Happy 4th of July from Kat Country Hub
July 4, 2015 Leave a comment
Have a safe and wonderful day everyone. God Bless those that have fought and are fighting, protecting our country and freedoms. Thank you is never enough.
Governor Ricketts’ Independence Day Statement
July 3, 2015 Leave a comment
Today, Governor Pete Ricketts issued the following statement in observance of Independence Day:
“Across Nebraska on Independence Day, Nebraskans perform annual traditions as they gather to watch fireworks, grill on the back porch, march in parades, participate in community-wide festivals, and share the holiday with family and friends. While these rituals may seem commonplace, they are at the heart of who we are as Nebraskans and Americans as we celebrate the 239th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“As we celebrate with our families at home or in Seward, Central City, Ralston, Norfolk, Sumner, or one of the many communities across our state with 4th of July festivities, let us honor the people who made the Good Life possible and remember these words: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’”
On Independence Day, Governor Ricketts will participate in 4th of July parades in Ralston, Seward, and Central City. Additional details about his schedule can be found at www.Governor.Nebraska.gov.
Governor Pete Ricketts
4th of July Festival in Lyons NE
July 3, 2015 Leave a comment
Photos from the 4th of July Festival in Lyons last year. All photos credit of Denise Gilliland/Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.
Reminder: Oakland’s July 3rd Party in the Park!
July 3, 2015 Leave a comment
Oakland’s Annual July 3rd Party in the Park begins at 5:00 p.m. today!
There will be food, bounce houses and many other activities for kids of all ages.
There will also be a beer garden sponsored by Groovy’s.
Fireworks will conclude the event.
There is something for everyone! Come and have a great time, celebrating this great country we live in! Below are pictures from last year’s event. All photos credit of Kat Country Hub.
Seven State Recreation Areas Will Allow Fireworks July 4th
July 2, 2015 Leave a comment
Seven State Recreation Areas Will Allow Fireworks on July 4LINCOLN – Visitors to seven state recreation areas will be allowed to touch off fireworks on Independence Day, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Those visitors should always use caution when lighting fireworks. Branched Oak State Recreation Area (SRA) near Malcolm, Fort Kearny SRA near Kearney, Memphis SRA near Memphis, Fremont SRA near Fremont, Two Rivers SRA near Venice, Pawnee SRA near Emerald and Wagon Train SRA near Hickman will permit fireworks from 8 a.m. until midnight on July 4 only. Signs at recreation areas will point the way to designated fireworks sites and their boundaries will be clearly marked. Use of fireworks elsewhere in state areas or at other times is prohibited. Only fireworks approved for sale in Nebraska by the state fire marshal are permitted, and visitors must pick up expended fireworks and deposit them in appropriate containers. Minor children must be supervised when discharging fireworks. Use, possession and the discharging of fireworks is at the sole risk of the users. A park entry permit is required for all vehicles entering SRAs. -30- Paddlefish Snagging Permit Application Period Is July 1-14LINCOLN – Applications may be made for Nebraska paddlefish snagging permits July 1-14. Snagging of paddlefish and nongame fish is permitted Oct. 1-31 in the Missouri River from the Gavins Point Dam west of Yankton, S.D., downstream to the mouth of the Big Sioux River at mile marker 734, west of Sioux City, Iowa. All inland waters in Nebraska are closed to paddlefish harvest. There are 1,520 permits authorized for residents and 80 for nonresidents. The application fees of $21 for residents and $41 for nonresidents includes an issuing fee. Visit OutdoorNebraska.org to apply or use the form in the 2015 Fishing Guide. Applicants must be 12 years of age by this Oct. 1 to be eligible for a permit. The application period begins at 1 p.m. Central time on July 1. Mailed applications must be received in Nebraska Game and Parks Commission headquarters in Lincoln by 5 p.m. on July 14. Online applications end at midnight. Permits remaining following the first drawing will be sold over the counter on a first-come basis beginning at 1 p.m. Central time on Sept. 1. -30- Merritt Reservoir SRA Boat Launch Facility Improvements BeginLINCOLN – Work has begun on improvements to the Main Landing boat launch facility at Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area (SRA). Visitors will find construction equipment entering the Main Landing boat launch and Willow Cove Campground areas over the next several months. A new concrete ramp, boat dock and breakwaters will be built this summer and fall as water levels recede. In preparation for that construction, the delivery of rock rip-rap has started. The new boat ramp will be built just to the south of the existing one. Once completed, it will provide boater and angler access at that location for a longer duration during the summer irrigation months. The original boat ramp was built in the 1960s and often went out of service by the first part of July. A new breakwater is planned near the Willow Cove Campground area to the southwest of the new ramp. The breakwater will provide protection from southwest winds and slow sand from being deposited around the ramp. This breakwater also will provide some bank angler fishing access. The project is being accomplished by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation. Funding has been provided by Game and Parks’ Aquatic Habitat and Angler Access programs, capital development maintenance funds, and U.S. Coast Guard boating safety funds. For more information on the project, call Zac Brashears at 402-376-8080 or Steve Satra at 402-471-5446. Merritt Reservoir SRA is located 26 miles southwest of Valentine in Cherry County. A park entry permit is required of each vehicle entering the park. -30- Two Trail Roads to Be Temporarily Closed at Swanson Reservoir SRALINCOLN – Two trail roads at Swanson Reservoir State Recreation Area (SRA) will be temporarily closed June 22 so that BNSF Railway can replace crossings on them. Trail Roads 5 and 7 on the north side of the lake will be closed so that work can begin at 7 a.m. on June 22. The crossings will be closed all day. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is posting signs and notifying campers of the closure. Swanson Reservoir SRA is located just west of Trenton in Hitchcock County. -30- Flooding Affects Southeast Nebraska ParksLINCOLN – Several state recreation areas in Southeast Nebraska have been affected by heavy rainfall and not all areas may be accessible, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. At Stagecoach State Recreation Area (SRA), Dam Road remains closed, there is standing water on approaches to docks. At Wagon Train SRA, all areas are open, though there is standing water on approaches to docks. At Bluestem SRA, North Road remains closed. At Olive Creek SRA, Area 2 is now open, but there is still standing water in some places. All other parks and recreation areas are open, though lake water levels are high. Game and Parks staff will continue to monitor conditions at parks statewide. -30- |
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Supreme Court Preserves Health Insurance Marketplaces
July 2, 2015 Leave a comment
By John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs
The Supreme Court recently announced their decision upholding tax subsidies to help people purchase individual health insurance plans through a federal health insurance marketplace.
The Supreme Court made the right decision, preserving provisions of the Affordable Care Act that have been so crucial in providing access to more affordable health care coverage to millions of Americans. The court focused on interpreting the intent of Congress to create a health insurance marketplace for every eligible American, either through state exchanges or a federal exchange. Incentives for low- and moderate-income families to help make their insurance coverage more affordable was part of that intent.
The decision protects the progress we have made as a nation in providing affordable health insurance coverage for the millions of Americans who were uninsured prior to passage of the Affordable Care Act – 6.5 million Americans received tax credits to make their health coverage more affordable as of this year.
Clearly the ACA’s health insurance marketplaces are working, making health insurance more affordable for families that use the marketplace. Those individuals would have seen their premiums increase by nearly 500% in the federal exchange states if the Supreme Court decision had gone the other way.
Now it’s time to get on with providing affordable healthcare coverage for everyone and finishing the job of expanding Medicaid for the nearly 4 million low-income uninsured adults who fall into the “coverage gap” resulting from state decisions not to expand Medicaid.
Rimfire Challenge Scheduled at Platte River State Park
July 2, 2015 Leave a comment
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LINCOLN – Learn the basics of rimfire steel challenge and competitive shooting July 11 at Platte River State Park with the First Shots Second Round Rimfire Challenge. This free event, sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, will be held at the Roger G. Sykes Outdoor Heritage Education Complex at 9 a.m. It is open to the first 20 registrants ages 12 and up. Those who bring their own rimfire rifle must bring their own ammunition. Loaner guns and ammunition are available. Steel challenge is about shooting fast, but a shooter cannot learn to shoot fast without learning the fundamentals by being slow and methodical. To register, visit: http://www.register-ed.com/events/view/58816. -30- |
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Maller is July Artist of the Month
July 2, 2015 Leave a comment
The featured Artist of the Month for July is Roger Maller. Roger is a well known artist whose work is part of collections throughout the United States and many foreign countries. One of his painted eggs was chosen to represent the State of Nebraska at the White House and is now part of the Presidential private collection. Roger’s award-winning paintings will be on display and for sale.
Come visit him at the Swedish Heritage Center, 301 N Charde Ave in Oakland July 5, 2015, 11:00-1:00. A Swedish Ham Ball dinner will be available. For more information, contact Julie Johnson at 402-685-5652.
Roger Maller is July Artist of the Month. Roger is surrounded by his artwork in this picture. Photo courtesy of Julie Johnson.
Brasch attends Pilger Flag Raising Ceremony
July 1, 2015 Leave a comment
This will be my final weekly update until the beginning of the 2016 legislative session. Since we adjourned on May 29, I shared two update summaries to better explain where we ended this session. In 2016, new legislation will be introduced along with many carryover bills. With that said, I encourage you to stay engaged and express your views as you are the State’s “Second House.”
As always, it is good to be back in our district and speaking with constituents on a regular basis. To see everyone on our main streets, in places of business, during parades, at church, and at county fairs is truly refreshing. There is almost always something happening throughout the district I enjoy participating in. So far this interim I have attended Cargill’s Blair 20th Anniversary Celebration and the Pilger Flag Raising Ceremony. I have also enjoyed resuming work with my private consulting business.
Some may remember last year I was honored to be accepted into the the 2014 Council of State Governments Henry Toll Fellowship Program. It is one of the nation’s premier leadership development programs for state government, bringing together 48 of the nation’s top officials from all three branches of state government for an intensive six-day “intellectual boot camp.”
This year the Toll Fellowship Program selected a dozen graduates, from various years, to participate in a first-ever Global Affairs Academy. They generously and graciously paid most of our expenses for travel to and lodging in Washington D.C. for three days of intensive study. We were briefed on key current events affecting the 195 sovereign countries around the world, their relevance to the U.S., and what individual states can do to prepare their governments and economies.
We were also briefed on our current top five foreign policy issues. Key staff members of the Departments of Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs shared a number of potential concerns on topics ranging from ISIL to cyber warfare. Notably, cyber security is crucial for protecting constituents. While big businesses and government typically have solid firewalls, we must be aware of vendors being unknowingly utilized because of their less secure computer networks. Critical agencies must be watchful and prepared for cyber attacks from those who would wish us harm. The importance of heightened security for our infrastructure and energy systems was also stressed.
We also learned about the negative effects of decreasing foreign aid. For example, countries in need are often courted or overtaken by enemies of the U.S. It was remarked that another attack, such as 9/11 is most likely on someone’s drawing board somewhere. Included in foreign aid is the need to assist other countries with their health epidemics which, if not controlled, can become pandemic, such as the Ebola crisis or, more recently, the Middle East respiratory syndrome.
We also focused on the global economy and how we simply cannot shut out the rest of the world. We rely on international businesses and there are an increasing number in the U.S. that are good for jobs and our national economy.
With so much to think about from the last week, all I can say is it is truly good to be back home!
As always, please contact me, administrative aide, Katie Wattermann, or legislative aide, Tom Venzor, with questions or thoughts at (402) 471-2728 or e-mail at lbrasch@leg.ne.gov.
Keeping the Good Life Growing in Nebraska,
Senator Lydia Brasch, District 16
Senator Lydia Brasch
Several Attend Northeast NE Housing Tour
July 1, 2015 Leave a comment
By Patty Plugge
Executive Director, Burt County Economic Development Corporation
Forty-three people met in Wayne on Wednesday, June 24th for the Northeast NE Housing Tour. The goal of the tour was to showcase successful housing projects in rural Nebraska, and explore the different funding methods. After hearing from Patty Plugge, Burt County Economic Development Director, during lunch, the group boarded a bus for a tour of housing projects in Wakefield, Pender and Wayne.
Many attend the Northeast NE Housing Tour in Wayne last week. The group toured housing developments in Wayne, Pender and Wakefield. Oakland City Clerk Katie Onken and Oakland City Council member Denise Gilliland were among those attending the event. They can be seen in the far back left of the photo. Katie in a white top and Denise sitting across from her. Photo courtesy of Patty Plugge.
This program was a result of a regional economic development planning process called Stronger Economies Together. One of the goals resulting from the 17-county plan is to improve the housing stock in Northeast NE. Sharing information with interested individuals from city and county governments, bankers, real estate brokers, contractors and volunteers is the first step in meeting this goal. There are plans for a Housing Summit to take place in the near future to provide more details on tools to assist in housing development. More information will be provided when a date is determined.
Kat Country Hub 
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