Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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We are now past the one-third mark of this 90-day legislative session but still have a great deal of work to do. The various standing committees are busy holding public hearings on the 820 bills and 22 substantive resolutions that were introduced in January. We have around four more weeks of hearings yet to go. Thus far, two of my bills have been presented before committees. The week began with Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Heavican delivering the State of the Judiciary address...
NORFOLK – One of the last bus drivers in Norfolk begins his day by taking Nancy Stehlik to work. Wrapped in a purple coat and earmuffs, Stehlik inches her walker onto the small bus’s wheelchair lift. Driver Neil Schlecht pushes a button and the lift whirs down, placing Stehlik outside of work. For the rest of the day, he takes seven people to clinics, church and the grocery store. He jokes with riders just as he’s long done as a driver for North Fork Area Transit, the bus service which, until recently, used 35 buses and vans to give as many...
While residents residing north of Clearwater don't have to ford the Elkhorn River to reach town, surface conditions of 516 Avenue, the main artery bridging highways 275 and 20 from south to north, have "deteriorated to conditions from 100 years ago." That's the sentiment expressed to Antelope County Commissioners by multiple Clearwater residents. "Has the road got any better in the last 100 years? That thing is back to the century of covered wagon days. Am I wrong or right?" Curt Thiele asked...
"Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, resulting in approximately 697,000 deaths each year,"according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is important to know an individual may reduce risks by addressing the "controllable" risk factors. They include targeting comorbidity conditions, avoiding tobacco use, maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising routinely and controlling stress. High blood pressure, considered the "silent killer," is...
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...
Welcome to 2023, a new year with a whole lotta new going on at the State Capitol. There’s a new governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor and 14 new state senators assuming leadership roles in the Republican-dominated Nebraska government. There will be a new U.S. senator from Nebraska to be appointed by the new governor. There are 33 Republicans and 16 Democrats in the officially nonpartisan Legislature. So, what does this mean to you and me? A new year marks a great chance to move one year further away from the Covid pandemic l...
The farmer was growing impatient. He and dozens of other central Nebraska farmers had gathered for mandatory training in Columbus a few weeks before last Christmas. In response to high nitrate levels, the Lower Loup Natural Resources District had designated a "Phase 3 area." That led to new requirements – like this training to help farmers manage their nitrogen fertilizer use. The farmer didn't like this. He told NRD leaders he had been drinking water containing nitrate at 40 parts per m...
As a freshman, Olga Mendoza watched several Latinx students receive scholarships from the Gallery of Stars, presented during the annual Latino Youth Summit, held at Central Community College in Columbus. At the time, she thought, "I can't wait until I'm a senior. I want that scholarship." Last Wednesday, as Mendoza and other Summerland students who attended the summit gathered for a photo, the Summerland senior received a surprise. Jane Shanahan, with the Jesusita and Santos Courage and...
Nick Herringer claps along with a metronome. He draws lines on a big screen, repeating patterns drawn by the computer. He identifies icons of cars when they flash before his eyes. This is the 22-year-old's speech and cognitive therapy, which he has been doing at least twice a week. Every week. For three years. Nick's thick brown hair hides a massive, ear-to-ear scar from his four brain surgeries for glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer he has battled since he was a teenager. His mom, Tammy Herringer, drives Nick to therapy and back. She...
The North Central District Health Department board of health faced several questions from some of its own membership, Friday, when the group met in O'Neill. Concerns about the structure of the board of health and powers granted to an unidentified executive committee, legal representation, the district's computer system policies and lack of complete inventory, were expressed. James Ward, a Cherry County Commissioner serving on NCDHD's board, asked what action was taken, and when, to form an...
Nebraska is a land of pioneers. Our state was settled by hardy homesteaders who ventured across windswept prairies in search of opportunity. While we often celebrate the grit and determination of these early Nebraskans, they deserve equal credit for their ingenuity. Their inventiveness helped transform the Great Plains into some of the most productive agricultural land in the world. This spirit of innovation remains a driving force behind our state's global leadership in agriculture. Nebraskans...
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON AN APPLICATION FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Aug. 24, 2022, in the Ewing Village board room, the Village of Ewing will hold a public hearing concerning an application to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development for a Community Development Block Grant.This grant is available to local governments for community/ economic development activities. The Village of Ewing is requesting $433,000 for the Village of Ewing, Holt County, Nebraska, to implement the addition...
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON AN APPLICATION FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Aug. 24, 2022, in the Ewing Village board room, the Village of Ewing will hold a public hearing concerning an application to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development for a Community Development Block Grant.This grant is available to local governments for community/ economic development activities. The Village of Ewing is requesting $433,000 for the Village of Ewing, Holt County, Nebraska, to implement the addition...
June is National Camping Month and now is the perfect time to explore the local hidden gems Grove Lake has to offer. Information from the "Royal Centenniel" highlights the complete story of Grove Lake, written by Jack Strain and Eugene Baker. Grove Lake construction began late in the summer of 1953. Grove Lake received it’s name from Philo Grove, an area resident and former owner of part of the land included in the purchase. Construction of Grove Lake came about when the Nebraska Game and P...
ADDIE COSTELLO Flatwater Free Press Mary Terry, the longtime village clerk in Cedar Creek, shook her head no whenever Steve Sharp told her she deserved a raise. "Her answer was always the same. It was always, 'You can't afford to give me a raise,'" said Sharp, elected chairperson of the village board in 2010. What Sharp didn't know: Terry, the clerk and treasurer, was giving herself unauthorized raises. She padded her paycheck with more than $75,000 in stolen village funds over six years while...
Holt County Supervisors tackled several topics during a regular meeting, May 31, in the supervisors’ room at the Holt County Courthouse in O’Neill. A quick discussion was held about watering of roads. Chairman Bill Tielke mentioned that people are watering their roads with sprinklers. He instructed county clerk, Cathy Pavel, to send a notice out to inform the public that it is against the law to saturate any road: including the use of all sprinklers; it is not limited to just irrigation end gun...
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...
To the Class of 2022: Wear sunscreen. Wait. That’s a line from some 90s commencement address-turned- song. It’s good advice, though, so tuck it in your memory bank for later use. Years ago, when I was preparing to talk a walk across the stage and shake the principal’s hand as he extended a signed diploma, my guidance counselor told the group of seniors, “School is your first job. How did it prepare you for the world?” Excellent question. With that in mind, consider this your exit interview...
Since its inception in 1972, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts have been planting conservation trees and shrubs for windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife habitat and other conservation purposes. This spring, the NRD Conservation Tree Program plants its 100 millionth tree – that’s approximately 50 trees for each Nebraskan. “Nebraska has a proud history of planting trees, and putting the 100 millionth tree in the ground reflects Nebraskans’ willingness to invest in the future,” said Dr. Orval Gigstad, Nebraska Association of Resources D...
Is a four-day work week a perk of the job? If national news reports are correct, work-life balance may become more manageable - and soon - as companies trim off one work day. Thanks to the pandemic, companies discovered employees can work from pretty much anywhere, anytime. Thus, conversation about shortening the work week to four days - more than likely trimming Fridays - has sprung up around the globe. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 32% of U.S. employers offer a reduce...
A decision on a perpetual easement for the Graham Crowe Ranch, LLC, in northeastern Holt County, will be revisited at 10:30 a.m., during a March 16 meeting of the Holt County supervisors. Supervisor Don Butterfield, of Atkinson, made a motion to table a decision, Feb. 28, following a public hearing which lasted more than 90 minutes. "I need to have a little time to mull this over," Butterfield said. Chairman Bill Tielke said it's unfair to make a quick decision. "Don, I'll agree with you. This...
Nebraska’s agricultural economy relies on soil and water, so when the quality of those natural resources are in jeopardy, so too is the health of our state at large. Since the beginning of modern agriculture, Nebraska has lost nearly one-third of its topsoil. Wind and water erosion have shifted valuable organic matter from fields, where it provides vital plant nutrients, to watersheds where runoff negatively impacts the safety of our water. Just as unhealthy soil can cause a chain reaction t...
The expansion of an agriculture education program has boosted membership in Summerland's FFA chapter. Advisor Jacob Goldfuss said 46 students, grades seven through 12, participate in the organization which combines classroom learning, field experience and community service. It's the largest group since the Summerland chapter originated last year. Goldfuss' credits his enthusiasm for ag education and FFA to his high school career, at O'Neill Public Schools. "The organization and classes help...
A trip to the Verdigre Stockyards turned into an FFA district championship, years later, for Summerland student Levi Cronk, of Page. Cronk said, "I ended up walking out of the sale barn with two new boer goats." The rest, as the saying goes, is history. Now, Cronk owns a herd of 20-plus goats. "That is not including the new kids, or baby goats, I've had this year," he said. Earlier this year, Cronk's goat production entrepreneurship project received first gold and district champion. His...
When you watch a medical drama on television, the main characters are generally doctors, nurses and patients. We rarely learn about the many extras in the background. In an actual hospital, patients are cared for by their doctors and nurses, along with a large supporting cast and crew. Many of these people on stage and behind the scenes rarely get their name in lights. I would like to introduce them now. Before a patient arrives at the hospital, we often rely on emergency medical technicians...
