The Summerland Advocate-Messenger - Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community

Great ideas begin at the kitchen table. For Max Heiter and Gary Jones, a hobby hooked their interests and they turned it into a well-known business, H & J Lures, based in Royal. Now, the small-tow...

Ten-year-old Taylor Sonnenfelt enjoys fishing. She also likes earrings. After her dad, Brandon, and uncles, Alex and Derek Sonnenfelt, took over H & J Lures, she thought the teardrop lures looked...

Summerland Public Schools will begin classes, Thursday, Aug. 13. A 2 p.m. dismissal is scheduled that day. Clearwater site The school building will open at 7:45 a.m. and breakfast will be served at...

Who is your favorite sitcom dad? Think about it before committing to a final answer. Several come to mind - strong role models who believe in family, the hate-to-love protagonist who struggles with...

When the 2021 version of Clearwater's Big Rodeo occurs next June, attendees will notice yet another improvement on rodeo grounds. Last week, a group of Clearwater Chamber of Commerce volunteers...

A community journalist with Nebraska ties joined the Advocate-Messenger staff, July 22. Mark Mahoney, an Omaha native and University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate, will cover the Antelope County...

The class of 2020 has left the building. With diplomas in hand, the last class to graduate as Ewing Tigers spent Sunday afternoon together, surrounded by family and school personnel, during a 2 p.m. g...

Holt County Supervisors spent nearly one hour discussing force spraying, conducted by the Holt County Weed Department, during the board's July 16 meeting. Superintendent Bill Babutzke told the...

It’s either black or white. No gray area exists. A former student - we’ll call him B - once told me the above-mentioned statement. From his perspective, things either happened a particular way or...

The 2020 Holt County Fair, in Chambers, will have a different look this year. All livestock shows will be show and go, with youth bringing and taking home livestock the days of the shows. "The public...

Ewing Public School's senior class went from studying history to becoming part it. After spending the last quarter of school learning remotely, and living through a global pandemic, the last class to...

Barbara Bolte isn't exactly sure when she began collecting wind chimes, but she knows what prompted her to hang the collection of 400 unique pieces from the rafters in the garage of her Orchard home....

A weekend of family-friendly fun is on tap, July 24 through 26, in Orchard. Orchard’s annual community celebration begins Friday, with a drive-through chicken dinner planned at the Rex. Orchard...

How many lifequakes have you experienced? After listening to Bruce Feiler on a podcast, and watching a segment with him on the Today show, I have to answer, “Quite a few.” A lifequake is exactly...

Summerland schools will have a normal opening, Aug. 13. Superintendent Dale Martin made the announcement Monday during the board of education's regular meeting. He distributed information about a...

Clearwater site Principal Mike Sanne told Summerland Board of Education members he met with Educational Service Unit 8 administrator, Corey Dahl, to discuss the service unit’s potential purchase of...

Rodeo-goers ooh and ahh as riders cling to bucking stock or bulls, hoping to see an eight-second ride. What spectators do not see behind the scenes is the importance quality stock plays in providing...

We made it. Happy first anniversary to the Advocate-Messenger family. One year ago, Jenna, Cassidy, Sandy and I were using my dining room table as a desk and took over the Schindler hacienda,...

Brooke Lehr, of Columbus, earned the title of Miss Clearwater Rodeo 2020. Lehr was crowned by retiring queen Ashleigh Nelson, of Tilden, during the July 10 opening of Clearwater's Big Rodeo....

The 4-H division of the Antelope County Fair will have a different look in 2020. Tessa Hain, 4-H youth development coordinator, said, extension personnel appreciate input for how fair events will look...

Four individuals will vie for the title of Miss Clearwater Rodeo 2020 during Friday's opening evening of rodeo competition. The winner will reign over the 53rd annual event, scheduled for Friday...

Some weeks, I know exactly what I want to say when it comes to this column. The idea takes root and over the weekend, I write and rewrite in my mind before committing word to paper. Other weeks, it...

While the 53rd version of Clearwater's Big Rodeo will look familiar, several adaptations will be in place because of COVID-19 concerns. According to Clearwater Chamber of Commerce President Curt...

The Fourth of July is only a few days away and one Ewing business is prepared to ignite everyone's passion for all things pyrotechnic. RTS Fireworks, located at Rotherham Tire Service, at 201 E. Nebra...

This is my favorite time of year. Sweet summer is in full swing, sun lights the sky until late evening, we fire up the grill nightly and outdoor activities occupy spare time. Summertime means my...