Our home of Nebraska is home to an array of people, places, and pursuits. It’s home to Husker football and the College World Series, our beautiful State Capitol building in Lincoln and our world-famous zoo in Omaha. Our state is made up of rolling plains and prairies, but also bustling cities and peaceful small towns. It boasts the breathtaking natural beauty of the Sandhills, where my husband and I raised our sons.
That unique beauty of the Sandhills is where I began my travels across Nebraska last month during the August work period. In total, I visited over 35 communities with over 100 stops—from Kimball to Blair and Red Cloud to Norfolk. I visited schools, hospitals, local businesses, law enforcement, manufacturing plants, county commissioner and NRD meetings, and more. And I started my visits at home in Valentine.
One stop near and dear to me was to Valentine Community Schools, where my children attended school. Years ago, I served on the Valentine School Board, where I saw these schools up close and advocated for their improvement. Valentine Community Schools are still doing great work, educating bright kids who will go on to lead Nebraska. I also toured exciting new businesses and new housing projects and met with healthcare professionals at the Cherry County Hospital.
I traveled further west to Chadron, Hemingford, Alliance, Sidney, Kimball, Gering and Scottsbluff. While in the Panhandle, I toured the Scottsbluff and Bridgeport Schools. The Scottsbluff school system follows a career academy focused curriculum, and I was impressed to see the creativity and innovation educators are applying to their work with students. It’s a testament to Nebraskans’ dedication to progress in our local communities.
Along with schools and educators across the state, I visited health care facilities and the medical professionals who keep them going. I made my way across central Nebraska, where I toured the Perkins County and McCook Hospitals, and also CHI Health Good Samaritan in Kearney. The staff there told me about the hospital’s incredible life flight capabilities. Rural Americans often live hours away from the nearest health care facility, and in emergencies, that can be deadly. Good Samaritan is responding to these risks by life flighting patients all across Nebraska, even into South Dakota at times.
In Kearney, I also visited with law enforcement officers. I made a stop at the Kearney Police Department and Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department, which share a unique setup in the same building. This shared setup allows the two departments to collaborate and use a larger range of resources. By linking together, Kearney and Buffalo County law enforcement are more efficient. They both do an excellent job protecting their communities.
Each year, the August state work period brings me fresh motivation and gratitude—and this year was no exception. It was wonderful to reconnect with many friends across the state, as well as to hear from new folks. I saw progress all across Nebraska, in education, health care, law enforcement, manufacturing, agriculture, economic development, and countless other sectors.
Most of all, I saw Nebraskans in their local communities dedicating their lives and careers to investing in the people around them. Those are the people I represent here in the Senate, and that’s why it is the privilege of my lifetime to serve as one of Nebraska’s Senators. Just as each of you is dedicated to investing in Nebraska, I am dedicated to advocating for Nebraskans here in Washington.
Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.