Shop Local this Small Business Saturday

NEBRASKA SENATORSaturday was Small Business Saturday — a day that has grown into a major part of the holiday season and an important boost for Main Street. Since the event began in 2010, Americans have spent an estimated $223 billion at small businesses on this day alone.

Learn ice fishing at three events in January

Anglers can learn the basics of ice fishing or pick up a few new tips from experienced anglers at Discover Ice Fishing clinics in January.The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Youth Fishing Program will host two on-ice events and one classroom event.From 9 a.m.-noon Jan.

Sparrow Vacation

BETH’S BITSWe are not the Griswalds but we did have a holiday vacation. The Sparrows and Holtzes went to Indiana to celebrate with Alan and Kimberly’s family. Thanksgiving is the easiest time to get away; I finally figured that out although it took me two years.

Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System

Student outcomes are an important part of any educational policy discussion. Tracking student progress, primarily through standardized testing, has often been used to predict student educational outcomes. Nebraska has used a standardized system of state-wide testing of students for many years.

THANKS-GIVING

BETH’S BITSThis issue comes out on Thanksgiving. Ironically Thanksgiving is a holiday where we give thanks, and we shop for giving presents soon after.We won’t be Black Friday shopping, at least not in person this year, as that’s when we’ll be gathering with family.

Finding gratitude in the worst of times

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOKSometimes I feel like we are living in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.

Giving Thanks For Family, Friends, and Nebraska Values

NEBRASKA SENATORNext week, Americans across the country will gather around their dining tables with family and loved ones to pause, reflect, and give thanks. As I prepare to do the same, I’ve been thinking deeply about the blessings in my own life.

Community Connection

Call Annie Jeffrey Health Center at (402) 747-2031 for more informationThe first week in December is Aplastic Anemia Awareness & MDS Week. In the United States, thousands of men, women and children are stricken with Aplastic anemia and Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

GRATITUDE

ALAN’S ANECDOTESIn preparation for Thanksgiving, I was thinking about the nature of gratefulness. It’s good that Thanksgiving follows Veteran’s Day. In at least one way, gratefulness is like courage. Courage is not the absence of fear.

LIHEAP Heating Issuances Delayed Due to Government Shutdown

Lincoln, NE – Heating issuances for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) have been delayed due to the federal government shutdown, which was effective from October 1 to November 12, 2025.