Lincoln, Neb. –&nbsp;August 11 is right around the corner, and Black Hills Energy hopes the date will remind Nebraskans to call 811 before starting any projects that require digging.

The summer is peak season for working in the garden and tackling home improvement and construction projects, making it incredibly important to take steps to avoid striking any underground utility lines when digging. Always call 811 at least two business days prior to digging projects.

When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to Nebraska811, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of the intent to dig. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, or planting a tree are examples of digging projects that necessitate a call to 811 before starting. Requests can also be made online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ne1call.com/" target="_blank">www.ne1call.com</a>.&nbsp;Professional utility locators will arrive at the digging site to mark the approximate location of underground utility lines with flags, spray paint or both.

Every nine minutes, an underground utility line is damaged in America because of digging without first contacting 811. Striking a single line can result in injury, repair costs or fines, and outages. For every digging project, no matter how large or small, call or click 811 – it’s free, it’s safe and it’s the law.

“Our most important responsibility is the safety of our customers, employees and the communities we serve, and that includes safe digging any time of year,”&nbsp;said Kevin Jarosz, vice president of operations in Nebraska.&nbsp; “On August 11 and throughout the year, we remind homeowners and professional contractors alike to use the free 811 service before digging to reduce the risk of striking an underground utility line. As we continue to rely on important utilities to keep us connected and safe, contacting Nebraska811 is really the only way to know which utilities are buried in your area so that you can dig safely.”

1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Call or Click Before You Dig. Always “Call or Click Before You Dig” at least two working days in advance to have utility lines marked.&nbsp; You can call 811 toll-free, or schedule online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ne1call.com/" target="_blank">www.ne1call.com</a>&nbsp;.&nbsp;&nbsp;At no charge to you, utility locators will respond within two business days to mark the approximate location of buried utility lines at your site with color-coded paint or flags.

2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mark Your Planned Excavation Site. Using white spray paint, stakes, or flags mark the area around your planned excavation site before you call. “White-lining” helps the utility locator understand your plan and reduces the chance for project delays if the utility locator must return to locate additional areas.

3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Respect the Marks. Always dig with care and use a shovel within 18 to 24 inches of any utility lines as opposed to using heavy equipment. Just a nick can create a weak spot that may develop into a gas leak, cause an electrical or internet outage or result in injury.

4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Don’t Rely on Old Line Locate Marks. If you don’t dig within 10 days of having utility lines marked, contact Nebraska811:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ne1call.com/" target="_blank">www.ne1call.com</a>. At no charge, utility locators will gladly return to re-mark the lines as quickly as possible. Never rely on outdated information.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://call811.com/" target="_blank">www.call811.com</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.blackhillsenergy.com/811" target="_blank">www.blackhillsenergy.com/811</a>&nbsp;for more information about 811 and safe digging practices.

By Black Hills Energy&nbsp;Lincoln, Neb. –&nbsp;August 11 is right around the corner, and Black Hills Energy hopes the date will remind Nebraskans to call 811 before starting any projects that require digging.The summer is peak season for working in the garden and tackling home improvement and construction projects, making it incredibly important to take steps to avoid striking any underground utility lines when digging. Always call 811 at least two business days prior to digging projects.When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to Nebraska811, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of the intent to dig. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, or planting a tree are examples of digging projects that necessitate a call to 811 before starting. Requests can also be made online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ne1call.com/" target="_blank">www.ne1call.com</a>.&nbsp;Professional utility locators will arrive at the digging site to mark the approximate location of underground utility lines with flags, spray paint or both.Every nine minutes, an underground utility line is damaged in America because of digging without first contacting 811. Striking a single line can result in injury, repair costs or fines, and outages. For every digging project, no matter how large or small, call or click 811 – it’s free, it’s safe and it’s the law.“Our most important responsibility is the safety of our customers, employees and the communities we serve, and that includes safe digging any time of year,”&nbsp;said Kevin Jarosz, vice president of operations in Nebraska.&nbsp; “On August 11 and throughout the year, we remind homeowners and professional contractors alike to use the free 811 service before digging to reduce the risk of striking an underground utility line. As we continue to rely on important utilities to keep us connected and safe, contacting Nebraska811 is really the only way to know which utilities are buried in your area so that you can dig safely.”Black Hills Energy reminds you:1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Call or Click Before You Dig. Always “Call or Click Before You Dig” at least two working days in advance to have utility lines marked.&nbsp; You can call 811 toll-free, or schedule online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ne1call.com/" target="_blank">www.ne1call.com</a>&nbsp;.&nbsp;&nbsp;At no charge to you, utility locators will respond within two business days to mark the approximate location of buried utility lines at your site with color-coded paint or flags.2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mark Your Planned Excavation Site. Using white spray paint, stakes, or flags mark the area around your planned excavation site before you call. “White-lining” helps the utility locator understand your plan and reduces the chance for project delays if the utility locator must return to locate additional areas.3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Respect the Marks. Always dig with care and use a shovel within 18 to 24 inches of any utility lines as opposed to using heavy equipment. Just a nick can create a weak spot that may develop into a gas leak, cause an electrical or internet outage or result in injury.4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Don’t Rely on Old Line Locate Marks. If you don’t dig within 10 days of having utility lines marked, contact Nebraska811:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ne1call.com/" target="_blank">www.ne1call.com</a>. At no charge, utility locators will gladly return to re-mark the lines as quickly as possible. Never rely on outdated information.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://call811.com/" target="_blank">www.call811.com</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.blackhillsenergy.com/811" target="_blank">www.blackhillsenergy.com/811</a>&nbsp;for more information about 811 and safe digging practices.

Black Hills Energy recognizes 811 Day

The City of Chadron is announcing that the water restrictions issued earlier today have been lifted. 

 We want to thank the citizens for their patience and cooperation.&nbsp;

The City of Chadron is issuing a water restriction from today from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. or until further notice. 

To maintain an adequate amount of water for the entire town during this time period we will be asking the citizens to minimize their water usage including watering of lawns, washing cars, anything that is non- mandatory. 

By City of ChadronUpdate: 5 p.m.The City of Chadron is announcing that the water restrictions issued earlier today have been lifted. We want to thank the citizens for their patience and cooperation.&nbsp;. . . . . .The City of Chadron is issuing a water restriction from today from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. or until further notice. To maintain an adequate amount of water for the entire town during this time period we will be asking the citizens to minimize their water usage including watering of lawns, washing cars, anything that is non- mandatory. Thank You for your cooperation.

UPDATE: City of Chadron water restrictions lifted

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is closing several areas in the Panhandle southwest of Gering to help firefighters battling wildfires.

Cedar Canyon Wildlife Management Area, Montz Point WMA, and Carter Canyon and Montz Point, both part of Platte River Basin Environments,&nbsp;are closed so firefighters are not hindered by vehicle traffic.

These areas are closed to all public access. 

The public is asked to stay away as area residents may be using the roads to evacuate personal belongings or move livestock to safety.

The Alliance, Chadron, Hemingford, Bridgeport and other Panhandle Volunteer Fire Departments are assisting with these wildfires.&nbsp;

By Nebraska Game and Parks<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659291772180.jpeg" alt="Photo by Justin Burgess" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Justin Burgess</figcaption>
 </figure>The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is closing several areas in the Panhandle southwest of Gering to help firefighters battling wildfires.Cedar Canyon Wildlife Management Area, Montz Point WMA, and Carter Canyon and Montz Point, both part of Platte River Basin Environments,&nbsp;are closed so firefighters are not hindered by vehicle traffic.These areas are closed to all public access. The public is asked to stay away as area residents may be using the roads to evacuate personal belongings or move livestock to safety.The Alliance, Chadron, Hemingford, Bridgeport and other Panhandle Volunteer Fire Departments are assisting with these wildfires.&nbsp;

Public areas in Panhandle closed due to wildfires south of Gering

A 42-year-old Gering man drowned in a swimming accident July 29 at Lake Minatare State Recreation Area near Minatare.

At about 2:30 p.m., the man jumped from his boat to swim and as his boat drifted away, he went under. The passengers on his boat attempted to rescue him and nearby boaters assisted, performing CPR on the man as they returned to shore.

Nebraska State Patrol troopers met them at the boat ramp and continued life-saving measures. &nbsp;

The man was taken to Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff where he was pronounced dead.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission assisted at the scene.

By Nebraska Game and Parks&nbsp;A 42-year-old Gering man drowned in a swimming accident July 29 at Lake Minatare State Recreation Area near Minatare.At about 2:30 p.m., the man jumped from his boat to swim and as his boat drifted away, he went under. The passengers on his boat attempted to rescue him and nearby boaters assisted, performing CPR on the man as they returned to shore.Nebraska State Patrol troopers met them at the boat ramp and continued life-saving measures. &nbsp;The man was taken to Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff where he was pronounced dead.Nebraska Game and Parks Commission assisted at the scene.

Gering man drowns at Lake Minatare

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday dismissed an appeal from South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem in her lawsuit that attempted to overturn the National Park Service's denial of the state's application to hold a fireworks display at Mount Rushmore to celebrate 2021's Independence Day.

The Eighth Circuit of Appeals found that South Dakota's objections to the Park Service's decision were moot because it was in the past and the federal government was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-travel-lifestyle-government-and-politics-44a2bfb9a46e0e37d96fba34fb30f941">within its rights to deny</a>&nbsp;the state from shooting off fireworks at the national memorial.

"The bottom line is that we cannot change what happened last year, and South Dakota has not demonstrated that deciding this otherwise moot case will impact any future permitting decision," Judge David Stras wrote in the court’s opinion. “Any controversy has, in other words, fizzled out.”

The Republican governor, who has positioned herself for a 2021 White House bid, has used the fireworks celebration as a political rallying point. She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/55a936aacf7bec161fd141b80ce23d96">hosted former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;at the 2020 celebration, and the patriotic display, held during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, figured largely in her rise to national prominence. It was also the first time fireworks had been held at Mount Rushmore in nearly a decade.

Noem blamed President Joe Biden for the permit denial and insisted that the court erred in its ruling.

“Unfortunately, the Biden Administration ran out the clock, blocking both our celebration and any serious judicial review," she said in a statement. “The Court should have ruled on the merits to set a standard for future fireworks celebrations.”

South Dakota has paid nearly $230,000 to Consovoy McCarthy, a Virginia-based law firm that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0ae7ab874aaf4ead9fc7d9e811cad60e">taken up Republican causes</a>&nbsp;across the country, including working for Trump, to represent the state in court.

The court’s decision left open the possibility of the Park Service allowing a pyrotechnic display in the future, and Noem has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-donald-trump-kristi-noem-55156ef3ed36a32b44520a38a923d9c9">already applied</a>&nbsp;for a permit for next year. The Park Service denied Noem's 2022 application for fireworks, citing objections from Native American tribes, wildfire risks and other environmental concerns.

The Park Service declined to comment on the ruling.

The National Parks Conservation Association, an independent organization that had filed an amicus brief in the case to support the Park Service, praised the ruling.

“The adverse effects from previous firework displays are well-documented, including threats to water quality and public health and safety, and to the very resources the park was designated to celebrate and protect,” Christine Goepfert, the association's Midwest Associate Director, said in a statement.

Noem had also argued that the Park Service's decision was politically motivated as well as one that should only be made by Congress.

But Stras and the two other judges who issued the opinion disagreed: “Nobody has a right to shoot off fireworks on someone else’s land, whether it be a neighbor; an area business; or as is the case here, a national park.”

By Associated PressSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday dismissed an appeal from South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem in her lawsuit that attempted to overturn the National Park Service's denial of the state's application to hold a fireworks display at Mount Rushmore to celebrate 2021's Independence Day.The Eighth Circuit of Appeals found that South Dakota's objections to the Park Service's decision were moot because it was in the past and the federal government was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-travel-lifestyle-government-and-politics-44a2bfb9a46e0e37d96fba34fb30f941">within its rights to deny</a>&nbsp;the state from shooting off fireworks at the national memorial."The bottom line is that we cannot change what happened last year, and South Dakota has not demonstrated that deciding this otherwise moot case will impact any future permitting decision," Judge David Stras wrote in the court’s opinion. “Any controversy has, in other words, fizzled out.”The Republican governor, who has positioned herself for a 2021 White House bid, has used the fireworks celebration as a political rallying point. She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/55a936aacf7bec161fd141b80ce23d96">hosted former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;at the 2020 celebration, and the patriotic display, held during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, figured largely in her rise to national prominence. It was also the first time fireworks had been held at Mount Rushmore in nearly a decade.Noem blamed President Joe Biden for the permit denial and insisted that the court erred in its ruling.“Unfortunately, the Biden Administration ran out the clock, blocking both our celebration and any serious judicial review," she said in a statement. “The Court should have ruled on the merits to set a standard for future fireworks celebrations.”South Dakota has paid nearly $230,000 to Consovoy McCarthy, a Virginia-based law firm that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0ae7ab874aaf4ead9fc7d9e811cad60e">taken up Republican causes</a>&nbsp;across the country, including working for Trump, to represent the state in court.The court’s decision left open the possibility of the Park Service allowing a pyrotechnic display in the future, and Noem has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-donald-trump-kristi-noem-55156ef3ed36a32b44520a38a923d9c9">already applied</a>&nbsp;for a permit for next year. The Park Service denied Noem's 2022 application for fireworks, citing objections from Native American tribes, wildfire risks and other environmental concerns.The Park Service declined to comment on the ruling.The National Parks Conservation Association, an independent organization that had filed an amicus brief in the case to support the Park Service, praised the ruling.“The adverse effects from previous firework displays are well-documented, including threats to water quality and public health and safety, and to the very resources the park was designated to celebrate and protect,” Christine Goepfert, the association's Midwest Associate Director, said in a statement.Noem had also argued that the Park Service's decision was politically motivated as well as one that should only be made by Congress.But Stras and the two other judges who issued the opinion disagreed: “Nobody has a right to shoot off fireworks on someone else’s land, whether it be a neighbor; an area business; or as is the case here, a national park.”

Federal court denies Noem's Mount Rushmore fireworks appeal

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">CINDY GONZALEZ</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/google-aims-to-help-nebraskas-demand-for-construction-workers/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — At least 100 teens, mostly in Omaha and Lincoln, will be offered a jump-start to a career in the construction industry and skilled trades as the result of a $150,000 Google grant.

The global technology giant on Wednesday announced a partnership with the Nebraska chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors that will provide pre-apprentice training to high school seniors and recent graduates.

The building and contractors group is to supply teachers, job shadow experiences and career fairs for the Construction 101 Certification Program, which is to be based at training centers in Omaha, Lincoln and possibly Council Bluffs.

The Google funds are to cover tuition and book costs, transportation, child care and meals. Students are to receive a $300 stipend upon completion of the program that introduces them to foundational skills needed to land a job in the construction industry during an era of record demand for workers.&nbsp;

Nebraska employment data shows the state with its lowest unemployment rate ever.

The latest state data shows that private industries with the most job growth during the last month were leisure and hospitality and construction.

The goal of the training program, said Anne Klute, president and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors Nebraska South Dakota Chapter, is to help fill the demand for skilled construction professionals and to engage a population in need of workforce opportunities.

“Google’s support will help us reach more community members who lack access to education and support needed to get into the construction and trade industries,” Klute said. “These programs are designed to help individuals find a meaningful job that offers security, room to grow and financial stability for them and their families.”&nbsp;

Klute said that more than 46,000 workers in Nebraska have already chosen a career in construction, yet a “massive” skilled workforce shortage still exists. She cited an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.org/News-Media/News-Releases/entryid/19255/abc-construction-industry-faces-workforce-shortage-of-650-000-in-2022">analysis by the ABC</a>, which reported that the construction industry nationally needs to attract nearly 650,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2022 to meet the demand for labor.

The report said the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act and stimulus from pandemic relief is expected to pump billions in new spending into infrastructure projects.

Of the Google grant, Klute said: “Investments like these build the people who are building the places where we live, work, play, heal and learn, and this foundational program will equip these local workers with the tools they need to build their career dreams.”

Wendy Peterson, Google’s regional workforce development leader, said the company is thrilled to work with the ABC. The grant is part of a larger effort to connect more Americans to quality training and jobs.

This year, Google is contributing $1.2 million toward education and pre-apprenticeship training programs for construction and skilled trades in five states where it operates data centers.

Klute said the funds should cover enrollment of at least 100 students, and probably more, depending on various factors.

Participants are to receive insight into job opportunities, as well. For<a target="_blank" href="http://www.abcnebraska.org/">&nbsp;more information</a>&nbsp;or applications call 402.477.4451.

<a target="_blank" href="https://economicimpact.google.com/state/ne/?utm_source=shortlink2">Google entered</a>&nbsp;Nebraska in 2019, with a data center in Papillion. Earlier this year, the company broke ground on a data center in northwest Omaha.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659266294083.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">CINDY GONZALEZ</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/google-aims-to-help-nebraskas-demand-for-construction-workers/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — At least 100 teens, mostly in Omaha and Lincoln, will be offered a jump-start to a career in the construction industry and skilled trades as the result of a $150,000 Google grant.The global technology giant on Wednesday announced a partnership with the Nebraska chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors that will provide pre-apprentice training to high school seniors and recent graduates.<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IMG_6435-300x268.jpg" alt="Bling at a 2022 Google event in Papillion to announce an investment. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Bling at a 2022 Google event in Papillion to announce an investment. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>The building and contractors group is to supply teachers, job shadow experiences and career fairs for the Construction 101 Certification Program, which is to be based at training centers in Omaha, Lincoln and possibly Council Bluffs.<h2>$300 stipend</h2>The Google funds are to cover tuition and book costs, transportation, child care and meals. Students are to receive a $300 stipend upon completion of the program that introduces them to foundational skills needed to land a job in the construction industry during an era of record demand for workers.&nbsp;Nebraska employment data shows the state with its lowest unemployment rate ever.The latest state data shows that private industries with the most job growth during the last month were leisure and hospitality and construction.The goal of the training program, said Anne Klute, president and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors Nebraska South Dakota Chapter, is to help fill the demand for skilled construction professionals and to engage a population in need of workforce opportunities.“Google’s support will help us reach more community members who lack access to education and support needed to get into the construction and trade industries,” Klute said. “These programs are designed to help individuals find a meaningful job that offers security, room to grow and financial stability for them and their families.”&nbsp;Klute said that more than 46,000 workers in Nebraska have already chosen a career in construction, yet a “massive” skilled workforce shortage still exists. She cited an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.org/News-Media/News-Releases/entryid/19255/abc-construction-industry-faces-workforce-shortage-of-650-000-in-2022">analysis by the ABC</a>, which reported that the construction industry nationally needs to attract nearly 650,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2022 to meet the demand for labor.The report said the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act and stimulus from pandemic relief is expected to pump billions in new spending into infrastructure projects.<h2>Build people who build places</h2>Of the Google grant, Klute said: “Investments like these build the people who are building the places where we live, work, play, heal and learn, and this foundational program will equip these local workers with the tools they need to build their career dreams.”Wendy Peterson, Google’s regional workforce development leader, said the company is thrilled to work with the ABC. The grant is part of a larger effort to connect more Americans to quality training and jobs.This year, Google is contributing $1.2 million toward education and pre-apprenticeship training programs for construction and skilled trades in five states where it operates data centers.Klute said the funds should cover enrollment of at least 100 students, and probably more, depending on various factors.Participants are to receive insight into job opportunities, as well. For<a target="_blank" href="http://www.abcnebraska.org/">&nbsp;more information</a>&nbsp;or applications call 402.477.4451.<a target="_blank" href="https://economicimpact.google.com/state/ne/?utm_source=shortlink2">Google entered</a>&nbsp;Nebraska in 2019, with a data center in Papillion. Earlier this year, the company broke ground on a data center in northwest Omaha.

Google aims to help Nebraska’s demand for construction workers

LINCOLN, NEB.&nbsp; — The Nebraska State Patrol is urging motorists to maintain safe speeds as the summer travel season continues.

The guidance is part of the national&nbsp;Stop Speeding Before It Stops You&nbsp;campaign, which is running from July 20 through August 14. The National Safety Council reports that speeding was a factor in 29% of traffic fatalities across the country in 2020.

Since July 20, troopers have performed 23 traffic stops for vehicles traveling at or over 100 miles per hour. An additional 101 traffic stops were performed for vehicles traveling between 90 and 99 miles per hour.

“Speeding increases the risk of severe injury or fatality crashes for everyone on the road,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Our troopers will continue working diligently across the state to maintain safe roads. We urge all drivers to do their part as well by watching their speed and following posted speed limits.”

Since the effort began, troopers have issued a total of 525 speeding citations and over 1,200 warnings for speeding. Troopers will continue working overtime throughout the state as part of this campaign.

Stop Speeding Before It Stops You&nbsp;is made possible thanks in part to a grant for $20,000 from the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Highway Safety Office.

By Nebraska State PatrolLINCOLN, NEB.&nbsp; — The Nebraska State Patrol is urging motorists to maintain safe speeds as the summer travel season continues.The guidance is part of the national&nbsp;Stop Speeding Before It Stops You&nbsp;campaign, which is running from July 20 through August 14. The National Safety Council reports that speeding was a factor in 29% of traffic fatalities across the country in 2020.Since July 20, troopers have performed 23 traffic stops for vehicles traveling at or over 100 miles per hour. An additional 101 traffic stops were performed for vehicles traveling between 90 and 99 miles per hour.“Speeding increases the risk of severe injury or fatality crashes for everyone on the road,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Our troopers will continue working diligently across the state to maintain safe roads. We urge all drivers to do their part as well by watching their speed and following posted speed limits.”Since the effort began, troopers have issued a total of 525 speeding citations and over 1,200 warnings for speeding. Troopers will continue working overtime throughout the state as part of this campaign.Stop Speeding Before It Stops You&nbsp;is made possible thanks in part to a grant for $20,000 from the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Highway Safety Office.

NSP emphasizes safe speeds as summer travel continues

Gering, NE – Did you know that before the Studebaker company began building automobiles, they built wagons?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Come join monument volunteer Jerry Lucas at the amphitheater behind the Scotts Bluff National Monument visitor center on Tuesday, August 2 at 7:00 p.m. for this FREE program. We will take a closer look at the Studebaker family’s history and ability to succeed through adaptation and innovation. In the event of inclement weather, this program will be moved indoors to the visitor center theater. The Scotts Bluff National Monument outdoor amphitheater is located at 190276 Old Oregon Trail in Gering, NE.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Further information about Scotts Bluff National Monument programs and schedules are available at the visitor center, by calling 308-436-9700 or by visiting our website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nps.gov/scbl/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.nps.gov/scbl/index.htm</a>&nbsp;or Facebook at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/scottsbluffnps" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/scottsbluffnps</a>.&nbsp;

By Scotts Bluff National MonumentGering, NE – Did you know that before the Studebaker company began building automobiles, they built wagons?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Come join monument volunteer Jerry Lucas at the amphitheater behind the Scotts Bluff National Monument visitor center on Tuesday, August 2 at 7:00 p.m. for this FREE program. We will take a closer look at the Studebaker family’s history and ability to succeed through adaptation and innovation. In the event of inclement weather, this program will be moved indoors to the visitor center theater. The Scotts Bluff National Monument outdoor amphitheater is located at 190276 Old Oregon Trail in Gering, NE.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Further information about Scotts Bluff National Monument programs and schedules are available at the visitor center, by calling 308-436-9700 or by visiting our website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nps.gov/scbl/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.nps.gov/scbl/index.htm</a>&nbsp;or Facebook at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/scottsbluffnps" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/scottsbluffnps</a>.&nbsp;

Scotts Bluff Natl. Mon. to present "From Wagons to Wagons: the Studebaker Story"

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The Oglala Sioux Tribe is suing the federal government for failing to provide adequate law enforcement on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

The lawsuit filed this week against the Bureau of Indian Affairs and some high level officials in the Interior Department alleges the inadequacy has created a “public safety crisis” on the reservation.

Tribal officials say Pine Ridge with its 3 million acres of land has just 33 police officers and eight criminal investigators who handled more than 133,700 emergency calls last year. And, that there were six to eight officers on any given shift.

The complaint uses Rapid City as a comparison with its 176 police officers who handled nearly 115,000 emergency calls in 2021, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2022/07/29/oglala-sioux-tribe-sues-federal-government-over-lack-tribal-police-staffing/10174663002/">Argus Leader</a>&nbsp;reported.

The tribe said the BIA is out of compliance with its standards of having 2.8 officers per 1,000 people. For Pine Ridge, that would require at least 140 tribal officers.

Court documents say officers are working an average of 80 hours of overtime on top of their 160 scheduled hours and do not have adequate back up when needed for emergency calls.

The tribe is requesting an injunction for the federal government to equip a minimum of 140 law enforcement officers on the reservation and a declaratory judgement stating the federal government violated its responsibilities to provide adequate law enforcement, according to the lawsuit.

By Associated PressSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The Oglala Sioux Tribe is suing the federal government for failing to provide adequate law enforcement on the Pine Ridge Reservation.The lawsuit filed this week against the Bureau of Indian Affairs and some high level officials in the Interior Department alleges the inadequacy has created a “public safety crisis” on the reservation.Tribal officials say Pine Ridge with its 3 million acres of land has just 33 police officers and eight criminal investigators who handled more than 133,700 emergency calls last year. And, that there were six to eight officers on any given shift.The complaint uses Rapid City as a comparison with its 176 police officers who handled nearly 115,000 emergency calls in 2021, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2022/07/29/oglala-sioux-tribe-sues-federal-government-over-lack-tribal-police-staffing/10174663002/">Argus Leader</a>&nbsp;reported.The tribe said the BIA is out of compliance with its standards of having 2.8 officers per 1,000 people. For Pine Ridge, that would require at least 140 tribal officers.Court documents say officers are working an average of 80 hours of overtime on top of their 160 scheduled hours and do not have adequate back up when needed for emergency calls.The tribe is requesting an injunction for the federal government to equip a minimum of 140 law enforcement officers on the reservation and a declaratory judgement stating the federal government violated its responsibilities to provide adequate law enforcement, according to the lawsuit.

Oglala sue federal officials over Pine Ridge law enforcement staffing

The National Weather Service in Cheyenne has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  West Central Dawes County in the panhandle of Nebraska...
  Northeastern Sioux County in the panhandle of Nebraska...



* Until 500 PM MDT.

* At 159 PM MDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain
  have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are
  possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected
  to begin shortly

Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban
           areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as
           other poor drainage and low-lying areas.



* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  mainly rural areas of West Central Dawes and Northeastern Sioux
  Counties



This includes the following streams and drainages...
  Long Branch Creek, Collingwood Creek, Jim Creek, Little Cottonwood
  Creek, West Jim Creek, Dry Creek, Lone Tree Creek, Indian Creek,
  Sand Creek, Big Cottonwood Creek, Hat Creek, Dirty Creek and
  Whitehead Creek.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are
potentially dangerous in heavy rain. 

Do not attempt to cross flooded
roads. Find an alternate route.

Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law
enforcement and request they pass this information to the National
Weather Service when you can do so safely.&nbsp;

The National Weather Service in Cheyenne has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...  North central Sioux County in the Panhandle of Nebraska...

* At 210 PM MDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Montrose, or

  28 miles south of Edgemont, and is nearly stationary.

  IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect

           damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles.

* This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of

Prepare immediately for large hail and damaging winds. People outside

should move immediately to shelter inside a strong building. Stay

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

The National Weather Service in Cheyenne has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
 West Central Dawes County in the panhandle of Nebraska...
 Northeastern Sioux County in the panhandle of Nebraska...

* Until 500 PM MDT.

* At 159 PM MDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
 heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain
 have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are
 possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected
 to begin shortlyFlash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban
 areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as
 other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
 mainly rural areas of West Central Dawes and Northeastern Sioux
 Counties

This includes the following streams and drainages...
 Long Branch Creek, Collingwood Creek, Jim Creek, Little Cottonwood
 Creek, West Jim Creek, Dry Creek, Lone Tree Creek, Indian Creek,
 Sand Creek, Big Cottonwood Creek, Hat Creek, Dirty Creek and
 Whitehead Creek.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are
potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded
roads. Find an alternate route.

Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law
enforcement and request they pass this information to the National
Weather Service when you can do so safely.&nbsp;The National Weather Service in Cheyenne has issued a* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... North central Sioux County in the Panhandle of Nebraska...* Until 300 PM MDT.* At 210 PM MDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Montrose, or 28 miles south of Edgemont, and is nearly stationary. HAZARD...Ping pong ball size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles.* This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of north central Sioux County.....Prepare immediately for large hail and damaging winds. People outsideshould move immediately to shelter inside a strong building. Stayaway from windows.Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead toflash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

Flash Flood & T-Storm Warnings for Northern Panhandle-Friday

On July 28 Chadron Police Officers were called to a local hotel for a disturbance. 

Officers arrived on scene and received a statement that a man had reportedly entered into an argument with the owner of the hotel. He had threatened to shoot the owner then fled that area in a silver Mercedes. 

The investigating officers took statements and received video footage of the incident. The officers then began looking for the man, but were unable to locate him in Chadron.&nbsp;

"Approximately 3 hours later, the Chadron Police Department received a call that the man and the silver Mercedes had returned to the hotel," Chadron Police Chief Rick Hickstein said. "Sgt. Young and Officer Deines responded to the hotel and contacted the male, identified as 28-year-old Alderius Flowers of Louisville, Kentucky as he was exiting the silver Mercedes. During their contact with Flowers, it was discovered Flowers had an active felony warrant out of Indiana for failing to appear on drug charges. When officers attempted to place Flowers under arrest, Flowers fled from the officers on foot."

Officers chased Flowers and deployed a taser stopping him. 

Flowers was placed into custody without further incident. 

"A search of Flower’s person after he was arrested resulted in the discovery of two bags containing a white powdery substance suspected to be cocaine," Hickstein said. "A subsequent search of Flower’s vehicle resulted in the discovery of additional suspected cocaine, a digital scale, numerous multi-colored pill tablets suspected to be MDMA, and a paper strap commonly used to hold cash bills as dispensed by banks."

A rescue unit was called to the scene and Flowers was transported to the Chadron Community Hospital for treatment and medical clearance before he was transported to the Dawes County Jail. 

Flowers was held on 10% of $50,000 bond.&nbsp;

Flowers was arrested on the Indiana warrant and for Terroristic Threats, a Class IIIA Felony, Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, a Class II Felony, and Obstruction of a Peace Officer, a Class I Misdemeanor.

The Chadron Police Department was assisted by the Chadron Fire Department.

By KALIN KROHE Panhandle PostOn July 28 Chadron Police Officers were called to a local hotel for a disturbance. Officers arrived on scene and received a statement that a man had reportedly entered into an argument with the owner of the hotel. He had threatened to shoot the owner then fled that area in a silver Mercedes. The investigating officers took statements and received video footage of the incident. The officers then began looking for the man, but were unable to locate him in Chadron.&nbsp;"Approximately 3 hours later, the Chadron Police Department received a call that the man and the silver Mercedes had returned to the hotel," Chadron Police Chief Rick Hickstein said. "Sgt. Young and Officer Deines responded to the hotel and contacted the male, identified as 28-year-old Alderius Flowers of Louisville, Kentucky as he was exiting the silver Mercedes. During their contact with Flowers, it was discovered Flowers had an active felony warrant out of Indiana for failing to appear on drug charges. When officers attempted to place Flowers under arrest, Flowers fled from the officers on foot."Officers chased Flowers and deployed a taser stopping him. Flowers was placed into custody without further incident. "A search of Flower’s person after he was arrested resulted in the discovery of two bags containing a white powdery substance suspected to be cocaine," Hickstein said. "A subsequent search of Flower’s vehicle resulted in the discovery of additional suspected cocaine, a digital scale, numerous multi-colored pill tablets suspected to be MDMA, and a paper strap commonly used to hold cash bills as dispensed by banks."A rescue unit was called to the scene and Flowers was transported to the Chadron Community Hospital for treatment and medical clearance before he was transported to the Dawes County Jail. Flowers was held on 10% of $50,000 bond.&nbsp;Flowers was arrested on the Indiana warrant and for Terroristic Threats, a Class IIIA Felony, Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, a Class II Felony, and Obstruction of a Peace Officer, a Class I Misdemeanor.The Chadron Police Department was assisted by the Chadron Fire Department.

Chadron police arrest man for cocaine, terroristic threats following chase

POST PODCAST: Coffee Talk 7/29/22

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

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