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Editorial

Living In Rural America

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There is no place like Nebraska, and my family has been fortunate to call it home for six generations. The experience of living in a rural area is something not found anywhere else. The wide open spaces, unmatched work ethic, and life-long friendships make our small towns unique. This isn’t to say we do not face struggles living in a rural area. My goal since coming to Congress is to provide solutions to these challenges and strengthen rural America for the future.

LAND SPECULATION IN NEBRASKA TERRITORY DURING LATE 1800’S

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Prior to the panic of 1857 there was little interest in practical agriculture in Nebraska Territory. Land ownership was sought for speculative purposes rather than for farming. Riverfront lots in some towns sold for as much as ten thousand dollars; those three or four blocks back brought two thousand dollars; even those as much as half a mile away brought twelve hundred dollars. In most cases the sellers had acquired these properties either by preemption or for just a few dollars only two or three years earlier.

HUNTING FOR FOOD & RECREATION

Hunting was an economic necessity as well as a recreational activity for pioneer Nebraskans. W. A. Anderson, who settled near Ord in Valley County on February 1, 1879, in a 1932 Nebraska History article recalled some of his early hunting experiences: "When I came the buffalo were all gone farther west as the Sioux and Pawnee Indians were constantly hunting them, as they were very much easier to approach and kill than other game.

Year-Round E15: A Win

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In 2018, Nebraska reached its all-time high in ethanol–blended fuel consumption. Since the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was enacted in 2005, Nebraska has broken its record for ethanol–blended fuel consumption nine times. According to the Nebraska Ethanol Board, the 25 ethanol plants in Nebraska account for $5 billion in economic impact and 1,300 jobs. Ethanol is not only good for Nebraska, but it also promotes American energy independence, creates jobs, stimulates economic development in communities across our nation, and provides an expanding domestic market for our corn growers.

Honoring Our Heroes

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Each year on the last Monday of May, we pay tribute to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. If it were not for these heroes,

COWBOYS AND ARTWORK

William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody and his Wild West were major attractions at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. However a few members of the Wild West did not

This Spring’s Four-Letter Words Return:

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After almost a week without rain we were able to finally make some progress in Plant 2019. Amazing what you can accomplish with four straight days in the field. Sadly

The Right To Bear Arms

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In the Bill of Rights, our constitutional right to bear arms is listed second, after our First Amendment rights to free speech, assembly, and religion. I like to think this

Property Tax Deja Vu

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This week, the Legislature will debate the largest tax increase in Nebraska history. LB 289 raises the state sales tax rate by 9%, cuts property tax relief from the state in half, imposes new taxes on a variety of services (including car and home repair), raises the cigarette tax, and increases the tax on buying a house.

MAIL FOR THE LITTLE BLUE

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Mail service was a matter of vital importance to frontier Nebraskans, especially to those who depended on the mails for their livelihood. Mark J. Kelley editor of the Little Blue at Jenkins Mill in Jefferson County, editorialized repeatedly during his paper's brief life (1869-71) on the need for better, faster mail service. His newspaper was the first one to be published in Jefferson County and was Republican in politics. It was discontinued in 1871.