Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 36

Memorial Day has come and gone, so it's time to hit the road. As a lover of Nebraska stuff (you know, corn, the Huskers, Busch Light) I've never understood why more people don't vacation in our state. There's plenty of stuff to see and experience. And with gas prices through the roof, you can save a buck or two. But I guess the Cornhusker State isn't for everybody. (Oops, that last phrase got a state tourism director fired. Better be careful). Anyway, here's my list of cool, and sometimes...

As nurses rushed Rachel Woollen to an Omaha operating room, all she could do was pray for the four tiny babies she was about to deliver. "All I could say was, 'Please, God, help them.' I repeated it over and over. One nurse heard me, grabbed my hand, and told me she and everyone else on the medical team were praying the same thing." Brett entered the world at 2:04 p.m. Brother Kaden, sister Parker and brother Cooper followed within the next two minutes. None weighed more than 1.8 pounds. The...

Holt County Supervisors received frightening news on Halloween when they learned health insurance premium costs for county employees are projected to increase 24.1%, effective Jan. 1. During Friday's scheduled meeting, Anson Insurance Agency representative Steve Anson told supervisors that current-year losses have been more than expected. According to Anson, Meritain Health expected $1.3 million in claims. "We already have $1.3 million," he said. Typically, three to five individuals on the plan...

Several locations in the Summerland area will host trick or treaters on Halloween. In Ewing, the United Methodist-Presbyterian Church will host indoor trick or treating from 5 to 7 p.m. Hot dogs will also be served. Clearwater Public Library invites trick or treaters to stop by after 5 p.m. Library Director Chelsea Silbernagel said treat bags have been prepared and glow bracelets will be available to those who drop in. Three and Company Baking will welcome trick or treaters between 5 and 8 p.m....

Listen to tales of Halloween and learn about hauntings of Holt County during a Night at the Museum at the Holt County Historical Society at 4th and Douglas in O'Neill. The program will begin at 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 25. Organizers said all ages are welcome but some stories may be disturbing for younger children. The event is free. Donations are always appreciated. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Marci at 402-699-1424. The event is made possible with a grant from...

I would have Thanksgiving dinner with Santa Clause. We would talk about the North Pole. We would talk about the elves. I picked him because I like him. He is kind and gives me presents. Santa Clause is the best! Claire Snodgrass I would like to have Thanksgiving dinner with my dad's grandpa Elmer because I want to meet my elders. I would ask him if he likes Jack's mullet. I do not like it. It is ugly! We would talk about whatever I feel like talking about. In conclusion, I want to meet dad's...

Winners of the SAM Halloween coloring contest have been selected. Submissions by Tinley Kaczor (left) and Maverick Kaczor (right) were picked as the top entries. A Thanksgiving coloring contest is underway. The themed photo is on page 5 and is due to the SAM office by Nov. 30....

Ghouls and goblins floated door to door on Halloween, looking for treats. Ewing United Methodist-Presbyterian Church hosted trunk or treat. More than 70 youngsters and young at heart dropped by. In Clearwater, the library and The Office were open for visitors. Approximately 30 trick-or-treaters stopped by the news office for snacks and photos....

Halloween is a night of fun, filled with candy and creative costumes. It's also one of the most accident-prone holidays. Keep your ghosts and goblins safe this Halloween by following these tips. • Brighten the night. Use glow sticks or flashlights to be more visible to drivers. According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, pedestrians are 50% more likely to die on Halloween than on any other day. Decorate costumes and bags w...

It may seem cliché but one of the funniest Halloween costumes is the blind referee. If you’re a sports fan, the referee scenario undoubtedly has run through your mind. I’m not into conspiracy theories but ... At least six calls were missed during Saturday’s Nebraska-Ohio State football game, calls that could have given Nebraska a signature road win or handed Ohio State an even bigger margin of victory. Two of the most notable: the spot on Emmet Johnson’s first-down run that turned into a third...

Two downtown Clearwater sites will be open to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Clearwater Public Library will be open at 4:30 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to stop by and pick up treats. The SAM office will be open until 8 p.m. Stop by for treats and photos....

Calling all kids. Wear your best Halloween costume and trick or treat at the Boo Bash, scheduled Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Orchard Community Center. The event will begin at 4 and continue until 6 p.m. Crafts, hay rack rides, games and a photo booth will be available. A costume contest is also planned, according to organizers. There is no charge for the event. Boo Bash is sponsored by the Orchard Community Club, Orchard Public Library, Old School Thrift Store, Orchard Community Center and Gary...

Starting Nov. 1, Page residents wanting to partake in a noon or evening meal or a grab an after-work drink, will have to take their business outside of village limits. Dan and Jen Cunningham, who leased KC Bar & Grill from Page Development Corporation since November 2023, will not be renewing the lease when it expires on Halloween. The couple made the announcement via the café's Facebook page on Oct. 3. "We appreciate all the support we have received this past year and the people we have met...
Calling all spooks to the Antelope County Museum, Saturday, Oct. 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., for a Howling Halloween Party. It will be a spooky good time with treats and fun activities for all. There will even be a werewolf. So if you are not too scared, you can have your picture taken with him. The party is at the museum, located at 410 L Street in Neligh. Hot dogs, chips and water will be available for all attendees. “It will be a fun program for all ages. The kiddos may especially like seeing our spooky werewolf,” said museum exe...

Back in the day, the Omaha World-Herald provided me with a company car and the instructions: "Drive across the state and find some stories." It was obviously a more formal command than that, something like, "If you like your job, you'll write something interesting." It was an incredible adventure in various vintages of Ford Taurus'. On the road, you realize that there are fascinating stories – sometimes tragic and sad, sometimes heart-warming and uplifting – in every corner of the state. You rec...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION Nov. 14, 2023 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, at 6 p.m., in the school’s board room. President Steve Thiele called the meeting, which was advertised in the Nov. 8 papers, to order at 6 p.m. Thiele noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the board room. Roll call was taken. All board members were present: Ed Nordby, Nate Schwager, Scott Thiele, Steve Thiele, Austin Twibell, Jeremy Wagner. Motion by Wagner, seconded by Twibell, to app...

Hey, ghosts and goblins. Mark your calendar for Oct. 28, in Orchard, and join in the fun at Boo Bash 2023. Beginning at 4 p.m., at the Orchard Community Center, a lineup of spooky events will offer fun for all ages. The 402 Theater Group will kick off festivities with a performance of "Spookless," a 15-minute children's play. A freewill donation will be accepted. Activities planned after the play production include trick or treating, a costume contest, games, crafts, hay rack rides and food....

“Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story.” I read this quote, by author Mason Cooley, recently and it made me think about Halloween traditions and costumes from my childhood and ones my kids wore. Mom loved Halloween. She’d decorate our house with pumpkins and black cats and ghosts. Then, on Oct. 31, she’d create a tablescape by the front door, with a kitschy orange plastic pumpkin overflowing with candy, black taper candles and a notebook with parchment paper, so trick-o...

Every day, Ellen Rudd ventures down to the basement of the Nebraska Wesleyan's theater building, Elder Theatre Center. She enters a whole new world – or rather, an infinite amount of worlds. Rudd doesn't have a typical job and this isn't a typical basement. Rudd is manager of the costume library, which holds an inventory of an estimated 60,000 costumes, props and shoes. Established in 1980, the costume library acts as a significant resource for theater departments in and outside of Nebraska. I...

Trunk or Treat, Ewing's annual spooktacular Halloween event, will take place Oct. 31, at the United Methodist-Presbyterian Church, from 5 to 7 p.m. Ewing United Methodist Presbyterian Church invites area residents to decorate any vehicle - the trunk, a pickup, side-by-side, four-wheeler - set up a table in the church or just bring a bag of candy and join in the "skele-fun."...

Here it is, August. Summer has flown by and already there is Halloween candy roaming the shelves of Walmart. For most of us, August also brings the normal adjustment of transitioning back to the school year. It is normal for this to look differently for everyone, especially depending upon the age of your child. You may find yourself stressing to find the school supplies list, supporting your youth through two-a-day practices for athletic season or looking forward to getting back to the routine...

With the official start of summer quickly approaching, The 402 Theater Group offers more opportunities for people of all ages to get involved by providing entertainment for the community. Jillian Henn, of Orchard, is one of the creators of The 402 Theatre Group. "The 402 Theater Group is a community inspired to bring the performing arts to rural communities," she said. The group started in 2022, when Orchard resident Don Lallier posted an ad around town to gather interest in starting a theater...

The premise was simple: Locate the 25 spots in or around Ewing, strike the designated pose on the entry form and snap a team photo or record a video. Oh, and return to the starting point in the fastest time possible. Four teams stepped up to the plate for the 2023 Funfest scavenger hunt challenge and showed their ingenuity and creativity. The event was sponsored by the "Summerland Advocate-Messenger." Several clues were simple, like take a group selfie at a fountain. Yes, the water fountain at...

It's a cactus, so it should be easy to care for – I just water it sparingly and keep it dry, right? Wrong. Whether you have a Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus (or an Easter one, for that matter), you take care of them the same way. Keys to their care come from their native habitat, which is not a desert but the cloud forests of costal southeast Brazil. The high-altitude costal areas where they're from are cool, shaded, and relatively humid with the mists and moisture rich air. They are epi...

The farmer was growing impatient. He and dozens of other central Nebraska farmers had gathered for mandatory training in Columbus a few weeks before last Christmas. In response to high nitrate levels, the Lower Loup Natural Resources District had designated a "Phase 3 area." That led to new requirements – like this training to help farmers manage their nitrogen fertilizer use. The farmer didn't like this. He told NRD leaders he had been drinking water containing nitrate at 40 parts per m...