Public Invited to Attend Housing Session

By Patty Plugge

Burt County Economic Development Corporation

The public is cordially invited to attend a County Wide Housing “Listening” Session on Wednesday, February 26th.

These sessions are part of the process to update the Burt County Housing Study. There will be sessions in Tekamah, Oakland and Lyons, all beginning at 5:30 p.m. The Tekamah session will be held at the Courthouse in the ground floor meeting room. The Oakland session will be at the City Building in the Rosen Room. Lyons will hold their meeting in the City Library conference room.

These sessions will all be hosted by representatives of Hanna:Keelan Associates, the consulting firm responsible for the update. They are asking for input from the citizens of Burt County in response to the draft of the housing study, which will be available at these meetings.

“Having an updated housing study is essential when applying for any state or federal housing dollars,” said Patty Plugge, Director of Burt County Economic Development Corporation(BCEDC). “BCEDC is the contracting agency for this study, and we appreciate the additional funding from Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA), Tekamah Community Foundation, Black Hills Energy and Lyons Community Club.

“ Any questions or comments can be directed to Plugge at Burt County Economic Development, (402)374-2953 or burtcoedc@abbnebraska.com.

Sports Leaders Certification Workshops Scheduled

By Mary Loftis

Extension Assistant

Two Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Leader Certification Workshops are scheduled for March 22-23 at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds in Sidney and on March 29-30 at the Fort Kearney Shooting Sports Complex in Kearney.  Registration deadline is March 7 for the Sidney training and March 14 for the training in Kearney.

Adult volunteers and junior le

Mary Loftis

aders can become certified to teach shotgun, rifle and archery.  Participants will learn under expert instruction from members of the Nebraska State 4-H Shooting Sports Team and National instructors.

The registration fee is $100.00 per person for initial certification and $90.00 per person that are adding an additional discipline.  This fee includes meals, supplies and program materials.  Participants must make their own lodging arrangements.  Registration on Saturday runs from 8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

The Burt County 4-H Council fully supports Burt County 4-H leaders when they attend any 4-H training. For more information and registration materials see the 4-H Shooting Sports web page at http://4h.unl.edu/shootingsportseventcalendar, and contact the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Office in Burt County at (402)-374-2929 or Steve Pritchard, State 4-H Shooting Sports Training Coordinator at (402)395-2158 or (308)536-2691.

Nebraska State 4-H Air Pistol Championships

4-H members, if you are participating in the 4-H Shooting Sports Program you may want to put April 5-6 on your calendar for the Nebraska State 4-H Air Pistol Championship. They will be held at Broken Bow, NE. More details on this event will be coming, but the major change for the 2014 match is that at no rifle off hand rest will be allowed.  The only thing allowed will be the counter balance type device – the link below will give instructions on how to build this counter balance for those who would be interested. http://www.usashooting.org/library/Youth_Development/Z_PPP_Counterbalance_T_Stand.pdf

For more information please contact Steve Pritchard, UNL Extension Educator in Boone & Nance Counties http://www.boone-nance.unl.edu or email Steve at: SPRITCHARD1@unl.edu.

Paws on 4-H Dog Clinic

The Paws on Clinic will be held at the Greater Lincoln Obedience Club (GLOC) in Lincoln, NE on Saturday March 8^th.  4-H Educators along with members of GLOC will work with youth on preparing their dogs for obedience and agility.  There will be additional sessions related to dogs and dog care.  Youth will be grouped by experience level so the event is tailored to their needs.  For more information and the registration form, contact Kathy Potthoff at: kpotthoff1@unl.edu  or Lisa Karr-Lilienthal at:

lkarr-lilienthal2@unl.edu or on Facebook:  facebook.com/unlcompanionanimal

Mary Loftis,

Extension Assistant
UNL Extension – Burt County
111 North 13th Street, Suite 6
Tekamah, NE 68061
Phone: (402) 374-2929

Fax: (402) 374-2930

Internet: mloftis2@unl.edu

Town Hall Meetings Being Planned

Legislative days 23 through 26 were particularly engaging for the District 16 office.  The second and third of the five bills I introduced were heard in committee.  LB1082 was heard in the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee.  Two emergency responder constituents from District 16 testified in support of the bill.  Steven Brune, who serves on West Point Rescue, and Micheal Dwyer, who is a member of the Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighters Association’s Legislative Committee and Captain of the Arlington Volunteer Fire Department Rescue Squad both provided important information and solid support.  No one testified against the bill or in a neutral capacity.  Please see the Weekly Update from last week for more details on LB1082.

The Judiciary Committee heard testimony February 13 on LB1093.  Currently, there is a cumbersome series of grants from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to the Administrative Office of the Courts and contracts from DHHS to individual juvenile conferencing programs.  Under LB1093 DHHS will transfer the funds directly to the Nebraska Supreme Court.  Ultimately this is a revenue neutral bill and has been agreed to by DHHS and the Supreme Court.  We are currently working with DHHS and the Supreme Court to make a minor amendment that makes it revenue neutral.  We are confident this will be completed within the next few days.  Representatives from the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Legislature’s Children Commission, Through the Eyes of the Child, and The Mediation Center in Lincoln, as well as Chief Justice Michael Heavican, testified on behalf of the bill.  There were no opponents and only two neutral testifiers, including the CEO of DHHS, Kerry Winterer.  Though Mr. Winterer has been working closely with us on this bill, he testified in the neutral because of the need for the minor amendment to the bill.

Last week the Revenue Committee heard its first two 2014 ag property tax reduction bills this year with LBs 670 and 813.  In 2013 I introduced LB145, which offers an immediate 10 percent reduction.  I introduced it  by request of the Farm Bureau.  LB145 is basically the same in structure as the Ag Land Valuation reduction bill introduced by the late Senator Bob Kremer.  Senators Deb Fischer and Lavon Heidemann subsequently introduced similar legislation during their legislative terms.  All three were respected Nebraska Senators, and one is now a U.S. Senator and the other Lieutenant Governor.  LB145 is still being held in committee; therefore I recently designated it as my priority bill in an effort to move it forward.  Constituents continue to ask about tax relief especially following the statewide Tax Modernization Task Force meetings.  Ag land value reduction has been requested more than other tax relief concerns.  Naturally, further legislation will be considered to address funding concerns from counties, municipalities, and schools.  Nebraska’s cash reserve remains sound, with $1.2 billion in state checking and savings accounts, which shows

Senator Lydia Brasch

Nebraskans continue to be fiscally conservative.  Five hundred million dollars of tax relief is available for the next three years, so we should return more dollars to our citizens’ pockets instead of keeping it in state accounts.

We are in the process of planning town hall meetings around the district. We welcome questions or comments on bills before us this session.  Please contact me, my administrative aide, Katie Wattermann, or my legislative aide, Joe Neuhaus, with questions or thoughts at (402) 471-2728 or by email at lbrasch@leg.ne.gov.  If you are in Lincoln, please stop by Room 1016.  We have enjoyed seeing everyone who has already stopped in and look forward to more visitors!

Keeping the Good Life growing in Nebraska,

Senator Lydia Brasch, District 16

New Election Filings

Yesterday, February 18th was the last day for incumbents to file for re-election. Oakland City Council did not have any incumbents file for re-election, which included Tim Anderson and Lorie Johnson.

Lyons City Council member Charlie Wheaton did file for re-election.

Eric Miller filed for election to the Oakland-Craig Board of Education. He is not a current board member.

March 3rd is the deadline for all of those wishing to run for election in the area of choice.