Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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When Scott and I were newlyweds, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, concocting recipes, using him as a guinea pig for my culinary creations. Most mornings, he’d swing the tractor into the driveway and stop for breakfast around 8:30. Usually, I’d dish up eggs over easy on perfectly toasted wheat bread, or if I felt ambitious, pancakes from scratch, topped with sweet butter and homemade strawberry syrup. Stuffed, he’d head out to feed cattle and I’d clean up and start lunch prep. Some days, t...
In the past five months, Congress has responded to the coronavirus public health crisis with several emergency relief measures, including the stimulus checks sent to individuals and households, payroll protections to small businesses, expanded unemployment payments, fee waivers for borrowing against 401(K) plans and more. Now, Congress will get the opportunity to pass a relief measure that protects your access to trustworthy local news, helps grow local businesses through ads placed in local...
After more than 50 years of reporting, writing and distributing stories, an Albion couple sent something unusual off to print: a for-sale ad for their newspaper business. Jim and Julie Dickerson own three weekly papers in Boone County: the Albion News and Petersburg Press — both of which they have owned for 13 years — and The St. Edward Advance, which they have owned since 2018. They are looking to sell all three. Jim Dickerson, 67, writes and reports on meetings and community events, and Jul...
A couple of weeks ago, a lifelong friend and I took a road trip through Western and North Central Nebraska. We checked out Chimney Rock, the Scotts Bluff National Monument, Toadstool Geologic Park near Crawford and the Niobrara River near Valentine. Social distancing was not a problem. The first night of that five-day trip we spent in Oshkosh, where I grew up and where my travel companion and I met on her third birthday. Her family was new to the neighborhood, her mom was looking for enough...
Sandwiches have come a long way since the bologna-on-white-bread standard fare I used to take to Girl Scout day camp or Vacation Bible School. This past weekend I had two yummy sandwiches from a great deli and bakery in Valentine. One was an Italian on a focaccia bun and included salami, pepperoni, pastrami, mozzarella, tomato, onion, bell pepper, lettuce and olives, topped with a creamy Italian sauce that was made in-house. The second was a Reuben on marble rye bread. Although it featured the...
Shooting sports participants put their skills to the test, July 12, during competition held at the 4-H exhibit building and Antelope County Shooter's Club, in Neligh. Archery, BB gun, air rifle and pistol, smallbore rifle and pistol, shotgun and muzzleloading are taught through the 4-H program, which focuses on safety and responsible handling and use. Archery participants scored points during target practice and ventured through a wooded area, searching for 3-D targets. At the exhibit building,...
We made it. Happy first anniversary to the Advocate-Messenger family. One year ago, Jenna, Cassidy, Sandy and I were using my dining room table as a desk and took over the Schindler hacienda, creating and putting the pieces together for the inaugural issue. Quite a bit has changed in 12 months: we purchased The Office building in Clearwater, waded through the pandemic, applied for our periodicals postal permit (what an experience!) and have hired a veteran community journalist to join our staff...
ERIN SCHOENBERG Project Associate Center for Rural Affairs Recently, rural Americans have missed out on many services usually offered in their communities. However, library employees have worked even harder to provide for their patrons. For example, in Wayne, library staff have stepped up to show their community how resilient small-town libraries can be. A week after closing to the public, the library initiated curbside book pickup. They are also offering virtual assistance to patrons through online resources like Ebooks and audiobooks, online...
Some weeks, I know exactly what I want to say when it comes to this column. The idea takes root and over the weekend, I write and rewrite in my mind before committing word to paper. Other weeks, it seems like a million ideas swirl and nothing catches my complete attention. That’s sort of how I feel this week: a lot of words could be written on multiple topics, but I’m not sure there’s anything new to say about politics, the state of the nation, defunding police and the virus that disru...
Twenty-nine-forty – an accounting code that identifies an Antelope County Law Enforcement Center fund – has become a familiar term during Antelope County commissioner dialog, as well as a point of contention between county officials. The “special revenue” account was formed after the Law Enforcement Center went into operation in 2015. In the ensuing years, the balance in the account has grown to more than $400,000 from fees charged for housing prisoners from other counties and law enforcement services provided to several Antelope County...
This is my favorite time of year. Sweet summer is in full swing, sun lights the sky until late evening, we fire up the grill nightly and outdoor activities occupy spare time. Summertime means my favorite holiday is only a few days away. I have always preferred the Fourth of July to other holidays. It reminds me of family time, baseball games, picnic lunches, swimming and fireworks. What’s more perfect than that? My all-time favorite Fourth story includes a family softball game at my g...
When you hear the word "barbecue," what's the first thing you think of? Throwing a couple of steaks or burgers on the grill and inviting the family over for a Father's Day cook-out (keeping socially distant of course)? That metal thing in your backyard that cooks those steaks or burgers using either gas or charcoal? Or the sauce you find in the grocery store next to the ketchup and mustard? Well, if your answer is yes to any of those three thoughts, then, well I hate to tell you this, but...
We all have one, an area where our view is obstructed. A blind spot corresponds to a specific area in one’s eye that is insenstive to light, where the optic nerve connects with the retina. At that junction, an interruption distorts the normal pattern of light-sensitive rods and cones. We also have a blind spot while driving, even though some of us do not want to admit it. It’s that tricky area to the side and slightly behind our field of vision that is not reflected in the rearview mirror. Many...
While we have all done our best to stay healthy and safe during the coronavirus pandemic, rural communities have risen above the challenges forced upon them during this unprecedented time and shown what true fortitude and grit look like - coming together to make sure neighbors, friends and family are safe, well-fed and cared for. One sector—rural grocery stores—has stepped up to provide for their customers. During the onslaught of new restrictions and regulations, people started panic buy...
The Antelope County commissioners are considering a bond to finance extensive road repairs. “I think a big topic at this meeting will be what we will do with our oil roads, after our discussion last week,” commissioner Dean Smith said during the commissioners’ May 11 meeting at the courthouse in Neligh. He had contacted Tobin Buchanan with First National Capital Markets, who had previously worked with the county, to inquire about bond terms to finance potential major repair costs, “to look at options on how we are going to go forward with th...
It’s been said that each fingerprint is unique. I contend a person’s handwriting tells a similar story. Dad’s handwriting - beginning to appear a bit shaky - is the quintessential teacher script: perfectly formed letters looped together in an orderly vertical cadence. Mom’s handwriting featured precise strokes, making it easy to read. Each capital letter, a flourish of serif elements and wide spacing. Even my children’s handwriting is distinct. Cassie’s resembles groupings of thinly-form...
MATTHEW ADELMAN National Newspaper Association president We need to get through this time and tighten our belts, just as we have through two World Wars, terrorist attacks and other epidemics Newspapers in the United States have traveled rough seas to the First Amendment freedoms we enjoy today. From the colonial Stamp Act through wartime censorship to today, when thousands of newspapers were slammed with the public health emergency known as COVID-19, people who work for newspapers have never had completely smooth sailing. Now most of the...
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...
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 and has become a time to celebrate Mexican culture. While Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a small regional holiday in Mexico, it's become a popular celebration in the United States, recognizing the significant historical and cultural contributions of Mexico and Mexican-Americans. To make merry on this occasion, serve empanadas, a popular Mexican street food, or some tasty...
Antelope County Commissioners approved a motion during an emergency meeting, March 18, to limit access to the courthouse. Beginning March 19, individuals needing to conduct business with local officials will be required to make an appointment with a specific office. The change will be in effect until April 7, or as deemed necessary by Centers for Disease Control and/or state officials. A list of office phone numbers and email addresses will appear on all courthouse doors. Visitors will be met...
Antelope County Commissioners approved a motion during an emergency meeting, March 18, to limit access to the courthouse. Beginning March 19, individuals needing to conduct business with local officials will be required to make an appointment with a specific office. The change will be in effect until April 7, or as deemed necessary by Center for Disease Control and/or state officials. A list of office phone numbers and email addresses will appear on all courthouse doors. Visitors will be met at...
By now, you’ve more than likely seen photos on social media or in other media outlets showing bare shelves in grocery stores. Those photos give the appearance that America is running out of food (and toilet paper, but that’s another issue). Those photos lead to unnecessary panic and anxiety. While a picture is worth a thousand words, those photos don’t tell the whole story. Ask dairy farmers and meat producers. The food supply chain isn’t empty. In many cases, a large surplus of goods is stoc...
Sometimes, human nature amazes me ... and not in a good way. The entire coronavirus conversation makes me shake my head. While I understand worse-case scenarios are often used as a prompt to get people to think, a little common sense, a dollop of soap and a lot of hot water should clear up any misconceptions. Here’s what we know for sure: • As of March 9, 555 confirmed cases have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with individuals from 35 states and the District of...
You could always tell when I had attended a faculty meeting. The margin of my legal pad was outlined with daisies of all sizes and colors, a result of sitting through the bi-monthly after-school requirement. As soon as the principal uttered his last words, I’d slip across the hallway, toss the paper on my desk and start speech practice. Those doodles were the closest thing to art I could create. Don’t get me wrong. I can visualize how something should look, see how texture and color add dim...
American playwright Arthur Miller wrote, “A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself.” What happens when a newspaper quits talking? One community in Nebraska is discovering the effect of no longer having a local newspaper. When Coleridge residents received the Jan. 1 edition of the Coleridge Blade, a bold hammer headline stretched across the top of the page: Final edition. The paper, published for 131 years, was part of the Northeast Nebraska News Company, which owns new...
