Our school website is www.bluehillschools.org Some 5th graders have been researching his/her mathematician already and I have listed many mathematician websites through our school website. **The DEADLINE for Thramer's and Allen's receipts is approaching fast! Please be saving Thramer's and Allen's receipts. You may drop your receipt in the box designated Blue Hill at Thramer's or drop off the receipts at school. Continue to save Box Tops 4 Education, Campbell Soup Labels, old cell phones, and empty ink cartridges and other fundraisers. Thramer's and Allen's receipts are due March 31. Thank you for all your support!! Remember: I included information regarding a Cartridge/Cell Phone Drive in the school's newsletter. 4th Grade: --Rounding Numbers, Review Subtraction and Division, and Adding/Subtracting Money will be covered this week. --If you get a chance, please give your child some subtraction and/or division problems. It is good review. You may show them a different way, but as long as they understand the process, I am happy! --Students had to write the basic facts that were difficult for him/her on index cards. These index cards should be reviewed every day!! Please ask your child if he/she has these index cards and if not, go over some facts with him/her and if they don't know the fact, it should be written down. A few 4th graders still do not know their facts!! --Work on Flashcards... Some 4th graders did not do 7 sets of Flashcards last week. Thank you to the students that are doing a great job with their basic facts!! --Students need to be correcting every daily math assignment! Some students are still making careless mistakes on math papers. I write notes on daily assignments and ask students to "See Me" during study hall. I usually have several 4th graders in my room during my study hall. Keep asking questions! I ask many students to come in during study hall to review subtraction/division or any other concept. --We talked in class that any facts that are difficult for your child should be written on a piece of oak tag and then used as an AR book mark. I have pieces of oak tag available for your child. 6th Grade: --Finding a Common Denominator, Adding and Subtracting Fractions, and Comparing Fractions are concepts that will be covered this week. --A Quiz after Les. 55 is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 17. --Students should continue to highlight math terms in glossaries to Les. 55. Please ask them about this.--Continue to work on flashcards! --Basic Facts which are difficult for your child were to be written on index cards. **A Math in the Real World letter was distributed to the 6th graders last Monday. If you have questions, please contact me. 5th Grade~~Homeroom Class: --We will review Division and work on Mathematicians this week. --We will have a review for Test 50 on Monday and the test is scheduled for Wednesday. --Please work on flashcards! Thanks for taking the time to do the required amount. The more you practice...the easier they become. -- We will have DARE on Tuesday, Feb. 16 from 2:30-3:30. Keyboarding is scheduled in the morning. --The students will have computer lab time to research a mathematician. I want the students to find a mathematician that has some importance to our math world now...this is why they need to research many before deciding on one. One of the questions that I will ask the students when they are done with the interview will be "Did you understand what this person did for the math world?" It is much appreciated that you read my weekly e-mails, ~Mrs. Kranau~ Go Bobcats!

Lady Bobcats Open Tournament Tonight

The Blue Hill Girl's Basketball team begins their quest for a State Tournament appearance tonight (Monday, February 15) in the opening round of the Girls Basketball SubDistrict C2-9 Tournament at Hastings St. Cecilia. With a record of 10-8, the Bobcat's drew the #4 seed in the five team subdistrict and will open tournament play against the #5 seeded Gibbon Buffalos(8-10) tonight at 7:00 pm. The winner will play tommorrow night (Tuesday, February 16) against the #1 seeded Sandy Creek Cougars (20-2) at 6:00 pm. The other two teams in the C2-9 SubDistrict are Ravenna (9-10) and Shelton (13-7). The Lady Bobcats have convincing wins over both Gibbon and Shelton earlier in the year. The Bobcats have not faced Ravenna this season. Sandy Creek handed the Bobcats one of only two losses in their last 11 games of the season, after opening the season 1-6. Good Luck Bobcats!!!

Premer to Represent WarCats at State

The Nebraska High School Activities Association has released the Class C bracket draws for the 2010 Nebraska State Wrestling Tournament. The Red Cloud-Blue Hill WarCats will be represented in the 140 pound division by Taylor Premer. Premer, a Senior at BHHS, has a seson record of 36-8. The Tournament will be held from Thursday, February 18 through Saturday, February 20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha. Premer will compete against 15 other wrestlers in his weight class for the title. Premer's first round opponent will be Bryce Wiedeman a Sophomore from Mitchell with a season record of (40-5). The entire class C brackets can be viewed at http://www.nsaahome.org/textfile/wrest/cwrpair.htm. Additional Nebraska HS wrestling information can be found at http://www.nsaahome.org/wr.php. Congratulations & Good Luck Taylor!!! The WarCats were represented at the state tournament in 2009 in the 140 pound division by Jared Krueger.

Open Forum #8 -- 2/15/10

The Open Forum is your chance to say something, report breaking news or ask a question -- on any issue. Any topic is fair game, although Blue Hill Today's comment policies still apply. (see bottom of left hand column.) This will be Open Forum #8. The first seven have had 41 comments including topics on; a local jury trial, local participants in the Nebraska HS Honor Band, Choir & Orchestra, political fallout of the D.C. Blizzard, local weather, fundraisers, the BH Care Center, local county attorneys, the Census, the Mass. Senate vote, subpoena's, County Commisioner's pay increase, Bobcat basketball, citizen of the year, Haiti, good samaratins, child safety, tax deductions for pet owners, parking and personal property, academic achievement of local alum, local service man sends Christmas greetings, the health care debate, birth announcements, quotes from elected representatives, church services, the Mayor, trash disposal and much more. Go ahead and sound off on anything. We are listening. A new Open Forum link will be re-posted every Monday (or there abouts) to keep it towards the top of the recent posts. Of course, your completed news article, news information, story idea, or suggestions to improve this site can still be sent to Blue Hill Today by e-mailing us at bluehilltoday@hotmail.com.

2010 Nebraska No-Till Conference

Feb. 16 at the Ag Center in Holdrege, NE 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Registration begins at 9 a.m. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension will provide corn and soybean producers information on how to be successful with no-till farming practices at the Nebraska No-Till Conference. There is no cost to attend and a meal is provided however, pre-registration was due Feb. 10 because of material and meals. If you haven’t registered and would like to attend, you may be able to still get in by contacting Chuck Burr at the Phelps Co. UNL Extension - call (308) 995-4222 or e-mail cburr1@unl.edu A flyer on the event can be found at: http://ardc.unl.edu/2010NoTillFlyer.pdf Speakers include no-till farmers, university specialists and industry representatives. The Holdrege conference includes the following topics and speakers:

• Implications of Surface Applied Fertilizer in No-Till Conditions - Richard Ferguson, UNL Extension Soil Fertility Specialist;
• Climate Variability - Is It for Real; Carbon Sequestration Research Update; Research Report - One Tillage Pass in No-till - Its Impact - Charles Wortmann, UNL Extension Soils Specialist;
• Lunch Panel Discussion – Why My Neighbor Doesn’t No-Till… Paul Jasa, UNL Extension Engineer and Dan Gillespie, Farm Operator, Battle Creek, NE;
• Use and Benefits of Cover Crops in a Crop Rotation Brian and Keith Berns, Farm Operators, Bladen, NE;
• Impact of Long-Term No-Till on Infiltration and Runoff with Center Pivots - Dean Eisenhauer, UNL Professor of Biological Systems Engineering;
• Evapotranspiration, and Soil Temperature and Plant Physiological Parameters in Relation to Tillage Practices - Suat Irmak, UNL Extension Water Resource Engineer.