Omaha World Herald. May 25, 2018
Cooperation is impressive as State Capitol renovation begins
The Nebraska State Capitol towers as one of the state’s most impressive achievements, honoring Nebraska’s heritage and serving as an inspiration for each new generation.
As with any major structure, maintenance is an ongoing obligation. The passing of decades requires an inevitable overhaul of the heating and cooling systems. The 15-story State Capitol was completed in 1932, after all, and the heating and air conditioning system dates to the 1960s.
Nebraska leaders and agencies are working well together as a long-planned revamp of the Capitol’s heating and cooling systems gears up. The $106 million project, in the works since 2012, also will involve installation of fire sprinklers, an update of the fire alarm system and window fixes.
The work will take eight years to complete and will create complications for every branch of Nebraska’s government. Some state agencies have begun relocating to temporary office space off-site. Even the governor will have to move out of his office at some point so work crews can carry out their work.
It would be hard to exaggerate the detailed planning this project has necessitated for State Capitol administrative staff, the Legislature, executive-branch agencies and the judiciary. That this multi-year project, to the betterment of Nebraska, is now getting underway speaks well of their cooperation and professionalism.
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The Grand Island Independent. May 25, 2018.
Solar energy on steroids
Renewable energy technology continues to improve. And as costs continue to come down it will become more appealing and economical for society as a whole, without all of the government-mandated subsidies that are in place today.
It is still remarkable, however, to read of California’s intent to require rooftop solar panels on most new homes in that state beginning in 2020. California will be the only state in the union with such a requirement. The California Energy Commission, which issued the mandate, estimates the panels will add almost $10,000 to a home’s construction costs. The commission also claims that energy savings will total $19,000 over 30 years, but that figure includes assumptions that may not hold for such a long time.
The nation will watch with interest this test of today’s practical limits of renewable energy. As you might imagine, there are critics aplenty. For starters, California has serious housing shortages as well as home prices that are already beyond the reach of many residents. Raising upfront costs of new construction will exacerbate these problems.
Critics also complain that solar energy users are pushing the costs of maintaining fossil-fuel power plants onto homeowners who use conventional power. This includes lower-income households that can’t afford solar upgrades. Even middle-class residents may resent subsidizing their solar neighbors, no matter how great the overall benefits to society.
Another objection is most solar experts agreeing that rooftop panels are a far more expensive way to deliver electricity than solar farms, which take advantage of the economies of scale. This is causing many solar supporters to say California is making a major mistake, and other states will be unlikely to follow suit.
Finally, we can’t help but wonder what it would be like living in a neighborhood full of houses with roofs that look like shiny waffles. Perhaps it will be normal someday, but it doesn’t seem appealing.
We enthusiastically support renewable energy, for reasons that are well documented. We look forward to continuing advances in sun and wind energy delivery systems (including battery improvements) that will make them even more attractive than they are today.
Overall, we give California an A for good intentions. Grades for affordability and practicality are yet to be determined.
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Kearney Hub. May 25, 2018
Embracing inclusive hearing technology
Kearney continues to be a hearing loop pacesetter. The initiative to equip public gathering places with loop systems and enable the hard of hearing to get the most out of their hearing aids continues to progress. Next week, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church will be looped, according to Kearney’s leading advocate for hearing loops, retired UNK professor Carol Lomicky, who has hearing loss.
Also, when the Central Nebraska Veterans’ Home opens in the fall in east Kearney, two of its rooms will be loop-equipped.
Hearing loops transmit signals from microphones and other audio equipment directly to hearing aids with t-coils. People who experience hearing loops say it’s almost like having their hearing restored because the sound quality is so superior.
Credit Lomicky, who served on the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, for her enthusiasm. After experiencing a hearing loop at the commission meetings, she shared information with the Kearney Sertoma Club, whose mission is to assist people with hearing challenges.
Sertoma agreed to provide funding assistance, and Kearney’s first hearing loops soon were installed. The list of venues with the systems now includes:
- First Lutheran Church at 3315 Ave. G
- First United Methodist Church at 4500 Linden Dr.
- Kearney Community Theatre at 83 Plaza Blvd.
- Kearney Library Platte Rooms at 2020 First Ave.
- Merryman Performing Arts Center at 225 W. 22nd St.
- Peterson Senior Center at 2020 W. 11th St.
- St. James Catholic Church at 3801 Ave. A
- The World Theatre at 2318 Central Ave.
- Zion Lutheran Church at 2421 Ave. C
- Evangelical Free Church at 4010 Seventh Ave.
That’s 10 Kearney venues with hearing loops and the list soon will grow by two.
Why should we be excited about embracing hearing technology? It’s because isolation is one of the unfortunate byproducts of hearing loss. Family and friends carry on their conversations, but people with hearing loss are left out. Hearing aids help, but they’re not the perfect answer.
As more churches, theaters and meeting places get looped, it makes Kearney a more inclusive community. By embracing loop technology, we literally embrace those with hearing difficulties and invite them to be a part of things.
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McCook Daily Gazette. May 23, 2018
Can you hear me now? Key part of new online craze
Fingernails scraping a blackboard sends a chill down the spine for most of us, but what about a sound that has the opposite effect?
That’s what millions of people are claiming with a new online activity called ASMR, which some wags have dubbed “whisper porn.”
Visit certain YouTube sites and you’ll be treated to people doing things like eating, scratching household items, tapping or brushing their hair, recorded by a sensitive microphone.
The videos supposedly trigger a tingling feeling in the brain called Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, thus the ASMR tag coined in 2010.
Some watchers say ASMR creates a euphoric, calming sensation across the body. Some even report the practice has been effective in battling chronic pain, insomnia and addiction.
So many people have been checking it out that Google reports ASMR searches peak between 10 and 11 p.m. when most of us are getting ready to go to sleep.
The jury is still out in the medical community - it could simply be the placebo effect, or it could trigger the release of the neuro-hormone oxytocin, a feel-good hormone released when we’re spending time with a loved one.
In any case, it sounds like a harmless enough activity, especially if the alternative is addictive painkillers.
One thing for sure, it won’t work if you can’t hear the sounds that supposedly trigger ASMR.
May is Better Hearing & Speech Month, and Dr. Tony Sun, chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare Nebraska notes that hearing loss affects more than 48 million people nationwide. And, according to the World Health Organization, it’s likely to get worse, with more than 1.1 billion young adults worldwide at risk of developing hearing loss.
The increase is attributed to more frequent exposure to loud sounds, including the growing popularity of earbud headphones. While more common among older Americans, some level of hearing loss affects about 20 percent of people over age 12.
Hearing loss can be associated with many other problems, such as social isolation, dementia, depression and increased risk of falls.
Dr. Sun offers these important tips:
- Limit exposure to loud noises such as music, lawn mowers or motorcycles to no more than 20 minutes at a time. Most of us know loud sounds can cause hearing loss, but many of us don’t know that both one-time and cumulative exposure can hurt hearing health.
- Noise-canceling headphones are better than earbuds, but when you use the latter, follow the 60/60 rule - no more than 60 minutes at no more than 60 percent of maximum volume.
- Have your hearing tested by a professional.
- Check out hearing aids, and don’t be afraid to shop around. Check with your insurance regarding coverage.
- Follow “hearing friendly” strategies such as visiting quiet restaurants during slower times, or choosing tables in a corner or along a wall.
Don’t wait to take care of one of your most important senses until it is too late.
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