Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 376 - 400 of 409
The Legislature was called back into session March 23 to pass emergency funding relating to the spread of coronavirus. An amendment was added to LB 1198, a bill that originally sought to appropriate funding for the restoration of doors to the legislative chamber. LB 1198 had already received first-round approval. An amendment offered by the chair of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. John Stinner, struck the original content of the bill and replaced it with an appropriation of $83.6 million from...
Governor Pete Ricketts welcomed news that the Small Business Administration has issued a statewide economic injury declaration for Nebraska. The declaration qualifies small businesses throughout the state to apply for SBA disaster assistance loans. “As Nebraska steps up its efforts to combat coronavirus, we’ve limited the size of public gatherings and asked people to stay home when possible,” said Ricketts. “These temporary measures are vitally important to public health, but they present challenges for the day-to-day operations of many sm...
Holt County supervisors are considering the engagement of a human resources firm to help navigate employment issues. A telephone conference was held with Chad Thies from Zelle Human Resource Solutions in Lincoln during the March 16 meeting at the courthouse in O'Neill. After hearing what the firm offered in services, chairman Bill Tielke asked Thies to submit a proposal. Supervisor Steve Boshart estimated an annual cost of $36,000 to $40,000. "It will be high," Tielke said. "But the thing is, if...
Don't panic. That's the message Ewing Principal Greg Appleby wants parents and students to follow as the school transitions into a continuity of learning plan. The plan went into effect Wednesday, April 1. Students picked up assignments and textbooks on Monday. "I feel good about what our teachers have planned," Appleby said. Students have been out of the building since March 17. Enrichment activities were distributed then, with work set to wrap up March 30. Appleby said those activities came...
Five area students have been selected to represent local American Legion posts and auxiliaries at Cornhusker Girls and Boys State. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the students will not have an opportunity to attend the week-long educational sessions, scheduled for May 31 to June 6, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Avery Cheatum, daughter of Dana and Rachael, was chosen to represent Page's auxiliary unit. She is a junior at Orchard Public School. Clearwater Public School junior Elly Herley,...
It's the end of the school year as we know it. Unlike the comeback line of R.E.M.'s 1987 pop hit, not everyone feels fine about the decision, which was announced Monday afternoon. Ewing Public, Nebraska Unified District #1 and other schools in the Educational Service Unit 8 area reported they were following recommendations from local health officials, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and Dr. Matt Blomstedt, commissioner of the Nebraska Department of Education, to keep school buildings shuttered...
The first deaths in Nebraska, related to COVID-19, were reported Friday. According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, a 50-year-old man from Douglas County, with underlying health concerns, is believed to be the first Nebraskan to die from COVID-19. The man, who had been in self-isolation at home since March 11, had contact with a known COVID-19 case out of state. Dr. Adi Pour, director of the Douglas County Health Department, expressed sympathy to the family and said,...
On a normal day, the streets of Rome bustle with activity: tourists tossing coins into Trevi Fountain, viewing mosaics at St. Peter's Basilica or taking in ancient history at the Colosseum or Pantheon. As COVID-19 wound its way through the Italian countryside, infecting approximately 64,000 natives, activity in the nation's capital slowed to a standstill. Studies continued at the Pontifical North American College, despite the lull of activity across the sprawling city of eight million...
The Sunset Store, in Ewing, will be closed until further notice because of COVID-19 concerns. Donations will not be accepted at this time....
The Orchard Alumni have decided to postpone the 2020 alumni gathering from May 23 to July 25. Members will be receiving notifications by mail or social media. Alumni festivities will be joining in the activities of the Orchard Celebration Days, July 24 through 26, with an open house/last dance at the school gym on Saturday, July 25, beginning at 2 p.m. There will be time for self-guided tours, photo-ops and visiting. Jerry Stingley, a recent inductee to the Nebraska Music/Nebraska Rocks Hall of Fame will provide music for a last dance in the...
Effective Monday, March 23, the Holt County courthouse and annex are open to customers by appointment only. Holt County supervisors approved a motion to limit access to the courthouse during an emergency video-conference meeting, March 20. Limited access will be in effect until at least until March 31, when the supervisors will re-evaluate the situation at their regular meeting. The meeting was called after department heads met Thursday to discuss possible procedures to enact. Individuals needing to conduct business with county officials are...
Governor Pete Ricketts announced he is requesting $58.6 million of emergency funding from the Nebraska Legislature to support the state’s efforts to combat coronavirus 2019 disease. Dr. Gary Anthone, the state’s chief medical officer, joined the governor for Friday’s press conference. He overviewed the state’s procedures to test patients for COVID-19 and trace contacts of anyone testing positive for the disease. He also talked about how the state and the medical community are expanding capacity to perform tests. Ricketts was also joined...
Many unprecedented events have taken place over this past week. In my March 13 newsletter, I wrote about the Legislature giving first-round approval to the budget bills. Since then, COVID-19 has completely overshadowed everything else. Terms such as community spread and social distancing have become part of our daily language. The Legislature postponed its session, beginning March 17, until it is safe and necessary to call members back into session. However, the speaker may call us back in soon...
Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company will offer a one gigabyte credit for customers with a student at home, per closed school day, per student, during the coronavirus outbreak. Customers with students at home, college or otherwise, are asked to complete the form at https://nntc.net/closed-school-student-form/. Proof of the student's identity and school will be needed. Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company recognizes the importance of internet to do schoolwork from home with the possibility of...
Antelope County Commissioners approved a motion during an emergency meeting, March 18, to limit access to the courthouse. Beginning March 19, individuals needing to conduct business with local officials will be required to make an appointment with a specific office. The change will be in effect until April 7, or as deemed necessary by Centers for Disease Control and/or state officials. A list of office phone numbers and email addresses will appear on all courthouse doors. Visitors will be met...
The need for blood donations is always present. According to Governor Pete Ricketts, approximately 4,000 blood drives across the country have been canceled since the COVID-19 pandemic began. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued a call to action Monday afternoon, requesting healthy and able individuals donate blood. "If you want to contribute, please visit aabb.org/giveblood and make an appointment in advance. This will help manage the influx of incoming donors and ensure social distancing me...
Multiple sightings of bears have been reported across the area. A nationwide movement to hunt bears is underway, since schools have been closed due to COVID-19. Based on the popular children's book, "We're Going on a Bear Hunt," by Michael Rosen, participants are urged to place a teddy bear in a front window of a neighborhood or business district. Then, families can entertain little ones with the viral pastime. The book tells the story of three children and their parents, who, along with the...
Governor Pete Ricketts issued a new executive order, March 26, allowing restaurants and bars to provide mixed drinks with lids for takeout. "Our restaurants and bars have been some of the hardest hit businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Gov. Ricketts. "I've signed an executive order to help them by allowing takeout for pre-made cocktails and other alcoholic beverages as long as they are sealed with a lid." A copy of the executive order is included....
North Central District Health Department reported Monday they were made aware of a positive COVID-19 case in Antelope County. The individual and family are in quarantine. According to a press release from NCDHD, public health officials have initiated contact investigations and have been assessing potential exposure. All identified close contacts will self-quarantine, at home, and be actively monitored twice daily by public health officials for fever and respiratory symptoms. Community exposure...
Antelope County Commissioners approved a motion during an emergency meeting, March 18, to limit access to the courthouse. Beginning March 19, individuals needing to conduct business with local officials will be required to make an appointment with a specific office. The change will be in effect until April 7, or as deemed necessary by Center for Disease Control and/or state officials. A list of office phone numbers and email addresses will appear on all courthouse doors. Visitors will be met at...
Ewing Public Schools, as well as the three districts comprising Nebraska Unified District #1 - Clearwater, Orchard and Verdigre, will not be in session, amid concerns of the COVID-19 virus. Classes were canceled, beginning March 17. Ewing Ewing Principal Greg Appleby said EPS will be closed until March 30. "At this time classes will resume on March 31," Appleby said. Future decisions about school closure will be communicated through media channels, Facebook and the school's JMC message system....
By now, you’ve more than likely seen photos on social media or in other media outlets showing bare shelves in grocery stores. Those photos give the appearance that America is running out of food (and toilet paper, but that’s another issue). Those photos lead to unnecessary panic and anxiety. While a picture is worth a thousand words, those photos don’t tell the whole story. Ask dairy farmers and meat producers. The food supply chain isn’t empty. In many cases, a large surplus of goods is stoc...
COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, has begun to dominate the headlines. To say that events are unfolding rapidly on a global, national, state and even local level, would seem an enormous understatement. We are in uncharted waters, with many unknowns. But the goal needs to be to reduce the spread and impact as best we can, in order to protect the most vulnerable among us. That means adhering to the recommendations of our experts on issues such as hygiene and social distancing. Besides the obvious...
Despite ongoing concerns about the outbreak of COVID-19, the Nebraska Legislature stayed in session March 9 through March 12 and had all-day floor debates. However, concerns about the coronavirus outbreak may force the Nebraska Legislature to suspend the session, according to Patrick O’Donnell, clerk of the Legislature. Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer made the decision to halt the session, March 16. For now, O’Donnell said everyone at the Nebraska State Capitol is doing what they can to prevent the virus from spreading among leg...
After much speculation regarding the future of the Nebraska Legislature, Speaker Jim Scheer announced in a statement Monday morning that the current session will not reconvene Tuesday and is postponed until further notice. The announcement came after legislative officials hinted last week that senators may not reconvene for the 41st day of the session due to concerns over COVID-19. Over the weekend, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended organized events with 50 or more people be postponed or canceled for the next eight...
