I was pleased to be able to spend some time in North Platte this week, both catching up on work at the Bank and attending events. One of my duties this week was to visit with those who attended the opening of the Sheldon Statewide: Hyphen America exhibit at the Prairie Arts Center. The Sheldon Statewide exhibits have been coming to North Platte for many years and give students and members of the community the opportunity to appreciate artwork that they may never have been exposed to otherwise. Julie helped coordinate tours and docents for the North Platte exhibit for many years, so it’s a cause that is particularly close to our hearts.

We are so fortunate to have the Prairie Art Center in North Platte and to have Holly Carlini as its director. It is an amazing facility, and I have always been impressed by the wonderfully talented artists who call Legislative District 42 their home. Getting the added exposure to the unique artwork displayed by the Sheldon Museum is a special treat. You never know when or how a child may be inspired by these works of art.

A big thank you to Rhonda Seacrest for first bringing Sheldon Statewide to North Platte over 30 years ago. NebraskaLand Bank is pleased to be a long-time sponsor underwriting the exhibit.

On Friday, I participated in an event held by Senator Pete Ricketts at Sustainable Beef. Senator Ricketts touted his nine-point plan to rebuild the beef herd, which has recently been at record lows. The beef industry is critically important to Nebraska, from the cow-calf operators, feedlots, and packers to the transportation network. Rebuilding a strong domestic industry is critical to our state, and good for America.

Because of my commitments in North Platte, I was unable to attend the ServeNebraska Step Forward Awards in Lincoln. ServeNebraska is Nebraska’s Volunteer Service Commission and coordinates volunteer efforts across our state. The Governor selects Step Forward Award recipients in tribute to their significant contributions to the state through volunteerism. My Legislative Aide, Tori Richardson, attended this year’s award ceremony on my behalf to see Brooklynn DeNaeyer of Thedford, Virginia Huffman of Tryon, and Brian Grandy of North Platte receive their awards. I want to congratulate each of them and thank them for their contributions to their communities in District 42. They have set great examples for all to follow!

I closed the week out by attending the Husker Football game to watch 3 ½ quarters of great football (ha!). Win or lose, there is no place like Memorial Stadium on a Husker football Saturday. We recovered from the football game by watching the volleyball team stand tall and bring home another great victory. We now know that the top two teams in volleyball are the Husker first team and the Husker second team. Very proud of these incredible women.

As a reminder, the Banking, Commerce, and Insurance Committee will hold an interim study discussion on LR310 on Friday, October 16 at 1:00 at Mid-Plains Community College’s North Campus. I brought LR310 to get your feedback on the structure of the Nebraska Tourism Commission and whether we should consider recombining the Tourism Commission with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED). I hope several tourism and hospitality industry leaders will participate and provide guidance.

It is a privilege to represent you in the Nebraska Legislature, and I look forward to hearing from you regarding issues that are important to you. I can be reached at 402-471-2729 or by emailing me at mike.jacobson@leg.ne.gov.