Stories from Saturday, August 18, 2007

One doesn't have to look far to find evidence to agree with the latest Rural Poll conducted by the University of Nebraska. The 2007 poll by the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources found that rural Nebraskans are generally satisfied with their small-town life...

This week, I was minding my own business welding on my car trailer in my hangar when I glanced up to see a stranger. About my age, he was wearing shorts, lean, tanned with a bit of a white close cropped beard. His question, "Where do you have a motor home park, a commercial one with electricity?" I referred him to Karrer Park which he had somehow missed turning into the airport. ...

Both of my boys start college again this coming week, as young people are doing all over the country. Michael will be student teaching this fall, the final hurdle he has to jump before receiving his degree in Education in January. He's going to be a secondary school social studies teacher. Will switched from an English major to Broadcast Journalism this past spring and has another year to go before he finishes...

LINCOLN -- Rural Nebraskans continue to feel generally positive about their communities, even as they recognize some of the shortcomings of rural life, according to the 2007 Nebraska Rural Poll.? Those shortcomings -- and the fact that rural populations are aging, and younger people are less tied to small-town life -- create some concern about rural Nebraska's future, say University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers who conducted the 12th annual poll.?As in past years, the poll asked respondents a series of questions about their feelings toward their communities; their satisfaction with services; and plans to move from their communities in the next year.. ...

The City Council will be asked to support a possible lawsuit that questions the legality of LB701, at its regular meeting Monday night, 7:30 at the council chambers in Memorial Auditorium. The council will hear a presentation regarding LB701, adopted by the Legislature this session, which taxes property owners and irrigators to bring Nebraska into compliance with the Republican River River Compact...

For the second straight year, property tax valuations in McCook have dropped, a decrease from 2006 valuations by $3 million. Total property valuations for the city were assessed at $286.3 million, down from 2006 valuations at $289.43 million. This decline is due to the depreciation of business equipment that are catagorized under personal property taxes, said Red Willow County Assessor Sandra Kotschwar...

Thanks for publishing Walt Sehnert's article "Paper balloon bombers of World War II." I am glad to read this article because Mr. Mitchell was my father's cousin's son. I have this written up in my family history about he and his family; they were the only victims to die of enemy fire on United States soil...