Reviving Our Rural Towns: Why I’m Investing in Blue Hill and in You

By Jon Capps, Candidate for Nebraska Legislature – District 38

Drive through our district's eight counties, and you’ll see what I see — the heart of Nebraska. Main streets that still wave Old Glory. Neighbors who show up when a storm rolls through. Churches that double as meeting halls and town halls where people still know your name.

But you’ll also see what I see in Blue Hill, Franklin, Oxford, Beaver City, and so many of our towns: empty storefronts, crumbling sidewalks, and too many “For Sale” signs. Our rural communities have been the backbone of this state for generations, yet for far too long, they’ve been treated as an afterthought by Lincoln and Washington.

I believe that if we want a stronger Nebraska, we have to start by strengthening rural Nebraska — and we can’t wait for somebody else to do it. That’s why I put my own money and sweat equity into remodeling the old Blue Hill Motel, turning it into modern, affordable apartments. It’s not a grand political speech; it’s a hammer in my hand and a vision in my head for what small towns can be again.

Revitalizing rural Nebraska starts with three commonsense steps:

1. Fix What’s Ours First Instead of throwing tax dollars at out-of-state corporations, we should be investing in our own infrastructure — from streets and sidewalks to broadband and water systems. Our communities shouldn’t have to beg for scraps when we’re the ones feeding the world.
   

2. Cut the Red Tape Too many local entrepreneurs run into a brick wall of regulations and fees that make it easier to start a business in Lincoln or Omaha than right here at home. As your state senator, I’ll fight to streamline permits, lower barriers, and encourage investment in our towns — not drive it away.
   

3. Keep the Money Local Every time we spend money locally, we keep Main Street alive. I’ll work to ensure state contracts prioritize Nebraska businesses, especially in rural areas, so our tax dollars circle back into our own communities.
   

I’m running for the Nebraska Legislature because I know our rural way of life is worth defending — and worth building on. My family’s been part of this state for generations. I’m a U.S. Army veteran, a small business owner, and a 30-year IT systems architect who knows how to solve problems and make government work smarter, not bigger.

The Blue Hill Motel project isn’t just about one building — it’s a statement. When we take pride in our communities and invest in them ourselves, we don’t just preserve the past. We build a future our kids and grandkids can come home to.

I’m not waiting for a grant, a committee, or a government program to tell me it’s possible. I’m doing it because rural Nebraska matters — and if you send me to Lincoln, I’ll fight every day to make sure our eight counties get the attention, resources, and respect they deserve.

Let’s roll up our sleeves. Let’s fix what’s ours. Let’s keep Nebraska’s heart beating strong — right here in Clay, Nuckolls, Webster, Franklin, Harlan, Phelps, Furnas, and Red Willow counties.