Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Forty years. Thousands of sloppy joes. Countless laughs. For one group of friends, working the concession stand at Clearwater's Big Rodeo has become as much a tradition as the rodeo itself. When the group first started working at the concession stand at Saturday night's rodeo, there were seven close friends, who are considered the original members, said DeeAnn Sanne, a community volunteer. Two friends stopped working the stand, so now there are only five original members, plus many other...
For Kaylee Thiele, the title of Miss Clearwater Rodeo was never about wearing the crown, it was about representing the people who inspired her love of rodeo. As her reign comes to a close, she credits her community and father for helping shape her journey. A Clearwater native, Thiele grew up around Clearwater's Big Rodeo. "I've been involved in it for as long as I remember. Whether I was hauling hay or helping carry flags, I've been a part of the organization for a long time," she noted. Her lov...
When Natalie Dolezal and her husband moved near Orchard last year, she admired the small salon on Main Street every time they drove by. Owning a salon in a close-knit community had long been one of her dreams, so she decided to take a chance. "I reached out to the previous owner and asked if she'd ever be willing to sell," Dolezal said. "She was, and I took the opportunity." That opportunity became Hello Beautiful Salon, located at 135 E. Second St, where Dolezal officially opened her doors...
Drivers did a double take. Some slowed down. Others smiled, pointed or reached for their phones. Parked beside a gas pump in Clearwater on June 19 sat what appeared to be a giant green pear on wheels. It wasn't a parade float or an art display. It was Andrew Glubbey's ride to Seattle. The Florida resident has traded the comforts of a car for a one-of-a-kind scooter wrapped inside a pear-shaped shell he built himself, traveling roughly 250 miles a day on a journey that has already carried him...
Finally got around to eating the fortune cookie from my Saturday trip to Hastings. This little gem was inside: You are admired as a leader in your community. Aww, thanks, Panda Express. In reality, I’m just a small-town girl at heart, who grew up watching her parents volunteer for everything. Pitching in, helping out was, and is, expected. It’s part of who I am, like the other volunteers and leaders in our communities. Drive through any small town on a Saturday morning and pay attention. Som...
After earning the Nebraska State Leadership and Skills Championship, first-year competitor Max Shrader and second-year competitors Dawson McLain and Corbin Schueth traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, to test their knowledge in engineering and problem-solving against teams from across the country. The Summerland Chapter team arrived in Atlanta on June 1 and competed June 2 to 5. For the national competition, the team had to build a machine that could go through obstacles, while also completing other...
The two highest-paid nonprofit employees in the state benefit from a bonus system criticized for incentivizing more medical procedures. Nebraska's state auditor calls it inexplicable. A former health insurance CEO suggests it's excessive. A veteran doctor says it's unheard of. They're reacting to what a nonprofit hospital paid its gastroenterologist in 2024: Nearly $5 million. That same hospital, Faith Health in Norfolk, paid a plastic surgeon $3.8 million. Those sums made the doctors the two...
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...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES May 11, 2026 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met for a regular meeting Monday, May 11, 2026, at 7 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Meeting opened at 7 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger, posted at US Post Office, Clearwater Market, and Cornerstone Bank and given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kelly Kerkman, Marsha Hart, Brian King, Jeff Schlec...
The Nebraska Legislature began talking about "exterrestrials" the other day, and well, who could pass up writing about that? I have a buddy who insists that an alien craft hovered over his acreage outside of Ashland. There's another buddy who is convinced that he was followed by an alien ship while driving down a remote western Nebraska highway. So I've heard some stories. Thanks to these new-fangled "prediction markets" like Kalshi and Polymarket, we can actually place bets on the chances that...
If you're like me, you were sickened to read about the wildfires running amok across sections of Nebraska in mid March. Thousands and thousands of acres, as far as the eye could see in areas of the Sandhills, in bluffs and hills southeast of North Platte and south of Kilgore, and (once again) in areas near the Nebraska National Forest in Halsey. As I write this, more than 800,000 acres have burned, according to the Nebraska Public Media. That's pasture that could feed hundreds of thousands of...
The Northeast Nebraska Motorsports Hall of Fame will host its 2026 Race Car Show, Saturday, March 28 at the WarHorse Event Center, 4300 W. Norfolk Avenue in Norfolk. This free, family-friendly event will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is expected to feature nearly 60 race cars from across the Midwest. Fans will have the opportunity to get up close to a wide variety of racing machines, including 410 sprint cars, super late models, chili bowl midgets, bobby stocks, modifieds, drag cars, and...
To borrow a line from one of my favorite podcasters, Kylie Kelce - I’m not gonna lie. I cried like a schoolgirl breaking up with her adolescent crush Sunday afternoon when the Husker senior basketball players and their families were recognized at the season finale in Lincoln. Watching this group battle through the worst of times and flip this season on its head to become the best in Husker history has been amazing. It seems like yesterday they upset the BYU Cougars men’s basketball team in an...
A longtime Orchard staple flipped its sign back on Jan. 12, and it's serving up more than just seconds. The Lunch Box, now owned by Monte Shabram and family of Orchard, is dishing out homecooked meals, early-morning breakfasts and a daily buffet built to satisfy even the heartiest appetites. Before reclaiming its Lunch Box name, the cafe operated as Sugarz. Then-owner Matt Wood was ready to step away from the restaurant business and planned to close if a buyer didn't step forward. "We got wind...
In their own words, former Tyson workers and community members describe the fallout after their town was rocked by one of Nebraska's biggest-ever layoffs When the Tyson Foods plant in Lexington laid off more than 3,000 employees in January, it wiped out jobs for nearly half the town's work force and left no aspect of life untouched. Already, the loss of the plant has forced families to leave town in search of work elsewhere. Dozens of students have left the school system. Businesses have...
When Abbey Chipps won her second match on Friday, she had no idea she achieved a dream most wrestlers have. "I had no idea I was that close to my 100th win. It means a lot to me. It's an amazing feeling to accomplish that," Chipps said. Head Coach Dan Roeber said for the junior wrestler to pick up her 100th win at districts and in her first district to qualify for state was "a great representation of her efforts this season." "Abbey has been a great teammate and continued to improve her abilitie...
Bobcat head girls basketball coach, Jackson Medina, believes that setting career milestones for a school does not come around often so when it does it is a special thing. When Jenna Funk reeled in nine rebounds against Laurel-Concord-Coleridge on Jan. 16, the standout senior surpassed Summerland's career rebound record of 492, set by Adyson Mlnarik between 2020 and 2024. As of Jan. 16, Funk recorded 494 rebounds. Since then, she's pulled in six against Boone Central and added another seven in a...
SILICON PRAIRIE NEWS Stone Pillar International is a software and intelligence company that uses drone-acquired data for actionable decision making. The company's official launch comes as Nebraskans face the threat of invasive eastern redcedar and the opportunities of new drone rules and advancements. Nebraska is on the front lines of both tech innovation and woody encroachment. As pilots and entrepreneurs look to the skies with new uses of drone technology, researchers and ranchers are looking...
Regina Sullivan’s phone kept ringing as she worked from home on June 23, 2020, but she didn’t look, because she was on the clock. Then the knocking on her door started. She walked up the stairs just before 11 a.m. and looked outside to see officers from the Lincoln Police Department. Immediately, she had a sick feeling that she knew what they would say: Marvin Lee Sullivan, her son, had died. “I was no good,” Regina said. She broke down in the doorway. Her daughter, who was sleeping upstair...
Hunters may begin purchasing 2026 spring turkey season permits from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission beginning at 1 p.m. Central time Jan. 12. Hunters are reminded they may harvest no more than one turkey per calendar day during the spring season. All harvests also must be reported via Telecheck at OutdoorNebraska.gov/Hunt/Telecheck or by phone at 844-279-4564. Resident turkey permits, including issuing fee, are $34; nonresident permits are $158. Landowner permits are $18.50 for residents...
Heartbroken. Almost 24 hours have passed since Husker volleyball’s season ended a week earlier than hoped for. I still feel the sting today, especially for the players and coaches who dedicate their time and talents to our state’s cherished treasure. On any given day, an undefeated team may lose. The loss hurts -- it requires peeking into windows dotted with unanswered questions -- but it does not diminish the spark and grit we fans have witnessed throughout the season. I’ve listened to comme...
Every day, Laura Gamble sees the importance of Pender Community Hospital in the lives of her neighbors. The woman who drove an hour to deliver her first baby. The man in a mental health crisis. They rely on her northeast Nebraska hospital. "It's like an oasis on the hill," said Gamble, who grew up in the area and practiced as a nurse before becoming the hospital's CEO. The hospital is one of the largest employers in the 1,115-person town of Pender, Gamble said. It delivers more than 120 babies...
Preliminary results from the 2025 Nebraska November firearm deer season show statewide harvest fell 7% from 2024, which was expected, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Harvest went from 28,056 last year to 26,029 this year. Given that populations are down after several years of drought, harsh winters, and disease outbreaks — and permit numbers have been reduced to aid in recovery — the lower harvest was no surprise. Whitetail harvest is down 10% from last year. Whitetail buck harvest is off 3% from 2024. Antlerless har...
I like to drive, and Nebraska gives you plenty of opportunities. The state's best road trip might be up the old Oregon Trail, past Chimney Rock to Scotts Bluff. Scenic. Historic. In the fall, you can't beat wandering the hills around Indian Cave State Park. Driving along Highway 12 from Ponca to Niobrara is a close second. Colors galore. The Sand Hills are beautiful in spring, with wildflowers blooming. And you can't beat driving through the Pine Ridge after a fresh snow – as long as it's not bl...
Just disappointing. It’s really the only way to describe Friday’s game, or the past two games, or really the entire season. Sure, at times we were excited and hopeful of the direction throughout the season. Towards the beginning it certainly seemed like a reality that progress was being made. That this team could live up to the “Rhule Year 3” benchmark. But after the last two games against Penn State and Iowa, two blowout losses, you could say the season fizzled out. At least Emmett Johnson is exciting to watch. This is a troubling trend under...
