Year in Review - Ag Society working to replace livestock building
May 29, 2019
HARTINGTON — The sounds of a new season could be heard throughout Felber Park the past few days.
The first sounds that could be heard Friday as preparations for a new season were underway at the Hartington Municipal Swimming Pool were the rhythmic vocals of the latest Taylor Swift song.
The second might have been Haley Becker’s laugh.
That laugh could also be heard Sunday when the pool officially opened for the new season.
Getting the pool ready for a new season was made easier because of an experienced lifeguard staff.
Quite a few changes have taken place at the 24 yearold pool since she has taken command.
“Last year we installed the liquid chlorine system and that’s really made it easier to maintain,” she said. “There’s no more guesswork on tablets or anything like that. Every day we can come in to a crystal-clear pool.”
The pool floor received a fresh coat of paint during the off-season, which saved a few cleaning days for Becker’s staff. The guard staff sits at 11 plus Becker. They’re path to the chair begins with hiring in February. Mostly high school and college students.
May 29, 2019
HARTINGTON — When it comes to planting flowers, some lessons take awhile to learn.
You can discover that an all-day sun plant may prefer shade or that a low-maintenance annual requires more attention, and water, than you thought.
But when it comes to owning a flower business, sometimes it takes 29 years to learn the one thing that made it grow.
Over the years, they’ve grown from a single greenhouse to a larger-scale operation with room for decor and even a gift shop.
The growth, Schmidt said, is rooted in the family.
Schmidt was the middle child of eight and grew up spending time pulling weeds and working in the family’s big garden.
“I just loved being out there,” she said of the family farm near Bow Valley. “We were big into canning, too. But we always had a vegetable garden and all of us would work it.”
June 5, 2019
COLERIDGE — Every cloud has a silver lining, even rain clouds that dump inches of water on top of already frozen snow causing massive flooding.
Thanks to the generosity of several people from across the country, Cedar County received a bridge last week to help in the efforts to replace one of the 32 bridges damaged or washed out in the March 13 flood that closed several miles of Cedar County roads.
A six-year-old boy from Utah, a farmer and a small businessman from Virginia all heard about Nebraska’s flooding and wanted to help.
It all started with 6-year-old Kai Baldwin of Vernal, Utah. He saw a news story about the flooding in Nebraska and could not hold back the tears. “How will they get home and save their animals without a bridge?” he asked his mom. “We have to send them our money.”
Touched by her son’s desire to help, Kai’s mom, Kristin Forbis, researched a reputable source where a donation could be sent, and the pair invited friends and family to empty their pockets and add their change to Kai’s piggy bank.
June 5, 2019
HARTINGTON — The Northeast Nebraska News Company has added two new staff members.
Raelynn Schmit joins the company as a graphic designer. Isaiah May will fill many roles with the six area newspapers.
May’s main role will be as a digital advertising executive. His extensive background in the journalism field will also come in handy, as he will also be able to write an occasional feature story and cover other news stories from time to time.
Schmit joined the team in early May, coming from a similar position with the Plainview News. She and her husband, David, are newly weds, having married in July 2018. The couple lives in Osmond where he is a teacher.
June 5, 2019
HARTINGTON — Disaster struck the Cedar County Fairgrounds March
13.
On that day flood waters inundated the facility damaging several buildings and completely destroying a livestock barn.
Now, thanks to the dedication of area residents, local 4-H members and even a 4-H group from Pennsylvania, things are looking up.
Cedar County Ag Society members decided to turn their misfortune into an opportunity.
The Ag Society is planning to construct a new building that will solve several of their needs, not just replace an old barn.
The new building will be a new larger show arena that will connect with the beef and dairy barns. The current show arena will then be used for livestock stalls, said Ag Society President Greg Heine.
Heine said the hope is to have the new facility operational for the 2020 Cedar County Fair. The Ag Society doesn’t have any firm estimates yet on the cost of such a facility, Heine said, but he is hoping the entire project can be done for $150,000 or less.
Cedar County 4-H Clubs hosted a Fairgrounds Fundraiser Friday night. Over 250 people went through the food line on the night. The evening also featured yard games, a movie and a teen dance.
Heine said it was a great event, and raised, some much-needed funds for the fairgounds.