According to unofficial election results, Mark Harkendorff defeated his opponent from four years ago, Shawna Bindle, in a Falls City Mayor’s race that had a lot of people talking. The only race that garnered more attention was the District #56 School Board race. Voters preferred Cassondra Goff, Teresa Olberding and Anthony Johansen over Justin Courtney and incumbents Richard Malcolm and John Martin. In 2018 Malcolm and Martin each took 18 percent of the vote and two of the top three positions. 

In 2018 there was a ten percent drop in voter turnout, with 5,566 reregistered voters in the County, 3,139 ballots cast and 56.40 percent voter turnout. This midterm cycle Richardson County saw another decline, with under 3,000 votes cast. 

Unofficial 2022 Midterm Election results below. The Journal will print all the official results in the November 16, 2022, issue.

Falls City Mayor

Mark Harkendorff 745, Shawna Bindle 590, Write-In Totals 3, Total Votes Cast 1,338.

Humboldt Mayor

Dyann L. Herr 55, Ron Rathbone 200, Write-In Totals 3, Total Votes Cast 258, Overvotes 0, Undervotes 3, Contest Totals 261.

District 56 School Board

Cassondra A. Goff 1,290, Teresa L. Olberding 1,285, Anthony S. Johansen 944, Richard Malcolm 855, John E. Martin 829, Justin L. Courtney 667, Write-In Totals 4, Total Votes Cast 5,874.

District 70 School Board

David A. Mezger 614, Scott Ogle 596, Neal A. Kanel 561, Write-In Totals 11, Total Votes Cast 1,782.

Falls City Council Ward 1

Don Ferguson 288, Write-In Totals 11, Total Votes Cast 299.

Falls City Council Ward 2

Joe Buckminster 331, Write-In Totals 2, Total Votes Cast 333.

Falls City Council Ward 3

Jeromie Brown 113, Shawn Fouraker 207, Write-In Totals 1, Total Votes Cast 321, Overvotes 0, Undervotes 32, Contest Totals 353.

Falls City Council Ward 4

Derrick Leyden 223, Write-In Totals 2, Total Votes Cast 225.

Falls City Airport Authority

Lauren Bierman 868, Nicholas C. Aitken 809, Write-In Totals 8, Total Votes Cast 1,685.

Humboldt City Council Ward 1

Jan Wilhelm 93, Write-In Totals 10, Total Votes Cast 103.

Humboldt City Council Ward 2

Vicky E. Lynch 108, Write-In Totals 4, Total Votes Cast 112.

County Sheriff

Rick Hardesty 2,497, Write-In Totals 50, Total Votes Cast 2,547.

County Commissioner District 1

Rep John J. Caverzagie 561, Dem John R. Coonce 272, Write-In Totals 1, Total Votes Cast 834.

County Treasurer

Rep Amanda Bartek-Ramsey 2,524, Write-In Totals 30, Total Votes Cast 2,554.

County Assessor

Rep Kimberly L. Riggs 2,574, Write-In Totals 21, Total Votes Cast 2,595.

District Court

Rep Pamela Scott 2,688, Write-In Totals 13, Total Votes Cast 2,701.

County Clerk Register of Deeds

Rep Mary L. Eickhoff 2,604, Write-In Totals 44, Total Votes Cast 2,648.

County Attorney

Rep Samantha Scheitel 2,524, Write-In Totals 31, Total Votes Cast 2,555.

County Surveyor

Rep Robert Tichy 2,536, Write-In Totals 12, Total Votes Cast 2,548.

State Board of Education Dist 5

Kirk Penner 1,219, Helen Raikes 1,206, Write-In Totals 5, Total Votes Cast 2,430.

Governor/Lt. Governor

Rep Pillen/Kelly 1,928, Dem Blood/Davis 755, Lib Zimmerman/Blumenthal 164, Write-In Totals 50, Total Votes Cast 2,897.

Barada Village BD

Carolyn Meckstroth 9, Branson Darveau 2, Jody Strecker 9, Write-In Totals 2, Total Votes Cast 22.

Dawson Village BD

Tom R. Burns 44, Larry A. Koch 42, Stephanie Ingraham 34, Write-In Totals 13, Total Votes Cast 133.

Rulo Village BD

Mandy Morehead 51, Kraig Coonce 25, Christine Nycum (Kelley) 30, Dan Lyons 24, Regina Barber 49, Write-In Totals 1, Total Votes Cast 180.

Salem Village BD

Casey Strauch 35, Jon Kean 39, Write-In Totals 1, Total Votes Cast 75.

Shubert Village BD

Linda Patchen 34, Hailey Buchner 22, Kimberly Dunn 20, Gary Hays 48, Write-In Totals 6, Total Votes Cast 130.

Stella Village BD

Rick Ramer 56, Write-In Totals 6, Total Votes Cast 62.

Verdon Village BD

Denise Koso 35, Cody M. Bahr 58, Terry A. Cummins 29, Phil Hitchcock 11, Write-In Totals 1, Total Votes Cast 134.

Village of Rulo City Sales Tax

FOR said Sales and Use Tax. 31. AGAINST said Sales and Use Tax. 33. Total Votes Cast 64.

Congress Dist. 3

Rep Adrian Smith 2,048, Dem David J. Else 498, Lmn Mark Elworth Jr. 228, Write-In Totals 3, Total Votes Cast 2,777.

Sec. of State

Rep Bob Evnen 2,431, Write-In Totals 28, Total Votes Cast 2,459.

State Treasurer

Rep John Murante 2,110, Lib Katrina Tomsen 559, Write-In Totals 5.

Attorney General

Rep Mike Hilgers 2,138, Lmn Larry Bolinger 577, Write-In Totals 6, Total Votes Cast 2,721.

State Auditor

Rep Mike Foley 2,149, Lib Gene Siadek 268, Lmn L. Leroy Lopez 330, Write-In Totals 4, Total Votes Cast 2,751.

Retain Judge Heavican

Yes 1,473, No 953, Total Votes Cast 2,426.

Retain Judge Welch Jr.

Yes 1,437, No 951, Total Votes Cast 2,388.

Retain Judge Fridrich

Yes 1,444, No 921, Total Votes Cast 2,365.

Retain Judge Coe

Yes 1,416, No 944, Total Votes Cast 2,360.

Retain Judge Hoffert

Yes 1,424, No 929, Total Votes Cast 2,353.

SCC Dist 2

Keith Hammons 947, Brandon Gunther 1,150, Write-In Totals 11, Total Votes Cast 2,108.

Nemaha NRD Subdst 8

William Niedfeldt 388, Write-In Totals 0, Total Votes Cast 388.

Nemaha NRD Subdst 9

Alan Romine 1,409, Write-In Totals 14, Total Votes Cast 1,423.

Nemaha NRD Subdst 10

Matthew Bloss 582, Write-In Totals 13, Total Votes Cast 595.

Nemaha NRD At Large

Ken Malone 1,116, Jake Armknecht 1,115, Write-In Totals 7, Total Votes Cast 2,238.

OPPD Subdiv 4

Matt Core 1,057, Jim Grotrian 1,253, Write-In Totals 2, Total Votes Cast 2,312.

ESU 4 1

Terry L. Clark 1,009, Write-In Totals 5, Total Votes Cast 1,014.

District 23 Sch BD

Chester Bohling 0, Mitchell Neddenriep 0, Write-In Totals 0, Total Votes Cast 0.

District 1 Sch BD

Lisa Hunzeker 1, Hope Koester 0, Heather Nicholas 0, Write-In Totals 0, Total Votes Cast 1.

Proposed Amendment No. 1

For 1,972, Against 681, Total Votes Cast 2,653.

Initiative Measure 432

For 2,136, Against 719, Total Votes Cast 2,855.

Initiative Measure 433

For 1,641, Against 1,212, Total Votes Cast 2,853.

The post Unofficial election results show Harkendorff as Falls City mayor and Goff, Johansen and Olberding elected to District #56 School Board appeared first on THE FALLS CITY JOURNAL.

Ankrom introduced Burke Brown, who mediated the event. Brown is the I.T. person from District OR1 in Palmyra and the president of the Capital District for the Nebraska State Educational Association. 

The questions were prepared by a committee made up of Susan Finlay, the Media Specialist at Falls City High School; Jamie Milam, the sixth-grade teacher at Falls City Middle School and Kim Oliver, the Title I teacher at Falls City North School. 

Brown addressed the crowd and candidates, explaining his role as moderator for the debate. His role was to ask essential questions to the candidates as they sought to serve the Falls City Public Schools community as elected school board members. Time was also kept for questions, as each candidate had up to two minutes. Occasionally, Brown could add to the dialogue by rewording questions, asking for clarification or restating main points. At no point, though, could his intent be of persuasion. 

The debate was to be an exchange of ideas to help the community reach a more critically informed understanding of the topics affecting Falls City Public schools to promote an appreciation among participants and the community for the diversity of opinion that emerges when ideas are exchanged openly and honestly and to ultimately bring clarity to the voters in District #56. 

“Let us all embrace these ideas with the spirit of learning and let us ensure a high level of respect for the candidates and their willingness to serve Falls City Public Schools,” said Brown.

Candidates in attendance were Justin Courtney, Teresa Olberding, Cassondra Goff and Anthony Johansen. Robin Ankrom states, “Our sole purpose was to let the community hear the candidates and make an educated decision when they vote. I invited all the candidates, and John [Martin] and Richard [Malcolm] chose not to attend.”

The Falls City Journal has printed the questions in the order they were asked during the debate. Answers are exactly as they were answered and were only edited for redundancy. 

State your reasons for wanting to run for the Board of Education?

Justin Courtney: My name is Justin Courtney and I have four kids or three kids within the district and South school, North School, and high school. And I’ve sat on a school board before in Missouri and found it important to run.

Teresa Olberding: Hi, I’m Teresa Olberding; I have been on the school board in the past. Eight years ago, I served for eight years. I will have grandchildren coming into the district soon. I feel that it’s very important that we have a school board that works for the good of our district and students are important and I feel it in my heart that I need to be on the school board again.

Cassondra Goff: Good evening, everyone. My name is Cassondra Goff. I also have three children that are or will be in this district. I am a conservative businesswoman who has a lot of financial background and experience. I’m currently a regional vice president for Farm Credit Services of America and my husband and family farm here. So conservative values are very important, but also the values of my children’s education, as they’re all in this district, is very important to me also.

Anthony Johansen: My name is Anthony Johansen. I graduated from Falls City Public School in 1999, and my wife did as well. I’ve got a fourth-grade son, a seventh-grade daughter, and four-year-old that’ll be in the district here in another year. I love my kids; I care about my kids and I want what’s best for my kids. And there are some things that have arisen in the last year or so that I do not believe need to be in our schools. And that is why I’m running.

Please share a vision you have for Falls City public schools that will set you apart from the other candidates.

Teresa Olberding: I feel that we have a good resource in our Southeast Community College building or satellite school here and I think that it can be utilized more. I don’t know exactly how that can be accomplished. I know that there are programs out there that are benefiting our students and our community. I feel that we should maybe tap into that and see if there’s some more education that we can provide for students going into the future. Not everyone is going to go on to a four-year college and if we can give them heads up and maybe become a part of our community here and not leave our community. I think we need to look into that and see if that’s a possibility.

Cassondra Goff: So the vision that I have for our students and our school is to bring the best teachers into our district and to be able to do that, we’ve got to be competitive with pay, we’ve got to be competitive with benefits. But when we do that, we need to keep the parents involved. And that’s what’s going to be most successful for our students is having the parents and their values and working together with the teachers to have the best education for our students.

Anthony Johansen: I got to be honest with you; there are six people running for this spot. And there are things that have taken place that a lot of people don’t agree with. Things that are coming to the schools that shouldn’t be in the schools, you know, and I truly wish the other two were here. You know, they’re the incumbents. But that’s fine. If they choose not to be here, we can lead the way. That’s why we’re running. One of the questions that was in the questionnaire from the teachers was are we running as individual candidates, or a group of candidates and I found that was interesting. We are running as individuals. And to be quite honest with you, I don’t know that there’s a lot that I disagree with that with the four of us sitting up here. We all want school to be taught what we were taught, you know, reading, writing, arithmetic, science, accurate history of this country. And that’s about it. You know, so to say that I differ from these four sitting here, I don’t know that I do that much. But from the two that chose to not be here, there are a lot of differences.

Justin Courtney: Okay, so I’m not from here. I wasn’t raised here. I didn’t grow up here. So I don’t know a whole lot about the past of Falls City, but me and my wife invest in technology companies and things like that. And if you know, looking at my kids, especially my oldest kid, you know, a four-year degree is not something he’s looking forward to. Like candidate two said, technology. Use of that technology building, technology schools, more opportunity for kids to get into crafts or trades, trade schools, things like that, making them more of an option and making more people aware of the open opportunity for kids to do things like that. I think would be a good step in the right direction for the labor force moving forward.

Please identify what roles, if any, should the district assume in dealing with such societal issues such as poverty, hunger, emotional illness, trauma, or drug abuse.

Cassondra Goff: Our students come to school and they should have a safe spot where they have an open relationship with a teacher or confidant if they choose so. But it’s always very important that the parents are brought into that picture also. So, you know, of course, we want our kids fed and to go home to a safe spot, but never should it be in a measure that we’re distancing the parents from these decisions and we’re not bringing the parents or the caregivers into those decisions. So kind of going back to what I said earlier, you know, to make our school the best, we’ve got to bring the parents and the teachers together and be able to work and get the best students out of it.

Anthony Johansen: I think that the schools need to help kids all they can. We all know that it just seems more and more that kids come from broken homes or abusive homes or homes that have drugs in them, you know and the school needs to be a place where the kids can come to, you know, where they can feel safe, where they know the teachers care about them, where they know the administrators care about him. Somewhere that you know that they feel comfortable where they can just feel safe and secure. That comes with, you know, relationships built between the teachers and the students. I think we’ve got a good group of teachers that are doing a pretty good job. And, you know, I think we’re handling that for the most part.

Justin Courtney: Like any after-school programs, I can help with that. I don’t know how to say it, but you know, it’s pretty easy to spot the adults in this community that are meth heads and stuff like that. And you see them with kids and you see it, it just makes you sick to your stomach. We work with, I’m the commissioner of the NFL Flag Football League and we see it every Saturday. Kids that have parents that are engaged with the kids; parents that are not, so anything the school can do to, you know, after-school programs, things like that to give kids, extra meal programs on the weekend. I don’t know if they do that here. We did that in Missouri, where they could take a sack lunch home on Friday for Saturday and Sunday. Just any programs like that.

Teresa Olberding: Unfortunately, kids today, all of those things so many face and I know there’s a large number of our students that face at least one, if not a lot, of those issues. I believe our school programs where the lunches are free or reduced. I as far as I know, we still do the backpack program for the lunches on the weekend. As far as the trauma and the emotional issues, kids in our district need to know that they have counselors and teachers that they can go to that will keep confidentiality. Unfortunately, the home life is not what it should be for kids in that situation. So as long as our schools can provide that for students, it’s very important that they have someplace to go and unfortunately, the school district does need to pick up those types of programs that will bridge the gap that kids aren’t getting at home.

Please share two to three strengths in which our district can be proud and why do you think these are strengths. 

Anthony Johansen: I think there’s a lot of things; like I said, I think we’ve got it. A good bunch of teachers that care about their kids. I’ve got a list of every teacher my daughter Bella had and she’s in seventh grade. And out of that list, I’ve got one out of seven that we didn’t think was fit and she’s no longer here, to be quite honest with you. So, I got a good group of teachers, that’s something to be proud of. You know, I think Falls City has a lot to offer. I think it’s a great place to be a great place to raise your kids in a small town with small-town values. That’s great. It’s all I got.

Justin Courtney: We moved over here from Missouri-Mound City actually, because, one, the town was pretty much dying. So, we wanted to be in a bigger school district, a better school district than what we were prior to that. That was about four, four and a half years ago. I was excited; I was excited for our kids to athletically and educationally to be in a bigger district. So, I’m excited, you know, even for today, I’m still excited for the kids to have that opportunity, athletically. There’s way more opportunity for recreational and school. And you know, it’s opportunity in this town as well, with a couple of businesses and factories that this town has. So we were, I was excited to come here and my kids have a bigger opportunity. I came from a town of about 12,000 people. So, from, I think it was 2,400, no 1,700, 2,400? Whatever it is, to what is it 4,200 here? 4,500? So even that jump was awesome. And you know, all our kids were K through 12 in Missouri, and now the kids are separated to more of a group of kids they can associate with and have social groups. I don’t know how many I listed. But there’s got to be three there. Right?

Teresa Olberding: We do have a very good staff of educators; they’re very caring. You can tell that by setting this up tonight. So, we’re all here and voicing our stand. That is very important for our students. Teachers are with students so much of the day and they have a very strong influence on how the student is, what they learn and making them into good people; not just education, but they’re also there for their well-being. We have good programs for our underprivileged and also our SPED program. I know we have a lot of kids that have problems and we have always done what we can to help those students achieve and go on and be able to be a part of society.

Cassondra Goff: Number one is our teachers. Echoing what some of the other candidates said, our teachers are the best thing we have in this district. My two older kids have been in school and most of the time, at the end of the school year, they’re not happy it’s over because they’re sad, they’re going to miss their teacher and they’re not going to be able to be in their class next year. And it’s disappointing to them, which is good because they feel comfortable, you know? If there’s any issues, there’s great communication between the teachers and you can tell they definitely care about their students. So that’s a huge strength for our district. Our district also has a lot of opportunity, whether it be between the sports to the video game club or team or whatever it is to drama to music, you know, we’ve got a wide array-agriculture. There’s all kinds of things our students can be involved in. And that’s an awesome opportunity, especially when they’re deciding what they want to do later in life. And then, you know, the other asset to our district is the community that we live in. There’s always parents willing to lend a helping hand to, you know, cook, hundreds of baked goods for the PIE bake sale, or whatever it is, so that’s a huge asset is the parents that live in this district and that are willing to be so involved with their students.

What do you see as the three biggest challenges that we’ll be facing Falls City public schools in the next four years? What are the three challenges you see?

Justin Courtney: Well, inflation is going to be the biggest one right now. I mean, 70 percent of marriages, would survive on $500 more or within the households. So that’s going to be huge, you know, as we’re trending to be, you know, prices rising and getting worse and going to continue to get worse. What was the question again?

You know, financially’s going to be one. I don’t know, are the class sizes getting smaller? A little bit, are we going to be able to keep all the teachers and all the faculty that we have? I don’t know what we have going on there. But, you know, keeping everybody involved. You know, if people leave this smaller community to find better jobs, things like that, it’s going to be an issue. Then the third one is-kind of a tough question to lead with, thank you. You know, just community, as times get tougher, is community going to hold together, you know, if people can stay positive. That’s always important, you know. So that’s about all I got on that. 

Teresa Olberding: I agree; this is a tough question. I think that the changes in society and culture, in how that affects all of us and what responsibilities or possibly even mandates will come down that we will have to handle as a district and how we will handle those things. Testing, it seems like when I was on the school board, the last time the state has different testing, right? Specifications that need to be handled if that puts us pressure on our teachers. I don’t know. That’s something, since I haven’t been in the school board for eight years I don’t know how that has progressed. I know in the past, it’s been a problem to find time for teachers to teach and also test. Third problem? I don’t know.

Cassondra Goff: Well, I think the first challenge is remembering that the teachers and the parents are on the same page. A lot of you know, the social-emotional learning and some of the stuff that came through the school board. And it was very well painted that it was a group of parents who were against the teachers. And that was absolutely not the case. And I’ve actually been sitting on a committee to provide a recommendation for that social-emotional learning. And it was actually alarming to me when talking to the teachers and realizing that what they were wanting to teach wasn’t even in the curriculum that we were teaching. So, you know, my biggest challenge to them was, let’s do better. Let’s find a curriculum that’s doing what you want and is also bringing the parents in and accomplishing what we need to accomplish. So I think keeping our eyes on the end goal and the prize, which is doing the best for our students, is going to be one of our biggest challenges and it’s not going to be-it cannot be an us versus them situation. Number two, I think we’ve already seen it a little bit, is faculty replacement and or faculty recruitment. I mean, kind of the location we live in makes it a little bit hard to, you know, get the best because, you know, the fact of the matter is that living two hours from many major cities is kind of hard, especially when you’re a young teacher, or a young businessperson. And then third is going to be the financial portion of it. I mean, we live in an ag community and at some point, this economy is going to break and inflation is going to get the best of us; our commodity, prices are going to go down. And we’re going to have a challenge when that budget is squeezed in the schools.

Anthony Johansen: Well, they’ve given me all the answers for this and I’m lucky to go fourth, so you know, I think the inflation, obviously, that’s a factor that’s already affecting all of our lives every day. So, I think that by, you know, we have a farming operation, we have a construction company, we have a trucking company, you know, obviously, we have to balance budgets on all that stuff. I think we do a pretty fair job of it; they’re all successful and profitable, you know, I can bring that to the school board and help out with things. One example is that, you’re probably going to hate me for this, but the diesel that we burn in our semis every day is $2.63 right now. Not $5, you know, things like that, we could see what was coming down the road. I heard somebody at a school board meeting say that two years ago, they had no idea the things that were happening would be happening. Well, we did, you know, and we’re saving tens of thousands of dollars and things like that, where you know, you have to have the foresight of things that, that you feel are coming down the road that you can do things in advance or balance things out. You can do things like that, to save money and not have to worry about, I mean, if we have the same amount of kids, you need the same amount of teachers, so that’s obviously not an option, in my opinion, you know? So, the second thing probably would be, Cassondra hit it, social-emotional learning, critical race theory, comprehensive sex education, you know, those are things that obviously, with the way society is going, are going to try and get pushed into our school systems. I got 15 seconds. I don’t agree with that at all. So, I’m going to keep that out.

Curriculum adoption and implementation is critical in meeting the mission of Falls City Public Schools. Do you have any specific changes that you would like to make in the curriculum offered in our district? 

Teresa Olberding: I do not have any curriculum, or I don’t personally have any changes I see, needed.

I believe our teachers have good input on curriculum and if they have changes that they feel are needed, I’m sure that they will bring that forward and it will be discussed and if changes are necessary, it will be done at that time.

Cassondra Goff: I do not have any specific changes at this time. However, what I will tell you is if I am elected on the school board, I will make sure that I do my resource research. And I will also use the people who are professionals. I’m not a curriculum professional. Finance and agriculture is my forte. But just like in my own business, I use an accountant or a lawyer and whatever else I need to, to be successful. And so, you know, I will use those same resources, whether it be the teachers, the curriculum director, you know, do my own research, find out what we need to do to make sure that we are providing the best curriculum for our students.

Anthony Johansen: I hit on that a little bit on the last question, the last answer. But, you know, overall, I think things are in pretty good shape. I would say that I think we need to promote tech schools maybe a little bit more than what we do. You know, this town has a shortage of plumbers, it has a shortage of electricians, it has a shortage of, you know, a lot of positions where people have to go out and get dirty and sweat all day long. I think that’s a society thing. You know, I think we need to promote that. It’s a need and those are good paying jobs that, you know, if you want to work hard for it, there’s money to be made there. You know, kids need to understand that. It’s not all about going to college for four years and coming out $120,000 in debt and then looking for a job after that’s over with. I mean, that’s one I think we need to make sure that we’re teaching kids about finance, about balancing budgets, about what interest is, especially right now, with that being six/seven percent. That’s not a whole lot of fun. You know, they need to understand that, you know, understand what it is to borrow money, how to balance a budget, and just basics to have, you know, to have success in life, if you’re, if you’re in debt over your head, you know, that’s, that’s not a good place to be, you know, it’s hard to have success when that’s happening. Third thing, like I said, overall, I think things are pretty darn well. Third thing is just make sure that kids understand, you know, the true history of the United States, where it came from, where it’s been, what it’s been through to correct it, you know, wrongs and that this is a place to be proud of. Be proud to be American.

Justin Courtney: As long as it’s the curriculum that’s mandated by the state, I have no issue with it. I see some things to try to get pushed in. 

No major changes, I think, you know, from what my kids are going through, I think everything’s great. Like Anthony hit on a minute ago, or candidate four that, you know, push more tech, take advantage of that building out there that pretty much sets empty and furthering education and if we’re going to hire a curriculum director, which I still don’t understand why we have to hire a curriculum director, then we utilize them correctly.

What will you do as a board member to address the problems schools face with declining funding, as they also try to meet the challenges of ever-changing enrollment, Children with Special Needs, high-ability learners, the arts and new educational technology? 

Cassondra Goff: First and foremost, you have to have a balanced budget and you need to prioritize where your money needs to be spent. Where are, you know, obviously, getting the good teachers, having the curriculum we need and teaching the core classes that we need the best we can for our students. And so, you know, once I’m on the board, I’ll be able to further analyze what our financial needs are, where, you know, where can money be spent better. Where can we cut costs that aren’t going to, you know, affect as many students. I know there’s been discussions on leasing buses versus owning buses, every dollar counts. So being able to just really understand where the money goes and where the needs are, is going to be the most important thing to keep that budget balanced and to be able to get through the tough times when we’re squeezing for cash and still be able to provide that great education for our students.

Anthony Johansen: You know, the decline in funding, like I said, every dollar needs spent, what’s spent, needs spent wisely and effectively. One of the things right now that I think’s going on with the current board is they’re discussing buying a charter bus. You know, if anybody’s driven by our bus barn, I think we have some pretty darn nice buses the way it is. They get a charter bus that won’t fit in the bus barn; it has to be cleaned outside; it has to be maintenanced outside; I think that is a complete waste in my opinion. So that’s one place that we can save. You know, we need to have the number of teachers, we need to teach the kids effectively and once we have that, I think I think we’re set. I think we’re in a pretty good spot right now. But we don’t need to have more people on payroll than what is completely necessary. Like, set right now. I think we’re sitting pretty good. Children with special needs, obviously. I mean, you know, every kid needs to learn; every kid needs attention. You know, there’s an extreme difference between my seventh-grade daughter and my fourth-grade son. Any teachers that have had them will know that. So, whether they’re a high-ability learner or they’re not, or they’re a handful, you know, every kid is going to need attention a little bit differently, but they all deserve the attention. They all need to learn. So, we’ve got to work with all of them.

Justin Courtney: So, start with special needs. Mom-Rita was part of that group that helped start that program. I can’t think the name of it, sorry. I should know this. In Missouri, we helped start a program, we helped fund it, we helped set up the bus routes, all that stuff. We based it out of Maryville, but we ran the financing for it out of Mound City and that was an awesome program. Still is a great program. So that’s, you know, had a lot of fun doing that and creating that opportunity over in Missouri. So, seeing it here they already have it in place and it already works very well from my knowledge; I could be wrong. 

Yeah, always money-always never enough money. Arts and high-ability learning. You know, I never went to school or anything like that, to this school, but I don’t know what they offer for high ability learning here. But I would assume there’s programs, community education, or some type of college night classes is something that’s offered. We had a junior college where I grew up. So, you could always take a two-year education on site and the fourth one was arts and crafts or something like that. Fine arts? 

Education and technology. I was actually in a conference call this morning at about nine o’clock and I might go over just a step. They’re a technology company me and my wife worked with; I was on a call with a buddy of mine through the fuel company, a billion-dollar fuel company out of Oklahoma. And we’re working on a technology program that uses A.I. technology for School Safety and business safety. So, technology’s like one of my favorite things out there. I’m always tinkering with stuff. So, I think there’s a huge avenue in that.

Teresa Olberding: We rely a lot on the superintendent to help us come up with new ideas and ways to make up the difference in funding. You know, obviously, taxes are not the way you always want to go, that affects everyone. And as far as all of the programs that you mentioned, when you see how much money you have to spend, you have to prioritize what we have to provide and what we can provide. So, some of those things, until you get into the situation and you know, what you have, you can’t make a decision. So, until you’re on the board and you see what we have, like Cassondra said, then you prioritize where your money is going to be spent most wisely, after it’s spent, where it has to be spent.

How will you support our schools to ensure our students graduate with the knowledge and skills they need to be college and career ready? 

Anthony Johansen: Well, I think that goes to having teachers and administrators that are dedicated, that you know want what’s best for the kids that want them to succeed. They need to be taught the things that are going to lead them into college or lead them into to a career at work directly after that. I think some of the things that I mentioned earlier, as far as, you know, things that we can maybe enter into our curriculum that will help along with that, you know, as far as trade schools, things of that nature. You know, between the teachers, we have the administrators, you know, overall, I think we’re doing pretty decent right now, like, I mean, I’ve said that before, but, I guess, continue what we’re doing and maybe improve on a few things with other curriculum we can add into it. I think the kids have to want to have success after high school. I mean, that’s another thing, you know, a lot of these homes they come from we we’ve discussed here already. Maybe a teacher can help along with something where they’re not getting home from a parent, you know, some guidance, some mentoring, you know, build some confidence in them too so that when they do take that next step, they’re ready to roll wherever that may be.

Justin Courtney: Well, something we did over in Missouri as a board member that I found to be the most important thing we did was, a couple times a year, we, [the board members] would have to go spend a half a day in the school, a half a day to all day depending on the time of year and all that, but I learned more about the teachers, how the teachers operated and the lack of funding they had in certain areas. One of them was the chemistry lab which at the time was short-funded. The technology class and the typing class, was short funded. So, we learned by sitting in the class for periods of time, learning what the teachers actually needed to operate well. And if you don’t have the funding and the things they need, how are the kids supposed to? So that was one of my big takeaways from Mound City. And, education, you know, colleges, I just read this the other day; I’ve pulled it back up since, in the last 11-12 years, they’re down 3.3 million students, 17 percent. So, are we pushing kids to go to college because that’s what their parents or grandparents did? Or are we pushing them for the right reasons? So, educating them to go to college for a reason, instead of sending them is a big thing and even the graduation rate is lower than that. So, you know, like Anthony said, using tech schools and opportunities like that, or taking trips showing kids-you know, Lincoln and these other schools, or quit putting an expectation for four years, instead of looking at two-year degrees as in junior colleges and things like that to where their books and tuition are free.

Teresa Olberding: As a school board member, the role is to ensure that we retain the good teachers that we have that are teaching our students. As a school board member, we don’t have control over the testing and all the things that go into making sure the students are ready for their future. So, we have to rely heavily on our educators and staff to make sure that our kids are receiving the education that they need so that they can meet those goals. And we can provide as many programs as cost-effective to help them find their place, whether it is a four-year college, or if we do expand-not just the nursing and the welding at SCC but maybe include some other tech areas for them.

Cassondra Goff: Well, you know we’ve discussed pension budget and what that’s going to possibly do. So, I think, you know, as a school board member, you need to be able to be creative. We have a huge number of resources, whether it be our hospital, the factories we have in town, farmers who are looking for help, you need to be able to get a little bit creative and maybe not provide that conventional level of education, but being able to pair people up with mentors and get some of that real-life experience and understand, you know, we don’t want to all just go to a four-year degree and then decide what we’re going to do. We want to go get our nursing degree because this is what we can do. And so, I think exposure and using the resources that we have right here in our community. I know I’ve done a number of different events through 4-H and through the schools coming and speaking to schools, whether it be about finance or what I do on a regular basis. And so just, you know, utilizing the parents and the professionals that we do have in this community is going to be huge. And then, I know, when I worked at Frontier bank, I talked to Mr. Heckenlively about implementing more finance classes. You know, have these students understand what it is to get their first car loan, to be able to get insurance, what it’s going to take to get credit, I mean, just those basic skills when it comes to taking out student loans and understanding what the long-term effects of that are.

How will you remain non-biased in a situation that involves personal beliefs or family relations? Or how do you stay neutral as a board member when it comes down to situations that affect you personally, your family personally, or your values? 

Justin Courtney: So as a board member, to get anything approved, it takes a group of a vote, right, so it has to have an approval by committee. So you know, it’s hard to take for anybody, personal emotions out of some things and see 100 percent because of beliefs and things like that, but common sense goes a long ways. And I think we forget to use common sense a lot of times on issues. So regardless of what your beliefs are and family members and things like that, if you lead with common sense, you’ll go a long way.

Teresa Olberding: Yeah, if we do work as a board, but we all have our own personal beliefs and they’re all going to come out when we have a discussion, then we have to cooperate, we have to listen to one another and come to a compromise because we won’t all see the issue the same. So, we work together to come up with the best solution and you take out your emotions. In as far as any personal members or family members, when there’s an issue that has to be dealt with, you need to-I would take myself out of that position; I wouldn’t have a vote in that. I would abstain from making a decision that I would have a strong personal connection to.

Cassondra Goff: So, as far as the personal beliefs, you need to stick to your core values, first and foremost, so everybody’s going to come in with those core values and ultimately, that’s the reason you’re being voted in because of some of your core values. But you need to allow us to come in with an open mind. A great example of this is the social-emotional learning curriculum that I discussed earlier. You know, part of the reason it was brought to my attention and why I did fight it and show up at the school board and bring a lot of stuff to the attention was because it didn’t align with my values. But digging into it more, I found that it didn’t necessarily align with the school’s values either and talking with the teachers and, you know, it takes you to be able to have those hard conversations with people who don’t necessarily agree with you to figure out what both sides of the fence is. As far as family relation, the only conflict of interest I have is my children attend the school. So, I’m not going to you know; I don’t have family members that are working for the school. So, there is none for me there.

Anthony Johansen: Well, that’s it’s an interesting question. You know, I have one aunt, that is a kindergarten teacher. You know, so as far as family relations, you know, is that what that means? Like, as far as?

Burke Brown: I think it’s asking if you have a child that got called to the principal’s office when “my son decided he was going to punch another child during science class.” And that kind of stuff. So just those kinds of situations.

Anthony Johansen: Anyway, back to my aunt Angie who’s a kindergarten teacher, that is the one family member that I have. We don’t always see eye to eye. A lot of times we do a lot of times we don’t; she’s giving me faces right now. So, there’s probably not going to be bias there. You know, as far as your kids being in the district, I’m not getting on here to get special privileges or anything. Like I said, I love my kids; I care about my kids and I want what’s best for my kids. I have values; I have beliefs that I instill in my kids. You know, Cassondra hit that when we were obviously at a board meeting several months ago, when a bunch of parents were there, you know, everybody talks about rights, rights, rights. I have the right to raise my children, you know; I need them to be educated; I don’t need them to be indoctrinated. You know, and my kids have the right to be left alone. I’m the parent, you know, and the parents have the right to raise your kids; the district has a right to educate them on the things they need educated on. But as far as you know, maybe favoring your kid for something because you’re on the board is, that sounds crazy to me. I mean, we’re here to work for our constituents and to serve the district. I’m not here to get any special privileges or special benefits to my kids.

The candidates each had a final two minutes to give a closing statement on anything they would like to address. 

Teresa Olberding: I enjoyed being on the school board the last stint that I did. I feel it’s very important for our community to have a school board that works together. Yes, everyone has different ideas; that’s human nature, we all should have different ideas, we should all bring those to the board as a whole. Members have a responsibility to the students to provide the best education that we can; we have a responsibility to make sure that we do it within a reasonable financial situation for our constituents. And I just feel that it’s an honor to be able to do that if I get elected. To be there for not just my grandchildren in the future but all students that go to our school district. And go out and vote for whoever you’re going to vote for, go out and vote. That’s the most important thing.

Cassondra Goff: First of all, I would like to thank the Teachers Association for putting on this event tonight. I think it’s a great opportunity for the candidates to express their opinions to get everything kind of out in the open. It is disappointing that the two incumbents weren’t able to make it tonight. But hopefully, that’s their loss for not being able to express their opinions. But wrapping up, it’s just I believe I have a lot to bring to the board. Many of you see me all over the community. I’m a leader in many different organizations, probably too many at some times, but my passion really is just for my kids and for the kids of this community. Because, you know, we’re the only ones that can make it better. We’re the ones who can lead them to get out of their poverty, get out of the situations there at home. So having a successful school is going to be the number one priority there and so, you know, with that, I’m a successful businesswoman. I have a lot of financial experience and I can bring that to the backside of the board as far as balancing the budget and staying, you know, true to the taxpayers because that’s also important. It’s a slippery slope to be able to get everywhere you need to be, but the money is not endless, just like in every situation. So, like Teresa said, get out and vote and I hope to be able to serve you in the next few years.

Anthony Johansen: Thank you for putting this on. I hope that we gave you some answers to think on. I hope you make your decisions on who you want to vote for. As Cassondra said, it’s disappointing the two incumbents aren’t here. I think that’s pretty telling to be quite honest with you. You know, I want to lead, I don’t want to follow; I want to lead. There are a couple of reasons that I am sitting here, that I’m running. Like I said, overall, I think things are pretty well within the district. Like I said, I had a complaint with one teacher and she’s no longer here. And I’ve got the list of every teacher that my daughter has all the way from kindergarten to seventh grade. That’s not why I’m here. The reason I’m here and I’ve expressed this already. I mean, I think we need to stick to the basics, you know, if they would teach my kids what I was taught, you know, in the 80s and 90s. You know, I’m perfectly fine with that; it’s just that when you start, you know, you talk about personal beliefs when you start bringing politics into our schools, that half the population or more than that don’t agree with, you know, there’s not a place for that. I’d like to see that not happen. You know, finance, like I said, we’ve got two or three businesses we have, none of them went broke yet. So I think I can help financially put things in the right direction. And I just, you know, I want what’s best for my kids and I’m what’s best for anybody else’s kids as well. I’d like to work for you. I think I would do a good job serving on this board.

Justin Courtney: All right. So, closing statement is yeah, we’ll see what happens. Hopefully, I get on the board. If I don’t, it’s not the end of world, but I’m hoping I do. You know, I’ve been on a school board before, I care about kids. You know, that’s why we do the NFL, Flag Football League. You know, if you get on Facebook, you’re going to see and hear a lot of things about me that aren’t true by a lot of people I’ve never met. And that’s fine if they got that kind of time, good for them. But I find it amusing that people go that low just to talk about people they’ve never met. But going forward, you know, regardless if I get on the board or not, you know, I’m going to support the school board and support the school and support the teachers. So just see what happens and hopefully I get on, if I don’t, it is what it is. But I’m excited for the future.

The debate was an exchange of ideas to help the community reach a more critically informed understanding of topics affecting Falls City Public Schools. The Falls City Education Association appreciates the open and honest dialogue and hopes it will bring clarity to the voters of Falls City and District #56.

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Charles Herbster took Richardson County’s race for Governor with 814 votes; Brett Lindstrom, 302; Jim Pillen, 231; Thresa Thibodeau, 70; Breland Ridenour, 12; Michael Connely, 14; Donna Nicole Carpenter, 10; Troy Wentz, 3 and Lela McNinch, 9.

Carol Blood was the projected winner in the Democrat race for governor. In Richardson County early results, she had 274 votes against Roy Harris’ 67.

The Falls City Sales Tax increase will pass with 469 for and 259 against.  Humboldt City sales tax increase will also go through with 119 for and 92 against.

Ron Rathbone looks to be Humboldt’s new Mayor taking 145 votes against Dyann Herr who had 54 votes and Ted Schuler with 12.

The vote for abolishment of incorporation of the Village of Preston went through with four votes.

Full election results will be reported in next week’s Falls City Journal.

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Charles W. Herbster’s Executive Assistant comes forward to tell her side of the story about the Elephant Remembers dinner in 2019. The campaign is also presenting the precarious timeline of these “accusations.”

“I wanted to wait until after the rally to put out my statement and thoughts on what is happening to my beloved friend and boss, here is my recount of that night and my experiences with Charles W. Herbster:

“I have been Charles W. Herbster’s Executive Assistant for more than five years. As his assistant I am with him at most political and social events and rarely leave his side. If I am not with him, someone else is always there in my place. I have never seen Charles do anything but treat women with the utmost respect. He works with and promotes women in both the business world and in politics. It is unimaginable to me that anyone would accuse Charles of any inappropriate behavior. That is not Charles and if it were I would not work for him.”

“As Charles’s Executive Assistant, I too attended the 2019 Elephant Remembers Dinner. There was rarely an occasion that evening when I wasn’t with Charles. At that event our table was in the very front center in full view of the more than 500 attendees and anyone on the stage. Charles was never alone during the evening. It would have been impossible for Charles to have done what he has been accused of without it creating a noticeable stir and public scene. I certainly would have been aware that something had happened.”

“Furthermore, I was in attendance at the September 20, 2019 meetings with Senator Julie Slama and others that took place at Charles’s downtown Omaha condo. Also attending meetings that day as part of the Herbster team were former Governor Dave Heineman and Carlos Castillo. On that day, Senator Slama came to the condo for her pre-planned meeting with Charles unaccompanied.”

“The accusations made against Charles are so far out of character that the credibility must be questioned. While I have only been with Charles for five years, I work with people who have known Charles for several decades. Nobody has ever raised any concerns about Charles’s behavior around women. I would know.”

-Michelle Keithley

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The deadline has passed and the list of candidates who have filed for election for the 2022 Primary/General Election to be held on May 10, 2022, is complete. Names with an * denotes an incumbent.

The post Local 2022 Primary/General Election Candidates appeared first on THE FALLS CITY JOURNAL.

Just after 10:00 p.m., unofficial Richardson County results of the 2020 General Election were released.

In a memorable election cycle, State Sen. Julie Slama defeated Janet Palmtag in a heated race for Legislature. The extremely publicized race ended with Slama taking 68 percent of the votes in the District. In Richardson County, Slama easily took the win over Palmtag with 2,815 over Palmtags 1,057. There were 14 write-in votes; one overvote and 183 undervotes. Slama was the youngest member of the Legislature when Governor Pete Ricketts appointed her in 2018.

Richardson County voted overwhelmingly for President Donald Trump with a total of 2,918; Former Vice President Joe Biden received 981 of the votes and Lib. Jo Jorgensen received 56 votes. There were eight write-ins, ten overvotes and 35 undervotes. Looks like it could be a while before we know who won the Presidential race.

Locally, Republican Rick Karas edged out Democrat Phil Hitchcock for the District 3 County Commissioners seat, 981 to Hitchcock’s 374. There were five write-in votes, one overvote and 49 undervotes.

District 2 County Commissioner David D. Sickel held onto his seat running unopposed, receiving 1,256 votes with 22 write-ins and 245 undervotes.

Humboldt voters voted to retain Humboldt Mayor Robert Mendenhall, 291 to 161, with nine undervotes.

In the race for United States Senator, Ben Sasse easily retained his seat and took the majority of Richardson County with 2,941 votes over Democrat Chris Janicek, who had 669. Libertarian Gene Siadek finished with an impressive 190 votes.

Adriane Smith also sailed into an easy win for District 3 Congress with 2,927 votes in Richardson County over his opponents, Mark Elworth, Jr. 779 and Libertarian Dustin C. Hobbs, 124.

In the Judges races, Richardson County voted yes to retain Judge Funke with 2,137 yes; 1,140 no. Yes to retain Judge Stine, 2,128; no, 1093. Yes to retain Judge block, 2,094; no 1,119. Yes to retain Judge Smith, 2,256; no, 1,107. Yes to retain Judge Schreiner, 2081; no 1,139. Yes to retain Judge Maschman, 2,376; no, 1,209.

Dan Jones came out on top with 2,135 votes in the Falls City School Board race, followed by Scott Hollens with 20,21, then June Bowers with 2,020. There were three overvotes and 2,611 undervotes.

The race for Humboldt School Board saw Kyle Hilgenfield on top with 756 votes, followed by Michael Kanel with 683, Crystal Dunekacke with 608, followed by Leah M. Reyes, 389 and Grand Reynolds, 286. There were five write-ins and 663 undervotes.

Four Falls City, City Council members ran unopposed. Amber Holle in Ward 1 had 525 votes with 85 undervotes; Kaylie Ractliffe in Ward 2 had 377 votes with 108 undervotes; Carla Rhodd in Ward 3 had 382 votes with 84 undervotes and Jim Wisdom in Ward 4 had 301 votes with one overvote and 41 undervotes.

Falls City Airport Authority saw Shawn Fouraker edged out David Mullins with a vote of 1,382 to 1,327 with four overvotes and 1,129 undervotes.

Two Humboldt City Council members ran unopposed. Larry Stauffer in Ward 1 had 135 votes with 27 undervotes and Stacey J. Edmundson had 169 votes with 29 undervotes.

In the unopposed NRD races, Eldon Snoke came out with 535 votes for NRD-8; Jon Keithley had 1,298 votes for NRD-9; and James Gerweck had 1,565 for NRD-10.

Lana Willman had 3,024 votes for ESU-4-District 2 with one overvote and 819 undervotes; Amy Clark had 170 votes for ESU-4-District 4 with 39 undervotes.

Barada Village Board had 15 write-ins and 21 undervotes.

The Dawson Village Board had 50 votes for Bill Koch and 54 undervotes.

Preston Village Board had ten write-in votes and 32 undervotes.

The Stella Village Board Race saw Heath Stanley get 71 votes and Jim Donahoe received 70, Paulina Gossman received 13 write-in votes. There were 56 undervotes.

The Verdon Village Board top three were Lois Miller with 69 votes, Gary Cochran with 64 and Vicky Cochran with 39. Then Jacob Bents with 30 and Wade Lowe with 18. There were 32 undervotes and three write-ins.

Proposed Amendment No. 1 to remove Slavery as punishment for crime from the Constitution. The Nebraska State Constitution allows courts to punish criminals with “involuntary servitude,” which has meant that prisoners can be required to work while serving their sentences. Amendment 1 would change the state constitution, striking out words as follows: “There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in this state, otherwise than for punishment of crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” Meaning courts may not sentence criminals to labor, nor prisons require labor from those serving their sentences. The vote was for 2,123; against, 1,543 with four overvotes and 400 undervotes. Statewide, for 584,398; against, 273,645.

On the Proposed Amendment 2, Tax Increment Finance, Repayment Amendment – A yes supported the amendment to increase the repayment period for tax increment financing from 15 to 20 years for areas where more than one-half of properties are designed as extremely blighted. A no vote opposes the amendment, keeping the repayment period for tax increment financing at 15 years, including areas where more than one-half of properties are designed as extremely blighted. Richardson County voted 2,004 for and 1,541 against with one overvote and 524 undervotes. Nebraska voted 503,877 for and 322,035 against.

The Initiative Measure 428, A vote ‘for’ would amened Nebraska statutes to (1) reduce the amount that delayed deposit services licensees, also known as payday lenders, can charge to a maximum annual percentage rate of thirty-six percent; (2) prohibit payday lenders from evading this rate cap; and (3) deem void and uncollectable any delayed deposit transaction made in violation of this rate cap.
A vote ‘against’ would not cause the Nebraska statutes to be amended in such manner. In Richardson County, there were 2,790 votes for and 807 against with two overvotes and 471 undervotes. In Nebraska, there were 702,735 votes for and 145,510 against.

The Initiative Measure 429, the Authorize Laws for Gambling at Racetracks Amendment, A yes vote supports amending the Nebraska Constitution to allow laws that authorize, regulate and tax gambling at licensed racetrack facilities in the state. Together, Initiatives 429, 430, and 431 would allow, authorize and regulate and tax gambling at licensed race tracks. A no vote opposes amending the Nebraska Constitution to allow laws that authorize, regulate and tax gambling at licensed racetrack facilities in the state, thus maintaining the state’s prohibition against gambling at racetracks. In Richardson County, 2,478 voted for it and 1,276 voted against it with 316 undervotes. Nebraska as a whole voted 570,502 for the measure and 308,062 voted against it.

The Initiative Measure 430, Authorizing Gambling at Racetracks Initiative, a yes vote supports enacting a law that authorizes gambling operations within licensed racetracks and establishes that Nebraska Gambling Commission to regulate gambling operations. Initiatives 429, 430, and 431 would allow, authorize, and regulate tax gambling at licensed race tracks. A no vote opposes enacting a law that authorizes gambling operations within licensed racetracks and establishes the Nebraska Gaming. Commission to regulate gambling operations. In Richardson County, 2,483 voted for it and 1,291 voted agast it with 296 undervotes. In Nebraska 572, 890 voted for the measure and 309,929 voted against it.

On Nebraska Initiative 431, the Tax on Gambling at Racetracks Initiative, a yes vote supports imposing an annual tax of 20% on gross gambling revenue of licensed gaming operators; distributing 2.5% of tax revenue to the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund, 2.5% to the General Fund, 70% to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund, and 25% to the counties where gambling is authorized at licensed racetracks. Together, Initiatives 429, 430, and 431 would allow, authorize and regulate, and tax gambling at licensed racetracks. A “no” vote opposes imposing an annual tax of 20% on gross gambling revenue of licensed gaming operators. Richardson County voters voted 2,580 for the measure and 1,171 against. Nebraska voted 602,309 for and 275,306 against the measure.

Richardson County had an impressive turnout for voting this year, with 73.06 percent turning out. With 5,572 registered voters in the county, 4,071 voted; 2,411 voted on election day and 1,660 voted early.

Overvote: An overvote occurs when one vote for more than the maximum number of selections allowed in a contest
Undervote: An undervote occurs when the number of choices selected by a voter in a contest is less than the maximum number allowed for that contest or when no selection is made for a single choice contest.

Final totals will be published in the Falls City Journal. 

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Check your voter registration and polling place.  You can check the status of your voter registration and location of your polling place by contacting your county election office or logging onto https://www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov/  If you voted early by mail, or have to complete a provisional ballot on Election Day, you can go to the same website to check the status of you ballot.

Change of address. If you have moved within your county, but have not updated your voter registration, you can still vote. You will need to go to your new precinct, in order to obtain a provisional ballot. To identify the polling place for your current address, go to https://www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov/

Be Prepared Before going to the polls; make an effort to become informed about the candidates and issues on the ballot. Sample ballots are printed in the newspapers and posted on county websites.

Campaigning prohibited Campaign items such as buttons, stickers and T-shirts are not allowed in a polling place.  It is illegal to campaign within 200 feet of a polling site. Campaign signs can be installed on private property within 200 feet of a polling site, provided that the property does not include where the polling place is located.

Conduct at the Polls. To maintain proper decorum at the polls, it is requested that you turn off your cell phones, and other electronic devices. Phone conversations or loud bell tones can be distracting to others. Ballot selfies are allowing in polling places; however, photos should only be taken of your own ballot and not someone else’s.

• Mask with be available for voters if you do not have one.
• Black pens to mark your ballot will be given to you to keep
• Voting booths will be wiped down after each voter is finished voting
• Maintain proper distance of 6 feet away from others
• Respect your poll workers
• Be patient, many poll workers are new this year
• Be sure to thank your poll worker for their service

Special accommodations and assistance If you require special assistance to vote at your polling site, let the poll worker know.  Curbside help is available for those who have difficulty walking or utilize assistive devices.  Ballot marketing devices are available for use with specially designed machines. Those features can also help those with hearing or vision difficulties. Be sure to let a poll worker know what accommodations you might need.

Provisional Ballots If you happen to lose a ballot, spoil it or have not received your early ballot by Election Day, you can still vote with a provisional ballot at your polling place. That ballot will be counted once it is confirmed that no other ballots have been cast for you.

Unofficial results for statewide races will be posted and refreshed starting 8:00 pm (CST) and 7:00pm (MST) on the Secretary of State website https://sos.nebraska.gov/

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By Nikki McKim; photos by Brian McKim and Nikki McKim

President Donald Trump made a historical campaign stop in Omaha last night with one week to go before the election.

Nebraska is one of two states, the other being Maine, that allow electoral votes to be divided. In 2016, President Trump took all five of Nebraska’s electoral votes. Former President Obama was the last Democrat to win Nebraska’s second district in 2008.

Arriving before 8 p.m. last night on Air Force One to the sounds of ‘In the Air Tonight,’ by Phil Collins and thousands of cheering fans, the President was in good spirits after a long day of campaigning in Michigan and Wisconsin.

The President spoke before a crowd of an estimated 10,000 with what looked to be another 2,000 in line outside still waiting to get in as it started to wind down half an hour later. (Some reports estimate the crowd at 5,000 and some estimate the crowd at 20,000 this was my estimate having stood and watched the crowd grow around me for five hours.)

The President delivers his speech

The President told the crowd that he would “deliver epic job growth and a safe vaccine that eradicates the virus and quickly ends the pandemic,” despite growing COVID numbers in Nebraska. He said, “next year will be the greatest economic year in the history of our country. That’s where we’re heading.”

During his 47-minute speech, President Trump emphasized that he doesn’t always play by the rules of the Washington establishment, “because I was elected to fight for you,” he said.

Speaking about COVID to the crowd of several unmasked attendees, Trump said, “And until I came along, you were supposed to have lifetime immunity. Right? I said, “Well, I’m recovered. I feel great. And I’m immune.” I could jump right into this road. I could kiss every man and woman, every man and woman. But because it was me, the press said, “No, it’s not for a lifetime. It’s only for four months. Immunity is only now for four months.” They brought it down, right? It was always going to be for a lifetime; now it’s four months. So what are you going to do? What are you going to do? It’s one of those things, but I guarantee you this. On November 4th, you won’t be hearing as much about this. It’s going to be right now; it’s COVID, COVID, COVID no matter what happens. COVID, COVID.”

Later the President praised Governor Pete Ricketts on what a great job he is doing. “Great Job. What a good guy. What a good man. How’s your state doing, Pete?” asked the President. “It’s wonderful,” responded the Governor.

The President almost immediately called out the media corps who showed up to the rally to cover the event. “Where is the fake news? It’s over there? Oh, that’s a lot of cameras. No, it’s going up. They’re very concerned. They’re very, very concerned. All over. Florida is looking great. Now, Nebraska we know is looking great. Okay? I mean, in theory, I didn’t really have to be here, but it’s nice to be with your friends,” the statement was met with boos from the crowd.

The President criticized his opponent Former Vice President Joe Biden, This election is a matter of economic survival for Omaha and for communities all across our country. Joe Biden’s agenda, and I’m not sure it’s only Biden’s agenda, let’s face it. It’s not his agenda. It sounds nice, Biden’s agenda. The guys shot. He’s shot. He’s so gonzo. You saw him yesterday; they took him away.”

The speech, the shortest the President’s given on the campaign trail since recovering from COVID, ended with the President saying; We have made America strong again. We have made America proud again. We have made America safe again, and we will make America great again. Thank you, Nebraska. Thank you, Iowa.”

The President was on the stage for just over 45 minutes before heading back to Washington, D.C.

The rally was held outside of Eppley Airfield. Spectators were shuttled in from airport parking lots over three miles away. It was reported after 6 p.m. that the Omaha Police Department said that shuttles for transportation would no longer be taking people to the event’s location.

Some spectators arrived before 1 p.m. to see the President speak with the doors opening at 4:30 p.m.

Midway through the rally, at least one man was escorted out and taken to the hospital for unknown reasons.

After the Rally

Attendees of the rally were left in 35-degree weather after the event. Many waited for busses to arrive to take them back to the lots where they parked their cars and were shuttled to the event site over three miles away.

According to local Police Tracker, Omaha Scanner, medics treated numerous parties as they left the event. Some of the issues were dizziness, fatigue, possible hypothermia, and seizures. Douglas County 911 Northeast Precinct Dispatch advised that they received calls from the public saying that the elderly needed assistance. At 11:04 p.m. Omaha Scanner reported, “One officer advising eight to nine elderly people who are struggling. Separate officer advising they have located an elderly party who is frozen cold, unable to move with an altered mental status.” Officers were deployed to parking lots to help push out empty busses to make it to the rally attendees who were waiting after the event. Some people attempted to walk the 3.7 miles to the lot where their vehicles were, ending in several people being transferred to the hospital for possible hypothermia. Just after 12:30 a.m., Police officers reported that most parking lots were clear with very little pedestrian traffic and vehicle traffic around the airport was returning to normalcy. However, officers were still assisting some members of the public in locating their lost vehicles.

Samantha Zager, the deputy national press secretary for the Trump campaign, told USA TODAY in a statement that the campaign “deployed 40 shuttle buses – double the normal allotment — but local road closures and resulting congestion caused delays.”

Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said the Trump campaign orchestrated the rally, and only 40 buses were available for the 25,000 to 30,000 people in attendance when only 10,000 were expected.

A Statement from Former VP Joe Biden

Former Vice President issued a statement prior to the Trump Rally that reads, “Nebraskans are hurting — and President Trump is failing them. The number of COVID-19 cases surpassed 60,000 and hospitalizations hit record highs last week. Hundreds of families are faced with an empty seat at the kitchen table after the loss of a parent or child. Jill and I pray for all those impacted by the virus, for those grieving the loss of a loved one, and for the safety of essential workers — including those in hospitals, nursing homes and meatpacking plants — putting their lives on the line.

Just days ago, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows stunningly admitted that the Trump administration has given up on even trying to control this pandemic. Not only has President Trump waved the white flag, but he is fighting to end health insurance protections for as many as 770,000 Nebraskans with pre-existing conditions as the pandemic worsens. My commitment to you is this: as your president, I won’t give up on Nebraska. I’ll finally get this virus under control and protect your health care. I’ll be a president who fights for all Nebraskans, not just the ones who vote for me. Over the next seven days, you have the power to end the chaos and division — but only if you vote.”  Former Vice President Joe Biden

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The Richardson County Clerk’s Office will be open until 6:00 p.m. on Oct. 23 for new registrants, change of party affiliation, address, name and Early Voting

General Election early voting is now available at the County Clerk’s Office Room 203, Courthouse 8:30 a.m. –  5:00 p.m. through Monday, November 2, 2020 (Friday, Oct. 23–Office will be open until 6:00 p.m.).

All-Mail Precincts, Arago/Barada, Grant/Nemaha (Dawson), East Muddy (Shubert) and Salem Ballots will be mailed and registered voters should receive on or about October 14, 2020 (per NE Administrative Code Title 432 Mail Only Precinct Act, 002 Administrative Requirements 002.02).

Candidates seeking election as a write-in candidate to a certain office (Village Board, School Board, City Council) must file a notarized affidavit and filing fee, if required with the Richardson County Clerk by the deadline, Friday, October 23, 2020.

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