Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Technology has come a long way in the past 200 years. The telegraph was invented in 1837 and made rapid long range communication possible. Messages could be sent around the world through a series of connected wires. The telegraph had medical applications in the Civil War. It was used to order medical supplies and report information about injuries and casualties to medical teams. This was cutting edge technology at the time, but it now is considered an obsolete method of communication. Alexander...
Jennifer L Nekolite, 47, of O’Neill appeared in front of the Honorable Kale Burdick, at the Holt County Courthouse in O’Neill May 7, to be sentenced on Count I, disturbing the peace, a Class 3 misdemeanor; Count II, obstructing a peace officer, a Class 1 misdemeanor; and Count III, false reporting, a Class 1 misdemeanor, all committed May 2, 2023. Burdick sentenced Nekolite to 30 days in the Holt County Jail on Count I and 45 days each on counts II and III. The sentences are ordered concurrent to each other. She was given credit for one day pre...
Scholarship Recipients CHRISTIAN BEHNK UNL Husker Power Scholarship UNL O & G Kammerer Scholarship Paul D. Cooper Scholarship KELTON BRUHN Northeast Community College Livestock Judging Scholarship ALANNA DOLL Creighton University Award Scholarship Menard Family Business Scholarship Father John Labaj Scholarship The John Greer Memorial Scholarship Timothy J. Thramer Memorial Scholarship AISLYNN KESTER NECC Scholastic Contest Waiver Clearwater Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Scott L. Reynolds...
As we approach the end of our 22nd season, I would like to thank our audience for trusting us to bring them health information that is current and accurate. There are many doctors out there who cannot make the same claims as the Prairie Doc’s and I would like to take this opportunity to help sort out those charlatans and quacks from trusted sources of health information. While tasty and refreshing, I would not trust Dr. Pepper for medical advice. Nor would I trust Dr. Evil from Austin Powers, de...
ColdType Publishing, LLC, the Clearwater-based printing firm known for its commitment to community journalism, announces the acquisition of Living Here Magazine. The publication, previously owned by Pitzer Enterprises, of Oakdale, is a 20-year old magazine known for its celebration of the people, heritage and communities in northeast Nebraska, southeast South Dakota, and northwest Iowa. The publication was founded in 2004 by Dale and Mary Ann Hoebelheinrich, of Yankton, South Dakota....
On April 18, the Legislature completed its work for this 60-day legislative session. Although the last day is typically reserved for veto overrides and closing remarks, the Legislature also took action on 15 bills remaining on Final Reading. Notably, the governor’s proposed property tax package contained in LB388 stalled when it became clear that the bill did not have the votes to break a filibuster. LB388 was then passed over on the agenda at the request of the introducing senator, meaning t...
An exceedingly common question I get in clinic, especially in the heart of a South Dakota winter, is how to remedy dry skin. And the questions aren’t just in clinic; my own kids, family, friends, everyone seems to have an occasional problem with dry and irritated skin. Dry skin is something we are all familiar with; if your dry spots come with a rash or anything else unusual, it may be worth showing it to your primary care provider, as it could be something else entirely. Eczema, a common i...
James L. Palik, 23, of O’Neill faced the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill on April 9, for sentencing on nine counts committed Dec. 7, 2023. Burdick sentenced Palik to a 12-month term of probation for attempted possession of a controlled substance (concentrated THC), a charge that was reduced from a Class 4 felony, pursuant to a plea agreement. As part of the probation conditions, he was ordered to serve 24 days in the Holt County Jail unless waived; obtain a chemical dependency evaluation and complete any tre...
It’s human nature to tell stories about the past and doctors aren’t immune to that impulse. The second year medical students rotating through my clinic have me reflecting on my own years as a fledgling physician, and the changes I’ve seen in my decades of practice. I remember one late evening spent in the PICU watching over a toddler who had meningitis. At one point I turned and bumped into a bedrail, which came crashing down. Both my preceptor and I jumped and I probably even shrieked. The child, however, didn’t even blink. That’s when we k...
There is an old joke where a man walks into his doctor’s office and says, “Doc, it hurts every time I do this. What should I do? To which the doctor replies, “Simple, don’t do that!” While the advice seems trite and maybe even insulting, like most jokes, there is some truth in it. Pain is one of the ways your body tries to protect you from even worse injury. Pain tries to keep you from walking on a sprained ankle or lifting things with a broken arm. In those cases, the advice from the doctor is...
As a general internist who does primary care for adult and elderly patients, I talk to patients a lot about arthritis and joint replacement surgery. This type of surgery, also known as arthroplasty, is one of the most common types of elective surgery done in the United States. Knees, hips and shoulders are the most frequently done arthroplasties, and most of those surgeries are done for severe osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, is due to wear-and-tear of the...
Two South Dakota men were sentenced to prison last Wednesday, March 27, by the Honorable James Kube in the Antelope County district courtroom at the courthouse in Neligh. Christopher Barta, 29, Irene, was sentenced for aiding the consumption of a felony. Kube sentenced Barta to one year in a facility under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, the maximum jail sentence allowed for the Class 4 felony. He must serve at least six months before his mandatory release. Barta received credit for 65 days previously...
Individuals who have Optum or United Healthcare insurance will have a new option for filling prescriptions. Optum and United Healthcare no longer cover prescription costs at Blood Pharmacy locations. Hilltop Drugs, Etc., closed its doors in January. Both situations have caused a gap in local care, according to Ashley Dendinger, owner of Plainview Family Pharmacy. Her business will continue to offer services to Optum and UH customers who rely on Neligh-based pharmacies. "We're offering a solution...
Lydia Robertson and Bailey Ahlers kicked off the 2024 girls' track campaign with medals at the Dan Lennon Class B Invitational, held March 18, in the Dakota Dome on the University of South Dakota campus in Vermillion. The two Bobcat junior jumpers tied for third place in high jump, clearing 4' 11 inches. Robertson ended in sixth place in triple jump, reaching 30' 11.25 inches. Lenora Kester finished eighth in triple jump, landing at 30' 4.75 inches. She also competed in the 60m hurdles, running...
Ethan Kester, Ryan Rifer, Alec Schindler and Gavin Whiting picked up the first medals of the 2024 Bobcat boys' track season, March 18, at the Dan Lennon Invitational. The annual University of South Dakota indoor meet was held in the Dakota Dome, attracting 45 Class B schools. Kester picked up a bronze medal in pole vault. He cleared 10' 6 inches. Rifer, competing in high jump, ended in third. He cleared 6' 3 inches. Rifer also ran the 800m in 2:37.56, finishing 37th. Schindler placed fourth in...
“Well, doc,” the patient was telling me, “I get winded so easily now. I can hardly go to the mailbox without stopping to catch my breath. It did not used to be that way. Do you think something is wrong?” Many of us have experienced shortness of breath. After a period of inactivity, such as winter or a busy month, when we decide to exercise again, it may be easier to feel winded. That experience can be due to deconditioning, feeling out of shape. A good remedy for that is a gradual increas...
During our most recent family movie night, we watched one of my favorites: Encanto. At one point in the movie, a character who has been gifted supernatural strength confesses that she fears she will crumble under the weight of all that is expected from her. Although she accomplishes amazing things, it never feels like enough. She never feels like she, herself, is enough. Popular culture suggests she should prioritize "self-care," which is usually represented by manicures or massages and long...
Sunshine Week is March 10 through 16, and this year, there's an even greater need for you to get involved.Sunshine Week annually celebrates freedom of information laws in every state. It also salutes efforts by good government advocates and journalists to use and ensure the effectiveness of those laws to get the information we need as self-governing citizens. The name is a play on the commonsense words spoken more than a century ago by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, that "Sunlight...
Transitioning to become a parent can be one of the most pivotal changes in a person's life. Rarely are the hard moments of this change talked about enough. For example, did you know one in five women and one in 10 men suffer from postpartum depression? Parents of any culture, race, age or income level can be affected. We commonly hear and get confused about postpartum depression being the "baby blues." This is a common misconception. The baby blues are very common and happen to 80% of women in...
This week marked the halfway point of the 2024 legislative session, meaning the remaining time will be spent on senator, committee and speaker priority bills. Given the time left in the session, I will be focused on my priority bill for the year, LB1301. LB1301 would adopt the Foreign-owned Real Estate National Security Act, put guardrails and protections in place on foreign ownership of ag land and help safeguard sensitive military installations from threats posed by foreign adversaries. I...
“I’ve got this cough that just won’t go away,” my patient says, and I know this story all too well. Chronic cough, a cough that lasts more than two months, is a common ailment which in most cases is benign. But for the patient it is both bothersome and worrisome. If your cough has lasted for less than two months it may just be the residual effect of an upper respiratory infection. Dry cough after having one of many viruses can last for weeks and weeks and the only cure is time. In patient...
Approximately 2,390 students at the University of South Dakota are being honored for high achievement during the fall 2023 semester. Taelyn Switzer, Clearwater, and Hadley Cheatum, Page, have been named to the dean's list. A 3.5 grade-point average or higher is a requirement to be named to the list....
“No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” This is the beginning of a poem from 1624. In it, the poet John Donne appreciates how humans are all connected. Indeed, humans are social beings and social connection is a factor in our health. We all know the importance of a healthy diet and exercise for our health. We are getting better at understanding the importance of mental health. One thing we do not discuss much, however, are the ben...
I confess that occasionally even doctors get squeamish. Or perhaps more honestly, this doctor does. My personal list has gotten pretty short, but one of the things that still makes me squirm is something I nevertheless frequently recommend to my patients. So what is this mysterious and rather ominous medical recommendation? Nasal saline irrigation. The practice of rinsing the nose out with liquid probably originated centuries ago in India and it remains part of spiritual ritual as well as...
Full disclosure: My wife and I drive a four-year-old hybrid sedan. It runs on the electric motor up to 15 miles -per- hour before the gasoline engine engages. It feels and sounds like it's dead at stop signs. It averages 44 miles-per-gallon in highway driving. But it's a hybrid, not an all-electric vehicle. U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts has vowed to use every tool he has to fight President Joe Biden's electric vehicle mandates. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has signed a letter to Biden as one of 16...
