Lewis “Lew” Shoff, 84 of Kearney passed away Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at Mt. Carmel Home in Kearney. Memorial services will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, December 30, 2022 at Kearney First United Methodist Church. Burial will take place at a later date in Wymore, NE.

Barbara Ann Moser Votaw of Lincoln, Nebraska, age 82, passed away on December 23, 2022. Barbara, also known as Barb, was born September 20, 1940 to Martin William and Verna Lucille Moser. She was the youngest of four daughters. She spent her early years near Valley and Mead, Nebraska and graduated from Mead High School in 1958. She attended Luther College in Wahoo and toured the country with the choir.

Ag Valley Cooperative has announced the sale of its Ampride Convenience store in Oxford to Alex and Lorissa Kermmoade, effective January 20, 2023. Alex and Lorrissa will maintain the services at the Ampride store in Oxford, NE.

My son is one of the many Americans with cleft lip and palate. The specifics of each affected individual’s situation vary, but one thing they have in common is that they will be having surgery. Lots of surgery. Although most individuals with orofacial clefts, including my son, are otherwise healthy and lead normal lives, the process of restoring a normal smile, normal speech, normal chewing, involves many steps from birth into adulthood.

This Wednesday, an immigration provision called Title 42 could expire. Title 42 is a critical public health order that gives the federal government the ability to immediately expel individuals entering the country illegally.

The Nebraska Legislature is a unique institution, given its status as the country’s only unicameral and nonpartisan legislature. While there are certainly drawbacks to a unicameral system, an added benefit of our legislature gives every member a fairly equal set of responsibilities. With the addition of term limits, Nebraska has largely prevented a deep entrenchment of established power in the Nebraska legislature for some time. Our citizen legislature enables those with criticisms of the status quo to bring the message of their constituents to bear.