Speak Up With Bud Synhorst

One more time to update on what's been up since my last episode. Doing the podcast has been awesome and I appreciate all of the amazing guests and listeners who made this podcast fun to do. Enjoyed the response and wanted to share some life changes since my last episode. Hope you will take one more listen to "The Last One...For Now..."

The evolution of the news cycle has evolved so much in recent years. The way we consume news and gather information has changed so drastically from the days of the newspaper delivered to your door, watching the nightly news, and listening to the local radio stations for news and other local items. Today, we carrry a supercomputer in our pockets and have news and information at our fingertips 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. John Gage, executive editor of the Plains Sentinel talks about the evolution of their platform and some of the local stories they have been working on recently since their launch.

From "you have cancer" to "you're cancer free" is a long journey. October 13, 2025 my doctor called and informed me the biopsy showed I had cancer. On April 10, 2026, my oncologist told us we're in active surveillance because there is no longer evidence of cancer in my body. What a journey and roller coaster. Today's episode, my wife and I sit down and talk about the journey of cancer from both perspectives and talk through what it was like.

The Legislature finishes up for the session! How was the session...interesting, intriguing, and a little bit hard to read. Mark Vail and I will dig into some of the happenings of the session. You will also get a bit of unfiltered Bud talking about a Lincoln senator who opposed an education bill, which made sense—all that and more in the legislative wrap-up discussion.

The Brand Committee has been a hot topic in the Nebraska Legislature the past few years. During the 2026 Legislative Session it became a very contentious issue. State Senator Barry DeKay stopped in to discuss the Brand Committee, the evolution of the bill currently pending in the Legislature and what it means for feedlots and cow calf producers.

What is going on in the Nebraska Legislature! There are 9 days left on the 109th Legislature, Second Session. The budget needs to be addressed, there’s an interesting bill on the horizon about the brand committee and more. Mark Vail and I sit down to discuss the final days of the Nebraska Legislature.

Nebraska Lt. Governor Joe Kelly has many duties to fulfill. This episode dives into the duties of the Lt. Governor in Nebraska. One of his many duties includes serving as the presiding over the Nebraska Legislature, which can be interesting to say the least. Lt. Governor Kelly shares some insights on how he "manages" being the presiding officer over the Nebraska Unicameral. With a limited number of days left this session, plus several term limited senators at the end of the session, the last few weeks of the session should be interesting.

Charlie Colon is the owner/operator for Chick-Fil-A at Southpointe Pavilions in Lincoln. Our conversation today focuses on Charlie's journey from Lincoln Northeast High School to Chick-Fil-A owner/operator. He shares some of the "secret sauce" for Chick-Fil-A and leadership. Check out this great conversation with Charlie. You will enjoy his commitment to people and especially the community of Lincoln.

Elizabeth Tegtmeier explains the purpose and function of the Nebraska State Board of Education. She talks about some of the issues being addressed during the past three years. They have provided innovative ways to address the teacher shortage, invested in literacy projects around the state. Elizabeth gives a good perspective on the way she votes and her focus on helping kids learn the basic skills of reading, math, and writing. An intriguing conversation about education and what is happening in Nebraska.

From testing to diagnosis to more testing to treatment to recovery. What happens after treatment is completed? There is a sense of relief to get through the treatment after weeks of daily treatment. Then what happens after completing treatment? It has been about 8 weeks since completing treatment, and the recovery process has been very up and down. Check out the latest update on where I stand in the recovery process, 8 weeks after treatment.