Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 1879
Voter turnout in last Tuesday's primary election exceeded the statewide average of 27%, according to data from the Nebraska Secretary of State's office. In Antelope County, 1,808 of the county's 4,329 registered voters - or 42% - visited the polls. Approximately 35% of Holt County voters cast ballots. Polling data shows that 285 registered Republicans requested early voting ballots in Holt County, while 45 Democratic voters made the same request. That trend continued in Antelope County, as 92 re...
Every summer in rural America begins the same way: somebody unfolds a lawn chair. Not because they particularly want to sit in the heat for six hours. Not because the food lines are short. Not because mosquitoes have suddenly become enjoyable. They show up because that’s what small towns do. This weekend begins another season of community celebrations across the Summerland area, and before long our calendars will blur into parades, rodeos, ballgames, barbecue smoke, gravel parking lots and l...
There's something humbling about realizing your world can shrink to the size of an elevation pillow. Since my left knee replacement surgery on May 7, life has become a carefully choreographed routine of ice packs, physical therapy appointments, medication alarms and trying not to spill tea while balancing a laptop on one leg. The right knee was replaced back in December, so at least this time I knew what I was walking into - eventually literally walking into. Experience helps. The first knee...
The Summerland Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 13, at Summerland Public School in Ewing, with a mix of routine business and several action items on facilities, staffing and operations on the agenda. The meeting will open with standard procedures, including recognition of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act, roll call and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by approval of the agenda. A "Celebration of Excellence" segment is scheduled early in the meeting to highlight staff and...
There's a moment coming on Saturday - somewhere between the last note of "Pomp and Circumstance" and the toss of the caps - when a hard truth quietly settles in. High school wasn't just school. It was the interview. Not the kind with a desk and a résumé and someone asking about your strengths and weaknesses. The longer kind. The kind that lasted four years. The kind where people were watching even when you didn't think they were. And now the question is simple: did you show up like it mattered?...
Registered voters not affiliated with a political party - Nonpartisan - who plan to vote in the May 12 primary election may request a partisan primary ballot for any one of the State-recognized political parties, pursuant to Nebraska Revised Statute 32-912. Additionally, Nebraska Democratic Party and the Nebraska Libertarian Party opened their ballots to nonpartisan voters, allowing nonpartisan voters to request a Nonpartisan Partisan ballot from one of these parties with all of that party's...
Summerland Public School seniors have approximately one week of school remaining before they celebrate a milestone event: graduation. Commencement exercises will begin at 3 p.m., in the school's gymnasium, located at 51293 857th Road, Ewing. The Summerland band will play the processional. Administrative team members and a class representative will welcome guests. Scholarships will be announced and valedictorian medals awarded, followed by the class address. High school guidance counselor,...
There are a lot of things high school students wish they had more of. Money. Sleep. Gas in the tank. Followers. Time tops the list-and it's the one thing nobody is getting a refill on. Here's the uncomfortable truth: most students don't actually have a time problem. They have a time management problem. And yes, that sounds like something an adult would say right before telling you to clean your room - or be on time for prom or the 8 a.m. bell - but stay with me. Because this isn't about nagging....
Ethan Kester soared over the 12-foot bar, setting a school record in pole vault. He accomplished the feat on April 24, at the Wausa/Tom Martin Memorial Track Invite at Pierce. Kester won the competition. Kester also competed in discus, and threw 98' 11 inches, finishing 27th. Teammate Ryan Rifer picked up another Bobcat first-place finish in high jump. He cleared 6' 4 in. Stacy Snodgrass placed sixth in the 100m hurdles, running 19:52. He ended in 10th in high jump, clearing 5' 4 inches, and...
Jeremy Meyer doesn't just talk about his dream job-he revs it up, kicks the tires and lets it rip. Ask the 12-year-old what career he wants to pursue, and he'll take you for a spin through wide-open spaces, throttle pinned and eyes on the finish line. Meyer, a sixth-grade student at Summerland Public School, showcased that passion Monday during the school's career fair, introducing visitors to the high-octane world of dirt bike racing. His display wasn't idling. Front and center sat a 125 cc...
Summerland Board of Education members approved a resignation during the April 13 meeting. Katie Andrew, high school English/Language Arts instructor, indicated her intent to leave the district in a letter read by board president Nate Schwager. In her resignation, Andrew wrote, "Teaching here has been such a rewarding journey, and the staff at Summerland is truly exceptional." Andrew has accepted a position as the director of NECC extended campus in O'Neill. The board also approved a teaching...
Clearwater village officials considered four bids for hay and/or pasture during the April 13 meeting held at the fire hall. Jay Snider bid $3,500 to pasture the lagoon parcels and $700 to hay the tree dump and dike. Fred Thiele submitted a bid of $2,551 to pasture lagoon parcels and install or repair fence line as needed. Blake Kester submitted a $2,750 bid to hall all parcels, and Kasey Shenshew bid $2,000 to hay all parcels. Trustee Cody Kester said he would like to see permanent fencing...
I'm going to keep it short this week. I'm still trying to recover from the weekend in Lincoln for the press convention. What a great experience! I always come home with so many practical ideas. I cannot wait to implement a few of the ideas. One of my favorite sessions was led by Tom Hallman Jr., a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who writes for The Oregonian. His approach to storytelling is similar to mine. He offered some tips about digging deeper into the psyche of a story. That point...
For many homeowners, property valuation notices arrive in June with more questions than answers. How was the number determined? Why did it change? And who decides what a home is worth? In Nebraska, the answer lies in a structured, data-driven process guided by state statute, local sales, and oversight from state officials. Under Nebraska statute, all property must be assessed at its "actual value," meaning its market value in the course of trade, essentially what a typical buyer would pay a... Full story
Following a short executive session, Ewing Village Board of Trustees approved making a counteroffer on land north of the former Ewing elementary school during Monday's monthly meeting at city hall. Trustee Kane Fry's motion included paying $15,000 for property beginning at the gravel and extending north - not including the sidewalk - and up to a fenced-off area for the daycare facility located in the former high school. All legal expenses and any surveying would be paid by the village, if...
What's the saying? It takes 28 days to form a habit. I always have these plans, grandiose ideas in the back of my mind, that I dive into for a short period of time. And then? Crickets. For whatever reason, I get sidetracked (one daughter believes I have adult-onset ADD). Oh look, shiny objects. She may be right. I used to be a master at multi-tasking. Now, not so much. My mind wanders. I have too long of a to-do list. Completing one task at a time seems so much simpler. I was thinking about a...
On a cool Monday morning, the kind that carries the quiet promise of spring on the Nebraska plains, pride filled the streets of Clearwater. "Holy cow, it's just so fun to be with you here in Clearwater," Gov. Jim Pillen said, smiling as he addressed a crowd gathered to celebrate something bigger than an award, a way of life. That way of life earned the village of 380 people the state's 2026 Governor's Showcase Community Award, an honor given annually to one Nebraska town that exemplifies...
The Summerland Public School Board of Education will meet Monday, April 13, at 7 p.m. at the school near Ewing, with several key items on staffing and facility improvements headlining the agenda. Following routine opening items, approval of the agenda, and the pledge of allegiance, the board will begin with its "Celebration of Excellence," recognizing staff and students. A public participation period of up to 15 minutes is also scheduled. Under the consent agenda, board members are expected to c...
I've traveled to different places over the years - overpopulated cities and rural villages - and one element makes certain places stand out. You just know when a place has a defined sense of community. It isn't necessarily a bustling downtown or cutesy storefronts. It's a feeling experienced while talking to residents, the pride shown in its collective history, the initiative to look ahead and map a future. It's an energy that encourages collaboration, a chance to dream big and celebrate...
"We reached our goal for the maximum scholarship money - $5,000 - from the Red Cross," reported Summerland FBLA advisor Patty Sukup. Six FBLA seniors hosted blood drives outside of the school and will receive scholarship money according to signing up donors, working the drive, and the number of drives they worked. Seniors who will receive scholarships include Jenna Funk, Emma King, Clair Krysl, Karley Dawkins, Ethan Kester, and Shaylie Kester. At the March 24 blood drive held at the school, 64...
In a season that celebrates hope and new life, Brooke Bartak-Jensen - a Ewing native who lives in Omaha - is living her own version of a miracle. Two days after tying balloons for her daughters' birthday party, Bartak-Jensen's body began to shut down. What started as a sore finger turned into a medical catastrophe - sepsis, a rare blood-clotting disorder, and flesh-eating infection - that left doctors giving her just a 1% chance to live. Before the first weekend in November, two days before goin...
Nebraska Public Power District sought public input during an open house Tuesday in Clearwater on a proposed 345-kV transmission project spanning about 27 miles across Antelope County. The project would use steel single-pole structures and the process will take about three years to complete, connecting a substation in southeast Holt County near the Antelope County line to an existing substation northeast of Neligh. According to Grant Otten, NPPD media relations specialist, 72 people attended the...
Low humidity and gusty winds created unwelcome conditions - and a fire - that burned approximately 660 acres, consumed nearly 5.5 miles of tree lines, and destroyed an abandoned farmhouse, Saturday, northeast of Ewing. View video: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1UA8qnaoj4/ Ewing and Orchard Fire departments responded to a call at approximately 3:20 p.m., Saturday, near 510 Avenue and 859 Road, after National Weather Service in North Platte detected a hot spot. The fire quickly spread...
Despite this week's weather forecast of temperatures in the 30s and 40s, I've been thinking about gardening season. (I'm sure Scott will find this as a surprise, since he handles all of the gardening. I usually take care of canning and freezing detail.) In a typical summer, Scott and I make enough salsa and spaghetti sauce and freeze enough chopped tomatoes to get us through chili season, sometimes beyond. We usually freeze green beans and sweet corn, bag some freezer slaw, and candy enough jala...
Summerland's track and field teams headed to Neligh-Oakdale on March 26 for the first track meet of the season: the Warrior Relays. Athletes compete in each event as a collective group, and those marks are added together to determine an event winner. In the girls division, the Bobcats took first place in triple jump, totaling 79' 11.5 inches. Kanyon Allemang led the group with a jump of 28' 4.5 inches. Caydence Schumacher reached 27' 9.5 inches, and Karley Dawkins landed at 23' 9.5 inches. The...
