At the same time, Blair City Administrator Phil Green was on a mission to spur new residential dwellings that would grow the town and its tax base and keep local workers from living away.

He and Thiellen, who is also president of Welcome Home Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for better housing access, teamed up with others including Bluestem Capital Partners in the municipal securities industry and state Sen. Mike Jacobson, a banker from North Platte.

Together they pushed for change they believe will prod developers to take on small-town homebuilding projects previously shrugged off as too risky.

The change came in the form of a newly passed law that allows for creation of “Community Improvement Districts” — zones inside a city’s boundaries where property owners essentially tax themselves to fund infrastructure and public improvements.

Blair is the first Nebraska town trying to establish a CID, and those working on the 137-unit Bear Creek residential project said the price of a house there could drop by as much as 30% by applying the new provisions.

“It’s a model that is good for the developer and equally as good for smaller communities where having housing development in the city limits is really really important,” said Green.

Known as Legislative Bill 1130 before folding into LB 1114, the CID is viewed by supporters as a tool to confront a statewide housing affordability and supply shortage that, according to a still-cited 2023 report, had reached crisis proportions. Committees formed at the time of that report continue to pursue its recommendations, including creation of tens of thousands of affordable dwellings.

Under the CID Act, property owners within a Nebraska city’s limits can voluntarily form a district that has power to issue long-term, income tax-exempt bonds to finance streets, sewers and other public infrastructure needed to build and support a new neighborhood.

Given required approval by the respective city government body, a CID board will set a tax levy on property owners within the district and that revenue pays down bond debt over a period of 20 to 30 years.

That’s on top of other property taxes the homeowners pay. But supporters say the CID model lowers up front costs of home lots, making the price of the house more accessible and affordable. On average, the cost of a CID house is 15-20% less.

There were 40 youth assembled at the Extension Office and the Hartington City Auditorium June 11 for Cedar County 4-H Project Day. The 4-H Project Day is designed to allow 4-Hers to come and acquire new or build on existing skills by working on projects that can be entered at the fair. 4-H members were able to “learn by doing” as they created their projects.

All youth participated in four sessions. These projects are meant to be an introduction to building skills in different project areas, and youth are encouraged to take the project home and make it their own or to take what they have learned and build on it. Youth were able to use their creativity to create a face planter pot. They used a selection of items to create a face on the pot, and then potted a houseplant inside the pot to be used as the hair. A wooden sign was also created using wooden cutouts to create a festive spring or summertime wall hanging. Using a selection of mosaic tiles and a wooden plaque, youth created a mosaic design on a trivet. The final project featured a lamp that youth made out of jenga blocks for the base and a lamp kit for the electricity portion of the lamp.

Check out all of these projects in the 4-H Static Exhibit Hall at the Cedar County Fair, July 15-19.

HARTINGTON — Army PFC Ervin G. Promes, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe H. Promes of Wynot, recently graduated as an honor student from the carpenter course at the Army’s European Engineer School in Murnau, Germany. After graduation ceremonies, Promes returned to his regular duties as combat construction specialist in the 41st Engineer Battalion’s Company A.

Promes entered the army in January 1955 and arrived in Europe last November.

June 21, 1956

HARTINGTON — Installation of two-way radios this week in his home and office provides Cedar County Sheriff Ralph Clements with a very modern communication system.

The sheriff also has a two-way radio in his car and a receiving set at his home. The additional radios will be a big improvement over the old set up, he said. Previously he had the receiving set in his office and a two-way radio in his car.

Sheriff Clements cited some of the advantages of the new radios. “When I go out on an accident and find that an ambulance and doctor or wrecker is needed I can radio home and Mrs. Clements will contact the local doctors or wrecker service by telephone,” Clements said. “It is sometimes difficult to locate a telephone near a wreck.”

“If someone wants to contact me in a hurry and I am on the road they can call Mrs. Clements and she will radio me from home. Law officers in other counties can call me at home, the office or in my car and I can do the same. This will give better coverage.”

Clements is on a sheriff’s wave length that enables any of the county law officers to contact each other. Call numbers for sheriffs are in the 300s. For Cedar county it is 313.

June 21, 1956

HARTINGTON — M. C. Sorensen, former Hartington implement dealer, has opened a boat, motor and trailer business in his building on the west side of Broadway. He may later add a complete line of sporting goods.

Mr. Sorensen has been awarded a dealer franchise by Evinrude Motors and will carry a stock of these motors on hand. Evinrude motors are available in nine sizes ranging from three to 30 horsepower.

Mr. Sorensen has the agency for Naden aluminum boats, Speed Liner mahogany boats and Holsclaw boat trailers. He will also handle boating accessories and supplies.

June 21, 1956

HARTINGTON — Twelve more instructors have been hired to teach in Cedar County schools for the 1956-57 school year, Velna Weir, county superintendent of schools, has announced.

The instructors and the districts they will teach are as follows: District 5, Mrs. Wilma Carstens; District 12, Carol Marron, Newcastle; District 14, Janice Schieffer, Crofton; District 38, Daryl Urwiler, Laurel; District 66, Frances Carr, Allen; District 70, Mrs. Betty Vogel, Belden; District 75, Joan Pedersen, Belden; District 76, Mrs. Shirley White, Belden; District 93, John Sellon, Randolph; District 105, Mrs. Opal Sutton, Hartington; District 110, Lorraine Westadt, Magnet; District 115, Mrs. Wilma Wilkinson, Randolph.

June 21, 1956

HARTINGTON — The Hartington Home Crafts Extension club has for the past three years offered a $50 scholarship to any high school girl who desires to enter the University of Nebraska home economics department. To date no one has taken advantage of this opportunity. If interested in obtaining this assistance contact Mrs. C. A. Carkoski, Mrs. Lawrence Rossiter or Mrs. Henry Goetz. This scholarship is open only to a freshman student.

June 21, 1956

HARTINGTON — Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Ferguson and children of West Bend, Ia., were recent guests in the home of her mother, Mrs. Helen Giesler.

They went from here to Vermillion where he is attending summer school at the University of South Dakota. Mr. Ferguson is working toward his master’s degree.

HARTINGTON — Charlie Samelson now has a new job.

This is only No. 3 on his list, being already County Commissioner and County Highway Commissioner, but he expects to keep busy at it for the summer months at least.

The urbane and accomplished county commissioner is also a state deputy sheriff, receiving his appointment to this office last week from Governor McKelvie. Charlie insists that his appointment as a member of the boy governor’s official family has no political significance, but that he was instructed to bring all law violators to justice.

Governor McKelvie has issued instructions to all mayors and peace officials of counties and to all deputy state sheriffs to rigidly enforce the state automobile laws, particularly the new laws which go into effect next month. Failure to carry the license and number plate, violation of the dimmer lens law and speeding will be punished by heavy fines and jail sentences where possible, the governor insisting that the laws must be obeyed. Operating an automobile with only one light burning is illegal according to the officers, and offenders are liable to prosecution.

Another reason for the interest and activity of Commissioner Samelson in enforcing the auto law is that several hundred less auto licenses have been issued in Cedar County this year than last and the county is short several thousands of dollars as a result of the failure of the owners to get official permits to operate their cars. Mr. Samelson is planning to check the personal tax assessment schedules against the auto license permits in the county treasurer’s office and see that those who have licenses but whose cars are not listed for taxation are placed on the schedules and those with cars on the schedules but who have failed to take out licenses do so. Where boxes are placed on Ford chassis, Mr. Samelson says, licenses must be secured.

Clothed in additional dignity and a brand new badge Mr. Samelson is sure to be dreaded by auto law violators.

June 24, 1926

HARTINGTON — At the annual school meeting held in the various districts of Cedar county on Monday, June 14, the following officers were elected for the coming year: District 5—Lewis Riibe, director; F. W. Muck, moderator; Emil Riibe, treasurer.

District 6—Paul P. Goeden, director; Geo. Kast, moderator; Theo. Kleinschmitt, treasurer.

District 10—A. Jno. Pick, director; Elizabeth Collins, moderator; Mrs. Frances Keegan, treasurer.

District 11—Albert Tramp, director; Frank Goeden, moderator; George Meyer, treasurer.

District 12—E. C. Joslin, director; P. J. Stortz, moderator; Elmer Thompson, treasurer.

District 14—J. Hahn, director; Edward Lentz, moderator; J. L. Wohlman, treasurer.

District 17—Frank McCoy, director; H. Neilson, moderator; N. C. Rasmussen, treasurer.

District 18—D. W. Burney, director; Chas Erickson, moderator; Aug. Grandt, treasurer.

District 19—F. H. Arens, director; Peter A. Peterson, moderator; Joe Arens, treasurer.

District 21—Mrs. W. D. Newton, director; Chris Neilson, moderator; O. F. Berg, treasurer.

District 23—R. S. Frerichs, director; E. J. Dirks, moderator; Eugene Peck, treasurer.

District 24—Ed McGregor, director; Mrs. J. M. Olson, moderator; Fred Olson, treasurer.

District 25—Mrs. Ada Strivens, director; Henry Schindler, moderator; Geo. Thomas, treasurer.

June 24, 1926

HARTINGTON — Homewood Park will hold a big celebration July 4-5 at which a large number of very interesting features will be staged.

There will be three big baseball games played on Sunday and Monday. On Sunday Hartington will cross bats with Bloomfield; Monday the Menominee and Wynot clubs will play and on the same day, Newcastle will play the winners.

One highly interesting feature of the celebration will be high, fancy and trick diving by experts and there will also be roller skating, swimming and boating. Provision has been made for concessions of all kinds.

HARTINGTON — Cedar County’s assistance board has made requisitions for $4,295 old age assistance, $725 dependent children aid and $100.69 blind pensions for the month of June, according to L. G. Riibe, county treasurer and member of the board, which also includes the three Cedar County commissioners.

Because the request was not forwarded to Lincoln in time for the meeting held by the state board on June 5, it will be passed on at the session June 15. The assistance is not paid recipients until the end of each month so that it makes little difference at which meeting the requisition is approved, according to Mr. Riibe.

Commenting on a squabble between Regional Director Witte and Irl D. Tolen, director of the state assistance committee, over the type of employee to take charge of the administration of the assistance funds in Nebraska counties, Mr. Riibe cites Cedar County’s own situation as a point in favor of the state director’s stand.

Mr. Witte has requested, unsuccessfully as yet, that trained welfare workers take charge of the program in all counties of the state and have the authority to look into the competency of county assistance committees.

June 17, 1936

HARTINGTON — Our oldtime friend, Mark Felber, who some weeks ago discontinued his weekly articles for The News, has a very interesting story in this week’s issue. It recites the thrilling experience of our well-known townsman, Martin Nelson, who owned one of the first automobiles in Hartington. Martin had a tough time on one of his trips with the horseless carriage, and Mark gives an entertaining story of the affair.

Due to labor troubles at Goodyear in Akron, where the rubber workers “fly off the handle” spasmodically, Mark has been kept quite busy in the Public Relations Department, and for that reason discontinued writing his weekly “yarns,” as he calls his contributions. But he has advised us that he hopes to resume writing the stories and we hope to receive them regularly hereafter.

June 17, 1936

HARTINGTON — Death claimed Roman Hofmaier, nine-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hofmaier, of near Constance, without a moment’s notice, shortly afternoon today.

The boy had been riding a horse on his father’s farm and in some manner fell from the animal, suffering a compound fracture of the elbow. He was rushed to Crofton but the surgeon desired was out of town and so he was brought to Hartington.

A brief examination indicated the injury to the arm and also possible internal injuries. He was taken to St. John’s hospital where Dr. Johnson started to administer nitrous oxide, a gas, so that the fracture could be reduced without suffering. Death then came suddenly and without warning.

The boy was born Jan. 5, 1927. He is survived by his parents and two sisters, five and seven years old.

June 17, 1936

HARTINGTON — The grand opening of the renovated Homewood Park will be held at a big celebration to be held July 4 and 5, according to an announcement made this week by Irvin and Ralph Kleinberg, who have leased it from Philip Verzani, Ponca attorney, who recently purchased the park.

Ball games between Wynot and Constance on the fourth and Wynot and Bow Valley on the fifth have been scheduled. Dances will also be held on both evenings in the recently rebuilt 64x84 dance pavilion, the largest in this section of the state.

The work of cleaning and rebuilding is progressing rapidly.

June 17, 1936

HARTINGTON — Leo Schrempp, veteran school director and one of the original founders and directors of Little Bow creek school district when it was organized 41 years ago, was reelected to directorship Monday, June 8, as voters in the county school districts met to elect directors, fill board vacancies, receive financial reports and vote budget for the ensuing year.

Mr. Schrempp has the longest service record of any director in the county. Henry Sudbeck of the same school district will continue as moderator, a position he has held for 31 years. John L. Lammers is now treasurer of district 82.

Mr. Schrempp was founder of district 82 and has served continuously as a director of the school, which is commonly called the “Schrempp” school. The first teacher was Charles Hough, jr. Sessions were first held in a rear of the old Sylvester Herber farm house.

Mr. Herber was the first treasurer and was followed by John W. Lammers, well known pioneer resident of the county. John L. Lammers, present treasurer, is a grandson of John W. Lammers.

Other districts in the county elected directors as follows: Dist. 1 — Lloyd Jones, who had been appointed director to fill vacancy was elected to that position. Other members are Mrs. Ed Jones and Joe Burbach.

Dist. 2 — Fred Hausman was re-elected moderator. The other two members are Albert Becker and Henry B. Wieseler.

Dist. 4 — Hugo Eding was re-elected treasurer. Other two members are T. A. Lammers and Carl Bruening.

June 17, 1936

HARTINGTON — Pervaded by a very evident spirit of enthusiasm and optimism over the forthcoming election, young democrats of the Third Congressional district convened in the city auditorium at Hartington last Sunday afternoon.

Representing approximately 20 counties of the district and numbering a large group of older democrats, the delegates assembled at the auditorium at 2:00 o’clock and held a session which lasted several hours. No evening gathering was held, as originally scheduled, but all entertainment was held during the afternoon.

The convention was opened with several selections played by the Hartington High School band under the direction of Edward Kagay. June and Constance Rossiter, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Rossiter, gave tap dancing performances.

Delivering the official address of welcome, Raymond W. McNamara, Hartington attorney, stated that the necessity for cooperation of democrats as the prime reason for the holding of the convention and welcomed the delegates to the city. Cooperation is needed, he said, in order to uncover the methods of republican opponents for what they are — political strategy and claptrap. McNamara charged that “formulating their platform, the republicans have repudiated their own party principles, they have resorted to misrepresentations, and deceit, they have shaded the truth, straddled the issues, made defamatory charges, false accusations, and in large part copied the democratic program.”

HARTINGTON — Differences over a fence line between farms owned by their fathers resulted in a fight which ended in Casper Meirose being struck over the head with an iron bar in the hands of his cousin, Joseph Meirose, according to a warrant secured from county court which resulted in the latter being brought into court to answer to a charge of assault.

The case was tried Saturday to a jury, which found the defendant guilty. Judge Bryant suspended sentence to July 15 to give both parties time to reach an amicable agreement regarding the joint drive way and the fence.

Failing to reach an agreement Judge Bryant indicated a severe sentence would be imposed.

In a response to last week’s article in the paper concerning the city owned sports complex, the questions really are not “Complex”.

Although city government and public school systems are both supported by tax dollars, their purpose is very different. School systems are to provide education to students, city governments are to provide services to citizens. As we are all aware, they both can be very expensive.

Through the district school board, I was on the planning committee for the Complex nearly 25 years ago. At that time it was clearly the City Council that saw the need for the city to provide more and better recreational facilities for Hartington. (Many of us can remember that the city owned and maintained the Felber Park football field, and the condition that was in.)

They also had the wisdom to know that an enhanced recre ation facility was part of the many services cities provide. The past council also had the foresight to know that to guarantee both school systems in our community would have equal access, neither should own any part of it. A vote by the citizens of Hartington on a bond issue clearly supported their plan.

I believe if a vote were taken again today the people of this town would again strongly support a facility that would be owned and maintained by the city.

Years ago, it was clearly understood that the equal rent both school systems paid would go into a fund that would be used for repair and maintenance of the track. If the city has been receiving between $12,000-$16,000 a year for 22 years, there certainly should be funds available to make repairs at the Complex. Yet, knowing that the city is nearly $1 million in debt, I think we can assume that money went to other projects.

— Rita Kathol Pedersen Hartington

“I’ve about had it with you, pilgrim!” If you were on set and John Wayne was talking to you, brace yourself — you’re about to get decked! The definition of a Pilgrim: “An Eastern Dandy who doesn’t quite understand the ways of the West”.

Is John Wayne the greatest male movie star Hollywood ever produced?

Yes, says Brian Downes, Executive Director of the John Wayne Birthplace & Museum in Winterset, Iowa.

Just think about his longevity, his larger-than-life persona, and considering the era, his massive box office draw. Along with “Duke” (a nickname that came from Wayne’s dog), some people in the business simply called him “Box Office”. Back in the early 1930s, Wayne would be featured in 7 to 11 pictures a year.

Born Marion Robert Morrison in Winterset, Iowa on May 26, 1903, he personifies what an American man should be. He was truly an All-American man, helping the nation get past some tough times by inspiring audiences through his westerns and military roles, encouraging and reminding Americans of the good in people and the United States.

Clint, Bogie, Stewart, Tracy, and Cruise were or are all talented actors, but Wayne was the bigger-than-life star. He has been accredited with 177 films, almost 100 more than any of those other famous artists. From the Depression through Vietnam, he kept his onscreen persona intact.

“He developed that walk and his disgruntled stare, to be different,” Brian explains. “When John had a lung removed in 1964 due to cancer, he had a gentle pause in the way he talked. Some thought it was great acting but actually, he was just catching his breath”.

To fully appreciate this legacy, you have to visit the John Wayne Birthplace & Museum in Winterset, which is an absolute gem. (We have actually produced an intriguing YouTube video under Bob Ford’s History, Mystery and Lore about Wayne’s life — check it out.)

Winterset, Iowa, happens to be in Madison County. Yep, that Madison County with the famous bridges. You can easily imagine a young John Wayne and his buddies climbing all over those things. The engineering of the interior supports and the intricacy of the designs are what make those 140-year-old structures so sturdy and unique. The bridges were constructed with a cover to protect them from the elements... and it worked! They were built like John Wayne: with character that lasts!

After touring the Museum and Home, we noticed the annual Madison County Fair was taking place — so naturally, we had to go. Winterset itself would be an ideal setting for a Norman Rockwell painting; not only were the lawns perfectly manicured, but all the houses seemed to have window boxes full of flowers. The fair was Americana on parade; there was even a 12-yearold girl with a pig on a leash. Right after that, I had a delicious pulled pork sandwich; no relation, I promise.

Speaking of my own relations, my last name is Ford, which brings to mind a great story about the legendary man who helped make the Duke a star. My father, Jake Ford, was on a cruise and ventured into a lounge for an afternoon nip; after all, he was on vacation. He sat down next to a “salty old guy with a bad eye”. They started talking and it turned out they shared the exact same last name. It was John Ford, the filmmaker who directed John Wayne in some of his finest movies.

My favorite Wayne/Ford film collaboration was They Were Expendable. It’s a WWII film based on the exploits of a Torpedo Boat Squadron fighting in the Philippines early in the war. Much of the courageous action is based on factual events that led to tough times on Corregidor. One of the best known, but out of character, movies for Wayne was Ford’s production of The Quiet Man. John Ford’s given last name was Feeney—very Irish—and The Quiet Man was his beautifully filmed homage to his ancestral homeland. The surrey used in the movie is even on display at the Museum back in Winterset.

My father found Ford to be a humble man who hoped people just enjoyed his work. He also said he was an Irish Whiskey guy. Funny enough, I wrote about this meeting in an article. You know you are at the mercy of an editor when you submit a piece, but when it was finally published, they didn’t have my father and John Ford meeting in the afternoon for a nip; nope, they changed one letter — so it read they met every afternoon for a nap. I can just see those two grizzly WWII vets spooning their way across the Caribbean.

But let’s get back to Winterset. Being the first State to hold Presidential Caucuses, Iowa becomes ground zero for national campaigns every four years. If you were running for the highest office in the land, who better to pose with in-state than the statue of their favorite son, John Wayne?

Brian Downes has entertained them all—candidates he knew and a few he didn’t.

“They pull up in their motor coaches and limos just to get a photo op with the statue in front of the Museum,” he said with a grin. “Ronald Reagan was funny, Bill Clinton charming, and Hillary sweated a lot.”

If you get a chance, take a drive to Winterset and visit the icon’s museum. It’s a wonderful tribute to the man who taught us phrases like, “A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do” or “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway”.

One of those trips involved a flight to Coleridge, in northeast Nebraska, after a tornado had destroyed two farm homes and damaged several residences on the north edge of the town.

At one of the farms, the owner stood just outside the now-bare foundation where his house once stood. The house was gone.

“It could have been worse,” he said. No one had been injured or killed, after all.

For some reason, that quote has stuck with me over the years. It could be, I keep thinking – maybe should be – the state motto.

I can’t recall the number of times I’ve heard the same comment when visiting the scene of a devastating flood, a horrible fire, or, like in Coleridge, one heck of a nasty tornado.

But it kind of typifies what Nebraskans are all about. Despite homes being washed away by flooding, or burned to the ground in a fire, or wiped off the map by a tornado, despite watching crops burn up in a drought, the phrase we often use is, “it could have been worse.”

It says to me that Cornhuskers are in it for the long run. We’re not cutting our losses and moving on due to some calamity or disaster.

To be sure, Nebraska has always been a place where people traveled across, to get somewhere else. It’s fly-over country.

That was true back in the pioneer days when wagon trains rolled up the flat Platte River Valley en route to Oregon, Utah and other points west. It’s still true today as semis and SUVs rumble down Interstate 80 and jetliners leave lazy contrails in the sky.

“Nebraska is an Indian word for ‘long ways across,’ “ is how the joke goes.

But it’s also a place where people stuck it out, through thick and thin, disasters and droughts. There was always an expectation that things would get better, and that it could have been worse.

Nebraskans persevere, through all kinds of weather. They stay on. They don’t move on. (Unless, of course, it’s to follow the football or volleyball team, or to go to a NASCAR race.) The state motto has sparked more debates than I can remember.

“Equality Before the Law” is the official state motto, the one on the state flag and seal. It’s a unique expression that everyone, black, white and otherwise, should be viewed equally, with equal rights.

Nebraska was granted statehood back in 1867 only after it dropped a “whites only” voting provision in its constitution, according to the Nebraska State Historical Society. You know, “equality before the law.”

We’ve also had a variety of other state mottos, mostly for tourism.

I personally liked “Where the West Begins,” a 1960s pitch, because Nebraska really is where “the West Begins” (and that’s somewhere west of North Platte or thereabouts).

There’s been a variety of other tourism taglines, but the one that stirred the most controversy was “Honestly, it’s not for everyone.”

That motto, since mothballed, was hailed by marketing types as edgy and directly confronting the idea that Nebraska was flat and boring. That slogan won some awards, and a survey said that interest in visiting the state increased after we admitted the state “wasn’t for everyone.”

But Gov. Pillen and others called it “nonsense” and a putdown. They said it hurt efforts to lure new residents to the state, and was contrary to economic development slogans stating that Nebraska was “open” for business and new folks.

(I’ve always thought that the state’s best tourism pitch would be showing on-coming motorists flashing the one-finger wave, the friendly greeting to strangers that is unique to Nebraska (and kind of unheard of elsewhere).

But for my money, the state motto, while nice, could use an upgrade. And “It Could Have Been Worse” works for me.

Paul Hammel has covered the Nebraska state government and the state for decades. He is a retired senior reporter for the Nebraska Examiner and the former Capitol Bureau Chief for the Omaha World-Herald.

All of this brings so much excitement and fun, as well as an increase of children on the move with bikes and now an ever increasing buzz of e-scooters. Don’t get me wrong, if I were age 8-10, I would love riding all of the new e-bikes and e-scooters. It would be great fun. The challenge is to keep everyone safe.

Recently, one of those scooters came within inches of being hit by a vehicle. A lady witnessing this stated, “My heart just stopped when I realized how close that child came to being seriously hurt or even killed.”

This is not just a local situation. It is something every city and town, regardless of the population, is now dealing with. How can we allow our young people to enjoy riding these electric powered scooters and mini-bikes safely?

Many cities have restrictions on riding only on streets with a speed limit of less than 35 MPH. Others have restrictions of a speed restriction of 15 mph for the scooters themselves. In each case, those riding the e-scooters, must obey all traffic signs and laws, meaning coming to a complete stop when approaching a stop sign, etc.

I truly feel this issue is something our community must address because from what I am seeing, it isn’t if someone is going to be seriously hurt, it’s just when some child will be seriously injured or, God forbid, killed. There is no way any little person or an adult, riding without a helmet or any other protection, can survive being hit by a vehicle.

So what’s the solution? Perhaps there is no perfect solution that will eliminate any and all risk, however, here is some food for thought.

Establish a designated area or areas, that our young people can ride safely, perhaps the Fairgrounds or areas of the community that have very limited traffic or very low speed limits.

Neighborhoods could and should set up some designated times and routes to enhance the fun and safety for their children. Our 26-acre Complex has a chain link frisbee golf course, why couldn’t that large of an area accommodate a related e-scooter track? Again, with some guidelines and supervision.

We do it with all types of sports and the number of these e-everything is growing fast.

Establish a safety course requirement, similar to the gun safety classes young hunters take. This could and should raise the awareness of some of the dangers of speeding through stop signs or coming up behind those walking on sidewalks without any way of passing safely. Most cities require some type of horn that raises awareness to avoid unexpected stepping out in front of a scooter.

I do not think banning these e-scooters is the answer. Let’s get ahead of that by finding a safe way that our young people can continue to enjoy riding them. Yes, the park is a very good place to ride, however everyone needs to respect the rights of those walking and driving through the area. Getting from home to the PARK presents the most risk, especially when two or more young guys or gals start to race through an intersection without stopping.

Please, let’s all do our part to slow down and look out for our young people. Parents, please continue to remind your children of the danger in crossing intersections without stopping.

I really think this is an issue that needs more attention. We just can’t ignore this and hope and pray nothing happens. A child’s life and safety are way too important than to just hope nothing happens. I encourage the City and Park’s committee to take the initiative on at least getting some formal discussion and format established to address this growing need. Your leadership and dedication to serve is needed and appreciated.

Here’s hoping for a great and safe summer for 2026 and years ahead. God Bless!

— Paul Steffen Hartington

The declaration covers the Nebraska counties of Boyd, Cedar, Cherry, Dawes, Dixon, Knox, Sheridan and Sioux: the South Dakota counties of Aurora, Bennett, Bon Homme, Brule, Charles Mix, Clay, Custer, Douglas, Fall River, Gregory, Haakon, Hutchinson, Jackson, Jones, Lawrence, Lincoln, Lyman, McCook, Meade, Mellette, Minnehaha, Oglala Lakota, Pennington, Todd, Turner, Union, Yankton and Ziebach; as well as and the Wyoming counties of Niobrara and Weston.

Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and private nonprofit organizations — including faith-based organizations — with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or private nonprofit did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills which could not be paid due to the disaster.

“Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, Associate Administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”

The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as four percent for small businesses and 3.625 percent for private nonprofits with terms of up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months after the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than Feb. 1, 2027.

The request includes Buffalo, Fillmore, Gage, Howard, Jefferson, Nemaha, Thayer and Thurston counties. Damage included downed power poles and lines, damaged schools, buildings and roads, widespread debris and emergency shelter needs for displaced residents.

Preliminary damage estimates exceed $4.9 million.

If approved, federal aid would help cover public infrastructure repair costs.

Pillen also requested access to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which helps governmental entities rebuild in ways intended to reduce future disaster losses.

It is the governor’s second federal disaster declaration request in two months. In May, he requested aid for wildfires in Arthur, Garden, Grant, Lincoln and Morrill counties, where preliminary damage estimates totaled nearly $9.7 million.

Man calls to find out how to get a burn permit, but is told there is a burn ban going on for two weeks, yet. “I guess I will call back in two weeks.”

School calls to report a vehicle is always parking in a no parking zone near the kitchen. Trucks are unable to unload because the vehicle is blocking them out.

Report comes in that a truck with a trailer is jack knifed at the Highway 84, Highway 81 intersection.

Area nursing home calls to request an ambulance for a resident who is having heart issues.

Alarm is going off at a Hartington bank. It turns out to be a false alarm.

Vehicle is reported in the ditch on Hwy. 81 just south of the Pleasant Valley corner.

Man said someone knocked on his door asking for help to get his vehicle out of the ditch. He refused, now is worried the man may vandalize his place.

March 18: Man falls for information. He received a citation and wants to fight it. He is told he has to contact the county court office.

Person reports a rural Hartington residence has a fire. She thought the county was in a burn ban. She would like it checked out Caller asks for information on what hoops need to be jumped through to buy an abandoned unlicensed vehicle and get a title and license for it. He is told to either call the county treasure or the State DMV.

Caller reports a man is walking in the ditch along the Highway 84, 81 intersections. He seems suspicious.

Caller reports seeing a vehicle with expired tags on it.

Woman called with concerns that her grandchildren are receiving a nasty message. “This is just petty and mean.”

March 19: Man calls to self-report an accident. He fell asleep while driving home and scraped the railing on the bridge across the dam.

Man calls for help with traffic control with funeral traffic.

St. Helena resident called to report a fire. Fire trucks dispatched.

March 20: Man calls to report he is checking on his cows and five are missing. “I don’t think they were stolen because I don’t see any tracks anywhere. I’m thinking they got out somehow and wandered off. If anyone reports cows out, they are mine.”

Randolph ambulance dispatched for an elderly woman who needs to go to the hospital.

Laurel fire department is dispatched for a fire just outside of Laurel off of Highway 15.

Randolph ambulance dispatched for person who tipped over on their scooter and was injured.

Fire reported at Broken Bottom. Dispatcher asks for better directions.

March 21: Fire reported near the Crofton golf course.

Wynot fire calls to find out if there is still a bum ban in affect. There is someone burning brush near Bow Valley. “I don’t understand after they see what is going on out west, why they would think they could just burn.”

Caller says, “I don’t think this is a real emergency, I just didn’t know who to call.” He reported seeing the window on his vehicle smashed out and doesn’t know how or when it happened.

Female resident from nursing home calls to say her arm was injured last week. It is only getting worse and it hurts. Dispatch called the nursing home to share the information.

Hartington Fire Department is called out for field fire. Fordyce Fire Department is called out for mutual aid.

Caller reports seeing a man who appears to be passed out at the St. Helena boat dock.

Two people call in about a man in Obert yelling and being confrontational near his house.

March 22: Woman calls to report someone is burning trash in Laurel despite the burn ban.

Security alarm is reported going off at Laurel business. After checking, all is fine.

Woman calls to report her roommate moved out and took the keys to her car and her apartment keys when he left.

Caller reports that a man in a truck near the Missouri River may have suicidal tendencies. He is very despondent. Deputy checks into it and discovers a suicide victim.

Crofton Fire Department paged out for near Yankton. Yankton is already on scene.

Call comes in from Laurel. A man and woman left their car running and then went into a convenience store. They got back to the car and realized their dog stepped on the lock, locking all the doors. Dispatcher called a local repair shop for them.

Caller reports Highway 81 just south of the bridge is covered with trash, styrofoam and possibly a vehicle fender. Dispatcher calls Department of Transportation.

March 23: Hartington man calls for assistance. He has fallen down and cannot get up on his own.

Laurel caller reports her vehicle was just hit while she was parked on Laurel’s Main Street. She needs someone right away as the other car appears to be leaving.

An abandoned 911 call comes in. Dispatch calls her back. The caller apologized. “I must be pressing a button to make it do that, but I don’t know which one.”

Driver on Highway 81 reports seeing a minivan “all over the road.”

March 24: Laurel medical clinic calls for an ambulance for a man experiencing chest pains.

Man calls into report vehicles parked to close to the bridge.

Caller reports cows out on Highway 12 near Obert.

Two vehicle accident reported on Highway 12. One victim was ejected and is now in the ditch. Crofton ambulance is paged out. Life net helicopter was placed on stand-by. Yankton paramedics are also dispatched. Dispatch also receives a call from an Apple Watch notifying law enforcement of the accident.

Medical alert alarm goes off for rural Wynot man. Dispatcher unable to make contact, so an ambulance is dispatched from Wynot. Call turns out to be a false alarm.

Randolph nursing home calls for an ambulance for a man experiencing very high blood pressure.

Fire is reported north of the Cedar County Fairgrounds.

Fire reported near Bruno’s.

March 25: Caller advised they want to file a freedom of information request with the sheriff s office and asked what the procedure is for doing this.

Two calls come in reporting a semi blew a tire near the Highway 81-59 intersection and there are big pieces of rubber all over the road.

Dispatch receives calls after Tornado siren goes off for its annual weather awareness test.

Woman calls to report she rear-ended a truck on the bottom road. 'There was so much dust when I was following a semi truck that I didn’t see him and rear-endedhim.”

Woman calls asking to speak with an officer about a possible child abuse case.

Randolph Fire Department calls to inform dispatch that all trucks will be at the city park and football field for training.

March 26: Randolph woman calls for an ambulance for a person that is having bad hallucinations.

County highway department employee called to report they had a small fire at the Menominee shop. It is out. They don’t need help, but they wanted dispatch to be aware the building is now filled with smoke, just in case someone sees it and calls it in.

Caller reports an injured deer in the middle of a county road.

March 27: Ambulance dispatched to Randolph nursing home for resident who is having a seizure.

A Highway 81 collision between a tractor and a semi truck is reported. Crofton ambulance is paged out.

Rural Hartington area man calls to report someone was trespassing on his property. He has their license plate number.

Woman calls to inform law enforcement she had a flat tire on Highway 81. It is off the road and she has called someone to tow it.

Randolph school goes into lockdown as several law enforcement agencies surround a house in Randolph to serve a warrant. There were no issues and lockdown was lifted.

Summer annuals can provide additional grazing, hay, or silage, but planting during a drought requires realistic expectations. These crops may tolerate dry conditions better than some alternatives, but none are drought-proof. They still need enough moisture to germinate, establish a root system, and produce usable forage.

The first question is not which species to plant. It is whether there is enough soil moisture—and a reasonable chance of additional rainfall—to establish the crop.

Digbelow the surface with a shovel or soil probe. A light shower may wet the top inch without providing enough moisture to support seedlings once they emerge. Planting into dry soil and hoping for rain can work, but it increases the risk of uneven emergence, stand failure, or seed remaining in the ground until conditions improve.

Producers should then decide when the forage is needed andhow it will be used. For summer grazing or hay, options include sudangrass, sorghum-sudangrass, forage sorghum, German foxtail millet, pearl millet, and teff. The best choice depends not only on yield potential, but also on how many periods of adequate moisture the crop will need.

Sudangrass and sorghum- sudangrass can provide high yields and regrow after grazing or harvest. However, that means they need moisture for establishment and initial growth, followed by additional rainfall to support regrowth. Without rain after the first use, the expected second cutting or additional grazing may never develop.

German foxtail millet still needs adequate moisture while actively growing, but it is normally managed as a single-cut crop. It needs moisture for establishment and at key points during that one growth period, but producers are not depending on another round of rainfall to produce regrowth after harvest. In a dry year, one well-timed crop may be a more realistic goal than planning for multiple cuttings.

Pearl millet offers grazing and regrowth potential without the prussic acid risk associated with sorghums, although it can still accumulate nitrates. Teff can produce fine-stemmed, palatable hay, but its tiny seed requires very shallowplacement and a firm seedbed, making establishment more difficult when the soil surface is diy. As planting moves later into summer, yield potential and the remaining growing season decline. A warm-season annual planted in July may still produce forage before frost, but producers should reduce expectations for both tonnage and regrowth. Later plantings often fit stockpiled grazing better than hay production because shorter days, cooler temperatures, and heavier fall dew can make drying more difficult.

If the primary need is high-quality fall grazing, oats planted from early to mid-August may be a better fit, provided enough moisture is available for establishment and fall growth. Late-July planting can increase potential tonnage, but hot conditions may cause oats to mature more quickly and lose quality.

Whatever species is selected, compare the likely feed return with the cost of seed, fertilizer, herbicide, planting, harvest, fencing, and livestock water. A crop with high yield potential is not necessarily the best choice if it requires a large upfront investment and several timely rains to reach that potential.

Drought also increases livestock safety concerns. Sorghums and sudangrasses can accumulate nitrates, while young growth, drought-stressed regrowth, and frost-damaged plants may create prussic acid concerns. Millets do not present a prussic acid risk, but they can still accumulate nitrates. Test questionable forage before grazing or feeding it.

Dryland annual forages can create additional feed and reduce pressure on perennial pastures, but they remain a risk-management tool—not guaranteed drought feed. Start with available soil moisture, match the crop to the intended use, and consider how many timely rains will be needed to reach the planned harvest.

In a dry year, successfully producing one dependable cutting may be a better strategy than choosing a crop based on the possibility of multiple harvests that rainfall may not support.

—Ben Beckman is a beefsy stems Extension Educator based in the Cedar County Extension office in Hartington. You can reachhima: (402)254-6821 or email: ben. beckman@unl.edu mailto:beckman@unl.edu

The scholarship may be used for any costs associated with continuing education including, but not limited to, tuition, books, fees, and room and board. Recipients of the scholarship were selected through an examination of achievements in academics, co-curricular activities and life activities, as well as the submission of two essays. Recipients must attend a post-high school educational institution located within the state of Nebraska.

June is National Dairy Month, a time set aside to recognize the farmers, cows, processors, haulers, veterinarians, nutritionists and ag businesses that help move milk from the farm to the family table.

That work continues every day in Nebraska. According to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service figures, Nebraska had 50,000 milk cows in 2025. Those cows produced 1.235 billion pounds of milk, valued at more than $260 million.

That equals roughly 3.38 million pounds of milk per day. While dairy may not always get the same attention in Nebraska as beef, corn, soybeans or hogs, it remains an important part of the state’s agricultural economy. Dairy farms also tie directly into the broader farm economy, using corn, silage, hay and other feedstuffs grown by Nebraska producers.

While dairy was once huge in Cedar County, today dairy is a smaller piece of the overall ag picture, but it still matters.

The 2022 Census of Agriculture listed $4.457 million in Cedar County sales from milk from cows. Cedar County ranked 14th in the state in that category.

The same Census of Agriculture profile showed just how much agri culture drives the local economy.

Cedar County farms sold more than $610 million in agricultural products in 2022, with sales nearly evenly divided between crops and livestock, poultry and related products.

National Dairy Month began in 1937 as National Milk Month, originally created to encourage milk consumption during a time of surplus production. It has since grown into a broader recognition of dairy farm families, dairy nutrition, innovation and the role dairy plays in local communities.

In Nebraska, that role stretches far beyond the farm gate. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture’s Dairy Division oversees sanitation and quality standards for the industry. The division conducts on-site inspections of dairy farms, milk haulers, manufacturing plants and fluid milk bottling plants as part of a far m-toconsumer program designed to help ensure a safe and wholesome dairy supply.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln also plays a role through Nebraska Extension, which provides science-based programs, resources and information to dairy producers. UNL’s dairy specialists work with producers on sustainability, resilience, profitability, stewardship and animal well-being.

The state has also been working to expand value-added processing.

In 2025, DARI Processing broke ground on a milk processing facility in Seward that is expected to process 1.8 million pounds of milk per day when it reaches full capacity. The project is also expected to create about 70 full-time jobs.

Gov. Jim Pillen said at the time that Nebraska should be working to capture more value from the commodities produced here rather than shipping them out of state.

That point is especially important in dairy, where processing capacity can affect how far milk must be hauled and how much v alue stays close to home.

For consumers, dairy often shows up in familiar ways — a glass of milk, a slice of cheese, a cup of yogurt or a scoop of ice cream. For Nebraska farm families, however, it represents much more: early mornings, late nights, animal care, feed production, food safety and a constant connection between agriculture and the people it serves.

That is why National Dairy Month remains more than a calendar observance.

It is a chance to recognize an industry that helps feed families, supports rural communities and remains an important part of Nebraska agriculture.

Gov. Jim Pillen, State Sen. Mike Jacobson and Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Sherry Vinton joined farmers, ranchers and ag industry supporters at the Machine Shed near Gothenburg recently to celebrate passage of LB 525.

The bill, introduced in 2025 by Jacobson at Pillen’s request, was passed by the Legislature this year. It sets rules for how agricultural data can be collected, used and shared.

The new law says farmers and ranchers own the data that comes from their farms and ranches.

That data can include information collected through GPS-guided tractors, sprayers and combines, computerized seeding systems, variable-rate irrigation and chemigation equipment, and yield monitors used during harvest.

“Nebraska has always been a leader when it comes to agricultural innovation,” Pillen said. “LB 525 represents critical, forward-thinking policy when it comes to preserving the future of our family farms.”

Pillen said Nebraska is setting a national standard by protecting data tied to the state’s largest industry.

“Who better to lead the country in this space than us?” Pillen said. “Again, Nebraska is setting the standard — one that will add value and protect our state’s key economic engine — agriculture.”

Jacobson said modern farms and ranches generate large amounts of valuable information.

“Agriculture is Nebraska’s largest industry, and modern operations generate significant amounts of proprietary digital data that our producers rely on,” Jacobson said.

He said the law makes it clear that companies cannot sell a producer’s ag data without permission. It also requires reasonable security standards to help protect that information.

“As the first state in the nation to enact these specific digital privacy safeguards, Nebraska is not waiting for federal regulations to address this issue,” Jacobson said.

The law creates a definition for “agricultural data” in state law. It also gives farmers and ranchers more say over how their information is used, who can access it and whether it can be shared or sold.

The law requires clear notice and written consent from a producer before a third party can sell that producer’s agricultural data.

Michael Dibbern, president of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, said the bill gives producers needed clarity as technology continues to change farming.

“This legislation brings important clarity for Nebraska farmers and ensures they maintain control of their data as agriculture continues to evolve,” Dibbern said. “It is an important step in supporting producers as they adopt new technology and make decisions for their operations.”

All contracts and agreements involving agricultural data must be updated by Jan. 1, 2027, to meet the new law.

Pillen said protecting ag data is one more way to protect the future of Nebraska agriculture.

“Nebraska feeds the world and saves the planet,” Pillen said. “It’s a privilege to join the farmers and ranchers who do this work every day. By securing these data rights, we are securing the future of Nebraska agriculture.”

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., has joined U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., in introducing the Fencing Eligibility for New Conservation Equipment Act.

The bill, known as the FENCE Act, would allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to include virtual fencing as an eligible option under the Emergency Conservation Program.

The program currently helps farmers and ranchers recover from natural disasters by covering up to 75 percent of the cost to restore or replace permanent agricultural fences.

The FENCE Act would give producers the option of using new or emerging technology, such as virtual fencing, if it makes sense for their operation.

The bill would not allow the use of electronic fencing technology to increase the cost of repairing or replacing current permanent fencing structures.

Virtual fencing uses GPS-enabled collars to help control cattle movement through audio cues and electrical pulses.

Supporters say the technology can help with grazing management, land management and disaster recovery.

“Nebraska’s ranchers are the best in the world. They’ve shown it this year in response to this spring’s devastating fires across our state,” Ricketts said. “Ranchers recently shared with me that one-size-fits-all policies are hindering their ability to rebuild. The FENCE Act encourages USDA to continue finding new ways to support Nebraska’s recovery efforts.”

Fischer said the measure would give producers more flexibility after disasters.

“When the Senate passed my Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act in March, I said that flexibility is my top priority in improving disaster assistance,” Fischer said. “The FENCE Act is no different. This legislation opens the door for producers to use new technology, like virtual fencing, to replace their damaged or lost fence lines after disasters strike. This would be a great opportunity for farmers and ranchers to seize if it makes sense for their operation.”

Heinrich said virtual fencing could also reduce the need for some physical fence lines that affect wildlife movement.

“As a kid, I helped repair fences on our small calf-cow operation, and I know exactly how time consuming it is,” Heinrich said. “As a sportsman, I’ve also seen how built infrastructure can dramatically alter wildlife migration corridors.”

Bennet said ranchers across the West need more tools as they deal with wildfires and changing conditions.

“We need to give farmers and ranchers the tools to navigate changing conditions, adopt new technologies, and build resilient operations,” Bennet said. “This bill provides the flexibility ranchers need to recover in ways that work best for them.”

The proposal follows concerns raised by Nebraska farmers and ranchers after wildfires damaged agricultural land and fencing.

Ricketts said the bill could also help operations that rely on grazing access in areas such as the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge.

Returning to the Farm or Ranch will be held from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. June 26 at the Nebraska Extension office in Lancaster County, 444 Cherrycreek Road.

A pre-workshop session focused on family communication will be held from 5-8 p.m. June 25.

The workshop will be presented by the Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Anastasia Meyer, an agricultural economist with Nebraska Extension, said the program is designed to help families work through the many issues that come with passing a farm or ranch from one generation to the next.

“Transition planning in agriculture often involves more than legal documents and financial decisions,” Meyer said. “It also requires families to communicate openly about goals, expectations and the future of the operation. This workshop will provide practical guidance for those beginning the process, as well as those looking to strengthen an existing plan.”

Participants will hear from agricultural law, tax and financial professionals.

They also will take part in activities focused on communication, goal setting and long-term planning.

Topics will include estate and transition planning, family communication, setting goals for the operation and family, building a professional transition team, financial and legal issues and identifying the next steps in succession planning.

The workshop is intended for farm and ranch families at all stages of the transition process, including those who do not yet have a formal succession plan in place.

The event is part of ongoing work by the Center for Agricultural Profitability and the Nebraska Land Link program to support agricultural producers, landowners and beginning farmers across Nebraska.

Families are encouraged to bring everyone involved in the future of the operation.

Registration is $85 per person in advance or $100 at the door. Lunch will be provided.

Registration is open through June 26 at cap.unl.edu/rtf26.

The original loan amount was $180,000 with interest accrual of approximately $15,200. The loan is to be paid off with Employee Retention Credit funds recently received from the Internal Revenue Service.

According to the IRS, an ERC is a refundable tax credit for certain eligible businesses and tax-exempt organizations that had employees who were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those pandemic-era tax credit funds were applied for in 2021. The Laurel City Council is now finally able to use those funds.

The ERC funds recently received by the City Council for the defunct Hillcrest Care Center total $269,785.74. What’s left of those ERC funds after paying off the $180,000-principal loan will go toward other outstanding bills from Hillcrest, according to City Administrator Dan Kuhlman.

The council also voted on the approval of a six-month extension of two other loans originally secured to cover debt accrued by the Hillcrest Care Center.

Those extensions were approved to provide the Council time to look through the budget and get a game plan put together, Kuhlman said.

The now-empty facility, formerly operating as the Hillcrest Care Center, is still for sale.

Financial challenges, staffing shortages and failed efforts to keep the facility operating culminated in the closure of Hillcrest Care Center and Assisted Living in May 2025.

In May 2024, Laurel voters rejected a proposed 1-cent sales tax intended to help support Hillcrest Care Center operations.

That same month, the city dissolved the seven- member nursing home advisory board after board members began questioning the facility’s administration and finances. Oversight of Hillcrest was then transferred to the mayor and City Council.

In January and February 2025, employees began publicly raising concerns about unpaid bills, financial instability and management issues, and several staff members resigned. By March 2025, the city moved forward with the termination of Hillcrest administrator Megan Wieck and saw Hillcrest’s last registered nurse resign before ultimately voting to close the facility.

Shortly after voting on the facility’s closure, community members launched Cedar Haven of Laurel in an attempt to preserve nursing home services, but fundraising fell short of what was needed to keep the facility operating.

By April 2025, the City Council authorized final closure actions, including employee terminations and efforts to sell the facility’s 36-bed nursing home license. Despite all efforts, Hillcrest Care Center and Assisted Living officially closed May 13, 2025.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency said eligible landowners have until Aug. 31, 2026, to review whether their farms qualify for more base acres under the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs.

The programs, better known as ARC and PLC, are farm safety net programs. They can provide payments to producers when crop prices or farm revenues fall.

The change was included in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law July 4, 2025.

The law allows up to 30 million new base acres to be added nationwide.

Base acres are used by USDA to help determine possible ARC and PLC payments. They are not always the same as the acres planted in a given year.

FSA Administrator Bill Beam said this is the first chance to add base acres since 2002.

“These base acre improvements will help strengthen the farm safety net for producers across the country and help them better manage risk,” Beam said.

He said the change should help farms that have grown or changed what they raise since base acres were last updated.

FSA began mailing notices to eligible landowners. Those notices explain that a Base Allocation Summary will be available for review beginning June 1.

Landowners may view the summary online at fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc by using a Login.gov account.

Landowners who do not have a Login.gov account may contact their local FSA county office to get a copy of their summary.

The summary should be reviewed and any needed action completed by Aug. 31, 2026.

USDA officials said landowners and farm operators should talk early in the process, especially when the farm operator has planting records that may help confirm whether the farm qualifies.

To qualify for new base acres, a covered commodity must have been planted, or prevented from being planted, on the farm during the 2019 through 2023 crop years.

The farm’s average planted and prevented planting acres during that time must be higher than the farm’s existing base acres as of Sept. 30, 2024. Unassigned base acres are not counted in that total.

A farm’s total base acres also cannot be higher than its total cropland acres.

If requests from across the country exceed the 30 million-acre limit, USDA will reduce all approved new base acres by the same percentage.

Wyatt Fraas, associate director of farm and community with the Center for Rural Affairs, said many farmers do not have a farm successor already identified.

Fraas said Purdue University estimates about 75 percent of farmers do not have an identified successor. About half of those farmers expect someone outside the family to take over the operation.

Fraas said a gradual transfer of duties and ownership can help both the current farmer and a possible successor.

The process may begin with reviewing a candidate’s experience and references. Fraas said a short trial period using paid labor can also help both sides decide whether the arrangement could work.

That trial period can show how well the two people work together, how they handle daily priorities and how they respond when problems come up.

If the arrangement continues, Fraas said the farmer and successor can develop a phased transition plan. That plan may shift decision-making and management duties over time, or it may assign responsibility for certain parts of the operation first.

Fraas said a written transition plan can make the timing and responsibilities clear.

A multi-year plan can also help both sides judge whether progress is being made. It can give the new farmer a better understanding of when more responsibility or ownership may be transferred.

The current farmer may also stay involved for a time as a minority partner or mentor.

Fraas said that can give the new operator access to the retiring farmer’s knowledge of the land, the business and the risks that come with farming.

He said the retiring farmer should also recognize that the next operator may face different markets, regulations and business conditions.

That may lead the new operator to make decisions that are different from those the retiring farmer would have made.

Fraas said a transition plan should eventually allow the new operator to run the business independently.

The Cedar County News is kicking off its new Dog Days of Summer contest this week, inviting readers to help select the area’s top dog from a field of 18 lovable local contestants.

From floppy-eared puppies and proud farm dogs to pint-sized pups with big personalities, the contest page is packed with furry faces ready to earn bragging rights as Cedar County’s favorite canine.

Readers may vote once, either by completing the ballot printed in this week’s Cedar County News or by commenting with their favorite dog’s number on the Cedar County News Facebook page. Voting begins Wednesday, June 24, and continues through Thursday, July 2.

The winning dog will be announced July 8.

Contestants include Ollie, Shiloh, Koda, Manson, Cooper, Remi, Cedar, Bear, Roper, Opie, Dixie, Oakley, Shazza, Casper, Winston, Shelby, Shema and Knox.

The contest is made possible with support from Red Hydrant Inn, Cedar Security Bank, Cedar County Veterinary Services and Pawz Salon who will be donating gifts to this year's winner in the form of a doggie giftbag.

Pick your favorite, clip the ballot or head to the Cedar County News Facebook page, and help decide which local pup will have the biggest bark — and the most votes — this summer.

The changes will begin with the 2026 crop year and are designed to treat more farm business structures the same way partnerships and joint ventures are treated.

Farmers who operate under those business structures will need to update their farm operating plans with their local FSA office by Sept. 15, 2026, for the 2026 program year.

The change means each qualifying member of an LLC, S-Corp or similar farm business can help the farm qualify for payments, as long as that person is actively involved in the farming operation.

In the past, some farm businesses organized as LLCs or S-Corps were limited to one payment limit, no matter how many people were involved in the operation. Under the new rules, those entities will be treated more like partnerships, joint ventures and general partnerships.

Bill Beam, administrator of the Farm Service Agency, said the change should give farmers and ranchers more flexibility in how they organize their operations.

“The 2026 program year will be a monumental change for farmers and ranchers who can now structure their farm entities to benefit from the legal protections of certain business structures without limiting their access to the farm safety net,” Beam said.

The changes were included in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which made several updates to farm program eligibility, disaster assistance and price support programs.

USDA officials said farmers who have crop insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program coverage should contact a crop insurance agent or local FSA office before making changes to their farm business structure. That will help make sure the timing of any changes does not affect current insurance coverage.

Farmers who are part of a qualifying business entity still must contribute to the operation and be actively involved in farming. The new rules also allow members of all entity types to be paid for labor and management work and still use that work to help meet the “actively engaged in farming” requirement.

The USDA is also increasing payment limits for the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs.

Starting with the 2025 crop year, the ARC and PLC payment limit will increase from $125,000 to $155,000. That limit will be adjusted each year for inflation.

Payment limits are the maximum amount a person or legal entity can receive through certain USDA programs during a crop year.

The new law also changes how USDA looks at farm income. The definition of farming income has been expanded to better reflect modern farms and ranches. It can now include income from agri-tourism, direct-to-consumer sales and certain equipment sales.

That change could help diversified farms meet USDA income rules.

Producers are exempt from the $900,000 adjusted gross income limit for conservation and disaster programs if at least 75 percent of their average gross income comes from farming, ranching or forestryrelated work.

Qualifying business entities will not have to meet the income test as a business. However, individual members of those entities must still meet USDA income rules.

Producers should contact their local FSA county office for more information or to update their farm operating plan before the Sept. 15, 2026, deadline.

The Cedarstock Music Fest will feature country artists George Birge on July 17, Tyler Hubbard on July 18 and Josh Ross on July 19.

Cedar County Ag Society President Greg Heine said organizers are excited to present such nationally recognized artists, all of which have hit singles in the top 10 country charts.

In addition to the concert lineup, fairgoers can look forward to a new attraction on the final night of the fair.

'This year we will be having a firework show on Sunday after the concert in celebration of the 250th birthday of our country,' Heine said.

The fireworks display will cap off a week that includes the Talent Show and Horse Play Day on July 15, the Cedar County PRORODEO on July 16 and Barrel Racing on July 19, along with exhibits, food vendors and carnival attractions.

Heine also noted the new fireworks show continues a longstanding tradition of patriotism at the fair.

'We celebrate our country every year,' Heine said. 'Each year we do the national anthem in conjunction with fireworks. It is an amazing moment to experience.'

Preparations for the fair have included some improvements to the fairgrounds.

'This year our board has been hard at work doing some needed repairs to our 4-H beef barn,' Heine said. 'We are also working on expanding our rodeo grounds area to give more room for more food vendors.'

Heine said the rodeo grounds expansion project will allow space for about four more vendors. The added space is expected to improve traffic flow and shorten wait times for attendees purchasing food during rodeo events.

Heine credited local businesses, sponsors and volunteers for making the fair possible.

'We certainly could not run as good of a fair without the support of local businesses,' he said. 'Without their support we would not be able to bring such great entertainment.'

While organizers welcome sponsorships, Heine said simply attending the fair is another way community members can show support.

'We will be happy to see you here,' he said. As the fair approaches, Heine encourages both longtime attendees and first-time visitors to experience what the Cedar County Fair has to offer.

'We are a fair that you need to come and see,' he said. 'We have a family fun environment that everyone will enjoy.'

Know Your Well is an educational program developed by the Nebraska Water Center, part of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute.

The program began in 2017 with funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust as a series of one-year projects and has since expanded to a recurring program teachers return to year after year.

As a part of the Know Your Well program, students learn about basic hydrogeological principles and conduct research on domestic wells in and around their community. After their in-classroom training, students collect water samples from local wells, conduct a wellhead assessment and look for potential contaminant sources in land use features nearby that could explain any elevated results, such as septic tanks or cropland.

Students use commercially available water chemistry testing kits to investigate water quality in their classroom and send duplicate samples to the Water Sciences Lab at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for professional laboratory testing. The lab data is used to create well owner reports provided to both the students and the well owners. Students get the opportunity to compare the testing kit and professional lab results and well owners receive accurate information about the quality of their well water.

Curriculum brings together community partner expertise Through a recent grant with the Nebraska Department of Water, Environment, and Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Education program, the Know Your Well program has developed several guidance documents and lesson plans to make classroom implementation easier. The Teacher Guide provides an overarching look at the Know Your Well program and directs teachers to lesson plans and classroom prompts that are plug-and-play ready. The Regional Leader Guide is designed to support regional experts, such as Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs), local health departments and four-year colleges interested in implementing the Know Your Well program locally. Regional leaders are critical to Know Your Well as they can answer student questions with up-to-date locally based information as well as provide support to well owners who have questions about their lab results.

Know Your Well’s Impact

Austen Hill, education programs supervisor at the Papio Missouri River NRD, is a Know Your Well regional leader and has facilitated the program in four high school classrooms within the district. Hill says he likes the program because the strong connection between all program participants means greater reach for groundwater education. “It’s kind of nice because you’re using your local community, using high school students to go out in their community with people that they know, testing groundwater and kind of get an idea. Because there are some people that have no idea that they could have heightened nitrates or other pollutants in their groundwater.”

Connecting well water quality creates handson learning opportunities Teachers like Brandon Jacobitz at Adams Central High School in Hastings enjoy the opportunities for students to do field-based applied science. “Getting out of the classroom and going beyond the classroom is always a huge benefit,” Jacobitz says. “Learning how external factors affect well water quality has been a huge positive, from my standpoint, about the Know Your Well program.” Students also learn the importance of checking wells regularly, as well as connecting well water quality to health impacts and their prospective careers.

Next Steps

Know Your Well is continuing to connect with regional leaders and schools across Nebraska, providing resources to explore real-world science both in and outside of the classroom.

View DWFI’s latest video to hear directly from Know Your Well program participants and visit the Know Your Well website to learn more or become involved.

The council approved a request from the Hartington Chamber of Commerce to close South Broadway from Nebraska Highway 84 to Main Street from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 15 for the annual Hartington Dayz celebration.

Hard Patch Brewing Company was also granted permission to close North Broadway in front of its business from 6 p.m. to midnight for a street dance held in conjunction with Hartington Dayz.

Building permits were approved for Spencer Albers and Sam Nickel, both for storage sheds.

Council members also agreed to share the cost of replacing a fence between Troy Fischer’s property and the city-owned transfer station.

Fischer’s proposal calls for removal of the existing fence and installation of a new one by Lammers Fencing for $6,138. The cost will be split between Fischer and the city.

The council approved the purchase of a sifting bucket for $3,643 for use at the transfer station. City Utilities Superintendent Corey Kramer said the equipment will help prevent fires from reigniting after materials are burned at the facility.

Kramer said logs and other wood are sometimes burned at the transfer station, and the sifting bucket will allow workers to better separate and inspect ashes.

Council members also asked Kramer, who manages the Skylon, for an update on activity at the facility.

Kramer said the Skylon remains busy, with events booked every weekend for 14 consecutive weeks. The calendar for next year is also beginning to fill, he said, with a gun show scheduled for February and a women’s retreat also planned.

Councilman Roman Sudbeck reported that work continues on the pickleball court at East Park. Fencing at the court is nearly complete, he said.

The next City Council meeting is slated for Monday July 13 at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

Nominations for the 2026 FSA county committee election must be postmarked or received at the local FSA office by Aug. 3.

County committees help make decisions on how FSA programs are administered locally, including disaster recovery, conservation, commodity and price support programs.

Committee members also take part in decisions involving county office employment and other local agricultural issues.

“Local voices matter, and agricultural producers play an important role in shaping how federal farm programs serve their communities,” FSA Administrator Bill Beam said.

“With nominations now open for FSA county committees, producers have an opportunity to put Farmers First by ensuring local farmers and ranchers have a voice in program delivery.” Elections will be held in certain Local Administrative Areas, or LAAs.

These areas are FSA committee elective areas within a single county or multi-county jurisdiction. Some LAAs may also focus on urban or suburban areas.

Producers interested in serving can determine whether their LAA is up for election by contacting their local FSA office or visiting fsa.usda. gov/coc.

To be eligible, agricultural producers must participate or cooperate in a USDA program and live in the LAA holding an election this year.

A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their farming or ranching operation to FSA, even if they have not applied for or received program benefits.

Individuals may nominate themselves or others. Qualifying organizations may also nominate candidates.

More than 7,700 members of the agriculture community serve on FSA county committees nationwide.

Committees are made up of three to 11 members who serve three-year terms.

To be considered, a producer must sign an FSA-669A nomination form. The form and more information about FSA county committee elections are available at fsa.usda. gov/coc.

Election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters in November.

The Area residents decorated up old bikes and put them out around town as a greeting to people attending this year's bike tour through the community. Hundreds of bicyclists will roll into Hartington this week as the city hosts the start and finish of the 38th annual Tour de Nebraska. The five-day bicycle tour began June 23, with riders arriving in Hartington for an opening-night gathering and overnight stay at the Cedar County Fairgrounds. Tour de Nebraska riders will leave Hartington Wednesday morning, June 24, on a 50-mile route to Vermillion, S.D. The first day’s route includes stops in Bow Valley, St. Helena, Wynot and Maskell. The tour will include overnight stops in Vermillion and Crofton before riders make the 33-mile return trip from Crofton to Hartington on Sunday, June 28. The final day’s route includes stops at Nissen Winery and Burbach’s Countryside Dairy.

This progress, part of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s overall focus on livestock vaccination innovation, directly benefits the state’s $5 billion, 3.6 millionhead swine sector.

The new vaccination approach, explained in a recent peer-reviewed paper in npj Vaccines, encases DNA into fat-like microscopic carriers, called lipid nanoparticles, that are then injected into pigs’ muscle tissue.

A single dose released DNA that generated strong antibody responses within seven to 14 days.

Previous DNA-focused vaccine approaches described in academic literature failed to generate such strong protective responses in combating swine influenza.

In addition, current swine influenza vaccines, which are formulated using whole inactivated virus particles, may sometimes enhance respiratory distress in pigs when they are later infected with a different, non-matching viral strain.

The Nebraska approach, in contrast, produced no worsening of respiratory conditions but instead prevented those conditions. In short, the new approach developed by Nebraska and partner research institutions offers key advantages — it is fast, effective, low-cost and easily updatable, said Hiep Vu, associate professor of animal science. Vu, an internationally recognized expert in animal virology, provided mentorship for the project, which was primarily carried out by Husker graduate student The Nguyen, now a doctoral student in biomedical engineering at the University of Connecticut.