Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 106 - 130 of 173
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...
After a three-month break, the Legislature convened Wednesday, Jan. 5, to begin the 107th legislative session, second session. Senators were called into special session in September to complete the redistricting process, based on new census data. Legislative District #40 no longer contains Boyd or Rock counties. Rock and Boyd counties are now part of Legislative District #43, represented by Sen. Tom Brewer. Legislative District #40 also lost the southern portion of Dixon County, which will be...
Gloria Dierks 1932 - 2021 A funeral mass for Gloria Dierks, 89, of Ewing was Monday, Dec. 27, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Ewing. The Rev. John Norman officiated. Burial followed in St. Peter’s Catholic Cemetery. Gloria died Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, in Lincoln, after a brief illness. Arrangements were entrusted to Biglin’s Mortuary of O’Neill. Visit www.biglinsmortuary.com to leave online condolences. ~~~ Gloria Lee Zoeller was born in Wamego, Kansas, on Sept. 10, 1932, to Henry and Violet...
Trey A. German, 21, of O’Neill faced the Honorable Mark Kozisek in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill last week to be resentenced for an October 2019 crime. The charge had been reduced from a Class 4 felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor, theft by unlawful taking, $501-$1,499, pursuant to a plea agreement. Kozisek revoked probation and sentenced German to 300 days in the Holt County Jail, with credit for three days previously served. He ordered payment of the $3,600 restitution balance and accrued probation programming fees of $722, wit...
Ramey Vachal, Hanna Christensen, Chin Tung Tan Nebraska News Service State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks announces run for Congress State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of District 28 announced her bid for Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District. Brooks cannot run for her state senate seat in 2022 due to term limits. The incumbent of the first district is Congressman Jeff Fortenberry. Fortenberry is under indictment for allegedly lying to the FBI and has not said if he will run again in 2022. Three snow leopards die at Lincoln Children’s Zoo due to COV...
Peter Turla, a NASA engineer and time management guru once wrote, "A plan is what, a schedule is when. It takes both a plan and a schedule to get things done." From the beginning of the Summerland School building project, the plan was clear: construct a 130,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility. A schedule was set, too, with a completion date of December 2021 circled on the calendar. To complete the building project nearly four months ahead of schedule, especially during a global pandemic,...
