Last week, I was invited to participate in a groundbreaking for the Fillmore County Fiber Project, which is the result of a public private partnership between the Village of Shickley, Fillmore County and Glenwood Telecommunications, Inc. This is a win-win for all involved, especially to the residents that do not have broadband today and will soon have access to affordable, reliable high speed internet for their businesses, for their children’s learning, and for their telehealth. Higher internet speeds will help rural residents better compete with their counterparts in Omaha, Lincoln and other better served communities, and it will help bring younger folks back to rural Nebraska helping to revitalize our rural communities. This project is part of a greater effort to connect Nebraska communities through investment and infrastructure, and as a step in stimulating economic development in Fillmore County, which will result from higher broadband speeds. This public-private partnership will serve customers and provide jobs that are vital to the health of our small towns, such as Shickley.

During my first term, I have been a strong proponent of expanding high speed broadband to rural communities, having introduced bills LB460 and LB600 in 2021 to find alternative ways to fund broadband expansion, and LB996 which was signed into law in 2020 that created the Broadband Data Improvement Program to ensure that Nebraska was accurately represented in federal broadband grant programs. I will continue to advocate for affordable, reliable, high speed broadband for rural communities in my second term. When the Legislature passed the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program last year, we allocated $20 million for FY 2021-22 and $20 million for FY 2022-23 for broadband development in unserved and underserved areas, and the Fillmore County Fiber Project is one of many projects that will benefit from its passage. 

In Jefferson County, The Progressive Agriculture Safety Day will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Fairbury. It is open to area children who will be entering Kindergarten through seventh grades in the fall. The registration deadline is July 26. Safety Day is designed to provide safety information that is agriculturally oriented as well as general safety information. Through hands-on activities, participants learn to prevent incidents and reduce the extent of injuries if incidents do occur. Safety Day stresses the importance of children taking responsibility for their own safety, respecting parents’ safety rules, and sharing safety tips with their family and friends. For more information on Safety Day, including registration information, please call the Nebraska Extension office in Jefferson County at (402) 729-3487, or Coordinator Lana Likens at (402) 729-6855.

Lastly, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is encouraging 4-H and FFA members to submit photos to the NDA’s annual Poultry Photo Contest. Official contest rules and entry forms are available at nda.nebraska.gov. Submit entries online at https://tinyurl.com/NDAPhotoContest by the July 15, deadline. NDA will feature winning photos throughout the year in promotional materials, an online calendar, and on social media. The contest also gives NDA the opportunity to share information on biosecurity measures that poultry owners can use to keep their flocks healthy and prevent the spread of diseases. Bird owners in Nebraska should always practice sound biosecurity measures to help prevent diseases like highly pathogenic avian influenza. If a disease outbreak is suspected, poultry owners can call their local veterinarian or NDA at 402-471-2351.