John C Shepard, AICP

15 years of #UrbanPlanning & #rural #econdev here. I do Americana @JCShepard and politics elsewhere. I’m also Vice-Chair for Communications @APA_SmallTown Twitter had a good run—now you can also find me on Threads 🧵. Do you remember when you joined X? I do! #MyXAnniversary

In a new Executive Order, federal agencies are directed to revise policies that may impact housing construction timelines or increase costs, including environmental regulations and permitting. Learn more: bit.ly/41rMgTL

Oil prices are expected to rise further as the US-Israel war with Iran continues to paralyze the Strait of Hormuz and other major energy infrastructure reut.rs/3NUvf1p

If your town can’t house its workers, it can’t grow its economy. Let’s discuss why housing and quality of life are rural economic development, not an afterthought. Read more: jcshepard.com/2026/03/housin… #Housing #Rural #EconDev #QualityOfLife

Cottonwood & Morrill Fire Update - March 22, 2026 Phone (public and media inquiries): 719-283-6829, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. MDT Email: 2026.morrill@firenet.gov If wildfire smoke is affecting your area, visit Fire.AirNow.gov for air-quality information.

HOT OFF THE PRESS #Illini soar to the Sweet 16

The largest wildfire in Nebraska history is nearing 100% containment after a week since the fire started. It has burned more than 600,000 acres. nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-a…

Energy Fallout From Iran War Signals a Global Wake-Up Call For Renewable Energy More than 90% of new renewable power projects worldwide in 2024 were cheaper than fossil-fuel alternatives. broadbandbreakfast.com/energy-fallout…

A Red Flag Warning is in place today due to very high to extreme fire danger. The combination of warm, dry, and breezy conditions means fires will spread quickly and be difficult to contain. Please exercise extreme caution and avoid activities that may cause a spark.

The only thing worse than automated phone attendants are AI automated voice attendants. Yeah I’m talking about our host & his @Starlink “customer service”. #UnhappyCustomer

@efino87 The idea of a church selling alcohol blows my Calvinist Protestant mind. We don’t do fish Fridays either. Of course, our Lutheran friends do Lutefisk—that would go down better with spirits.

For anyone outside of Nebraska who is confused, alcohol consumption is a big part of Catholic fish fry’s in eastern Nebraska. It is a social event where people of all ages gather to eat, drink and visit. Mary Our Queen (MOQ) is one of the bigger ones. I will miss the fish fry’s.

Something to blow your Nebraska mind, Wyoming sells a limited number of liquor licenses and they are hard to get. From what I was told, churches do not get any so the big fish fry’s with beer sales are not a thing here. No one believed me when I told them about MOQ during lent.

Nebraska producers are facing a mounting forage crisis after historic wildfires destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of grazing land across the state. And while death losses are low, officials warn it could still affect tens of thousands of cattle ruralradio.com/rrn/news/wildf…

Senators advanced a bill Wednesday to regulate large energy projects following reports that Google is planning a Nebraska data center that would use as much power as the city of Lincoln. nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-a…

A visit to Brownville, one of Nebraska's oldest communities, is always fun. April 11 weekend event is upcoming: "Take Me Out to The Antiquarium" Omahans here will well remember the Antiquarium. Deep philosophical discussions in the front room back in the day! becah.org

In this segment, David Levy of Baird Holm joins Jeff Beals and Trenton Magid to break down the Omaha streetcar, explain how the financing structure works, update Crossroads redevelopment and discuss the proposed Union Omaha stadium district in north downtown. Check it out here: growomaha.com/david-levy-of-…

Wildfires in Nebraska are now the largest in the state’s history, and remain at 0% containment. Gov. Jim Pillen and other officials gave an update on the fires Monday, with no end in sight. nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-a…

#Wildfires in #Nebraska continue to burn in seven counties. They have destroyed more than 740,000 acres of farm and grazing land and killed an 86-year-old woman who was trying to escape one of the fires. dtnpf.com/agriculture/we…

Tell Your Community Story of Irish Heritage Celebrating heritage can honor our communities while also creating economic investment. medium.com/small-towns-re… #SmallTowns #rural #econdev #heritage #heritagetourism

From Retention to Renewal: How BR&E and Entrepreneurship Power Real Economic Development Real economic development in small towns isn’t chasing the next big deal—it’s helping existing businesses grow and new local owners take root. jcshepard.com/2026/03/from-r… #rural #econdev

115pm Sunday, March 15th A LOT of wind is blowing around this Sunday afternoon. Snow is moving through eastern Nebraska creating whiteout conditions in spots. Travel will be difficult while this light snow moves through.

Understanding Your #Rural Economy—Jobs & Income & Why Headlines Never Tell the Whole Story Before you share that “Rural America is dying” headline, pull up the data on your own county and see what’s really happening on the ground. jcshepard.com/2026/03/unders… #smalltowns #econdev