Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 1476 - 1500 of 2242
Antelope County Commissioners approved redistricting plans, Tuesday, although a final map, with township boundaries and village overlays will not be available until Dec. 17. Commissioners listened to Josie Schafer, from the University of Nebraska-Omaha Center for Public Affairs Research, discuss how districts were proposed, based on compactness and equalized population. Two changes from previous district lines include Neligh, which will use Highway 275 as a dividing line, and Orchard, which...
Joyful fellowship. The two terms combine to set the ambiance for a longstanding Page tradition, the yearly women's salad supper. This year's supper, celebrated Dec. 1, at the Page United Methodist Church, featured candlelight and snowflakes, creating warmth and light, illuminating memories and creating new ones. Diane Heiss, a member of the supper's planning committee, said the tradition "starts the season off right." "I also liked it because daughters came with their moms and sometimes the...
“Kids believe in Santa; adults believe in childhood.” Author Cate Kennedy hits the mark with that line from her short story collection, “Dark Roots.” Last week, while Scott, Elizabeth and I fulfilled Santa’s elf duty, stuffing toys, candy and fruit into brown paper sacks, visions from Christmases past reminded me of the good ol’ days and what days leading up to the holiday were like during the age of flower power and groovy, man. In Clay Center, Santa Claus made an appearance on Saturdays i...
The Lady Bobcats jumped out to a 15-4 first-quarter lead and never looked back in the Dec. 2 season opener, as they dominated Neligh-Oakdale, 54-18. Summerland poured on the points in the second quarter, extending the margin to 34-7 by halftime. The Bobcats continued to add double digits to the score in the third quarter, outscoring the Warrios 16-6. A running clock went into effect at the beginning of the final quarter, as the Bobcats added another five points. Head Coach Greg Appleby called...
A third-quarter slump eroded the Bobcat boys' basketball team's lead in the season opener, Dec. 2, at Neligh-Oakdale. The Warriors downed Summerland 67-58. Led by a strong performance from senior Mason Hoke, who scored 22 points in the contest, the Bobcats took control of the game, leading 16-15 at the end of the first quarter. Summerland extended the its lead to 32-29 at the half. The Bobcats could only land nine points the third quarter, giving the Warriors a 45-41 lead going into the final...
Ammy Arroyo, Lenora Kester and Calissa Kester stamped their names in the Bobcat athletic history books, Saturday, as the first girls' varsity wrestlers to earn medals in a meet. Arroyo led the Bobcats, earning the silver medal in the 235-class at Saturday's O'Neill Invite. In the opening round, Arroyo defeated Madelynn Jakubowski, of O'Neill, by fall, in 3:24. That set up a second-round match against teammate, Calissa Kester. Arroyo claimed the win by pin, in 1:14 The sophomore lost, by fall, in...
In its season opener, Summerland's wrestling squad won one and lost one at the Wayne triangular, Thursday. Wayne defeated the Bobcats, 36-21, in the opening round. Summerland downed Wisner-Pilger, 45-24, in the second round. In the final round, Wayne took down W-P, 42-24. Against Wayne, the Bobcats earned wins in four matches. Alex Thiele defeated Ty Zach, by fall, in 3:57. They competed in the 132-pound division. At 152, Keaton Thiele picked up his first win of the season. He pinned Francisco...
The Bobcat boys' wrestling squad scored 146 points and tied the host team for second place at Saturday's Howells-Dodge wrestling invite. Guardian Angels Central Catholic won the team title with 158 points. Colton Thiele and Logan Mueller earned gold medals in the 195- and 285-pound divisions, respectively. Six other wrestlers - Alex Thiele, Jesse Thiele, Keaton Thiele, Alex Arroyo, Wyatt Chipps and Connor Thomson - brought home hardware. Mueller moved quickly through his bracket, picking up...
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for much of northern and northeast Nebraska, including the Summerland region. The warning remains in effect until midnight. Four to seven inches of snow accumulation is prediction. Wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour are expected as the storm system moves through the region. Blowing snow could affect visibility. Travel is discouraged; however, if individuals must travel, precautions - including extra food, water, clothing and...
After nearly an hour of discussion about a request for a Wetland Reserve Easement, for Melvin Knox's Bar K Bar, LLC, Holt County Supervisors set a public hearing date and determined the county's planning and zoning board should conduct a public hearing, too. The action was taken Tuesday, during the board's scheduled meeting. Knox filed paperwork for the easement, with county clerk Cathy Pavel, Oct. 26. According to the paperwork, a decision on the easement was to be made in 60 days. Following di...
A Clearwater woman wants to share the magic of Christmas with others. Lori Knapp spent the majority of November transforming the lane to her rural home into a holiday wonderland. A line of lights illuminates the display, located approximately one mile east of Clearwater on U.S. Highway 275. Nativity scenes, colorful Santas and frolicking deer - maybe reindeer - guide visitors along the lighted path. Santa's workshop and the light display will be open Saturday, Dec. 4, and Sunday, Dec. 5, from 6...
A December staple - the annual holiday basketball tournament - will debut in a new venue this year. The Summerland Holiday Tournament, scheduled for Dec. 27 and 28, will be played at the new Summerland site, at the intersection of 513 Avenue and Summerland Road. In addition to the Bobcats, Tri County Northeast, Walthill and CWC will participate. In the girls' division, the Tri County Northeast Wolfpack will square off against the Walthill Blujays on Tuesday, Dec. 27, at 3 p.m. The host team...
Santa and Mrs. Claus will make a grand entrance, in Orchard, Saturday, Dec. 4. Jolly Old St. Nickolas and his wife will arrive at 4 p.m., at the park. Buggy rides will be available for visits between 4 and 5 p.m. Holiday displays will light up at 5 p.m. Hot chocolate, cookies and apple cider will be available. Orchard Economic Development Association and Orchard Community Club sponsor the event....
Plan to visit Clearwater, Saturday, Dec. 4, for the village's old-fashioned Christmas. Soup, sandwiches and desserts will be served from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Clearwater American Legion. A freewill donation will be accepted. Santa will make an appearance and listen to youngsters' wish lists. Goodie bags will be distributed. Youths will have an opportunity to create a holiday-theme craft, courtesy of the Clearwater Public Library. A horse-drawn sleigh will be used for rides around town. Food...
Does American democracy survive without the backbone of independent local journalism? That question serves as the theme of the documentary, “Storm Lake,” airing recently on the PBS show, “Independent Lens.” The segment follows the daily ins and outs of Art Cullen and his family, who run the Storm Lake Times, which debuted in 1990. Initially, the paper printed weekly, with Friday distribution. Within three years, the Times began printing daily. A month later, another newspaper in Storm Lake st...
Josh Napier, of Ewing, won the Husker football prediction contest for the Huskers Nov. 26 game against the Hawkeyes. He selected Iowa to defeat Nebraska, 27-21. The final score was 28-21. "Hoping that team to the east eats too much tomorrow," he wrote on his Facebook entry. Pigskin predictions will take a break until the bowl game schedule is released, Dec. 5. A complete listing of games will appear in the Advocate-Messenger and on the SAM Facebook page. The individual selecting the winning...
Summerland play production team's production of Zink: The Myth, The Legend, The Zebra finished third at the Niobrara Valley Conference East Divison One-Act Contest, Nov. 16, at Elgin Pope John. The Bobcat's play received ranks of first, third and third and tallied 169 rating points. Neligh-Oakdale's presentation of Puberty: The Game Show earned ranks of one, two and five and received 170 rating points to take home the conference championship. Pope John kept the runner-up trophy, edging out out S...
Summerland School will be searching for a new speech pathologist for the 2022-2023 school year. Board members accepted the resignation of Sheila Kropp, who has worked in education for 44 years. In her resignation letter, Kropp wrote, “After much deliberation, I have decided to retire at the end of the current school year. I have enjoyed working with Ewing, Clearwater, Orchard and Summerland in my 44 years as a speech pathologist.” Finke told board members, “You don’t find many people lasting...
When Holt County Supervisors meet Nov. 30, the board may finally consider a resolution on land-use development concerning conservation easements. During the Nov. 16 meeting, supervisors agreed to forward the resolution, for review, to Holt County Attorney Brent Kelly. The item appeared on the agenda in October, also. The board may also consider a wetland reserve easement for Bar K Bar, LLC, located near Goose Lake. In October, supervisors tabled discussion on the easement, requested by Melvin...
During a week when gratitude is at the forefront, it seems strange to be viewing and reading about toxic positivity. News about the psychological phrase is plastered everywhere, or so it seems. ICYMI: Toxic positivity is defined as an excessive and ineffective overgeneralization of an optimistic state. Toxic positivity creates a false narrative and minimizes interpersonal communication. The problem with always putting on a happy face is complicated and unhealthy. It's unnatural. Responding in...
A transformation has begun on the empty building at the intersection of Main and Nebraska streets, in Clearwater. The future home of the Clearwater Historical Society's museum features a new roof, a security door on the back and several new windows. Inside, plaster walls and lathe have been removed and a new pour of concrete evens the floor. "It's a beginning," said society secretary LuAnn Schindler. "But we still have a long way to go." Additional windows on the front of the building are on...
Peyton Thomas Unlimited Sports/Nebraska News Service LINCOLN--While the Collegiate Brand Value Index ranks the University of Nebraska-Lincoln the most valuable school in the nation, success in the world of name, image and likeness is far from guaranteed. "There are lots of different lists out there, right of likes, who has the most social media followers, the highest level of revenue, and all kinds of things," said Matt Balvanz, a writer at Navigate Sports Business, who created a metric to...
Lines to the new Clearwater wastewater lift station were tested at the end of October. Village trustees learned about the testing during the board’s Nov. 8 meeting. Chairman Steve Hankla said he checked the line twice within a two-hour time frame and “it was a titch over 100 pounds.” “They wanted to get that done before it got cold,” Hankla said. To complete the project, a valve entering the new lift station needs to be installed, the inside of the station painted and pumps set. “Supposed...
At 5:30 a.m., Saturday, 10-year-old Brogan Billings and dad, Chad, of Orchard, headed to a secluded spot, a.k.a. his grandparents' cabin, north of town. Here, father and son awaited daybreak and an opportunity to bring home a prize on the opening day of Nebraska's firearm deer season. With a trusty .22-250 in one hand and a 4x4 buck in sight, the younger Billings practiced patience. Ready. Aim. Pull the trigger. Excitement, first. Then, bring on the hunt. "We had to chase after it," Billings...
When my writing career started more than 30 years ago, I spent months establishing a freelance career. After long days of teaching and coaching, I stayed up late at night, crafting query letters and sending them via snail mail, hoping to get a bite from local publications ... or a big break with a national news outlet. It seems amazing, considering it was in the dark ages - er, I mean pre-internet times. It was hard work, but I was determined to form partnerships with trusted publications and...
