Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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A Nebraska family has plowed more than $1.6 million into the Lincoln mayor's race, an unprecedented sum and latest burst in a multi-year deluge that, at the federal level, rivals the political spending by a famed Las Vegas casino magnate and a Silicon Valley titan. It's not the Nebraska family you think. It's the Peed family and its business, Sandhills Global – not the Ricketts family – that have eclipsed all other donors while trying to help former State Sen. Suzanne Geist, a Republican, ous...
Having an estate plan in place is so important. Doing so can save time, money and stress for your loved ones, not to mention prevent unnecessary family disagreements. If you are reading this, take it as your sign to finally get that plan in place. I assure you, it’s easier than most people think. When it comes to determining how you will distribute your assets, it’s wise to talk with a professional advisor about the impact those assets may have on the people you love. The truth is, not all ass...
The forest green roof and pair of bronze stags frozen in combat are impossible to miss as you drive down Interstate 80. So are the two corporate buildings – 550,000 square feet of nearly empty office space, long offered for a $1 a year lease. The water tower looms overhead, painted in the same green, heralding what once was: "Cabela's World Headquarters, City of Sidney." For 54 years, Cabela's made its home here, a juggernaut that kept the town humming. But in 2017, the sporting goods store s...
Guests at northeast Nebraska state park areas were treated to some improvements in 2022, with more set to be completed in 2023. The following is a roundup of those improvements and projects: Summit Lake State Recreation Area Summit Lake State Recreation Area near Tekamah saw aquatic habitat and angler access improvement projects completed to improve the fishery and guests' experience. The west and south sediment basins were excavated to restore them to their original capacity and prevent...
Nebraska Community Foundation received a $5,000 grant for the Antelope County 4-H Youth Enrichment Center. The grant is provided through Farm Credit Services of America’s (FCSAmerica) Working Here Fund. The Working Here Fund grant will be used to help build a new, modern, multi-use facility that can be used year-round for 4-H activities. The new building will provide space for poultry and rabbits during the Antelope County Fair and the 4-H council and staff will provide year-round programing in the facility. “The new facility will offer a cli...
NORFOLK – One of the last bus drivers in Norfolk begins his day by taking Nancy Stehlik to work. Wrapped in a purple coat and earmuffs, Stehlik inches her walker onto the small bus’s wheelchair lift. Driver Neil Schlecht pushes a button and the lift whirs down, placing Stehlik outside of work. For the rest of the day, he takes seven people to clinics, church and the grocery store. He jokes with riders just as he’s long done as a driver for North Fork Area Transit, the bus service which, until recently, used 35 buses and vans to give as many...
The Lawrence Goscha Scholarship Fund, an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation, has established scholarship opportunities for area high schools and their graduates. Schools include Summerland, Elgin Public, Neligh-Oakdale, Pope John XXIII Central Catholic and Wheeler Central. Scholarships in the amount of $5,000 will be awarded to successful applicants. Graduating seniors and those graduates in his or her second or subsequent year of post-secondary education are encouraged to apply. Applications and more informationare available...
On Wednesday, Jan. 25, Gov.Jim Pillen delivered his first State of the State address to the Legislature. The beginning of his speech focused on his team’s transition since the November general election and the strong state of Nebraska today. He emphasized how our state’s greatest asset - people - continually show perseverance, grit and determination to solve tough problems and overcome difficult obstacles. Although the state is strong and growing, Pillen argued more needs to be done to ret...
The new governor says his proposed tax cuts are historic. Critics say they are not sustainable. Rookie mistake by the pig farmer politician who is backed by his Republican party and most of the 32 Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature. Maybe it’s all of them, I haven’t taken a poll. Somebody forgot to explain to Governor Jim Pillen that the $1.9 billion excess funds he claims will make all this work are “projected” to be in the state coffers. That means the so-called strong tax receipt...
Clearwater Chamber of Commerce members and village trustees receive a $5,000 check from Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company officials, Jan. 11. Funds from the Foundation for Rural Service grant program will be utilized to construct a telehealth room in the Clearwater Public Library. The FRS grants, coupled with support from NTCA members, will support a broad range of community projects across rural America – from providing new equipment to local students, expanding digital inclusion i...
A number of scholarships are available to high school seniors with Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company services at home thanks to the Foundation for Rural Service. The FRS is the non-profit arm of the National Rural Broadband Association. NTCA is a national membership association with the goal of improving communication services, like broadband, in rural America by advocating for rural providers in Washington, D.C. NNTC is a supporting member of both organizations. NNTC supports the FRS...
SUBMITTED ARTICLE - NCDHD "You didn't grow up, you gave up." This is Officer Dave Gomez's reply to youth citing "growing up" as an excuse for misusing the internet, alcohol and drugs. The response should be mirrored by everyone discussing the health and wellness of youth. On Dec. 12 and 13, North Central District Health Department and the Holt/Boyd County Collaboration brought Gomez to 10 areas schools in Holt and Knox counties. Gomez, a 13-year Idaho law enforcement officer veteran and 10 as a...
There’s an acronym that has been stirring things up in government for the last 30-plus years. It’s called TEEOSA and the mere mention of its name sends senators to consult with staff, lobbyists to check their wallets and school administrators to check with their budget gurus. Since it was passed in 1990, the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act has been revamped, revised, retooled, debated and forgotten. Gov.-elect Jim Pillen calls it “our antiquated school aid formula” and has...
McCOOK – In a 100-year-old building in downtown McCook, push the round number six and an elevator ride takes you up, up, up to the highest floor in this railroad town’s tallest building. The elevator lurches stopped. The doors slide open. And here it is – an open concrete floor covered in hundreds of glittering metal sculptures, carved wooden figures, “outsider art” paintings by artists who have shown work in New York, Washington D.C., London. The space is an explosion of color and texture. It’s a global contemporary art tour. It’s a four...
The Foundation for Rural Service, the philanthropic arm of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, announced recipients of 31 grants totaling more than $142,000 to support projects in communities served by NTCA members – the largest amount ever granted by the foundation. Grants were announced Nov. 10 in Arlington, Virginia. The FRS grants, coupled with support from NTCA members, will support a broad range of community projects across rural America – from providing new equipment to local students, expanding digital inclusion initiatives, creat...
Greater Nebraska's future healthcare workers are already here, but they may not know it yet. In the last three years, Nebraska Community Foundation surveyed more than 3,200 middle and high school students across the state on what they want their future communities and careers to look like. In 2022 alone, more than 700 students responded to the survey. Students consistently rank medical or healthcare professions as their most desired career among multiple options. The most recent survey, however,...
Sunlight lands different on the Nebraska Sandhills. As the giant orb breaks the horizon, the promise of a new day casts hues of yellow and orange against a cerulean sky. By midday, the sun's rays build in brilliance, a sign of growth and prosperity, land covered with promises of a brighter tomorrow. At dusk, pastel clouds paint the western sky with a warm glow. Even as lighter shades give way to darkness, glimmers of hope continue to peek through, offering encouragement. Look close enough and...
Don Spahn, 89, died Sept. 25, 2022, in Hillsboro, Oregon. For the past five years, he resided at Jennings McCall Retirement Community in Forest Grove, Oregon. He and his family were long-time residents of Hillsboro. Don was born in Nebraska to Ewald and Theresa (Gokie) Spahn and grew up on a family farm. He was drafted into the Army after graduation from Ewing High School and served during the end of the Korean War. While stationed in Austria, he met his future wife, Elly Verhunc of Germany....
Give a city a challenge and its people will meet it head on ... and then some. That's the sentiment expressed to more than 50 individuals who attended a celebration for the Neligh Area Community Fund, Aug. 15, at Blackburn Manufacturing in Neligh. The reason for celebrating: the completion of the Jim and Pat Blackburn Challenge Grant. The Blackburns added $100,000 to the fund after its members raised $200,000. The $300,000 fund is part of the Nebraska Community Foundation and will draw almost...
Imagination, innovation and invitation are three of the most important words in community building. These words hold great power in shaping hometowns in Greater Nebraska, today and in the future. For 20 years I've had the pleasure of working with community leaders throughout Holt County (population 10,127) in north central Nebraska. Amazing people live and work in Atkinson, O'Neill, Stuart and many other small towns in Holt County. It's always been a great place to be a kid. Today, Holt County...
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...
The future of Greater Nebraska hasn’t looked any brighter for decades. And we can prove it. At Nebraska Community Foundation, we do lots of things. We help communities identify their local assets, teach them about the value of building endowments, train committed volunteers on a variety of community development topics and much, much more. For more than 25 years, we’ve also been working diligently to build what we call “an optimistic, confident brand for Greater Nebraska.” If you are reading this...
The Miles of Smiles program is a school-based dental program offered to all 35 elementary and middle school students within North Central District Health Department's nine-county health district. Miles of Smiles offers a complete oral screening done by a registered dental hygienist, along with an application of an optional fluoride treatment. Even if an individual sees a dentist every six months, this program can still aid a child's dental care. According to the American Dental Association, fluo...
The Nebraska Press Association has launched a new public website to provide greater public access and notification to the workings of all government entities and courts in Nebraska. The website – www.nepublicnotices.com – is a cooperative effort of all Nebraska newspapers and is managed through the NPA. The free-access website was initiated in June 2021. Currently, more than 90,000 notices are on the site and more are posted each day. Notices are fully searchable by keyword, type of notice, by...
JEFF YOST President & CEO Nebraska Community Foundation Hope alone doesn’t go very far. Hope alone assumes we need only to sit back and wait for good things to happen. That our communities are predestined to succeed merely because that’s the expectation. There’s also a hint of resignation, like everything is just outside our control. We hope because we cannot see ourselves making a difference. But Nebraskans don’t like warming the bench. At Nebraska Community Foundation, we embrace the phrase “active hope” – which functions both as a noun and...
