Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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WARSAW, Poland – The 3-year-old was too sick to leave his hotel room. He has had congenital heart disease since he was born. A second surgery was already planned for when he turned three. Then the war started. Now, as the young Ukrainian lay in his hotel bed 500 miles from home, his oxygen levels dipped dangerously low. His pulse raced. He'd spent the night feverish and throwing up. His lips and fingertips had turned purple. Downstairs, a volunteer doctor hustled from patient to patient in the h...
Voter turnout in the May 10 primary election was more than 40% in Holt and Antelope counties. Summerland Board of Education A summary report from Antelope County Clerk Lisa Payne shows 49.68% of voters cast ballots in Royal; 46.63% voted in Clearwater and 46.39% made their way to the polls in Orchard. Holt County Clerk Cathy Pavel confirmed 41% of registered voters visited the polls. Summerland Board of Education Three seats are up for election for the Summerland School Board of Education. Six...
It’s an exciting time of year. The robes, mortar boards and tassels are on display as Nebraska’s graduates are celebrating with their friends and loved ones. I am always so encouraged to see our state’s young people succeed and pursue new opportunities. Graduates, congratulations on your achievements. I know I join Nebraskans all across our state in saying how proud we are of you. These moments can feel bittersweet as you reflect on what you have accomplished and the fond memories of your past...
Wayne State announced recently that 46 students have been chosen for the highly selective Rural Health Opportunities Program for fall 2022. Natalie Stallbaum, of Ewing, and Lainey Meyer, of Page, were selected for the medical laboratory science program. Established in 1989 and successfully launching health-care careers ever since, RHOP is a unique cooperative program between Wayne State and the University of Nebraska Medical Center to meet the healthcare needs of rural communities, which make up a majority of Nebraska. Students selected for...
LEO ADAM BIGA Flatwater Free Press University of Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook entered the 2009 season having won 281 of his first 300 games – a ridiculous .937 winning percentage. At age 52, he had already won two national titles. But, inside, Cook didn't feel like how you are supposed to feel when you reach the summit. Instead, even as his squad went 31-3 and reached the Final Four that year, Cook felt empty. Lost. He felt like a failure. "I thought I had it figured out and then it a...
After existing for 42 years, Holt County's comprehensive plan will be updated. But, a proposed 18-month moratorium on industrial pipelines, wind and solar power, will not be in effect while updates take place. Supervisors voted 6-0, Wednesday, March 16, to deny the moratorium, following a public hearing in O'Neill. The moratorium request came from the county's planning and zoning commision, which voted 6-2 in favor of the moratorium, March 7, following a two-hour public hearing. At that time, la...
Nebraska football's rich history is intertwined alongside that of college football, and its home stadium is, too. Ground broke on the first iteration of Memorial Stadium April 26, 1923, about 33 years after Nebraska football played its first game. The 31,080-seat stadium was ready in time for the following season, hosting Nebraska's 24-0 victory over Oklahoma in the stadium's inaugural contest in October 1923. The rest is history. Nebraska has sold out 382 consecutive games at Memorial Stadium,...
Clearwater trustees amended the village's economic development plan, to include a workforce housing plan, during its Feb. 16 meeting. A 2017 housing study, conducted by Miller & Associates, of Kearney, rated housing stock available for sale or rent in Clearwater as deficient. Without adequate housing, businesses may not be able to recruit new employees. In simple terms, the workforce housing resolution will allow for a program to support construction or rehabilitation of single-family housing...
SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION Feb. 16, 2022 Summerland Public School Board of Education held a regular meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 16, at the school. President Ed Nordby called the meeting, which was published in the Feb. 9, 2022, papers, to order at 12:08 p.m. Nordby noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the boardroom. Roll call was taken. Present: Candice Hoke, Marty Kerkman, Ed Nordby, Nate Schwager, Steve Thiele, Jeremy Wagner. Possible motion on board member absence. All board members were present. Motion by Kerkman, seconded...
Donations continue to roll into the Sunset Second Hand Store, located at the corner of Jackson and Cedar streets in Ewing. Customers visit the two-story house that's been converted into a thrift store, taking advantage of the popular $5 bag sale. Started in 2008 by Father James Kramper, the Sunset Store has moved from the old lumber yard, along Highway 275, to its current location. In addition to clothing, shoppers will find home decor, household items, books, toys, hobby and craft supplies and...
I don't remember the first time I had Mexican food. I don't remember the first time I ate in an "authentic" Italian restaurant. I do remember the first time I had Chinese. Growing up in a small town in western Nebraska in the 60s and 70s, what I knew about Chinese food was the kind that you bought in a can at the grocery store. I was not impressed. But when I was a senior at UNL, I was taking a night class at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and, once a week, three friends and I would drive u...
HASTINGS – With two nurses out sick in early December, charge nurse Osa Brooks found herself scrambling to care for 28 patients. With only one floor nurse available, employees from other units were called in to work the floor or give medications. “It was really scary because I had 10 patients that I was responsible for, and I had another nurse giving medications for me,” Brooks said. Brooks said the chaos scared her because of the chance that she could have missed something, causing her patie...
The moment I have been waiting for since my junior year of high school is almost here-student teaching. Starting Jan. 5, I will be Mr. Rudloff, student teacher at Lincoln Public Schools for Beattie Elementary, teaching third grade and kindergarten/first grade special education. There were some moments where I felt like this day would never come. Now that the day is practically here, I cannot help but feel anxious - yet excited - about the upcoming experience. While I am confident in my content...
A new housing structure in Clearwater is ready for occupancy. Clearwater Community Development Group, LLC, will host an open house, Saturday, from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. Community members, as well as anyone interested in moving to the village, are encouraged to take a tour. The 1,200-square foot home, located at 603 South Second Street, sits on a corner lot. The front door opens to an open living room and kitchen with deep brown wood floors and light gray walls. The house has three bedrooms, master...
JARROD McCARTNEY RED CLOUD - It's not unusual to catch sight of a celebrity in Red Cloud, population 962, especially during the annual Willa Cather conference. First Lady Laura Bush has appeared here. So has writer Maya Angelou, Golden Globe-winning actor Paul Giamatti and a drumbeat of talk show hosts, TV stars, novelists and artists. And yet a tiny, energetic, elderly woman often stole the celebrity spotlight, holding court about the life and times of Nebraska's famed novelist. Antonette...
Retired social studies teacher Laura Nelson is used to seeing her small town send its children, and its dollars, off to bigger cities. "We tend to go that way," to Lincoln and the Omaha metro, where her nieces and many former students live and shop. But lately, from her seat at the cafe table where she meets friends most mornings for coffee and an omelette, she's witnessed a reversal of fortune. City folks are spending their money in her hometown. "The cafe has managed to bring them up here,"...
Cleanup activities on two former leaking undeground-storage sites in Clearwater may begin once permits are approved by the State of Nebraska. Mike Reif, representing Terracon, a consulting firm working with the Nebraska Department of Energy and Environment petroleum remediation program, presented plans for the excavation to Clearwater Village Board members, Oct. 11. Board members approved the proposal to agree to cleanup, pending permits and access agreements. Reif said it's possible some...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION Oct. 13, 2021 Summerland Public School Board of Education held a regular meeting, Wednesday, Oct. 13, at the school. President Nordby called the meeting, advertised in the Oct. 6 paper, to order at 6:30 p.m. Nordby noted the Open Meetings At poster in the boardroom. Members present: Candice Hoke, Marty Kerkman, Ed Nordby, Nate Schwager, Steve Thiele, Jeremy Wagner. Absent: none. Motion by Kerkman, seconded by Schwager, to approve the agenda as presented. Voting aye: Hoke, Kerkman, Nordby,...
From hair salons and restaurants to grocery and hardware stores, more than 80% of the state's entrepreneurs operate a microbusiness. Their hard work helps keep our community strong and our Main Street alive. With recent updates to the Nebraska Advantage Microenterprise Tax Credit, more of these small business owners are eligible for one of the state's only incentives available to businesses of five or fewer employees. The Nebraska Advantage Microenterprise Tax Credit is a 20% refundable tax...
Where were you 50 years ago, on Thanksgiving, when two of the top college football programs battled it out in what is known as the game of the century? I was hoping for a repeat outcome Saturday, when Nebraska traveled to Norman, but like many games in recent Husker history, we did not capitalize on opportunities in the scarlet zone. Part of me says, “Take the moral victory against the (then) third-ranked team in the country.” Part of me says, “Oh no, here we go again.” I refuse to debate...
The Summerland School District will operate on a $13,331,200 budget in 2021-22. Board members approved the proposed budget and tax levy request during Monday's regular board meeting, the first held at the new school facility. During the budget hearing, held prior to the regular meeting, Superintendent Kyle Finkle said land valuations remained steady, except in Holt County, which saw a 9.24% decrease. "The proposed budget is to decrease general asking from 65 cents and change to 55 cents and...
It's 55 degrees this September morning and I'm greeting the day with a cup of hot cocoa. I'm a cocoa fan rather than a cup of hot coffee. Despite the cool temperature I have my kitchen window open as I peer outside at the flower garden. Crickets can be heard singing a serenade which I hope is their goodby song. Of course their song also means goodbye to the bright, warm summer days. The plants are transitioning into fall as some of them have lost their growing vigor. Yet others seem to blend in...
Summerland boys' and girls' cross country teams finished fourth in their respective divisions at Boyd County meet, held Sept. 9, in Butte. In the girls' race, Aislynn Kester ran 24:45, crossing the finish line in 11th place. Aubrey Parker ended 12th, 25:03. Danielle Schrunk finished just out of medal contention, finishing 16th. Maddie Davis, of West Holt, won the girls' individual title, running 20:25. The team finished with 33 points. North Central won the event, scoring 12 points and...
As summer draws to a close (where did it go?), so does the peak season for stone fruit. Stone fruits are a classification of fruits also know as drupes: They have a thin skin and a "stone" in the center, which contains the seed. They're in season starting in early spring and continue though early fall. Peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and cherries are all in vogue and ready for plucking and eating. Named for their pits that are hard as stone, the fruits have a fleshy, edible outer layer...
Not only will it be nice to see actual fans in Memorial Stadium this fall and not cardboard cutouts, it will be nice to see parking lots full of fans devouring their favorite foods before the game. Tailgate parties are back! And while fun is at the forefront, food safety can't be forgotten. So before we get to the food, let's cover the basics. The key to keeping your food safe during a tailgate is a good game plan. Do you have enough coolers and all the tools you need to cook? In addition to a...