Dear Dave, My mother died about a year and a half ago, and she left me and my younger sister $75,000 each. My sister is 16, and she plans on enlisting in the military after high school, then using the G.I.

The Legislature will be in session three days t his week, beginning on Tuesday, April 9, and running through Thursday, April 12. We will then be in recess until Thursday, April 18, which will be Day 60. The gap between day 59 and day 60 is to allow the Go vernor time to consider any vetoes. Day 60 is generally used to consider any veto overrides. However, given the number of bills still o n Select File and Final Reading, it is anticipated that we will likely be voting on several bills still on Final Reading on Day 60. This is risky since the Legislature would have no opportunity to override a veto of any bills passed on Day 60.

If you’re a faithful reader of this column, you know how important shopping local is to me. My husband and I make a conscious effort to purchase everything we possibly can locally.

Dear Dave, My wife and I owe about $40,000 on our mortgage. My father-inlaw, who is a very nice and generous man, said he wants to pay off the house for us, then let us pay him back over time.

I want to begin my article by reflecting on this past week. Not in the Legislature, but Holy Week. Holy Week is a time for us all to reflect on what is important in life and a true testament of sacrifice. It is a great reminder for all of us as we begin the final stretch in this legislative session.

What a year this week has been. We’ve all had those kind of weeks, haven’t we? Sometimes multiple times a year! My week involved five trips to North Platte in four days, with two of those being unplanned, and three of them being straight down and back.

Dear Dave, I’m worried about my younger brother, and I need some advice. He’s divorced and has a son, and lately, it seems like he only wants to be a dad when it’s convenient. On top of this, he’s very irresponsible with money for someone in their thirties. Our mom and dad passed away several years ago, so I feel like this leaves me to be the big brother and parent at the same time. I’m not sure how to help him. Can you give me some advice, please? Andy Dear Andy, You’re a good and caring big brother to be concerned and want to help. And it’s a tough situation for you, especially with your parents no longer in the picture.

I want to begin my article this week by thanking the Lincoln County Farm Bureau for sponsoring a Town Hall Meeting a week ago Saturday to allow me to meet directly with interested constituents in an informal setting. I cannot begin to tell you how important it is for me to understand the issues that are important to you and to have the opportunity to share on a firsthand basis what is happening “behind the scenes” for many of the issues in the Nebraska Legislature. I hope to have the opportunity to hold more of these meetings throughout District 42 once the session ends.

“Hey, we have a 7-Eleven now!” I told my husband Dane the other day. Last week was birthday week at our house - our kids are 4 years and 2 days apart, and you guessed it - they are now 7 and 11.

Dear Dave, Our son will be graduating from high school in May, and then heading off to college in August. He will also be working during the summer to save up money for school. When classes begin, do you think he should continue working a part-time job, or would it be better for him to focus solely on his studies? Brenda Dear Brenda, There’s really nothing wrong with either approach, especially during a kid’s first semester in college. As a parent, though, I’d urge you not to fall into the trap of thinking his grades will go down if he holds a job while in school. Research actually shows that, on average, kids who work while in college carry higher grade point averages than those who don’t.