Feb., 2023: Heine is elected to guide state fair managers
Feb. 1, 2023
HARTINGTON – It is fair to say Greg Heine is a fan of fairs.
The rural St. Helena man was elected as the president of the Nebraska Association of Fair Managers Board of Directors on Jan. 22 in Kearney.
Heine, the Cedar County Fair Board president, is looking forward to working with fair managers across Nebraska in his new statewide position.
“I learn a lot that I can bring back to the Cedar County Fair and share information with other fairs to help each other,” he said.
Heine will serve for two years as the board president for the Nebraska Association of Fair Managers.
The position will require the 40-year-old to periodically travel throughout the state to county fairs and regional district meetings.
“I will lead in the organizing of the annual state convention, as well as assisting counties with finding the tools and information to help their county fairs be successful,” Heine said.
He has served for six years on the 12-member board for the Nebraska Association of Fair Managers, and as its vice president for the past two.
Heine has enjoyed having the opportunity to help communities across the state with their fairs.
“I have learned what not to do and what makes a fair successful,” Heine said. “We try and help each other and look out for each other.”
Feb. 8, 2023
HARTINGTON – A group of Hartington area residents are on the hunt for history.
The Hartington History Book Committee is working on a 140-year history book – 1883-2023 – for the Cedar County seat community.
“We are doing this to preserve history and to update the 100-year book,” committee member Jennifer Sage said, noting Hartington’s centennial book was published in 1983.
The committee first met in April last year to discuss updating Hartington’s history book.
“The project will take about 1.5 years to complete,” Sage said. “
Work needed to help complete the history book project includes: -Assistance from businesses to complete historical information for buildings.
-Help from anyone who has photos of old storefronts to submit them to the committee.
“The time is now to complete this book because we see that so much information is being lost over the months and years, and we want to preserve it while we can,” Sage said.
Feb. 8, 2023
LAUREL — Changes may be on the menu at a local eatery as its owners grapple with changes to Nebraska’s minimum wage.
Effective last month, the minimum wage across the state jumped from $9 to $10.50 per hour and will continue to increase incrementally each January over the next three years.
The minimum wage will be set at $12 per hour in 2024, $13.50 in 2025 and $15 by 2026.
Prior to this year, the minimum wage had not been increased since 2014, when it increased from $7.25 to $9 per hour.
Time will tell whether the bump in employees’ paychecks will translate to any uptick in local retail sales receipts.