Avera St. Anthony’s Hospital in O’Neill dedicated its latest addition on Wednesday. I write about it in the Norfolk Daily News.
Posts Tagged "O’Neill Nebraska"
Move over, Milli Vanilli. O’Neill High School’s digital media class produced an all-school lip dub that has a pep rally feel to it. Check out my story and the video at the Norfolk Daily News.
Last week, while perusing Time magazine online, I stumbled onto the periodical’s interactive poll where readers cast votes for movers and shakers - leaders, artists, innovators, icons and heroes – who readers believe are the most influential people in the world.
Who would top a “most influential Nebraskans” list? I did what any inquiring journalist would do: polled my Nebraska Twitter friends and Facebook pals, and to cover all age demographics, I queried my Publication Journalism class at SMH.
Time releases their top 100 online on April 21. I’m beating the media mogul to the punch and releasing my unscientific, unofficial poll the day before.
Poll results show a clear-cut winner. The top six each received multiple votes. Then, things get a bit murky, as ten individuals each received one vote.
Who’s on first? Dr. Tom Osborne won by a landslide, receiving double the number of votes than second place.
I agree with voter comments about Tom’s quiet leadership style. It’s effective; the man continues to inspire. He possesses integrity. And his dedication to both the football program and the educational institution has created a lasting legacy.
Fellow speech coach Gailen Volquardsen said it best, “His quiet way commands respect in an Atticus Finch sort of way.” Agreed.
Coming in second is the Oracle of Omaha. On the world stage, Warren Buffet may be a bigger commodity than Dr. Tom. Daughter Cassie, who works in economic development, believes Buffet’s practices, insights and knowledge make him respected around the world.
“He’s a simple man who believes in the importance of education, charity and hard work. And he’s pretty comical and likes ice cream,” asserts Cassie.
A number of people voted for Malcolm X, primarily for historical reasons. He lands at number three.
Next up, Father Flanagan. After moving to America from Ireland, Flanagan’s first parish was in O’Neill. Later, Flanagan borrowed $90 to pay rent on an old mansion and opened his first home for boys in 1917.
The fifth most influential Nebraskan – Bob Devaney. My mom believes he (and Tom) pulled the state together with Husker football. Friend Gregg Moeller believes Devaney singlehandedly changed the state’s image on a national level.
“We were ‘South South Dakota’ before 1962.”
Tied with the legendary coach is Lincoln funny man Tim Siedell, a.k.a. @BadBanana to the Twitterverse. His 140-character tweets landed him a book deal. His daily dose of humor makes him a social networking favorite. With comments like, “Tried to swim some laps today. I think I invented the stroke stroke” or “Someone out there thinks he or she could be the Steve Jobs of the pudding cup lid adhesive industry”, Siedell makes the list for pure awesomeness!
Others received one vote each: Governor Dave Heineman, George Norris, J. Sterling Morton, Gerald Ford, Ernie Chambers, Keith Blackledge, Dick Cheney, Hilary Swank, Ben Nelson, and Evan Williams (Twitter and Blogger founder).
A few of these may have been tongue-in-cheek nominations, but Nebraskans have a clear vision of the people who have or do impact our lives.
Who tops your list as most influential Nebraskan?
Personally, I do not like going barefoot. Even in our house, I have a pair of flipflops close by. But, most people in underprivileged countries don’t own shoes. Connie Gildersleeve of O’Neill, Nebraska organized a “One Day Without Shoes” event and collected 1,005 pairs of shoes. Check out my story at the Norfolk Daily News.
Even though the celebration began yesterday, an entire weekend’s worth of activities await visitors to Nebraska’s Irish Capital, O’Neill. Check out my story in the Norfolk Daily News for more information.
