Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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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...
A complete surprise. That's how SAM co-publisher Scott Schindler described the moment his name was announced as the winner of the Feature Photo of the Year from the Nebraska Press Association. "You entered my picture?" He asked wife and co-publisher LuAnn, before making his way to the podium to accept the award during the Nebraska Press Association's Better Newspaper Contest awards banquet, Saturday, at The Cornhusker in Lincoln. "He sent me two photos that made the paper throughout the year,"...
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...
Summerland track teams handled warm temperatures and strong winds, Thursday, at the O’Neill Invite. Girls Division Isabella Kester showed her consistency in long distance races. Kester finished fourth in the 1600, crossing the tape in 6:16.84. She also ended fourth in the 3200, running, 13:37.67. The 4x800 relay team - Kester, Karley Dawkins, Leah Wiese, and Jayde Bazelman, set a personal record, with a 11:47.48 finish. They ended in seventh place. Other results include: Taylen Nilson: shot p...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF EWING BOARD OF TRUSTEES APRIL 13, 2026 The Ewing Village Board of Trustees convened in regular session on April 13, 2026, at 7 p.m. Notice of the meeting was published April 8, 2026, in the Summerland Advocate. An agenda was kept current and on file at the village clerk’s office. Chairman, Jeremy Tuttle, called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Notice was given to the posted location of the open meetings law. Board members present were Dustin Jorgensen, Jeremy Tuttle, Kane Fry, Katie Cunningham and Kent Stallbaum. Also p...
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...
The 2026 Orchard AAU Powerlifting Meet was held this Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11 with an awesome line-up of 170 registered lifters from across the midwest. "This year's meet was a National meet again, so two days of competition were required to accommodate the crowd of lifters striving for state, American and even world records," said organizer Jeff Shabram. "It was the 19th year for the Orchard Meet and the crowd gets larger each year. Orchard hosted one of the year's largest...
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...
Weather permitting, work will begin week of April 13 on U.S. Highway 20, beginning at the Holt County line and extending six miles east of Orchard (reference post 328.81 to reference post 337.56), according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation. Vontz Paving, Inc., of Hastings, is the contractor for this project. Work includes asphalt milling, asphalt overlay and inlet work in the city of Orchard. Traffic will be restricted to one lane using flaggers. A 12-foot width restriction will be...
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...
Area Easter egg hunts were held Saturday, April 4. In Ewing, four youngsters found the golden egg in their respective age divisions and claimed an Easter basket filled with goodies. Winners of the Ewing Young Members Club Easter Egg Hunt, nclude Macklin Kaczor, Theresa Wright, Lainey Fry, and Granite Pilcher. Six youngsters located special eggs at Saturday's Easter egg hunt in Clearwater, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. Finding the winning eggs were Trenton Wright, Oliver Waldow, Mason...
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...
The Holt County Animal Shelter hosted a chili cook-off, Sunday, March 29, at Dirty Hands Tap and Coffee in O'Neill, in honor of the organization's 20th anniversary. Event video at: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17CBkSN6wU/ Winners included Megan Argueta, second place; Rhonda Hurtig, first place; and Teresa Baker, third place. Hurtig also won the People's Choice Award. Eight contestants participated in the event....
The 2026 Class D High School State Powerlifting Championships were held at Harvard High School Saturday, March 21. The competition featured 130 lifters representing the top Class D powerlifting schools in the state, including Boyd County, Bruning-Davenport-Shickley, Centura, Fullerton, Grand Island Lutheran, Harvard, Johnson-Brock, Kenesaw, Niobrara-Verdigre, Red Cloud, Silver Lake, Stanton, and Summerland. The Bobcat lifters had an outstanding day of competition. Asher Whiting earned third...
