Way back in the day, when I was in high school, I had a summer job of mopping floors at a local hospital. Being a janitor was a really satisfying job because when you were done, you could easily see what you had accomplished, unlike a lot of other occupations.

Back when I was a whole lot younger, and quite a bit dumber, while covering the state wrestling tournament in Omaha, I decided one night during the event to go out on the town with some friends.

One of my favorite political slogans of all time is “a solution in search of a problem.” It’s used frequently in debates at the Nebraska Legislature to describe a proposal or idea that imposes new rules and restrictions to address a problem that doesn’t exist.

Late last week, my nephew wrapped up his high school basketball career at Seward High School.

There are ways to change state policies, and there are other ways to change state policies. Which brings us to the “death by a thousand cuts” of the Nebraska Environmental Trust.

Mentoring programs are a great thing. They help kids— mostly kids in single- parent families— gain confidence, and learn leadership and life skills from adults.

On Sunday, I was a bit disturbed. After a grueling four days covering the state wrestling tournament in Omaha, late Saturday night I returned home, and I was ready for a long night of deep sleep.

Had I been able to find an old cereal box last week, there is a good chance I would have gotten out my glue stick, found a pair of scissors, and gotten to work.

Can we all agree on one thing? Seeing Americans shot and killed on American streets by fellow Americans is not at all good.

On Sunday, like millions of Americans, I kept my eye on the Super Bowl. Not the world’s biggest fan of pro football, and with really no rooting interest in the game, I had it on, paid periodic attention to the action on the field, but stayed glued to the television when the ads came on.