The city of Lincoln scores high for "livability," both in Nebraska and the nation as a whole.
In the new AARP Livability Index, Lincoln ranks number one for the state, and number 11 among large communities nationwide. Rankings were based on 61 indicators in seven categories, such as housing, transportation, health status and community engagement. Among Nebraska's top 10 "livable" communities, Holdrege is in second place, and third and fourth are Blair and Seward, respectively.
Todd Stubbendieck, state director of AARP Nebraska, said the ranking speaks well of the state.
"What I think it shows is that cities of any size within our state can be working on these issues and finding ways to become more livable," Stubbendieck contended. "And this is not just livable for people over 50."
In the trademarked AARP Livability Index, users can search by address, city, state or ZIP code to find a score for each of the seven categories, and information about the indicators used to arrive at the score. Demographic and climate information are also included. And for each community, there's an interactive map allowing users to view data even at the neighborhood level.
Stubbendieck pointed out the rankings are based on factors everyone in a community can benefit from.
"People want to be able to age in place, and in order to do that, they need access to affordable housing, health care, good transportation options," Stubbendieck outlined. "I think what we know is that by making our communities more age-friendly, we actually make them better for people of all ages."
Stubbendieck added the Livability Index includes information for people with a variety of backgrounds and interests.
"It's a data-driven look at every community and every neighborhood," Stubbendieck noted. "I think from a perspective of either community leaders or stakeholders or citizens, not only can you see what you're doing well, but you can see those areas in which you might potentially improve, or make improvements."
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February is Library Lovers Month - and libraries across the Commonwealth are encouraging their long-time and new patrons to celebrate.
Lisa Varga, executive director of the Virginia Library Association, said the easiest way to show love to your library is by signing up for a library card if you don't have one.
For folks wanting to do more, Varga urged them to let their local public officials know just how important the library is to them.
"There are so many things that libraries do that a lot of our financial decision-makers don't necessarily know, about because there's so much to keep track of," said Varga. "So, if you are someone who has benefited from a wifi hotspot, from being able to borrow materials that you could not otherwise afford, let the people know that you enjoy and appreciate your public library."
There are 94 public library systems across the Commonwealth. That ranges from one-building to multi-branch systems.
One study finds that 63% of libraries are funded through a local city or county government, while 29% are funded through an independent library district.
Varga said libraries are important for those seeking an affordable way to do academic research - and combating the loneliness epidemic. She said it's vital that information remains free.
"We are a distinct feature in each community," said Varga, "and it's really important that access to information and access to resources be shared and be publicly available to people. "
The first lending library in the U.S. was founded in the town of Franklin, Massachusetts. Residents of
Franklin asked Benjamin Franklin, the town's namesake, to donate a bell to the town.
Instead, Franklin donated a collection of books to the town, believing "sense" was more important than "sound." The town's residents voted to make the books freely available to all of its citizens.
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Alabama nonprofits are coming together to tackle challenges that may threaten their survival, from declining donor support to shifting federal funding policies.
According to the Alabama Association of Nonprofits, the sector generates more than $10 billion a year, holds more than $20 billion in assets and employs about 5% of the Alabama workforce. But as financial uncertainty looms, nonprofit leaders say now is the time to strategize.
Danielle Dunbar, the association's executive director, said a summit coming up next week aims to help these organizations navigate the challenges ahead.
"When something comes down like a federal grant freeze," she said, "obviously nonprofits are going to be very concerned about how they're even going to make payroll to keep people in place to do the work, to serve the people."
Dunbar said many Alabama nonprofits rely on federal grants to fund such critical services as emergency food, housing and education for the most vulnerable populations, making policy shifts a significant concern.
The summit will be held Feb. 13-14 in Montgomery. More information is on the Alabama Association of Nonprofits' website.
Dunbar said the summit will also tackle broader challenges beyond funding, emphasizing advocacy and community engagement. She noted that nonprofits must amplify their voices to influence policy and secure resources to sustain their work.
"We are so often at the bottom of the list," she said, "and if we can advocate for ways to change the systems and structures that are holding some of our society back, then that will be such a fantastic thing for the Alabama Association of Nonprofits to be able to help with."
She said people at the summit will also tackle topics such as how to leverage social media, enhance fundraising efforts and foster bipartisan collaboration. She added that it will be about more than discussing challenges; it's about driving meaningful change to ensure Alabama's nonprofits can remain pillars of support in their communities.
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Elected officials in New York and nationwide joined an amicus brief filed by the Public Rights Project fighting President Donald Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship. The order is being challenged on several fronts; a federal judge is blocking it.
Since birthright citizenship is a 14th Amendment right, legal experts feel there's no basis for upholding the order.
Michael Chameides, a Third Ward representative on the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, said people born in the county not being considered residents would have grave impacts.
"If you take that conclusion down the line, you could imagine someone who's born here, who then has kids here, who then has grandkids here; you could have generations of people living in the community living as non-citizens," he said. "So, it's even worse than being a second-class citizen. They would be forced to live in the shadows."
Enacting this executive order could divert local and state resources from their intended purpose. Given its broad implications, it could add more red tape for the government, create barriers to health care for families, reduce some young people's ability to get jobs due to discrimination, and harm the long-term economy.
Columbia County residents' feedback to Trump's recent executive orders has been mostly negative given their impacts. Chameides noted it's exacerbating people's fear and uncertainty about the world, and added that residents have other concerns beyond Trump's "culture war" agenda.
"I think what people are seeing is, they are concerned about the rise in costs and those kinds of things," he said, "and that this sort of attack on birthright citizenship is such a distraction from the real things at hand -- which is, how do we make sure working families have the tools and opportunities they need to take care of themselves?"
Some people want the federal government to develop more affordable housing, address health care affordability challenges, and help develop a fiscally sustainable emergency response service.
Chameides said the State of New York is working to fill the gap left by Trump's policies.
"I think New York also needs to step up and make sure it's supporting rural hospitals, that we're making sure health care access is important," he said. "We've had some improvements around support for EMS systems, which is so critically important, but we need to continue to lean in."
Disclosure: Rural Democracy Initiative contributes to our fund for reporting on Environment, Health Issues, Rural/Farming, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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