NebraskaPatriot

If it's About Nebraska, then It's News

Congratulations goes out to a group of student in the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The team of five students won a national competition to build mobile stock trading applications. You can read all about it and it is worth a gander, by clicking here.

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The war of the fiber optics between Verizon and AT&T rages on in Nebraska. According to the Omaha World-Herald on-line, "Over the last three years, Nebraska cellular infrastructure investments from Verizon Wireless have been more than double than that of rival AT&T.

According to figures released by both cellular giants this month, from the start of 2009 through 2011 Verizon Wireless — the state's largest cellular provider — spent $200.4 million on Fourth Generation, or 4G, networks in Omaha and Lincoln and adding cell sites and equipment around the state. During that same period, AT&T, spent $90 million." 

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We've all seen the horrible browning of pine trees. It's a disease called pine wilt. The Lincoln Journal-Star on-line reports that "it affects mostly Scotch and Austrian pines and is caused by a parasitic nematode carried by a wood boring beetle. Pine wilt causes a pine tree's foliage to turn brown and die quickly, often within two months.

Nicole Haxton is a horticulturist with the Gage County Extension Office. She said that there's no cure for pine wilt.

Haxton says the microscopic nematode attacks the tissues in the wood, causing decreased water flow. The nematode is carried from tree to tree by the beetle. Controlling pine wilt is done by destroying trees that have the disease."

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Nebraska is a candidate to land a projected $1.2 billion data center. The project, which is looking at breaking ground in May with an initial investment of $500 million, would be nearly three times larger than the $140 million, 175-job Yahoo data center lured to La Vista in 2009. Kearney is rumored to be the leading location for the business in Nebraska. 

Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy told folks in Kearney that it appears to be coming down to Kearney and a location in Iowa.

The Kearney Hub on-line reports "Low electrical rates, reliable work force and favorable climate all could work in Nebraska’s favor in luring a $1.2 million data center project to the state, Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy of Hastings said Monday in Kearney.

The Edge would employ about 30 people, but in dollars it is the largest project ever recruited by Nebraska and would become the state’s largest electrical consumer.

State lawmakers are pushing tax incentives for the data center and rate-setting authority for Nebraska Public Power District to provide electricity at a discount for the data center.

“They see our work force as being reliable and our climate as being favorable,” Sheehy said. “Nebraska is the best place for that.”

 

And on that note, we will sign off for today . . .

 

The Big Boys Are Back

The Omaha World-Herald on-line has a really nice report on the State's efforts to re-introduce big horn sheep into Western Nebraska. And when I say Western Nebraska, I'm referring to the panhandle area.

It's kind of a feel good story that is nice to read.

You can access the article by clicking here.

 

 

 

XL Pipeline Back on Center Stage

 

"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." ~ Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe

Senate and House Republicans are working on ways to get the XL Pipeline project back on track after President Obama bowed to pressure from his leftist nut-case, environmentalist wacko supporters in refusing to approve it.

Nebraska U.S. Senator Mike Johanns has joined 43 other Senators in support of a bill that would allow the pipeline to begin construction in the U.S. while TransCanada and the State of Nebraska work out the new route through the state and around the Sandhills.

Johanns told the Omaha World-Herald's Joseph Morton, "The president gives speeches about energy security and creating jobs, but this legislation would actually do it. Our bill approves the pipeline while allowing Nebraska and TransCanada the time they need to find the right route through our state," Johanns said. "This pipeline is not only a national priority because of the energy and jobs it will bring, it's also a Nebraska priority."

One Democrat currently has signed on to the bill and that's, no not our Democrat Senator Ben Nelson but West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who unlike Nelson, sees the common sense logic to the pipeline.

Over in the House, Speaker Boehner has said that they will pass this legislation as well but in their case, they are looking at tying it to a piece of legislation that Obama wants such as the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act.

Stay tuned . . .

 

 

It's Fishy at The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha

the fishes are getting remodeled quarters . . .

Opening day is approaching at the Scott Aquarium at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha.

Some may wonder what I'm talking about. Well, the Aquarium has been closed so they could do some major renovations inside. $10.5 million worth to be exact.

Dennis Pate, director and CEO of the zoo said in the Omaha World-Herald on-line that visitors will find more space to move around as well as:

"curves — undulating walls and special effects. Most of the lighting will come from the exhibits rather than from overhead.

But the two most popular exhibits — the penguin display and the tunnel through the shark tank — won’t change too much. The viewing area in front of the penguins has been redone, and the exhibit will face a long mural of Antarctica’s coastline. Leaks were also repaired.

“The tunnel is still the iconic exhibit for the aquarium,” Pate said. “We didn’t mess with it. But we’re doing a better job of identifying the animals.”

Pate said the new and improved Aquarium will reopen in April. 

If you have never been to Henry Doorly Zoo, it's a must see . . .

 

Ed Committee Listens to Teacher Evaluation Proposal

ah yes, if one is having a problem then let's make a law for everyone . . .

The Education Committee of the Nebraska Legislature heard testimony concerning a proposed statewide teacher evaluation plan.

Martha Stoddard reports in an Omaha World-Herald on-line article that Legislative Bill (L.B.) 809 offered by Omaha Senator Scott Lautenbaugh would "require evaluations annually for permanent teachers and once a semester for probationary teachers."

Stoddard adds, "The evaluations would have to include a minimum of 90 minutes of classroom observation done by a school administrator."

Folks representing two groups, the Administrators and the Teachers Association, voiced opposition to the bill. From an educator standpoint however, opposition wasn't universal as the Omaha Education Association supports the bill.

I'm not really sure why the Omaha Education Association supports the bill since they are traditionally one of the most fervent of the teachers' groups in the state. But that's their view.

Mine is pretty simple. I served on a local school board for eight years. I'm a firm believer that more decisions that are made at the local level, the better for our kids. I just don't believe in one size fits all.

As a school board member, your top priority is to hire a quality Superintendent who then hires quality principals and educators. Our job as a school board member is not to hire coaches or staff, that is why you have a Superintendent and administrators. You hire them and let them do their jobs. You evaluate those administrators each year and you can decide not to extend a contract for the next school year if you choose to do so.

In general, educators in our various school districts in Nebraska do a very good job in the classroom. Are there some that need some guidance, certainly but that is the case in any business or establishment.

Where I differ with some of my fellow conservatives on education is that I'm a local control proponent. What is best for our school district should fit the needs of

our kids. There are some districts in Nebraska that face challenges that the rest of us do not to the degree they do, in particular in the area of English as a second language. Those districts need the flexibility to tailor their program to fit their diverse student population.

In general, districts across Nebraska have almost the same common goals yet within that frame work, districts need to be allowed to formulate programs and solutions that fit their communities.

And for me, flexibility is a key component. You have your overarching philosophy but you must have the ability to make subtle adjustments as conditions warrant. Too much state or federal control restricts that ability to adjust quickly and effectively at the local level.

While State Senator Lautenbaugh should be commended for his interest in improving the educational opportunities for our children, I agree with Nancy Briggs, associate superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools who said, "It worries me that we're trying to legislate what I would call a personnel problem, people not fulfilling their responsibilities, by a bill that causes the rest of the state to change practice."

Or as another said during testimony, we are "chasing nonexistent problems."

If the Omaha Public School system has an issue with Administrators not doing their job in evaluating teachers, and it appears that they must since both the OPS board and teachers' association support the legislation, then they need to find solutions within their district and not make the rest of us suffer for their shortcomings.