Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 1001 - 1025 of 1169
Powdery particles of soil sifted through the air Friday afternoon, as school officials broke ground on the Summerland school project. Summerland Board Committee members, along with original boards of education from Clearwater, Ewing and Orchard, each tossed a shovel full of earth to commemorate the occasion, while practicing social distancing measures throughout the ceremony. Dirt work on the site, situated at the intersection of 513 Avenue and Summerland Road, began nearly six weeks ago....
Throughout the past few months, the world has seen many challenges circling around. However, when things get tough, there is always something positive to come out of it. After undergoing the call process, Pastor Ryan Janke accepted the call to preach at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Orchard and St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Venus. Originally from Winside, Janke attended Wayne State College for social sciences, graduating in 2012. Two weeks later, on May 19, he married Danielle. The couple moved t...
When Clearwater, Ewing and Orchard seniors went to school March 16, they did not know it would be the last time they attended school with their classmates. The three school districts announced they would be closed, due to coronavirus concerns, for a two-week period beginning March 17. A week later, administrators announced the remainder of the school year would be completed at home, based on recommendations from local health officials, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and Dr. Matt Blomstedt, comm... Full story
Orchard principal Cathy Cooper told Orchard board members that graduation is still planned, when the original and advisory boards met recently. She said graduation will “definitely” take place, but factors regarding timing will have to be worked out. Cooper is consulting with other administrators in the Unified district regarding graduation and other end-of-year award ceremonies. “Safety is obviously the first priority,” she said. “We definitely want to recognize our seniors…We’re still planning for graduation…there are just so many things that...
The Orchard community will host a cruise night for the class of 2020, Friday, April 24. Cruising will begin at 6 p.m. At 8, the football field lights will be turned on for 20 minutes in honor of the seniors. Jim Schutt, class sponsor, will recognize each member. Dusty's and Sugarz will offer meal specials during the event. Attendees are reminded to observe social distancing and to stay in cars, with windows up....
The St. Peter Lutheran Church, in Orchard, has been going through the process of calling a new pastor. At the quarterly congregational voter's meeting, Jan. 26, discussion was held about updating the church's parsonage, located directly south of the church. The parsonage is over 40 years old. Around 20 volunteers began to update the parsonage just a few days after the meeting. Church member Lynae Stelling said, "Many of the volunteers were farmers who were happy to have a warm place to work on s...
Chance Boelter, a senior at Orchard Public School, was one of 120 students selected to represent the Best of 2020 by KCAU TV in Sioux City, Iowa. The program, in its 37th year, recognizes area valedictorians or top academically-ranked students. Originally, students would have met April 29 for a luncheon and photo; however, due to COVID-19 restrictions the event has been canceled. Boelter, along with others, will be featured in an on-air video salute, beginning May 1....
Douglas D. Carpenter, 43, of Neligh, was sentenced by the Honorable Donna Taylor in Antelope County court last Wednesday, April 15, for a crime committed Aug. 31, 2019, in Neligh. Taylor sentenced him to three days in the Antelope County Jail and a $500 fine and taxed $69.22 costs of prosecution. Carpenter was convicted of a Class 2 misdemeanor, criminal attempt-stalking, after entering a plea deal last month. Carpenter was arrested by Neligh police and charged with three counts Sept. 1, 2019, Count I, stalking, a Class 1 misdemeanor; Count...
June 30 retirement of longtime Antelope County clerk of the district court, Judy Cole was announced during the April 14 meeting of the Antelope County commissioners. The meeting was held via video conference, with commissioner Eli Jacob and chairman Charlie Henery present in the meeting room, along with clerk Lisa Payne. Commissioners Dean Smith, Regina Krebs and Carolyn Pedersen participated remotely via Zoom. Sheriff Bob Moore, county attorney Joe Abler, zoning administrator Liz Doerr and...
On a typical Easter, local churches fill with worshipers celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. This year, Easter was anything but typical. Church doors were shut during Sunday's services, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on God's houses. Instead, local pastors offered online services, streaming on smart devices and computers in Summerland-area homes, rejoicing as the stone was rolled away from the front of the tomb and the light of the world reappeared. Mark Hoffman, pastor of Ewing Full...
Private graveside services for James H. Cooper, 81, of Orchard will be at Orchard Hill Cemetery in rural Orchard. James died April 12, at his home in Orchard, surrounded by his family. Snider Memorial Funeral Home of Clearwater is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be directed to the family at www.snidermemorialfh.com. ~~~ Jim Cooper, son of Pete and Darlene (Thompsen) Cooper, was born Oct. 13, 1938, in Antelope County. He attended country school and then Orchard Public School, where he...
Six area students received Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association and Nebraska School Activities Association academic all-state honors for winter 2019-2020 activities. James Kester, a Clearwater senior, received the award for wrestling. Ewing senior Ashley Koenig and Orchard junior Avery Cheatum were recognized for girls’ basketball. Ewing seniors Katie Hawk and Liz Nordby received the award for speech participation. Students are nominated by coaches and the nomination is based on individual academic excellence, leadership and c...
Nebraska Unified Board of Education will meet Monday, April 13, via Zoom, and at Orchard Public School. At 7:15 p.m., a budget hearing will be heard. The regular meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Agendas for each meeting are included. The Zoom can be accessed at https:/zoom.us/j/487439950 Agenda - Budget Hearing 1. Call meeting to order, review Nebraska Open Meetings Act, recognize visitors A. Zoom meeting link - https:/zoom.us/j/487439950 2. Public participation 3. Discussion 4. Adjourn Agenda -...
The Summerland oversight/board committee will meet Wednesday, April 15, at 6 p.m., via Zoom. The meeting may be accessed at https://zoom.us/j/646553 AGENDA 1. Design update and options for new school 2. Zoning/roads update 3. Groundbreaking ceremony 4. Bond update 5. Update on staffing 6. Technology update 7. Policy and procedures for 2020-2021 8. Other possible discussion topics: curriculum and transportation 9. Activities update 10. Adjourn The agenda sequence is provided as a courtesy only. The board reserves the right to consider each item...
Orchard school teachers ventured up, down and across town, Monday, during a parade of educators. Students and parents sat along the village's main street, hollered from the beds of pickup trucks, stood outside their homes and lined the school parking lot, greeting teachers of all grades as they completed the parade route. Some teachers decorated their vehicles with signs reminding students to complete homework. Others relied on witty puns to share messages of encouragement. Visit the...
Clearwater Public School and Orchard Public School announced students who qualified for the principal's honor roll and honor roll for the third quarter of the 2019-2020 school year. Students named to the Clearwater principal's honor roll include Jackie Olivan, Hunter Klabenes, Eli Thiele, Jacob Behnk, Aislynn Kester, Adyson Mlnarik and Kelsey Schlecht. Avery Cheatum, Kaci Wickersham, Mason Hoke, Madison Melcher, Hadley Cheatum, Levi Cronk, Gunnar Shabram, Ashley Melcher, Carter Bergman, Sam...
Elly Herley knew she wanted to see instructor and coach, Scott Leisy, one more time. And, she wanted the rest of the Bobcats girls' basketball team to visit, too. "I wanted to do something for him so he knew how much I cared about and for all he had done for me," Herley said. "I knew from COVID-19 we couldn't gather in a group." So Herley, a junior at Clearwater Public Schools, made a few phone calls and organized a Saturday quarantine cruise night, April 4. One phone call snowballed into...
Antelope County commissioner Eli Jacob, 66, of Clearwater was sentenced Wednesday morning in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh. The Honorable Donna Taylor fined Jacob $500 and ordered him to pay $50 costs for his conviction of official misconduct. The case involved accusations that Jacob took a heating unit from the Orchard county barn Jan. 1, 2019. He pleaded no contest to the Class 2 misdemeanor last month after reaching a plea deal with special Antelope County prosecutor Joseph Smith. Smith told the judge that the heater had been remov...
Chubby Checker's 1959 classic "The Twist" blasted from cars, pickups, SUVs and the occasional minivan traveling the main drag in area towns Saturday night. Unlike a scene from the 1950s or early '60s, carloads of teenagers didn't unload and fill a local malt shop, sharing cheeseburgers and sipping chocolate shakes from separate straws. In the age of COVID-19, participants of the Coronavirus Cruise Night, sponsored by KBRX, in O'Neill, remained in their vehicles, took a few whips along Main...
Five area students have been selected to represent local American Legion posts and auxiliaries at Cornhusker Girls and Boys State. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the students will not have an opportunity to attend the week-long educational sessions, scheduled for May 31 to June 6, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Avery Cheatum, daughter of Dana and Rachael, was chosen to represent Page's auxiliary unit. She is a junior at Orchard Public School. Clearwater Public School junior Elly Herley,...
The Orchard Alumni have decided to postpone the 2020 alumni gathering from May 23 to July 25. Members will be receiving notifications by mail or social media. Alumni festivities will be joining in the activities of the Orchard Celebration Days, July 24 through 26, with an open house/last dance at the school gym on Saturday, July 25, beginning at 2 p.m. There will be time for self-guided tours, photo-ops and visiting. Jerry Stingley, a recent inductee to the Nebraska Music/Nebraska Rocks Hall of Fame will provide music for a last dance in the...
Funeral services for Jacquette "Jackie" Bartak, 84, of Ewing, will be held privately for her family, due to the present healthcare precautions. Burial will be in St. Patrick's Cemetery rural Clearwater. Snider Memorial Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Jackie died March 22 at Antelope Memorial Hospital in Neligh. A memorial service, for the public, will be held at a later date. Condolences may be directed to the family at www.snidermemorialfh.com ~~~ Jacquette Ann Bartak was born July 6,...
Douglas D. Carpenter, 43, of Neligh, who was scheduled to face the Honorable Donna Taylor for a bench trial in the Antelope County courtroom Monday, March 23, reached a plea agreement with prosecutor Joe Abler. Carpenter had pleaded not guilty in October 2019 to Count I, stalking, a Class 1 misdemeanor; Count II, disturbing the peace, a Class 3 misdemeanor; and Count III, resisting arrest, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Per terms of the agreement, Carpenter pleaded no contest to an amended Count I, criminal attempt – stalking, a Class 2 misdemeanor, a...
The need for blood donations is always present. According to Governor Pete Ricketts, approximately 4,000 blood drives across the country have been canceled since the COVID-19 pandemic began. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued a call to action Monday afternoon, requesting healthy and able individuals donate blood. "If you want to contribute, please visit aabb.org/giveblood and make an appointment in advance. This will help manage the influx of incoming donors and ensure social distancing me...
Multiple sightings of bears have been reported across the area. A nationwide movement to hunt bears is underway, since schools have been closed due to COVID-19. Based on the popular children's book, "We're Going on a Bear Hunt," by Michael Rosen, participants are urged to place a teddy bear in a front window of a neighborhood or business district. Then, families can entertain little ones with the viral pastime. The book tells the story of three children and their parents, who, along with the...
