Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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By the time you read this, state senators are expected to be trudging back to Lincoln for a special session on property tax relief. The word "trudging" reflects the general distaste senators have for special sessions, which disrupts the lives of these part-time, underpaid ($12,000 a year plus all you can eat and drink) lawmakers. Generally, special sessions are called to address emergencies, such as a court ruling that renders laws or taxes untenable, or an economic downturn that requires...
REGULAR PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES July 15, 2024 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met for a regular meeting Monday, July 15, at 7 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Meeting opened at 7:02 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger, was posted at US Post Office in Clearwater, Clearwater Market and Cornerstone Bank-Clearwater and was given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kelly...
Many have tried, and few have succeeded in expanding the state’s sales tax base by taxing things now exempt from taxation. But that is where Gov. Jim Pillen is venturing in his pursuit of property tax relief. His initial plan, which failed to win approval in the state Legislature this spring, would have imposed new taxes on a host of items that could be labeled “low-hanging fruit.” I mean who’s going to get upset if we start imposing taxes on edibles infused with hemp, those slot machine...
Scotti Fullbright 1951-2024 Scotti Dean Fullbright, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, was promoted to his 'Long Home' on May 28, in Wichita, Kansas, after battling an infection in his body for several months. He was born June 3, 1951, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to parents Paul and Myrna (Wilcox) Fullbright. He was a rambunctious child by all accounts and his early life was punctuated by tragedy when his father passed away suddenly when he was just 13. In his high school years, his...
Let's face it, Nebraska has high property taxes, the seventh highest in the country according to the Tax Foundation, which tracks such things. "Lots of land, not a lot of people," has always been the catchphrase, which translates into a higher burden of property taxes. But I almost fell out of my chair when Gov. Jim Pillen proposed, initially, to raise the state's sales taxes by two cents to achieve property tax relief. Never did I imagine that a conservative Republican governor would propose a...
Scotti Dean Fullbright, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend was promoted to his 'Long Home' on May 28, 2024, in Wichita, Kansas, after battling an infection in his body for several months. He was born on June 3, 1951, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Paul and Myrna (Wilcox) Fullbright. He was a rambunctious child by all accounts and his early life was punctuated by tragedy when his father passed away suddenly when he was just 13. In his high school years, his family, including siblings...
REGULAR PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES May 13, 2024 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met for a regular meeting Monday, May 13, at 7 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Meeting opened at 7 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger, was posted at US Post Office in Clearwater, Clearwater Market and Cornerstone Bank-Clearwater and was given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kelly Kerkman, Co...
Antelope County Commissioners revisited the question of who is responsible for upgrades to an unimproved road when they met May 7 at the Antelope County Courthouse in Neligh. Last month, officials denied a zoning permit for Gary Yoder, for property adjacent to 512 Avenue, where Yoder is constructing a residence. County attorney Joe Smith told commissioners the property is owned by an Amish family, who is constructing a house at the location. "The first quarter mile going up to it isn't bad. The...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION April 15, 2024 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Monday, April 15, 2024, at 7 p.m. President Steve Thiele called the meeting, which was advertised in the April 10 newspapers,to order at 7 p.m. Thiele noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the board room. Attendance was taken. All board members were present: Ed Nordby, Nate Schwager, Scott Thiele, Steve Thiele, Austin Twibell, Jeremy Wagner. Motion by Twibell, seconded by Schwager, to approve the agenda as...
Summerland Public Schools will potentially add two vehicles to its fleet, using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to pay the bill. The district currently has $153,629 in untapped pandemic-related federal funds available. During the board's April meeting, held Monday, Superintendent Kyle Finke suggested the district purchase a 65-passenger Thomas bus with approximately 32,000 miles, for $92,650. "It's coming off a lease," he said. A year ago, the district purchased a bus...
How does Antelope County define an unimproved road? "An unimproved road is defined as any officially-declared minimum maintenance road and any road not graded or contains surfacing material," county zoning administrator Megan Wingate told commissioners. The question of who is responsible for upgrades to an unimproved road occupied discussion amongst commissioners when they met in regular session, April 2 and again April 9. According to county attorney Joe Smith, county resident Gary Yoder...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska March 12, 2024 Chairman opened the meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Approved agenda. Approved minutes of the 3-5-2024 BOC meeting. Approved payroll. Approved vendor claims. General: AMERITAS LIFE INS CORP ins 19,047.64; ANTELOPE CO COURT ex 168.00; APPEARA ex 35.31; APPLIED CONN TECH ex 4,829.82; BLACK HILLS ENERGY ut 2,697.68; BCBS ins 60,532.81; BOMGAARS ex 191.93; BROGAN & STAFFORD ex 616.75; CANDLEWOOD SUITES ex 319.90; CARNEY LAW ex 15,209.00;...
A section of 510 Avenue, between 869th and 870th Road, will be the subject of a road study following action by Holt County supervisors, Feb. 5. The board accepted a petition to close/vacate the road and ordered county highway superintendent Gary Connot to conduct the study. The motion was unanimously approved, with the exception of supervisor Scott Keyes, who was absent. Supervisors also approved a lease for a skid steer, with NMC CAT, for $8,500 for one year or 250 hours. In other business,...
When Gavin Whiting was a freshman at Summerland Public Schools, he decided to attend the kickoff meeting for a new activity - FFA. "I didn't know much about it ... It sounded like fun, so I figured I'd give it a try," said Whiting, who resides on a farm southwest of Ewing. That was two years and multiple FFA experiences ago. Since then, Whiting has participated in a variety of agriculture classes at Summerland Public Schools, participated in FFA leadership and career activities and currently...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION Feb. 12, 2024 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Vice president Nate Schwager opened the meeting, which was advertised in the Feb. 7, 2024 newspapers, to order at 7 p.m. Schwager noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the board room. Roll call was taken. Members present: Ed Nordby, Nate Schwager, Scott Thiele, Austin Twibell, Jeremy Wagner. Absent: Steve Thiele. Motion by Nordby, seconded by Wagner, to approve the absence of Steve...
For years, Brian Ferris and Mike Tabbert have talked about opening a restaurant. Talk will turn into reality as the duo opens Two Bills Steakhouse, in Clearwater, this spring. "This (site) came available and we saw it not just as opening a business but serving the community, not just the Clearwater community where the restaurant is home, but the entire Summerland community because there is not a steakhouse around," Tabbert said. The steakhouse and bar will occupy the former L-Bar-B building, at...
Summerland Public School Board of Education will consider contracts for a teaching position and accept a staff resignation when they meet in regular session, Monday, Feb. 12. The meeting is set to begin in the school’s board room at 7 p.m. The board will also take action on contracts for elementary principal Cathy Cooper and junior/senior high school principal Zach Rosenboom. Other items of interest include discussion on the 2024-2025 school calendar, summer lawn care and the school’s Ret...
I was not shocked, just disappointed when Governor Jim Pillen announced that he was going to reduce Nebraska's collective property taxes by $2 billion this year, somehow. Imagine that. In a short session in what also happens to be an election year, but without a specific plan, the first-term Republican is going to achieve a 40% property tax reduction in a single year. "I'm committed. I'm all in. The problem has to be solved," he said. As he has before, he talked again about a hard cap on local...
Following notification of approval from Archbishop George Lucas and an onsite progress check from the archdiocese's Pastoral Planning Office on Nov. 9, plans for reorganization for Catholic Parishes in Partnership, including Ewing, Deloit and Clearwater churches, will continue to take shape. Changes through reoganization, as outlined by the local Pastoral Planning Committee, include merging eight churches into two, newly-formed parishes; streamlining administration into one office, forming two...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dec. 13, 2023 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met for a regular meeting Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Meeting opened at 7 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in “Summerland Advocate-Messenger,” was posted at US Post Office in Clearwater, Clearwater Market and Cornerstone Bank-Clearwater and was given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kelly Ker...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION Dec. 13, 2023 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, at 7 p.m. President Steve Thiele opened the meeting, which was advertised in the Dec. 6 newspapers, to order at 7 p.m. Thiele noted the Open Meetings Act posted in the room. Roll call was taken. Present: Ed Nordby, Nate Schwager, Scott Thiele, Steve Thiele, Austin Twibell, Jeremy Wagner. Motion by Wagner, seconded by Twibell, to approve the agenda as presented. Voting aye: Nordby,...
Summerland board of education members will learn how the district approaches the state’s American civics requirement when the board meets in regular session, Wednesday, Dec. 13. The meeting is scheuled to begin at 6 p.m., in the board room. Per state statute, the American Civics Committee is required to meet twice annually when public testimony can be entered into the record. Also included in new business, board members will discuss the 2024-2025 certificated staff negotiated agreement, take a...
Ed. note: This is the second in a series about Clearwater's downtown revitalization efforts. When Clearwater village officials receive the Downtown Revitalization Capital Improvement Plan, it will include proposed improvements at focus areas, which were unveiled Nov. 8, during an open house at the American Legion. Additionally, it will outline what types of infrastructure and streetscape improvements may best fit the village, based on feedback from visitors during the open house. Bobbi Pettit,...
Clearwater residents received a sneak peak of what the village's business district could look like, Nov. 8, during an open house at the American Legion. Bobbi Pettit, owner of Five Rule Rural Planning, along with other members of the planning team, shared concepts designed by architect Patrick Moore, an architect with Good Life Architecture, in Kearney; landscape architect Austin Arens, with RDG Planning & Design in Omaha; and John Zwingman, civil engineer with Advanced Consulting Engineering...
A journalism friend of mine recently hit a milestone birthday - she’s 65 now and thinks she will officially retire from the daily grind of deadlines and late night writing sessions which have fueled much of her newspaper career. She’s a community journalist at heart, a farmer’s wife who spends her down time gathering eggs from the chicken coop and maneuvering a grain cart in tandem with the big red combine, harvesting rows of corn and soybeans. There are grandkids to spend time with, committee r...
