By Michael Crosby

A thorough background screening process is a critical component of any set of Safe Church practices.

The experts are unanimous on this point: social workers, lawyers, liability specialists, law enforcement, and child safety professionals all commend background screening procedures to churches and other organizations whose workers—paid and/or volunteer—interact with minors. Good practice includes contacting personal references, verifying employment history (especially when considering candidates for a paid position), and conducting a criminal records check. This last item is the focus of this article.

By Jon Stanton

The weather this spring and summer has been brutal on my garden, and I don’t like it.

While Nebraska weather is often unpredictable, I can usually count on spring being a little bit wet and summer being dry and hot. This year spring was record-breaking wet and summer stayed cool for much longer than usual until temps suddenly soared into the 90s and beyond. 

I have a container garden, since I don’t have space in my backyard for a traditional garden. I also have sundry flowers and flower beds spread throughout our yard. This year, my plants have required more care and attention than usual. I have found myself taking measures to protect them from flooding rains, fungal plagues, squirrels, birds, and blazing 100-plus degree sunlight. In each situation, my response was different depending on the plant and the dilemma.