Southeast Nebraska speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Nov. 6, 2026
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Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Lincoln Journal Star.
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I was glad to see the Nebraska Department of Transportation finish its new maintenance building along Highway 15, just south of Seward. The facility was sorely needed and I am happy the department now has a modern building with adequate space.
What frustrates me is the plan to demolish the old maintenance building, just northwest of the new one. Built in the 1960s or ’70s, it is a solid block-and-brick structure that still has plenty of useful life left. Tearing down a sound building seems wasteful.
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It breaks my heart to know with the reseating of Memorial Stadium in the next two years, I will likely never sit with the North Stadium Section 33 cheering crew ever again.
I grew up with these people, so have my children and grandchildren. These people have become family!
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A news report in the LJS recently, about a mock election on the mid-term elections held in the Lincoln grade schools, with over 20,000 votes, is quite alarming. The grade schoolers gave their majority vote to Lynne Walz over Jim Pillen, Dan Osborn over Pete Ricketts, and Chris Backemeyer over Mike Flood.
Note that all the winners in this mock election are Democrats, all with radical platforms and all out of touch with the majority of Nebraskans. One might legitimately ask why these students voted the way they did?
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As proud supporters of Nebraska football, we have always taken immense pride in the legendary sportsmanship of Husker Nation. Memorial Stadium has long been known as a place where fans respect the game, the traditions and even our opponents. That is why the recent behavior witnessed in the stands — including throwing garbage onto the field, hurling heavy profanities, directing personal abuse at players and the opposing team, and viciously shouting for people's jobs — is so deeply disheartening.
Passion for a football program should never cross the line into toxic hostility. When we resort to trashing our own home turf, screaming obscenities, and acting with outright disrespect, we do not look like a powerhouse program; we look like a community that has lost its perspective.
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Nebraska has taken important steps to improve suicide prevention and crisis care. Since 2024, 988 and 911 have been able to transfer calls to each other, helping people reach the right support. In 2025, senators voted 47 to 1 to require annual suicide prevention training for child welfare staff and foster care providers.
Those are steps worth recognizing, but there is more to do. Calling for help is only the beginning. Nebraskans also need access to follow-up care and local services, including in rural communities where options can be limited. We need to make sure people have somewhere to turn before a crisis and continued support afterward.
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Ever since the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, America’s support of that struggling young European democracy has been tepid. Now, suddenly, Trump has switched U.S. support from Ukraine to Putin.
On July 27, 2016, while campaigning for the presidency, Donald Trump, in front of the world, told Russian dictator, and former KGBT agent, Lt. Col. Vladimir Putin to hack into the American Democrats' campaign files. Later the FBI proved that happened. It helped Trump win the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
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America being a melting pot of immigrants from different backgrounds is what made our country “great!" Even though our country was founded on stolen land, it evolved into something greater than the sum of our parts when Americans started having the compassion to make a place for everyone at the table. Our diversity has been our strength. My fellow Americans, at these mid-terms, vote and give voice to “we the people!” Vote against corruption, greed and the elite few. Vote as if America cares more about its citizens than big profits for corporations! Trump has clearly served his self-interests more than his country. Vote with your heart. And if you want to vote for your pocketbook, notice the economy is worse than it was two years ago. If you vote for candidates I’m not voting for though, I respect our differences. Mutual respect is what makes America great, not hate.
Vicki Jedlicka, Cortland
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When we are choosing leaders for our church, social organization or government we should remember what we are teaching our children and youth in school about the importance of character. LPS and many other schools in Nebraska teach that trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, caring, fairness and citizenship are necessary to be a good person and critical for our leaders. Regardless of how leaders attain their positions, the institutions they lead partially rise or fall based on the leader’s character. Leaders with poor character are an obstacle to effectiveness of an institution and its prosperity and safety. Disingenuous leaders, like too many politicians, are more interested in the benefits of holding power than in the work needed to serve others. I do not find anything positive in leaders with bad character because they bring devastation to many people to whom they should be providing leadership.
Gary Lee Heusel, Lincoln
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I came to the U.S. in 1961 to study for a Ph.D. in physics at Michigan State and moved to the University of Pennsylvania in 1964 for post-doctoral work before joining the physics department at UNL in 1966.
I am proud of giving my best to thousands of students at UNL, who have gone on to make their contributions to serving our society. Like millions of others, I was attracted by the-shining-city-on-the-hill America as described by President Reagan. Thousands of people that I have come across over the 65 years of living in our country have been overwhelmingly kind.
- Updated
As the “Mega Million Misinformation Marathon” winds down, it is obvious how much we need campaign reform! The recycle bin is filled with expensive mailings with claims, promises and lies.
Television ads are disgusting. Misinformation is being spread from every corner. Individuals are misquoted and credited with great power and ability — no one person can guarantee the passage of legislation or changes in taxes.
More like this...
I was glad to see the Nebraska Department of Transportation finish its new maintenance building along Highway 15, just south of Seward. The facility was sorely needed and I am happy the department now has a modern building with adequate space.
What frustrates me is the plan to demolish the old maintenance building, just northwest of the new one. Built in the 1960s or ’70s, it is a solid block-and-brick structure that still has plenty of useful life left. Tearing down a sound building seems wasteful.
It breaks my heart to know with the reseating of Memorial Stadium in the next two years, I will likely never sit with the North Stadium Section 33 cheering crew ever again.
I grew up with these people, so have my children and grandchildren. These people have become family!
A news report in the LJS recently, about a mock election on the mid-term elections held in the Lincoln grade schools, with over 20,000 votes, is quite alarming. The grade schoolers gave their majority vote to Lynne Walz over Jim Pillen, Dan Osborn over Pete Ricketts, and Chris Backemeyer over Mike Flood.
Note that all the winners in this mock election are Democrats, all with radical platforms and all out of touch with the majority of Nebraskans. One might legitimately ask why these students voted the way they did?
As proud supporters of Nebraska football, we have always taken immense pride in the legendary sportsmanship of Husker Nation. Memorial Stadium has long been known as a place where fans respect the game, the traditions and even our opponents. That is why the recent behavior witnessed in the stands — including throwing garbage onto the field, hurling heavy profanities, directing personal abuse at players and the opposing team, and viciously shouting for people's jobs — is so deeply disheartening.
Passion for a football program should never cross the line into toxic hostility. When we resort to trashing our own home turf, screaming obscenities, and acting with outright disrespect, we do not look like a powerhouse program; we look like a community that has lost its perspective.
Nebraska has taken important steps to improve suicide prevention and crisis care. Since 2024, 988 and 911 have been able to transfer calls to each other, helping people reach the right support. In 2025, senators voted 47 to 1 to require annual suicide prevention training for child welfare staff and foster care providers.
Those are steps worth recognizing, but there is more to do. Calling for help is only the beginning. Nebraskans also need access to follow-up care and local services, including in rural communities where options can be limited. We need to make sure people have somewhere to turn before a crisis and continued support afterward.
Ever since the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, America’s support of that struggling young European democracy has been tepid. Now, suddenly, Trump has switched U.S. support from Ukraine to Putin.
On July 27, 2016, while campaigning for the presidency, Donald Trump, in front of the world, told Russian dictator, and former KGBT agent, Lt. Col. Vladimir Putin to hack into the American Democrats' campaign files. Later the FBI proved that happened. It helped Trump win the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
America being a melting pot of immigrants from different backgrounds is what made our country “great!" Even though our country was founded on stolen land, it evolved into something greater than the sum of our parts when Americans started having the compassion to make a place for everyone at the table. Our diversity has been our strength. My fellow Americans, at these mid-terms, vote and give voice to “we the people!” Vote against corruption, greed and the elite few. Vote as if America cares more about its citizens than big profits for corporations! Trump has clearly served his self-interests more than his country. Vote with your heart. And if you want to vote for your pocketbook, notice the economy is worse than it was two years ago. If you vote for candidates I’m not voting for though, I respect our differences. Mutual respect is what makes America great, not hate.
Vicki Jedlicka, Cortland
When we are choosing leaders for our church, social organization or government we should remember what we are teaching our children and youth in school about the importance of character. LPS and many other schools in Nebraska teach that trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, caring, fairness and citizenship are necessary to be a good person and critical for our leaders. Regardless of how leaders attain their positions, the institutions they lead partially rise or fall based on the leader’s character. Leaders with poor character are an obstacle to effectiveness of an institution and its prosperity and safety. Disingenuous leaders, like too many politicians, are more interested in the benefits of holding power than in the work needed to serve others. I do not find anything positive in leaders with bad character because they bring devastation to many people to whom they should be providing leadership.
Gary Lee Heusel, Lincoln
I came to the U.S. in 1961 to study for a Ph.D. in physics at Michigan State and moved to the University of Pennsylvania in 1964 for post-doctoral work before joining the physics department at UNL in 1966.
I am proud of giving my best to thousands of students at UNL, who have gone on to make their contributions to serving our society. Like millions of others, I was attracted by the-shining-city-on-the-hill America as described by President Reagan. Thousands of people that I have come across over the 65 years of living in our country have been overwhelmingly kind.
As the “Mega Million Misinformation Marathon” winds down, it is obvious how much we need campaign reform! The recycle bin is filled with expensive mailings with claims, promises and lies.
Television ads are disgusting. Misinformation is being spread from every corner. Individuals are misquoted and credited with great power and ability — no one person can guarantee the passage of legislation or changes in taxes.
More like this...
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