Laura Ann (Janda) Kohmetscher May 12, 2013

Laurie A. Kohmetscher, 47, Lawrence, Nebraska, died Sunday, May 12, 2013, at her home southwest of Lawrence Nebraska. 

Rosary will be Thursday, May 16, 2013, 7:30 p.m. and Mass will be Friday, May 17, 2013, 10 a.m. both at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in Lawrence, Nebraska with Father Loras Grell officiating.  Burial will be in Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery at Lawrence, Nebraska.  Visitation will be Thursday, May 16, 2013 from 3-9 pm. at the Lawrence Visitation Chapel in Lawrence, Nebraska.  A family memorial has been established.

Laurie was born on November 4, 1965 to John A. and Rose M. (Hubl) Janda at Hastings, Nebraska.  She graduated from Sacred Heart Catholic School and Lawrence High School.  She married Duane A. Kohmetscher on October 18, 1986, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lawrence, Nebraska.

Laurie was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where she volunteered as a song leader at Mass.  She was currently serving as Treasurer of the Sacred Heart Alter Society, a member of the Nucholls County Fair Board, National Cutting Horse Association, is Past Junior Dairy Princess, had been on the 4-H council and a 4-H leader.  She was currently the office manager for Ken & Al’s Service, Lawrence, Nebraska.

Laurie was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend to so many.  She was a special person whose faith and family always came first.

Laurie’s heart went out to help people, often many times behind the scenes.  She liked to share her love of the outdoors, horses, starry nights, and she enjoyed reading.  Laurie loved watching their three children blossom in life.  Her example in life provided a foundation that will help her children and continue to help shape who they are.  Laurie will be deeply missed by so many.

Laurie is survived by her husband: Duane, daughters, Kristin and Halee and son Shane, all of Lawrence, Her mother, Rose Janda, of Lawrence, Sisters Pat (Jerry) Chadwick, of Aurora, Ellen (Rod) Ramig, of Mitchell, Nebraska, brothers, Bob (Brenda) Janda, Ron (Carolyn) Janda, and Tom (Barb) Janda all of Lawrence, Steve (Susan) Janda of Guide Rock, Nebraska, Brothers-in-law, Gene (Suzanne) Kohmetscher and James Kohmetscher and Darrell (Lori) Kohmetscher all of Lincoln, Ronald (Nancy) Kohmetscher  of Hastings, Nebraska, Edward Kohmetscher of Axtell, Nebraska and 16 nephews and 17 nieces.

Laurie was preceded in death by her father John Janda, and father and mother in-law, William (Bill) and Lois Kohmetscher, two nieces, Kimberly Janda and Nicole Kohmetscher, two great nieces and a great nephew.

New public school funding adjustments adopted

 

 
Lawmakers passed a bill May 15 that adjusts the state aid funding formula for public schools under the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act (TEEOSA).

LB407, introduced by Cedar Rapids Sen. Kate Sullivan, reduces the base limitation rate for school districts from 2.5 percent to 1.5 percent for the 2013-14 school year. The rate will revert to 2.5 percent for each subsequent school year.
The bill includes additional changes to the funding formula, including:
• a base limitation rate of 1.5 percent for fiscal year 2013-14 and 2.5 percent thereafter;
• a local effort rate of $1.03 for FY2013-14 and FY2014-15 and $1.00 thereafter;
• an averaging adjustment threshold equivalent to the average basic funding for all school districts with 900 or more formula students;
• a teacher education allowance of $30 million with distribution based on teacher education points;
• 50 percent of teacher education allowance paid as teacher education aid;
• an instructional time allowance of $20 million with distribution based on the average days in session in excess of 175 days multiplied by formula students;
• 50 percent of instructional time allowance paid as instructional time aid; and
• 2 percent additional budget growth with 75 percent board approval with the expenditures included in the general fund operating expenditures for FY2013-14 only.
The bill eliminates the local choice adjustment beginning in FY2013-14 and limits the summer school allowance to reported summer school expenditures that are not included in other allowances. It also clarifies that expenditures included in the poverty and limited English proficiency allowances cannot be included in other allowances.
Additional budget authority for early childhood education will be included in the calculation of TEEOSA aid when programs move away from grant funding. Voluntary termination agreements will be excluded from the budget, but only when districts can prove a net savings in salary and benefits over a five-year period.
The bill passed on a 47-0 vote.

FISCHER DELIVERS FLOOR SPEECH ON IRS SCANDAL, DOJ'S SECRET COLLECTION OF ASSOCIATED PRESS PHONE RECORDS

 

“The result of this methodical government overreach is a powerful chilling effect on citizens. There is no place for that in a democracy. There is no place for that in the United States. The American people deserve a government that jealously guards the liberties of its citizens, not a government that tramples on its basic constitutional rights.”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding the IRS’ deliberate targeting of conservative groups seeking tax exempt status and recent reports of the Department of Justice’s secret collection of phone records of reporters and editors of The Associated Press.
A transcript of her full remarks as delivered is also available below
“Madam President, I rise today to speak out against the alarming reports that have recently surfaced about the IRS and the Department of Justice.
“As the federal agency tasked with administering the U.S. tax code, the IRS has an extraordinary influence on the lives of Americans from all walks of life and all points of view.
“As citizens, we have the absolute right to expect the IRS to be free from political influence, with taxpayers treated fairly and enforcement carried out in an unbiased manner.
“Unfortunately, in recent days we have learned that our expectations are far adrift from reality.
“Last week, the Internal Revenue Service acknowledged a history of targeting conservative, politically active groups during their process of seeking tax-exempt status.
“This practice first involved flagging groups concerned about government spending and debt.
“Ironically, such targeting comes at a time when poll after poll indicates that the federal government’s out-of-control spending and our $17 trillion debt are top concerns for all Americans – and I can tell you from experience they are top concerns for Nebraskans.
“Despite these legitimate concerns and the patriotic desire of Americans to effect change in government, the IRS worked to impede these organizations with one of the bluntest instruments of government: regulatory abuse.
“The IRS demanded inordinate amounts of documents from these groups, including donor lists, which served to unfairly delay the tax-exempt certification of these well-intentioned groups.
“This news is alarming on multiple fronts.
“First and foremost, it is unacceptable that the IRS would blatantly target any of our fellow citizens, let alone groups of Americans whose views are at odds from their own.
“As The Washington Post noted in today’s lead editorial, ‘Any unequal application of the law based on ideological viewpoint is unpardonable - toxic to the legitimacy of the government's vast law-enforcement authority.’
“I couldn’t agree more.
“These activist groups were simply trying to exercise their First Amendment rights of peaceable assembly and free speech – the cornerstone of our democracy.
“Yet, their reward for expressing concern about the direction of our country was to be singled out in an attempt to prevent them from fully engaging in the democratic process.
“It has been reported that the targeting of these Americans – and muffling of their voices on the pressing issues facing our country – began in 2010.
“What has happened since that time?
“The passage of very consequential pieces of legislation, including ObamaCare and the Dodd-Frank financial reform Act.
“Multiple debates on how to address our nation’s dire fiscal situation.
“Two national elections, including last fall’s presidential election.
“As alarming as the actions of the IRS are, I am even more troubled by the efforts of the IRS to hide these actions.
“When an IRS official finally acknowledged and apologized for the targeting of conservative groups last week, it was more than three years after the practice is said to have begun.
“It was more than a year after the current acting IRS Commissioner, Steven Miller, is reported to have become aware of the targeting. But it doesn’t stop with Mr. Miller.
“As The Washington Post noted, ‘Lois Lerner, the head of the IRS's tax-exempt organization office, knew about the targeting in 2011; she seemed to say Friday that she learned about it from news reports last year.’
“These were not the malicious actions of a rogue agent, or simply another example of government incompetence.
“Instead, this was a clear, methodical abuse of government power to discriminate against whole groups of Americans simply because of their political beliefs.
“Despite their awareness of the abuse, officials from the IRS failed time after time to disclose this targeting and little effort was made to end the practice.
“Even as recently as their admissions on Friday, the IRS continued to engage in cover-ups and half-truths.
“In fact, IRS officials seemed to go out of their way to deny wrongdoing. 
“In testimony last year before the House of Representatives, then IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman said there was ‘absolutely no targeting.’
“After years of neglecting to inform Congress of this practice, the long overdue admission was the result diligent lawmakers exercising oversight, along with a soon-to-be-released report of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
“The time for muted outraged and limp apologies has passed.
“The American people deserve nothing less than absolute assurance that this practice will not happen again.
“Those who are responsible must be held accountable and removed from their positions.
“The policies that enabled this gross abuse of power must be changed immediately.
“It’s also worth noting that the IRS is one of the lead federal agencies in charge of implementing ObamaCare.
“It does not appear the IRS is in any condition to implement this highly controversial law, particularly as public trust in the agency continues to plummet.
“Now Madam President, just yesterday, we learned of another breach of public trust and another potential violation of our First Amendment freedom – the freedom of the press.
“Press reports indicate that the Department of Justice secretly obtained extensive telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the head of the news organization called a ‘massive and unprecedented intrusion’ into how news organizations gather the news.
“According to the Associated Press’s legal counsel, the records obtained included those from reporters working out of House of Representatives press gallery.
“While it is unclear at this point how many reporters were targeted and why, the effect of this data gathering is clear: intimidation of the press and the suppression of free speech.
“This is unacceptable.
“A free and unfettered press is vital to any democracy. Moreover, the scope of this information gathering is simply beyond the pale – and likely beyond precedent.
“The attorney general and the president owe the American people answers – and they owe them now.
“Mr. President, these recent abuses of power by both the IRS and the Department of Justice are just the latest episodes of this Executive Branch's disturbing pattern of overstepping its lawful powers.
“We’ve seen it in the president’s unconstitutional recess appointments.
“We’ve seen it in the EPA's disclosure of classified information of cattlemen to left-leaning environmental groups.
“We’ve seen it in a lack of forthrightness with our government’s response to the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
“The result of this methodical government overreach is a powerful chilling effect on citizens.
“There is no place for that in a democracy. There is no place for that in the United States. 
“The American people deserve a government that jealously guards the liberties of its citizens, not a government that tramples on its basic constitutional rights.
“Mr. President, I yield the floor.”

Johanns Opposes Costly, Gimmick-laden Farm Bill

 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), a former Secretary of Agriculture, today voted against advancing out of committee a farm bill that relied on budget gimmicks and outdated policy. Despite his opposition, the bill passed in the committee by a vote of 15-5.
“Ag producers and taxpayers deserve an updated, reform-minded farm bill that promotes free market principles and saves taxpayer dollars,” Johanns said. “Unfortunately, the bill considered by the Ag Committee did not do enough to save money, and took us a step back towards 1980s farm policy.
“Just last year, we were able to come together in the Senate to pass a good bill that moved farm policy away from income support and towards risk management.  While this bill contains some of those reforms, it represents a significant step backward for ag policy and reduces farm bill spending by just 1.5 percent.
The farm bill reported out of the Senate Agriculture Committee counts $6.4 billion in savings from spending cuts that are not even in the legislation, but were already signed into law in 2011. It also includes a budget gimmick that hides $3.1 billion in payments just outside the ten-year budget window to make the bill appear less-costly. All told, the bill actually saves just $15 billion over ten years instead of the $24 billion its supporters are claiming.
Although last year’s bill would have eliminated target prices, this year’s bill more than doubles target price payments from $1.5 billion to $3.5 billion, moving ag policy away from the goal of a market-based system. Target prices were also increased. Rice’s target price was increased by more than 25 percent, and peanut prices were six percent from levels that have already triggered payments every year for the past decade.
The legislation also failed to achieve available savings by modernizing farm payments or focusing nutrition programs, which can be done without affecting the benefits going to current eligible recipients.
Senator Johanns believes our country needs a long-term, reform-minded farm bill, especially in the midst of a prolonged drought, and looks forward to opportunities to offer fixes during the amendment process.
A video of Johanns’ opening remarks at today’s markup is available HERE

USDA Announces Conservation Reserve Program Sign-Up

Landowners and Producers Can Now Enroll in Continuous CRP with General Sign-Up to Follow
WASHINGTON, May 14, 2013— Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today reminded farmers and ranchers that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a four-week Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up beginning May 20 and ending on June 14. Vilsack also announced the restart of sign-up for continuous CRP, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative, the Highly Erodible Land Initiative, the Grassland Restoration Initiative, the Pollinator Habitat Initiative and other related initiatives. Sign-up for continuous CRP began on May 13 and will continue through Sept. 30, 2013.

“As always, we expect strong competition to enroll acres into CRP, and we urge interested producers to maximize their environmental benefits and to make cost-effective offers,” said Vilsack. “CRP is an important program for protecting environmentally sensitive lands from erosion and sedimentation, and for ensuring the sustainability of our groundwater, lakes, rivers, ponds and streams. Through the voluntary participation of our farmers and ranchers, CRP helps us to protect our natural resources, preserve wildlife habitat and bring good paying jobs to rural America related to hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation.
Vilsack encouraged producers to look into CRP’s other enrollment opportunities offered on a continuous, non-competitive, sign-up basis. 
CRP has a 27-year legacy of successfully protecting the nation's natural resources through voluntary participation, while providing significant economic and environmental benefits to rural communities across the United States. Producers enrolled in CRP plant long-term, resource-conserving covers to improve the quality of water, control soil erosion and develop wildlife habitat. In return, USDA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and 15 years. Currently, 27 million acres are enrolled in CRP through 700,000 contracts on 390,000 farms throughout the U.S., with enrollment in 49 states and Puerto Rico. Contracts on an estimated 3.3 million acres will expire on Sept. 30, 2013. Enrollment authority for all types of CRP, which had expired Sept. 30, 2012, was extended through 2013 by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. 
Offers for general sign-up CRP contracts are ranked according to an Environmental Benefits Index (EBI). USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) collects data for each of the EBI factors based on the relative environmental benefits for the land offered. FSA uses the following factors to assess the environmental benefits for the land offered:
Wildlife habitat benefits resulting from covers on contract acreage; Water quality benefits from reduced erosion, runoff and leaching; On-farm benefits from reduced erosion; Benefits that will likely endure beyond the contract period; Air quality benefits from reduced wind erosion; and Cost.
CRP soil rental rates for non-irrigated cropland were updated this year to better reflect location and market conditions. A nationwide cap was placed on the maximum amount that may be paid per acre for the general sign-up. Taken together these steps help ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent in a fiscally responsible manner while producing the maximum environmental benefits for each dollar spent.
CRP is the largest USDA conservation program and continues to make major contributions to national efforts to improve water and air quality, prevent soil erosion, and protect the most sensitive areas including those prone to flash flooding and runoff. At the same time, CRP has helped increase populations of pheasants, quail and ducks and is recognized as benefiting certain rare species like the sage grouse, the lesser prairie chicken and other grassland birds. Highlights of CRP accomplishments include:
The restoration of more than two million acres of wetlands and two million acres of riparian buffers; Prevention of more than 600 million pounds of nitrogen and more than 100 million pounds of phosphorous from flowing into our nation’s streams, rivers, and lakes. Providing $1.8 billion annually to landowners — dollars that make their way into local economies, supporting small businesses and creating jobs; and Sequestering more carbon than any other conservation program in the country. By placing vulnerable cropland into conservation, CRP sequesters carbon in plants and soil and reduces both fuel and fertilizer usage. In 2011, CRP resulted in carbon sequestration equal to taking almost 10 million cars off the road.
USDA has made a concerted effort to deliver results for the American people, even as USDA implements sequestration – the across-the-board budget reductions mandated under terms of the Budget Control Act. USDA has already undertaken historic efforts since 2009 to save more than $828 million in taxpayer funds through targeted, common-sense budget reductions. These reductions have put USDA in a better position to carry out its mission, while implementing sequester budget reductions in a fair manner that causes as little disruption as possible.
The Obama Administration, with Secretary Vilsack’s leadership, has worked tirelessly to strengthen rural America, maintain a strong farm safety net and create opportunities for America’s farmers and ranchers. U.S. agriculture is currently experiencing one of its most productive periods in American history thanks to the productivity, resiliency and resourcefulness of our producers. 
For more information on CRP and other FSA programs, visit a local FSA service center or www.fsa.usda.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

Quote of the Day

"we - that is you and I- on the blogs and sharing information on the internet are the new guardians of free speech. You are the truth tellers and the protectors of freedom. The press cannot be relied upon, but you in this room, are the Paul Reveres of today, igniting the truth and searing it into the publics consciousness"

Debate to repeal death penalty begins

 

Senators spent May 13 debating a bill that would repeal Nebraska’s death penalty but adjourned before taking a final vote on the bill.
LB543, as introduced by Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, would replace death penalty provisions with the sentence of life without the possibility of parole. The provisions of the bill would apply retroactively to inmates currently serving capital punishment sentences. It was the 37th time that Chambers has introduced such legislation.
The bill also would allow the court to require payment to a victim’s estate for any pain and suffering to the victim caused by the offense.
Chambers said the death penalty is random, arbitrary and has no clear standards for how it is applied statewide. He said the “vilest” criminal still is a human being who should be treated with basic human dignity.
“Some who oppose the bill may wave the bloody shirt and try to play on emotions of horrendous crimes,” Chambers said. “People who say they support the death penalty do not know what a grotesque ceremony it is.”
Lincoln Sen. Colby Coash offered an amendment that he said was technical and would eliminate language in statute referring to “capital punishment” and replace it with “life without the possibility of parole.” The amendment was later divided into three components.
Chambers supported the amendment, saying it would streamline the bill.
Omaha Sen. Beau McCoy opposed the bill and the divided amendment. He offered, and later withdrew, a motion to bracket the bill until June 5, 2015.
“There are communities that have experienced the most heinous crimes,” he said. “I believe that the individuals on death row belong there.”
Scottsbluff Sen. John Harms supported the bracket motion and cited details of a homicide that occurred in his community.
“There are some crimes that are so heinous they deserve death,” he said.
Chambers disagreed and said the term “heinous” itself is ambiguous and often misused in homicide cases. The federal court has overturned many death penalty cases because the language was inappropriately utilized during the trial, he said.
Kearney Sen. Galen Hadley—who once supported the death penalty—opposed the bracket motion saying his convictions about the death penalty have evolved. He said he attended the execution in support of the death penalty for Charles Starkweather, who murdered 11 people in Nebraska and Wyoming in the 1950s. Since that time, he said, studies have suggested the death penalty is applied disproportionately, so he no longer supports it.
“More minorities are on death row than white people,” he said. “If the victim was a white person then the chances of the perpetrator getting the death penalty are significantly higher than if the victim was a minority.”
Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop also opposed the bracket motion, saying the death penalty should be repealed because such sentences cost the state roughly three times more than a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad said death penalty cases are costly because they are unique, litigated differently and must have three separate trials. At each stage there are at least 40 different grounds for appeal, she said, and without the death penalty sentence the cost involved in the second and third trials would be eliminated.
Omaha Sen. Brad Ashford also offered a motion to bracket the bill in an attempt to gauge how senators would vote on the bill and the Coash amendments.
“This vote is in my view a vote in favor of or against LB543, and that is why I brought the motion,” he said. “A vote for the bracket motion is a vote against the bill and a vote against the bracket motion is a vote for the bill.”
The motion failed on an 18-26 vote. Twenty-five votes are required for passage of a bill; thirty are needed to override a governor’s veto.
Holdrege Sen. Tom Carlson offered an amendment, adopted 26-6, which would add the following language: Life is the most valuable possession of a human being. The State of Nebraska should exercise utmost care to protect its residents’ lives, born and unborn, from homicide, accident and arbitrary taking by the state.
If the death penalty were repealed, he said, the concern about taking innocent lives should be extended to include unborn babies.
Chambers opposed the amendment and called it vindictive and irrelevant. He filed a motion to reconsider the vote taken on the amendment, which was adopted 29-5.
“If you are talking about abortion,” he said, “there is no arbitrary taking by the state.”
Carlson withdrew his amendment and the Legislature adjourned before taking further votes. Several amendments are pending.

Gov. Heineman Calls for Long-Term, Sustainable Retirement Funding Solution

Proposed Funding Shift Would Cost Taxpayers More Than $500 Million (Lincoln, Neb.) Veto Message (pdf)- Today, Gov. Dave Heineman vetoed LB 553e, which addresses projected pension shortfalls for some retirement plans in the short-term, but creates substantial long-term sustainability issues. The Governor is proposing passage of the short-term solution for the retirement plans of public school employees, state patrol employees and judges contained in LB 553e, while investing time and thoughtfulness in a study to developing a long-term, sustainable and comprehensive retirement policy for the state that is responsible to the taxpayer. Gov. Heineman returned the bill to the Legislature today without his signature, stating that while he agrees with the short-term solution in the bill, the proposed long-term changes also contained in the bill, are unwise and unwarranted at this time. The Governor noted that shifting the long-term funding of these retirement plans further from the employee and onto the state will cost state taxpayers more than $500 million over the next 25 years. In his letter, the Governor states, “I object to the provisions of LB 553 that shift from our traditional balanced approach of having the employee, the employer school district, and the state taxpayers address the problem equitably. Specifically, while the bill retains the current participant teacher contribution rate at 9.78%, it increases the state taxpayers’ contribution rate from 1% to 2% – which is a 100% increase that will cost the state approximately $20 million each year.” This $20 million annual increase is in addition to the current $20 million annual state contribution. The Governor is calling on the Legislature to pass the short-term solution contained in the bill which changes the amortization method, while allowing time to do an open and comprehensive interim study of the under-funded school retirement system. The study should thoroughly examine the long-term implications of the retirement system and develop a comprehensive retirement policy for the state. In his letter, the Governor added that more than just the school lobbyists need to be involved in a long-term solution, stating, “The Nebraska State Education Association, the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, and the Nebraska Association of School Boards support this legislation.  However, the bill does not present comprehensive, long-term solutions to the defined benefit pension plans.  In addition to the school lobby, the taxpayers should also have a seat at the negotiating table to develop transparent long-range solutions.”

Johanns Calls for Hearing on IRS Political Harassment

 

– U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) today wrote Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) calling for the committee to hold a hearing on recently revealed Internal Revenue Service practices of targeting conservative groups for harassment during review of their tax documents. The Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, which Johanns serves as the top Republican, has oversight of the IRS budget.

“Secretary Lew testified before Congress that politics shouldn’t influence the execution of our tax laws just days before we found out that the opposite has been going on at IRS for over two years,” Johanns said. “I hope IRS is not acting as the political watchdog for this Administration, but the facts seem to suggest otherwise.
“Every Member of Congress, regardless of party, owes it to the American people to demand answers about this disturbing practice – including who knew about it and when, who authorized it, and why it was allowed to continue in secrecy for so long. The first step in getting those answers is calling a hearing, which is what I’m doing today.”
News broke last week that IRS singled out political groups based on ideology for increased scrutiny going back as far as 2010. Groups with phrases and words like “tea party,” “patriot,” or calling for reduced government spending were targeted, and in some cases asked for their donor lists, which is against most IRS policies.
A full copy of the letter is available HERE or below.  An audio clip of Johanns’ statement is available HERE.
May 13, 2013

The Honorable Barbara Mikulski
Chairwoman
Senate Committee on Appropriations
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairwoman Mikulski:
According to the Washington Post, the IRS acknowledged Friday that it flagged political groups with “tea party” or “patriot” in their names for special scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status.  If these reports are accurate, it is extremely troubling that the IRS, an agency with unprecedented impact on the lives of millions of American taxpayers, is executing the laws with which they are entrusted, in a politically motivated manner.

The idea that the IRS could target taxpayers solely based on their political beliefs is unconscionable.  An IRS official is now publicly apologizing for this unacceptable behavior.  However, a simple apology will give Americans little solace as they worry that their government may target them for simply exercising their First Amendment rights.  Now, over the weekend, we have learned that the Treasury Department’s Inspector General for Tax Administration will be releasing a report this week indicating that senior officials knew of this inappropriate activity as early as 2011. 

Additionally, the timing of this announcement is troubling as well.  Just a few days ago, both Treasury Secretary Lew and Acting IRS Commissioner Miller appeared before the Financial Services Subcommittee to testify about their fiscal year 2014 budget requests.  There was absolutely no indication from either of the witnesses of the disclosure to come.  In fact, in response to a question from one of our colleagues about reports of politically motivated activities at the IRS, Secretary Lew stated, “we totally agree – there should be no politics in the execution of our tax laws.”  Given this assurance to our Subcommittee, I was particularly surprised by the revelations Friday. 
Particularly considering Secretary Lew’s previous commitment to our Committee, I think it is important that we hold a hearing with Secretary Lew, Acting Commissioner Miller, and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration George, to get out all of the facts on this matter and to learn what they intend to do to ensure that all taxpayers are free from political retaliation.

Sincerely,

Mike Johanns
Ranking Member,
Subcommittee on Financial Services & General Government

Racial profiling, victim reparation changes passed

 

 
Senators passed a bill May 10 regarding the collection of racial profiling information and Nebraska Crime Victims Reparations Fund requirements.

Omaha Sen. Heath Mello introduced LB99, which removes the sunset date for the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice to collect racial profiling data and adds requirements for the commission and law enforcement.
The bill also eliminates requirements that a victim suffer at least a 10 percent loss of financial resources to qualify for compensation from the Nebraska Crime Victims Reparations Fund and that the Crime Victims Reparations Committee include in its biennial report a listing of the names, description of facts and the amount of compensation awarded to applicants. The committee will be required to electronically submit the biennial report to the Clerk of the Legislature.
The bill passed on a 46-0 vote.

Linda R. Gardner July 25, 1954 to May 10, 2013

Linda R. Gardner
Hastings resident Linda Rae Gardner, 58, passed away Friday, May 10, 2013, at Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings, Nebraska. Services will be Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at 10 a.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Hastings with Pastor Paul Dunbar officiating. Burial will be at Parkview Cemetery in Hastings, Nebraska. Visitation will be Tuesday, May 14, 2013, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with the family present from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home, and 1 hour prior to the service at the church.
Linda was born July 25, 1954 in Franklin, Nebraska to Gerald & Caroline (Koci) Dyer. On September 20, 1974 she married Ron Gardner. While in Franklin, Linda worked at the Franklin Public Library. She was a library assistant at the Hastings Public Library from September 1990 to May 2012.
Linda was preceded in death by her husband, Ron Gardner; and her father, Gerald Dyer.
Survivors include:
Mother:                    
    Caroline Dyer - Hastings, NE
Daughter & Spouse:

Nicole & Daniel Mackin - Blue Hill, NE Son & Spouse:              Aaron & Tina Gardner - Hastings, NE Grandchildren:               Garon Gardner     William LuVaas     Keaton Mackin     Mallory Mackin Great-Grandchild:          Chase LuVaas Brothers:                        David Dyer - Ponca City, OK     Dale Dyer - Tulsa, OK     Raymond Dyer - Decatur, Alabama     Kenneth Dyer - Hanford, CA

Foster Parenting a Courageous Act of Love

 

Families are the foundation of our society, providing stability to our communities and instilling values in future generations. Every child deserves the comfort and security of a loving and nurturing home. Foster families help make this possible for the nearly 400,000 children around the country in need of a stable home.
May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, an opportunity for foster families to share their stories and highlight the wonderful experiences. Earlier this month, I joined foster care families, social service organizations and local leaders in Lincoln to recognize the enormous difference foster parents make in the lives of young people. The event was just one of many foster care tributes taking place across the state to celebrate the work of more than 3,000 foster families who provide love, safety and security for thousands of foster children in Nebraska. It was an honor to take part in such an event and to thank those who play a vital role in ensuring vulnerable children receive love and care.
At the event, I met an inspiring young student from Lincoln, Nyanup Mut, a true testament of the positive impact foster parents can have on the children they care for. Nyanup was so moved by the love and compassion shown by her foster mother, Jude, she paid tribute to her in an essay, which was later published in the book, ‘Heroes Among Us’.
Nyanup writes, “I talked and you listened and gave me that hope that life can be better and it’s not too late to start over…from our first meeting, I felt like you are a gift from God and you came into my life for a reason.”
Nyanup’s story is just one of thousands of inspiring stories from foster children across our state and nation. Last year, I had the privilege of honoring a Western Nebraska foster family as Angels in Adoption. Dave and Laura Whelchel felt a special calling to become foster parents after moving into their big farm house near Harrisburg. Their family of four quickly grew into a family of nine, as the Whelchels adopted five of the foster children they lovingly welcomed into their home.
Stories like Nyanup’s and the Whelchels’ are both inspiring and humbling. Families like these remind us of the importance of investing in others and ensuring our most vulnerable are cared for.  I have the utmost respect for foster parents who lovingly and selflessly bring young people into their home. Their commitment ensures that children who were neglected feel loved; children who were abused feel safe; and children without a roof over their head can find comfort.
I could not be more grateful for those who choose the path of foster parenting. Their selfless commitment changes lives at a time when the need for safe and loving homes for children is great. I encourage those who feel a calling to become a foster parent to visit the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’ website at www.dhhs.ne.gov  to learn more.

Johanns Appalled by Lack of Transparency

Johanns says Administration owes answers to Americans on Benghazi, IRS harassment and EPA’s release of private information

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) today issued the following statement after a number of recent disclosures of cover-ups and breaches of trust by the Obama Administration:
“These recent revelations beg the question: What more is the Administration doing that we don’t know about?,” Johanns said. “A government of, by and for the people must be committed to transparency and built upon trust.  These actions have shattered trust and put a stain on America’s proud record of open and democratic principles.
“We must get to the bottom of this and the Administration owes nothing less than a full, truthful account to the American people.”
Background:
Top IRS officials admitted today the agency singled out political groups based on ideology for review last year. Groups with phrases and words like “tea party” or “patriot” included in their tax-exempt status applications were targeted, and in some cases asked for their donor lists, which is against most IRS policies. As many as 75 conservative groups were wrongfully targeted, according to IRS.
Johanns questioned EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe last week about his agency’s multiple disclosures of thousands of records including the personal information of ag producers to anti-ag activist organizations. EPA has acknowledged the information it disclosed should have been exempt under federal law, but has not taken steps to guarantee the already release information is not abused. For more information and a list of the questions Johanns asked, click HERE.
It was also reported earlier this week that Administration officials at the State Department edited documents pertaining to the deadly attacks on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya, to remove references of terrorist attacks or terrorism. The talking points were prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency. Following the attacks, Johanns wrote Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta requesting a full and detailed timeline of the terrorist attacks, including information on what members of the Administration knew and when. That account has still not been provided. The full text of the letter is available by clicking HERE:

Legislative Update from Adrian Smith

On Thursday, I was honored to meet with former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Washington Report: An All-of-the-Above Strategy to Reduce Energy Prices

Despite the recent cold weather and snow storms, summer is quickly approaching which likely means higher energy prices.  Nebraskans will not only feel the pain at the gas pump, we could face higher home electric bills, and pay more for just about every product because of higher transportation and production costs.

New American oil and natural gas discoveries combined with new drilling techniques are quickly expanding American energy generation.  This energy revolution holds the potential to dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil, improve our national security, and boost much needed job creation and economic growth.  We must embrace and encourage this revolution.  We also must continue to diversify and grow our energy portfolio with renewable fuels including ethanol and hydropower.

Ethanol plays a major role in diversifying our energy supply and giving consumers a choice when fueling cars, trucks, and other vehicles.  Importantly, we can produce ethanol at plants across our state using Nebraska corn which promotes our energy security and our local economy.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to allow gasoline to be blended with up to 15 percent ethanol for cars manufactured after 2001.  This decision was not taken lightly, and now we must develop ethanol infrastructure without further burdening producers, retailers, and consumers.  Using market-based measures to remove bureaucratic obstacles and increase competition benefits consumers and lowers prices.

Removing regulatory burdens would also encourage greater use of clean, renewable hydropower, especially for small scale projects.  Very often the cost of permitting small scale hydropower projects exceeds the cost of the project itself.

To streamline the approval process and make small scale hydropower financially feasible, Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA) and I twice introduced legislation to exempt these projects from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) permitting requirements.  FERC regulates the licensing and inspection of private, municipal, and state hydroelectric projects.  Earlier this year, similar language to exempt hydropower projects generating less than five megawatts from the FERC's permitting rules was included in the House passed Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act.

Last month, the House also passed the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act to except small hydropower projects from additional environmental review when they are placed in canals or water pipelines controlled by the bureau.  According to a Bureau of Reclamation report from March of 2012 on conduit hydropower development, more than 30 irrigation sites in Nebraska contain more than 5,000 kilowatts of potential hydropower development.  I am pleased this idea, which Congressman Costa and I originally put forth, has garnered broad bipartisan support in the House and is finally receiving attention in Senate.

While we work to develop new technologies and expand the use of other renewables including hydropower and ethanol we must continue to utilize all natural resources available to grow our economy.  We will only be able to meet our current and future energy needs if we embrace an all-of-the-above approach.

 

Submit Your Ideas for Tax Reform Using New Website

 

House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) have teamed up to launch http://www.TaxReform.gov , a new website dedicated to obtaining input from the American public on tax reform.

 

Developed in partnership with the Joint Committee on Taxation, TaxReform.gov will serve as a platform for the American public to weigh in on tax reform.  Input from visitors to the website will be valuable to the House Committee on Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committee as they craft legislation. 

 

The site also incorporates many Twitter tools which allow the public to weigh in by following @simplertaxes .

 

I commend Chairman Baucus and Chairman Camp; a Democrat and a Republican working together to advance comprehensive bipartisan tax reform.  I support their efforts and hope you will choose to get involved in the tax reform process by submitting your thoughts, ideas, and concerns at TaxReform.gov.

As always, feel free to forward my e-newsletter to family and friends, or let them know they can sign up to receive updates from my office on my website at: http://adriansmith.house.gov .  

Sincerely,

ADRIAN SMITH
Member of Congress   

Emily Lovejoy receives Outstanding Senior in Mathematics and Computer Science Award.

Hastings College recognizes scholarship, service at Honors Convocation

 

 

(Hastings, Neb.) – At the Honors Convocation held as the 2012-2013 academic year at Hastings College draws to a close the  annual Honors Convocation was held.  Students, faculty and friends of the College alike were honored for their achievements throughout the year. 

Emily Lovejoy, Bladen resident, was recognized as the outstanding senior in the Mathematics and computer science area. 

Hastings College faculty received awards were;

Robert Nedderman, Director of Libraries and Professor of Library Sciences, received the Distinguished Senior Faculty Award.  He has served on the Hastings College faculty since 1990. 

 

The J. Kent and Normalee Stadler Faculty Achievement  Award was given to Dr. Moses Dogbevia, Associate Professor of Chemistry, while Barb Sunderman, Associate Professor of Teacher, received the Vondrak Outstanding Advisor Award.

 

The Rev. Dr. William Nottage-Tacey, the Senior Pastor/Head of Staff at First Presbyterian Church in Hastings, Neb., received the President’s Award for outstanding and meritorious service to Hastings College.  The 1972 Hastings College alumnus is an honorary member of the College’s Board of Trustees.

 

Dr. Jeri Thompson, Associate Professor of Psychology, and Dr. Rob Babcock, Professor of history, were selected by a vote of the students to present the 2013-2014 Artist Lecture Series (ALS) Invited Faculty Lectures on the subject of their choice.

 

The members of Alpha Chi, the academic honorary, selected Dr. Carter Aikin as the Alpha Chi Outstanding Honorary Member.  Dr. Aikin serves as Director of the Center for Vocation, Faith & Service and Assistant Professor of Religion and Philosophy.

 

 

 

 

Quote of the Day

Dale Carnegie
   "Make a man laugh a good hearty laugh, and you've paved the way for friendship.  When a man laughs with you, he, to some extent, likes you."

STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemann
UNL Extension Educator

        The saga of the EPA’s Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC), and how it affects our farmers and ranchers continues.  The good news is that farmers who keep fuel and oil tanks will likely get a reprieve from forthcoming federal regulations intended to protect waterways against disastrous spills under a bipartisan amendment approved this past week in the Senate. Let’s take a look this week at the new SPCC developments as this unfolds.
     As currently written, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule would require new safety standards and force facilities to formulate oil spill prevention and response plans if they have a capacity to hold more than 1,320 gallons. While this rule was intended to stave off “oil discharges to navigable waters and adjoining shorelines,” the rule would I think unfairly hit many farmers who keep oil and fuel in tanks on their property. The rule was set to take effect on May 10, the very date I am writing this column, with enforcement beginning at the end of September. I would once again hold off in trying to get into compliance.
     Under this new bipartisan amendment, the threshold to trigger inclusion in the new regulations would immediately be raised to 6,000 gallons while a study is conducted to determine the ideal cutoff. Also, the measure would increase from 10,000 gallons to 20,000 gallons the threshold at which facilities would need certification from a professional engineer. The amendment was unanimously adopted as part of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), and offered by several senators including our own Sen. Deb Fischer, who commented in a written statement: “These misguided EPA rules have a direct impact on producers, who faced incredible compliance costs and paperwork requirements. Inability to meet these new standards would result in the risk of stiff fines and penalties from EPA.” I could not agree with her more and we need to tell her thanks!  What is really encouraging is that the amendment passed unanimously. Good news!
     Technically the agreement would permanently exempt any farm or ranch with aggregate above-ground (AGG) fuel storage capacity of 2,500 gallons or less. That covers a lot of our area farms. However, farms and ranches with AGG storage between 2,501 gallons and 6,000 gallons would be exempt for 30 months while the EPA and USDA completes a study to establish an exemption threshold which will likely be within the 2,501-6,000 range. Quite honestly, I was hoping they would exempt completely everything under 10,000 gallons for farmers, but I guess this is better than it was.
     The new Tier I threshold, the level in which a farmer or rancher could self-certify their own SPCC plan, would be 6,001 gallons (possibly lower depending on the study) to 20,000 gallons; an improvement from the current 1,320 gallons to 10,000 gallons.  Farmers who would be in the Tier II designation would have to have a professional engineer certify their SPCC plan, which would begin at any amount over 20,000 gallons which is double the current law of anything above 10,000 gallons. Lastly, any farm with a history of spills would be required to have a professional engineer certify their SPCC plan, regardless of the amount of fuel storage they have on the farm/ranch. 
     This agreement is not completely what a lot of us wanted, but it is a much better scenario than what we did have previously. Of course S. 601 still would need to be passed by both the House and the Senate before any of these changes take place. The House will likely pass higher thresholds as they passed the stand alone FUELS Act last year (Tier I: 10,000-42,000 and Tier II: 42,000+). While this doesn't change the law yet, we are hopeful a final fix to the SPCC rule will be passed soon. I still encourage every farmer to contact their Congressman and give them your point of view. This thing is not settled completely, so we still have the potential to influence the final outcome.  Don’t sell yourself short. The contact from farmers and ranchers individually carry a lot of clout with our elected officials, as it should be.  You do need to give rationale or reasons for your requests and I am certain that you all can come up with them, or if you prefer feel free to use the talking points that I offered in an earlier edition of the Horse’s Mouth.
     While we are on the subject of the EPA, it may not hurt when you are on the phone or emailing your Congressmen that you convey your thoughts on the EPA releasing the pertinent information on thousands of livestock farmers to activists. For some background, on February 10, 2013, EPA released to activist groups Earth Justice, the Pew Charitable Trust and the Natural Resources Defense Council information on 80,000 livestock operations across the United States, including 3,500 in Nebraska following Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The information EPA provided included names, home addresses, personal telephone numbers and employee information—data that should have been redacted. When confronted about this the EPA on April 4 acknowledged some of the information it disclosed should have been exempt under federal law. It sent an amended release of the same information with redactions. However, EPA failed to remove all private information, including data on a number of operations in Nebraska. Finally on April 30 the EPA sent a second amended release, which included more redactions of records from Nebraska, however the Agency has failed to take meaningful steps to prevent the abuse of ag producers’ private information already released. I know that Senator Johanns has pursued this and he needs to be thanked, but also encouraged. You can read his reaction by going to his website at: http://www.johanns.senate.gov.  The EPA, its’ regulations, and now this all needs to be addressed!

 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 

FISCHER OPENING STATEMENT AT STRATEGIC FORCES HEARING ON MISSILE DEFENSE

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), who today served as Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee's Strategic Forces Subcommittee, made the following statement at the opening of the subcommittee's hearing on missile defense policy:
"I would like to welcome the witnesses, and especially Admiral James Syring, who is appearing before this subcommittee for the first time since his appointment as Director of the Missile Defense Agency last November.
"On March 15th, Secretary Hagel announced the deployment of an additional 14 ground-based interceptors at Fort Greely, Alaska 'to stay ahead of the long-range ballistic missile threat posed by North Korea and Iran.'  This is a prudent step and will provide the president additional flexibility to deal with threats to the United States and its vital interests.  As NORTHCOM commander, General Jacoby, told Congress, 'we must not allow regional actors, such as North Korea, to hold U.S. policy hostage by making our citizens vulnerable to a nuclear ICBM attack.'
"In fact, Secretary Hagel’s announcement is only the latest in a series of actions taken by nations across the globe to counter missile defense threats to their territory and populations:  Israel deployed the Iron Dome to counter rockets launched from Gaza; Turkish leaders requested Patriot batteries to protect against Syrian missiles; and we, along with our Japanese and South Korean allies, recently activated ground and sea-based missile defense systems in response to North Korea.  These actions illustrate the important and stabilizing role played by missile defense.
"I am, however, concerned by the termination of the SM-3 block IIB missile, which was announced alongside the decision to purchase the 14 additional ground-based interceptors.  The SM-3 block IIB was intended to be deployed in Poland for the protection of the United States from Iranian attack.  Our current defensive systems, as General Kehler, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, testified to the committee earlier this year, 'are not in the most optimum posture to do that.'  The Missile Defense Agency is evaluating three locations in the continental United States for a future missile defense site to address this need, and is also required by the FY 2013 National Defense Authorization Act to develop a contingency plan for such an additional deployment.
"General Jacoby recently testified before the House Armed Services Committee that 'a third site, wherever the decision is to build a third site, would give me better weapons access, increased GBI inventory and allow us the battle space to more optimize our defense against future threats from Iran and North Korea.'  I look forward to hearing Admiral Syring’s views on the value of an additional homeland missile defense site, as well as his assessment of its technical feasibility and cost.
"To conclude, I would note that while Secretary Hagel’s announcement was positive, that good news was mitigated by the president’s plan to spend $1.7 billion less on missile defense over the next five years.  This reduction in funding, which comes on top of previous cut-backs, will make it increasingly difficult for Admiral Syring to carry out the president’s new direction while also maintaining on-going programs to develop and deploy missile defenses for our deployed forces and allies.
"I look forward to hearing our witnesses.  Thank you, Mr. Chairman."

Quote of the Day

EMILY DICKINSON

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain'
IF I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
unto his nest again,
I shall not have lived in vain.

Spending on Food Stamps Accounts for 80 percent of the Farm Bill."

 

Rep. Adrian Snith

  

The budget submitted by  the  President would maintain increased funding levels for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as "food stamps." Spending on the food stamp program has more than doubled in the last four years, increasing from $35 billion to around $80 billion, and accounts for approximately 80 percent of the cost of the Farm Bill. Even during times of nationwide economic growth and low unemployment, food stamp spending increased. 

 

In addition, rather than supporting a responsible risk management system, the President's budget proposes cuts to the federal crop insurance program. While we need to reduce our deficit and debt, it is counterproductive to undermine producers who manage risk. Further cuts to this program will discourage participation which could increase premiums for producers and raise the cost of food for consumers. Without federal crop insurance, only those producers able to purchase their own insurance will be able to afford to farm. Given the success of crop insurance, and in light of last year's severe drought, we should strengthen this fiscally responsible public-private partnership – not cut it.

 

Nebraska agriculture is the backbone of our local economy and key to meeting America's food demands for the future. While I am pleased the President's budget would pursue new markets for Nebraska's producers by addressing negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the budget only would complicate Farm Bill passage by maintaining the status quo on food stamps while gutting crop insurance. As the budget process continues, Congress should prioritize the programs and policies which encourage growth. 

 

The Fish are Biting.

Roy Wibben holds a catfish caught Sunday  May 5, 2013 on the south side of Harlan County Lake . 
This fish was 32 inches long.  This was the first big fish Wibben has caught this season.

Quote of the Day

Henry Burton
Have you had a kindness shown?
  Pass it on;
T'was not given for thee alone
  Pass it on:
Let it travel down the years,
Let it wipe another's tears
"Til in Heaven the deed appears -
Pass it on.

George W. Mohlman April 28, 1925 to May 2, 2013

 

Blue Hill resident George W. Mohlman passed away Thursday, May 2, 2013, at Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings.

Services will be held Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Blue Hill with Pastor Don McMillan officiating.  Burial will be at the Blue Hill cemetery.  Visitation will be Monday, May 6, 2013, from 11 a.m. to 8 pm at Merten-Butler Funeral Home in Blue Hill.
George was born April 28, 1925, in Pauline, Nebraska to Frederick and Adeline (Parks) Mohlman.  He attended Elementary school at District 51 and high school in Blue Hill.  He served in the United States Army during World War II, where he was stationed in Iran.

He married Helen Rosalie Dealey on August 4, 1948.  Together they had two children, Clayton Lyle and George Gregg.

George farmed in Central City and Blue Hill areas until he retired in 19887.  George enjoyed fishing, camping and playing cards. 
He was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Blue Hill.
Survivors include son, Clayton (Dawn) Mohlman of Blue Hill’ Sisters, Ruby Stevens and Ella Mae (William )Keeney of Blue Hill’ grandchildren, Jeffrey (Danielle) of Blue Hill, Danielle (Brandon ) Bohn of Anchorage, AK, Brandi Mohlman of Waco, TX and Jonathon and Nathaniel Mohlman of Blue Hill’ great grand son, Everhett Mohlman of Blue Hill’ and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Rosalie; son, George; brothers, John, William, Robert, Albert and Fred and sisters, Mary, Margaret, Grace and Irma.

The Huskers Hero

Senator Deb  Fischer

Childhood is a time for growing – growing bodies, growing minds, and growing hearts. It is a special, brief time given to us by God to live without fear or physical pain, or the burdens of responsibility.
For too many children, though, childhood is very different. Many are forced to grow up too quickly and learn hard lessons of courage from the cruel, unyielding teacher of sickness.
Despite this premature transition from innocence to the harsh realities of life, these children remain beacons of hope. They challenge us to overcome our own seemingly trivial trials in comparison to the heavy burdens they shoulder. They prompt us all to believe in the power of miracles, because they have no other choice.
One such child is a friend and personal hero of mine, Jack Hoffman.
Many Nebraskans are familiar with Jack's story. Jack is a remarkable 7-year old boy born and raised in Atkinson, Nebraska.
He experienced a childhood like many children his age in Nebraska, but his life abruptly changed two years ago when Jack suffered a sudden, life-threatening seizure. Upon examination, doctors discovered heartbreaking news: Jack had brain cancer.
The two surgeries he endured to remove the cancerous mass on his brain did not bring about the ultimate results physicians hoped, and doctors determined the remaining cancerous mass was inoperable.
Jack quickly began 60 weeks of chemotherapy, employing an outdated regimen used by doctors for over 25 years. Unfortunately, reduced research funding for pediatric brain cancer has stunted medical advancements and treatment options remain limited.
However, Jack and his parents remained hopeful and determined to discover God’s will in their hardships. The Hoffmans set out to raise awareness of pediatric brain cancer, a rare, devastating disease that poses unique health and developmental problems for the 3,000 child patients diagnosed each year.
Jack and other children suffering from brain cancer endure seizures, difficulty speaking, and trouble with their balance. The list, unfortunately, goes on.
Many Nebraskans have been inspired by Jack’s story, but he was introduced to most Americans after becoming an overnight football star at the Huskers spring football game on April 6, 2013. Jack suited up with football pads and a Number 22 jersey and fearlessly ran 69 yards to score a touchdown in front of 60,000 screaming fans at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.
In a single dash across the gridiron, little Jack Hoffman touched the hearts of millions of Americans – including 7.6 million YouTube viewers – and increased awareness of pediatric brain cancer.
It didn’t take a touchdown, though, to make Jack a hero. Jack’s courage and resilience represent the very best of the human spirit – and the very best in our nation.
Jack and the Hoffmans’ have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to turn their personal trial into a force for good. The Hoffmans’ fundraising efforts through the “Team Jack” campaign have yielded over $300,000 for pediatric brain cancer research.
Although there are countless worthy charities across America, my husband, Bruce, and I feel a special connection with Team Jack and have worked closely with the Hoffman family to increase awareness of pediatric brain cancer.
Last week, the Senate unanimously adopted a bipartisan resolution I offered with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) to recognize the unique struggles of pediatric brain cancer patients and their families. It commends the scientists, researchers, and healthcare providers working tirelessly to modernize and improve diagnosis and treatment options. And, importantly, it designates September 26, 2013, as “National Pediatric Brain Cancer Awareness Day” to encourage efforts toward the early diagnosis and ultimate cure of the disease.
We hope and pray the efforts of medical researchers will someday lead to a cure for the thousands of children suffering from pediatric brain cancer and their families.
In the meantime, young heroes like Jack Hoffman press on in the face of their challenges with enduring courage and optimism, reminding us that in an often dark and frightening world, some of the brightest lights are often the smallest.
Thank you for taking part in our democratic process, and I’ll visit with you again next week.
Deb Fischer
United States Senator

How Much is $1 Trillion?

Rep. Adrian Smith

 

     

A few years ago, it was far more common to discuss budgets and costs of programs in the billions of dollars – a staggering sum of money.  However, after years of government growth it has become increasingly necessary to discuss Washington spending in terms of “trillions” rather than “billions” of dollars.
As the use of the “t-word” becomes more common, it is important to put this number in perspective.   A trillion is 1,000 billion which is 1,000 million.  To help us imagine how much a trillion is, I have come up with a few examples.
Imagine you have $1 trillion, roughly the amount of the federal deficit for each of the last five years.  With this amount of money you could purchase about 22 Runza combos with frings and a drink for every man, woman, and child on Earth – including tax.
If you were in the mood for pizza, you could buy more than 55 billion Val’s Original Specials from Valentino’s for $1 trillion.  This many pizzas lined up would span more than 14,000 miles – roughly the distance from Grand Island to Beijing, China – and back.
The University of Nebraska Memorial Stadium has famously sold out every football game since 1962.  When the stadium is expanded to accommodate 93,000 fans, $1 trillion would be enough money to buy every seat in Memorial Stadium at every game for nearly 400 years - even if the Huskers played every single day.
You could also show your Husker spirit with official gear from the university bookstore.  With $1 trillion you could buy 8.2 billion Husker jerseys, polo shirts, and hats – more than enough to dress the entire population of the Earth in red and white.
One trillion dollars could also do a lot of good.  It could pay for nearly 20 million students to attend Wayne State College for four years.  This price includes tuition, room and board, and a meal plan.  It could also meet the current payroll of the Nebraska National Guard, including the Army National Guard, the Air National Guard, and the State Military Department for more than 6,000 years.
These are extreme and in some cases absurd examples of how to spend $1 trillion; however, this is the point.  In the same way it is impossible to imagine 152 billion Runzas, or selling out 139,000 football games – although I’m sure the Cornhuskers could do it – a trillion is such a large number it is difficult to fully comprehend.  One trillion dollars is a lot of money, but it is only a small fraction of the nearly $17 trillion national debt.
This understanding is critical not only for lawmakers but also for all Americans as we work to address our nation’s fiscal challenges.  I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to implement real reforms to reduce our deficit and debt, encourage economic growth, and put our country on a more sustainable and prosperous path.  

STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemann
UNL Extension Educator

                   

     “What in the world is that ugly short plant with the purple flower”?  I have had that question brought to me several times over the last several years and it is not just homeowners with lawns that seem to be thick with that particular weed, but farmers also, who are finding it in cropland. I have written before about this weed, but it seems we need to revisit this problem. So here goes…. This “new” weed is normally found in thin and infertile lawns but this year seems to be everywhere. It has actually been around since the early 20’s when people think it came to Nebraska via contaminated grass seed.  This weed is called “Henbit.”
     Henbit in Yards and Gardens: Henbit is a actually a member of the mint family (lamiaceae) and is a winter annual with upright, square stems and pink-purple flowers. What makes this weed a “Winter Annual” is that it germinates in the fall, overwinters as a green plant, begins growing again in early spring, then completes their life cycle and go to seed in the spring or early summer. Normally it is more common to find this weed in lawns but this year we are seeing a lot of it in croplands, overgrazed pastures, and particularly in wheat fields or in fields that were in wheat last year.  
     Lamium amplexicaule, the Latin name for Henbit, is often confused with creeping charlie, Glechoma hederacea. Both have square stems and are in the mint family. Both have lavender to blue tubular flowers, however henbit flowers tend to be more on the purple/lavender range and are clustered at stem tips with clasping leaves below the flower cluster. creeping charlie flowers tend to be more in the blue range without the clasping leaves. Both plants have round shaped, scalloped leaves. A couple differences between henbit and creeping charlie include the life cycle and flowering time, and therefore control measures. Henbit is a winter annual and creeping Charlie is a perennial. The original creeping Charlie plants come back every year. Henbit has to start from seed each year. Henbit as a winter annual blooms very early in the spring and well before creeping Charlie blooms.  My guess you have noticed this purple color across town and fields and it has bloomed a little later than normal, and seems to be more prevalent than in previous years.
     Henbit can be highly competitive in newly seeded areas and thin or dormant turf. It is highly probable that the decline in lawns by drought lends to its appearance.  Henbit thrives in cool, moist areas. Growing conditions can be made less favorable by lightening the soil or otherwise improving drainage, especially in shady areas. Heavy, constant shade should be lightened as well where possible. Shady areas should be planted with turfgrass species which do well in the shade and which will provide maximum competition to weed species that invade these areas. Propagation of henbit is through seed. If it is already present in your landscape, you may prevent its spread by removal of the plant before it flowers and seeds.  Roots are fibrous, so it is easy to pull small plants up by hand or hand-hoe. If you hoe, be sure to dig at least 3 – 6 inches deep to remove the whole plant and its taproot. Maintaining a regular mowing schedule will also reduce plant populations. 
      Chemical Control of Henbit in Lawns: There are several effective chemical applications available to the homeowner for control of Henbit. The use of pre-emergent herbicides at the right time of year may help with control of this weed. Use a selective post-emergent herbicide taking care to follow spray intervals if treating newly seeded areas. Optimum control will be obtained when henbit is actively growing and in the seedling to flower stage of growth.  It is not easy to control this time of year.  The best time for control is in the fall, but we do need to control it now.  There are a couple of sprays that work.  The most commonly used and probably effective chemical is Trimec.  It can be put on your lawns to control henbit, chickweek, and clovers not to mention the easier killed weeds like dandelions.  You may have to apply it a couple of times, about 2 weeks apart for the best control. If you want to stop the seeds, you need to spray now.
     For the more adventuresome, you can mix your own spray.  One of the common remedies is 8 parts of 2,4-D mixed with 1 part of Dicamba based herbicide (ie. Banvel. Clarity, or Sterling).  A note, if you use the aforementioned mix, be sure to be careful of flowers and bushes that you want to keep as you could have some drift damage, so be sure to go out when there is little or no wind. Always read the label on the product to ensure safe application without harm to existing plantings. Please contact your local Extension office for recommendations of effective herbicides for controlling henbit and other troublesome weeds. 
     Henbit Control In Cropland and Pastures: By now the majority of henbit and purple deadnettle plants have bloomed or matured, consequently, there is probably very little to gain economically by spraying these with a post-emergence herbicide. Cultivation however will take care of these plants. Mature plants will eventually die back as temperatures become warmer. There is of course the thought of thousands of seeds that will be in the same spot in coming years. “Valor” may be used in a spring burn-down program with Roundup for burn-down control of henbit and chickweeds and residual control of waterhemp, common lambsquarters and black nightshade. Warning: It must be used 30 days before planting corn, so we are probably past the window of opportunity.  It also may be used for pre-emergence and contact activity in soybeans. Now in pastures, a newer product from Dupont works well. “Cimarron” not only will get the Henbit but a lot of other weeds in pastures including musk thistle, common mullein, prostrate spurge and even marestail. 

 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 

Philip C. Karsting chosen as new Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator.

Philip C. (Phil) Karsting,  graduate of Blue Hill High School,  the son of Lamera Karsting and the late Dean Karsting of Blue Hill, has been chosen as the new USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator replacing  Suzanne Heinen, the former Administrator for the Foreign Agricultural Service     .  Karsting has been Chief of Staff for Wis. (D) Senator Herb Kohl since 2009.   Karsting is a current resident of Washington D.C.
The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information about global supply and demand, trade trends, and market opportunities. FAS seeks improved market access for U.S. products; administers export financing and market development programs; provides export services; carries out food aid and market-related technical assistance programs; and provides linkages to world resources and international organizations.
Other changes in the United States department of Agriculture which will begin this Saturday include – Michael Scuse will replace Kathleen Merrigan as Acting Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Scuse has served as Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Ag Services and also as a member of the Commodity Credit Corporation Board of Directors. Before he joined the Obama Administration – Scuse served as Delaware’s Secretary of Agriculture and President of the Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

Changes also include Darci Vetter serving as Acting Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Ag Services and Suzanne Heinen stepping in as the Acting Deputy Undersecretary for FFAS.  Doug O’Brien will replace Dallas Tonsager as Acting Undersecretary for Rural Development and Ann Mills will replace Harris Sherman starting May 9th as Acting Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment.

Connie Mohlman April 30 2013

Connie Mohlman

             Blue Hill resident Connie (Berry) Mohlman, 67, died Tuesday, April 30, 2013, at Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings.

Services are 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Church of Christ in Hastings with Russ Dudrey officiating. Burial will be at Blue Hill Cemetery.

 Visitation is 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Merten-Butler Mortuary in Blue Hill and one hour prior to the services at the church.
A memorial in Connie's name will be designated at a later date. 
Connie was born on October 27, 1945 to Chester Lee and Phoebe (Troxel) Berry at Wauneta, Nebraska.  She graduated from Wauneta High school in 1964.
 She married John R. (Jack) Mohlman on June 27, 1965 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Blue Hill, Nebraska.
She was a member of the Church of Christ in Hastings Nebraska  Connie played a significant role in over 100 children's lives serving as a Foster Parent for ten years.
Connie is survived by her husband  Jack of Blue Hill,  a daughter Lisa (Bryan) Jurrens of Hastings, Nebraska  two sons, Eric (Kim) of Blue Hill and Kurt (Janette) of Abilene, Kansas, nine grand children Rayna, Cassidy and Kaitlyn Jurrens,  Chase Hofferber, Kyra Mohlman, John, Christina, Catherine and Jacob Mohlman, mother-in-law, Christina Mohlman of Blue Hill, three sisters, Bonnie Curada of Denver, Colorado, Ila McMinn of Cabool, Missouri and Beulah (Arlie) Rydquist of Loveland Colorado, and sister-in-law Jani (Drew) Heady of Juniata, Nebraska.
Connie was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, two sisters, two grandsons, and her father-in-law, John F. Mohlman.

Dustin Tesdahl Memorial Event

May Birthdays

May 2 Chris Waterbury, Travis Toepher, Taylor Skarin

May 5 Kevin Alber, Arlo Krauau

 May 5 Alicia Stoner, Raelene Buschow
 May 6 Renee Wademan, Chet Yoder, Karl Berns
May 7 Jim Robinson , Leann Johnson, Hilarie Haack
May 8 Chuck VanBoening, Chellie Dodson, Mary Lou Polhmier
 May 9 Clint Burge
May 10 Bob Willicott, Michael R. Buschow
May 11 Bonnie Greenhalgh
May 12 Lonnie VanBoening
May 14 Herman Tenhoff, Verna Mae Koepke, Kirsten Drury Berns
May 15 Jolaine Hubl, Brad Toepher
 May 17 Mariel Krueger, Harlan Siebrass, Vaden Lane
May 18 Dan VanBoening , Danielle Wademan
 May 19 Marlene Meents  Spencer Frazier
 May 21 Brian Lynn
May 22 Clara Duesterhoeft
May 23 Steve Dack, Mike Barton
 May 24 John R. Mohlman
May 25 Corey Willicott
May 26 Dean Wormuth
May 28 Pearl Matthews
May 29 Erma Hoffman, Deloris Strasburg
May 30 Kandice Myers
May 31 Deloris Wademan