NETRADIO NewsRoom: Nebraska News

Nebraska bell collection evokes sounds of history

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Tue, 22 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Jim Meis uses his "smokin' money" for tangible reminders of the way things used to be. His collection of bells, from one-room school houses to funerals to farm dinner bells, is on display next to Highway 14 in Elgin, Nebraska.

Early planting, lots of acres could mean record corn crop

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Mon, 21 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Across the Corn Belt, the planting season is off to a roaring start. And with farmers expected to put in more acres of corn than they have since the Great Depression, this fall's harvest could be one for the record books.

Wauneta Flour Mills - The last family run flour mill in Nebraska is looking forward.

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Sat, 19 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The building is on the National Register of Historic places, but the business was going to be history without new owners. Now, a young couple has taken the reins and is looking to the future.

A plot in the middle

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The number of very small farms and very large farms has increased dramatically in the last few years in states like Nebraska, U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics show, but at the expense of medium-sized, self-sustaining family farms. So does that mean the Farmer of the Future be either the benefactor of an enormous family operation, or the owner of a marginal hobby operation? Not necessarily. A few people are actually finding ways to break into mid-level production agriculture.

Who are you calling a corporate farmer?

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Thu, 17 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Agriculture is a big business fueled by big businesses. But farmers themselves still come in many sizes. Still, the line between corporate ownership and family farmer is blurring. Learn more in this Signature Story from Peggy Lowe of Harvest Public Media.

Fischer victory in Republican senate primary "stunning"

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

State Senator Deb Fischer was the unlikely winner in Nebraska's Republican senate primary. UNL political science professor, John Hibbing, joined Grant Gerlock on NET Radio's Morning Edition to break down the results and look ahead at the matchup between Fischer, and Democrat Bob Kerrey.

It's Republican Fischer vs. Democrat Kerrey in November

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

State senator from Valentine bests two better-known rivals to win GOP nomination; Democratic former Gov. and U.S. Senator set to try and win the seat he left in 2001.

Exploring the idea of 'sustainable' farming

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

It seems every farming operation today professes to be "sustainable." We may not know if that's true until decades from now, but farmers' choices today well may provide a game plan for tomorrow. Learn more in this story from Harvest Public Media, part of our series on the "Farmer of the Future."

Blending of cultures may be blueprint for growth

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Mon, 14 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

While some of the rural Midwest is hollowing out, regions like Sioux County, Iowa, are actually growing, thanks largely to immigrant populations moving in to take jobs that employers otherwise cannot fill. Melding cultures is never easy, but in places like Sioux County members of the Latino community are slowly making Iowa their home. Learn more in the first of a weeklong series, "The Farmer of the Future."

New set of landowners has its own questions on Keystone XL

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Fri, 11 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

TransCanada's Keystone XL oil pipeline would follow an altered route around the Sandhills, but new landowners now affected by the route have their own questions and concerns about the project. Fred Knapp of NET News attended a public meeting in Neligh, Nebraska.

Movie theaters transition to digital projection

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Fri, 11 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

In the past decade, a cinematic revolution has begun behind the backs of movie audiences. Estimates are that 60 to 75 percent of movie theaters worldwide have converted to digital projection equipment. As Mitch Mattern reports in today's Signature Story, this has meant the downfall of what was once one of the most valued positions at a movie theater.

New study points to health disparities among minority women

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Minority women in Nebraska have less health insurance and access to doctors and poorer health than their white counterparts. Those are among the findings of this year's Women's Health Equity Report from the Department of Health and Human Services. NET News reporter Ben Bohall caught up with researchers involved in the study to find out more about the medical gap.

Exploring Nebraska's renewable energy potential key topic at open houses

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Nebraska's publicly-owned power utilities must strike a balance between renewable and low-cost energy, and at recent open houses, residents highlighted these sometimes opposing goals.

Primary to narrow field of legislative candidates

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Tue, 08 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

In Nebraska's nonpartisan legislative system, the top two vote-getters in each district advance to the general election, regardless of party. This year, 68 candidates are running in 26 different districts, making up over half of the 49-member Legislature.

Bringing a horse in from the wild

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

At adoption events all over the country, horse lovers can take home a new pet: a (formerly) wild horse. In an effort to thin overpopulated herds, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management rounds up wild horses and burros and looks to place them in good homes.

Hebron student to represent Nebraska in National Poetry Out Loud competition

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Sat, 05 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Thayer Central junior Russell Heitmann is this year's Nebraska Poetry Out Loud champion. His recitation of Poem With One Fact by Donald Hall earned him a trip to Washington DC to compete in the National Finals beginning May 14th.

Asteroid mining plans reveal legal black hole

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Mining asteroids for natural resources: sounds like something out of a science fiction novel. But a company recently announced it plans to do just that. In this Signature STory, NET News reporter Grant Gerlock sat down with Nebraska space-law expert Frans von der Dunk to talk about the implications of space mining - and whether it would even be legal.

Tea Party endorsements a double-edged sword for Republican candidates

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Two different GOP candidates for Nebraska's open Senate seat have been endorsed by two different factions of the Tea Party political movement. One of those factions, the Tea Party Express, visited Lincoln and Omaha recently to support their candidate of choice - but how much pull does this conservative off-shoot really have in influencing Nebraska and national politics? NET News reporter Ben Bohall has more.

VOTER VOICES: Central Nebraskans frustrated by politics, politicians

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Voters aren't happy with politics and politicians, at least according to a small group of Nebraskans brought together for a roundtable discussion. Mike Tobias reports in today's Signature Story, part of the NET News "Campaign Connection 2012: Voter Voices" project and the second story from our roundtable discussion in Broken Bow.

National soccer fan club has roots in unlikely place

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Tue, 01 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Traditionally, soccer fans around the world are known for their boisterous, at times violent, behavior - just think of European soccer hooligans. But in the U.S., a national soccer fan club started in a modest home in Lincoln, Nebraska reflects its Midwestern roots.

MF Global crisis leaves rural brokers stuck in the middle

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Clients aren't the only ones hurting in farm country in the wake of MF Global's bankruptcy. Rural brokers, many farmers' and ranchers' connection to the vital commodity markets, remain caught in the middle of uneasy markets and miles of red tape. Harvest Public Media's Jeremy Bernfeld has more in today's Signature Story.

Severe weather outbreak in Iowa creates questions for Nebraska

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

As we enter the spring and summer seasons, it always remains a possibility: severe weather. Nearly two weeks ago, Thurman, Iowa, located nearly 40 miles southeast of Omaha, was struck by a tornado. The results were devastating to the small community. In today's Signature Story, NET reporter Ben Bohall pays a visit to the town, and takes a look at what Nebraskans can expect, if a similar storm were to occur.

VOTER VOICES: Nebraskans' election-year concerns might surprise you

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Even in a county where conservative Republicans dominate the landscape, there's a wide range of opinions about what issues should take the forefront in this year's election. In the first of our "Campaign Connection 2012: Voter Voices" roundtable discussions, Bill Kelly of NET News spoke with a group of voters from central Nebraska at the Broken Bow Public Library.

Researchers in North Platte seek to decrease chemical drift on farms

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

For many in Nebraska, wind is merely an occasional nuisance. But for farmers, it can have an impact on their livelihood. University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers are using a new wind tunnel facility to find out ways to improve chemical application in agriculture. NET News reporter Perry Stoner has more.

Legislature 'asserted its independence' in 2012 session

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The Nebraska Legislature finished its session last week, and the effects of their actions on everything from child welfare to taxes will be felt in the coming months and years. It was a session in which some said senators reasserted themselves and their role in state government, and set some far-reaching changes in motion.

Brainstorming event seeks to find solutions for 'severe crisis' of shrinking rural America

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The latest Census says that just 16 percent of Americans live in rural areas, down from about 20 percent ten years ago -- and small-town populations are getting older. Calling it a "severe crisis," President Obama even created a White House Rural Council to find ways to spur economic growth in small communities. But the best ideas for renewing rural America might not come from the top.

Nebraska Science Olympiad tests high school students' mental, not physical, skills

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Each spring, an Olympic event takes place in Nebraska that draws hundreds of middle school and high school students. But this Olympics in't about physical feats of strength, speed or endurance - it's an Olympiad for the mind. In today's Signature Story, NET's Gary Hochman talks with some Nebraska Science Olympiad hopefuls as they hone their skills.

Farmers on the Missouri River still sifting through flood damage

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Hundreds of thousands of farm acres were flooded in 2011. This spring, farmers will try planting crops in fields that were scoured by the river or buried in sand. Grant Gerlock of NET News talks to one Nebraska farmer who wonders if his land will ever be the same, and whether he can count on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for protection in the future.

Legislature overrides Heineman on prenatal care, city sales tax

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Senators uphold governor's veto of betting on "historic" horseracing.

Republican candidates seek to beat the odds by challenging Terry in House primary

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

In the U.S. House of Representatives, incumbents are reelected 93 percent of the time. But that figure isn't stopping a handful of Republican candidates from taking on incumbent Rep. Lee Terry in Nebraska's Second Congressional District primary race. Citing anti-incumbent backlash and Terry's long-running stint, they say they have a chance. But one political expert isn't so sure. NET News reporter Hilary Stohs-Krause has more in today's Signature Story.

Nebraska nuclear station officials attempt to move past flooding, fire and violations

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

A nuclear generating station located between Fort Calhoun and Blair, Nebraska is attracting national attention, but not in a good way. In today's Signature Story, NET News reporter Ben Bohall examines the current status of Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station, and the rocky year it's trying to leave behind.

Missouri ponders protections for animal agriculture

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Many animal rights advocates say that the efficient pork production system developed over the last couple of decades is inhumane. That viewpoint is gaining traction with consumers, but some farmers worry that animal rights groups will parlay moral qualms with certain hog-farming techniques into legislation banning them. In Missouri, the General Assembly is poised to pass legislation that essentially would lock in the legality of current methods, but the marketplace may have the final word.

Home School Nebraska: A different kind of socialization

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Home schooling has long been criticized for a perceived lack of social opportunities. But modern home-schoolers argue there are many activities outside the home that supplement educational and social development.

Home School Nebraska: Educating beyond the confines of the house

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Computers with internet access allow more people to home-school, and there are many activities outside the home that supplement home-based education. Learn more in today's Signature Story from Perry Stoner, part of the NET News multimedia project "Home School Nebraska."

Prenatal care, pipeline bills pass

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Governor has promised veto on prenatal bill, opponents expect lawsuits on the pipeline measure.

Home School Nebraska: An overview

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Two percent of school age children in Nebraska are home-schooled. That makes it a mystery to most of us. How do parents teach and what tools are used? The new multimedia reporting project "Home School Nebraska" answers such questions. In today's Signature Story, NET News reporter Perry Stoner steps inside home schools in Hastings and Lincoln.

Income tax cut signed, but possible sales tax increase still in the mix

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Historic horseracing, prenatal care for children of illegal immigrants also still up in the air.

Nebraska slam poetry competition brings fresh energy to genre

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Twelve Nebraska high school teams have been practicing for months for a brand-new intramural tournament. The only equipment needed is a microphone - and the English language. This is a contest between poets - slam poets - in the first "Louder Than a Bomb" competition, scheduled for April 15 in Omaha.

Dairy industry pushes for reform

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

In the wake of a 2009 downturn that saw milk prices hit rock-bottom lows, many are calling the government price support system broken, and are asking for a better safety net in the 2012 Farm Bill.

When Omaha was the capital of Montana

customerservice@netnebraska.org (NET News) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The years leading up to the Homestead Act of 1862 were years of rapid change in the Western United States. Historian Elliot West has spent his career looking beyond the stereotypes of movies and paperbacks to discover the truth about the land that was once largely Nebraska Territory.