Save the Dates For:
Newly Elected County Board Member Orientations
- January 21st, 2017
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn Express North Platte
- January 28th, 2017
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
NACO Conference Room
Lincoln
For registration see article in this E-line
NACO Board Legislative Position's Meeting
- January 27th, 2017
9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
NACO Office
ALL UPCOMING EVENTS
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Place your logo here and link it to any website
For details contact:
[email protected]
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| WHO SUPPORTS NACO AND THEIR MISSION?  Associate and Sustaining Members
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NACO Associate and Sustaining Members enable NACO to enhance its continuing education programs for county officials across the state. Visit NACO's complete associate and sustaining membership list
here.
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| William Tielke Elected 2017 NACO President |
Holt County Supervisor, William Tielke was elected 2017 President of the Nebraska Association of County Officials during the 122nd annual conference conducted in Kearney. Tielke has been a Holt County Supervisor since 2003. County Officials also elected Earl McNutt, Red Willow County Commissioner as Vice President, Deb Schorr, Lancaster County Commissioner as 2nd Vice President and Casey Sherlock, Hall County Surveyor as Secretary-Treasurer. Tielke will assume the duties of President from Robert Post, Banner County Commissioner who will serve on the NACO Executive Board as Past President. Pictured above from left to right are William Tielke, Earl McNutt, Deb Schorr, Casey Sherlock and Robert Post.
Newspapers across Nebraska provide links to their articles covering this event.
Norfolk Daily News, December 23
Tielke Elected NACO President
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County Official of the Year Selected  |
Sherry Schweitzer, Seward County Clerk was honored by the Nebraska Association of County Officials as the County Official of the Year during the 122nd Annual Conference in Kearney on December 14-16, 2016. Schweitzer has served as the Seward County Clerk, Register of Deeds and Election Commissioner since 1997. Schweitzer is pictured receiving her award from 2016 NACO President, Robert Post.
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| Goodwill Committee Project A Success Again This Year |
 Prior to the annual NACO conference in Kearney this year, the Goodwill Committee of the Clerks, Register of Deeds and Election Commissioners introduced an idea of county officials donating personal hygiene items for our veterans living in the Veteran Homes and housing units across our state. County officials attending the conference in Kearney were asked to bring donated items that were then collected, tabulated and divided up for distribution to the six facilities.
The Kearney Hub, on December 24th posted the following article;
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Annual Conference Surveys Are Being Sought
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Those who attended the 122nd Annual NACO conference in Kearney this month are being asked for their input.
NACO NAVIGATOR was introduced as the electronic version of the conference program and the events that surrounded the conference. By logging into
naco-events.com, attendees were able to review agendas, view current photos, get new messages concerning conference events and other items such as articles
that were lost and turned into the registration desk.
NACO NAVIGATOR was changed slightly and a new item has been added to obtain information on how conference attendees perceived the event. A new button named "Surveys" was added at the bottom of the home screen page and will give all the attendees an opportunity to comment on how they felt the applicable sessions went for them.
We encourage everyone who attended the conference to participate and encourage others who have not heard about the NACO NAVIGATOR update to convince them to submit their ideas and comments too. Future meetings, workshops and conferences can all benefit from input provided at this time.
Thank you for taking time to participate!
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| Newly Elected Board Member Orientations To Be Held |
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The Objective of NACO
The Nebraska Association of County Officials was organized in 1894 and formally incorporated in 1968. It is composed of 93 member counties and its express objective is to stimulate and contribute to the continuing improvement of county government in Nebraska through the promotion of increased efficiency and economy, the augmentation of a higher standard of public service, and the protection of the common good and general welfare of Nebraska county residents.
To ensure that its objectives are achieved, NACO regularly sponsors continuing education programs such as the January orientations that new county officials may attend, conducts research, publishes educational materials, administers cost saving programs, and represents the interests of Nebraska counties before the state and federal governments, agencies, and courts.
Orientation Times and Locations
To further educate and provide awareness for new and recently appointed (Since September of 2016) county board members, NACO is hosting two orientations in January. The first one will be held in North Platte at the Holiday Inn Express from 1-3 p.m. on January 21st. The second one will be held at the NACO office conference room at 1335 H Street in Lincoln from 1-3 p.m. on January 28th.
There is no registration fee, but please register to attend so seating and materials supplied can be determined. A free County Board Handbook will be provided for those attending. If you are unable to attend, a County Board Handbook may be requested at a cost to you or your county.
Registration can be completed on the NACO website after creating a NACO registration ID. If you are having difficulties with
registration, call Deb Eberly at the NACO office at 402- 454-5660 Ext. 232, or send her an email by clicking here and telling her which session is your preference so she can register you.
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| 2017 Institute of Excellence |
2017 NACO Institute of Excellence Begins Soon - Enroll Today!
Much of the time serving as an elected official and leading county government is typical of a managerial position in the business world. Officials make decisions and manage the work to best serve their constituencies. Every so often, though, issues pop up that test the abilities of even the most seasoned officials. Quickly the role of being a manager shifts to the role of being a leader. To switch roles effectively one has to understand the difference in skills and qualities required.
The NACO Institute of Excellence is a year-long program of professional development for county officials. Enrollment is now open for the 2017 Institute beginning in March. Several areas of personal leadership development will be presented including one's:
- personality preferences and leadership behaviors,
- leadership mission, and
- active listening skills.
Further into the year participants will learn skills for
- managing conflicts,
- leading meetings, and
- corresponding with legislators.
Topics about influencing others and innovative thinking will move officials to lead at a higher level. The newest topic of discussion includes how to build a re-election strategy around one's leadership qualities.
The Institute training sessions start at 9:00 a.m. and will end by 3:30 p.m. Training sessions will be presented in Lincoln at the Lancaster County Extension Office on the first Thursdays in March, May, July and September. The sessions will be offered again on the second Thursdays of those months in North Platte at the University of Nebraska West Central Research and Extension Center. Everyone comes together in December to apply what they've learned on the Tuesday prior to the start of the NACO Annual Conference in Kearney.
Participants can attend in either Lincoln or North Platte - which ever location fits into one's schedule best. For more details click on
meeting locations and the
program schedule. To receive a Certificate of Achievement at the 2017 NACO Annual Conference next December, participants in the Institute MUST attend 4 of the 5 face-to-face trainings. (In other words, you can only miss one day of training.)
The registration fee for participating in the program is $250 per official. NACO will bill the counties for the registration fees. Registrations canceled prior to March 1 will be honored.
To enroll, fill out both the online NACO and NE Extension registration forms by the February 9th deadline. The NACO registration is for billing purposes and the NE Extension registration is for enrollment purposes.
Soon after the deadline, enrollees in the 2017 Institute of Excellence will receive additional information about the program from Nebraska Extension Educators, Carroll Welte and Jessica Jones.
Carroll Welte, Extension Educator
Jessica Jones, Extension Educator
Nebraska Extension Burt County
Nebraska Extension Johnson County
Phone: (402) 374-2929
Phone: (402) 335-3669
To become better at shifting between manager and leader, enroll today in the NACO Institute of Excellence. According to one graduate, "...incremental change can result in big rewards."
To register, click here.
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Scholarship Applications Available for 2017 Graduates
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Nebraska high school seniors who are the children, stepchildren, or under the legal guardianship of county officials or employees are encouraged to apply for one of twelve $1,000.00 NACO scholarships. In addition to the twelve NACO scholarships, a special award, the Ronda Dix Memorial Scholarship, may be awarded to an applicant planning a career in nursing, physical therapy, or other medical field. Additional information and the application form can be found on the front page of the NACO website.
The scholarship application deadline is March 1, 2017. To access the application from this article, click
here.
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Legislative Outreach Opportunity
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 Since the legislative session begins next week, it's a great time to reconnect with returning legislators and make new connections with incoming senators. All county officials are encouraged to meet with their senators to share legislative priorities and establish relationships for the new year. When senators are at home in their districts on weekends and recess days, it's a perfect opportunity to offer tours of county facilities to explain county functions and services.
Ideas for hands-on learning could include:
* A trip around the county to view roads and bridges in need of repair.
* A tour of your county's jail to discuss health care costs, mental health issues, and space issues.
* A discussion of unfunded mandates, including a tour of your courthouse to point out space provided to Probation, Health and Human Services, and other state agencies.
* A discussion about county levies, valuations, and county fees.
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Crime Commission Grant Funding Available
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The Nebraska Crime Commission has announced the availability of the
2017 Office of Violence prevention Grant [OVP]
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The Application Instructions outline general guidelines, eligibility, and funding requirements.
The Request For Application and the OVP Application are available by clicking on the highlighted titles. The application deadline is Wednesday. February 15, 2017, by no later than 5:00 p.m.
Competitive Funds Available: $350,000.00
The Nebraska Crime Commission has also posted the application for the
County Justice Reinvestment Grant. Included with the application are instructions and the statute/rules and regulations governing the grant program.
The application is due by Wednesday, February 15, 2017, by no later than 5:00 p.m.
This information
can also be found on the Nebraska Crime Commission website.
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| Grant Training To Be Held In Omaha |
Grants Training in Omaha, NE
January 9-10, 2017
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The Omaha Police Department and Grant Writing USA will present a two-day grants workshop in Omaha, January 9-10, 2017. This training is for grant seekers across all disciplines. Attend this class and you'll learn how to find grants and write winning grant proposals.
Beginning and experienced grant writers from city, county and state agencies as well as nonprofits, K-12, colleges and universities are encouraged to attend.
We are excited to offer Nebraska Association of County Officials members and their staff a special tuition rate of $425 which includes
everything: two days of terrific instruction, workbook, and access to our Alumni Forum that's packed full of tools, helpful discussions and more than 200 sample grant proposals. Please use discount code "NEASSN" to receive this $30 discount off full price at registration.
Seating is limited, online reservations are necessary. Tuition payment is not required at the time of enrollment.
Multi-enrollment discounts and discounts for Grant Writing USA returning alumni are available. Tuition payment is not required at the time of enrollment.
Complete event details including learning objectives, class location, graduate testimonials and online registration are available here.
Janet Darling
at Grant Writing USA
888.290.6237
Sgt. Ken Fox
Omaha Police Department
402.444.4501
More than 10,000 agencies across North America have turned to Grant Writing USA for grant writing and grant management training.
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MIPS Bytes
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End Of Life (End Of Support)
In the March 24, 2014 MIPS Bytes article, the End-Of-Support for Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003 was discussed. It is now nearly 3 years later and time to cover the topic again.
According to Microsoft's website, "
Every Windows product has a lifecycle. The lifecycle begins when a product is released and ends when it's no longer supported.
" Microsoft also states that "
End of support refers to the date when Microsoft no longer provides automatic fixes, updates, or online technical assistance.
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We all know that Windows XP had an End of Support dated April 8, 2014. But, did you know that Windows Vista has an End of Support dated April 11, 2017? Even Windows 7, 8 and 10 have End of Support dates set of 2020, 2023 and 2025 respectively. I even saw a recent magazine article pushing the sales of refurbished laptops with Vista installed on them. The low price of the laptops seemed intriguing, but keeping in mind End of Support made me shy away immediately.
In the 2014 article, I mentioned the possibility of upgrading the operating system of your existing PCs with Windows 7 or newer. Sounds simple enough, right? I had a Dell laptop with XP laying around and I thought I could get a few more years out of it by installing Windows 10. After installing Windows 10, everything seemed to work fine until I realized that my display wasn't as sharp as I remembered with XP. I tried changing the resolution with no luck. So I went to Dell's website thinking I would update the drivers. Come to find out, even companies like Dell have only specific operating systems supported for specific products.
Now with money spent and time wasted, a lesson has been learned.
Guess what I am trying to say, do your research before purchasing or upgrading your PCs.
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County Government Day PowerPoint
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The PowerPoint presentation is available electronically at no charge (sent via e-mail) for use by counties during their annual County Government Day. The PowerPoint provides a comprehensive look at county government functions in the State of Nebraska and can be customized by each county. CD's are also available for $10.00 each to cover processing, shipping and handling. To request the County Government Day PowerPoint electronically, please e-mail your request to
l[email protected]
. The CD order form is available
here.
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2016 County Board Handbook and Revision
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The 2016 County Board Handbook and related revisions are now available.
The cost for a current handbook, including legislative information from the 2016 session, is $80.00/book plus $18.00 shipping and handling per book. The 2016 Supplement to the County Board Handbook is available for $25.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. The order form is available on the NACO website or by clicking here. If you are interested in purchasing a complete handbook or a supplement please contact
Deb Eberly by email
or call her at (402) 434-5660 ext. 232.
All newly elected and recently appointed (since September of 2016) board members who are attending the January sessions in North Platte and Lincoln (listed above) and have pre-registered will receive a free county board handbook at the sessions.
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| News From NACo |
Obama Signs Broad, Bipartisan Mental Health, Addiction, Justice Bill
By Brian Bowden
Dec. 16, 2016
President Obama has signed the 21st Century Cures Act - a massive legislative package that includes provisions related to criminal justice, mental health and addiction services.
The Senate passed the measure, Dec. 7 by a 94-5 vote. The House had passed the bill earlier on Nov. 30 by a vote of 392-26.
Several key provisions in the legislation relate to county priorities.
To read the entire article click here.
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| NACo Webinars |
Newly Elected Official Webinar
Jan. 18, 2017
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm CST
Contact:
(202) 942-4221
Designed specifically for newly elected officials, this webinar will give you an overview of legislative, leadership and solutions that will be valuable to you from day one. Hear from fellow officials about their perceptions with plenty of time for Q & A.
REGISTER
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