Hometown celebs flip script with Magnolia brand

Locals call it “the Magnolia Effect.” En route to visit our daughter last week in the Austin, Texas area, Paula and I joined millions of other Americans in taking the exit at Waco to explore one of the nation’s hottest new tourist attractions.

Getting taxpayers to engage in budget process worth the effort

Pink postcards apparently get people’s attention. The Nebraska Legislature used that premise in adding a new layer to the budget approval process for local taxing entities, and judging by last week’s attendance at the first of its kind joint public hearing there is some merit to that logic.

Call me old school, but I’d rather work from office

I spent some quality time at home alone a couple of weeks ago, not by choice, and found myself pondering a question I’d never considered until the pandemic rocked our world. Do I prefer working remotely, or at my desk in a traditional office environment?

ANR candidate profiles to offer insight on local elections

It’s 2022 election season again, or soon will be, which begs the question for local would-be voters as to whom shall I vote for, and why?

Husker Nation swallows tough pill, hoping tide will soon turn

Husker Nation watched with a mix of nostalgia and gloom Saturday as a once proud rivalry played out again in Lincoln, demonstrating in real time just how far both teams have evolved, in different directions.

State Fair offers up a genuine snapshot of Nebraska

Twelve years after lawmakers made a bold decision to move the Nebraska State Fair out of Lincoln, the event has become an anchor piece of the late summer calendar from its grand, Grand Island venue.

Pillen has far more to lose by not stepping on debate stage

Nebraska’s Republican candidate for governor in the November general election remains the best choice for the job, though he is making a mistake by rejecting an invitation to debate Democrat Carol Blood.

Highway 34 project demands community’s attention, input

Plans to redo the Highway 34 corridor running through Aurora were aired publicly for the first time last week, starting a process that deserves this community’s full attention. There is a lot to digest with this issue, with safety and traffic flow concerns topping the list.

USTA lessons part of local group’s vision to grow game

Tennis anyone? That’s more than a casual invitation to pick up a tennis racket these days in Aurora, as a long-term vision to grow the game is coming into focus now in Streeter Park. A story in last week’s edition reported that a six-week tennis clinic will be offered each Saturday from Aug. 20-Oct.