A silent killer may be stalking Nebraskans, attacking where least expected.

          Our homes may be under siege.

          The culprit: Radon. A colorless, odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas, radon is produced from decay of uranium found in nearly all soils. Radon naturally occurs in soil, entering through cracks and openings on the lowest level of a home.

          Occasionally, radon will enter a home through well water.

          Radon is the main cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, claiming close to 20,000 lives per year, including 2,900 deaths among people who have never smoked.

          Lung cancer now exceeds breast cancer as the leading cause of death among women, and lung cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of any cancer.

          Unfortunately, radon levels are at their highest during winter months.

          The Environmental Protection Agency estimates one in every 15 homes nationwide has elevated radon levels.

          Sections of Nebraska are at greater risk, though. One out of ever two radon tests conducted shows elevated rates.

          Outside, radon is diluted in the air. Inside, it can become a deadly force, waiting to attack.

          Homes with an annual average radon level at or about 4 picocuries per liter need to take action.

          The EPA established three risk zones. Zone one means highest risk, zone two indicates moderate risk, and zone three specifies low risk.

          Look at a map of Nebraska and you’ll discover three distinct zones geographically, as well. But regardless of geographic location, high levels in homes have been tested in all three zones.

          Sixty-three of Nebraska counties fall in zone 1. The eastern third of the state, as well as all but two counties along the southern border, and a handful of panhandle counties fit here. Knox County falls in this category.

          Those ranked in the second zone are scattered throughout Nebraska. Some are in the panhandle, and the center of Nebraska. Antelope Counties fit this category.

          Counties with low risk are primarily located in the Sandhills, running from Holt to Sheridan County, and as far south as the St. Paul area.

          How can you determine if your home is falling prey to this dangerous killer?

          Conducting a home test is the only way to determine the radon level in a residence. Test kits cost between $5 and $20.

          The Nebraska Radon Program offers kits for home testing.

          The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services suggests homeowners conduct tests using a do-it-yourself kit. Start by running a short-term test, lasting from two days to one week.

          If the test results show a rate higher than 4, a follow-up test should be conducted. This second test should run at least three months, and in some instances, up to a year to determine the average exposure to the gas.

          More serious cases may require a mitigation specialist, with costs of repairs ranging from $800 to $2,500. Many new homes include a passive radon system during construction.

          Since mid-winter’s chill is keeping most of us indoors, now is the best time to check for this silent killer.

          It may save your life.

From my view in the Sandhills…

Sure, the day I write about the proposed sexual assault law that includes kissing, Sen. Avery pulls it from consideration. While Avery’s original intentions were spot on, the inability to enforce the proposed bill made it a legal nightmare.

* **

To run or not to run? That is the question former Nebraska governor and senator Bob Kerrey faces. His contemplation seems to be stirring the political pot, with frantic whispers of ‘carpetbagger’ ricocheting among certain circles.

 For the past 11 years, the Lincoln native has resided in New York City, where he served as president of The New School for nine years.

Kerrey still owns two businesses here; he pays property taxes here. And, as the former Navy SEAL pointed out when meeting with citizens during the past week, he will always consider himself a Nebraskan.

The “should he, shouldn’t-he” discussion reminds me of Hillary Clinton’s move to New York a dozen years ago and her subsequent Senate run. I lived in NY when the Clintons moved to Westchester and Hillary started courting voters. Many with opposing viewpoints uttered the same Civil War phrase about her relocation.

Kerrey has referred to the possibility of a victory as a longshot, but he must have potential opponents worried. Attack ads began airing on TV, radio, and social media networks last week.

Should make for an interesting campaign.

***

Nebraska made a decent showing at this year’s Golden Globe Awards on Sunday evening. Nebraska, meaning Omaha native and Creighton Prep graduate Alexander Payne. His film, “The Descendants,” won the Best Motion Picture, Drama.

Even if you don’t know who Payne is (where have you been?), you may have seen a number of movies he has directed, produced, or written. His bio includes “Citizen Ruth,” “Election,” “About Schmidt,” and “Sideways.” Several of these titles were filmed in the Cornhusker State.

His next project is simply titled, “Nebraska.”

***

A new Nebraska-made product is causing quite a stir.

Move over, celery, a new drink condiment/swizzle stick arrived in town, and it’s manufactured in Diller, in the southeastern part of the state.

The next time you sip a spicy Bloody Mary, the straw you use may not be constructed of white plastic. Instead, it may be a beef straw, which resembles a hollowed-out beef stick.

I’ll stick with the celery.

***

470,000 affected women worldwide. 253,000 annual deaths.

Each day in the U.S., at least 10 women die from cervical cancer, the second most common cancer among women. Last year, over 11,000 new cases were diagnosed.

Scary statistics.

If cervical cancer is the easiest female cancer to prevent, why did over 3700 women lose the battle last year?

It’s about early prevention. A Pap test can detect abnormal changes.

Nebraska’s Every Woman Matters program helps pay for the annual checkup for women between ages 40 and 74 who meet income guidelines. Consult with your physician for when regular testing should begin.

January is Cervical Cancer Screening Month. Encourage loved ones to have a checkup. It could be a life-saving decision.

When I picked up Sere Prince Halverson’s The Underside of Joy, I immediately felt connected with Ella, the MC whose world is about to be turned upside down. See, things aren’t perfect in her marriage, yet, this smart woman ignores some of the telltale signs of trouble signaling her world is about to unravel.

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow…”

But what happens when tomorrow never comes for one of the parties in that discussion? Ella’s husband, Joe, dies in a freak accident, leaving her to raise her two stepchildren. Who shows up at the funeral? Paige, Joe’s ex-wife, who abandoned her family a few short years earlier. Paige insinuates herself back into her children’s lives, threatening to take custody of Annie and Zach, leaving Ella with an empty nest and heart.

As Ella discovers a mountain of debt and a handful of half-truths, she questions her marriage and the motives of the man she loved. Can she save the family business? Will she lose the children she loves as her own? Will Ella forgive her husband?

As I began reading, I could not believe many of the parallels between the book and my life. I, too, lost my husband when he died of complications from a stroke. We, too, had a floundering business. We amassed nearly $250,000 in business and personal debt. And we were a blended family, each bringing three children to the marriage. His kids lived with his ex-wife; mine, with us.

I understand what it’s like to be a mother and a stepmother, trying to find balance between being the parent figure and the other mother. It’s a fine line, a tightrope that stretches until you teeter off, maybe never finding your way back.

While I appreciate Halverson’s resolution, I’m not sure real life works that way. Sure, in my life, the animosity from the insecure ex was present, but she never would have admitted her failings, nor would she have let me raise her – and his - children.

I’m not sure I would have wanted to.

Beautifully written, with fantastic descriptions of setting. Imagine looking at a photograph and stepping into it. You can, when reading this.

Want to join in the discussion? Visit BlogHer Book Club!

I received a copy of this book, as well as payment, for participating in this review as part of BHBC.

Today, over at The Muffin, I talk about Twitter chats and hashtags, and if participating in a Twitter chat can help your writing career. Yes! And, it wouldn’t hurt if you’d start your own Twitter chat! C’mon by and check it out.

                They’re back.

                State senators returned to the Capital last Wednesday, as Nebraska’s 60-day legislative session kicked off. On opening day, 77 bills and a constitutional amendment were presented. Several proposed bills caught my attention.

                Two bills deal with cell phone use and driving.

                LB724 would make texting while driving a primary offense for commercial truck and bus drivers. Introduced by Senator Deb Fischer of Valentine, this law would put the state in compliance with federal rule.

                I’ll admit, I’ve dashed off a quick ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response via text while driving. And whether or not you admit your culpability, many of you have probably jotted a quick text while behind the wheel, too.

                Generally, I don’t text while driving. If something is so urgent that I need to call or text, I pull over and call. I’ve witnessed friends and family members suffer from consequences associated with distracted driving. I would not wish that agony on anyone.  

                So, I cannot imagine sponsoring a busload of speech kids and watching the bus driver text while maneuvering the bus.

                Omaha Sen. Gwen Howard introduced LB875, making it a primary offense for provisional operator’s permit holders to use a cell phone while driving through a construction or school zone. Currently, if a provisional license holder is caught using a cell phone while driving anywhere, it’s a secondary offense. Offenders can only receive a ticket for the infraction if they are pulled over for a primary offense, like speeding. 

                While LB724 falls in line with federal law and LB875 deals with cell phone use in specified areas, shouldn’t common sense tell you that distracted driving of any kind can, and will, eventually lead to more serious consequences?

                My concern is this: how difficult will it be to enforce these bills, if passed?

                Speaking of difficult to enforce laws, another proposal became the punchline for a couple late-night hosts.

                When is a kiss a just a kiss and when does it cross criminal lines?

                Sen. Bill Avery’s LB797 would make a lip plant on the mouth without consent of the recipient a form of criminal sexual contact. Avery, who serves Lincoln, proposed the legislation after an incident in his district. A young woman was mowing her yard when a man approached her, proffered a drink of water, and then clutched at her and kissed her.

                When the young woman’s family decided to press charges, they discovered the man, a registered sex offender, could not be indicted on sexual assault charges; however, he could face disturbing the peace charges.

                Again, this bill makes sense and helps clearly define another act that can be considered sexual assault.

                But what happens when an overzealous kindergarten boy (or girl) plants a smacker on his/her first-love crush? Can this child be punished, by law?

                In addition to pipeline regulations, health insurance guidelines, Sunday liquor sales, the renovation of Centennial Mall, and the tax battle in the soda vs. obesity debate  , this year’s legislative session is gearing up for creatively interesting and lawful discussion.