Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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SUBMITTED ARTICLE The Tri-County Titan seniors lost their second straight game June 11 in Orchard. This loss came at the hands of Plainview, 7-14. Ryan Rifer was the starting pitcher, allowing four runs on nine hits and two walks, while striking out 11 batters before exiting the mound due to maximum pitch count. The Titan seniors turned to the bullpen for the remaining 2 1/3 innings. Coach Jeff Shabram said the relief pitchers had a tough time finding the strike zone along with some uncharacteristic errors in the field led to Tri-County’s demis...
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...
Crop insurance provides a safety net for farmers, protecting their operations from loss due to natural perils such as drought, frost, excess moisture, pest infestations or disease. While essential for many farmers, the rules regulating crop insurance have often been at odds with conservation practices. Thanks to recent changes by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency, the implementation of conservation practices supported by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service...
Just when you thought the drought was bad, deserts have started popping up in Nebraska. Pick a topic: childcare; food; maternal health care. They have been discussed in the interim by lawmakers and deserve to be included among bills under consideration next session. It's time to start looking at problems affecting Nebraskans and not the national agenda of one political party. For example, the state could help encourage more doctors to dedicate their time and specialty to labor and delivery care...
There has been no formal request, but speculation runs high that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletic Department may ask for funds to help with the planned $450 million renovation of Memorial Stadium. Earlier this year the Legislature directed $30 million in state funds to Creighton University in Omaha, including millions to help the private school build new baseball and softball stadiums to accommodate needs for the annual College World Series. School officials said the baseball stadium...
Registration is underway for the 15th annual AgCeptional Women’s Conference at Northeast Community College. The conference, with the theme, “Grace, Gratitude, Grit,” will be held Friday, Nov. 17, in the Lifelong Learning Center on the Northeast campus, 601 E. Benjamin Ave., in Norfolk. The AgCeptional Women’s Conference will feature over 20 presenters, including the opening session featured keynote speaker who has had the opportunity to get acquainted with many women in agriculture. Julie Kenney will share the special stories of farm women a...
"For it's a long, long while from May to December But the days grow short when you reach September And the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame..." -- September Song I decided it was time to get out of the office and go see Nebraska. It's been a post-pandemic while since I have done so. I jumped at the chance to ride to Chadron with a friend with numerous stops along the way. Call it a visual checkup to see how the Cornhusker State is holding up amid almost daily reports of increasing...
The Upper Elkhorn Natural Resources District will be taking applications for the expansion of new groundwater irrigated acres during the month of October for the 2024 growing season. There will be up to 150 new groundwater irrigated acres allotted for the purpose of increasing irrigation efficiency. The focus of the 2023 signup will be to finish off pivots with 15 acres or less that have to reverse due to an obstruction not allowing the pivot to complete the circle. The signup is not on a...
With the annual dove season opener on Sept. 1, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has some reminders for hunters, as well as recommendations for areas to hunt. Doves are abundant statewide and, with generous bag limits, provide excellent wing-shooting opportunities. Doves may be hunted statewide Sept. 1 – Oct. 30, 2023, with daily bag and possession limits of 15 and 45, respectively. Bag and possession limits are for mourning, white-winged and Eurasian collared-doves in aggregate. Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise until s...
Nebraska wildlife officials say conditions in certain areas of the state are suitable for the spread of deadly viral diseases among big game populations. They are asking the public to report unexplained death or illnesses of deer, pronghorn, elk and bighorn sheep. Observations of unhealthy big game animals or unexplained deaths should be reported to the nearest Nebraska Game and Parks Commission office. Locations include Alliance, Bassett, Kearney, Gretna, North Platte, Lincoln, Omaha and Norfolk. In big game animals, epizootic hemorrhagic...
It slipped in on an uneventful Tuesday this year, although many towns celebrated on Monday the Third just to give the holiday a long weekend type feel. Maybe it was a little bit easier to remember the true historic origins of the holiday this year, given the drought and all the caution about fireworks lighting up more than just the night sky. July 4, 1776, was the day when the Continental Congress sought to take the upper hand in the relentless power struggle with the British monarchy over...
For more than 70 years, a stripe through the middle of the United States extending from Texas north to Nebraska was known as Tornado Alley. But meteorologists say that in the last 20 years, the alley has shifted away from the Great Plains and toward the southeast, meaning fewer tornadoes are happening in Nebraska. “Historically, Nebraska is a unique point,” Ross Dixon, an assistant professor of earth and atmospheric science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said. “Where we are in Nebraska, maybe there will be less severe storms, espec...
Last summer, Imperial farmer Dirk Haarberg made the hard decision to let some of his milo crop die. The heat and the wind had proven too much and Haarberg needed to save water for his other cornfields. Haarberg's water pumps also ran nonstop, he said during an interview, drawing more water than usual from the Ogallala Aquifer to feed the thirsty crops he was keeping alive. "We don't overwater, but when it was as dry as it was last summer, there's not much you can do but just water 24 hours a...
Antelope and Holt counties are two of the 55 Nebraska counties designated as primary natural disaster areas, due to a recent drought. United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack notified Gov. Jim Pillen of the designation, March 31. Based on the U.S. Drought Monitor data, counties included in the designation either suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season for eight or more consecutive weeks or fell into extreme or exceptional drought categories....
The state of the state on its 156th birthday. It's still a very red, heavily conservative and largely Republican mecca situated in one of those mostly square states out west that a lot of people couldn't find on an unmarked map. And we like it that way. Well, a lot of us seem to. Might that change? Could Nebraska be the place where high school and college graduates want to stay? Could it become a magnet for young people and innovation? Progress in that direction is slow but it could happen....
Garrett Dwyer runs about 500 head of Hereford and Angus cattle on his Bartlett ranch on the east edge of the Sandhills. The land he's on today has been in his family since 1894, when his great-great grandfather homesteaded it. Dwyer, who grew up there, is now the fifth generation in his family to ranch this land. But Dwyer didn't take over the family ranch until he did something far from home. For five years, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps, including two combat tours in Iraq. Now he's...
Student pride – and the graduation rate – are on the upswing at the public school on the Santee Native Reservation. School leaders trace that success to a new effort to teach students the tribe’s culture. For the first time, students are learning Santee Dakota history, language and customs – subjects long ago banned. The new cultural program has boosted attendance and helped the iSanti Community School in Niobrara hit a 100% graduation rate two years running, school leaders say. It hasn’t...
In the summer of 1978, Allen Wilke slammed the brakes. He did this often. A true plantsman, he observed everything but the road itself. He would spy a flowering prickly pear in the ditch, a wild grapevine. He would double back without warning, often sending his son and daughter – half asleep in his gutted cargo van's backseat – tumbling forward with their luggage. This time, the plantsman was alone. He was puttering through the Sandhills on Highway 91, a mile west of Taylor, when a tall, ski...
A spark. That’s all it takes to ignite a wildfire. With the pheasant and rifle deer season openers rapidly approaching, hunters are reminded to act responsibly in the field and to do their part in the prevention of wildfires. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln drought monitor, 80% of the state is experiencing severe to exceptional drought conditions. These prolonged conditions have increased the risk of wildfires across much of the state, and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission urges hunters to take the following precautions: R...
In the midst of drought, during the state's driest year on record, homeowners struggle to maintain the ideal image of the impeccably manicured, emerald-green front yard. As the weather turns to fall and Nebraskans finish up summer's final yard work and prepare their lawns for cold weather, many may find themselves frustrated with brown, patchy grass or struggling garden beds. An alternative landscape is growing in popularity among those who find themselves tired of grass upkeep and hesitant of h...
Interesting question our office has received on more than one occasion: Why does SAM sometimes run articles from other areas of Nebraska? The answer is relatively simple. We are Nebraska. I like to think our readers want to learn more about this place we call home. When we share articles from Flatwater Free Press or Nebraska Examiner or Nebraska News Service, our goal is to offer coverage that is not only interesting, but may have an impact on our lives. For example, on Page 3 in this week’s edi...
Editor's note: This content was originally created for Nebraska Public Media, with permission given for distribution through Nebraska News Service. Historically dry weather across Nebraska will be a big factor for farmers this fall as corn and soybean harvests are underway. The state just recorded its driest August in 128 years of record keeping. Ranchers are being put to the test as drought conditions persist across all of the state’s $28 billion dollar agricultural sector. Many farmers and ranchers say this year is one of the toughest d...
The Upper Elkhorn Natural Resources District will be taking applications for the expansion of new groundwater irrigated acres during October for the 2023 growing season. There will be up to 300 new acres allotted to increase irrigation efficiency. The focus of the 2022 sign-up will be to finish off pivots, with 15 acres or less that have to reverse, due to an obstacle not allowing the pivot to complete the circle. The sign-up is not on a first-come, first-served basis; but, based on a ranking...
A fresh crop of introduction to ag students from Summerland School were all ears, Friday afternoon, as they visited the corn hybrid test plot, planted in April, north of the school. Six companies planted 24 seed varieties, April 22, on land owned and farmed by Bob Napier. Todd Weber, from Pioneer Seed Company, along with Aaron Hoke and Austin Twibell, representing H & T Seed & Technology, in Orchard, gave students an overview of crops planted. "There's a lot of things farmers like Bob have to co...
With the annual dove season opener on Sept. 1, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has some reminders for hunters, as well as recommendations for areas to hunt. Doves are abundant statewide and, with generous bag limits, provide excellent wing-shooting opportunities. Doves may be hunted statewide Sept. 1 – Oct. 30, 2022, with daily bag and possession limits of 15 and 45, respectively. Bag and possession limits are for mourning, white-winged and Eurasian collared-doves in aggregate. Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise until s...
