Opinions

Tears welled up in my eyes Friday night as the final whistle blew in Sidney. The Central City Bison—our Central City Bison—had done it. They defied the odds, overcame the pressure, and punched their ticket to the state championship game for the first time in school history. For anyone who’s ever worn green and gold, or called this place home, that moment was pure magic.

We are now in the period between Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. Both are celebrations that cause us to pause and think about our blessings and the acts of courage, selflessness, service and sacrifice of others who have often fought and died to secure those blessings. Many of us are the children of the “greatest generation” who experienced the hardships of the Great Depression followed by the ravages of World War II. That generation’s titanium backbone was forged in the furnace of trials. “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart,” wrote King Solomon, and it’s still true today.

Bison Nation, we’re standing on the edge of something remarkable— something that hasn’t happened in Central City for a very, very long time. There’s history here, no doubt, and any lifelong Bison fan can feel it in their bones. From the distant days of ‘78 to every nearmiss and heartbreak since, our Bison have roared and fought with every ounce of pride this town could muster. But this team? They’re doing something that feels altogether different. They’re taking the history, the expectations, the weight of all those past seasons, and they’re blazing a path forward that’s uniquely theirs.

With the recent election behind us, voters may be asking what happens now to the ballot questions that passed or failed? Initiative 434 passed and will place into our state constitution our current state law which protects the unborn after twelve weeks gestation. The measure also makes exceptions for rape and incest. This Initiative allows the legislature to place greater restrictions on abortion in the future. Meanwhile Initiative 439 would have made further restrictions nearly impossible. The passage of 434 was our state’s (and the nation’s) first line in the sand against the aggressive abortion industry. Many thanks to the pro-life groups that wisely countered 439 with their own initiative. Meanwhile, the pro-abortion groups used extremely confusing, misleading wording on the ballot and in their advertising and petition drive. To successfully run a petition drive to get something onto the statewide ballot costs well over a million dollars, but the abortion industry was happily willing to spend it because it is motivated by the millions it will make by taking advantage of young women at a very vulnerable moment in their lives. Meanwhile, they would have you believe they are motivated by a desire to protect women’s rights and health. And while one third of their budgets comes from our federal government, 439 would have allowed them to get their hands into our state budget as well! I am so thankful our fellow Nebraskans saw through this underhanded scheme.

It was a beautiful and fun day on October 27 for the Parade of Goblins. A big thank you to all the businesses who gave their time and creativity to give the Central City community an afternoon of enjoyment. It seems like every year businesses and organizations come up with bigger and better costumes and decorations. We extend our thanks to Trooper Poorman of the Nebraska State Patrol who chose The Oaks for best costume and Merrick Medical Center with best trunk. Thanks to The Dentist and 1 To 1 Technologies for sponsoring the prizes and to Pinnacle Bank for the treat bags. Congratulations to Penni Colclasure, the winner of the IPad donated by 1 To 1 Technologies. She was one happy little girl!

The election is over. What now? The general election of 2024 is now over.

I love elections. I always have. Ever since George H.W. Bush squared off with William “Bill” Clinton, I’ve been hooked. Election nights were like the Super Bowl of American democracy. My mom and I would stay up way past bedtime, glued to the TV like two schoolgirls watching Dawson’s Creek,

It seems like these days kids are being pulled in hundreds of different directions. We want them to be student-athletes and to be involved in several different activities. These activities could be sports, clubs, squads, etc. However, it is important that we remember that they are exactly what I mentioned first- KIDS!

Bring back the Election Sermon U.S. Census records show that during the last presidential election in 2020, nearly 155 million votes were cast with 69 percent of those votes being cast in a non-traditional way, that is early or mail in voting.