On July 27 at approximately 1:30 p.m. the Dawes County Sheriff's Office and Dawes County EMS responded to a report of a woman who collapsed in her rural Crawford home.&nbsp;

33-year-old Katie Yoder died at the scene.&nbsp;

"After a review of evidence and witness interviews, an autopsy was ordered to assist in the determination of the cause of death," Dawes County Attorney/Coroner Vance Haug said.&nbsp;

On July 28 the autopsy was completed at Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff.&nbsp;

"The findings of the investigation conclude that Mrs. Yoder died of natural causes," Haug added.&nbsp;

By KALIN KROHE Panhandle PostOn July 27 at approximately 1:30 p.m. the Dawes County Sheriff's Office and Dawes County EMS responded to a report of a woman who collapsed in her rural Crawford home.&nbsp;33-year-old Katie Yoder died at the scene.&nbsp;"After a review of evidence and witness interviews, an autopsy was ordered to assist in the determination of the cause of death," Dawes County Attorney/Coroner Vance Haug said.&nbsp;On July 28 the autopsy was completed at Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff.&nbsp;"The findings of the investigation conclude that Mrs. Yoder died of natural causes," Haug added.&nbsp;

Dawes Co. Sheriff's Office respond to death of Crawford woman 

Box Butte Health Foundation director Chelsea Thompson discusses the upcoming golf tournament fundraiser.

<div><iframe title="POST PODCAST: BBHF Golf Tournament" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=nsc6q-12869a3-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=2&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=5"></iframe></div>Box Butte Health Foundation director Chelsea Thompson discusses the upcoming golf tournament fundraiser.

POST PODCAST: BBHF Golf Tournament

The Sioux County Fair will be held July 29 - Aug. 7 in Harrison.&nbsp;

This year's theme is "Party 'Til The Cows Come Home".&nbsp;

By Panhandle Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659107242888.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Sioux County Fair will be held July 29 - Aug. 7 in Harrison.&nbsp;This year's theme is "Party 'Til The Cows Come Home".&nbsp;

Sioux County Fair schedule of events in Harrison 

Scottsbluff – United Way of Western Nebraska is pleased to announce their 25th Annual Duck Draw presented by TEAM Auto Center. The event is set for September 17th, 2022. The Duck Draw is United Way’s biggest fundraising event and an integral part of helping United Way raise money to provide support for 27 local non-profit programs who are helping families struggling to meet basic needs. It also allows United Way to provide community impact work to promote health, education and financial stability focusing on fighting hunger and homelessness in the community.

This year’s exciting event will be a Duck Draw Festival. This family friendly festival with be filled with games, food and music at the 18th Street Downtown Plaza starting at 9:00 a.m, with Ducks being drawn at 10:30 am.

There are 40 FANTASTIC prizes to give away thanks to very generous local businesses who have donated to help support United Way and our community! First Prize is a 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross donated by TEAM Auto Center. 2nd Prize is a 2022 Pioneer 520 Side-by-Side donated in part by Sandberg Honda plus 38 more AMAZING prizes including cash, gift cards and so much more! Ducks are available for purchase online at www.uwwn.org/duck or at nine locations throughout the Nebraska Panhandle. Scottsbuff/Gering locations include TEAM Auto Center, Riverstone Bank (Scottsbluff and Gering branches), Main Street Market customer service desk, RWHS Gift Shop and the United Way office (1517 Broadway Suite #106, SB). Alliance: ALLO (203 W. 3rd), Sidney (Beans &amp; Steams Coffee House (610 Glover Rd Suite #10) and Chadron: The New Leaf (1002 East 3rd). Duck permits will be available at uwwn.org to print, fill out and take with cash or check to one of the above locations to purchase your ducks. Ducks are available for purchase on our website with the use of a debit card. United Way volunteers and staff will be out at various locations in the community selling ducks the next several weeks. Visit United Way of Western Nebraska’s Facebook page to view the weekly schedule of special community duck selling locations.

Ducks are $10 each, Quacky Trio (3 ducks in the drawing) is $25, Quacky Combo (7 ducks for the price of 6) is $60. With purchase of a Quacky Trio or Combo you will receive a Quack Sack which includes 31 coupons to local merchants and a commemorative rubber duck. You do not need to be present to win.

For more information call United Way 308-635-2522 or visit uwwn.org.

By United Way of Western NebraskaScottsbluff – United Way of Western Nebraska is pleased to announce their 25th Annual Duck Draw presented by TEAM Auto Center. The event is set for September 17th, 2022. The Duck Draw is United Way’s biggest fundraising event and an integral part of helping United Way raise money to provide support for 27 local non-profit programs who are helping families struggling to meet basic needs. It also allows United Way to provide community impact work to promote health, education and financial stability focusing on fighting hunger and homelessness in the community.This year’s exciting event will be a Duck Draw Festival. This family friendly festival with be filled with games, food and music at the 18th Street Downtown Plaza starting at 9:00 a.m, with Ducks being drawn at 10:30 am.There are 40 FANTASTIC prizes to give away thanks to very generous local businesses who have donated to help support United Way and our community! First Prize is a 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross donated by TEAM Auto Center. 2nd Prize is a 2022 Pioneer 520 Side-by-Side donated in part by Sandberg Honda plus 38 more AMAZING prizes including cash, gift cards and so much more! Ducks are available for purchase online at www.uwwn.org/duck or at nine locations throughout the Nebraska Panhandle. Scottsbuff/Gering locations include TEAM Auto Center, Riverstone Bank (Scottsbluff and Gering branches), Main Street Market customer service desk, RWHS Gift Shop and the United Way office (1517 Broadway Suite #106, SB). Alliance: ALLO (203 W. 3rd), Sidney (Beans &amp; Steams Coffee House (610 Glover Rd Suite #10) and Chadron: The New Leaf (1002 East 3rd). Duck permits will be available at uwwn.org to print, fill out and take with cash or check to one of the above locations to purchase your ducks. Ducks are available for purchase on our website with the use of a debit card. United Way volunteers and staff will be out at various locations in the community selling ducks the next several weeks. Visit United Way of Western Nebraska’s Facebook page to view the weekly schedule of special community duck selling locations.Ducks are $10 each, Quacky Trio (3 ducks in the drawing) is $25, Quacky Combo (7 ducks for the price of 6) is $60. With purchase of a Quacky Trio or Combo you will receive a Quack Sack which includes 31 coupons to local merchants and a commemorative rubber duck. You do not need to be present to win.For more information call United Way 308-635-2522 or visit uwwn.org.

United Way of Western Nebraska to hold annual 'Duck Draw' event 

The 59th Annual Peabody Hale Fiddle Contest will be held Saturday, July 30 in the Crawford City Park. 

An all age Vocal Contest starts at 11 a.m.

The Fiddle Contest and Miscellaneous Music Instrument Contest begins at 1 p.m.

By Panhandle PostThe 59th Annual Peabody Hale Fiddle Contest will be held Saturday, July 30 in the Crawford City Park. An all age Vocal Contest starts at 11 a.m.The Fiddle Contest and Miscellaneous Music Instrument Contest begins at 1 p.m.

Annual Peabody Hale Fiddle Contest to be held in Crawford 

BARRE, Mass. (AP) — One by one, items purportedly taken from Native Americans massacred at Wounded Knee Creek emerged from the dark, cluttered display cases where they’ve sat for more than a century in a museum in rural Massachusetts.

Moccasins, necklaces, clothing, ceremonial pipes, tools and other objects were carefully laid out on white backgrounds as a photographer dutifully snapped pictures under bright studio lights.

It was a key step in returning scores of items displayed at the Founders Museum in Barre to tribes in South Dakota that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3cd2f24cb5bf205845a8a4d59cc26ed3">have sought them since the 1990s</a>.

“This is real personal,” said Leola One Feather, of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, as she observed the process as part of a two-person tribal delegation last week. “It may be sad for them to lose these items, but it’s even sadder for us because we’ve been looking for them for so long.”

Recent efforts to repatriate human remains and other culturally significant items such as those at the Founders Museum represent significant and solemn moments for tribes. But they also underscore the slow pace and the monumental task at hand.

Some 870,000 Native American artifacts — including nearly 110,000 human remains — that should be returned to tribes under federal law are still in the possession of colleges, museums and other institutions across the country, according to an Associated Press review of&nbsp;<a href="https://grantsdev.cr.nps.gov/NagpraPublic/Home/Inventory">data maintained by the National Park Service</a>.

The University of California, Berkeley&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.ap.org/embeds/pT1xS/8/">tops the list</a>, followed closely by the Ohio History Connection, the state’s historical society. State museums and universities in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Alabama, Illinois and Kansas as well as Harvard University round out the other top institutions.

And that’s not even counting items held by private institutions such as the Founders Museum, which maintains it does not receive federal funds and therefore doesn’t fall under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA, the 1990 law governing the return of tribal objects by institutions receiving federal money.

“They’ve had more than three decades,” says Shannon O’Loughlin, chief executive of the Association on American Indian Affairs, a national group that assists tribes with repatriations. “The time for talk is over. Enough reports and studying. It’s time to repatriate.”

Museum officials say they’ve stepped up efforts with added funding and staff, but continue to struggle with identifying artifacts collected during archaeology's early years. They also say federal regulations governing repatriations remain time-consuming and cumbersome.

Dan Mogulof, an assistant vice chancellor at UC Berkeley, says the university is committed to repatriating the entire 123,000 artifacts in question "in the coming years at a pace that works for tribes.”

In January, the university repatriated the remains of at least&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-travel-california-museums-ac77b178301a3050c6e1d7add19805e9">20 victims of the Indian Island Massacre of 1860</a>&nbsp;to the Wiyot Tribe in Humboldt County, California. But its Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology still holds more than 9,000 sets of ancestral remains, mainly from Bay-area tribes.

“We acknowledge the great harm and pain we have caused Native American people,” Mogulof said. “Our work will not be complete until all of the ancestors are home.”

At the Ohio History Connection, officials are working to create an inter-tribal burial ground to help bury ancestral remains for tribes forced to move from Ohio as the nation expanded, says Alex Wesaw, the organization’s director of American Indian relations.

The institution took similar steps in 2016 when it established a cemetery in northeast Ohio for the Delaware tribes of Oklahoma to re-bury nearly 90 ancestors who had been stored for centuries in museums in Pennsylvania.

Complicating matters, some of its more than 7,000 ancestral remains and 110,000 objects are thousands of years old, making it difficult to determine which modern-day tribe or tribes they should be returned to, Wesaw said.

At the Founders Museum, some 70 miles (112 kilometers) west of Boston, among the challenges has been determining what’s truly from the Wounded Knee Massacre, says Ann Meilus, the museum's board president.

Some tribe members maintain as many as 200 items are from massacre victims, but Meilus said museum officials believe its less than a dozen, based on discussions with a tribe member more than a decade ago.

The collection was donated by Barre native Frank Root, a 19th century traveling showman who claimed he’d acquired the objects from a man tasked with digging mass graves following the massacre.

Among the macabre collection was a lock of hair reportedly cut from the scalp of Chief Spotted Elk, which the museum returned to one of the Lakota Sioux leader’s descendants in 1999. It also includes a “ghost shirt,” a sacred garment that some tribe members tragically believed could make them bulletproof.

“He sort of exaggerated things,” Meilus said of Root. “In reality, we’re not sure if any of the items were from Wounded Knee.”

More than 200 men, women, children and elderly people were killed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1890 in one of the country’s worst massacres of Native Americans. The killings marked a seminal moment in the frontier battles the U.S. Army waged against tribes.

The U.S. Department of Interior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nagpra/regulations.htm">recently proposed changes to the federal repatriation process</a>&nbsp;that lay out more precise deadlines, clearer definitions and heftier penalties for noncompliance.

Tribe leaders say those steps are long overdue, but don’t address other fundamental problems, such as inadequate federal funding for tribes to do repatriation work.

Many tribes also still object to requirements that they explain the cultural significance of an item sought for repatriation, including how they’re used in tribal ceremonies, says Brian Vallo, a former governor of the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico who was involved in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-national-parks-arizona-colorado-finland-d066508efd71ee7efe4bb652e20ab563">the 2020 repatriation of 20 ancestors from the National Museum of Finland</a>&nbsp;and their re-burial at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.

“That knowledge is only for us,” he said. “It’s not ever shared."

Stacy Laravie, the historic preservation officer for the Ponca Tribe in Nebraska, is optimistic museum leaders are sincere in seeking to rectify the past, in the wake of the national reckoning on racism that’s reverberated through the country in recent years.

Last month, she traveled with a tribal delegation to Harvard to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-museums-massachusetts-native-americans-nebraska-c319f80b44d08da46086754da31e108b">receive the tomahawk of her ancestor,</a>&nbsp;the Native American civil rights leader Chief Standing Bear. She’s also working with the university’s Peabody Museum to potentially repatriate other items significant to her tribe.

“We’re playing catch up from decades of things getting thrown under the rug,” Laravie said. “But I do believe their hearts are in the right place.”

Back at the Founders Museum, Jeffrey Not Help Him, an Oglala Sioux member whose family survived the Wounded Knee Massacre, hopes the items could return home this fall, as the museum has suggested.

“We look forward to putting them in a good place,” Not Help Him said. “A place of honor.”

By Associated PressBARRE, Mass. (AP) — One by one, items purportedly taken from Native Americans massacred at Wounded Knee Creek emerged from the dark, cluttered display cases where they’ve sat for more than a century in a museum in rural Massachusetts.Moccasins, necklaces, clothing, ceremonial pipes, tools and other objects were carefully laid out on white backgrounds as a photographer dutifully snapped pictures under bright studio lights.It was a key step in returning scores of items displayed at the Founders Museum in Barre to tribes in South Dakota that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3cd2f24cb5bf205845a8a4d59cc26ed3">have sought them since the 1990s</a>.“This is real personal,” said Leola One Feather, of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, as she observed the process as part of a two-person tribal delegation last week. “It may be sad for them to lose these items, but it’s even sadder for us because we’ve been looking for them for so long.”Recent efforts to repatriate human remains and other culturally significant items such as those at the Founders Museum represent significant and solemn moments for tribes. But they also underscore the slow pace and the monumental task at hand.Some 870,000 Native American artifacts — including nearly 110,000 human remains — that should be returned to tribes under federal law are still in the possession of colleges, museums and other institutions across the country, according to an Associated Press review of&nbsp;<a href="https://grantsdev.cr.nps.gov/NagpraPublic/Home/Inventory">data maintained by the National Park Service</a>.The University of California, Berkeley&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.ap.org/embeds/pT1xS/8/">tops the list</a>, followed closely by the Ohio History Connection, the state’s historical society. State museums and universities in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Alabama, Illinois and Kansas as well as Harvard University round out the other top institutions.And that’s not even counting items held by private institutions such as the Founders Museum, which maintains it does not receive federal funds and therefore doesn’t fall under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA, the 1990 law governing the return of tribal objects by institutions receiving federal money.“They’ve had more than three decades,” says Shannon O’Loughlin, chief executive of the Association on American Indian Affairs, a national group that assists tribes with repatriations. “The time for talk is over. Enough reports and studying. It’s time to repatriate.”Museum officials say they’ve stepped up efforts with added funding and staff, but continue to struggle with identifying artifacts collected during archaeology's early years. They also say federal regulations governing repatriations remain time-consuming and cumbersome.Dan Mogulof, an assistant vice chancellor at UC Berkeley, says the university is committed to repatriating the entire 123,000 artifacts in question "in the coming years at a pace that works for tribes.”In January, the university repatriated the remains of at least&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-travel-california-museums-ac77b178301a3050c6e1d7add19805e9">20 victims of the Indian Island Massacre of 1860</a>&nbsp;to the Wiyot Tribe in Humboldt County, California. But its Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology still holds more than 9,000 sets of ancestral remains, mainly from Bay-area tribes.“We acknowledge the great harm and pain we have caused Native American people,” Mogulof said. “Our work will not be complete until all of the ancestors are home.”At the Ohio History Connection, officials are working to create an inter-tribal burial ground to help bury ancestral remains for tribes forced to move from Ohio as the nation expanded, says Alex Wesaw, the organization’s director of American Indian relations.The institution took similar steps in 2016 when it established a cemetery in northeast Ohio for the Delaware tribes of Oklahoma to re-bury nearly 90 ancestors who had been stored for centuries in museums in Pennsylvania.Complicating matters, some of its more than 7,000 ancestral remains and 110,000 objects are thousands of years old, making it difficult to determine which modern-day tribe or tribes they should be returned to, Wesaw said.At the Founders Museum, some 70 miles (112 kilometers) west of Boston, among the challenges has been determining what’s truly from the Wounded Knee Massacre, says Ann Meilus, the museum's board president.Some tribe members maintain as many as 200 items are from massacre victims, but Meilus said museum officials believe its less than a dozen, based on discussions with a tribe member more than a decade ago.The collection was donated by Barre native Frank Root, a 19th century traveling showman who claimed he’d acquired the objects from a man tasked with digging mass graves following the massacre.Among the macabre collection was a lock of hair reportedly cut from the scalp of Chief Spotted Elk, which the museum returned to one of the Lakota Sioux leader’s descendants in 1999. It also includes a “ghost shirt,” a sacred garment that some tribe members tragically believed could make them bulletproof.“He sort of exaggerated things,” Meilus said of Root. “In reality, we’re not sure if any of the items were from Wounded Knee.”More than 200 men, women, children and elderly people were killed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1890 in one of the country’s worst massacres of Native Americans. The killings marked a seminal moment in the frontier battles the U.S. Army waged against tribes.The U.S. Department of Interior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nagpra/regulations.htm">recently proposed changes to the federal repatriation process</a>&nbsp;that lay out more precise deadlines, clearer definitions and heftier penalties for noncompliance.Tribe leaders say those steps are long overdue, but don’t address other fundamental problems, such as inadequate federal funding for tribes to do repatriation work.Many tribes also still object to requirements that they explain the cultural significance of an item sought for repatriation, including how they’re used in tribal ceremonies, says Brian Vallo, a former governor of the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico who was involved in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-national-parks-arizona-colorado-finland-d066508efd71ee7efe4bb652e20ab563">the 2020 repatriation of 20 ancestors from the National Museum of Finland</a>&nbsp;and their re-burial at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.“That knowledge is only for us,” he said. “It’s not ever shared."Stacy Laravie, the historic preservation officer for the Ponca Tribe in Nebraska, is optimistic museum leaders are sincere in seeking to rectify the past, in the wake of the national reckoning on racism that’s reverberated through the country in recent years.Last month, she traveled with a tribal delegation to Harvard to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-museums-massachusetts-native-americans-nebraska-c319f80b44d08da46086754da31e108b">receive the tomahawk of her ancestor,</a>&nbsp;the Native American civil rights leader Chief Standing Bear. She’s also working with the university’s Peabody Museum to potentially repatriate other items significant to her tribe.“We’re playing catch up from decades of things getting thrown under the rug,” Laravie said. “But I do believe their hearts are in the right place.”Back at the Founders Museum, Jeffrey Not Help Him, an Oglala Sioux member whose family survived the Wounded Knee Massacre, hopes the items could return home this fall, as the museum has suggested.“We look forward to putting them in a good place,” Not Help Him said. “A place of honor.”

Wounded Knee artifacts highlight slow pace of repatriations

By&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/aaron-sanderford/">AARON SANDERFORD</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/28/15-states-back-nebraska-ags-effort-to-protect-petition-process-from-federal-courts/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — Attorneys general from 15 conservative-led states filed a brief this week backing Nebraska’s legal fight to save a state constitutional requirement that people petitioning a measure onto the ballot must gather signatures from much of the state.

The brief was filed in a federal civil rights lawsuit brought May 16 by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana and ACLU Nebraska against Secretary of State Bob Evnen, arguing that the state’s geographic requirement dilutes the “one man, one vote” value of signatures of urban Nebraskans by giving more weight to signatures from rural Nebraskans.

The 15 states argue that federal judges have a limited role in reviewing “state-created systems” governing elections. States make similar arguments to defend gerrymandering, the ability of states to draw political boundaries to political advantage.

The states in the brief argue that Nebraska’s requirement can be met legally. The brief questions whether a lower court had the legal right to enjoin the requirement without showing practical difficulties that the requirement created for the initiative process.

“The Constitution protects the right to vote for one’s representatives in the republican form of government it guarantees,” the attorneys general wrote. “It does not regulate an entirely state-created right to direct democracy via ballot measures.

The Nebraska Constitution requires people circulating petitions for ballot initiatives to gather signatures from 5% of registered voters in 38 of the state’s 93 counties. A state appeal restored the requirement while the federal lawsuit against it progresses.

“No matter what county we live in, our signatures on a petition should carry equal weight,” ACLU Nebraska attorney Jane Seu said. “Nothing in this new amicus brief offers a compelling argument as to why Nebraskans should continue to be deprived of equal power.”

The states backing Nebraska’s case are Arkansas, Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said the brief from other states “demonstrates that the district court’s decision threatens to give federal courts the power to micromanage states’ initiative processes.”

“We appreciate their efforts to bring these concerns to the Eighth Circuit’s attention,” Peterson said.

State Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln, co-chair of the effort to let voters choose whether to legalize medical marijuana, described the other states’ brief as “an unprecedented attack” on “Nebraskans’ right to have a constitutional ballot initiative process.”&nbsp;

“We won’t be intimidated and we will not back down,” he said.

The petition group turned in 93,000 and 91,000 signatures July 7 for two ballot initiatives needed to legalize medical marijuana. About 87,000 valid signatures are needed.

The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office said Thursday it expects to finish verifying the petition signatures in August.&nbsp;

New briefs are due soon in the appeal of an 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling to pause or stay the temporary injunction that a lower court granted against the state’s geographic requirement.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659092460254.jpeg" alt="Volunteers with Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana sort through boxes of petitions submitted just before Thursday’s deadline to submit signatures to qualify for the November ballot. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Volunteers with Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana sort through boxes of petitions submitted just before Thursday’s deadline to submit signatures to qualify for the November ballot. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/aaron-sanderford/">AARON SANDERFORD</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/28/15-states-back-nebraska-ags-effort-to-protect-petition-process-from-federal-courts/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — Attorneys general from 15 conservative-led states filed a brief this week backing Nebraska’s legal fight to save a state constitutional requirement that people petitioning a measure onto the ballot must gather signatures from much of the state.<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/IMG_5442-scaled-e1654347886268-150x150.jpg" alt="&nbsp; &nbsp;Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)&nbsp;&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp; &nbsp;Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The brief was filed in a federal civil rights lawsuit brought May 16 by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana and ACLU Nebraska against Secretary of State Bob Evnen, arguing that the state’s geographic requirement dilutes the “one man, one vote” value of signatures of urban Nebraskans by giving more weight to signatures from rural Nebraskans.The 15 states argue that federal judges have a limited role in reviewing “state-created systems” governing elections. States make similar arguments to defend gerrymandering, the ability of states to draw political boundaries to political advantage.The states in the brief argue that Nebraska’s requirement can be met legally. The brief questions whether a lower court had the legal right to enjoin the requirement without showing practical difficulties that the requirement created for the initiative process.“The Constitution protects the right to vote for one’s representatives in the republican form of government it guarantees,” the attorneys general wrote. “It does not regulate an entirely state-created right to direct democracy via ballot measures.<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/dist46_02-e1645833058419-150x150.jpg" alt="&nbsp; &nbsp;State Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)&nbsp;&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp; &nbsp;State Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The Nebraska Constitution requires people circulating petitions for ballot initiatives to gather signatures from 5% of registered voters in 38 of the state’s 93 counties. A state appeal restored the requirement while the federal lawsuit against it progresses.“No matter what county we live in, our signatures on a petition should carry equal weight,” ACLU Nebraska attorney Jane Seu said. “Nothing in this new amicus brief offers a compelling argument as to why Nebraskans should continue to be deprived of equal power.”The states backing Nebraska’s case are Arkansas, Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia. Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said the brief from other states “demonstrates that the district court’s decision threatens to give federal courts the power to micromanage states’ initiative processes.”“We appreciate their efforts to bring these concerns to the Eighth Circuit’s attention,” Peterson said.State Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln, co-chair of the effort to let voters choose whether to legalize medical marijuana, described the other states’ brief as “an unprecedented attack” on “Nebraskans’ right to have a constitutional ballot initiative process.”&nbsp;“We won’t be intimidated and we will not back down,” he said.The petition group turned in 93,000 and 91,000 signatures July 7 for two ballot initiatives needed to legalize medical marijuana. About 87,000 valid signatures are needed.The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office said Thursday it expects to finish verifying the petition signatures in August.&nbsp;New briefs are due soon in the appeal of an 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling to pause or stay the temporary injunction that a lower court granted against the state’s geographic requirement.&nbsp;

15 states back Nebraska AG’s effort to protect petition process from federal courts

POST PODCAST: Coffee Talk 7/28/22

&nbsp;The Grant County Sheriff's Office is investigating criminal mischief and&nbsp; trespassing that was reported on July 23 in Hyannis.&nbsp;

"Investigation revealed that persons damaged and destroyed eight golf carts and entered into secured areas," Grant County Sheriff Mike Rath said. "Suspects have been identified."

Physical and video evidence have been recovered. 

"Persons involved are in the process of being charged," Rath said. "If you were one of the ones present, it would be in your best interest, and for your future, to come forward now before it's too late."&nbsp; &nbsp;

Click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/1462577967/videos/781107879590800/">HERE</a> to view a Facebook video posted by the Grant County Sheriff's Office.&nbsp;

By KALIN KROHE Panhandle Post&nbsp;The Grant County Sheriff's Office is investigating criminal mischief and&nbsp; trespassing that was reported on July 23 in Hyannis.&nbsp;"Investigation revealed that persons damaged and destroyed eight golf carts and entered into secured areas," Grant County Sheriff Mike Rath said. "Suspects have been identified."Physical and video evidence have been recovered. "Persons involved are in the process of being charged," Rath said. "If you were one of the ones present, it would be in your best interest, and for your future, to come forward now before it's too late."&nbsp; &nbsp;Click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/1462577967/videos/781107879590800/">HERE</a> to view a Facebook video posted by the Grant County Sheriff's Office.&nbsp;

Grant Co. Sheriff's Office investigating golf cart mischief in Hyannis 

By Kerri Rempp, Sioux County Schools PIO

The Sioux County school board selected its winning bidder in the construction of a new elementary school Tuesday but will engage in value engineering with the contractor to eliminate an estimated $1 million in costs to bring it within budget.

Three bidders competed for the contract, with Eric Reichert Insulation of Scottsbluff submitting the lowest bid of $5,625,667.60. Samson Construction of Lincoln and Fuller Construction of Chadron were well out of the running with bids of $6,655,466 and 7,287,000. A construction estimate presented in December 2021 put the cost of the construction at $4.6 million.

The 80-year-old Harrison Elementary School is not ADA compliant. After reviewing a feasibility study, the board decided earlier this year to proceed with constructing a new elementary school. The board also secured financing for the project, locking in a 1.35% interest rate, with plans to pay for the construction by raising the property tax levy by 14 cents for seven years.

Jack Baker of Baker and Associates told the board Tuesday that several things have contributed to the escalating cost of construction since the estimate was presented. Fuel and material prices have been unpredictable and quotes from sub-contractors are not guaranteed. In addition, contractors’ time is at a premium as they are already overbooked.

“We’ve got kind of a log jam of work with not enough people to do the work,” Baker said. “To sum it up it’s a very volatile market right now.”

The bid for the building as designed comes in at $352 per square foot.

“That’s the highest we’ve ever seen for a building this size other than healthcare projects,” said Baker, adding that it’s still lower than the prices for similar projects in Wyoming.

Baker presented the board with several options, ranging from rejecting all bids, rebidding the project or awarding the bid to the lowest bidder and pursuing value engineering to bring the project within budget. While the district was apprised that it could access an additional $3 million in funding, it would impact changes to the levy even more, and the board dismissed that possibility outright.

There are ways to alter the project to save money, Baker said. The two best options for bringing the project into line with the district’s budget is to cut the size of the multi-purpose room, which was planned as a lunchroom, weight room and second gymnasium. The second is to move the entire building farther to the west of the project site and use an exterior ADA sidewalk to connect the buildings rather than an interior ramp. Both options push back the start date but should maintain a similar end date, Baker said.

Before the contract is signed and any work begins, the district and contractor will negotiate priorities and make adjustments to the design. Eric Reichert was optimistic about the process.

“I think we can get there,” he said, adding that he has already made suggestions to Baker and Associates on places to start.

After lengthy discussion, Superintendent Dr. Brett Gies expressed his views on the matter.

“My job is to make recommendations to the board. I have never stated my opinion. The committee never asked me for my opinion, and I have never shared it with the board because they are the boss,” he said. “I don’t think we need a full gym. I’ve never been in favor of that.”

Instead, he recommended providing enough space in the new building for a lunchroom and a weight room. He also said he prefers the new elementary school remain at the currently selected site with an interior ramp due to the difficulty of navigating an exterior sidewalk with a wheelchair during Sioux County winters.

“That to me makes a lot more common sense,” he said.

Patrons in attendance at the meeting suggested rebidding a steel building or constructing the current project on the site of the existing elementary lot. A steel building will cost the district more in maintenance year-to-year and won’t have a lifespan of 100 years, which the current project will, said Reichert. As to relocating the project, Baker said that would trim the budget by only about $100,000, and there are setbacks from the street to contend with at that location.

Another patron suggested using pods for a couple of years and rebidding in a couple of years. Reichert said he does not expect prices to come down, and Baker noted the district would lose its low interest rate if it followed that course of action. The board also noted that it has been advised that pods are not ADA compliant because it does not meet the “least restrict environment” definition. A final suggestion from the audience was to reconsider renovating the existing elementary school.

Board member Pat Andersen reminded the group that the feasibility study showed no good way to do so because of the layout of the school.

“I do think we’ve exhausted all the options there,” agreed board member Joleen Falkenburg.

“Everyone realizes we’ve dodged a bullet for 30-some years. We have to do something,” concluded board member Judd Skavdahl.

By Kerri Rempp, Sioux County Schools PIOThe Sioux County school board selected its winning bidder in the construction of a new elementary school Tuesday but will engage in value engineering with the contractor to eliminate an estimated $1 million in costs to bring it within budget.Three bidders competed for the contract, with Eric Reichert Insulation of Scottsbluff submitting the lowest bid of $5,625,667.60. Samson Construction of Lincoln and Fuller Construction of Chadron were well out of the running with bids of $6,655,466 and 7,287,000. A construction estimate presented in December 2021 put the cost of the construction at $4.6 million.The 80-year-old Harrison Elementary School is not ADA compliant. After reviewing a feasibility study, the board decided earlier this year to proceed with constructing a new elementary school. The board also secured financing for the project, locking in a 1.35% interest rate, with plans to pay for the construction by raising the property tax levy by 14 cents for seven years.Jack Baker of Baker and Associates told the board Tuesday that several things have contributed to the escalating cost of construction since the estimate was presented. Fuel and material prices have been unpredictable and quotes from sub-contractors are not guaranteed. In addition, contractors’ time is at a premium as they are already overbooked.“We’ve got kind of a log jam of work with not enough people to do the work,” Baker said. “To sum it up it’s a very volatile market right now.”The bid for the building as designed comes in at $352 per square foot.“That’s the highest we’ve ever seen for a building this size other than healthcare projects,” said Baker, adding that it’s still lower than the prices for similar projects in Wyoming.Baker presented the board with several options, ranging from rejecting all bids, rebidding the project or awarding the bid to the lowest bidder and pursuing value engineering to bring the project within budget. While the district was apprised that it could access an additional $3 million in funding, it would impact changes to the levy even more, and the board dismissed that possibility outright.There are ways to alter the project to save money, Baker said. The two best options for bringing the project into line with the district’s budget is to cut the size of the multi-purpose room, which was planned as a lunchroom, weight room and second gymnasium. The second is to move the entire building farther to the west of the project site and use an exterior ADA sidewalk to connect the buildings rather than an interior ramp. Both options push back the start date but should maintain a similar end date, Baker said.Before the contract is signed and any work begins, the district and contractor will negotiate priorities and make adjustments to the design. Eric Reichert was optimistic about the process.“I think we can get there,” he said, adding that he has already made suggestions to Baker and Associates on places to start.After lengthy discussion, Superintendent Dr. Brett Gies expressed his views on the matter.“My job is to make recommendations to the board. I have never stated my opinion. The committee never asked me for my opinion, and I have never shared it with the board because they are the boss,” he said. “I don’t think we need a full gym. I’ve never been in favor of that.”Instead, he recommended providing enough space in the new building for a lunchroom and a weight room. He also said he prefers the new elementary school remain at the currently selected site with an interior ramp due to the difficulty of navigating an exterior sidewalk with a wheelchair during Sioux County winters.“That to me makes a lot more common sense,” he said.Patrons in attendance at the meeting suggested rebidding a steel building or constructing the current project on the site of the existing elementary lot. A steel building will cost the district more in maintenance year-to-year and won’t have a lifespan of 100 years, which the current project will, said Reichert. As to relocating the project, Baker said that would trim the budget by only about $100,000, and there are setbacks from the street to contend with at that location.Another patron suggested using pods for a couple of years and rebidding in a couple of years. Reichert said he does not expect prices to come down, and Baker noted the district would lose its low interest rate if it followed that course of action. The board also noted that it has been advised that pods are not ADA compliant because it does not meet the “least restrict environment” definition. A final suggestion from the audience was to reconsider renovating the existing elementary school.Board member Pat Andersen reminded the group that the feasibility study showed no good way to do so because of the layout of the school.“I do think we’ve exhausted all the options there,” agreed board member Joleen Falkenburg.“Everyone realizes we’ve dodged a bullet for 30-some years. We have to do something,” concluded board member Judd Skavdahl.

Harrison school bid awarded, value engineering underway

LINCOLN–&nbsp;Governor Pete Ricketts joined 14 fellow Governors in writing a letter to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. urging him to abandon the Administration’s proposal to radically reinterpret Title IX.&nbsp;

Under President Biden’s leadership, the U.S. Department of Education (DOEd) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have proposed an unscientific reinterpretation of “discrimination on the basis of sex” to include “gender identity and sexual orientation.”&nbsp; The Governors sharply criticized the President for pursuing rule and policy changes that would discriminate against women and jeopardize their safety—in direct contradiction to the original intent of Title IX.

“Bad ideas have consequences.&nbsp; Bad policies have victims,” said Gov. Ricketts.&nbsp; “I am proud to join fellow Republican governors in support of women and children during the Biden Administration’s attack on Title IX.”

“By expanding Title IX to include gender identity and sexual orientation, your Administration puts girls and women of all ages at risk,” the Governors wrote in their letter to President Biden. &nbsp;“The DOEd rule would force any institution that receives federal financial aid to allow biological males to access women’s and girls’ locker rooms, bathrooms, and dorms, depriving them of privacy and safety at school. &nbsp;The rule ensures that a far-left ideology on gender will be taught in schools nationwide. &nbsp;And finally...the policy changes your Administration has already put forward leave us with no doubt that the Department intends to eliminate fairness in girls’ sports, too.”

The Governors also criticized President Biden for threatening to withhold school lunch aid unless schools comply with the Biden Administration’s extreme gender ideology.&nbsp; “To be clear, your Administration would take lunch money away from our kids and grandkids in pursuit of a radical agenda that has no basis in science and is not supported by the vast majority of the American people,” the Governors wrote.&nbsp;

Additionally, 22 state Attorneys General—including Nebraska AG Doug Peterson—<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tn.gov%2Fcontent%2Fdam%2Ftn%2Fattorneygeneral%2Fdocuments%2Fpr%2F2022%2Fpr22-24-complaint.pdf&amp;data=05%7C01%7CGOV-GENERALMEDIA%40LISTSERV.NEBRASKA.GOV%7C82b38c936d4e4ea675ac08da70184718%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637945546863975660%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=fcfPqSc1Rxhcj8sgt0FRqVgIPHr7T2j72QRUP62tmRI%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;yesterday against the Biden Administration to “challenge the unlawful and unnecessary new obligations and liabilities” the USDA has attempted to impose through its “flawed understanding” of Title IX.

Read the full letter from the Governors to President Biden by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Feqyoqjlfeb675zh%2FJoint%2520Letter%2520to%2520President%2520Biden%2520opposing%2520reinterpretation%2520of%2520Title%2520IX%25207.27.2022.pdf%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=05%7C01%7CGOV-GENERALMEDIA%40LISTSERV.NEBRASKA.GOV%7C82b38c936d4e4ea675ac08da70184718%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637945546863975660%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ERb0PAuzdAiYzJ2PBc25YbXAjWAFZ9sedtXlsMbX%2FC8%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1560600869383.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By GOVERNOR PETE RICKETTSLINCOLN–&nbsp;Governor Pete Ricketts joined 14 fellow Governors in writing a letter to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. urging him to abandon the Administration’s proposal to radically reinterpret Title IX.&nbsp;Under President Biden’s leadership, the U.S. Department of Education (DOEd) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have proposed an unscientific reinterpretation of “discrimination on the basis of sex” to include “gender identity and sexual orientation.”&nbsp; The Governors sharply criticized the President for pursuing rule and policy changes that would discriminate against women and jeopardize their safety—in direct contradiction to the original intent of Title IX.“Bad ideas have consequences.&nbsp; Bad policies have victims,” said Gov. Ricketts.&nbsp; “I am proud to join fellow Republican governors in support of women and children during the Biden Administration’s attack on Title IX.”“By expanding Title IX to include gender identity and sexual orientation, your Administration puts girls and women of all ages at risk,” the Governors wrote in their letter to President Biden. &nbsp;“The DOEd rule would force any institution that receives federal financial aid to allow biological males to access women’s and girls’ locker rooms, bathrooms, and dorms, depriving them of privacy and safety at school. &nbsp;The rule ensures that a far-left ideology on gender will be taught in schools nationwide. &nbsp;And finally...the policy changes your Administration has already put forward leave us with no doubt that the Department intends to eliminate fairness in girls’ sports, too.”The Governors also criticized President Biden for threatening to withhold school lunch aid unless schools comply with the Biden Administration’s extreme gender ideology.&nbsp; “To be clear, your Administration would take lunch money away from our kids and grandkids in pursuit of a radical agenda that has no basis in science and is not supported by the vast majority of the American people,” the Governors wrote.&nbsp;Additionally, 22 state Attorneys General—including Nebraska AG Doug Peterson—<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tn.gov%2Fcontent%2Fdam%2Ftn%2Fattorneygeneral%2Fdocuments%2Fpr%2F2022%2Fpr22-24-complaint.pdf&amp;data=05%7C01%7CGOV-GENERALMEDIA%40LISTSERV.NEBRASKA.GOV%7C82b38c936d4e4ea675ac08da70184718%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637945546863975660%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=fcfPqSc1Rxhcj8sgt0FRqVgIPHr7T2j72QRUP62tmRI%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;yesterday against the Biden Administration to “challenge the unlawful and unnecessary new obligations and liabilities” the USDA has attempted to impose through its “flawed understanding” of Title IX.Read the full letter from the Governors to President Biden by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Feqyoqjlfeb675zh%2FJoint%2520Letter%2520to%2520President%2520Biden%2520opposing%2520reinterpretation%2520of%2520Title%2520IX%25207.27.2022.pdf%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=05%7C01%7CGOV-GENERALMEDIA%40LISTSERV.NEBRASKA.GOV%7C82b38c936d4e4ea675ac08da70184718%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637945546863975660%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ERb0PAuzdAiYzJ2PBc25YbXAjWAFZ9sedtXlsMbX%2FC8%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

Ricketts blasts Biden Administration’s attack on Title IX, discrimination against women  

By United States Attorney in Nebraska

Acting United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Stetson Reinick, 35, was sentenced July 26, 2022, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.&nbsp; Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced Reinick to 110 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.

On September 21, 2020, law enforcement performed a trash pull at the residence of Reinick and co-defendant, Stephanie Mitchell. Law enforcement seized foil with burned residue that tested positive for heroin.&nbsp; As a result, they were able to obtain&nbsp; a search warrant for the residence. They located a backpack in a back bedroom that contained 21 grams of actual methamphetamine, scales, and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp; In Reinick’s bedroom, a handgun was found between the mattress and headboard on Reinick’s side of the bed.&nbsp;

Mitchell’s trial is scheduled for August 22, 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

This case was investigated by the Cheyenne County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office.

By United States Attorney in NebraskaActing United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Stetson Reinick, 35, was sentenced July 26, 2022, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.&nbsp; Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced Reinick to 110 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.On September 21, 2020, law enforcement performed a trash pull at the residence of Reinick and co-defendant, Stephanie Mitchell. Law enforcement seized foil with burned residue that tested positive for heroin.&nbsp; As a result, they were able to obtain&nbsp; a search warrant for the residence. They located a backpack in a back bedroom that contained 21 grams of actual methamphetamine, scales, and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp; In Reinick’s bedroom, a handgun was found between the mattress and headboard on Reinick’s side of the bed.&nbsp;Mitchell’s trial is scheduled for August 22, 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This case was investigated by the Cheyenne County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office.

Panhandle man sentenced for possession with intent to distribute Meth

For the third time ever, the Mega Millions game has a billion-dollar jackpot available to win. Because of the high jackpot, the Nebraska Lottery reminds customers to play responsibly.

The Mega Millions jackpot starts at $20 million and continues to grow each drawing until it is won. There have been 29 consecutive drawings since April 19 without a jackpot winner. This run has grown the estimated jackpot for Friday, July 29 drawing to $1.025 billion or $602.5 million with the cash option selected. This is the 3rd largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.

This jackpot run has produced one big winner here in Nebraska. In the July 22 drawing, one $10,000 Mega Millions winning ticket was sold at Hy-Vee Gas, 7608 Olson Drive in Papillion. This ticket matched four of the five white ball numbers (14, 40, 60, 64, 66) and the Mega Ball number (16) for $10,000.

The largest Mega Millions jackpot on record occurred in October 2018 when one winner in South Carolina won a $1.537 billion jackpot.

<a href="https://northplattepost.com/posts/2ddcec21-000f-4ace-b19e-4250120d6629">&nbsp;&nbsp;Download The Post app for iOs or Android</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659007177286.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Nebraska LotteryFor the third time ever, the Mega Millions game has a billion-dollar jackpot available to win. Because of the high jackpot, the Nebraska Lottery reminds customers to play responsibly.The Mega Millions jackpot starts at $20 million and continues to grow each drawing until it is won. There have been 29 consecutive drawings since April 19 without a jackpot winner. This run has grown the estimated jackpot for Friday, July 29 drawing to $1.025 billion or $602.5 million with the cash option selected. This is the 3rd largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.This jackpot run has produced one big winner here in Nebraska. In the July 22 drawing, one $10,000 Mega Millions winning ticket was sold at Hy-Vee Gas, 7608 Olson Drive in Papillion. This ticket matched four of the five white ball numbers (14, 40, 60, 64, 66) and the Mega Ball number (16) for $10,000.The largest Mega Millions jackpot on record occurred in October 2018 when one winner in South Carolina won a $1.537 billion jackpot.<a href="https://northplattepost.com/posts/2ddcec21-000f-4ace-b19e-4250120d6629">&nbsp;&nbsp;Download The Post app for iOs or Android</a><figure>
 <img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/WQVflw5e4EpHHRlXtBY-KVcAF0Xm8IKxYpB3n97TwaDZAzisQPOVU4YVChrR0HgXwXdKff881JeY0OQoOB0zl9hR16Zl1df0bobITrQApi4vXRQ-LP5alzySShCQF9B0zqCkpeXeM0C1WmYwedwWzg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Mega Millions jackpot over $1 billion for 3rd time in history

The City of Chadron experienced several water-main breaks in the area of N. Mears and W. Niobrara Avenue this morning. 

Water was shut off for a large area in Kenwood at about 8:00 a.m.

"Our staff discovered a number of non-working shut-off valves in the area as they tried to isolate the breaks," Chadron City Manager John Sutherland said. "And consequently we had to shut off water to a larger area than we would have liked. Water service was restored to the area about an hour ago[2 p.m.], and repairs seem to be holding."

By KALIN KROHEPanhandle Post&nbsp;The City of Chadron experienced several water-main breaks in the area of N. Mears and W. Niobrara Avenue this morning. Water was shut off for a large area in Kenwood at about 8:00 a.m."Our staff discovered a number of non-working shut-off valves in the area as they tried to isolate the breaks," Chadron City Manager John Sutherland said. "And consequently we had to shut off water to a larger area than we would have liked. Water service was restored to the area about an hour ago[2 p.m.], and repairs seem to be holding."

City of Chadron restores service following water-main breaks 

SCOTTSBLUFF - Western Nebraska Community College math instructor Amy Winters was selected by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society to serve on the Honors Program Council.&nbsp;

"I am honored and excited to be a part of this team," Winters said. "&nbsp;I am looking forward to getting to know the other members of the council and getting to share information and ideas."&nbsp;

The Honors Program Council is responsible for making recommendations about the biennial honors study topic, assisting with the Honors Program Guide, and serving on the Editorial Board for&nbsp;Civic Scholar: The Phi Theta Kappa Journal of Undergraduate Research.&nbsp;Council members are selected based on their broad knowledge of the Honors Study Topic, balance in their academic disciplines, and their understanding of and commitment to PTK.&nbsp;

Winters will serve as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) representative for a four-year term, ending in 2026.

Winters has been a full-time math instructor at WNCC since 2011 and serves as a faculty advisor for the Scottsbluff Campus' PTK chapter, Lambda Pi.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By WNCCSCOTTSBLUFF - Western Nebraska Community College math instructor Amy Winters was selected by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society to serve on the Honors Program Council.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658947954260.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"I am honored and excited to be a part of this team," Winters said. "&nbsp;I am looking forward to getting to know the other members of the council and getting to share information and ideas."&nbsp;The Honors Program Council is responsible for making recommendations about the biennial honors study topic, assisting with the Honors Program Guide, and serving on the Editorial Board for&nbsp;Civic Scholar: The Phi Theta Kappa Journal of Undergraduate Research.&nbsp;Council members are selected based on their broad knowledge of the Honors Study Topic, balance in their academic disciplines, and their understanding of and commitment to PTK.&nbsp;Winters will serve as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) representative for a four-year term, ending in 2026.Winters has been a full-time math instructor at WNCC since 2011 and serves as a faculty advisor for the Scottsbluff Campus' PTK chapter, Lambda Pi.&nbsp;&nbsp;

WNCC's Winters selected to serve on PTK Honors Program Council

News Release Federal Emergency Management Agency

WASHINGTON-FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Nebraska to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms and straight-line winds on May 12, 2022.

Federal funding also is available to state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and straight-line winds in Antelope, Boone, Burt, Cedar, Cuming, Custer, Dixon, Garfield, Greeley, Holt, Knox, Logan, Pierce, Polk, Sherman, Thurston, Valley, Wayne, Wheeler, and York counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Andrew P. Meyer has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further assessments.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654428622297.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Federal Emergency Management AgencyWASHINGTON-FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Nebraska to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms and straight-line winds on May 12, 2022.Federal funding also is available to state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and straight-line winds in Antelope, Boone, Burt, Cedar, Cuming, Custer, Dixon, Garfield, Greeley, Holt, Knox, Logan, Pierce, Polk, Sherman, Thurston, Valley, Wayne, Wheeler, and York counties.Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.Andrew P. Meyer has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further assessments.

President Biden approves Major Disaster Declaration for areas of Neb. affect by May storms

By Patricia Jones, Alliance Poverty Task Force

Poverty is defined as a lack of resources. We tend to think of this as not having enough financial resources, not enough money to cover basic needs. But many people lack the social resources required to get ahead. They have bonding capital, but not bridging capital.

Capital is an asset or resource, and the people we know count as our social resources, our social capital. Last week we talked about bonding capital, the people we are closely connected to. They are our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers. They tend to be like us and understand where we are coming from; they are the people we rely on. They give us emotional and material support.

Bonding capital helps people get by in their current situations, providing support in day-to-day lives. To get ahead, to create bridges out of poverty, we also need to have bridging capital. Bridging capital creates the leverage needed to move upward.

Bridging capital is the people we interact who are different from us and not in our immediate social circle. They might be people we know but don't really have in-depth conversations with. They might be people we talk to in certain circumstances: teachers, doctors, grocery store clerks, neighbors we don't really know well. They might be the people who staff the offices we must interact with.

More importantly, bridging social capital is closely linked to success in life. When we build a network of diverse people and develop respectful relationships with those people, then we can much more easily get ahead.

Bridging capital is such an important resource that it is part of every Bridges Out of Poverty program. In order for someone to move out of poverty, they need to address class issues directly. They need to learn about hidden rules and language registers so they can communicate with those outside their bonding capital circle. They need to learn to network with people who can help them and advise them as they navigate what is, for them, a new world. They need a mentor.

Where do these mentors come from? Churches and community organizations are a great source of bridging capital for their membership. Employers often see employees who have a great deal of underutilized talent and take them under their wing, training them to move up to positions with more responsibility.

How else can people in poverty build this social capital resource? Education is generally where people get their first opportunity for a hand up. People might get involved in activities in school, both when they are students and when they are parents. Activity sponsors and coaches often develop strong relationships with the kids they work with, and they mentor those kids long beyond the activity. Classroom teachers might develop relationships with students and

parents they see over the course of years. Sometimes the school offers programs like Teammates, pairing kids with adults who will help mentor them.

Our Department of Labor office long provided job applicants with bridging capital. They offered assessments to find strengths, they provided assistance in building resumes that stressed those strengths and focused on past activities that provided valuable experience. Then they worked to connect applicants with jobs that were a good match for those strengths and skills.

Western Nebraska Community College offers basic college-level classes as well as career training in a variety of fields. These classes create a strong network of bridging capital, both through instructors and potential employers. Friends who move into good jobs contact others when they see opportunities.

In the future we will look at more ways to bridge the gap between poverty and middle class. I will be taking the month of August off for some relaxation and renewal, so this column won't be appearing. We'll talk again in September.

By Patricia Jones, Alliance Poverty Task ForcePoverty is defined as a lack of resources. We tend to think of this as not having enough financial resources, not enough money to cover basic needs. But many people lack the social resources required to get ahead. They have bonding capital, but not bridging capital.Capital is an asset or resource, and the people we know count as our social resources, our social capital. Last week we talked about bonding capital, the people we are closely connected to. They are our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers. They tend to be like us and understand where we are coming from; they are the people we rely on. They give us emotional and material support.Bonding capital helps people get by in their current situations, providing support in day-to-day lives. To get ahead, to create bridges out of poverty, we also need to have bridging capital. Bridging capital creates the leverage needed to move upward.Bridging capital is the people we interact who are different from us and not in our immediate social circle. They might be people we know but don't really have in-depth conversations with. They might be people we talk to in certain circumstances: teachers, doctors, grocery store clerks, neighbors we don't really know well. They might be the people who staff the offices we must interact with.More importantly, bridging social capital is closely linked to success in life. When we build a network of diverse people and develop respectful relationships with those people, then we can much more easily get ahead.Bridging capital is such an important resource that it is part of every Bridges Out of Poverty program. In order for someone to move out of poverty, they need to address class issues directly. They need to learn about hidden rules and language registers so they can communicate with those outside their bonding capital circle. They need to learn to network with people who can help them and advise them as they navigate what is, for them, a new world. They need a mentor.Where do these mentors come from? Churches and community organizations are a great source of bridging capital for their membership. Employers often see employees who have a great deal of underutilized talent and take them under their wing, training them to move up to positions with more responsibility.How else can people in poverty build this social capital resource? Education is generally where people get their first opportunity for a hand up. People might get involved in activities in school, both when they are students and when they are parents. Activity sponsors and coaches often develop strong relationships with the kids they work with, and they mentor those kids long beyond the activity. Classroom teachers might develop relationships with students andparents they see over the course of years. Sometimes the school offers programs like Teammates, pairing kids with adults who will help mentor them.Our Department of Labor office long provided job applicants with bridging capital. They offered assessments to find strengths, they provided assistance in building resumes that stressed those strengths and focused on past activities that provided valuable experience. Then they worked to connect applicants with jobs that were a good match for those strengths and skills.Western Nebraska Community College offers basic college-level classes as well as career training in a variety of fields. These classes create a strong network of bridging capital, both through instructors and potential employers. Friends who move into good jobs contact others when they see opportunities.In the future we will look at more ways to bridge the gap between poverty and middle class. I will be taking the month of August off for some relaxation and renewal, so this column won't be appearing. We'll talk again in September.

Poverty In Our Area: Bridging capital 

The Sheridan County Fair continues through July 30 in Gordon.&nbsp;

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27 6:00 am-Farmer’s Coop Breakfast 9:30 am-11:00 am Beef Shows 2:00 pm-Cake Judging 4-5:00pm-Buyer Bonanza 5-7:00pm-Livestock, Cake, Cookie Jar Auction

THURSDAY, JULY 28 6:30 am- Security First Bank&nbsp;Doughnuts 7:00 am-Beef Check-In 9:00 am- PRCA Rodeo Slack 9:00am- Breeding Beef, Stockers, Dairy, Showmanship 1:00 pm- Cat Show 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM- INFLATABLES 2:00 pm- Dog Show 4:00 pm- Livestock Judging 7:00 pm- PRCA Rodeo 8:00 pm-11:30 pm- Teen Dance

FRIDAY, JULY 29 9:00 am-Rodeo Slack 9:00 am- Clover Bud Parade 10:00 am-Small Animal Round Robin 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM- INFLATABLES 1:00 pm-Large Animal Round Robin 3:30 pm - Packer Load Out 7:00 pm-PRCA Rodeo at McGinley Arena 9:00 pm-Rodeo Concert with Brad Morgan Band at McGinley Arena

SATURDAY, JULY 30 7:00 am-Cowboy Breakfast- Gordon Park 9am-4pm-Quilt Show-Next to Daylight Donuts 10:00 am– Parade on Main St "What A Ride" 10:30 am-Family Project Pick Up &amp; Open Class Pick Up 1:00 pm- Rubber Check Race at Arena 7:00 pm-PRCA Rodeo at McGinley Arena 9:00 pm-Rodeo Concert with Brad Morgan Band at McGinley Arena&nbsp;&nbsp;

By Panhandle PostThe Sheridan County Fair continues through July 30 in Gordon.&nbsp;This year's theme is "What a Ride".Below is a list of events.&nbsp;WEDNESDAY, JULY 27 6:00 am-Farmer’s Coop Breakfast 9:30 am-11:00 am Beef Shows 2:00 pm-Cake Judging 4-5:00pm-Buyer Bonanza 5-7:00pm-Livestock, Cake, Cookie Jar Auction THURSDAY, JULY 28 6:30 am- Security First Bank&nbsp;Doughnuts 7:00 am-Beef Check-In 9:00 am- PRCA Rodeo Slack 9:00am- Breeding Beef, Stockers, Dairy, Showmanship 1:00 pm- Cat Show 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM- INFLATABLES 2:00 pm- Dog Show 4:00 pm- Livestock Judging 7:00 pm- PRCA Rodeo 8:00 pm-11:30 pm- Teen Dance FRIDAY, JULY 29 9:00 am-Rodeo Slack 9:00 am- Clover Bud Parade 10:00 am-Small Animal Round Robin 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM- INFLATABLES 1:00 pm-Large Animal Round Robin 3:30 pm - Packer Load Out 7:00 pm-PRCA Rodeo at McGinley Arena 9:00 pm-Rodeo Concert with Brad Morgan Band at McGinley Arena SATURDAY, JULY 30 7:00 am-Cowboy Breakfast- Gordon Park 9am-4pm-Quilt Show-Next to Daylight Donuts 10:00 am– Parade on Main St "What A Ride" 10:30 am-Family Project Pick Up &amp; Open Class Pick Up 1:00 pm- Rubber Check Race at Arena 7:00 pm-PRCA Rodeo at McGinley Arena 9:00 pm-Rodeo Concert with Brad Morgan Band at McGinley Arena&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
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Sheridan County Fair continues in Gordon 

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — Rapid City officers have fatally shot a man with a gun outside a casino, police officials said.

According to Rapid City Police Chief Don Hedrick, the shooting happened shortly after 10:30 p.m. MDT Tuesday after officers responded to reports of someone firing a gun in the casino's parking lot.

Hedrick says the man fired at officers when they arrived,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/officer-involved-shooting-in-rapid-city-leaves-one-man-dead/">KELO-TV</a>&nbsp;reported.

“Our officers returned fire on the subject, and he is deceased. This appears to be an attack on police officers at this time,” Hedrick said.

Officials say a patrol car was struck by gunfire, but no officers were hurt.

The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation with assistance from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.

By Associated PressRAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — Rapid City officers have fatally shot a man with a gun outside a casino, police officials said.According to Rapid City Police Chief Don Hedrick, the shooting happened shortly after 10:30 p.m. MDT Tuesday after officers responded to reports of someone firing a gun in the casino's parking lot.Hedrick says the man fired at officers when they arrived,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/officer-involved-shooting-in-rapid-city-leaves-one-man-dead/">KELO-TV</a>&nbsp;reported.“Our officers returned fire on the subject, and he is deceased. This appears to be an attack on police officers at this time,” Hedrick said.Officials say a patrol car was struck by gunfire, but no officers were hurt.The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation with assistance from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.

Rapid City police fatally shoot man outside casino

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Railroads will be required to maintain two-person crews under a new rule announced Wednesday that will thwart industry efforts to cut crews down to one person.

The Federal Railroad Administration said in a rule published in the Federal Register that railroads will be required to continue using two-person crews in most circumstances as they haul all kinds of cargo, including hazardous materials, across the country. But there will be an exception to allow short-line railroads that have already been using one-man crews to continue using them if they can prove it is safe.

The railroads have argued that they should have the discretion to operate trains with only one person and move conductors out of locomotives to ground-based jobs in places where automatic braking systems have been installed. The proposal has been a key issue in the deadlocked contract talks between freight railroads and their 12 unions that are currently being reviewed by a special board of arbitrators that President Joe Biden appointed earlier this month.

Railroad labor groups have adamantly opposed one-person crews for years due to both safety concerns and preserving jobs. Labor agreements requiring two-person crews have been in place for roughly 30 years at the major railroads, although many short-line railroads operate with one-man crews already.

The arbitrators reviewing the contract talks that began more than two years ago have held hearings this week to hear proposals from both sides. Federal law prohibits rail unions from going on strike until mid September while that board develops a set of recommendations and both sides have a chance to negotiate a deal based on those recommendations.

Previously, the FRA issued a similar rule requiring two-person crews in 2016, but that rule was later abandoned during the Trump administration because the agency said at the time that there wasn't enough evidence to show that two-person crews are safer.

In the proposed rule announced Wednesday, regulators said the second crew member in the cab of locomotives can play a key role in helping monitor train operations and help make sure that safety rules are being followed.

Freight railroads had argued that the installation of a system that can stop trains automatically in certain circumstances, called Positive Train Control, made it unnecessary to have a second person in the locomotive

The railroad industry has emphasized that crash data doesn’t show that two-man crews are safer than one-person crews. But labor groups argued that the data can't show how safe one-person crews are because most railroads use two-person crews now.

By Associated PressOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Railroads will be required to maintain two-person crews under a new rule announced Wednesday that will thwart industry efforts to cut crews down to one person.The Federal Railroad Administration said in a rule published in the Federal Register that railroads will be required to continue using two-person crews in most circumstances as they haul all kinds of cargo, including hazardous materials, across the country. But there will be an exception to allow short-line railroads that have already been using one-man crews to continue using them if they can prove it is safe.The railroads have argued that they should have the discretion to operate trains with only one person and move conductors out of locomotives to ground-based jobs in places where automatic braking systems have been installed. The proposal has been a key issue in the deadlocked contract talks between freight railroads and their 12 unions that are currently being reviewed by a special board of arbitrators that President Joe Biden appointed earlier this month.Railroad labor groups have adamantly opposed one-person crews for years due to both safety concerns and preserving jobs. Labor agreements requiring two-person crews have been in place for roughly 30 years at the major railroads, although many short-line railroads operate with one-man crews already.The arbitrators reviewing the contract talks that began more than two years ago have held hearings this week to hear proposals from both sides. Federal law prohibits rail unions from going on strike until mid September while that board develops a set of recommendations and both sides have a chance to negotiate a deal based on those recommendations.Previously, the FRA issued a similar rule requiring two-person crews in 2016, but that rule was later abandoned during the Trump administration because the agency said at the time that there wasn't enough evidence to show that two-person crews are safer.In the proposed rule announced Wednesday, regulators said the second crew member in the cab of locomotives can play a key role in helping monitor train operations and help make sure that safety rules are being followed.Freight railroads had argued that the installation of a system that can stop trains automatically in certain circumstances, called Positive Train Control, made it unnecessary to have a second person in the locomotiveThe railroad industry has emphasized that crash data doesn’t show that two-man crews are safer than one-person crews. But labor groups argued that the data can't show how safe one-person crews are because most railroads use two-person crews now.

New rule to thwart railroad efforts to cut train crews to 1

Above is a list of the Dawes County Fair events in Chadron at the fair grounds.&nbsp;

The 136th annual fair will run from July 30 - Aug. 6

This year's fair theme is "Tough Enough To Wear Pink".&nbsp;

Click <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/594080b0bebafbdca4b259e9/t/62956efda520674872a863fa/1653960484935/2022+DC+Fair+Book.pdf">HERE</a> to view the fair book.&nbsp;

By Panhandle Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658873507864.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Above is a list of the Dawes County Fair events in Chadron at the fair grounds.&nbsp;The 136th annual fair will run from July 30 - Aug. 6This year's fair theme is "Tough Enough To Wear Pink".&nbsp;Click <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/594080b0bebafbdca4b259e9/t/62956efda520674872a863fa/1653960484935/2022+DC+Fair+Book.pdf">HERE</a> to view the fair book.&nbsp;<figure>
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658873875790.png" alt="Designed by&nbsp;Mylee Kvistad.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Designed by&nbsp;Mylee Kvistad.&nbsp;</figcaption>
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Dawes County Fair schedule of events 

This month, I issued a proclamation declaring July 2022 as “Victims of Communism Month” in Nebraska. &nbsp;This is the second year in a row that I’ve issued this proclamation as a way to highlight the atrocities committed by Communist governments. &nbsp;There’s no clearer example than the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), whose regime is a human rights abuser to its own people. &nbsp;In recent years, the CCP has ruthlessly crushed dissent in Hong Kong.&nbsp; It has committed genocide against ethnic Uighurs.&nbsp; And it is one of the world’s worst abusers of religious freedom.&nbsp;

This proclamation also serves to remind Nebraskans of the CCP’s corrosive reach abroad. &nbsp;As the leader of the free world, America is one of the CCP’s biggest targets, and we know they are conducting large-scale operations to steal trade secrets, spy on Americans, and disrupt our way of life.&nbsp;

Intellectual property theft is draining away American wealth, and the CCP is by far the biggest culprit.&nbsp; The U.S. government estimates that intellectual property theft costs Americans between $225 billion and $600 billion annually.&nbsp; That’s 2 to 5 times the amount of&nbsp;all&nbsp;goods and services produced in Nebraska each year.

By Gov. Pete RickettsThis month, I issued a proclamation declaring July 2022 as “Victims of Communism Month” in Nebraska. &nbsp;This is the second year in a row that I’ve issued this proclamation as a way to highlight the atrocities committed by Communist governments. &nbsp;There’s no clearer example than the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), whose regime is a human rights abuser to its own people. &nbsp;In recent years, the CCP has ruthlessly crushed dissent in Hong Kong.&nbsp; It has committed genocide against ethnic Uighurs.&nbsp; And it is one of the world’s worst abusers of religious freedom.&nbsp;This proclamation also serves to remind Nebraskans of the CCP’s corrosive reach abroad. &nbsp;As the leader of the free world, America is one of the CCP’s biggest targets, and we know they are conducting large-scale operations to steal trade secrets, spy on Americans, and disrupt our way of life.&nbsp;Intellectual property theft is draining away American wealth, and the CCP is by far the biggest culprit.&nbsp; The U.S. government estimates that intellectual property theft costs Americans between $225 billion and $600 billion annually.&nbsp; That’s 2 to 5 times the amount of&nbsp;all&nbsp;goods and services produced in Nebraska each year.I’m especially alarmed by the CCP’s theft of agricultural trade secrets.&nbsp; To feed its population, China must import more agricultural goods than any other country.&nbsp; President Xi Jinping has made it a priority to ramp up agricultural production in China.&nbsp; But to achieve this goal, the CCP has targeted the theft of U.S. ag technologies—especially genetically modified (GM) seeds.&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>In April 2022, a Chinese national was sentenced to prison for conspiracy to commit economic espionage.&nbsp; He worked at Monsanto in Missouri for nearly a decade before he was caught trying to board a one-way flight to China.&nbsp; Federal authorities discovered a miniature SD card in his possession containing technology stolen from Monsanto.</li><li>In 2018, U.S. Customs and Border Protection found stolen rice seeds in the luggage of two Chinese nationals at the Honolulu airport.&nbsp; At the time, both individuals were working as crop researchers in China.&nbsp; They had taken the seeds while visiting a research center in Arkansas and a rice production facility in Kansas.</li><li>And in 2016, a Chinese scientist was convicted of stealing GM seeds from cornfields in Iowa. &nbsp;He had collected thousands of seed samples from Monsanto and Pioneer test fields, shipping them to China where they could be used to develop similar hybrids.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>The CCP is trying to cheat to better compete with U.S. farmers. &nbsp;But it may have more sinister designs.&nbsp; The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission has expressed concern about the CCP using American ag secrets to damage the U.S. food supply.&nbsp; In May 2022, the Commission warned that, “Similar to hacking a computer code, Beijing could easily hack the code or DNA of U.S. GM seeds and conduct biowarfare by creating some type of blight that could destroy U.S. crops.”In addition to sending covert agents to infiltrate U.S. companies, the CCP engages in organized cybercrime.&nbsp; FBI Director Christopher Wray has reported that the CCP’s state-sponsored hacking operations are bigger than those of all other nations combined.&nbsp;Using sophisticated malware, a Chinese state hacking group known as APT 41 was able to hack into the systems of 30 multinational manufacturers and tech companies.&nbsp; Starting in 2019, the group stole trillions of dollars’ worth of blueprints, formulas, and other trade secrets.&nbsp; This included fighter jet and missile designs, information on pharmaceutical drugs, and solar panel technologies.&nbsp;China thinks in terms of decades and centuries.&nbsp; Their communist government is playing the long game, gradually gaining leverage in the hopes of achieving strategic superiority.&nbsp; And social media has given them another foothold.&nbsp; The CCP is actively mining data from China-based tech companies like TikTok.&nbsp; The CCP’s national intelligence law requires TikTok to turn over any data it collects to the Chinese government—including data on the roughly 100 million Americans who use TikTok each month.With data from TikTok, the CCP can access users’ fingerprints and facial images.&nbsp; In turn, this biometric data can be sold on China’s black market to criminals engaged in identity theft.&nbsp; The CCP can make use of this information to bypass security protocols to access classified files.&nbsp; And they can study the browsing habits of TikTok users to more effectively spread propaganda.&nbsp; It’s why Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr has called TikTok an “unacceptable national security risk” and urged Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores.To maintain the security of data owned by the State of Nebraska, and to safeguard against the intrusive cyber activities of China’s communist government, we blocked TikTok from being loaded onto State devices in August 2020.&nbsp; I strongly advise companies across Nebraska to do the same.&nbsp; If you’re using TikTok, the Chinese Communist Party can access your personal data.As Governor, I’ll continue to watch for ways we can better protect Nebraska’s innovators, producers, and leaders to guard against China’s aggression. &nbsp;You can view the full text of the Victims of Communism Month proclamation&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Faosv0f9m8mogroo%2F2022%2520Victims%2520of%2520Communism%2520Remembrance%2520Month.jpg%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7Cc3dc45b9e9c54f58315208da6f3382af%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637944564276122503%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=4BowTHiDhffQW4nFa4QjE7j5oR1FHUBKj8DWjNJ%2FH3s%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp; If you’d like to learn more about the State of Nebraska’s work to counter China’s communist government, please email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov" target="_blank">pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;or call 402-471-2244.&nbsp;

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