Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE MIDWEST MESSENGER As the Fourth of July nears, a nationwide celebration reverberates from coast to coast in anticipation of America's 250th birthday. In Nebraska, another lesser-known place also has an upcoming milestone. Turning 150 years old, this community on the outskirts of the Sandhills will not be recognized with such fanfare or fireworks, though. That's because to most people, Deloit is a mystery on the map. If not for Kent Backer contacting Midwest...
You've heard of "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens, but have you heard of A Tale of Three Clearwaters? The communities of Clearwater, Minnesota; Clearwater, Kansas; and Clearwater, Nebraska, all share a name - as well as a love for rodeo. The Silver Bullet Saddle Club hosts an annual rodeo located between Clearwater, Minnesota, St. Cloud, and the Twin Cities. In an interview, Kari Wrobel, secretary of the club, said, "We were established in 1979 as a saddle club and started putting on...
The Nebraska School Activities Association and the Nebraska State College System recently announced recipients of the 2025-2026 Nebraska State Colleges Multi-Activity Student Award. The award recognizes students in grades 9 to 12 who participate in at least three NSAA-sanctioned activities during the academic year. Summerland had 53 students named to the list include Ruby Ahlers, Kanyon Allemang, Belle Anson; Traevon Baker, Ethan Barner, Ayden Bazelman, Jayde Bazelman, Alvie Bearinger, Kiptyn...
The Nebraska School Activities Association announced the recipients of the Winter 2025-2026 Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association Academic All-State Awards. Since 2006 this NSAA Awards Program has recognized students who meet the criteria for nomination by their school in the season of their activity. Each year the NSAA and the NCPA recognize students during fall, winter, and spring seasons who are nominated by their schools for their individual academic excellence, leadership, and...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION FEBRUARY 11, 2026 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at 7 p.m., in the school board meeting room. President Nate Schwager called the meeting, which was advertised in the Feb. 4, 2026, newspapers, to order at 7 p.m. Schwager noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the boardroom. Roll call was taken, with all board members present: Ryan Ahlers, Chelsi McLain, Schwager, Scott Thiele,...
Dr. Karissa Niehoff, Chief Executive Officer of the NFHS Jennifer Schwartz, Executive Director of the Nebraska School Activities Association High school sports is experiencing record participation. It is also experiencing unprecedented pressure. Across the country, young athletes are training earlier, competing year-round and navigating expectations shaped by a rapidly expanding youth sports economy. For many families, athletics now feel like increasingly high stakes. High school sports operate differently—by design. They exist within s...
In late December, the Nebraska School Activities Association released district assignments for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. Summerland will be in the C2-4 district, along with Battle Creek, Cedar Catholic, Norfolk Catholic and Plainview/Osmond. Schedules are expected to be released to member schools mid-February....
Summerland's football team will face a lineup of new challengers during the 2026 and 2027 seasons as the squad makes the move to an 11-man format. Declarations must be submitted to the Nebraska School Activities Association by Nov. 30. Classifications and district assignments for the 2026 and 2027 seasons will be released in December, according to NSAA officials. Schedules for both seasons will be set by NSAA officials after the first of the year, with schedules expected to be released on Feb....
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION NOVEMBER 12, 2025 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Wednesday, Nov. 12, in the school board meeting room at Summerland Public School. President Nate Schwager called the meeting, which was advertised in the Nov. 5, 2025, newspapers, to order at 7 p.m. Schwager noted the Nebraska Open Meetings Act posted in the boardroom. Roll call was taken. Present: Ryan Ahlers, Chelsie McLain, Schwager, Scott Thiele, Jeremy Wagner. Absent: Austin Twibell. Motion by...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION September 10, 2025 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Wednesday, Sept. 10, immediately following the tax request hearing. President Schwager called the meeting, which was advertised in the Sept. 3, 2025, newspapers, to order at 7:12 p.m. Schwager noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the boardroom. Roll call was taken. All board members were present: Ryan Ahlers, Chelsi McLain, Nate Schwager, Scott Thiele, Austin Twibell, Jeremy Wagner. The Pledge of...
The next Miss Clearwater Rodeo will either be from Clearwater, Atkinson or Plainview. Kaylee Thiele, of Clearwater; Aubrey Blackburn, of Atkinson; and Jozlyn Anderson, of Plainview, will begin the journey toward the 2025 crown, Friday, June 27, at 2 p.m. Horsemanship competition will be held in the Gene Snodgrass Arena. Queen Coordinator Devon Baum said, "Horsemanship is a large part of obtaining and holding a rodeo queen title and holds a lot of weight with our judges." Contestants will...
One Summerland track and field standout landed on the medal stand, Friday, during the Nebraska School Activities Association Class C State Track and Field Championships at Omaha Burke Stadium. Junior Ryan Rifer competed in high jump, earning the fifth-place medal. The Bobcat jumper cleared 5' 10 inches and 6 feet without error. He missed his first attempt at 6' 2 inches, but made adjustments and cleared the bar on his second run. When the bar bumped up to 6' 4 inches, Rifer missed twice,...
Two Summerland track and field standouts will have one final time to show why they belong among the this year's best. Senior Lydia Robertson and junior Ryan Rifer will compete in high jump in the Nebraska School Activities Association Class C State Track and Field Championships at Omaha Burke Stadium. Rifer will compete with 22 other athletes at 9:30 a.m., Friday, May 23. Robertson joins 19 other jumpers for an 11:30 a.m. start on Saturday, May 24....
The Nebraska School Activities Association announces the student recipients of the Winter 2024-2025 Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association Academic All-State Awards. Since 2006 this NSAA awards program has recognized students who meet the criteria for nomination by their school in the season of their activity. Each year, the NSAA and the NCPA recognize students during fall, winter, and spring seasons who are nominated by their schools for their individual academic excellence, leadership,...
The Nebraska School Activities Association and the Nebraska State College System recently announced the 15,246 recipients of the 2024-2025 Nebraska State Colleges Multi-Activity Student Award. The award recognizes students in grades 9-12 who participate in at least three NSAA sanctioned activities during the academic year. Each high school student who participates in at least three NSAA activities will be recognized and awarded a certificate of achievement by the NSAA and the Nebraska State Colleges. Activity participation will be tracked...
The Summerland Board of Education learned several staff members will depart at the end of the school year. Board president Nate Schwager read a resignation letter from Lisa Cook, a mathematics teacher. Superintendent Molly Aschoff said Ashley Koenig, a Ewing graduate, will fill the vacancy. Koenig currently teaches business at Creighton Community Schools. “She will be teaching junior high math and will take the Praxis test to get that certification,” Aschoff said. “With a strong math depar...
Redemption came in two forms for the Summerland Bobcats boys basketball team Saturday. After falling short of their title hopes, the Bobcats rebounded with a 55-48 win over West Holt to claim third place at the 2025 NSAA Boys State Basketball Championships. Following a tough semifinal loss to eventual state champion Archbishop Bergan, Summerland responded with resilience, proving they belonged among Nebraska's best. The win also avenged a Feb. 8 loss to West Holt in the GNAC title game and...
The fourth-seeded Summerland Bobcats will face Exeter Milligan Friend, Thursday, in the opening round of the 2025 Nebraska School Activities Association Class C2 Boys Basketball Championships. Tipoff is set for 10:45 a.m., at the Devaney Center in Lincoln. A Bobcat win will set up Friday's semifinal matchup against either the top seed, Freeman, or the eighth seed, Bergan. That game will be played at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. Saturday's championship game will take place at Pinnacle Bank Arena,...
To gain momentum, a small action is a good place to start. For the Bobcats, the action was a second quarter run - including 14 in a row for Summerland - that propelled them to the school's first-ever first-round win in the Nebraska School Activities Association Championships, beating Exeter-Milligan/Friend, 68-55. "Fantastic win," Brett Kaczor. "Huge crowd, a lot of energy. I thought our kids held their composure." The EMF Bobcats jumped to a 16-9 lead by the end of the first quarter. Kaczor...
Ewing native Cec Vandersnick receives the 2025 Outstanding Service Award for Bowling from the Nebraska School Activities Association. Vandersnick, of Wayne, received the award Feb. 11, during the state bowling championships....
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION Feb. 12, 2025 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in the school board meeting room. President Nate Schwager called the meeting, which was advertised in the Feb. 5, 2025, newspapers to order at 7 p.m. Schwager noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the boardroom. Roll call: Ryan Ahlers, Chelsi McLain, Nate Schwager, Scott Thiele, Austin Twibell, Jeremy Wagner. All board members present. Motion by Wagner, seconded by Thiele, to...
District Judge Mark Johnson will retire after a law career spanning more than four decades. The Nebraska Supreme Court recently announced Johnson's retirement, which is effective Jan. 15. In his retirement announcement to Gov. Jim Pillen, Johnson said, "It has been a distinct honor and privilege to have served as district judge of the Seventh Judicial of the State of Nebraska since April 24, 2013." The judge thanked courthouse staff for their "help, humor and assistance every day in such a...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION DEC. 11, 2024 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. President Steven Thiele called the meeting, which was advertised in the Dec. 4, 2024, newspapers, to order at 7 p.m. Pres. Thiele noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the boardroom. Roll call was taken, with all board members present: Ed Nordby, Nate Schwager, Scott Thiele, Steven Thiele, Austin Twibell and Jeremy Wagner. Motion by Wagner, seconded by Twibell, to approve the...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION Nov. 13, 2024 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 in the board meeting room. President Steve Thiele called the regular meeting, which was advertised in the Nov. 6, 2024, newspapers, to order at 7:01 p.m. President Thiele noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the boardroom. Roll call was taken, with all board members present: Ed Nordby, Nate Schwager, Scott Thiele, Steve Thiele, Austin Twibell, Jeremy Wagner. Motion by Schwager,...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION Oct. 16, 2024 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Wednesday, Oct. 16, in the school board meeting room. President Steve Thiele called the meting, which was advertised in the Oct. 9, 2024, newspapers, to order at 7 p.m. Thiele noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the board room. Roll call was taken at 7 p.m. All board members were present: Ed Nordby, Nate Schwager, Scott Thiele, Steve Thiele, Austin Twibell, Jeremy Wagner. Motion by Wagner, seconded by...
