The Columbus Telegram from Columbus, Nebraska • A4

A4 Friday, February 23, 2018 Columbus Telegram 00 1 DARYL KEYES Special to The Telegram Predatory birds such as hawks can raise a real fuss with your chickens and domestic birds. Any bird that roams around outside on the ground is subject to being snatched up by a red tailed hawk, or any number of high flying rap- tors. Smaller fowl like bantams are especially susceptible to aerial at- tack, even within city limits. All raptors including hawks, eagles, and owls are federally protected by the Migratory Bird Act, which prohibits anyone from injuring or killing raptors, even a hawk that is decimating your chicken flock. Since removing the predator is out of the question, here are a few suggestions to help protect your feathered friends.

Try to keep your backyard birds from roaming too far from the coop. If they are close enough to be able to run for cover, should a hawk fly over, they will be able to reach safety before becoming dinner. Having covered runs helps, too. Chicken wire is cheap, and is eas- ily torn by ground predators such as raccoons and foxes, but provides enough protection from the air. If a hawk does dive down onto a cov- ered run, it will become entangled enough to allow the chickens to sprint to safety.

Moveable runs, called chicken tractors, are also a popular option. If your chickens are free range, try to keep them under or near the protection of some cover such as tall grass, shrubs, or thick trees and bushes. It will also help to reduce the number of perching spots for hawks, such as dead trees, to lower the probability of predators hang- ing around and looking for an easy meal. It is especially important at this time of year to have good cover for the birds. With the ground be- ing more barren and no foliage on the trees, coupled with food being harder for predators to find, ground birds are at a higher risk to attack.

Shiny objects placed in the vicin- ity of your chicken coops can help to act as a deterrent to hawks. Hanging old cd discs, tinsel, reflective tape, and other shiny objects on fence lines and structures around the area that your birds roam can serve to scare off the raptors. Items that move around in the wind and flash in the sunlight will spook the hawks and other predatory birds. Keep your feed inside the coop, or at least in a well covered area, for the chickens to eat. Anywhere that birds like to congregate, such as the food pan, will draw more attention from the hawks.

By keeping your food source in a protected space, you will keep them safer from dan- ger overhead. Having extra eyes to keep a sharp lookout for predators will increase the possibilities of escape. Roosters are especially adept at keeping an eye on the sky for hawks. When a possible suspect approaches with- ing range, roosters will send out the alarm and stand guard while the hens and chicks scurry for cover. If you are having trouble with hawks, try adding a couple more roosters to the flock for more eyes to spot approaching trouble.

Guard dogs are another good ad- dition to your prevention arsenal. Livestock guardian dogs have the instinct to keep a lookout for hawks and other predators. Dogs will run along the ground underneath an overflying hawk and bark until it passes out of range. Check with your city or county ordinances before embarking on a path to protecting your domestic fowl, but a few precautions along the way will help to reduce depriva- tion from your hawk. Taxidermy Tip of the Week: Looking for a good deal on some taxidermy work? a quick tip to help you find a bargain.

This time of year there are a lot of banquets for various conservation groups hap- pening. Organizations like Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, White- tails Unlimited, National Wild Tur- key Federation, and so on. Most of these groups will hit up taxidermists for donations, and often a taxidermist will donate a gift certificate, or possibly even a mount. If you are paying attention at the auctions, whether live or silent, you can usually purchase the certif- icate for less than face value. You saved some money, the organization makes some money for a good cause, and the taxidermist may have just gained a new customer.

Everyone wins, so bid up! Protecting your foul from raptors difficult, but doable LEE NEWSPAPERS Former Democratic Rep. Brad Ashford of Omaha said Thursday he would vote to reinstate a federal ban on assault weapons if he is re- turned to his former House seat by 2nd District voters this year. will vote for the ban if I go Ashford said in a text message. to work with gun lobby on background checks and mental health issues is not he wrote. lobby has stalled the debate even on minor reform.

time to push the he said. Congress imposed a ban on the manufacture of as- sault weapons for civilian use in 1994, but it expired 10 years later. 2nd Amendment is strengthened when we keep guns out of the hands of people who legally have Ash- ford suggested during a telephone interview earlier in the week in advance of a scheduled with news media and local school student media repre- sentatives at Joslyn Castle in Omaha on Thursday. Ashford said he believes the latest assault weapon attack that killed 17 people at a Florida high school last week is a turning point in the uphill battle against gun violence and provides an opening to reinstate reason- able gun control measures. until last weekend had I felt that the tide has he said.

Ashford, who is a 2018 candidate to recapture the metropolitan Omaha seat now held by Republi- can Rep. Don Bacon, said that kids are teaching us all a lesson of some significance It was young people who led the way in forcing the policy change that ended U.S. military engagement in the Vietnam War, Ash- ford said, it feels like the same thing kids in Florida are he said, we have the same kids Ashford noted that he had been engaged in gun safety issues when he was a mem- ber of the Legislature. But when he went to the Con- gress in 2015, he said, was no of achiev- ing gun safety reform. Now, Ashford said, there is.

Ashford supports assault weapon ban LEE NEWSPAPERS A police officer passed over for a job by police chief has sued him and the city 10 years later af- ter learning the chief give her the job because he think the community was for a female po- lice Instead, Police Chief Tim Larby hired his brother-in-law. According to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Lincoln, Rhonda Olson applied for the police officer position in 2008. At the time, she was a graduate of the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center, had an as- degree in criminal justice, was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and had extensive law enforcement experi- ence. Her Lincoln attorney, Kathleen Neary, said Larby rejected application and hired a less-qualified man, who attended or graduated the state training academy.

Neary said Olson asked Larby why she hired shortly after learning of his decision, and he told her he hired the person he thought was best for the position. Olson thought it was nep- otism. In 2009, she got a job with the Yankton (South Dakota) Police Department, and she and her family moved from her hometown of Atkinson. She later was injured on the job and, last year during a compensation case, learned a Yankton officer had talked with Larby as part of the background check before Olson was hired. According to notes writ- ten by the Yankton officer after the meeting, Larby said he think the commu- nity was for a female officer and that a bat- tle he was willing to take Neary wrote in the lawsuit.

Statutory limitations likely will be an issue in the case given that so much time has passed. Neary ar- gues that Olson know Larby had discriminated against her based on her gender until she got a copy of the pre-employment back- ground report in May 2017. Larby commented on the lawsuit. Woman sues Atkinson police chief for passing her over for job DON WALTON Lincoln Journal Star Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln said Wednesday that is time to allow the people of Nebraska to whether to ex- pand Medicaid coverage to 90,000 low-income, work- ing Nebraskans who have no health care insurance.

His appearance before the Health and Human Services Committee kicked off a familiar battle fought on unfamiliar ground. Every Legislature since 2013 has rejected bills to statuto- rily expand Medicaid cover- age in the wake of enactment of the Affordable Care Act; the new Morfeld proposal (LR281CA) would place the issue before Nebraska vot- ers in the form of a consti- tutional amendment in the November general election. The proposal would estab- lish affordable health care as a constitutional right and direct the Legislature to act. Legislature has re- peatedly refused to take action on this Morfeld said. Most of the Nebraskans who would be impacted by expanded coverage have been generally described as working people who work in occupations such as food service, con- struction and a variety of other occupations that of- ten are low-wage jobs.

Medicaid expansion proposal travels new path Fish Fry Friday $9 All You Can Eat American Legion Post 263 Silver Creek 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Every Friday Jan 5th March 30th Call 308-773-2160 for carryout SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA EDWARD POLOCHICK, MUSIC DIRECTOR 2017 2018 2017 2018 TICKETS POPS 03.02.18 JANE LYNCH SINGS Three-time Emmy and Golden Globe winning actress Jane Lynch comes to Lincoln for a night of music and comedy. Join us for an evening you forget! TICKETS FAMILY 03.04.18 CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS Madcap Puppets brings the animal kingdom to life with The Carnival of the Animals! PURCHASE TICKETS AT LINCOLNSYMPHONY.COM 402.476.2211 1-800-488-2114 www.elitetours.us Branson spring Madness Includes: 3 nights lodging, 3 meals, six shows: Blackwoods singers, the Haygoods, Clay Cooper, Doug Gabriel, Janice Martin Cirque Show, Truman Lake Opry Show, AND MUCH MORE! $299 PP DO Departs York March 19-22, 2018 chRIST LUTheRAn chURch LcmS Eight miles north on 18th Avenue and 3 miles east. 402-563-1314. Pastor: Rev.

Aaron Witt Worship: Sundays 10 a.m. Bible Class and Sunday School: 9 a.m FIRST UnITed meThodIST chURch 2710-14th Columbus (Worship Center) 3602 16th St. (Outreach Center) 402-564-8463 www.columbusfumc.com Rev. Cindi Stewart and Rev. Seong Lee Saturday: 6 p.m.; Sunday: 8 a.m.

and 10:30 a.m. Sunday: 6 p.m. at Outreach Center Grace episcopal church 2053 23rd Columbus 402-564-0116 The Rev. Jan With Sunday Service: 10:00 a.m. st.

united church of christ 1072 21st Columbus 402-564-8862 www.saintlukescolumbus.org Pastor Adam Lassen Service Times: Sunday: 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. at St. Sunday School: 9:00 a.m. TRInITY LUTheRAn chURch Lcmc 2200 25th Columbus WORSHIP TIMES: Saturday: 5:30 p.m., Contemporary Sunday: 8:30 a.m., Traditional Sunday: 10:30 a.m., Blended Educational Hour: Sunday, 9:30 a.m.

Visit us on the web: trinityalive.org Pastor Timothy White Pastor Wayne Nestor Pastor Brandon Foster Listen to all services live on KTLX 91.3 fm FEDERATED CHURCH Presbyterian United Church of Christ 2704 -15th Columbus 402-564-2812 www.federatedcolumbus.org The Rev. Dr. Annika Lister Stroope Edward Yang Associate Pastor for Children, Youth Families Sunday Service: 9:30 a.m. Sunday School for all ages at 10:30 a.m. Thursday Worship at 6:30 p.m.

Columbus Bank Member FDIC Gass-Haney Funeral Home Inc. Brad Ramaekers, Gary Sharman, and staff McKown Funeral Home Gregg Ridgeway, Brad Eickhoff, Dave Purcell PeAce LUTheRAn LcmS 2720 28th Columbus; Phone: 402-564-8311 Web: www.aliveinpeace.org Rev. Michael V. Klatt, Pastor Rev. Cory W.

Burma, Pastor Worship Times: Saturday: 6:00 p.m. Sunday: 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Midweek: 6:00 p.m. Overturf Electric Motors Inc.

Gene Donna Overturf Brian Judy Dobbs Support your local House of Worship These businesses encourage you to exercise your right to worship Columbus Telegram WORD OF LIFE CHURCH ASSEMBLY OF GOD 3701 23rd Columbus Pastor Mariano Menendez Associate Pastor Kodi Wilson Sunday Worship Services: 9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. Royal Rangers Mpact Girls Ages 3 years to 5th Grade: Wednesdays 6:30 p.m. iRepresent Youth Group 6th thru 12th Grade: Sundays 6:30 p.m. Life Groups during week: Call church for information..