Becker said during last week’s Hartington City Council meeting he was frustrated the city is paying the full cost of the repairs at the complex. He said the public school district has a larger tax base and should pay more to help keep the complex, and more specifically the track, in good condition.

Hartington-Newcastle Supt. A.J. Johnson told school board members Monday he believed the city had decided to move forward with repairing the foundation under the track and replacing the top surface.

“So I thought, 'okay, that seems to be settled. We can move on and come up with a new plan in five to 10 years,'" Johnson said.

The track was installed in 2004 and has outlived its projected lifespan. The city had considered replacing the track to extend its life another 20 to 25 years, but the cost proved too high. The city instead opted to repair the track at a cost of $152,625.

Councilman Roman Sudbeck said that the bid pays to tear the old rubber o the track and then repair the cracks and smooth out any low spots in the asphalt below it. New rubber will then be laid down and the track will then be painted. The work will begin this fall, but Sudbeck said the company guarantees the track season will not be aected.

The work comes with a five-year guarantee. Sudbeck said he is hoping to squeeze a few more years out of it, though.

Johnson said the district has met with city representatives a couple of times about the track.

“One time, they were asking the school district just to pay the entire cost of replacing the track," he said. "To which I replied, ‘well, it would be unusual for us to repair something we don’t own.’ ' Johnson said another discussion involved the possibility of the school district purchasing the complex, but he said that would bring legal concerns and could cost the district a large amount of money to do properly.

Johnson said he does not believe having the public school own the track would be the best answer for the community. He said Hartington-Newcastle and Cedar Catholic have a long history of working together, and he does not want the track issue to create division between the two schools or within the community.

“I just don’t think that having the public school own the track would be good for the community," he said.

Johnson said the district’s attorney also raised questions about what the school district would receive in return if it put extra money into a city-owned facility.

"Well, what do we get out of it?" Johnson said. "If we're shar ing the facility with Cedar Catholic and we’re working together there, do we get anything dierent out of it than we would get now if we spend that extra money?"

Johnson said anything that gave one school an advantage, such as first chance at scheduling, could become divisive.

“Those are the types of things that could put a divide between the two schools that really isn't there," he said.

Folkers, the daughter of Nick and Ann Folkers, Hartington, is a senior at Wayne State College majoring in journalism and minoring in editing and publishing.

She has been a photographer and news reporter for the Wayne Stater covering campus news, and currently serves as its news editor, where she proofs stories and designs pages.

A native of Bow Valley, Emma graduated from Wynot High School in 2018 at the top of her class.

She has always been an avid reader and was involved as a writer for the Wynot Whisper for three years before becoming its editor in her final year of high school.

Emma is passionate about communication and community journalism.

Cedar County News Co-Publisher Kellyn Dump said he is excited to have Folkers on board this summer.

'She is already a great addition to our sta,' Dump said. 'Her

reporting, editing and layout skills have been a real asset.'

Besides helping to edit and lay out the paper each week, Folkers will also be covering meetings, taking photos and doing feature stories for all four of the Northeast Nebraska News Company newspapers and websites.

The Cedar County News has a long history of hiring high school and college interns to help out during the summer months.

Several past interns have gone on to work at some of the most prestigious newspapers in the state and country, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg News, Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star.

'Our internship program is a real win-win situation,' Dump said. 'They get the experience of seeing what it takes to put out a community newspaper, and having someone with Emma's skills on board really helps us out during the busy summer season.'

Through her internship, she hopes to gain experience in reporting, writing, and connecting with members of the community.

After graduating from Wayne State College in December 2026, she plans to remain living and working in Cedar County.

When she isn’t in the newspaper world, you can find her crocheting, spending time with friends and family or enjoying the outdoors with her dog Leroy.

Anyone with story or photo ideas for her is urged to contact the Cedar County News at 402-254-3997 or oce@cedarcountynews.net.

Heikes earned the majority of votes in the May primary election for the seat now held by Dave McGregor, who is retiring. Unless an independent candidate files by petition and defeats Heikes in the Nov. 3 general election, Heikes will take oce in January.

Heikes told the Board he would like to help train the person hired to replace him before the summer is over.

Also Tuesday, Zoning Administrator Tim Gobel presented several building permits for approval. The permits included: J & ER Farms, LLC, Pct. 6, 60-by-100-foot shed; John Pehrson, Pct. 15, hoop barn addition; Kara and Chris Lammers, Pct. 9, 25-by-31-foot attached garage; CLM Enterprises, Pct. 15, 40,000-bushel grain bin; Claire Wieseler, Pct. 1, 14-by-24-foot garden shed; Charles Arens, Pct. 3, 89-by-110-foot hoop barn addition.

Gobel also presented one conditional use permit for Middle Mile Infrastructure, LLC, for two 24-by-36-foot buildings for a booster station for a private fiber optic line.

Highway Superintendent Carla Schmit presented information on dust-control treatments and whether permits should be required before such treatments are applied on county roads.

Schmit said Nemaha County has a permitting process, but it has not been used in two years. She said that may be because the county is no longer paying part of the application fees.

Schmit also said Wayne County and Dakota County use a mixture of magnesium, calcium and beet juice for dust control.

Wayne County uses the mixture only during county fair season on the fair road.

Commissioners discussed that while beet juice can be sticky enough to help bind dust particles together, it may not be something people want sticking to their vehicles.

Schmit said she will continue gathering information on dust-control options.

The Board also heard bids for a new District 3 semi-tractor from I-State Truck Centers of Sioux City, Iowa, and Cornhusker International Trucks of Norfolk. Commissioner Dave McGregor will examine the bids before the board makes a decision.

Greg Villwok is purchasing property from Larry Janssen and would like to convert one of the buildings into a truck and cattle pod washout. The plan would also include space for local residents and others to wash vehicles.

Villwok said the business would operate as a do-it-yourself car wash, since Randolph does not have enough population to support an automatic car wash.

The biggest issue is sewer service. The building is not currently connected to a city sewer line, and wastewater from the washout would need somewhere to go. Under Villwok’s plan, wastewater from the truck washout would go into the sewer system, while solids would be held back, loaded up and hauled away.

City officials looked at possible locations where a sewer line could cross the highway to serve the property. Measurements and other information have been sent to JEO, the city’s engineering firm, for review.

JEO will look at possible crossing locations and determine whether a lift station or other equipment may be needed.

Council members said they liked the concept Villwok presented, but will wait to hear back from JEO before deciding on the next steps for any possible infrastructure expansion.

The Council also heard an update on the city’s pool renovation project.

Kalynda Kuhl, representing the pool committee, told the Council the total cost of the project is $77,491.39.

The pool committee and city have contributed a combined $25,500 so far, with the committee contributing $10,500 from donations and the city contributing $15,000.

Some back-ordered parts still need to be ordered so they can arrive by fall. Those parts will cost $14,278. The committee is hoping to receive a grant from the Randolph Community Foundation to help cover that expense.

The remaining cost of the project is $37,713.39.

The pool committee asked the Council to consider working the remaining project cost into the city budget.

A few Council members said they liked the idea of spreading the cost over two budget years so the entire amount would not fall into one year’s budget. Council members said they would look into that possibility as the city’s budget season approaches in the next few months.

In other action, the Council approved allowing the city administrator to sell the city’s 2007 utility pickup.

The meeting ended with an executive session to discuss two personnel reviews.

OMAHA — A Randolph native will rely on his steadfast moral compass taught by his parents along with the freedom of his small-town upbringing to serve the public as the newest Douglas County District Court judge.

“My parents instilled a lifelong appreciation of learning, that leadership is earned through hard work and dedication to those around you, and that a good attitude and good laugh can take you a long way in life,” said Michael Jensen, a 1996 Randolph High School graduate.

His parents, Dorothy and the late Russell Jensen, worked as teachers at Randolph Public Schools, which helped strengthen a love of learning.

“Throughout my career I have done my utmost best to make sure that I am curious before I’m critical, that I understand all positions before making a decision or passing judgment, and when I do act that I do so with determination and sincerity,” he said.

Beyond all reasonable doubt, those qualities will serve him well on the bench. Although he’s been hearing cases for a month already, he was publicly sworn in at a ceremony Friday.

Jensen said it was surreal being addressed as “your honor” in a courtroom setting for the first time.

“It’s almost like imposter syndrome,” he said. “It’s intimidating to hear myself being referred to as that. I don’t feel I’m worthy of that, but I have to get over that in a big hurry. At the end of the day, that’s what you’re appointed to do and I’m sure all new judges feel the very same way.”

He’s already been surprised by the wide variety of cases so far. District court judges preside over felony criminal cases, all domestic cases including harassment and protection orders, custody disputes, child support and other divorce matters, as well as any major civil proceedings.

His path to the bench started at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and then Creighton University for law school. He worked in a prosecutorial role with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and the Douglas County Attorney’s office for 15 years, and then as a defense attorney in private practice for a few years.

Folkers, the daughter of Nick and Ann Folkers of Hartington, is a senior at Wayne State College majoring in journalism and minoring in editing and publishing.

She has been a photographer and news reporter for the Wayne Stater covering campus news and currently serves as its news editor, where she proofs stories and designs pages.

A native of Bow Valley, Emma graduated from Wynot High School in 2018 at the top of her class.

She has always been an avid reader and was involved as a writer for the Wynot Whisper for three years before becoming its editor in her final year of high school.

Emma is passionate about communication and community journalism.

Cedar County News Co-Publisher Kellyn Dump said he is excited to have Folkers on board.

“She is already a great addition to our staff,” Dump said. “Her reporting, editing and layout skills have been a real asset.”

Besides helping to edit and lay out the paper each week, Folkers will also be covering meetings, taking photos and doing feature stories for all four of the Northeast Nebraska News Company newspapers and websites.

Heikes earned the majority of votes in the May primary election for the seat now held by Dave McGregor, who is retiring. Unless an independent candidate files by petition and defeats Heikes in the Nov. 3 general election, Heikes will take office in January.

Heikes told the Board he would like to help train the person hired to replace him before the summer is over.

Also Tuesday, Zoning Administrator Tim Gobel presented several building permits for approval. The permits included: J & ER Farms, LLC, Pct. 6, 60-by-100-foot shed; John Pehrson, Pct. 15, hoop barn addition; Kara and Chris Lammers, Pct. 9, 25-by-31-foot attached garage; CLM Enterprises, Pct. 15, 40,000-bushel grain bin; Claire Wieseler, Pct. 1, 14-by-24-foot garden shed; Charles Arens, Pct. 3, 89-by-110-foot hoop barn addition. Gobel also presented one conditional use permit for Middle Mile Infrastructure, LLC, for two 24-by-36-foot buildings for a booster station for a private fiber optic line.

Highway Superintendent Carla Schmit presented information on dust-control treatments and whether permits should be required before such treatments are applied on county roads.

Schmit said Nemaha County has a permitting process, but it has not been used in two years. She said that may be because the county is no longer paying part of the application fees.

Schmit also said Wayne County and Dakota County use a mixture of magnesium, calcium and beet juice for dust control.

Wayne County uses the mixture only during county fair season on the fair road.

Randolph baseball 8U Tournament (location TBD on town rankings)

June 19-20:

Randolph baseball 8U Tourney at Creighton

June 22:

Randolph baseball at Pierce: 8U, 6 & 7 p.m.

June 23:

Cedar County Commission meeting

8:30 a.m. at Cedar County Courthouse

June 23:

Randolph softball @ Creighton: 14U, 6:30 & 8 p.m.

Randolph softball vs Ponca: 8U, 5 p.m.;

10U, 6 & 7 p.m.; 12U, 8 p.m.; Randolph softball @ Hartington: 14U,

6:15 p.m.

June 24:

June 24, 26 & 27:

Randolph baseball 10U tourney at Plainview

June 25:

Randolph softball @ Crofton: Park Field,

6U, 6 p.m.; 8U, 7 p.m.; Bottom Field:

12U, 5:30 & 7 p.m.; Top Field: 10U, 5 p.m.; 14U, 6 p.m.; 18U, 7:30 p.m.

Folkers, the daughter of Nick and Ann Folkers of Hartington, is a senior at Wayne State College majoring in journalism and minoring in editing and publishing.

She has been a photographer and news reporter for the Wayne Stater covering campus news and currently serves as its news editor, where she proofs stories and designs pages.

A native of Bow Valley, Emma graduated from Wynot High School in 2018 at the top of her class.

She has always been an avid reader and was involved as a writer for the Wynot Whisper for three years before becoming its editor in her final year of high school.

Emma is passionate about communication and community journalism.

Cedar County News Co-Publisher Kellyn Dump said he is excited to have Folkers on board this summer.

“She is already a great addition to our staff,” Dump said. “Her reporting, editing and layout skills have been a real asset.”

Besides helping to edit and lay out the paper each week, Folkers will also be covering meetings, taking photos and doing feature stories for all four of the Northeast Nebraska News Company newspapers and websites.

The Cedar County News has a long history of hiring high school and college interns to help out during the summer months.

Several past interns have gone on to work at some of the most prestigious newspapers in the state and country, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg News, Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star.

“Our internship program is a real win-win situation,” Dump said. “They get the experience of seeing what it takes to put out a community newspaper, and having someone with Emma’s skills on board really helps us out during the busy summer season.” Through her internship, she hopes to gain experience in reporting, writing, newspaper design and connecting with members of the community.

After graduating from Wayne State College in December 2026, she plans to remain living and working in Cedar County.

When she isn’t in the newspaper world, you can find her crocheting, spending time with friends and family or enjoying the outdoors with her dog Leroy.

Anyone with story or photo ideas for her is urged to contact the Cedar County News at 402254-3997 or office@cedarcountynews. net.

Heikes earned the majority of votes in the May primary election for the seat now held by Dave McGregor, who is retiring. Unless an independent candidate files by petition and defeats Heikes in the Nov. 3 general election, Heikes will take office in January.

Heikes told the Board he would like to help train the person hired to replace him before the summer is over.

Also Tuesday, Zoning Administrator Tim Gobel presented several building permits for approval.

The permits included J & ER Farms, LLC, part of Section 6, 60-by-100-foot shed; John Pehrson, part of Section 15, hoop barn addition; Kara and Chris Lammers, part of Section 9, 25-by-31-foot attached garage; CLM Enterprises, part of Section 15, 40,000-bushel grain bin; Claire Wieseler, part of Section 1, 14-by-24-foot garden shed; and Charles Arens, part of Section3, 89-by-110-foot hoop barn addition.

Gobel also presented one conditional use permit for Middle Mile Infrastructure, LLC, for two 24-by-36-foot buildings at a booster station for a private fiber optic line.

Highway Superintendent Carla Schmit presented information on dust-control treatments and whether permits should be required before such treatments are applied on county roads.

Schmit said Nemaha County has a permitting process, but it has not been used in two years. She said that may be because the county is no longer paying part of the application fees.

Schmit also said Wayne County and Dakota County use a mixture of magnesium, calcium and beet juice for dust control. Wayne County uses the mixture only during fair season on the fair road.

Commissioners discussed that while beet juice can be sticky enough to help bind dust particles together, it may not be something people want sticking to their vehicles.

Schmit said she will continue gathering information on dust-control options.

The Board also heard bids for a new District 3 semi-tractor from I-State Truck Centers of Sioux City, Iowa, and Cornhusker International Trucks of Norfolk.

HARTINGTON — After years of research and several meetings with stakeholders, the Hartington City Council accepted a bid Monday to repair the track at the Hartington Community Complex.

The Council accepted a bid of $152,625 from Fisher Tracks of Boone, Iowa.

Councilman Roman Sudbeck said that bid pays to tear the old rubber off the track and then repair the cracks and smooth out any low spots in the asphalt below it. New rubber will then be laid down and the track will then be painted. The work will begin this fall, but Sudbeck said the company guarantees the track season will not be affected.

The work comes with a five-year guarantee. Sudbeck said he is hoping to squeeze a few more years out of it, though. Norfolk Catholic did the same thing at their track and they are now on year six, he said.

The Community Complex track was originally built in 2004 and carried a 15 to 20-year lifespan. It has now been in use for 22 years and is in need of an update.

The city has been looking at options as how to pay for that update for quite some time, now.

The process has been frustrating, said Mayor Mark Becker. 'We've been trying to figure out a way to refurbish the track, so it's good for all the schools to use,' he said during Monda y's City Council meeting.

Becker said the city looked at bids ranging from over $1 million to $150,000. The lifespan connected to those bids was anywhere from 35 years down to five years.

In an effort to provide local schools with one of the best and most affordable tracks, the city council held meetings last winter with officials from both Cedar Catholic and Hartington- Newcastle, seeking to get an inter-local agreement put in place.

Becker said such an agreement 'would help support the town.'

'We asked if they (Hartington-Newcastle Public School) wanted to buy the track — everything was on the table — to lease, to buy any kind of option other than what we had currently, and they refused to change anything and accept any kind of responsibility for it,' he said. 'Right now the city of Hartington has got the sole responsibility of taking care of the track and the football field and the maintenance and everything. We were hoping they would take some piece of that to at least work with us to do some of the repairs, we would take car e of the maintenance of it, but they refused to do that.'

Becker said it is rare that a city, and not the school, owns and operates the community sports complex. If the school did own the track, they would have a much larger tax base to draw funds from to make improvements to the facility, he said.

'The valuation for the school district is $1.5 billion, which is about 13 times the valuation of the city of Hartington. Right now, the valuation for the city of Hartington is about $120 mil lion,' he said. 'But the Hartington-Newcastle School Board has decided not to participate in anything with the track, so that is why we are at where we're at right now. The city of Hartington and all the citizens of Hartington will pay for refurbishment of the track — 100 percent of the cost — and the school district will pay nothing.'

The city does recieve some funding in the form of annual rent from HNS and Cedar Catholic. Both schools are charged $8,000 per year to rent the facilities for football and track. Becker has said that total barely pays for the mowing at the facility each year.

HARTINGTON — Over 90 years of collective experience in the Cedar County Sheriff's Office was recognized here last week.

Sheriff Larry Koranda, Cedar County Emergency Services Manager Kevin Garvin and jailer/dispatcher Jan Jansen have all served the county for 30 years or more.

Cedar County Chief Deputy Chad Claussen presented the trio with plaques during a brief Friday morning presentation in the Cedar County court room.

Koranda was hired as a deputy in July 1996. He was appointed as Sheriff Jan. 4, 2000, for Loren Trautman who resigned after pleading 'No Contest' to a misdemeanor charge of Obstruction of Justice.

Trautman had been dogged by staff and budget concerns throughout his one year stint in office.

Koranda has since been elected as sheriff seven times.

Despite his longetivity with the office, Koranda is the rookie among the trio.

Garvin has been on board the longest. He was hired as a jailer/dispatcher in May 1995 by then Sheriff Elliot Arens. Jansen was hired in June 1996.

Garvin said he joined the staff after he first became familiar with the deputies when they held a law enforcement contract to police the city of Laurel.

'I had gotten to know the deputy sheriffs over time. Deputy Jerry McCarthy thought I would be good at the job and repeatedly encouraged me to apply. I was interested in the position, so I took the leap and applied,' Garvin said.

Garvin received the designation of 911 coordinator in 1997 when original 911 coordinator McCarthy resigned.

In 2001, Garvin was appointed to serve as the Emergency Management Director.

The Federal Government developed guidance in 2007 and provided funding to support the local Emergency Management programs.

Cedar County Commissioners decided they wanted to comply with the Federal guidelines and have Emergency Management be a full-time position with other duties as assigned around 2008.

From that point forward, Garvin's primary duties were Emergency Management and Communications Coordinator.

'For over 30 years, Kevin has worked tirelessly to ensure our community is ready to respond while emergencies arise, whether they are natural disasters, severe weather events, public safety incidents, or the unforeseen challenges,' Claussen said. 'Emergency management is a profession that requires planning for the unexpected and preparing for the worst, while hoping for the best.'

Claussen said most people don't see the hours Garvin puts into the position.

'Many people never see the countless hours spent developing emergency plans, coordinating training exercises, securing resources, maintaining critical communication systems, and building partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies, yet when a crisis occurs, those efforts become the foundation upon which successful response and recovery are built.'

Garvin said Emergency Management is often misunderstood, and people don’t always understand what the job entails.

'Often times I get the comment that Emergency Management only deals with weather or chases storms. That couldn’t be further from the truth, but weather is when the public hears from us the most and sees us the most,' Garvin said.

Claussen said Garvin also puts that same dedication into his role as 911 coordinator.

'As 911 coordinator, Kevin has also played a vital role in maintaining and improving one of the most important services our citizens rely on' he said. 'Every emergency call that is able to reach help quickly and accurately is a reflection of the dedication, expertise, and commitment that Kevin has brought to this responsibility throughout the years.'

Garvin has never been the type of person to seek the spotlight and wanted to make sure people know he is only able to do his job because of the people around him.

'Larry (Koranda) summed it up best at the ceremony the other day. 'We can’t do our jobs alone. We have to have support from our families, our colleagues and the other elected officials. Without the behind the scenes people it would be very difficult to do the job.' ' Koranda and Jansen will be profiled in an upcoming issue.

HARTINGTON — The City of Hartington ended the 2025 fiscal year in a stronger overall financial position than the year before, but the city also carried more debt and saw a decline in some of its more flexible financial resources.

City Auditor Kyle Overturf, of the Grand Island firm AMGL, P.C., spent about 20 minutes at the City Council’s May 26 meeting going over the annual audit and reviewing the city’s revenue and expenditures.

The city’s fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. According to the audit, Hartington’s total assets exceeded its liabilities by $5,282,658 at the close of the 2025 fiscal year. That figure, known as the city’s net position, is a broad measure of the city’s overall financial standing.

The city’s net position increased by $502,110 from the previous year, rising from $4,780,548 in 2024 to $5,282,658 in 2025.

The increase was largely tied to capital assets, such as land, buildings, infrastructure, machinery, vehicles and equipment.

Hartington’s total assets increased from $7.44 million in 2024 to $8.87 million in 2025, an increase of more than $1.43 million.

Capital assets accounted for most of that growth. Those assets rose from $5.39 million in 2024 to $7.22 million in 2025, an increase of nearly $1.83 million.

Overturf said capital improvements appeared to be a major reason for the change. The city built a new city shop and a new community event center and also completed street paving work during the 2025 fiscal year.

At the same time, the city’s liabilities also increased. Total liabilities rose from $2.66 million in 2024 to $3.58 million in 2025, an increase of $928,421.

Most of that increase came from long-term liabilities, which rose by nearly $896,000.

That means the city’s financial position improved on paper, but a portion of that improvement came with added debt or future obligations.

Of the city’s total net position, $740,975 was listed as unrestricted net position. That money is generally available to meet the city’s ongoing obligations to citizens and creditors.

The report also showed some areas to watch. The city’s governmental activities reported an ending net position of $3,330,701 at the close of the fiscal year. However, those same governmental activities had a deficit unrestricted net position of $700,993.

That deficit grew from the previous year, when the governmental activities had a deficit unrestricted net position of $448,507.

The General Fund also showed a deficit. The report listed the unassigned fund balance for the General Fund at a deficit of $572,116 at the end of the fiscal year.

The General Fund is typically the city’s main operating fund and is used to pay for many basic government services. An unassigned fund balance represents money that is not restricted, committed or assigned for a specific purpose.

A deficit in that category can indicate that available general operating resources are tight or that the city has relied on other resources to cover expenses.

Overall, the audit shows Hartington remained in a positive financial position at the end of the 2025 fiscal year.

However, it also shows that more of the city’s value is tied up in longterm assets, while debt increased and the governmental side of the city reported a deeper unrestricted deficit than the year before.

In other action Tuesday, the Council agreed to close a portion of two roads for special events.

Hard Patch Brewing Company was granted permission to close a portion of Broadway Avenue in front of their business for a June 13 street dance. The dance is being held as a fundraiser for Paul Howey, who was recently injured in an accident.

Also Tuesday, the Council approved a fireworks sales permit for Fly By Night Fireworks. The Council also passed a resolution to temporarily close Highway 57 for a June 30 fireworks show by Fly By Night. The road will be closed from 7:30 to 11 p.m. that night.

The Council also passed a resolution dedicating the right-of-way for Wirth Drive in the new economic development park north of Highway 84.

Council members also reviewed the Sheriff’s report for May. The department put in 546.5 patrol hours in Hartington. Two hours of that was dedicated to school traffic control.

Law enforcement made three traffic stops in May, issuing two written warnings and one verbal warning. Law enforcement was also called out for two accidents in the community in May.

— Rob Dump Cedar County News

HARTINGTON — Area residents should not have to wait until summer dust clouds are rolling across the countryside to find out whether Cedar County has a plan.

With a dry winter and early spring raising concerns about possible drought conditions, Mark Goeden told Cedar County Commissioners Tuesday morning that at least one rural nuisance could be reduced if the county allows residents to use approved dust-control treatments on gravel roads.

“The roads don’t have to cause a dust storm every time a vehicle drives down them,” Goeden said.

Goeden appeared before the board to ask permission to treat the gravel road in front of his home with magnesium chloride, a dust-control product he said he has seen work well on heavily traveled gravel roads in South Dakota.

He said he believes some Cedar County residents may already be treating roads, but he wants the county to establish clear rules before he moves forward.

“I want to do this the right way,” Goeden told commissioners. “That’s why I’m here. I want to see some guidelines, some sort of policy put in place so we’re all on the same page.”

Goeden said dust has become a major issue along his road, which he described as a busy farm-to-market route.

“That’s a farm-to-market road. There are all kinds of trucks on it,” he said. “I think we had over 120 trucks go by the other day. That’s a lot of dust.”

He said rural residents should have options for reducing dust, especially when products are available that can help control the problem.

“There are better ways to live in the country,” Goeden said. “They make a product so you can live a good life in the country. We’ve got to get out of the Stone Age.”

Commissioners discussed the request before bringing County Attorney Ron Temple into the conversation.

Temple said whatever the board ultimately decides, commissioners would need to establish a clear and consistent policy.

Liability is always a concern, he said, but it should not automatically be used as a reason to reject the idea.

Temple said property owners would need to understand that if they pay to treat a county road and county crews later maintain that road and remove the treatment in the process, the county would not be responsible for reimbursing the property owner.

Goeden said one possibility could be for the county to avoid maintaining a treated stretch of road until after harvest season, when traffic and dust concerns may lessen.

Commissioner Dick Donner said a permitting process may be one way to make sure residents do not simply put whatever they want on county roads.

“It’s something we definitely have to consider,” Donner said.

Goeden agreed, saying a permit system would give the county more control over what products are used.

“If you don’t have a permitting process, people are just gonna do it anyway,” he said. “I definitely know there are people putting stuff out there. I just want to do it the right way — have people apply for a permit so they can

only put certain products down.”

Donner said the county may also want to consider some type of hold-harmless agreement that would protect the county from liability if a landowner pays to treat a road.

Commissioner Dave McGregor said the next step should be to gather more information before any policy is drafted.

“I don’t think Ron’s going to draft anything until we get our ducks in a row,” McGregor said.

Commissioners agreed more information is needed before they consider creating a policy or permitting process that would allow certain dust-control treatments on county roads.

They asked County Highway Supt. Carla Schmidt to research how other counties handle dust-control requests and to gather examples of policies used elsewhere.

Donner said that whatever policy the county may eventually adopt, he does not believe the county should be responsible for applying dust-control treatments or paying for them.

LAUREL — Laurel will roll out a full weekend of community activities June 18-21 as Ag Days brings garage sales, swimming, a parade, park activities, food, music and Father’s Day events to town.

The celebration will open Thursday, June 18, with ice cream served from 3-6 p.m. in the Citizens State Bank parking lot.

Friday’s activities include the start of community-wide garage sales. The Laurel swimming pool will also host two free pool parties Friday. The first will be from 6-8:30 p.m. and will include a ping pong ball float. A high school night swim will follow from 9-10 p.m.

Saturday, June 20, will be the biggest day of the celebration. Community- wide garage sales will begin at 8 a.m., with maps available at Laurel City Office, Citizens State Bank and Security Bank.

The Ag Days Fun Run/Walk, hosted by the LCC cross country team, will begin with registration at 8 a.m. at the shelter house in the city park. The run/walk will start at 8:30 a.m. Strollers are welcome.

The Ag Days parade will have a new route this year. Parade registration begins at 9:30 a.m. at LCC School. The parade starts at 10:30 a.m. at the school, travels on Wakefield Street, goes east on Second Street to Cedar Street and ends at the city park.

A full slate of “Saturday in the Park” activities will begin late Saturday morning. A community picnic featuring walking tacos and hot dogs will be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Other park events will include bingo, a co-ed sand volleyball tournament, a photo booth and Lions Club free health screenings from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

A complete list can be found in this week’s Northeast Nebraska Rocket.

Scott Petersen, an Omaha businessman, comfortably beat incumbent Republican Secretary of State Bob Evnen in last month’s GOP primary, a challenge from Evnen’s right that his seven years of service in the office couldn’t survive.

Nebraska Democrats nominated Plattsmouth school nutrition director Sarah Slattery to challenge him. She says she feels the “weight of the world” of standing between “voting rights” and Petersen, who has said he wants to overhaul how the state runs elections.

Local politicos have also whispered not so quietly about a possible nonpartisan jumping into the race, rumors fueled in part by a recent text poll.

Slattery said Evnen did a “good job” of running the state elections. She originally thought she was going to face him, so her messaging was focused on how she could do things “a little better” than Evnen. Now, she said she has to rethink her campaign because the candidate she’s running against is “not the same.”

“It’s somebody who wants to get in there and make drastic … radical … sweeping changes to the way that we vote … it’s scary to me,” Slattery said. “I think it can be scary to a lot of people.”

Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb posted on social media about the race after the GOP primary, calling the secretary of state’s race a pickup opportunity for Democrats. Her post shared a screenshot of retiring Republican 2nd Congressional District U.S. Rep. Don Bacon criticizing Petersen.

But in a state where Republicans outnumber Democrats 2-to-1, despite a growing number of nonpartisans, Petersen is favored to take the reins of state elections. He described his GOP primary victory as a referendum on election integrity issues raised by President Donald Trump and others. Another factor, he said, is people’s lack of confidence in state leaders.

Petersen told the Examiner that his race came down to decreased public “confidence” in election systems, doubts he said haven’t been resolved since 2020. He has questioned whether ballot-counting machines the state uses can access the internet and be hacked.

Election officials in Lancaster County, Douglas County and Hall County, to name some, have said the machines cannot access the internet and that an office computer used to upload election results is only connected online when it is time to upload the vote-count data transmitted to the device via flash drive.

Petersen also argues, like Trump, that voting by mail should be restricted, used only by military personnel, people with disabilities and people who live far from their polling site. He argues that Nebraska has a “big problem.” Petersen said he wants the Legislature to bring back a “one-day election and true absentee voting.”

Some populist parts of the GOP have pushed for additional election security measures as a part of a national framing of the electoral process that some election experts have warned could undermine public trust. Historically in Nebraska, Republicans tend to fare better than Democrats on Election Day.

“We have 35 days of mail-in balloting, and the corruption … it encourages outside money to come into Nebraska and send people and money into Nebraska and harvest ballots … we need to … reform it a little bit and get back to that one-day election and true absentee voting,” he said.

More than a third of the Nebraska electorate has voted by mailin recent primaries. In some elections, that number climbs north of 40% or 45%.

A day after his victory, Petersen, who helped a wing of the Nebraska Republican Party take over in 2022 from a team more loyal to then-Gov. Pete Ricketts, now a U.S. senator, told former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s War Room that “we elected leaders. They go to Washington D.C. … they go to our state Legislature, and they do nothing.”

Scott Petersen of Omaha, 2026 Republican candidate for Nebraska secretary of state. (Courtesy of Petersen campaign) Former Nebraska Republican Party Chair Eric Underwood told the War Room in a separate interview that “the easier fruit [of incumbents] to pick off the branch was the secretary of state.”

“This was one of the most fundamental changes that had to happen in the State of Nebraska, and it’s sending shock waves through the establishment … Petersen put principles on the ballot,” Underwood said.

HARTINGTON — Hartington will be a hot spot this summer for tour groups.

The 2026 Nebraska Rod and Customs Association (NRCA) 33rd Tour Nebraska Car Ride will be coming to this area later this week.

The traveling car show, which has 456 classic vehicles registered this year, will be traveling through this area Saturday and Sunday.

This year, the host town is Norfolk. They will travel 510 miles on Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31.

On Saturday, they will stop in downtown Verdigre for a morning break from 9:19 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.

For a lunch break, they plan on stopping at the Skylon Ballroom in Hartington from 1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. They will then arrive back in Norfolk around 4:18 p.m.

On Sunday, May 31, they will stop in Ponca from 9:10 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. for a morning break, then stop at the Nielsen Community Center in West Point for lunch.

The vehicles will leave Norfolk both days at 7 a.m. and will travel in two groups, with the second group leaving 20 minutes after the first.

Each vehicle in the tour must be 30 years old or older, and each year, the tour has a dierent host town and route.

Approximate times on Sunday include Hadar at 7:10 a.m.; Pierce, 7:21 a.m.; Foster, 7:30 a.m.; Plainview, 7:40 a.m.; Osmond, 7:51 a.m., and Randolph, 8:04 a.m.

Those aren't the only vehicles headed this way this summer.

Hartington will have two statewide bike rides come through the area.

Hundreds of bicyclists are expected to get a close-up look at Cedar County this June as the Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska rolls through the area.

The 44th annual BRAN ride, billed this year as the “Outlaw Trail Adventure,” will be held June 7-13. The cross-state ride will begin in Valentine and travel through Springview, Spencer, Verdigre, Crofton, Wayne, Oakland and Arlington.

The Cedar County portion of the ride will come midweek. Riders are scheduled to travel from Verdigre to Crofton Wednesday, June 10, where Crofton will serve as an overnight host community. The next day, Thursday, June 11, the route will take riders from Crofton to Wayne, with Hartington and Laurel listed along the day’s route.

That should give Cedar County residents several chances to see the riders as they make their way through the area.

The 2026 ride will highlight northeast Nebraska scenery and communities, with organizers pointing to the Sandhills, Niobrara River valley, Missouri River valley, Highway 12, Monowi, Verdigre, Ashfall Fossil Beds, Gavins Point Dam and the Meridian Bridge as some of the featured attractions along the route.

The Tour de Nebraska Bike Ride will be in Hartington June 23.

There are 250 riders from 18 states attending this ride. The riders will spend the night at the Cedar County Fairgrounds June 23. Hard Patch Brewery and Nissen Wines have both received Special Designated Liquor Li- censes to show o their wares that night. The Hartington Chamber of Commerce is planning other events that day for the riders, as well.

The group also plans to end their tour through the region in Hartington on June 28.

Another type of vehicle — antique tractors — will also be touring through the region this summer.

There are five tractor drives planned to go through Cedar County this summer. The first one will be this Saturday. That drive will begin with registration at the Randolph city park at 8 a.m. Another drive is planned in the Newcastle area on June 6.

The antique tractors are scheduled to be in Laurel for Ag Days on June 20. On June 27, a Coleridge tractor drive will be held. The final tractor drive through Cedar County will be held July 12, starting at Randolph.

The Wynot Public School Board held its second public forum of the month May 20 to discuss options for a proposed $8 million to $11 million school expansion and renovation project.

About 100 Wynot area residents attended the meeting, with many speaking against the expansion plan.

At the end of the meeting, those in attendance were asked to weigh in on which proposal they preferred. Most of those responding indicated they were opposed to moving forward with any expansion project at this time.

Wynot Public Schools Supt. Paul Hans said Thursday the district will delay plans for a possible July special election on a bond issue.

“Community input is an important part of this process, and we value the strong support, pride and commitment our community continues to show toward Wynot Public Schools and its students,” Hans said.

The decision followed two question-and-answer sessions hosted by the board, where residents voiced both questions and concerns about the three bond options that had been presented.

The decision does not end discussion of a possible bond issue, however.

Hans said Wynot Public Schools intends to continue studying the district’s facility needs, reviewing options, gathering additional public input and considering the long-term impact on students, sta and taxpayers before making any future decisions.

“We encourage patrons to continue sharing ideas, questions and feedback as this process moves forward,” Hans said.

"Honest conversations and dierent perspectives are important as we work together to determine what is best for our students, school and community.

“We simply ask that discussions remain respectful and focused on finding solutions that will positively impact Wynot Public Schools for years to come.”