Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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North Central District Health Department was made aware of the first positive COVID-19 case in Holt County. The individual resides in Holt County but is currently in quarantine outside of the district. The case was exposed in a county outside of the NCDHD district and has not been in the district for one and one-half weeks prior to symptoms. All close contacts have been identified and contacted. The risk to the communities of Holt County from this positive case is none. NCDHD would like to reiterate to our district communities that though this...
After seeking advice from county attorney Joe Abler, the Antelope County commissioners approved issuing a COVID-19 pandemic disaster declaration for Antelope County, beginning Jan. 31, and continuing, per recommendation of the Nebraska Association of County Officials. The attorney was called after county clerk, Lisa Payne, suggested the declaration be backdated to January. After further discussion and Abler's input, the declaration was approved unanimously and dated April 14, but covered...
On Saturday, April 25, North Central District Health Department reported it was made aware of a positive COVID-19 case in Antelope County. This is the second positive case in the county. NCDHD initiated contact investigations with the new case and was able to quickly determine it is not due to community spread. It has been identified that this case is due to close contact with an individual who has tested positive with COVID-19 that is not in the NCDHD district. The case has been in...
Prepared. Diane Carlin, chief executive officer of Antelope Memorial Hospital, used the word to describe staff members' efforts to be prepared if the health care facility in Neligh is faced with an influx of COVID-19 patients. "We've done a lot of good work here at the hospital to be prepared. That's been a best part of this - the coming together of staff," Carlin said during a telephone interview Monday afternoon. She said the hospital has had several trial runs with testing patients and have...
A team of Nebraska Air and Army National Guard members arrived in O'Neill and Bloomfield Friday. Their mission: complete critical COVID-19 testing. North Central District Health Department assisted with the event. According to a media release, received April 16, NCDHD stressed testing events were not due to a large number of COVID-19 cases in the district. "Nebraska National Guard has been in contact with local health departments ... to set up these testing events to gain a clearer picture of...
By Matt Waite, UNL Data Journalism Professor The 16,381 initial unemployment claims last week are a 39% drop from the peak of 27,054 the previous week. However, that current number is still 1,962% higher than before coronavirus. Put another way, the 16,381 claims reported last week is 15,613 claims above the weekly average for 2020 before coronavirus. From January to mid-March, the state reported an average of 778 claims a week. Last week's claims number is larger than the combined populations o...
Two state senators want Nebraska to loosen restrictions enacted to slow the spread of the coronavirus to help the state’s hurting economy. Sen. Steve Halloran, of Hastings, and Sen. Steve Erdman, of Bayard, said they believe fear and panic directed policy decisions surrounding the pandemic, and they are ready for businesses, schools and Nebraska’s Legislature to reopen. “We cannot afford to go another day with this current failed policy,” the senators wrote in a commentary piece published in the Hastings Tribune April 12. While Gov. Pete Ri...
The Antelope County USDA Service Center will continue to be open for business by phone appointment only and field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone and using online tools whenever possible. USDA Service Centers are encouraging visitors to take precautionary measures to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. All customers wishing to conduct business with the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Ser...
Between stay-at-home orders, a slowing economy and health concerns, the COVID-19 pandemic has people feeling on edge. Diane Carlin, chief executive officer at Antelope Memorial Hospital, said everyone experiences anxiety at some point. "We all get it," she said. "Mental health is so important in fighting this off." Signs of stress include headaches, poor concentration, sleep difficulties and upset stomach. Formulating and sticking to a routine may help alleviate feelings of helplessness....
On a typical Easter, local churches fill with worshipers celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. This year, Easter was anything but typical. Church doors were shut during Sunday's services, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on God's houses. Instead, local pastors offered online services, streaming on smart devices and computers in Summerland-area homes, rejoicing as the stone was rolled away from the front of the tomb and the light of the world reappeared. Mark Hoffman, pastor of Ewing Full...
A call for volunteers to sew face masks, due to a shortage, caught the attention a Ewing resident who has a background in sewing. Nancy Harpster said after school dismissed March 16, she came across a Facebook page coordinated by an Omaha-area nurse practitioner. "She was looking for volunteers to sew face masks." Harpster, who serves as bookkeeper at Ewing Public Schools, joined the Facebook group and volunteered to sew marks. Harpster had extra fabric stashed away from quilting projects. "I re...
Nebraskans are urged to stay home and stay healthy for the next three weeks. Thursday afternoon, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced six rules to lessen the impact of COVID-19: stay home, social distance, shop alone once per week, assist children with social distancing, help older populations social distance and exercise at home. Ricketts said the recommendations are not a stay-at-home order or a shelter-in-place order. "As we wage war against the virus, we are asking Nebraskans to further limit...
A worker at a Red Cross blood drive, held April 1 in Atkinson, has tested positive for COVID-19. The North Central District Health Department announced the investigation April 9 and initiated contact investigations with the Red Cross, Central District Health Department and Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, to assess risk of donors and volunteers who attended the drive. On April 10, 14 potential close contacts were identified and contacted by Red Cross officials. All the individuals are asymptomatic and are quarantining and self-...
SUBMITTED ARTICLE "Antelope Memorial Hospital continues to have daily meetings, monitor the constant COVID-19 updates and take steps to stay prepared in the event the virus reaches our doors," said Diane Carlin, AMH CEO. "Plus, our entire staff is taking many precautions to help protect against the spread of a possible COVID-19 infection to other patients or our employees." Currently, clinic patients with non-respiratory symptoms are being seen in the old Neligh AMH Family Practice Clinic,...
A one-time testing event will be held Friday, April 17, in O'Neill and Bloomfield. North Central District Health Department will oversee the event, with assistance from the Nebraska National Guard. According to a media released, received April 16, NCDHD stressed the presence of the National Guard and testing events are not due to a large number of COVID-19 cases in the district. "The Nebraska National Guard has been in contact with local health departments across the state of Nebraska to set up...
The process may be a little different for the May 12 Primary Election in Nebraska, but registered voters in the state will still have the opportunity for in-person voting. During a recent press conference, Governor Pete Ricketts announced the primary election will continue as scheduled. Ricketts emphasized that fulfilling the state's duty to carry out elections is vital to the health of the democratic republic. Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen confirmed polling sites will be open for...
Nebraskans are urged to stay home and stay healthy for the next three weeks. Thursday afternoon, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced six rules to lessen the impact of COVID-19: stay home, social distance, shop alone once per week, assist children with social distancing, help older populations social distance and exercise at home. Ricketts said the recommendations are not a stay-at-home order or a shelter-in-place order. "As we wage war against the virus, we are asking Nebraskans to further limit...
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...
UPDATED: APRIL 1, 2020 @ 8:04 P.M. North Central District Health Department, in communication with state officials, have signed the NCDHD counties, including Antelope, Boyd, Brown, Cherry, Holt, Keya Paha, Knox, Pierce and Rock, into the Directed Health Measures, effective April 1, at 10 p.m., through May 11, unless the order is extended. Please read the Directed Health Measures in full carefully, they can be found on the Department of Health and Human Services website at htt...
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,...
Chubby Checker's 1959 classic "The Twist" blasted from cars, pickups, SUVs and the occasional minivan traveling the main drag in area towns Saturday night. Unlike a scene from the 1950s or early '60s, carloads of teenagers didn't unload and fill a local malt shop, sharing cheeseburgers and sipping chocolate shakes from separate straws. In the age of COVID-19, participants of the Coronavirus Cruise Night, sponsored by KBRX, in O'Neill, remained in their vehicles, took a few whips along Main...
Neligh AMH Family Practice Clinic has begun separating patients with non-respiratory symptoms, such as back pain, med reviews, wellness baby checks, vaccinations, etc., from patients with respiratory symptoms, including shortness of breath, cough, sore throat and/or fever of 100.4°F or higher. Separation of patients, by symptom, went into effect March 30. The new Neligh AMH Family Practice Clinic will be the location for patients with respiratory issues to be seen during regular hours, 9 a.m. to...
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...
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,...
