Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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As sunlight trickled through the window at the Bob and Rita Kester home on a recent Sunday morning, Helar Duran felt like he was transported to 2006, felt a sense of familiarity and peacefulness reminiscent of being home. "It feels like I'm 16 again. Waking up at the farm ... it's a good sensation," Duran said. The Cucúta, Colombia, native spent a year as an exchange student at Clearwater Public Schools. He recently returned to celebrate his host parents' 50th wedding anniversary. When Duran...
Since Scott and I have been married, we've had one pet, a chocolate lab named Copper. When she died a few years ago, the thought of bringing another pet into our home never crossed our minds. How could she be replaced? She'd been a loyal companion ever since someone dropped her off in our driveway at the farm. A few years ago, Elizabeth and I suggested we adopt a dog from the local shelter. The newsroom could use a news hound. Someone to keep us company while we pound out the paper on deadline...
The first possession of the 2023 football season didn't go as the Bobcats planned. High snaps from center forced the home team to scramble early, looking for a solution, as Riverside rolled to a 38-20 win. Head Coach Tom Thramer said the team's inexperience "really showed up from untimely penalties, missed assignments and lack of leadership." "There is no way to sugar coat it. We have to get better in every aspect of the game," Thramer told SAM in an interview on Monday. "Riverside is a very goo...
Drive, and the pursuit of following one's aspirations, took center stage, Tuesday, as Summerland Public School students returned for the opening day of the 2023-2024 school year. Superintendent Kyle Finke said several changes in the district give students "everything you need to be successful, no matter what you decide to do." Finke introduced the word of the year - drive - for the upcoming school term. "I hope you have some drive this year, that you focus on that and become better and better st...
Two new housing units are for sale in Clearwater. A duplex, constructed by Stearns Construction, is completed and accepting applications, according to local economic development director Lauren Sheridan-Simonson. A ribbon cutting and open house were held at the unit, Thursday, Aug. 10. The project was possible, in part, from a Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund grant of $221,000 to the Village of Clearwater.Steve Stearns worked with Miller & Associates "to create a plan that benefits...
It’s a case if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. “And you’ll never get it back,” Summerland Superintendent Kyle Finke said while discussing the board’s decision to raise the district’s tax asking authority by up to 7%. The agenda action item is the result of the recent enactment of LB243, known as the School District Property Tax Limitation Act. For the upcoming fiscal year, the act limits growth at 3%. The act creates a default rule which caps the magnitude of a school district’s prop...
Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost." After last Friday's raid on the "Marion County Record," a family-owned newspaper covering a county situated approximately 60 miles north of Wichita, I am worried that freedom of the press - a fundamental principal of democracy - may be eroding in rural America. Since Sunday, I've scoured every news report covering the raid, which included all five members of Marion's police...
The cost of a potential outdoor storage shed to be built at Summerland School dominated a majority of the school board’s Monday evening meeting. Superintendent Kyle Finke said the “price tag might be getting up there.” Finke told the board he contacted Bob Sukup, an architect, who visited the site of a proposed 40 x 75 foot building, outfitted with a drain, water and electricity. “Do we still want that in the building?” Finke asked. The proposed structure would house pole vault and high jump...
Tim Hickele ventured into Clearwater, late Tuesday morning, in search of the village's park, hoping to set up camp after venturing from Ewing. Hickele wasn't pulling a recreational vehicle into the Antelope County town. Instead, Hickele detoured onto Main Street, off the Cowboy Trail, with his little house on wheels, a homemade camper that's kept him comfortable during his journey. "It's made of plastic," Hickele said to a trio of onlookers who checked out the structure. It's the second mini-cam...
A rural Antelope County road will stay intact following a public hearing and subsequent vote by commissioners on Aug. 1. Highway superintendent Brian McDonald said a road use study on 858 Road, between 521 and 522 Avenue was completed. "It's being actively used," McDonald said. Two individuals offered testimony in opposition of the closure. Testifying via speaker phone, Matt Klabenes, of Neligh, said, "We've got a service line down that for our stock well. It's the reason we took the trees out...
An annual barbecue in Clearwater will have special significance this year. Clearwater Fire and Rescue Department will hots its annual meal, Sunday, Aug. 20, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the fire hall. Dine in, carry out or drive thru service will be available. To place an order for pick up, call 402-485-2451 between 5 and 8 p.m., that day. Fire Chief Steve Hankla said the department received a $150,000 Rural Ambulance Replacement Grant, designed to replace aging ambulance fleets across the state. Grant...
The countdown for the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year is underway, as Summerland Public School students will return to class, Tuesday, Aug. 15. A 1:30 p.m. dismissal is scheduled that day. Staff members reported to work for staff development earlier this month and will be on site, Monday, Aug. 14 for continued inservice training. Families of students in preschool through sixth grade are invited to an open house, Monday, Aug. 14, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The Bobcat Booster club will host a...
A Meadow Grove couple who oversee Antelope County's 4-h rabbit division were named the recipients of the 2023 Jolene Mosel Helping Hand Award. The presentation was made Sunday, Aug. 6, during the county's 4-H awards show in the livestock arena at the fairgrounds in Neligh. Antelope County 4-H youth coordinator Tessa Hain presented the award. "The award keeps Jolene's spirit alive," Hain said. Brandi Qualset and Curt Qualset have worked with the county's rabbit exhibitors for approximately five...
Ask 10 people who they would choose as the most loved television or movie couple and you’ll get 10 different answers. While Ross and Rachel spark excitement for “Friends” followers, the chemistry between Robert Kincaid and Francesca Johnson, in “The Bridges of Madison County,” is undeniable. Questions like this make me chuckle, especially when I receive a press release from a London-based public relations firm, letting me know that Lois and Clark top the most-loved list for a lot of Nebraskan...
Almost a year after receiving notification that the Village of Ewing was selected to receive funds to construct a two-unit duplex, officials broke ground on the project, Aug. 1. The $431,640 project, from the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund, will start construction in mid-August, according to village clerk Sharon Swails. The village will provide a $100,000 match. Village chairman James Ramold said each unit will feature two bedrooms, one bathroom and a single-car garage, available for...
Ewing trustees approved a $5,000 bid, submitted by Brian Hubl, of rural Ewing, for removal of all panels and posts from the Ewing rodeo arena, located on the along the Highway 45B spur, when the board met earlier in July. Five proposals were submitted to the board, with bids ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. Following a motion by Dustin Wright and second by Katie Cunningham, trustees voted unanimously to accept Hubel's offer. In other business, trustees: • Discussed hiring a police officer. Trustee...
Holt County Supervisors held a listening session, Monday afternoon, allowing members of the Holt/Boyd E-911 board to present their perceptions of operations in the dispatch center and the role of the board. In late July, supervisors Duane Neiman, Scott Keyes and Bill Tielke and Holt County Clerk Cathy Pavel met with Boyd County officials to hear public comment about day-to-day operations at the center. The meeting arose following a June 20 meeting, where fire department representatives,...
Random thoughts on a Tuesday, as this week’s deadline looms: • Sometimes, an overactive imagination can be detrimental. I have a list of 10 column ideas, but the analogies weren’t panning out. Oh, the words were flowing, no doubt about that, but the mental image wasn’t connecting among the dots. There’s always next week. • Small-town community celebrations are simply the best. The Page and Orchard communities put on great events this past weekend. From the purple and white balloons drifting fr...
Orchard will be aglow this weekend as the 2023 version of Orchard Free Days celebrates "Let's Glow Crazy in Orchard." Events kick off Friday, July 28, when the Orchard Historical Society will host a chicken dinner, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at The Rex. A freewill donation of $12 is suggested. The menu includes broasted chicken, potato salad, dinner roll and Texas sheet cake. Drive thru, dine in or carryout orders will be available. Before or after lunch, stop by the District 57 school, situated ne...
Attention area youths. Get creative in the kitchen (or nearby fire pit) and devise an entry in the first SAM S'more contest. Scheduled for Aug. 10, at 2 p.m., individuals are asked to bring three samples to the SAM office, at 522 Main Street, in Clearwater, for a friendly competition. A trio of area judges will taste test each creation and deem who has the best tasting and most creative entry in three grade categories: preschool through grade three, fourth through sixth grade and seventh...
Holt County Supervisors learned about multiple building updates and concerns when they met in regular session, July 17. Courthouse custodian Rick Slaymaker presented estimates for three styles of windows available through Carhart Lumber. Supervisors approved the purchase a wood core, double-hung Anderson windows, which will be installed. The cost was unavailable at press time. Slaymaker said Holt County Deputy Ed Nordby requested a speckled garage floor paint, covered with a top coat, be used...
Meal prices are expected to remain the same for the upcoming school year at Summerland Public Schools, following a recommendation from Superintendent Kyle Finke made at the district's July 17 board of education meeting. Breakfast, served daily from 7:40 to 8 a.m., will cost $1.50 for students, while adults will pay $2.40. Lunch prices will remain at $2.35 for kindergarten through sixth grade students. The cost for students in grades seven through 12 will be $2.50, while adults will pay $4 per...
A local bank will provide financing for a paver approved for purchase by Antelope County Commissioners on May 9. During the July 3 commissioners’ meeting, in Neligh, lawmakers approved financing for a paving machine, through the Bank of Elgin, following a review of submitted proposals. Commissioner Keith Heithoff made a motion to approve either a 4.7% fixed-interest semi-annual payment or an annual five-year loan, with a payment of $90,000 per year, and a final balloon payment. Commissioner E...
Competitors from across Nebraska and South Dakota converged on Clearwater, July 22, for the third annual Rough Stock Challenge, sponsored by the local chamber of commerce. Chase YellowHawk, of St. Francis, South Dakota, took the top spot in bareback riding. He scored 76 points. Whitten Hoover, of Ainsworth, and Spencer Denaeyer, of Seneca, scored 74 points, tying for the second spot. In the saddle bronc division, Jackson Ford, of Sturgis, South Dakota, took home the first-place prize after...
