Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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REGULAR AND BUDGET PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES Sept. 14, 2022 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room for a hearing on the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget and regular meeting. Budget hearing opened at 7:31 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger and notice was given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kevin Filsinger, Steve Han...
Fifty years ago, women’s volleyball wasn’t even a varsity sport at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Fast forward a half century and Nebraska volleyball is must-see entertainment. Matches at the Devaney Center are standing room only. The Huskers again led the nation in home attendance last year with crowds averaging over 8,200 per match. And their national championship match against Wisconsin in December broke collegiate volleyball records for both in-person attendance (18,755) and TV vie...
REGULAR PROCEEDINGS Village of Clearwater BOARD OF TRUSTEES August 8, 2022 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met in regular session Monday, August 8, at 8 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Meeting opened at 8:01 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger and notice was given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kevin Filsinger, Steve Hankla, Kelly Kerkman, Jeff Schlecht. Others present: Kate Ahlers, Kyle...
For two years, processors and producers across rural Nebraska have fought hard to get a program to improve and expand Nebraska's meat processing capabilities approved and established. Their work, along with that of the Nebraska Legislature and staff at Nebraska Department of Agriculture, has paid off as grant applications for the Independent Processor Assistance Program are now being accepted. This development is not only good news to processors who've spent the last two years doing everything...
I’m not sure there is a food in the world that says “summer” more than watermelon. Although it’s early in the season, we eat it at Memorial Day cook-outs. The Fourth of July isn’t a proper celebration without this tasty treat. And we say good-bye to meteorological summer with a cold, crisp melon on Labor Day weekend. And don’t forget all those family reunions and backyard barbecues in between. For lots of reasons, I didn’t get to know my dad’s parents very well, but I do remember visiti...
While traveling the Third District in recent weeks, I have been encouraged by the expertise and creativity our communities possess and sobered by the challenges we face. We have much to be thankful for, but there is also no shortage to the adversity we must overcome. After closely monitoring the recent severe wildfires across southern Nebraska, I joined Governor Ricketts, Nebraska National Guard Adjutant General Daryl Bohac and other local officials earlier this week to survey the devastation...
Large or small, all farms and ranches are important to our country’s agriculture sector. Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service conducts the Census of Agriculture. The goal is to get a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Information collected includes land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures. The census sets out to capture information for ope...
1. Every county has a U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center that houses Farm Service Agency and National Resource Conservation Services. This is where farmers and landowners go to access their programs. As a renter, you can still work with these agencies. 2. With FSA and NRCS, you can access financial assistance through conservation programs, farming loans and disaster assistance. 3. What are farm numbers? As a farmer, renter or landowner, you need a farm number to access NRCS or FSA pro...
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture announced Friday, an order cancelling all poultry events across Nebraska, due to highly pathogenic avian influenza. The order prohibits birds of any type at events including, but not limited to, fairs, expositions, swap meets, exotic sales and live bird auctions. The order is effective immediately and will be in effect until May 1, at which time the order will be reevaluated. “The decision to cancel poultry events was not taken lightly but is a necessary s...
REGULAR PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 14, 2022 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met in regular session Monday, March 14, at 8 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Meeting opened at 8 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger and notice was given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kevin Filsinger, Kelly Kerkman, Steve Hankla, Cody Kester, Steve Stearns. Others present: Kate Ahlers, K...
On March 1, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development announced the availability of $19.75 million in total funding for projects as part of the Value-Added Producer Grants program. Individual farmers and ranchers, as well as agricultural businesses and producer groups, may apply for the grants, which must be used to develop new products or expand existing markets for value-added products. The applicant must produce at least 50% of the raw agricultural product to which value is being added...
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture is urging poultry owners to monitor flocks for signs of the avian influenza. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed HPAI in commercial and/or backyard flocks in Iowa, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York and Virginia. As of Friday, the virus has not been found in Nebraska. “While we have not seen HPAI in Nebraska since 2015, protecting the health of pountry in the state is a top priority,” said state veterinarian Dr. Roger Dudley. The virus can cause sudden death in birds,...
NOTICE OF MEETING LOCAL WORKING GROUP NRCS and UENRD The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, along with the Upper Elkhorn NRD, will be holding a Local Working Group meeting at the Upper Elkhorn NRD, 301 North Harrison St., O’Neill, NE 68763 on March 24, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., to discuss natural resource conservation program priorities. The meeting is open to the public. For individuals needing special accommodations, please contact 402-336-3796, ext.3. Published March 10, 2022 ZNEZ...
KALEE OLSON Policy associate Center for Rural Affairs The U.S. departments of Agriculture and Justice recently launched an online tool designed to help farmers and ranchers submit anonymous comments about anticompetitive behavior in the meat and poultry industries. The website–farmerfairness.gov–is part of an action plan developed by the Biden-Harris Administration to further investigate and address unfair practices that harm meat producers and consumers. The tool consists of a simple, fou...
A new federal program is offering grant funding for rural communities to develop community renewable energy projects. The Rural Energy Pilot Program, launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will provide up to $10 million in grant funding to connect underserved rural communities to the benefits of community-scale renewable energy. The program aims to help communities cut energy costs, reduce pollution, and address climate change. Funds will be awarded in the form of cost-share grants for...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES Jan. 10, 2022 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met in regular session Monday, Jan. 10, at 7:30 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Meeting opened at 7:29 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger and notice was given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kevin Filsinger, Kelly Kerkman, Mike Klabenes, Steve Hankla. Others present: Lauren Sheridan-Simonson, Kate...
If I had been locked in a cave over the past few days with only Words With Friends on my phone to keep me occupied, I still would have known it was the New Year's holiday weekend. Even without my calendar app, Facebook or the Internet (except for the WWF connection), I would have known it was Jan. 1, 2022. How? Because all of a sudden every other ad that popped up between games was for NutriSystem or Weight Watchers. Marie Osmond and Oprah were working overtime. Because with the New Year comes... Full story
With the Biden administration focused on addressing climate change, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced plans for the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Initiative. As they move forward with development, it’s crucial USDA works with existing private sector markets. However, the support should not duplicate efforts, nor should a federal program facilitate transactions of carbon sequestration payments to producers. Instead, leaders of this proposed program s...
REGULAR PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES December 13, 2021 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met in regular session Monday, Dec. 13, at 8 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Meeting opened at 8 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger and notice was given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kevin Filsinger, Kelly Kerkman, Mike Klabenes, Steve Hankla, Steve Stearns. Others present: Lauren...
REGULAR PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES November 8, 2021 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met in regular session Monday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Meeting opened at 6:59 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger and notice was given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kelly Kerkman, Steve Hankla, Steve Stearns, Kevin Filsinger, Mike Klabenes. Others present: Lauren...
A large number of America's military veterans have returned home to civilian careers and often want to continue the service mission they committed to in the armed forces. Many veterans from rural areas have found that mission through farming and ranching. These farmer-veterans provide food, protect natural resources, and contribute to the vitality of their local communities while running their own businesses. With the average age of a U.S. farmer at nearly 60 years, and millions of acres...
Turkey basics If this is your first time preparing a turkey, here are a few pointers to keep in mind. These safety tips and recommendations come from the United States Department of Agriculture. Before you start cooking: Thaw the turkey, if frozen. If you haven't yet taken it out of the freezer, do it soon. Thaw it in its original package on a tray. Allow almost 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. A 12- to 16-pound turkey will take 3 to 4 days to thaw in the refrigerator. If you forget to tha... Full story
Creating a safe environment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic often means additional expenses for farmers, farmers markets, food processors and distributors. A new U.S. Department of Agriculture program may be able to help. The Pandemic Response and Safety Grants program provides funding to help small-scale specialty crop producers and processors, other select producers, meat and other processors, distributors and farmers markets recover some of the costs incurred, including for measures to...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES Sept. 13, 2021 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met in regular session Monday, Sept. 13, at 7:30 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Meeting opened at 7:28 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger and notice was given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kelly Kerkman, Steve Hankla, Steve Stearns, Kevin Filsinger, Mike Klabenes. Others present: Lauren...
Representatives moved forward the $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act, which includes investments in roads, bridges, other major public infrastructure projects and broadband. One of the most significant funding allotments in the bill is in the realm of digital infrastructure. Some 30 million Americans, mostly rural, are still without the infrastructure for standard internet access speeds. In Nebraska, for example, 26% of residents do not have adequate access to high speed...
