Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 1471
Summerland Public Schools will potentially add two vehicles to its fleet, using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to pay the bill. The district currently has $153,629 in untapped pandemic-related federal funds available. During the board's April meeting, held Monday, Superintendent Kyle Finke suggested the district purchase a 65-passenger Thomas bus with approximately 32,000 miles, for $92,650. "It's coming off a lease," he said. A year ago, the district purchased a bus...
The purple ribbon atop the pencil drawing of a famous icon says it all: Best of Show. Caydence Schumacher, a sophomore at Summerland Public Schools, submitted a pencil drawing of Marilyn Monroe to the ESU 8 Art Show, held April 5 to 7 at the Antelope County Fairgrounds in Neligh. Judges awarded it the top prize. Schumacher said when she's decided what to draw, she sometimes has an individual in mind or she'll search for famous people she's a fan of. "I decided to do Marilyn Monroe because she...
April is National Poetry Month, a time to celebrate the creative written word form, its expressive ebb and flow pulling you in. Reading poetry is great. Watching someone bring those words to life, through a spoken word presentation, is amazing. Poetry is one of my favorite competitive speech events. Where else can you pair Beowulf with one of Jack Prelutsky’s monster poems and come up with rhythm and flow that makes sense? (If you haven’t read any of Prelutsky’s children’s books, do it now. Yo...
In a week's span, the Bobcat golf team has competed three times. While two team members have landed in medal contention, coach Tom Thramer said his squad "has been really inconsistent the last couple meets, playing courses that they are not used to." "I really think we have the capabilities to score really well, we just haven't shown it yet," he said. On April 10, the Bobcats hosted the Summerland Invite. Dylan Rotherham shot 86, finishing 13th. Dane Miller carded an 85, placing 11th. Will Jesse...
Led by a handful of medal winners, Summerland boys' track team finished fourth at the North Central Invite, held April 8, in Bassett. Alec Schindler brought home a bronze medal in the 110m hurdles, running 16.80. He picked up a second bronze medal in the 300m hurdles, running 45.39. In triple jump, Schindler reached 39' 11.75 inches, placing third. AJ Hobbs finished eighth in the 110m hurdles. He ran 18.55. In triple jump, Hobbs reached 36' .25 inches, ending in 10th. Ryan Rifer placed fourth...
The Lady Bobcats finished sixth at the April 8 North Central Invite. Bailey Ahlers picked up a silver medal in high jump. She cleared five feet. Lydia Robertson finished fourth in high jump, clearing 4' 8 inches. In the 200m, she ran 30.61, finishing sixth. Robertson earned a silver medal in triple jump, reaching 31 feet. Lenora Kester earned bronze in the 300m hurdles. She cleared the obstacles in 53.87. In the 100m hurdles, Kester ran 21.62, finishing 19th. In triple jump, Kester finished thir...
"We had no idea anything was wrong." That's how Skylar and Cabre Reynolds describe the first few minutes of their daughter Teigyn's life. The 5-pound 8-ounce bundle of joy, the couple's first child, arrived Sept. 12, 2023, at Boone County Health Center in Albion. It would take approximately six weeks before the Reynolds would learn Teigyn was battling neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy, a rare disorder of the lungs. This Sunday, residents from Skylar's hometown will host a benefit for...
Two contracts will be extended when the Summerland School board of education meets in regular session, April 15. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., in the board meeting room at the school. Action will be taken on a contract for Jacob Birch, who accepted the junior/senior high school principal and athletic director position. Birch currently teaches mathematics at Summerland. A second contract offer is listed on the agenda; however, details of the offer are not listed. Board members...
How does Antelope County define an unimproved road? "An unimproved road is defined as any officially-declared minimum maintenance road and any road not graded or contains surfacing material," county zoning administrator Megan Wingate told commissioners. The question of who is responsible for upgrades to an unimproved road occupied discussion amongst commissioners when they met in regular session, April 2 and again April 9. According to county attorney Joe Smith, county resident Gary Yoder...
The 11-year-old version of LuAnn was enthralled with studying the globe in our sixth-grade classroom. Pastel blue denoted water on the curved, glossy sphere. Continents lifted from the surface, outlining rugged terrain. Each country was color-coded, some purple, some red, others green. I’d spin the globe and, as the air movement slowed to stillness, would place a finger on the surface, open my eyes to discover what country I’d investigate next. In social studies class that year, my cla...
The 2024 Orchard AAU Powerlifting Meet was held last Friday and Saturday, April 5 and 6. Organizer Jeff Shabram said "an awesome lineup of 170-plus registered lifters from across the Midwest competed." "This year's meet was a national meet, so two days of competition were required to accommodate the crowd of lifters striving for state, American and even world records," Shabram said. "It was the 17th year for the Orchard meet and the largest one ever." Eleven Summerland powerlifters competed...
Jacob Birch will serve as junior/senior high principal, beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. The announcement was made Tuesday, April 2, after Summerland Public School faculty were notified of his hiring. Candidates for the position went through the interview process last week, according to school officials. The board of education will approve the offer when they meet April 15. Birch, a Burwell native, received his undergraduate degree in mathematics education at the University of...
The District 6 shop, located in Stuart, will eventually have a new home. Holt County Supervisors approved the purchase of eight acres, from the village of Stuart, for the project. The county will pay $6,400 per acre. The motion, presented by Darrin Paxton, and seconded by Duane Neiman, passed unanimously, Friday, during the board's regularly-scheduled meeting. Chairman Bill Tielke said the property is located on the north edge of the village, across from the rodeo grounds. A project timeline...
Summerland-area residents won't be in total darkness, Monday, during the solar eclipse. Mark Urwiller, director of Honey Creek Observatory, in O'Neill, said the eclipse will have 70% coverage in this area. Areas in southeast Nebraska, as well as the Omaha metro area, may have up to 85% coverage. According to National Weather Service officials, partly-cloudy skies may play spoiler for the April 8 celestial event. The region has a 50 to 60% chance of cloud cover. While a total eclipse will cut a...
The annual Orchard Amateur Athletic Union Powerlifting Meet will have a new look this year. Organizer Jeff Shabram said the event is now a national meet, with competition spread over two days. Lifters from across the U.S., including members of the Summerland powerlifting squad, will compete in squat, bench press and dead lift events, beginning this Friday at the Orchard Community Center gym, at 4th and Rusk. Lifting will begin at 1 p.m., on April 5, while Saturday's competition will start at 9...
I saw a quote recently and it’s been on my mind since then: “The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised.” I like surprises, that’s the optimist in me shining through, looking for a lesson worth learning or a silver lining. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of pessimism in the world today. I see and hear it often in casual conversations and on social media. Its tentacles are permeating society, pulling us farther apart, creating...
Summerland School Board of Education will hold a workshop session, Tuesday, April 2, in Norfolk. The lone agenda item currently listed is discussion on the transition to the new superintendent. The workshop will be held at the board room at Elkhorn Valley Bank, 404 S. 25th Street, and will start at 4:30 p.m. The agenda is tentative and may be adjusted, up to 24 hours before the beginning of the workshop. A current agenda is available for public inspection at the school's administrative...
Individuals who have Optum or United Healthcare insurance will have a new option for filling prescriptions. Optum and United Healthcare no longer cover prescription costs at Blood Pharmacy locations. Hilltop Drugs, Etc., closed its doors in January. Both situations have caused a gap in local care, according to Ashley Dendinger, owner of Plainview Family Pharmacy. Her business will continue to offer services to Optum and UH customers who rely on Neligh-based pharmacies. "We're offering a solution...
A one-vehicle rollover accident occurred Monday, March 18, at approximately 7:30 a.m., on 508 Avenue, south of Ewing. According to a report from chief deputy Ed Nordby, a 2014 Freightliner, driven by Connor Bentley and owned by Central Valley Ag, was southbound when it toppled over on the curve. The truck was loaded with fertlizer at the time of the accident. Bentley and an unidentified passenger were transported to Antelope Memorial Hospital by personal vehicle. "The truck and trailer...
Either it’s irony or a divine sign that SPS English instructor Katie Schneider shared a blog post on social media last week about the teacher shortage. I’ve been gathering data on the topic for nearly a month, hoping to pull a story together. I’m sharing Schneider’s post with her permission, on this page, under the op-ed label. Schneider addresses parents in her open letter, talking about respect or the lack thereof, about technology and its effects on a child’s brain and behavior, about letting...
Lydia Robertson and Bailey Ahlers kicked off the 2024 girls' track campaign with medals at the Dan Lennon Class B Invitational, held March 18, in the Dakota Dome on the University of South Dakota campus in Vermillion. The two Bobcat junior jumpers tied for third place in high jump, clearing 4' 11 inches. Robertson ended in sixth place in triple jump, reaching 30' 11.25 inches. Lenora Kester finished eighth in triple jump, landing at 30' 4.75 inches. She also competed in the 60m hurdles, running...
Ethan Kester, Ryan Rifer, Alec Schindler and Gavin Whiting picked up the first medals of the 2024 Bobcat boys' track season, March 18, at the Dan Lennon Invitational. The annual University of South Dakota indoor meet was held in the Dakota Dome, attracting 45 Class B schools. Kester picked up a bronze medal in pole vault. He cleared 10' 6 inches. Rifer, competing in high jump, ended in third. He cleared 6' 3 inches. Rifer also ran the 800m in 2:37.56, finishing 37th. Schindler placed fourth in...
Adyson Mlnarik will trade her Carolina blue uniform for Hastings College crimson. The Summerland High girls' basketball standout signed a letter of intent, in front of family, coaches and teammates, March 13, on the SPS basketball court. Mlnarik told the "Advocate-Messenger" she chose HC "because it was a place where I felt I would fit in great." The 5-foot-eight point guard averaged 23.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game during her senior campaign. The Bobcats finished 17-7, just...
Should a person whose burial is paid for by the county need to be a resident? “It’s not necessarily what the amount is. I’m more concerned if we’re paying for Antelope County residents or if we’re paying for people applying because the county next door isn’t paying as much,” said Jay Snider, owner of Snider Memorial Funeral Home. Snider, a Clearwater resident, opened discussion with Antelope County Commissioners during the March 12 meeting in Neligh. Snider said it’s been approximately 1... Full story
That's where a 12-foot windmill, designed by Summerland art student Caydence Schumacher and constructed by advanced welding students Garrett Napier and Mike Umphress, finished in voting at the Norfolk Home and Garden Show. Summerland industrial technology instructor Michael Odell announced how the project fared on Monday. The competition honors the legacy of Ken Iverson, former president of Nucor Steel. The windmill will be displayed at Johnson Park in Norfolk for a year. Odell said the IT...
