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 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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Education Foundation Memorial Program | |
A gift to NACO's Education Foundation ensures that the children of county officials and county employees are eligible to apply for scholarships to continue their education at Nebraska's higher learning institutions. Whatever their passion - history, art, music, science, education, sports - the NACO Education Foundation will provide them an opportunity to fund their education beyond the K-12 level. Memorial gifts to NACO's Education Foundation are tax deductible and will be a lasting legacy in honor of your loved one's commitment to educating the children of Nebraska's county officials and employees. For more information about how to make a memorial gift, please contact Larry Dix / 402-434-5660 ext. 226. |
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David Walton Receives NACO's Highest Award | |
Franklin County Commissioner David Walton was honored by the Nebraska Association of County Officials as the County Official of the Year during the state association's annual conference in Kearney on December 12-14, 2012.
Walton was selected from a field of nominees, according to NACO Executive Director, Larry Dix. "David Walton is an outstanding public official who has dedicated himself to serving not only the residents of Franklin County, but also the state of Nebraska. He is a highly respected county commissioner who serves as an excellent example to others," Dix said.
Walton has been Franklin County Commissioner since 1988. During his career, he has served on numerous government and community boards. Walton earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart as a Marine in the Korean War.
 | | David Walton (left) accepts award from 2012 NACO President, LeRoy Janssen (right). |
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Regisiter Now For 2013 County Board Workshop |
The 35th annual County Board Workshop sponsored by NACO for all Nebraska county commissioners and supervisors will be held in Kearney on February 6-8, 2013. Commissioners and supervisors planning to attend the workshop are encouraged to begin registering online here. Educational sessions covering a variety of topics will be presented on Thursday and Friday. In addition, an orientation session is scheduled on Wednesday afternoon covering basic information pertinent to newly elected commissioners and supervisors. A tentative agenda may be viewed by clicking here.
Tentative plans call for the previously mentioned newly elected commissioners and supervisors orientation to begin at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The workshop will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a review of legislation and an introduction of NACO County Board Committee members. Following a breakfast buffet on Thursday morning, plans for Thursday's agenda tentatively include general session for all board members from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., followed by break out sessions in the afternoon. General session will again be the order of the morning on Friday. The workshop will conclude at approximately 11:30 a.m. and a box lunch will be provided. Attendees will be able to take their lunch with them as they leave the workshop or enjoy it leisurely in an informal atmosphere with their peers before heading home.
The advance registration is the same as last year-$80.00 for those registering no later than January 25. After January 25, the fee increases to $90.00. Please note that there is no per-day or per-session fee and that all attendees will be required to wear their name tags to gain entrance to workshop events. Additional meal tickets may be purchased at the registration desk during the workshop.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn at the rate of $82.95/single/double. If you have not made reservations, you are encouraged to do so by contacting the Holiday Inn at (308)237-5971. When making lodging reservations, be sure to indicate you will be attending the NACO County Board Workshop to receive the contracted rate. |
National Association of Counties to Hold 2013 Legislative Conference in Washington |  Don't miss your opportunity to have your voice heard by the new 113th Congress during NACo's 2013 Legislative Conference, March 2-6, at the Washington Hilton. NACo members will share vital information to help move your county forward. The Washington Post's Bob Woodward will speak at the General Session on Monday, March 4. Click here for more information. |
2013 NACO Institute of Excellence | | The 2013 NACO Institute of Excellence is open to all elected and appointed county officials. Deadline for registrations is February 15, 2013. To register click here. For additional information, contact the NACO office at (402) 434-5660. |
MIPS Bytes | |
Meeting Your Tablet Computer Needs
With this shopping season coming to a close, you, no doubt, have heard a lot of talk about tablet computers. A tablet is considered a lighter weight computer with a thin profile, usually with a touch screen interface design. With so many manufacturers of hardware and software, it is really hard to decide which ones would suit your needs best, or at all.
The first thing to consider is what size of tablet will suit your needs best. The most common sizes for tablet computers are the 7 inch tablet and the 10 inch tablet. The seven inch tablet is easier to hold with one hand, making it better for reading, and playing certain games or apps that don't need a bigger screen. Sometimes this smaller screen makes reading text somewhat harder, so you may find yourself always trying to zoom in on text to read it. The 10 inch tablet is good for those people who like to surf the web, compose emails, possibly do a little word processing (since the onscreen keyboard is easier to type on) and better, to a degree, for playing games.
Another aspect to consider for a tablet computer is what operating system comes with the device. All of the Apple devices like the iPad and iPad Mini are powered by iOS 6, which is a very stable platform, but likes to keep control of all the apps that are on the app store. It comes with some great features like SIRI which acts like a personal assistant, and the ability to store your information in the cloud. Android is a popular choice that features a lot of great apps in the app store due to a less restrictive development system. This means that more people can develop apps for an Android platform cheaper than say, the iOS platform. This is on devices such as the Samsung Galaxy TAB and Motorola XOOM. It also features options like installing themes to customize how things appear within the operating system. The third platform is Windows 8 which hit the market late in October on devices like the Microsoft Surface tablet. This new operating system boasts the ability to operate just like your windows desktop computer, but also optimized for the touch screen display. It does have its own app store featuring things like Microsoft Office, and more apps are being added on a daily basis. There are other options out there like the Nook tablet and Amazon Kindle which also have their own operating systems, each with their own merits.
Other features that are worth considering are the picture quality (generally, the higher resolution the better) for watching HD movies and high resolution images, the camera quality (higher megapixels means better quality), and storage capacity. If you find yourself putting a lot of music and videos on the device, higher storage capacity is a must. If you like having your tablet around to take pictures with, opting for one that has a better camera might suit your needs better. Likewise if you find yourself without a Wi-Fi connection more often than you'd like, you might look for a tablet that has 3G or 4G cellular service data plan. This will let you surf the web or check your emails without having to get connected to the nearest wireless internet hot spot.
Of course, all tablets have their own features that set them apart, but all these things are good to keep in mind when searching for a tablet to fit your specific needs. |
NACO Scholarship Application Due March 1, 2013 |
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. Additional information and the downloadable application can be found under the 'Services' tab on the NACO website. The scholarship application deadline is March 1, 2013. To access the application, click here. |
Nebraska Association of County Officials Endorses the NACo Prescription Discount Card Program | |
The Nebraska Association of County Officials now officially endorses the NACo Prescription Discount Card Program, which is one of the largest discount programs in the country serving county residents.
Since the NACo program began eight years ago, it has saved county residents nationwide more than $500 million. More than 40 million prescriptions have been filled through the program.
The association considered many factors before making the endorsement. Those factors include the program's past successful track record, staff and marketing support, history of proven savings, size of the participating pharmacy network, legal compliance and customer service.
The new endorsement agreement includes funding for the association of $.40 for each prescription when the NACo card gives the best price and does not affect the savings percentage to residents. The Nebraska Association of County Officials will partner with NACo and the program administrator, CVS Caremark, to grow the program and get cards into the hands of more county residents so they can benefit in these tough times.
Highlights and Features of the NACo Prescription Discount Card Program include: It's Free-No cost to the county, no cost to taxpayers. Valuable Discounts-Average savings program-wide of 24% and savings up to 75% on an individual prescription. Generates Goodwill-County officials are able to generate some positive media publicity and NACo will assist you by generating and placing press releases. Easy Access-Residents can obtain a printed card or may print one conveniently from the web at www.nacorx.org. Marketing Support-Card and stands shipped to pharmacies and multiple county locations, unlimited free materials, press and PSA assistance. NACo will work with you to design a campaign based on your needs. Marketing Reimbursement Fee-New! The NACo program offers an option for counties to receive a $1 per prescription marketing reimbursement fee when the card gives the best price.
For more information on implementing this great program or enhancing your current efforts, you can access information directly from NACo's website by clicking here, NACo membership staff can also be reached toll-free at 1-888-407-NACo (6226) and ask for "membership."
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2012 County Board Handbook and Revisions Now Available |
The 2012 County Board Handbook and related revisions are available now. The cost for a current handbook, including legislative information from the 2012 session, is $80.00/book plus $15.45 shipping and handling per book. The 2012 Supplement to the County Board Handbook is available for $20.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. You may contact Wendy Kelly by clicking here or call her at (402) 434-5660 ext. 223 to place an order to receive your new book and/or supplement. |
NACo Web-Based Education | |
Realizing Cost and Energy-Saving Opportunities in County Facilities
Thursday, January 10, 2013
2:00 PM - 2:15 P.M. Eastern Time
Research conducted by NACo and its partners has shown that many counties have not taken advantage of easy cost saving energy conservation initiatives. Find out how NACo's new County Building Database will help counties set investment priorities, identify underperforming buildings, and verify efficiency improvements. Join the webinar to learn how savvy county leaders are thinking about energy management and consider where your opportunities for savings are. To register, click here. |
County Government Day PowerPoint Available |
The PowerPoint presentation is now 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 larrydix@nacone.org. The order form is available here. |
News Across the State | |
Links are to outside sources and may not be available indefinitely.
Lincoln Journal Star, 12/20/12
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