Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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A tribute to Clearwater-area veterans is one step closer to reality. Clearwater Board of Trustees gave approval to a group of residents, including members of the local American Legion and Auxiliary, who approached the board when it met in August, about renovating the area south of the public library and adding a veterans' memorial on the lot. Little did organizers know the artistic portion of the project would be complete within the week. On Aug. 19, Tilden artist Adam Boggs completed the first...
To paraphrase Atticus Finch in "To Kill A Mockingbird," sometimes, you just need to walk in someone else's shoes. Noah Coughlan knows all about shoes. He figures he's gone through at least six pairs since he started a cross-country run known as Run For Revival, a 3,500-mile trek from near Seattle en route to Tampa Bay, honoring the nation's veterans and active service members. The journey began on Memorial Day. When he trekked across the Nebraska - South Dakota border, near the Rosebud...
When the school bell rang for the first time last week, six new educators experienced their first day of class at Summerland Public Schools. Kara Ahlers will teach fifth grade. She graduated college in December 2018, with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. She has an endorsement in reading and writing. "When I worked as a para years ago, the teachers who I worked with were amazing at encouraging and reassuring me I could be someone who could make a difference in the lives of our...
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...
Large cedar tree belts are being removed on Grove Lake Wildlife Management Area in Antelope County to improve grassland habitat for wildlife. The tree belts, planted in the 1970s, have become extremely large and have fragmented the natural habitat on the WMA. Many species of wildlife, including ground-nesting birds, will avoid using grasslands that are broken up by large trees. White-tailed deer, on the other hand, are opportunist and will use grasslands as bedding and escape cover, as well as...
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...
Two special awards were presented, Sunday, during the 4-H Awards Show in Neligh....
Saturday's Antelope County 4-H Beef Show provided a lot of opportunities for exhibitors to showcase the projects they have worked with all season....
Smiles, trepidation and funny answers are part of the Clover Kid and peewee showmanship section of the Antelope County 4-H Poultry Show. Approximately 30 youngsters participated in the event. The 4-H show included more than 250 entries....
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...
