Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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North Central District Health Department said Sunday, it had been made aware of a positive COVID-19 case in Antelope County. NCDHD is in the process of contacting the individual using various means. At this time, the risk of exposure to the public is unknown. On Saturday, NCDHD was made aware of a positive case in Knox County. The resident contracted the illness through direct contact with a positive individual. The individual is in quarantine and all close contacts have been identified and are...
North Central District Health Department was made aware of the first positive COVID-19 case in Holt County, they announced Sunday evening. The individual resides in Holt County but is currently in quarantine outside of the district. The individual was exposed in a county outside of the NCDHD district and has not been in the district for one and one-half weeks prior to symptoms. All close contacts have been identified and contacted. The risk to the communities of Holt County from this positive case is none....
GLADYS GODINEZ Community Organizer Center for Rural Affairs Meatpacking plants across the state have become COVID-19 hotspots, and the struggles faced by the people working inside are apparent and alarming. Our friends and neighbors are being asked to risk their health, safety and lives without vital protections on the job, which is endangering our food supply and our entire communities. People continue to be asked to work shoulder to shoulder without critical protections and they are getting sicker and sicker as a result. The spread of...
In a proactive effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is delaying free fishing and park entry day, originally scheduled for May 16. Free fishing and park entry day, typically held annually in Nebraska on the Saturday preceding Memorial Day weekend, allows anyone to enjoy fishing anywhere across the state without a fishing permit or explore outdoor opportunities at any Nebraska state park, state recreation area or state historical park without the need to purchase a park entry permit. Normally, activities...
North Central District Health Department announced Thursday, May 7, it was made aware of two psotive COVID-19 cases. One individual resides in Antelope County and contracted the illness due to direct exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 case. The individual is currently hospitalized in isolation. Investigation determined the risk to Antelope County communities, from this individual, is low. In Knox County, the individual is in isolation in the hospital. All direct exposures are being contacted, according to NCDHD, and are asked to quarantine. An...
North Central District Health Department will be hosting two additional mass testing events in partnership with the Nebraska National Guard. Testing will take place Tuesday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in Neligh at the Antelope County Fairgrounds, and Wednesday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in Valentine, at the Valentine Elementary School parking lot. These events are an effort by NCDHD to offer greater testing capacity to the communities in the nine counties we serve. Testing...
When Clearwater, Ewing and Orchard seniors went to school March 16, they did not know it would be the last time they attended school with their classmates. The three school districts announced they would be closed, due to coronavirus concerns, for a two-week period beginning March 17. A week later, administrators announced the remainder of the school year would be completed at home, based on recommendations from local health officials, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and Dr. Matt Blomstedt, comm...
On Saturday, April 25, North Central District Health Department reported it was made aware of a positive COVID-19 case in Antelope County. This is the second positive case in the county. NCDHD initiated contact investigations with the individual and was able to quickly determine the case is not due to community spread. It was determined the case is due to close contact with an individual who has tested positive with COVID-19 in another health department district. The individual has been in self-isolation at home since the onset of symptoms and...
Ten district health department areas across the state, including North Central District Health Department, which includes Antelope and Holt counties, will have changes to restrictions on social gatherings and business operations, beginning May 4. Governor Pete Ricketts announced upcoming changes to Directed Health Measures across the state during an April 24 press conference. The current state DHMs for Douglas County will be extended through May 3. Local DHMs from the Sarpy/Cass Health Department and the Douglas County Health Department will al...
MATTHEW ADELMAN National Newspaper Association president We need to get through this time and tighten our belts, just as we have through two World Wars, terrorist attacks and other epidemics Newspapers in the United States have traveled rough seas to the First Amendment freedoms we enjoy today. From the colonial Stamp Act through wartime censorship to today, when thousands of newspapers were slammed with the public health emergency known as COVID-19, people who work for newspapers have never had completely smooth sailing. Now most of the...
On April 21, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts announced a plan for testing for COVID-19. A public-private partnership will expand testing over several weeks. Per program guidelines, residents will be able to enlist in the program to take an assessment, get tested and track health. "I am excited to roll out our Test Nebraska initiative to accelerate our ability to defeat the virus and get Nebraskans back to work," Ricketts said during a press conference. "Having good data will give us the confidence...
The Clearwater Chamber of Commerce and Summerland Advocate-Messenger will host a cruise night event for the Clearwater Public School class of 2020. Join in the fun, Friday, May 8. Cruise down Main Street, beginning at 7 p.m. and continue until 9 p.m. At 8:30, cruisers are asked to park along Main Street. Senior introductions will take place at that time. Participants are asked to use social distance measures and stay in your vehicles. Several other activities are planned in town to show support...
Ewing Public Schools Graduation will be held Sunday, July 26, at 2 p.m. School officials noted the ceremony will either be a regular graduation ceremony, a limited attendance ceremony or some type of virtual/diploma pick up ceremony. "We will honor the class of 2020, the last graduating class of Ewing Public Schools," according to a statement issued by the school on social media....
Orchard principal Cathy Cooper told Orchard board members that graduation is still planned, when the original and advisory boards met recently. She said graduation will “definitely” take place, but factors regarding timing will have to be worked out. Cooper is consulting with other administrators in the Unified district regarding graduation and other end-of-year award ceremonies. “Safety is obviously the first priority,” she said. “We definitely want to recognize our seniors…We’re still planning for graduation…there are just so many things that...
A third case of COVID-19 has been identified in Antelope County. North Central District Health Department, in O'Neill, was made aware of a positive COVID-19 case. The individual and their family are in quarantine. The case is due to work-related travel in Dawson County, where a high incident of confirmed cases exists and community spread is present. As of noon, Thursday, April 30, 424 cases have tested positive in Dawson County; 844 individuals have been tested there. NCDHD has initiated...
North Central District Health Department was made aware of the first positive COVID-19 case in Holt County. The individual resides in Holt County but is currently in quarantine outside of the district. The case was exposed in a county outside of the NCDHD district and has not been in the district for one and one-half weeks prior to symptoms. All close contacts have been identified and contacted. The risk to the communities of Holt County from this positive case is none. NCDHD would like to reiterate to our district communities that though this...
After seeking advice from county attorney Joe Abler, the Antelope County commissioners approved issuing a COVID-19 pandemic disaster declaration for Antelope County, beginning Jan. 31, and continuing, per recommendation of the Nebraska Association of County Officials. The attorney was called after county clerk, Lisa Payne, suggested the declaration be backdated to January. After further discussion and Abler's input, the declaration was approved unanimously and dated April 14, but covered...
On Saturday, April 25, North Central District Health Department reported it was made aware of a positive COVID-19 case in Antelope County. This is the second positive case in the county. NCDHD initiated contact investigations with the new case and was able to quickly determine it is not due to community spread. It has been identified that this case is due to close contact with an individual who has tested positive with COVID-19 that is not in the NCDHD district. The case has been in...
Prepared. Diane Carlin, chief executive officer of Antelope Memorial Hospital, used the word to describe staff members' efforts to be prepared if the health care facility in Neligh is faced with an influx of COVID-19 patients. "We've done a lot of good work here at the hospital to be prepared. That's been a best part of this - the coming together of staff," Carlin said during a telephone interview Monday afternoon. She said the hospital has had several trial runs with testing patients and have...
A team of Nebraska Air and Army National Guard members arrived in O'Neill and Bloomfield Friday. Their mission: complete critical COVID-19 testing. North Central District Health Department assisted with the event. According to a media release, received April 16, NCDHD stressed testing events were not due to a large number of COVID-19 cases in the district. "Nebraska National Guard has been in contact with local health departments ... to set up these testing events to gain a clearer picture of...
By Matt Waite, UNL Data Journalism Professor The 16,381 initial unemployment claims last week are a 39% drop from the peak of 27,054 the previous week. However, that current number is still 1,962% higher than before coronavirus. Put another way, the 16,381 claims reported last week is 15,613 claims above the weekly average for 2020 before coronavirus. From January to mid-March, the state reported an average of 778 claims a week. Last week's claims number is larger than the combined populations o...
Two state senators want Nebraska to loosen restrictions enacted to slow the spread of the coronavirus to help the state’s hurting economy. Sen. Steve Halloran, of Hastings, and Sen. Steve Erdman, of Bayard, said they believe fear and panic directed policy decisions surrounding the pandemic, and they are ready for businesses, schools and Nebraska’s Legislature to reopen. “We cannot afford to go another day with this current failed policy,” the senators wrote in a commentary piece published in the Hastings Tribune April 12. While Gov. Pete Ri...
Ewing Public School class of 2020 will be honored guests during a cruise night. The event is planned May 2, the group’s previously scheduled graduation date. Per discussion at the April 16 Ewing Board of Education meeting, formal graduation plans, after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, have not been decided Cruise begins at 6:30 p.m. From 8:10 until 8:30, football field lights will brighten Ewing’s skyline. DW’s Pub will offer evening specials. Attendees are asked to practice safe social distancing guidelines during the cruis...
Chance Boelter, a senior at Orchard Public School, was one of 120 students selected to represent the Best of 2020 by KCAU TV in Sioux City, Iowa. The program, in its 37th year, recognizes area valedictorians or top academically-ranked students. Originally, students would have met April 29 for a luncheon and photo; however, due to COVID-19 restrictions the event has been canceled. Boelter, along with others, will be featured in an on-air video salute, beginning May 1....
The Antelope County USDA Service Center will continue to be open for business by phone appointment only and field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone and using online tools whenever possible. USDA Service Centers are encouraging visitors to take precautionary measures to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. All customers wishing to conduct business with the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Ser...
