Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Infrastructure is often the first hurdle to high-speed internet access for rural Nebraskans, but it isn’t the last. Once the wires have been laid, residents still have to pay to use the service. Subscriber fees can vary widely, but they are frequently higher for communities and households in rural areas, where long stretches of fiber optic cable reach fewer access points relative to urban settings that have more people living within a smaller space. Greater lengths of cable means higher i...
They knew the record-breaking attendance number before the rest of the world. The iconic attendance number that hovered over the northeast corner of Memorial Stadium on the night of Aug. 30 was the work of Fantasy Drone Shows, a Norfolk-based aerial entertainment company. The assistant athletic director of marketing and fan experience confirmed the final attendance number at approximately 7:50 p.m., leaving the company with less than an hour to program and launch 150 drones to announce the...
From the back of our hands to the back of our legs, pale blue blood vessels are visible just under the skin. Oftentimes these veins are flat and not painful. However when these vessels become abnormally swollen or dilated, they are called varicose veins. This swelling is caused by the valves inside the veins becoming weak and no longer sealing tightly. Varicose veins can become painful, quite large and stick out from the surface of the skin. In order for blood to return from your feet back to...
A Randolph man was recently sentenced to serve one year in the Antelope County Jail and fined $1,000 for his latest conviction of domestic assault Brennon J. Coleman, 39, previously of Neligh, was given credit for 15 days already served and was taxed $204.71 costs of prosecution when he faced the Honorable James Kube on Sept. 27. During the sentencing hearing, Coleman, who had pleaded no contest in July, contended he had not hit the victim. When asked by the judge if he recalled the incident, he answered, “Absolutely.” And, when asked why, he...
KEARNEY – Americans have recognized military veterans in vastly different ways over the past 247 years. They've thrown parades for some and scorned others. But the Pawnee scouts, who protected pioneers, freighters and railroad workers in Nebraska during the mid-19th century's great migration west, were largely forgotten outside the Pawnee Nation in Oklahoma. "Those scouts were the very first in our tribe to serve in the military, so we hold our veterans on a high pedestal, almost like c...
My mother had six siblings, 16 aunts and uncles and innumerable cousins. She was the first of them all to be diagnosed with breast cancer. I think of my mom every time one of my patients tells me they aren’t concerned about breast cancer because it doesn’t run in their family. Unfortunately, that is true of most people who are diagnosed with the disease. I also think of my mother every time I do a breast exam or teach someone else how to do a self exam. Her breast cancer was one not det...
Area residents got a glimpse at the Summerland FFA test plot, Aug. 30, at Napier Farms near Ewing. One highlight of the plot was Preceon Smart Corn System. According to Mike Podany, of Clarkson, the short-stature corn system looks at how to evaluate population while driving yield and managing green snap. "A lot of potential and a lot learning yet to go," Podany said. The Summerland test plot is owned by Bob Napier....
Editor’s Note: This column was written and distributed prior to an Aug. 30 press conference regarding prison location. We’ve known for some time that the state wants to build a new prison because it has the most overcrowded corrections system in the country. It’s a given that state lawmakers agreed to spend at least $350 million on such a facility. A narrative change in recent months has shifted from “additional” space to a “replacement” for the existing Nebraska State Penitentiary, which has been in southwest Lincoln since the 1860s. The un...
Suicide. It's personal. Sometimes it's up close and personal. Often, it's the 800-pound gorilla in the room. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who has been impacted. I've had one of those up-close experiences and other exposure through the years. Think about it, you likely have too. Recently-released figures reveal that a record number of people in the United States committed suicide in 2022. The 49,449 deaths reflect a 2.6% increase over the prior year, government data showed. Over half...
A rural Antelope County road will stay intact following a public hearing and subsequent vote by commissioners on Aug. 1. Highway superintendent Brian McDonald said a road use study on 858 Road, between 521 and 522 Avenue was completed. "It's being actively used," McDonald said. Two individuals offered testimony in opposition of the closure. Testifying via speaker phone, Matt Klabenes, of Neligh, said, "We've got a service line down that for our stock well. It's the reason we took the trees out...
First aid kits in the Antelope County courthouse, in Neligh, will be freshly stocked each quarter, following an Aug. 1 vote by commissioners approving a new provider, Cintas, to fulfill the duties. Zee Medical formerly performed the service. County clerk Lisa Payne told commissioners, "It is nice to have someone check that. I know I can say 'I'm going to do that,' but it's usually one of the last things I do." Cintas will update any products close to or at its expiration date. To get the...
Editor’s note: The Nebraska Community Foundation is a Flatwater Free Press sponsor. It has been edited by Flatwater Free Press staff. The roughly 370 miles between North Omaha and the heart of southwest Nebraska aren’t slowing a group of Nebraskans from forging relationships that they hope will serve as a model for bridging the gulf between rural and urban communities. In less than a year, residents from either end of that span have crossed the state to experience how the other side lives – from mock cattle auctions in Ogallala to a Junet...
Some area residents have taken part in the Cornhusker State Games in the past, as well as this summer. Jeff Shabram, of Orchard, has taken powerlifters to compete in the past. In fact, Shabram mentioned he remembers Dave Mlnarik making an appearance when his nephew, Cade, competed in powerlifting. "We'd still be taking participants, but can't since the director changed powerlifting affiliation from Amateur Athletic Union to USA Powerlifting, which has more adults," remarked Shabram. "But it was...
Our family gained six new members recently. They’re cute and cuddly, afraid of getting too close to anyone but their mom. A momma cat - we call her Patches - invaded our deck early this spring. I told Scott she obviously is - or was - someone’s house cat. She’s kind of tame, kind of wild. Patches also brought several feral friends of the male persuasion with her, taking over our wrap-around porch and backyard, invading our neighbors’ homes, too. Around the first of June, Patches deliver...
Agriculture, broadband connectivity and tax savings were key topics addressed during Gov. Jim Pillen's town hall meeting, June 28, in O'Neill. Pillen opened by telling the crowd of approximately 80 that his team strives to work for "all Nebraskans. "I can't stand politics. I can't stand politicians," the governor said. "The privilege I had in the first six months, it is unbelievable how many incredible public servants we have serving the state of Nebraska." One of Pillen's goals has been to...
Area residents received the red carpet treat, June 29, as Antelope Memorial Hospital unveiled its latest updates. "We rolled out the red carpet at Antelope Memorial Hospital to celebrate the open house for our newly remodeled patient rooms/nursing floor and infusion room," said Diane Brugger, AMH chief executive officer. "More than 100 individuals from area communities attended." The $3.7 million project started in September 2021 and completed in three phases to allow the hospital to continue...
A 22-year-old Auburn man faces a 12-count arraignment in Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill on June 11. Jacob L McVay recently signed a waiver to his right to preliminary hearing. Five felony counts were bound over to the district court by the Honorable Kale Burdick on June 13, with jurisdiction for misdemeanor and infraction counts waived to the district court as well. Charges include: First-degree assault on an officer, a Class 1D felony; window-tint violation, a Class 5 misdemeanor; willful reckless driving, a Class 3 misdemeanor; fol...
Almost four decades ago, two coaches - one from the east coast, the other from the land of the Cornhuskers - formed an alliance. Maine and Nebraska would become as thick as thieves. Despite the large differences between the two states, a friendship was pinned down and has lasted for years. Lincoln Southeast wrestling coach, Mick Pierce, and Maine's, Wally LaFountain, a wrestling official from Maine, met in the 80s during a wrestling trip to Europe, according to current Maine coach Brian Cote....
In the musical "Oklahoma," one of the questions it tries to help answer is the age-old dilemma of whether or not the farmer and the cowman can be friends. In the song "The Farmer and the Cowman," the light-hearted melody and lyrics make the feud between the farmer and cowman seem silly, pointing out that "territory folks should stick together." Sunnnybrook Cafe sits close to, if not on, the intersection of farming and cowman territories in rural Nebraska. Its actual address is Ewing, but the...
SUBMITTED ARTICLE This past weekend, June 3 and 4, the Tri-County Titans junior American Legion baseball team traveled to Pender for a six-team pool play tournament. Coach Jeff Shabram called the competition "outstanding," with many Class B and C state qualifiers in last year's junior legion baseball tournament, as well as district and state qualifiers in this spring's Nebraska School Activities Association baseball season. "The Titans did not disappoint. We played toe-to-toe with some...
This week saw the Legislature continue to work late into the night to complete its business before adjourning in June. Although only a few bills have advanced thus far, a tremendous amount of work is going on behind the scenes by various legislative divisions such as the clerk’s office, transcribers, bill drafters, information technology, research, and committees to ensure bills are ready for the floor. With all the budget bills sitting on final reading, senators spent several days working to p...
The Appropriations Committee advanced its finalized recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 biennial budget to the full Legislature. This proposal calls for an average increase of 2.3% in spending over the next two fiscal years. The main differences between the governor's proposal and the Appropriations Committee proposal are that lawmakers included an additional $80 million to increase both (A) the reimbursement rates for providers of Medicaid services by 3% this year and...
Summerland speech team members competing in last Thursday's Class C2 state championship in Kearney finished the season by earning superior ratings. Faith King finished ninth overall after preliminary rounds in informative speaking, with a presentation on nostalgia. King received a total of 143 speaking points out of a possible 150. Judges ranked her third, sixth and first in preliminary round competition. Olga Mendoza finished ninth overall after preliminary rounds in serious prose. She...
Ask Braelyn Bergman what she wants to be when she grows up and she isn't shy about answering the question. "As I get older, I want to become a cattle breeder and breed analyst, which also includes artificial insemination technician," the seventh-grade student at Summerland Public Schools said. Bergman has been involved in 4-H for a number of years, showing cattle at the Antelope County Fair. This year, she joined the Summerland FFA Chapter, hoping to enhance her knowledge of agriculture. She joi...
There are lots of dishes out there that are considered comfort foods (meatloaf, mac and cheese, chicken and noodles), but in my opinion, roasts - both beef and pork - have to be included on that list. Roasting is cooking meat or vegetables in the oven (or over a flame, technically) in an uncovered pot with no liquid, according to food writer Daniel Neman. The meat or vegetables are cooked entirely and evenly by the dry heat of the air around them. I have more experience with beef roasts than I... Full story
