The commissioners approved a total tax request of $8,292,045.28 and a county levy of 0.205088. The previous year’s levy was 0.216982.

During the budget hearing, commissioners and county officials also discussed how the county manages its bridge and road funds.

The county has about $1 million set aside in a bridge fund after transferring $250,000 annually for four years. Officials said the money was set aside as a reserve for bridge construction and emergencies at a time when the state’s bridge funding program was uncertain.

Officials explained that a separate fund receives state and federal- related road funding that can be accumulated for larger projects. The county’s proposed budget includes about $2.77 million in the fund, which can be used for projects such as major bridges and box culverts.

Officials noted that individual road districts also budget for smaller structures, but a major bridge can cost more than $1 million and cannot realistically be funded from a single district’s annual budget.

The combined road budget for 2026-27 includes $11,562,932.89 in expenditures. Road officials also expect revenue from state sources, including street and bridge buyback programs, as well as reimbursements from companies that have damaged county roads while installing infrastructure.

The county has already received about $20,300 through settlements related to road damage, with three additional installments expected to provide another $16,584. The additional settlement money was presented to the board during Tuesday’s meeting for signatures.

County officials also explained that the county’s general fund is starting the fiscal year with just under $2 million. A portion of that increase came from Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement.

Rather than allowing the reimbursement to create a large one-year reduction in the tax request, officials said the county plans to use the money over time to avoid significant fluctuations in future tax requests.

Investment income also drew questions during the hearing. One county resident in attendance, Ed Lammers, questioned whether the county’s projected interest revenue was conservative, noting information indicating the county may have more than $6 million invested.

Officials said the county received $352,000 in interest the previous year and budgeted $350,000 for the current year. The county treasurer manages the investments while maintaining enough cash to pay county bills.

Lammers also questioned why certificates of deposit are not shown directly in the budget documents. Officials said the investment information is included in the county’s audit report.

Cedar County Transit was another budget concern. Officials said state and federal grant amounts included in the proposed budget are those currently approved, but future funding remains uncertain.

Changes involving Medicaid are expected to help offset some of the funding gap. The county anticipates about $100,000 from Medicaid and other government-funded sponsored rides.

At the regular meeting, Emergency Management Director Kevin Garvin reported storm damage to the county’s tower for the Wynot Fire Department’s paging system. The board approved $2,872 for repairs to an antenna that was blown sideways. Garvin said the equipment was still functioning but not efficiently, and the county planned to submit the repair to insurance.

Garvin also reported that the generator at the Hartington tower site failed during an annual maintenance load-bank test. Technicians were working to determine whether a computer module or software issue was responsible.

Garvin told commissioners the county’s drone also had failed and that repair costs made replacement a consideration. However, proposed federal regulations and state restrictions on the purchase of foreign-made equipment have complicated the decision.

Garvin said an American-made public safety drone could cost approximately $10,000 to $12,000. He planned to investigate grant opportunities and wait for federal regulations to become clearer before recommending a purchase.

The board also discussed a onemile section of road two miles east of Coleridge that historically was designated as a military route, according to Highway Superintendent Carla Schmit.

Schmit said the road is not currently graveled and functions as a minimum maintenance road, but its classification creates questions about whether the county can post minimum maintenance signage.

County officials will soon be checking with the state to determine how the road was originally designated.

If necessary, a public hearing could be required before the road could formally be classified as minimum maintenance.

Commissioners also opened bids for two box culverts on the Bow Valley Northeast and Laurel North projects. Three bids were received. High Plains Structural Group submitted a combined bid of $922,995.25, while JMN’s combined bid was $537,469.05. A&R also submitted a combined bid of $464,601.88. The county plans to review the bids before awarding the projects.

Commissioners approved a special designated liquor license for the Bow Valley Park Association for Noecker’s Acres’ fall festival on Oct. 3.

Commissioners also approved building permits for Janet Heine, Pct. 1, for a horse barn and Mark Becker, Pct. 1, for a pole shed.

The city of Randolph, Randolph School District, Wynot Public Schools and LCC School District are all required to attend the meeting.

The meeting, which will begin at 6:05 p.m., is designed to give the public a chance to comment on proposed property tax increases that exceed Nebraska’s “allowable growth percentage.”

The hearing, dubbed the “pink postcard meeting,” typically draws about 35 people from all corners of the county to the Hartington City Auditorium basement meeting room.

The entities involved are requesting: Laurel Concord Coleridge School, property tax requested: $9,272,510. Randolph, property tax requested: $ 3,888,889. Wynot, property tax requested: $2,547,273. City of Randolph property tax requested: $376,275. There is no item on the agenda for this joint public meeting other than discussion of each political subdivision’s intent to increase its property tax request by a percentage greater than the “allowable growth percentage” defined in state statute.

HARTINGTON — Golden Gleam school, District 75, has been enjoying the new screens on the school building, because now very few flies are allowed in the school. Many other improvements were added to the building for the beginning of school this fall.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Prairie Hill school, District 68, opened Aug. 30 with 14 pupils. The building was in excellent condition and some new text books had been purchased for the school year. For the first week of school everyone had perfect attendance. By the enthusiasm shown since the opening of school it looks as if there would be many of the pupils have perfect attendance records for the year.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Every year Nightingale school, District 63, is improved for the opening of the school term. Among the new improvements was the purchase of a fine new bookcase. This will give the pupils an excellent place to keep reference and library books. This fall 14 pupils are enrolled. Miss Hilda Nelson is the teacher.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — School began in the Aten school, District 3, Aug. 30 when 31 pupils were enrolled. Of these 15 are boys and 16 are girls. New penmanship envelopes have been received at the school and the pupils are very pleased with them.

They had been making theirs out of newspapers and magazines with both ends sewed and often it was difficult to make them so they would last any time. School was dismissed Friday in order that the pupils would all have an opportunity to attend the fair.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — In Pleasant Valley school, District 39, this term began on Sept. 6 when 15 pupils enrolled. In the eighth grade are five; in the fifth, one; in the fourth, two; in the third, three and in the second two and in the first grade two. The school building has been repaired and repainted during vacation both on the inside and outside. School was dismissed Friday for the fair. Miss Dorothy Orcutt is the teacher.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Geneva Gartner, a pupil of District 30, was given a real surprise on her birthday Sept. 6 when the pupils of that district reminded her with a party that she was 11 years old.

All the boys and girls in the school had an enjoyable time and Geneva received the congratulations of all her friends.

Another event in District 30 last week was a real watermelon treat given all the pupils and the teacher by Bernard McFarland.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Something new in the way of hand work in the rural schools of Cedar County has been introduced by Miss Dorothy Orcutt of Pleasant Valley school, District 39.

Miss Orcutt believes it is the first introduction of this work in the county. Her pupils are busy collecting old wooden boxes from which they will make interesting utensils.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Spring Valley school, District 29, began the year’s work on Sept. 6 with these pupils enrolled, Corinne, Donald and Wilfred Anderson; Irene, Tom and Donald Crawford; Blanche, Calmer and Dolores Faulk; Lyle, Zola and Helen Porter; Lois, Hazel and Glenn Morten; Lloyd and Ralph Morten and Irwin Lentz.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Rose Hill school, District 67, began their year’s work with an enrollment of 18 pupils in the high school room and 14 in the lower room. Officers for the high school were elected and Bernice Peterson was chosen president; Anna Rolfes, vice-president; Alda Olson, secretary; and Elvera Johnson, treasurer. Officers for the lower room are Berna Johnson, president; Viola Rolfes, vicepresident; Irene Gubbels, secretary; and Rosetta Olsen, treasurer.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Lone Star school, District 61, began the year’s work Sept. 6 with an enrollment of 26 pupils. Included among these are two pairs of twins, Homer and Howard Hirschman in the third grade and Eunice and Eugene Kinkaid who are in the eighth grade. A new giant stride has been purchased for use on the play ground and the pupils are greatly enjoying it.

HARTINGTON — Coughing up a small chip of wood, probably about a sixth of an inch square, is expected to bring about the rapid recovery of Guy Deman, three year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Deman, who reside on the Chris Menens farm. The chip has been lodged in the baby’s throat or lung for about six weeks.

While playing about the yard some six weeks ago the flat chip, with rough ends, accidently slipped down the throat of the little chap, who was unable to cough it up. A physician was called but was unable to locate it, X-ray being of no help as it would not show such a soft substance particularly when lodged in such a bony part of the body as the throat.

The boy failed in health and it was feared he had pneumonia, losing weight until he was reduced to skin and bones.

Tuesday in a heavy fit of coughing the small chip which had apparently been lodged in the throat or lung was discharged and the boy is now expected to make a rapid recovery.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Heroically endeavoring to save a team of horses from injury by a run-away tractor, Nicholas Meyer, 57, widely known and highly esteemed farmer residing about a mile and a half east of the Menominee church, was crushed to instant death by the heavy machine about 6 o’clock Tuesday.

The accident occurred on Highway 15, at the foot of the Missouri river bluffs, through which the highway was recently constructed.

The big machine crashed over his prostrate body, crushing both legs, breaking his arms and crushing in his chest so quickly that death was almost instantaneous.

When his frantic son, Nick, Jr., and Albert Noecker, road patrolman, who was driving the tractor, reached him life had already passed.

Mr. Meyer and his son were engaged in putting up hay on the Missouri river bottom when Mr. Noecker, who had been working on the highway on what is known as the “Diagonal road,” started to drive the big machine, which is a McCormick-Deering with blade grader attachment up the road over the bluff.

The machine stalled on the highway and Mr. Noecker called Mr. Meyer for assistance. The Meyers were each driving a team and were just starting home.

One team was left standing on one side of the highway and the other was hitched to the front of the tractor and helped pull it up the hill. When near the top it was believed the tractor could proceed on its own power and the team was unhitched. But instead of proceeding up the hill the tractor started downward. Frantically Mr. Noecker applied the brakes which were not strong enough to hold it and the iron monster backed down the hill. Mr. Noecker, seeing he was unable to stop it, gave his attention to keeping it on the highway which is on top of a steep grade.

Non-plused by the turn of affairs Mr. Meyer and his son were compelled to stand by powerless to render aid. Looking down the highway Mr. Meyer was reminded the second team was standing where he had left them, right in the path of the runaway tractor.

Running down the hill he made a heroic effort to get them out of the way, only to be caught in front of the unwieldy vehicle which crushed out his life. Help was summoned and the body was removed to his home where Mrs. Meyer collapsed from shock.

COLERIDGE — John Hassman, mayor of Coleridge and chairman of the graveling committee of that town, knows his red lanterns.

When six of them were missing from the gravel piles a week ago he promptly set about to advertise for them. Guilty parties are gradually getting frightened and leaving the danger signals at various places where the town officials get them.

When the mayor started for Hartington Friday to attend the county fair he noticed something red sitting on a culvert on the highway north of Coleridge. When he stopped and got out he found it to be one of the six missing signals.

Now he is getting letters from various folks who have the auto license numbers of folks who took the other missing lanterns. All the mayor needs to do now to get the culprits is to check up on the license numbers.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Topping the Sioux City stock market Saturday morning with their baby beeves Leo Fredericks, 15, and Jack Dwyer, 14, members of the Randolph Baby Beef club brought home 12½ cents a pound for their fattened beeves.

Cleo Fredericks, 13, county champion at the fair here last week sold her baby beef for 12 cents a pound.

Other members of the club realized from 11 to 12 cents a pound for their beeves.

Dr. S. S. Gibson is leader of the Randolph Baby Beef club. What the boys and girls of Cedar county can do in producing real beef was shown by this sale in Sioux City Saturday.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — When a big truck bearing a South Dakota truck license No. 5519 swerved into the center of the road on the west approach to the Yankton bridge last Saturday afternoon Rev. Louis Hieb was compelled to drive his car into the fence, which luckily supported it preventing it from rolling down the embankment.

Rev. Hieb was accompanied by his wife and mother who were on their way to Sacred Heart hospital, Yankton, to visit their daughter, when the accident occurred.

The car was so badly damaged it had to be left at Yankton for repairs.

D. B. Mayden, former Hartington resident, followed the truck several miles without being able to get past altho the truck was not making over 15 miles an hour.

He dropped back to give Rev. Hieb a chance. The truck swung to one side and as Rev. Hieb started to pass, the driver suddenly swerved back into the center of the road. Rev. Hieb had to decide whether to be crushed by the heavy truck or crash into the fence.

Mr. Mayden hurried to assist in case anyone had been injured and found the party had escaped hurts, altho Mrs. Hieb, sr., was suffering from nervous shock due to her years.

The truck driver also stopped and came running back, only to be met with a reception from Mr. Mayden that might compare with the usual truck driver variety.

Sept. 16, 1926

COLERIDGE — Bootleggers are not equal according to Harry Wellington, town marshall of Coleridge who started his career by laying a trap and catching booze peddlers. “I consider a man who will peddle cheap rotten booze to boys and girls from 14 to 18 far worse than the one who sells good stuff to full grown men who have a little judgement even if they do violate the law,” said Mr. Wellington.

“We’ve both kinds around here and while we are going to ‘get’ everyone of them from now on we’re especially after the fellow who shows no discrimination in selecting his customers. There are boys and girls around here who are not of high school age being enticed to buy liquor from bootleggers who have no more sense than to sell to children. There are still a few of these men who will not deliver booze to boys and girls but their number is dwindling,” the Coleridge marshall said.

Mr. Wellington says he has no objection to bread and water diet handed out to liquor violators. “It won’t hurt them one bit”, he said.

“We’re for the judge in prosecuting them. Every citizen of Coleridge will uphold him in his action.”

Coleridge mayor John Hassman, also approves of Judge Bryant’s bread and water diet sentence.

“Those men aren’t working and plenty of good bread and water for a few days at a time will do lots of them a whole lot of good,” said Mr. Hassman. “There are many pioneers in this county who had to work hard and were fortunate if they had plenty of bread. They weren’t hurt by it and they were law-abiding citizens. If the people who are objecting to this sentence could see the youthful customers they sell their stuff to maybe they would change their minds.”

In the last few months it has been the custom of many “boozers” from surrounding towns to make their headquarters in Coleridge and the officials there have decided that they will have to move on or go to jail. Mr. Wellington was appointed marshall after the resignation of Frank Hintz about three weeks ago. He takes his job seriously and plans to rid the Coleridge community of law breakers.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Henry Hirschman, Jr., who was slated to face a charge of chicken stealing in court this week, was rearrested Tuesday on another charge of stealing chickens from Harley H. Spracklen of Logan Center. It is claimed the first charge of stealing from Nick Gartner will be dismissed on account of the lack of evidence.

The new charge came after Julius Feldhacker and Floyd Dennis, former Coleridge boys, now serving in South Dakota State penitentiary for car stealing, refused to testify to the same things as included in a statement given out by them when they were arrested.

Shortly after their arrest in South Dakota, Coleridge officials went to the penitentiary at Sioux Falls and questioned these boys. They implicated Hirschman in the Gartner theft.

HARTINGTON — The loud roar heard on Washington Avenue on a recent evening signalled the gathering of the Lions for another year of good fellowship and civic activity.

Hartington Lions Club held its initial meeting of the club year Tuesday at which time new officers took charge.

Announcement of the Lion’s Club committees for 1936-37 was made during the business session by Philip H. Robinson, club president.

Following are the committees: Lion’s education committee: C. A. Carkoski, chairman, Rev. B. H. Teves and R. S. Smith.

Major activities committee: L. R. Eby, chairman, Paul Lammers, B. C. Hegert and Alfred Lee.

Finance committee: E. W. Rossister, chairman, Jack Belmont and E. M. Hoar.

Constitution and by-laws committee: C. E. Haley, chairman, Wm. Bisenus and F. P. Dorsey, jr.

Program committee: T. S. Rosen, chairman, George Reifert, R. V. Fletcher and Frank Ferris.

Publicity committee: J. Mike McCoy, chairman, J. Shumway, and Rubin Bird.

Membership committee: E. W. Berglund, chairman, Frank Spork, and L. G. Riibe.

At the June 2 meeting new officers were elected and included Philip H. Robinson, president; Louis R. Eby, first vice president; E. W. Rossiter, second vice president; Jack Belmont, Lion tamer; Frank Ferris, tail twister. Two directors were also chosen, George Reifert and Edgar M. Hoar being elected.

Seven o’clock dinner at Casteel’s cafe preceded the first business meeting Tuesday evening. This was the first gathering of the Lions held since June 2.

Sept. 17, 1936

HARTINGTON — Lightning did considerable damage in the country, one of the worst authenticated cases being the Anthony Hirschman house in the Paragon neighborhood three miles east of town.

The Ivo Hirschman family are living on this farm now and the house was struck at 6 o’clock in the afternoon. The bolt knocked the plaster off the walls and ceiling of the dining room and burned the molding off one door.

Mr. Hirschman and his son were in the corn crib at the time and his wife and daughters were in the kitchen. They say they saw the ball of fire when the lightning hit and could smell the smoke.

The John Burbach barn at St. James was also struck by lightning.

Sept. 17, 1936

FORDYCE — Louis Sudbeck, living north of Fordyce, had the misfortune to get his foot badly lacerated while cutting corn with a sled cutter. His foot slipped and got under the knife of the cutter. He lost considerable amount of blood before the doctor arrived to check the flow of blood.

It took 16 stitches to close the wound. The doctor also gave him an antitoxin. Mr. Sudbeck is getting along as well as can be expected.

HARTINGTON — The Joe Thoene home in Bow Valley was the scene of a successful double surprise Monday when a number of neighbors dropped in to honor Mrs. Thoene and her niece, Mrs. John Dreesen, on their birthdays.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Henry, Joe and Frank Keiter gave a shower Sunday at the Frank Keiter home for Miss Anna Keiter who became the bride of Joseph Martin Kalin the following Tuesday.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Mrs. Anna Felber has received word from her son, Harry G. Felber, of Louisiana, telling of the arrival of twin sons in his home.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — John H. Reifenrath has been chosen Grand Knight and Anthony Hirschman, Deputy Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus of this city.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — The front of the Amundson store is being repainted this week with John Gustafson doing the work.

Sept. 16, 1926.

HARTINGTON — The big well at Fordyce has been completed for some time and will be connected soon.

This year’s Homecoming theme is “Wildcats Got the Beat,” with each day of the school week featuring a different theme inspired by music.

Monday will be “Take It Easy” pajama day, followed by “Party in the USA” patriotic day Tuesday. Wednesday will feature a “Vacation” beach day, while Thursday will be “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” twin day. Friday will wrap up the week with “We Are the Champions” Wildcat spirit day.

Students will also decorate floats according to class-specific music genres. Seniors will use a country theme, juniors will represent rock, sophomores will feature hip hop, freshmen will use rap, eigth grade will showcase jazz and seventh grade will represent pop.

Homecoming activities Friday, Sept. 25, will begin with a pep rally at 9:45 a.m. The Homecoming parade will follow at 11:30 a.m., with coronation scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

The Wilcats will then host Elkhorn Valley at 7 p.m. for the Homecoming football game.

The celebration will conclude Saturday, Sept. 26, with the Homecoming dance at 8:30 p.m.

The board approved $14,054,099 in budgeted expenditures and transfers and set the district’s property tax levy at 37.6222 cents per $100 of taxable valuation.

That levy is down from 38.0588 cents last year, a decrease of about 1.1 percent.

For a homeowner whose property is valued at $200,000, the new school levy would amount to about $752 in property taxes for the year, assuming the property’s taxable valuation remains at $200,000.

At last year’s levy, that same $200,000 property would have generated about $761 in school taxes. That is a decrease of about $9.

The actual tax bill for an individual property owner could still rise or fall depending on changes in the property’s assessed valuation.

The district’s new budget calls for $14.05 million in budgeted expenditures and transfers. It also calls for maintaining a $2.5 million cash reserve. The district will require $6,681,144 in property taxes.

HNS Supt. A.J. Johnson said the board worked to keep a tight rein on the budget despite continuing increases in operating costs.

“We face the same challenges everyone is facing — inflation, rising fuel prices, insurance costs — yet we were able to keep the tax asking increase under the limit for the pink postcard meeting and at a reasonable level that keeps us prepared for the uncertain budget situation in Lincoln,” Johnson said.

The district’s general fund, which pays most of the day-to-day costs of operating the school system, is budgeted at $10,104,051 for 2026-27.

That compares with estimated general fund expenditures of $8,214,599 during 2025-26 and actual expenditures of $7,637,187 in 2024-25.

The new general fund budget is about $1.89 million higher than the estimated amount for the past year.

A school budget, however, represents the maximum amount the district is authorized to spend and does not necessarily mean all of that money will be spent.

The district also plans to maintain a $2.5 million general fund cash reserve. The budget calls for approximately $5.05 million in property taxes for the general fund.

Johnson said putting together the budget each year is a balancing act between maintaining educational programs and limiting the burden on taxpayers.

“Our biggest challenge is always making sure we meet our students’ needs while still being responsible to the taxpayers,” he said.

He said uncertainty surrounding the state budget also played a role in the district’s planning.

“Also, there is a lot of uncertainty with what will happen now that the state is facing a $1 billion budget shortage over the next biennium, and we need to make sure we are prepared for any negative fallout from that,” Johnson said.

The district’s special building fund is the second-largest portion of the new budget.

The district budgeted $2,288,393 in that fund for 2026-27, compared with an estimated $1,574,367 during the past year. That is an increase of about $714,000, or 45 percent. Property taxes will provide about $1.63 million of the special building fund.

Other budgeted funds include $500,000 for activities, $451,000 for school nutrition, $412,818 for depreciation, $151,387 for employee benefits, $79,795 for cooperative programs and $66,655 for contingencies.

Altogether, the district has $14.05 million in spending authority for 2026-27, compared with estimated expenditures and transfers of $10.49 million during 2025-26.

For taxpayers, however, the more important numbers are the tax asking, the levy and their own property valuation.

At the new levy, the HNS school tax on a $100,000 property would be about $376. A $150,000 property would generate about $564 in school taxes, while a $250,000 property would generate about $941.

Those figures represent the Hartington-Newcastle school levy only. County, city, fire district and other property taxes would be added separately.

Each class will represent a different landscape as part of the week’s theme. Seniors will represent the rainforest, juniors the swamp, sophomores the grasslands, freshmen the Arctic, eight grade the plains and seventh grade the desert.

Students will also have the opportunity to participate in themed dress-up days throughout the week. Monday will be Pajama Day, followed by Costume Day Tuesday, Casual Day Wednesday, Denim Day Thursday and Red and White Casual Day Friday.

Homecoming activities will begin Monday, when C Club students visit Holy Trinity Preschool and Elementary at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Junior high choir students will perform at the nursing home from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Wednesday will feature a game day with class competitions beginning at 1 p.m. An all-school Mass celebrating Homecoming is scheduled for Thursday.

Friday’s activities will begin with the Homecoming parade at 11:30 a.m., followed by a pep rally at noon. School will dismiss at 1 p.m.

The Cedar Catholic football team will play at 3 p.m. Friday, with a truck raffle planned for halftime.

The Homecoming dance will begin at 7 p.m., followed by the coronation of the Homecoming king and queen at 7:30 p.m.

At 3:07 p.m., just hours after the twin towers and the Pentagon were struck by airplanes full of innocent passengers, then-President George W. Bush landed at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. This destination was strategic — Offutt had the most secure communications that allowed Bush to assemble his full National Security Council simultaneously, to make sense of what had happened and to formulate a plan for the U.S. response. Greeted by Adm. Richard Mies, the then-commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, Bush was quickly moved to an underground bunker that was 40 feet underground and designed to withstand whatever enemy fire came next.

President Bush was in Nebraska roughly an hour before he felt safe enough to fly back to Washington, D.C., to address the nation that evening from the Oval Office: “Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack.”

Since that fateful day, other Nebraska organizations have also joined the fight against global terrorism.

In the Nebraska National Guard Troop A, 1-167th Cavalry’s first deployment since World War II, the global war on terror brought the unit to position its operations in arguably the most dangerous posting — Ramadi’s Sunni Triangle in Iraq in 2005. During peak years of combat, Nebraska’s Army National Guard soldiers have deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bosnia and Kosovo. And in recent years, Nebraska’s Guard A\\aviation units have been stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia to sustain counterterrorism operations.

FBI Omaha has made investigating and mitigating terrorism the top priorities since 9/11. The office leads a Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is the mechanism that combines FBI agents with state and local law enforcement for counterterrorism investigations. In many ways, FBI Omaha’s Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel’s career prepared him to lead our state’s local JTTF. After joining the FBI, Kowel was assigned to the New York JTTF, followed by deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Once back stateside, Kowel served as a unit chief in the FBI HQ international terrorism section, providing him a robust background to oversee all the FBI’s counterterrorism, criminal, cyber and national security investigations in Nebraska and Iowa.

While most disrupted plots are never publicized, FBI Omaha recentlypreventedahigh-profileterroristattackintendedtowreak havoc on our nation’s capital. In June, FBI Omaha foiled a plan to attack the UFC event at the White House as part of the America 250 celebrations. The plot, allegedly orchestrated by Omaha resident Abraham Hermosilo Alvarez, included drone-delivered explosives and snipers with semiautomatic weapons that would have targeted civilians as they fled. This was intended to be a mass casualty terrorist attack, but Nebraska’s local partnerships and a strong JTTF network were critical to its disruption.

Shoring up Nebraska’s role in preventing violent attacks is America’s largest academic counterterrorism center headquartered at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Focused on characterization of terrorist actors, their technology-assisted tactics and protection of both hard and soft U.S. targets, the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center has sponsored 151 research and education projects for the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate’s Office of University Programs since NCITE was founded at UNO in 2020.

Although NCITE is an internationally known Center of Excellence, its priority remains translating scientific work to keep Nebraskans safe. For example, just last summer NCITE partnered with Nebraska Information Analysis Center to host a 300-person Nebraska threats conference where the Nebraska C-UAS task force met to define a shared agenda for managing the drone threat in our state. And students across UNO’s campus can take classes in business strategy applied to homeland security, illicit financing of transnational criminal organizations and the psychology of terrorism, all taught by leading experts recruited to Nebraska since NCITE was established.

Nebraska has built a proud record of contributing to our nation’s security in the last quarter century — shielding President Bush on 9/11, serving through the Nebraska National Guard and Omaha FBI and leading counterterrorism research with NCITE. Our state has long been a quiet but steadfast presence in the homeland security and defense ecosystem, and that role will continue for years to come.

Gina Ligon is the founding director of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Center of Excellence for Terrorism Prevention and Counterterrorism Research.

1620: The Mayflower departs Plymouth, England, with 102 Pilgrims aboard.

1782: The Great Seal of the United States of America is used for the first time.

1869: Golf’s first recorded hole-in-one is scored by Tom Morris at Prestwick’s 8th hole in Scotland.

1908: Carriage maker William C. Durant founds General Motors in Flint, Michigan.

The commissioners approved a total tax request of $8,292,045.28 and a county levy of 0.205088. The previous year’s levy was 0.216982.

During the budget hearing, commissioners and county officials also discussed how the county manages its bridge and road funds.

The county has about $1 million set aside in a bridge fund after transferring $250,000 annually for four years. Officials said the money was set aside as a reserve for bridge construction and emergencies at a time when the state’s bridge funding program was uncertain.

Officials explained that a separate fund receives state and federal-related road funding that can be accumulated for larger projects. The county’s proposed budget includes about $2.77 million in the fund, which can be used for projects such as major bridges and box culverts.

Officials noted that individual road districts also budget for smaller structures, but a major bridge can cost more than $1 million and cannot realistically be funded from a single district’s annual budget.

The combined road budget for 2026-27 includes $11,562,932.89 in expenditures. Road officials also expect revenue from state sources, including street and bridge buyback programs, as well as reimbursements from companies that have damaged county roads while installing infrastructure.

The county has already received about $20,300 through settlements related to road damage, with three additional releases expected to provide another $16,584. The additional settlement money was presented to the board during Tuesday’s meeting for signatures.

County officials also explained that the county’s general fund is starting the fiscal year with just under $2 million. A portion of that increase came from Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement.

Rather than allowing the reimbursement to create a large one-year reduction in the tax request, officials said the county plans to use the money over time to avoid significant fluctuations in future tax requests.

Investment income also drew questions during the hearing. One county resident in attendance, Ed Lammers, questioned whether the county’s projected interest revenue was conservative, noting information indicating the county may have more than $6 million invested.

Officials said the county received $352,000 in interest the previous year and budgeted $350,000 for the current year. The county treasurer manages the investments while maintaining enough cash to pay county bills.

Lammers also questioned why certificates of deposit are not shown directly in the budget documents. Officials said the investment information is included in the county’s audit report.

To wit: Nebraska election officials and the governor said at a news conference a couple of weeks ago that we should put the kibosh on petition circulators getting paid by the signature, what the officials referred to as a “bounty.”

The argument goes that if we put a big enough dollar sign on the carrot, we tantalizingly shorten the stick.For further details, see Enron accounting techniques, Wells Fargo account openings and Apple backdating stock options.

The officials’ concern — rightly — was that among the 767,000 signatures across 17 petitions during Nebraska’s political campaign season, a rather shocking number of them turned out to be stinkers. The petitions covered a gamut of attempts at redress from the Lincoln city charter to state ballot measures to candidates from a variety of political corners, so the bogus entries stretched across a number of political ideas, office contenders and government administrivia.

Cue some serious handwringing? Well, no. That’s because Nebraska’s election system works. Quite well, in fact. County election officials got it exactly right, going line by line to ferret out problem signatures. Things got a little felonious, too, as a half-dozen circulators have been arrested.

None of which means the Legislature might want to consider the efficacy of “bounty hunting” signatures for ballot initiatives or candidates. That is a conversation and debate worth having, given our wont to govern by referendum these days. The more important takeaway is that Nebraskans can trust their elections despite an ongoing false narrative that something is amiss and we must “fix” it, also known as a solution looking for a problem.

Indeed, Omahan Scott Peterson, one of the quartet vying to replace Secretary of State Bob Evnen, said Nebraska’s elections are suspect, writing on X that they are “not fully verified, not fully inspected, and not held to modern standards.” Curiously unmodern is that he wants to return to hand counts and eliminate almost all mail-in voting. Running against Peterson are Democrat Sarah Slattery of Plattsmouth, Nebraska Working People Party candidate Paul Rumbaugh of Omaha, and America First Party candidate and former state senator Bob Krist of Omaha.

We should also be aware that when circulators, paid and otherwise, show up at the DMV, outside a coffee shop or even at a local pageant or parade,they are exercising a First Amendment right: petitioning the government for redress of grievances. That said, reasonable limitations — the number of signatures required to make the ballot,verification of signatures, that sort of thing — can be in place. Most states also keep budgetary, judicial or legal matters off petitions.

A less formal petitioning process comes in the form of lobbyists making their case in the halls of Congress, statehouses and city halls. Because so much money — there is that word again — is involved, scapegoating lobbyists for the nation’s ills has become a national sport. To further such a constitutionally protected practice as petitioning the government, citizens have also banded together in what we now call PACs and super PACs.

And so it goes … petitions,lobbyists, PACs. The First Amendment.

Let’s also not forget the recent rush to populate voting sites with poll watchers, especially among the election-denying crowd who shout “fraud!” unless their candidate wins. Go figure.

Leave the poll workers alone, too. They’re busy. No pep rallies, political buttons, flash mobs or electioneering of any kind. I mean, duh!

All of which is … well … just right.

George Ayoub filed nearly 5,000 columns, editorials and features in 21 years as a journalist for the Grand Island Independent. His work has been recognized by the Nebraska Press Association and the Associated Press. He was awarded a national prize by Gatehouse Media for a 34-part series focusing on the impact of cancer on families of victims and survivors.

The state-mandated meeting, which will begin at 6:05 p.m., is designed to give the public a chance to comment on the entities proposed property tax increases that exceed Nebraska’s “allowable growth percentage.”

The hearing, dubbed the “pink postcard meeting,” typically draws about 35 people from all corners of the county to the Hartington City Auditorium basement meeting room.

Representatives from Wynot Public Schools and LCC School District are also required to attend the meeting.

The entities involved are requesting: Laurel Concord Coleridge School, property tax requested: $9,272,510.

Randolph, property tax requested: $ 3,888,889.

Wynot, property tax requested: $2,547,273.

City of Randolph property tax requested: $376,275.

There is no specific item on the agenda for this joint public meeting other than discussion of each political subdivision’s intent to increase its property tax request by a percentage greater than the “allowable growth percentage” defined in state statute.

The commissioners approved a total tax request of $8,292,045.28 and a county levy of 0.205088. The previous year’s levy was 0.216982.

During the budget hearing, commissioners and county officials also discussed how the county manages its bridge and road funds.

The county has about $1 million set aside in a bridge fund after transferring $250,000 annually for four years. Officials said the money was set aside as a reserve for bridge construction and emergencies at a time when the state’s bridge funding program was uncertain.

Officials explained that a separate fund receives state and federal-related road funding that can be accumulated for larger projects. The county’s proposed budget includes about $2.77 million in the fund, which can be used for projects such as major bridges and box culverts. Officials noted that individual road districts also budget for smaller structures, but a major bridge can cost more than $1 million and cannot realistically be funded from a single district’s annual budget.

The combined road budget for 2026-27 includes $11,562,932.89 in expenditures. Road officials also expect revenue from state sources, including street and bridge buyback programs, as well as reimbursements from companies that have damaged county roads while installing infrastructure.

The county has already received about $20,300 through settlements related to road damage, with three additional releases expected to provide another $16,584. The additional settlement money was presented to the board during Tuesday’s meeting for signatures.

County officials also explained that the county’s general fund is starting the fiscal year with just under $2 million. A portion of that increase came from Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement.

Rather than allowing the reimbursement to create a large one-year reduction in the tax request, officials said the county plans to use the money over time to avoid significant fluctuations in future tax requests.

Investment income also drew questions during the hearing. One county resident in attendance, Ed Lammers, questioned whether the county’s projected interest revenue was conservative, noting information indicating the county may have more than $6 million invested.

Officials said the county received $352,000 in interest the previous year and budgeted $350,000 for the current year. The county treasurer manages the investments while maintaining enough cash to pay county bills.

Lammers also questioned why certificates of deposit are not shown directly in the budget documents. Officials said the investment information is included in the county’s audit report.

Cedar County Transit was another budget concern. Officials said state and federal grant amounts included in the proposed budget are thos currently approved, but future funding remains uncertain.

Changes involving Medicaid are expected to help offset some of the funding gap. The county anticipates about $100,000 from Medicaid and other governmentfunded sponsored rides.

Construction cranes soar high into the air; bulky soil scrapers remove hills and build new ones; a steady stream of construction vehicles scurry to and fro.

It is the site for a $600-million data center for Google.

Work has been ongoing for more than three years, transforming farmland and a state rest stop into a home for banks and banks of high-powered computers.

When construction began, the project was only known by a code name, “Project Agate.” There was mostly just curiosity about what was going on there.

Since 2020, Nebraska has been encouraging data centers, after including tax incentives for such facilities in a new, economic development tool, the “ImagiNE Act.”

Forty-one of the 49 state senators voted in favor of tax credits for data centers. The bill was signed into law by then Gov. Pete Ricketts. (TV ads attacking gubernatorial candidate Lynne Walz for approving millions of dollars for data centers ought to name the 40 other state legislators and governor who OK’d the bill.)

Back then, the thinking was that data centers were a great new customer for the state’s public power providers. A few high paying jobs would come along too.

But since then, attitudes have changed dramatically as these centers have grown larger and larger and their link to artificial intelligence has become clearer.

At least 12 communities across Nebraska have passed moratoriums blocking construction of data centers over concerns about huge consumption of electricity and water and noise. Lurking in the background is whether AI will replace jobs.

The Lincoln data center, according to the Lincoln Journal Star, is already online, and pulling 11% of the city’s electricity. City leaders there are saying one data center, for now, is enough, given other demands for water and power.

There’s a lot of mixed feelings about AI. President Trump recently posted that data centers would lead to lower taxes and create tremendous wealth, and those opposing them favored “poverty, crime and squalor” and wished to be “backwards and poor.” To be sure, we rely on AI to answer all kinds of questions, to help create speeches, and (as I just did) double check several dates and past news stories concerning data centers. (It sure was quicker, and more convenient, than searching through a newspaper clip file as in the olden days.)

I’ve also used AI to create a logo for a side business I have. It took only a few seconds and cost a fraction of what a graphic arts business might charge.

At one Lincoln business, 80% of its computer coding is now written by AI, saving time and money.

But worries about the new generation of massive data centers are growing.

Is there enough power and water for such complexes? Will our utility bills go up? What about noise and light pollution? Will jobs be eliminated by the AI revolution? And whose jobs?

A lot of these concerns have intensified in the past few months as these data centers have become much bigger, and more numerous.

Already, Nebraska has 39 data centers, which ranks No. 9 nationally for most per capita, according to reporting by the Nebraska Examiner’s Erin Bamer. They consume nearly 12% of the state’s electricity.

Likely in response to the AI backlash, Gov. Jim Pillen recently signed an executive order ending state tax incentives for data centers (just a few months after getting a law passed that helped data centers). In just five years, data centers have enjoyed more than (gulp) $500 million in property tax breaks alone.

Given that these new data centers are being built by some of the wealthiest corporations on earth, it seems pretty clear that they don’t need tax breaks any longer.

Pillen also created a task force to study issues surrounding data centers.

I’ve always appreciated Nebraska’s reluctance to be the first kid to jump into a new pool, choosing instead to let others check out a new technology or business opportunity before leaping.

It’s time to slow down, explore the issues around data centers and AI, and then decide how to proceed.

It wasn’t an overnight decision either. The family began milking cows in 1996. They built a milk barn in 1999, and after the Hartington cheese plant closed in 2003, Dean began considering whether local dairy farmers could work together to purchase the facility.

That idea never materialized, but it eventually led the Burbachs in another direction: bottling their own milk.

The Burbachs formed their LLC in 2005 and spent the following year assembling a processing operation. The first delivery of Burbach’s Countryside Dairy milk was made Sept. 29, 2006.

For Dean, the anniversary is less about a particular number than what it represents.

“The pride to me comes from just overcoming the obstacles,” he said. “And that we kept going.”

Labor and finances were among the biggest challenges, but the family also had to learn an entirely new side of the dairy business. The Burbachs found processing equipment in Wisconsin, moved it to Nebraska, reassembled it and began figuring out how to turn their own milk into a bottled product.

The family initially bottled white milk, chocolate milk and strawberry milk. Rootbeer milk, the first of many fun flavors, was first introduced to the product lineup just 10 months later.

The business has continued to evolve, although much of the original processing equipment remains in use. The changes have largely been in efficiency and scale.

Today, the dairy bottles about 70 percent of the milk produced by its herd, with the remainder going to a cooperative.

Consumer preferences have also changed, the Burbachs said. Skim milk, once one of the the dairy’s biggest sellers, now accounts for only a small portion of its white milk sales, while whole milk has become dominant.

Through all those changes, Burbach’s Countryside Dairy has remained a family effort.

Dean and Lisa developed their roles naturally as the business grew. Lisa took on the office work, orders, invoices, regulations and financial responsibilities, while Dean handled the farm and processing operation.

Their children also grew up working in the business.

For Dean, one of the greatest advantages of a family operation is dependability.

“Family’s always got your back,” he said. “They’ll always be there when they’re supposed to be there. They’ll do what needs done.”

The family’s favorite memories aren’t necessarily about major business milestones. Instead, they remember working together – milking cows, delivering milk and helping each other during busy times.

One Thanksgiving stands out to Lisa, when family members worked together to finish the farm chores in time for everyone to get home and prepare the holiday meal.

For Dean, the memories are similarly rooted in family. He said he remembers taking his children along on milk deliveries and having them help with the business as they grew up.

“All the memories that I would say are my favorites are for sure family,” he said.

The continued involvement of the next generation has added a new chapter to the family operation. Luke Burbach and his wife Katie moved back to the area in October 2025. Luke said he is learning the responsibilities Dean has carried for decades and spending much of his time in the processing plant. Katie has also become involved in the business, using her marketing background to manage social media, develop customer relationships and help promote the dairy’s products.

Another of Dean and Lisa’s sons, Deacon, has spent the past several months working as a delivery driver. He recently took on the family’s new route in the Lincoln area, helping Burbach’s Countryside Dairy expand its reach.

Dean has long described the business as a train: As long as it keeps moving, the family will keep riding.

“I just hope the train keeps moving,” he said. “If there’s opportunity to grow, I think we will take it.”

After years of uncertainty and challenges, Dean said the greatest accomplishment has been enduring the journey.

“There’s a lot of water that went under that bridge,” he said. “It’s just really satisfying that we overcame all the obstacles that came our way and we got to a point where we can say we made it 20 years.”

Luke said he sees the 20-year milestone as the beginning of another chapter for the family business with more milestone to come.

The Burbachs also credited the customers who helped make these last 20 years possible.

“We’d like to thank all the customers that made it possible and everybody who has supported us in the last 20 years,” Dean said.

The Burbachs will celebrate that milestone with a 20-Year Farm Picnic from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at the farm.

The free event will include lunch, facility tours, milk sampling, raffle prizes, a bounce house, horse rides, yard games, coloring activities, a farm scavenger hunt, local vendors, coffee, drinks, homemade treats and more.

The family is encouraging guests to RSVP so they can plan for lunch, parking and activities.

After 20 years of building a business and raising a family alongside the dairy, the Burbachs are ready to celebrate — and then keep the train moving.

It wasn’t an overnight decision either. The family began milking cows in 1996. They built a milk barn in 1999, and after the Hartington cheese plant closed in 2003, Dean began considering whether local dairy farmers could work together to purchase the facility.

That idea never materialized, but it eventually led the Burbachs in another direction: bottling their own milk.

The Burbachs formed their LLC in 2005 and spent the following year assembling a processing operation. The first delivery of Burbach’s Countryside Dairy milk was made Sept. 29, 2006.

For Dean, the anniversary is less about a particular number than what it represents.

“The pride to me comes from just overcoming the obstacles,” he said. “And that we kept going.”

Labor and finances were among the biggest challenges, but the family also had to learn an entirely new side of the dairy business. The Burbachs found processing equipment in Wisconsin, moved it to Nebraska, reassembled it and began figuring out how to turn their own milk into a bottled product.

The family initially bottled white milk, chocolate milk and strawberry milk. Rootbeer milk, the first of many fun flavors, was first introduced to the product lineup just 10 months later.

The business has continued to evolve, although much of the original processing equipment remains in use. The changes have largely been in efficiency and scale.

Today, the dairy bottles about 70 percent of the milk produced by its herd, with the remainder going to a cooperative.

Consumer preferences have also changed, the Burbachs said. Skim milk, once one the the dairy’s biggest sellers, now accounts for only a small portion of its white milk sales, while whole milk has become dominant.

Through all those changes, Burbach’s Countryside Dairy has remained a family effort. Dean and Lisa developed their roles naturally as the business grew. Lisa took on the office work, orders, invoices, regulations and financial responsibilities, while Dean handled the farm and processing operation. Their children also grew up working in the business.

For Dean, one of the greatest advantages of a family operation is dependability.

“Family’s always got your back,” he said. “They’ll always be there when they’re supposed to be there. They’ll do what needs done.”

The family’s favorite memories aren’t necessarily about major business milestones. Instead, they remember working together – milking cows, delivering milk and helping each other during busy times.

One Thanksgiving stands out to Lisa, when family members worked together to finish the farm chores in time for everyone to get home and prepare the holiday meal.

For Dean, the memories are similarly rooted in family. He said he remembers taking his children along on milk deliveries and having them help with the business as they grew up.

“All the memories that I would say are my favorites are for sure family,” he said.

The continued involvement of the next generation has added a new chapter to the family operation.

Luke Burbach and his wife Katie moved back to the area in October 2025. Luke said he is learning the responsibilities Dean has carried for decades and spending much of his time in the processing plant.

Katie has also become involved in the business, using her marketing background to manage social media, develop customer relationships and help promote the dairy’s products.

Another of Dean and Lisa’s sons, Deacon, has spent the past several months working as a delivery driver. He recently took on the family’s new route in the Lincoln area, helping Burbach’s Countryside Dairy expand its reach.

Dean has long described the business as a train: As long as it keeps moving, the family will keep riding.

“I just hope the train keeps moving,” he said. “If there’s opportunity to grow, I think we will take it.”

After years of uncertainty and challenges, Dean said the greatest accomplishment has been enduring the journey.

“There’s a lot of water that went under that bridge,” he said. “It’s just really satisfying that we overcame all the obstacles that came our way and we got to a point where we can say we made it 20 years.”

Luke said he sees the 20-year milestone as the beginning of another chapter for the family business with more milestone to come.

The Burbachs also credited the customers who helped make these last 20 years possible.

“We’d like to thank all the customers that made it possible and everybody who has supported us in the last 20 years,” Dean said.

The Burbachs will celebrate that milestone with a 20-Year Farm Picnic from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at the farm.

The free event will include lunch, facility tours, milk sampling, raffle prizes, a bounce house, horse rides, yard games, coloring activities, a farm scavenger hunt, local vendors, coffee, drinks, homemade treats and more.

The family is encouraging guests to RSVP so they can plan for lunch, parking and activities.

After 20 years of building a business and raising a family alongside the dairy, the Burbachs are ready to celebrate — and then keep the train moving.

Join the Cedar County Sharp Shooters to learn or develop their skills through the 4-H Shooting Sports project.

John Brodersen, Aaron Wiechelman and Tucker Lammers are certified leaders and volunteers willing to teach youth the discipline of archery.

The Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports program offers opportunities for youth to learn safe bow handling skills and sound fundamentals of shooting under the guidance of knowledgeable adult volunteers.

The program also offers opportunities for competition where youth can exhibit their skills and abilities and compete with other 4-H members from across the state.

To learn more about how to become involved in the Cedar County Sharp Shooters, mark your calendars for an informational archery shooting sports meeting and first practice on Sunday, Sept. 27, at the Cedar County Fairgrounds Open Class building.

Beginners will practice at 3 p.m. and experienced shooters will practice at 4 p.m.

The archery program is open to all youth ages 8-18 as of Jan. 1, 2027. Some equipment is provided, but if you have your own archery equipment, please bring along to this practice.

The archery season runs from Sept. 27 through Dec. 20. There is heat in the Open Class building where practices will take place. Each practice will also include non-shooting learning skills. An adult must accompany their child and help during practices.

Contact the Cedar County Extension Office at 402-254-6821 by Sept. 23 to register for the program.

TEA, S.D. – Three-year-old Natalie Hostetler adores her older sister, Olivia.

She prays before every meal. If you forget to pray, she’ll remind you.

She loves sparkles, baby dolls, and strawberries. While Natalie’s interests may not be far from other girls her own age, she leads a much different life.

More than a year ago, Natalie was diagnosis with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She reached remission status after her first month of intensive treatment but then in June 2026, Natalie developed a severe neurologic injury from a chemotherapy drug.

Her mother, Keena, watched over the ensuing weeks as Natalie lost abilities she had already mastered like walking, running, jumping and crawling. Suddenly, Natalie struggled to eat, drink and swallow, and finally her speech was affected.

“She went from being a happy, active little girl who was talking and running around to needing help with things we never imagined she would need help with,” Keena said. “Watching your child lose abilities they once had is something I don’t think a parent can ever truly prepare for.”

Now, the Hostetler household – Keena and her husband, Shane, Natalie and Olivia – revolves around twicea- week hospital visits to closely check for any neurological changes. Natalie is still on a daily chemotherapy treatment and undergoes multiple therapies daily including physical, occupational, speech and feeding therapies.

Each month, she receives a five-day course of steroids. She is provided with blood transfusions when her blood counts become too low.

“It is a lot for such a little body,” Keena said. “Even after everything she has been through, she still finds ways to smile.”

Natalie’s prognosis continues to be uncertain. She remains in remission from leukemia but the longterm effects from the neurological injury will take time to recover from.

“We are throwing everything we have into her therapy and celebrating every tiny bit of progress. A movement that may seem insignificant to someone else can feel like a miracle to us,” Keena said. “We don’t know exactly what Natalie’s future looks like yet, but we are going to keep fighting alongside her every step of the way.”

Natalie’s smile along with her sweet and sassy personality help her parents get through the day-to-day emotional toll.

“Honestly, there have been days when we didn’t know how we were going to keep going,” Keena said. “There were moments when the fear was bigger than anything we had ever experienced.”

This is when the Hostetlers rely heavily on their faith. “There have been so many moments where we have had to let go of what we can’t control and trust God with Natalie’s life. We’ve prayed in hospital rooms, cried in hallways and held onto every bit of hope we could find. There have been days when we didn’t have the words to pray, but we knew people were praying for us,” Keena said.

Their families and their communities have also been a constant source of strength.

Keena (Twohig) is a Laurel native, graduating from Laurel-Concord High School in 2008. Her mother, Marcy Twohig, and her grandmother, Cynthia Strawn, along with many family members still call Laurel home. The Hostetlers now live in Tea, S.D.

A local benefit is being planned to help raise funds for Natalie’s ongoing care. The event is set to start at 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Laurel Community Center. The benefit will include kids’ activities including bounce houses, mini golf, laser tag and carnival-themed games, and both a live and silent auction. A Husker watch party is also planned for the 6 p.m. kickoff against North Dakota.

“I left Laurel years ago, but Laurel never left me. And now, when my little girl is fighting the fight of her life, my hometown is fighting alongside her. I will never forget that,” Keena said.

Knowing she isn’t alone on this journey is intensely meaningful. A mere ‘Thank You’ doesn’t even begin to cover all of the homemade meals provided, the blood donated, the funds raised, the house cleaned, or those who simply checked in to ask how Natalie is doing, Keena said.

“When you’re in the middle of something this hard, it can feel like the whole world keeps moving while ours has stopped. Then people show up. They bring meals. They pray. They check in. They organize fundraisers. They donate. They share Natalie’s story,” Keena said. “They remind us that they are thinking about her.”

Early pregnancy detection in replacement heifers or cows is a tool producers can use to increase profit. Traditionally, cows and replacement heifers are pregnancy tested in the fall of the year and then non-pregnant cows and cull cows are marketed at that time. With several options available, having a plan for testing can impact not only herd management, but your bottom line.

Blood test methods can detect pregnancy in cows as early as 28-30 days and do not require the same level of specialized experience as palpation or ultrasound. For these tests to be accurate in cows that have already calved, they generally need to be at least 75 days postpartum so pregnancy-associated proteins from the previous pregnancy have cleared. Cost is typically relatively low, although shipping and laboratory fees need to be considered. Depending on the test used, results may be available chute-side or may require sending samples to a laboratory. Blood tests cannot determine the age or sex of the calf.

Ultrasound can similarly detect pregnancy as early as 30 days and has the benefit of providing an estimate of fetal age and viability, along with immediate results. Fetal sex can also potentially be determined, typically later in pregnancy around 60-90 days. Ultrasound does require an experienced technician, and cost will vary depending on herd size, travel and who performs the testing.

The final option, palpation, requires a bit later window of around 35-50 days before pregnancy can be detected. Experience of the person palpating can make a significant difference on how early in this range pregnancy can be detected. While the sex of the calf cannot be determined, an estimate of fetal age can be provided and results are immediate. Again, an experienced technician is required.

There are several advantages and disadvantages to each of the three methods of pregnancy testing. In some instances, using a combination of these methods within a herd may be a valuable tool to accomplish management and marketing goals.

Producers should also realize that early pregnancy is a period when pregnancy loss can occur naturally, and handling stress, timing and technician experience may influence that risk. Research evaluating heifers pregnancy checked between about 42 and 74 days has reported losses in the 1-3.5% range, with greater losses associated with earlier diagnosis and less experienced technicians.

For cow herds calving January through April, cows can be pregnancy tested in late summer or early fall and non-pregnant cows marketed at that time. There are a few things that help make this a strategy to consider.

The first is that cull cow prices have historically been stronger during the summer and early fall before increasing numbers of cull cows come to market later in the fall.

The second is that cows nursing a calf may lose weight as we move toward weaning if forage quality has matured and declined while nutrient demand from lactation remains high. Selling non- pregnant cows earlier, when they may weigh more and before the seasonal increase in cull cow numbers, provides an opportunity for producers to capture more value rather than leaving calves on the cows and waiting to pregnancy test at weaning.

Early weaning calves will require additional high-quality feed and management. However, calves at this age are efficient at converting a high-quality diet to gain. Whether early weaning pays will depend on feed costs, calf performance, forage savings and cow value, so producers should pencil out the economics for their operation.

For producers whose first-calf heifers calve in the January through May time frame, utilizing early pregnancy diagnosis on these heifers as yearlings provides the opportunity to timely market non-pregnant heifers. These non-pregnant heifers can be marketed as soon as they are identified, or a producer may choose to continue putting weight on them and market later if conditions warrant. An approved growth implant may also be an option for non-pregnant heifers intended for slaughter, provided label directions and any marketing program requirements are followed and ownership will be retained long enough to see the benefit.

For producers, leaving bulls with the cows for a longer breeding season provides the opportunity to potentially get a higher percentage of cows pregnant. Cows that will calve later than desired can then be sold to someone whose calving season fits that time frame. This can be a way to capture additional value from later-calving cows that would otherwise be sold as non-pregnant females in a shorter breeding season, provided feed resources allow this.

Non-pregnant heifers and cows, as well as cull or bred cows, can provide a significant portion of the gross income to a cow-calf operation on an annual basis. Taking advantage of opportunities to effectively add value to and market these cows through timely pregnancy diagnosis, along with an understanding of market seasonality, can allow producers to capture more profit from this segment of the cow-calf operation.

-Ben Beckman is a beef systems Extension Educator serving northeast Nebraska. He is based out of the Cedar County Extension office in Hartington. You can reach him by phone: (402) 2546821 or email: ben.beckman@unl.edu

RANDOLPH — The city asks patrons to be patient and assures them that some mistakes in installation are being traced out and corrected as fast as possible. All complaints should be made at the office and will receive attention. The street corner is not the proper place to file complaint.

The service was necessarily cut off from a part of the city a few days ago and this will not be necessary again. It must be remembered that in entire new construction some adjusting must be done.

Sept. 15, 1921

RANDOLPH —There is a rumor in Randolph a new barber shop will soon be put in and prices for hair cut and shave will come at a lower rate than those now prevailing. We give the rumor as rumor only.

Sept. 15, 1921

RANDOLPH — The golf craze has arrived at Randolph, a little late, perhaps, but it has certainly come. A number of the business men are now talking of golf links and casting about for a suitable parcel of ground on which to locate. As we understand it will take some 35 or 40 acres to make suitable grounds. The pasture of J. W. Stageman to the north and east of the road that leads west past West Randolph has been the choice of some, but it is not yet known whether it can be secured or not.

Interest began to foment when R. W. Hahn represented Randolph at the Norfolk meet. Mr. Hahn later took his clubs to the country and let W. R. Cain try a few and a convert was made, others followed and together with the assurance of golf enthusiasts at Hartington and other towns of their help in any way, it looks like an organization would be formed.

Those of us who have no knowledge of the game whatever are inclined to think it about as interesting as a game of marbles or mum-bly-ty-peg, but we are assured by devotees of the game that golf is really a skillful and healthful pastime, and we have no reason to doubt their statements.

It may be a little time before arrangements are in place but that this will happen looks very probable.

Sept. 15, 1921

RANDOLPH — Claus Miller, a farmer 11 miles southwest of Randolph, was injured Thursday.

He and his little son, aged 5, were on a manure spreader in his fields when the rein of one of the horses got caught and to unloose it Mr. Miller stepped out on the tongue of the spreader. This frightened the horses and they ran, Mr. Miller was shaken from his footing on the tongue fell between the horses and was caught in tugs and harness.

He was dragged along the ground for about 10 rods and then his body fell under the wheels of the spreader, both front and back, passing over him.

The little boy clung to the vehicle as the team ran for the barn, and it was he who told the family of the accident. A physician was quickly summoned and discovered that Mr. Miller had sustained a fractured skull, two broken ribs, a broken left ankle, a sprained right ankle and his body bruised and cut in a painful manner. His back was almost raw from being dragged. Mr. Miller is getting along nicely now, but it will be some time before he is healed.

Sept. 15, 1921

RANDOLPH — The regular monthly meeting and entertainment of the Community Club was held Tuesday at the I. O. O. F. hall and there was a good attendance, more farmers being out than for some time. Some men came in from as far as nine miles and they showed their interest in this community organization which is making an effort to do what it can for all parts of the community about Randolph.

President L. V. DeVore presided. The committee to look into the matter of Canadian thistles on land east of town was continued as action had not yet been secured.

M. L. Hosch reported a piece of bad road east of town and was appointed as a committee to look after its repair as farmers had signified their willingness to haul in dirt that had been washed out.

Jos. Nordhues reported some dangerous places at culverts on the road to Wareham, his report being corroborated by others. The club will look after this and guide posts will probably be put up.

It was reported the Burlington crossing near the Thaden place was bad owing to raising the track 10 inches. The railway company will be asked to remedy this matter.

The matter of road dragging to put highways in shape for the winter was brought up and the fact revealed that the county road dragging fund was low. The Randolph Truck Co. was compelled to take county warrants for their pay and put up cash for expense of operation with the result that the Truck Co. had warrants but no cash to continue dragging. It was moved and seconded that the Community Club buy warrants of the Truck Co. in an amount necessary to do needed dragging.

The state-mandated meeting, which will begin at 6:05 p.m., is designed to give the public a chance to comment on the entity’s proposed property tax increases that exceed Nebraska’s “allowable growth percentage.”

The hearing, dubbed the “pink postcard meeting,” typically draws about 35 people from all corners of the county to the Hartington City Auditorium basement meeting room.

Representatives from Wynot Public Schools, Randolph Schools and the city of Randolph are also required to attend the meeting.

The entities involved are requesting: LCC, property tax requested: $9,272,510.

Randolph, property tax requested: $ 3,888,889.

Wynot, property tax requested: $2,547,273.

City of Randolph property tax requested: $376,275.

The only item on the agenda at this joint public meeting is discussion of each political subdivision’s intent to increase its property tax request by a percentage greater than the “allowable growth percentage” defined in state statute.

To be admitted to the Honors Program, students must demonstrate a record of academic excellence, outstanding leadership and involvement in prior activities, and significant contributions to their community 'These students have shown the potential to achieve at a high level, both academically and in the broader community,' said Tamy Burnett, director of operations for the Honors Program. 'We welcome this incredible group of students as they begin their Honors journey, and we are excited to see where their future takes them.'

Following is a list of new Honors Program students from the area, listed alphabetically by hometown, with their college(s).

Coleridge: Kennedy Hall, College of Education and Human Sciences Hartington: Langston Christensen, College of Business Laurel: Holly Patefield, College of Business Wynot: Addison Fix, College of Education and Human Sciences For the full list of new Honors Program students, visit https://go.unl.edu/ n3iq.

RANDOLPH — A telegram received here by F. L. Long from his son-in-law, Robert Farnam of Moorehaven, Fla. said the following: “Lost everything, but all safe.”

This was the first word Randolph people had heard from the Farnams since the hurricane raged along the Florida coast for nine hours leaving utter desolation in its wake.

Sept. 23, 1926

RANDOLPH — Orville Griffith was judged the best hog caller taking part in the hog calling contest sponsored at the Legion pavilion Tuesday when Fred Patzel, champion hog caller of the world was judge.

Second place went to E. G. Atherton and third to Andy Bisenius.

Sept. 23, 1926

RANDOLPH — The freshman class at McLean High School was the largest ever enrolled.

Members were Alice Alford, Edith Alford, Earl Black, Marvin Custer, Azalia Long, Agnes Gurzenhauser, Bernice Ordway, Edna Durm, Mary Gudenkauf, Belva Shipley, Helen Peterson, Beryl Slack, John Slack, Willis Volk, and Ellice Stringfield.

Sept. 23, 1926

RANDOLPH — The Randolph Mercantile Co. offered cretonnes, and challies, 36 inches wide, at 19 cents per yard; Karo syrup, blue label, five pound can for 26 cents.

Sept. 23, 1926

RANDOLPH — The Anderson Electric and Radio shop is now in new quarters in the McLean building. Scott and Bloomer will move their barber shop to quarters in the new building on Monday.

Sept. 23, 1926

RANDOLPH — Frank Bruner of Casper, Wyo., visited relatives in Belden and Randolph last week. He was accompanied by his son, Frank, who is on a 30-day leave from the naval academy at Annapolis. He is now in his third year at the academy.

Sept. 16, 1926

COLERIDGE — Bootleggers are not equal according to Harry Wellington, town marshall of Coleridge who started his official career by laying a trap and catching booze peddlers.

“I consider a man who will peddle cheap rotten booze to boys and girls from 14 to 18 years of age far worse than the one who sells good stuff to full grown men who have a little judgement even if they do violate the law,” said Mr. Wellington.

“We’ve both kinds around here and while we are going to ‘get’ everyone of them from now on we’re especially after the fellow who shows no discrimination in selecting his customers.

There are boys and girls in and around here who are not of high school age being enticed to buy liquor from bootleggers in this county who have no more sense than to sell to children. There are still a few of these men who will not deliver booze to boys and girls but their number is dwindling,” according to the Coleridge marshall.

Mr. Wellington says he has no objection to bread and water diet handed out to liquor violators. “It won’t hurt them one bit”, he said.

“We’re for the judge in prosecuting them. Every citizen of Coleridge will uphold him in his action against bootlegging and thieving.”

John Hassman, mayor of Coleridge, also approves the action of County Judge Bryant in his bread and water diet sentence.

“Those men aren’t working and plenty of good bread and water for a few days at a time will do lots of them a whole lot of good,” said Mr. Hassman. “There are many pioneers in this county who had to work hard and were fortunate if they had plenty of bread. They weren’t hurt by it and they were law-abiding citizens. If the people who are objecting to this sentence could see the youthful customers they sell their stuff to maybe they would change their minds.”

In the last few months it has been the custom of many “boozers” from surrounding towns to make their headquarters in Coleridge and the officials there have decided that they will have to move on or go to jail.

Mr. Wellington was appointed marshall after the resignation of Frank Hintz about three weeks ago. He takes his job seriously and plans to rid the Coleridge community of law breakers.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Topping the Sioux City stock market Saturday morning with their baby beeves Leo Fredericks, 15, and Jack Dwyer, 14, members of the Randolph Baby Beef club brought home 12½ cents a pound for their fattened beeves.

Cleo Fredericks, 13, county champion at the fair here last week sold her baby beef for 12 cents a pound.

Other members of the club realized from 11 to 12 cents a pound for their beeves.

Dr. S. S. Gibson is leader of the Randolph Baby Beef club. What the boys and girls of Cedar county can do in producing real beef was shown by this sale in Sioux City Saturday.

COLERIDGE — John Hassman, mayor of Coleridge and chairman of the graveling committee of that town, knows his red lanterns.

When six of them were missing from the gravel piles a week ago he promptly set about to advertise for them. Guilty parties are gradually getting frightened and leaving the danger signals at various places where the town officials get them.

When the mayor started for Hartington Friday to attend the county fair he noticed something red sitting on a culvert on the highway north of Coleridge. When he stopped and got out he found it to be one of the six missing signals.

Now he is getting letters from various folks who have the auto license numbers of folks who took the other missing lanterns. All the mayor needs to do now to get the culprits is to check up on the license numbers.

Sept. 16, 1926

HARTINGTON — Topping the Sioux City stock market Saturday morning with their baby beeves Leo Fredericks, 15, and Jack Dwyer, 14, members of the Randolph Baby Beef club brought home 12½ cents a pound for their fattened beeves.

Cleo Fredericks, 13, county champion at the fair here last week sold her baby beef for 12 cents a pound. Other members of the club realized from 11 to 12 cents a pound for their beeves.

Dr. S. S. Gibson is leader of the Randolph Baby Beef club.

Sept. 16, 1926

COLERIDGE — Bootleggers are not equal according to Harry Wellington, town marshall of Coleridge who started his career by laying a trap and catching booze peddlers. “I consider a man who will peddle cheap rotten booze to boys and girls from 14 to 18 far worse than the one who sells good stuff to full grown men who have a little judgement even if they do violate the law,” said Mr. Wellington.

“We’ve both kinds around here and while we are going to ‘get’ everyone of them from now on we’re especially after the fellow who shows no discrimination in selecting his customers. There are boys and girls around here who are not of high school age being enticed to buy liquor from bootleggers who have no more sense than to sell to children. There are still a few of these men who will not deliver booze to boys and girls but their number is dwindling,” the Coleridge marshall said.

Mr. Wellington says he has no objection to bread and water diet handed out to liquor violators. “It won’t hurt them one bit”, he said.

“We’re for the judge in prosecuting them.” he said.

Every citizen of Coleridge will uphold him in his action.”

Coleridge mayor John Hassman, also approves of Judge Bryant’s bread and water diet sentence.

“Those men aren’t working and plenty of good bread and water for a few days at a time will do lots of them a whole lot of good,” said Mr. Hassman. “There are many pioneers in this county who had to work hard and were fortunate if they had plenty of bread. They weren’t hurt by it and they were law-abiding citizens. If the people who are objecting to this sentence could see the youthful customers they sell their stuff to maybe they would change their minds.”

In the last few months it has been the custom of many “boozers” from surrounding towns to make their headquarters in Coleridge and the officials there have decided they will have to move on or go to jail.

With the 250th anniversary of our nation this year, we’ve heard a lot about the idea of freedom. But what does freedom mean for Christians as we participate in civic life? Like so many virtues, freedom is a middle ground between two vices — in this case, between slavery and selfishness.

So, on the one hand, St. Paul says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

The whole book of Galatians is St. Paul adamantly insisting that nobody can add to the good news of Jesus Christ. Our Lord has saved us from sin, death, and the power of evil. The work of Christ sets us free from having to save ourselves or fix our broken relationship with God. We simply receive that gift in faith.

On the other hand, Christ does not set us free just to do whatever we want, whenever we want. That’s not freedom; that’s selfishness. Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31). So freedom involves holding to Jesus’ teaching.

Christian freedom, then, is not license to indulge all our desires, but the opportunity to freely do what’s right. And what’s right is always loving the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39 and elsewhere).

The Holy Spirit, given to us by faith, enables us to discern exactly what that means in any given situation. That’s freedom — because we have the help we need when our own efforts inevitably fail.

Jesus sets us free from having to worry about where we stand with God. And, in doing that, Jesus frees us for loving and serving God and neighbor. That means, for Christians, rights and responsibilities always go together. We can’t talk about one without the other. Our well-being doesn’t mean much if we ignore our neighbor’s suffering.

So Christian freedom means we’re free to love and serve the people around us, sharing the love God first gave us.

RANDOLPH — Considerable interest is being shown in a proposed airport for Randolph, and after some discussion at the Lions club meeting a committee was named to investigate the possibilities of an airport for Randolph.

Bud Burley was appointed as chairman of the committee and others on the committee are Joseph G. Rogers, H. A. Strathman, V. C. Havorka, Jr., Don Prawl and N. B. Moran.

These men are to investigate the many setups for an airport and its operation in a small town, and to look into the establishment and operation of airports such as are operated at Neligh, Creighton and other towns of that size.

Later an open meeting, to which all business men and others interested are invited to attend, will be held and further steps toward the proposed airport discussed.

It is felt by many that the small town without an airport will be at a distinct disadvantage in the years to come as air travel continues to grow.

There is a strong possibility that in time mail routes by air will be established to serve small communities like Randolph.

Sept. 19, 1946

RANDOLPH — A new city ordinance, effective immediately, provides for a schedule of water heating rates for customers of Randolph’s municipal power plant and system.

The newly established water heating rates will make possible wider use of electric water heaters here, the former setup making the cost of operation of such heaters quite high.

All kilowatt hours used per month will be 1½ cents per kilowatt hour within the limits of the ordinance. The minimum per meter, per month is $2.00 net, no discount.

Service will be furnished all customers under the general terms applicable to other electric service and under a number of special terms and conditions.

Sept. 19, 1946

RANDOLPH — Clarence Schutt, graduate of Randolph high school last spring, is another Randolph youth who enrolled for his freshman year in the University of Nebraska last week.

Sept. 19, 1946

RANDOLPH — The Chantalette, St. Frances high school publication published each month by the senior class, has received the International rating from the Quill and Scroll, nationally known high school press service survey.

The rating was made for a “superior all-around paper” with “policies, make-up and content very effective.”

The paper has also received the Gallup award for outstanding service in cooperation with national and local agencies to advance war and peace aims of the country.

LAUREL — On last Sunday night the VanAuker pool hall of this city was broken into and robbed of cigarettes and cigars.

All of the full boxes of cigars and cigarettes were taken. Entrance to the place of business was gained by prying open a window in the rear of the store room.

The loss mounts into several dollars. A slot machine was also taken and it is not known just how much was in it. It was evidently the work of local talent who were familiar with the place.

Other cases of petty thieving are reported this week. Some one recently broke into the garage at the Chas. Craig home and helped themselves to the gasoline in a barrel. Mrs. E. L. Dimick reports that about a third of her potato crop on the west hill has been taken. Several times are reported as missing from cars around town and it looks as though there was a gang of local talent who are doing this sneaking work.

It is time the folks of the community took some steps to protect their property. The use of a good shot gun properly pointed might mark up some of the gang so that they would be known in the future.