Keiser, BSN, RN, recently received Avera Sacred Heart Hospital’s quarterly DAISY Award after helping a diabetic man who became dizzy during a stop at Wall Drug.

The award recognizes nurses for their skill and compassionate care.

Keiser has worked as a nurse at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital for more than 24 years. She currently works in cardiac rehabilitation and perioperative services and has previously served in the hospital’s medical unit, pain services, swing-bed rehabilitation and chemotherapy departments.

Although Keiser has spent more than two decades caring for hospital patients, she was nominated for assistance she provided while traveling through western South Dakota with her family.

The nomination was submitted by the wife of a man with type 2 diabetes. The couple had stopped at Wall Drug while traveling farther west.

The man had recently been hospitalized and treated with steroid medication that was affecting his blood sugar levels.

“When we got out of the vehicle, my husband was so dizzy that he grabbed onto the pole in front of him,” the woman wrote in her nomination. “Three people were coming down the street at that exact moment. I yelled, ‘I need help now!’” Keiser, her mother and her son helped the woman get her husband seated on a bench. They then brought applesauce, yogurt and grapes from their vehicle to help stabilize his blood sugar.

Keiser and her family remained with the couple until the man began feeling better.

“They waited with us until I could get orange juice for my husband from the café and made sure he was OK,” the nomination stated. “If Daisy had not been there at that exact moment, we might have had a very different outcome.”

Keiser said helping the couple came naturally after spending much of her life caring for others.

“Our everyday lives are filled with opportunities where we can make a difference in someone’s life, no matter how simple or small the act is, many times without even realizing it,” Keiser said.

“Most of these small acts go unnoticed. Occasionally, someone notices.”

She said she was grateful to be nearby when the couple needed assistance.

“I am grateful I was in the right place at the right time to help this couple and reassure them during a distressing experience,” Keiser said.

The DAISY Award was created to recognize nurses who provide compassionate care. DAISY stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. Nurses working at Avera Sacred Heart facilities are eligible for the award.

Activities will begin at 7 a.m. with a 5K, 1-mile race and fun run hosted by REPS Fitness. Participants may preregister at the Hartington city office.

A vendor market will run from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., while sidewalk sales will be offered throughout downtown Hartington. The children’s zone and carnival, human foosball and nine square activities will be available from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

A patriotic-themed kiddie parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the Hartington-Newcastle Public Schools campus. Duck races will follow at 11 a.m.

A car show will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. near Accura HealthCare. Water activities and a foam party are scheduled from 2-3 p.m.

Food trucks will serve customers from 11 a.m. until midnight.

The Hard Patch Street Dance will wrap up the celebration from 7 p.m.-midnight. Entertainment will include College Radio, James and Langston Christensen and Kevin Kathol and Friends.

Hartington Dayz shirts are available for $20 at Etched Impressions. Vendor market registration is available by calling 402-254-6353.

The event is sponsored by the Hartington Chamber of Commerce.

BOW VALLEY — For more than an hour Sunday afternoon, the old wooden bird refused to budge from its perch.

One by one, more than 100 men dressed in crisp white Schüetzen uniforms stepped from the line, carefully raised their rifles and took aim at the weathered wooden target perched high atop a pole overlooking the Bow Valley Ballroom grounds.

Shot after shot chipped away at the bird, but it stubbornly clung to its perch.

Finally, on the 210th shot, the bird tumbled to the ground.

The crowd erupted in cheers as Riley McCain was surrounded by well-wishers offering handshakes, hugs and hearty pats on the back as his shot earned him one of the community's highest honors — Schüetzenfest king.

Moments later, the Schüetzen, the traditional German marksmen's society whose roots in Bow Valley stretch back more than a century, marched back to the ballroom for the coronation of King Riley McCain and Queen Bailey McCain.

The coronation marked the official conclusion of another Bow Valley Schüetzenfest, but the celebration was far from over.

Music echoed across the grounds, friends gathered around tables swapping stories, cold beverages were raised in celebration and children and adults alike looked forward to one final event— the always-popular greased pig contest.

For visitors, the weekend offered a glimpse into one of northeast Nebraska's most distinctive German heritage celebrations. For many local families, however, it was simply another chapter in a tradition passed from one generation to the next.

The celebration traces its roots to 1896 and has survived wars, changing times and a dwindling rural population. Although the festival was dormant for several years, it was revived in 1976 and has continued to celebrate Bow Valley's German heritage since.

That history was impossible to miss throughout the weekend.

Inside the ballroom, hundreds of historic newspaper clippings, photographs and memorabilia lined the walls, telling the story of generations of Schüetzenfest celebrations and the families who have kept the tradition alive.

One of the weekend's most anticipated events also celebrated that history. A time capsule buried during the 1976 Schüetzenfest revival was opened Saturday near Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, giving residents a chance to look back at the community as it existed a half-century ago.

While visitors enjoyed the festivities, dozens of volunteers worked behind the scenes to make sure everything ran smoothly.

The event represented nearly five years of planning and preparation. Volunteers mowed and trimmed the grounds, organized contests, parked vehicles in nearby pastures, maintained the facilities and handled countless other tasks necessary to host thousands of visitors.

Heikes will train Jueden during the month of August.

Commissioners also spent much of their July 28 meeting discussing how local government responsibilities should be divided, from village zoning administration to fire district boundaries, as they worked to clarify procedures and ensure future decisions follow the law.

The discussion centered on interlocal agreements that would formalize the county’s role in administering zoning for villages that do not have their own zoning process, particularly Belden. Commissioners also discussed whether similar agreements should be offered to Obert and St. Helena.

Zoning Administrator Tim Gobel said the current arrangement has led to questions about authority and responsibilities, particularly regarding who has the final say on zoning decisions and what responsibilities fall to the county.

Commissioners said any agreement should clearly state that nuisance complaints remain the responsibility of the villages and that villages would retain final authority over zoning decisions after the county completes its administrative review.

County Attorney Ron Temple will be asked to prepare an interlocal agreement outlining those responsibilities for commissioners and village officials to review.

Commissioners also discussed a request involving the Randolph and Belden fire districts after the Randolph and Belden fire chiefs submitted letters seeking to transfer a quarter section of land from the Belden Fire District into the Randolph Fire District.

The request involves a property owner who is constructing a new home in the Belden Fire District but wishes to remain in the Randolph Fire District in order to retain a seat on the Randolph Fire Board.

County Clerk Jessica Schmit said state law requires boundary changes to be approved by resolutions adopted by each fire district’s governing board rather than letters signed by the fire chiefs.

Commissioners agreed the proposal should be returned to the fire district boards to follow the statutory process before any boundary change could be considered.

Officials also noted the change could not be completed this year because of statutory deadlines related to fire district valuations.

In other business, Highway Superintendent Carla Schmit told commissioners the bid opening for a planned box culvert project has been postponed until Sept. 8 to allow engineers additional time to revise the project design.

Schmit also reported receiving confirmation from the Nebraska Board of Public Roads Classification and Standards that the county’s Menominee bridge project can be designed using urban standards, allowing engineers to proceed without requesting a relaxation of standards. Minor design adjustments to the roadway curve will still be necessary before the project moves forward.

Commissioners also continued discussing whether to develop a county policy governing dust control applications on county roads.

Schmit said a representative from a West Point company is expected to attend a future meeting to explain available dust-control products and answer questions to provide commissioners with more information before they decide whether to pursue a formal policy.

Gobel also presented a zoning permit application for Brooky Bottom Recreational Development, Pct. 6, for construction of a 12-by-12-foot well house.

The board went into executive session at 10:30 a.m. to discuss personnel matters.

The next County Commissioner meeting is scheduled for Aug. 11 at 8:30 a.m.

HARTINGTON SENIOR CENTER MENU Wednesday, Aug. 5: Oven fried chicken, roasted potatoes, green bean bake, applesauce, milk, butter, bun.

Thursday, Aug. 6: Countrystyle ribs, baked beans, broccoli

salad, pineapple, bun, butter, milk.

Friday, Aug. 7: Spaghetti/sauce, meatballs, green beans, oranges, garlic knots, butter, milk.

Monday, Aug. 10: Chicken salad sandwich, croissant, macaroni vegetable salad, mixed fruit salad, butter, milk.

Tuesday, Aug. 11: Orange chicken, rice, egg roll and wonton, peppers/onions, pineapple, broccoli, butter, milk..

PARK VIEW HAVEN ACTIVITIES: Wednesday, Aug. 5: Primp and Pamper, Nail Salon, Arts and Crafts, Van Rides, Board Games, Social Time.

Thursday, Aug. 6: Morning Coffee Club/Daily Chronicles, Outside Time, Current Events, Movie and Popcorn, Social Time.

Friday, Aug. 7: Resident’s Choice, Open Centers, Catholic Mass (T.V.), Communion to follow.

Saturday, Aug. 8: Resident’s Choice, Open Centers, Catholic Mass (T.V.), Communion to follow.

Sunday, Aug. 9: Ecumenical Church, Residents Choice Arts and Crafts/Table Games.

Monday, Aug. 10: Morning Coffee Club/Daily Chronicles, Food for Fun/Bread, Crafts, National Book Lover Day, Garden Club, Social Time.

Tuesday, Aug. 11: Morning Coffee Club/Daily Chronicles, Crafts, Checkers, Sit and Stitch, Painting Class, Social Time.

COLERIDGE MEALS ON WHEELS Wednesday, Aug. 5: Stuffed potato w/steak & sauce, buttered corn, side salad w/dressing, banana split cake, oranges.

Thursday, Aug. 6: Citrus BBQ chicken, country blend vegetables, buttered noodles, lemon cream cake, strawberries.

Friday, Aug. 7: Cheeseburger casserole, coleslaw, fruit cup.

Monday, Aug. 10: Baked ziti, grilled zucchini & squash, peanut butter and jelly, apple slices, garlic bread.

Tuesday, Aug. 11: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes w/gravy, mixed vegetables, Texas sheet cake, pears.

HARTINGTON — Further rapid deterioration of the corn crop in this territory with the gloomy prospect of virtual total loss was indicated to members of the newspaper staff making their ninth weekly crop survey last Sunday morning.

This survey was made northeast of the city in the Bow Valley region, made famous in the past by its fertility and bountiful crops, but conditions there are about the same as they are everywhere else this year.

The entire section has been devastated by hot winds, drought and grasshoppers and not a single field of corn was observed which had not been badly damaged. Some fields, however, were in much better condition than others for they were still green in spite of the blasting heat while the crop as a whole was either shriveled up by hot winds or eaten up by grasshoppers.

There is the usual large acreage of corn this year northeast of town and in June it gave promise of producing a bumper crop. The crop has been savagely attacked recently by grasshoppers, which have eaten many fields clear to the ground, and the past few days it has been hopelessly damaged by hot winds and drought. Field after field was observed Sunday where the stalks had been stripped of their leaves and even stalks devoured, and numerous other fields were noted which had “fired” from the intense and incessant heat.

Sized up briefly as the result of the last inspection made by The Herald, the corn crop in the area covered looks like practically a total failure. Most of the fields are damaged by drought and grasshoppers beyond repair and the most that can be expected of the rest of them is a little fodder; there will be no corn this year.

Survey of other crops indicated a situation similar to that existing in other localities.

A light crop of small grain was harvested and one cutting of hay, but that was the extent of it. Stubble fields and meadows are turned a deep yellow without a vestige of green, and pastures are dead. No amount of rain, it appears, could revive the pastures.

Aug. 6, 1936

HARTINGTON — In view of the emergency that exists in this county in common with the other counties of Nebraska in consequence of the long drought and resultant crop failure, the county commissioners of Cedar County are moving to obtain as many projects as possible from the Works Progress Administration.

These projects, if approved, will give employment to a large number of men and release a considerable amount of money in the county at a time when it is most needed.

There are many bridges in Cedar County which are badly in need of repairs, and the commissioners have filed an application for $6,732.50 in WPA funds, which it will match with $6,958.60 for repairs to approximately 45 bridges.

The project as a whole will cost $13,691.10.

Another project which has been proposed by the county board to the WPA is for the construction of 75 water conservation dams in Cedar County, which will move approximately 119,253 cubic yards of dirt.

The proposed dams would be on flowing streams, using 120 lineal feet of culverts for the overflow.

As its share of the cost of constructing these dams, the county would furnish the necessary equipment, including fresnos and wagons, and the government is to pay the horse hire and all labor costs.

Total estimated cost, including material, labor and everything else, is $65,807.10.

Aug. 6, 1936

HARTINGTON — The somber picture of drought, grasshoppers, and crop failure is brightened this week to some extent by the announcement the closed First National Bank of Hartington will pay another dividend of five percent. This is the third dividend, the other two being for the same amount, and it will aggregate $8,600.

In commenting on payment of this dividend, Herman Beekmann, receiver for the bank, said all secured claims have been paid in full except a small amount to the city of Hartington, and that all the bank owes now is the unsecured creditors.

“In other words,” he said, “all money that is collected from now on will be paid to these creditors.”

Operating expenses, he added, have been reduced as much as possible.

HARTINGTON — The 1946 school census of Cedar County was completed last month and, according to records filed in the office of County Superintendent J. Mike McCoy, there are 3,958 children in the county between the ages of 5 and 21 years.

This is but five more than was recorded in 1945 when the total was 3,953.

In Hartington, however, there was a slight increase, with 475 children listed in the recent count as against 449 in 1945. One interesting fact about the Hartington figures is the division of boys and girls. In 1945 there were 232 boys and 217 girls, while this year there are 234 boys and 241 girls. Of the 26 additional children this year, 24 were girls.

The school census includes all boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 21, whether they attend school or not. The actual enrollment figures on file in the superintendent’s office show that 1,218 boys and 1,147 girls attended school in Cedar County during the 1945-1946 school term, or a total enrollment of 2,364. This is a slightly smaller enrollment than for the previous term when 2,392 attended schools in the county.

In Hartington actual enrollment figures show that 153 boys and 148 girls attended school in 1945-1946.

There are 119 school buildings in Cedar County. Of these 104 are of frame construction, 10 are brick, three stucco, one stone and one is concrete. Serving the students in the county during the past year were 163 teachers, 10 men and 153 women.

Aug. 1, 1946

LAUREL — Lieut. John D. Hoile, son of Mr. and Mrs. Byron Hoile of Norfolk, former Laurel youth, and a nephew of R. L. Lathrop of Laurel, who returned from the German occupation zone a few months ago, has been given a commission in the regular army.

Lieut. Hoile, who is now stationed at Ft. Benning, Georgia, has decided to remain in service and joined the regular army. He was one of 132 Nebraskans to be nominated by President Truman for a permanent commission. He had held the temporary rank of captain.

Aug. 1, 1946

LAUREL — Fireman 1-c Harold Sudbeck, son of Mr. and Mrs. Isadore Sudbeck, arrived home from the South Pacific and has received his discharge from the navy. He had served over two years, since his enlistment before he graduated from high school.

Aug. 1, 1946

LAUREL — Lt. and Mrs. Kenneth Jeffery arrived from Omaha for a visit with his father and stepmother, Mr. and Mrs. Willard Jeffery.

He was in command of a regimental band in the Panama Canal Zone for five years.

Aug. 1, 1946

COLERIDGE — Gordon Wilkerson, SKD 3-c of Dallas, Texas, received his discharge from the navy last week, and is now at home with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ira Wilkerson, in Sioux City. They were residents of Coleridge until recently.

Aug. 1, 1946

HARTINGTON — During June, the traditional month of brides, 12 marriage licenses were issued by County Judge Edward W. Hesse, which is somewhat higher than the 7.5 monthly average for this county. During the month of July cupid scored but eight times according to the judge’s records.

Cupid’s marksmanship was somewhat improved over last year when six licenses were issued in June and but three in July.

An average of 90 licenses are issued each year in Cedar County according to Judge Hesse, but in 1942 a record was set which nearly equalled the usual yearly average, with 86 permits to wed being listed in county records for June, July and August.

Aug. 1, 1946

HARTINGTON — By substantial margins Hartington voters Tuesday gave their approval to the issuance of bonds for enlargement and improvement of the city park and the purchase of a site for a municipal airport.

The vote, as reported by the counting boards in the two wards, was as follows: Airport—For, 385; Against, 194. Park—For, 352; Against, 223. Approximately 45 disabled and absent voter ballots remain to be counted. These will be counted Tuesday night when the city council officially canvasses the ballots cast at the special election.

The total vote, which will exceed 600 when the mail ballots are counted, was the largest cast in a city election in Hartington in many years. The issues were clear cut and both those for and against the proposals campaigned extensively.

Aug. 5, 1926

HARTINGTON — Removal of the bridge on Main Street over the dry creek will follow the extension of the big concrete conduit, work on which started this week by Branderup & Son, greatly improving the main thoroughfare to the county fair grounds and the territory east and north from the business district.

The new conduit will cost about $525 but several hundred dollars additional will be expended in filling up the street and in relocating the steel bridge one block north and placing it on concrete abutments. This change will also be a distinct improvement, opening up a new territory to easy traffic.

Under the present plans the bridge now caring for the Main Street traffic will be permitted to remain as it is while the conduit is being constructed across the street.

As soon as it is completed and the street filled, the entire width of the steel bridge will be relocated on its new site. The city council hopes that the entire improvement will be completed before the county fair but in case it should not be finished the bridge will continue to serve as in the past.

It was urged when the conduit was built from near the railroad tracks to a point on the south line of Main Street that it be extended across the street at that time. Members of the city council in an effort to economize decided to leave the end of the conduit at the south side of the street and let the water run under the bridge.

This structure is only about half as wide as the street and presents such an unsightly appearance. It also makes a dangerous turn from the south for westbound traffic, so council decided on the extension of the conduit without further delay.

Aug. 5, 1926

HARTINGTON — Ralph Scoville, prominent in golf circles here, entered his name in the hall of fame for golfers this week when he made a hole in one.

He was making the round with Miss Maurine Garvey and George Reifert. On the sixth hole, he accomplished the feat.

This hole is 120 yards and the drive has to clear some trees. It was a perfect shot, landing near the green and rolling into the cup.

Making a hole in one carries honors given by the golf associations and requires two witnesses.

This is the fourth time in the history of the club that a hole in one has been made and every one has been made on the number six hole. Several shots have come within a few inches on other holes.

C. N. Hertert, Dick Richards and Art Brennen are the three other local golfers to accomplish the feat.

Aug. 5, 1926

HARTINGTON — Leo Schaff, for the past four years one of the popular tellers in the Hartington National Bank, has resigned with the expectation of taking up outside work, temporarily in the hope of benefitting his health.

HARTINGTON — Three Cedar County school districts were dissolved and attached to neighboring districts at a hearing in the courthouse here July 27.

Otis Decker, county superintendent of schools, officially dissolved Districts 2, 105 and 108 and attached them to other districts.

District 2 (St. Helena) was attached to District 57. District 108 was attached to District 35. District 105 was attached to District 47 except the NW¼ of Section 19, Twp. 30-R-2E and the NE¼ of Section 19, Twp. 30-R-2E which were attached to District 113.

District 2 was dissolved because it had contracted out for the instruction of its pupils for five consecutive years.

Districts 105 and 108 were dissolved because they failed to maintain a public elementary school for one school term and did not contract for tuition and transportation of pupils with another district.

Aug. 3, 1961

WAYNE — Five Cedar County residents and two from nearby points in Knox County received degrees at commencement exercises at Wayne State Teachers College last night (Wednesday).

Twila G. Anderson of Hartington and Ruby Fredrickson Pedersen of Laurel received Master Degrees in education.

Receiving Bachelor of Arts Degrees in education were Sharon Ann Candahl of Laurel; Rodney A. Johnson of Laurel; Irene A. Korab of Wausa; Iris L. Means of Coleridge; and Donald Francis Sudbeck of Crofton.

Iris Means was among 10 students graduating with honors.

Aug. 3, 1961

HARTINGTON — Twenty neighbors and Foresters threshed oats for Francis Wortmann Saturday afternoon at his farm north of here.

Mr. Wortmann has been ill with mumps. The men threshed about 20 acres.

Helping were Alphonse Rameil, Joseph Hesse Jr., Loren and Jerome Noecker, Charles Foxhoven, Ferdinand, John, Rudolph and Roger Wortmann, Alfred and John Uhing, Ervin Wiebelhaus, Anthony Thoene, Rudolph Kathol, Don Lauer, Ed H. and Ricky Pinkelman, Richard Kramer, Roman Burbach and Bernard Giese.

Lunch was served by Mrs. Wortmann, assisted by Mrs. Ed H. Pinkelman.

Mrs. J.W. “Georgia” Brown may not have been the “Sweet Georgia Brown” celebrated in song, but her praises often were sung in Laurel.

Mrs. Brown, however, was not typical of the teachers who guided our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents into the 20th century.

An unscientific survey of District 54’s teaching staff from 1888 to 1906 found that 23% were men, 72% were unmarried women and slightly more than 4% were married women such as Mrs. Brown.

Once the wedding dress was carefully packed in the cedar chest, young women were expected to put on the maternity gown and kitchen apron — not the mantle of education.

At the turn of the century, more than 3,000 Nebraska teachers left the classroom each year. At least 2,000 of their replacements were young women between the ages of 16 and 20.

School boards often sought inexperienced young women as a way to keep costs low.

In 1896, the cost of education in Laurel was $20.24 per pupil per year. By comparison, the per-pupil cost in 1990-91 was $3,799.

The total salary paid to all Cedar County teachers in 1896 was only $27,278.84.

While many young women left the classroom as soon as they found a young man, many young men left as soon as they found something better. That usually did not take long when a teacher earned about the same wages as a farmhand.

In 1896, County Superintendent A.E. Ward warned of an impending teacher shortage.

“The best men and women engaged in teaching are rapidly leaving the profession to pursue more lucrative employment,” he said. “The really qualified teachers can command better salaries elsewhere.”

The warning came too late for Georgia Brown and Cecil Ward. Both resigned at the end of the 1894-95 school year.

Mrs. Brown resumed her career as a homemaker, while Ward left the classroom for the courtroom. Laurel’s second teacher became Laurel’s second attorney. Low salaries were only part of the problem. Teachers often objected to the stringent controls placed on their personal lives. Wayne County Superintendent Littell nearly provoked a rebellion in 1907 when he issued an edict forbidding teachers from dancing during the school year.

“Pretty school ma’ams are so angry they cry about it, and the beaux are downcast,” a newspaper account reported. “So it’s no more two-step, three-step or waltzes for Alyss or Carrye, and Charlie and George must do his wooing in the parlor, and ‘there’s always somebody hanging around.’

“‘I won’t teach anymore,’ say some of the school ma’ams, and they act like they mean it. Unless this resolution is broken, enough old maids — long resigned to their fate and indifferent to the thrill of the music hall — will have to be imported to fill the broken ranks and wield the rod in the future.”

Finding replacements for the weepy school ma’ams might have been easier than hiring meat cutters during an IBP labor dispute. Professor Littell would not have had to recruit south of the Rio Elkhorn, either.

Young people did not need a college education to teach. As late as 1902, only 40% of Nebraska teachers had high school diplomas. An eighth-grade certificate was sufficient.

Each August, teachers and prospective teachers traveled to Hartington to hear lectures about current educational trends, sharpen their subject knowledge and submit to examinations designed to assess their classroom competence.

Although the requirements for the lowest-level teaching certificate were minimal, the examinations could be difficult.

The Advocate of Jan. 2, 1897, claimed the following essay had been submitted during an examination for a teaching certificate in Texas: “The human body is divided into three parts, the head, the chest, and the stummick. The head contains the brains, if there are any. The chest contains the lungs and a piece of the liver. The stummick is devoted to the bowels of which there are five — a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes w and y.”

The candidate was permitted to teach. For 20-year-old Cora May Coleman, however, the county teacher examination was no laughing matter.

Three times she tried to pass the test, and three times she failed. After the third failure, she walked to Dixon to purchase strychnine.

She would never fail again. Whether Grover Cleveland styled himself as the education president is not known. The 1890s, however, much like today, were a time of educational restructuring.

Critics claimed American children would need a high school education to compete in the 20th century.

Perhaps Laurel residents feared the Japanese were about to flood the country with small buggies designed to be pulled by Shetland ponies. More likely, they were concerned about falling behind the “Dutchmen” of Coleridge.

Both Coleridge and Laurel added ninth-grade classes to their curriculums in 1896. After the two upper rooms of Laurel’s school were completed in 1897, the district began offering a three-year high school program.

Teachers who wanted to join the high school faculty, however, needed more than an eighth-grade education.

The Sept. 4, 1896, Advocate carried an advertisement for J.M. Pile’s new normal college at Wayne: “Go to school, it’s cheaper than staying home.” It certainly was. Tuition, room and board for 50 weeks cost only $125.

The modern era of teacher training had begun. Still, many of our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were educated by young men and women who had scarcely more education than their students.

More often than not, they still managed to do the job well done.

Editor’s Note: Longtime columnist Roger Tryon is on vacation. This column is being reprinted from his book, “Pages of History.”

Some folks, I see, are criticizing Gov. Pillen for embarking on a trade mission to the Far East at a time when the state budget is bleeding red ink.

It’s a fair gripe. But someone has to get out there and try to repair relationships with our foreign trade partners.

President Trump and his wrong-headed tariffs have created friction with all kinds of countries that buy agricultural goods from us. It has hurt the price for corn and beans.

Remember China? They used to purchase up to 36 million metric tons of American soybeans in a year. But those purchases slumped to 8 million metric tons in 2008 after President Trump launched a trade war with the Chinese.

That trade rebounded in 2020, but then went to zero last year when the president fired off a new round of tariffs on Chinese goods.

The latest trade deal with China has that country agreeing to purchase 25 million metric tons of soybeans a year, which is quite a ways from 30 million metric tons if my country school math is correct.

The normally conservative Nebraska Farm Bureau, in an essay earlier this year entitled “World Bypassing the United States,” argued that our trade policies (which appears to be “threaten tariffs, impose tariffs, and withdraw tariffs once deemed illegal”) are forcing foreign countries to look elsewhere for ag products. They’re cutting better, more reliable, trade agreements with our competitors.

“Deals among other major export competitors (Brazil, Canada, Argentine) and major importers (China, EU, Canada) risk leaving U.S. agriculture behind. Agriculture should be concerned,” the essay stated.

An estimated 30% of Nebraska’s ag products are destined for export, so that’s a big gulp.

Nebraska governors, over the years, have argued that trade missions like the one Pillen recently took to Japan and the Philippines are vitally important. Foreign customers want to get to know, face to face, who they are dealing with, they say. Let’s be clear about the rising tariffs President Trump is imposing. They’re a tax increase on you and me, because we pay the additional cost of foreign goods caused by the new tariffs – not the country of origin. And those court-ordered refunds of $160 billion for his earliest, unauthorized tariffs? They’re going to companies, not us.

A congressional committee, the Joint Economic Committee, estimated that the average American family is on track to pay $2,500 extra this year for foreign goods due to tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration.

I don’t know about you, but I wonder how making us pay more for stuff is making America great?

Meanwhile, I’m reading a lot of mixed messages about farm prospects this year.

Early in the year, the smart folks at the University of Nebraska predicted record farm income, with high prices for beef overcoming low prices for corn and beans and higher input costs.

But a recent article quoted an NU meteorologist saying that crops are facing a “make-or-break” period due to increasing drought conditions. “Decent” rains, right now, are needed to help corn yields, he said.

I’m also reading about how our relationship with Canada – our second-largest trade partner (behind Mexico) – is so poor we can’t even jointly celebrate the opening of a new bridge on the border between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario.

Give me a break. Canada has traditionally been our most loyal ally. We should treat them like that.

We can’t really impact what Mother Nature gives us in terms of rain.

But we can make an effort to mend our damaged relationships with foreign countries.

So go get ‘em Gov. Pillen. Make friends; sell some Nebraska goods.

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

I was always able to hold my own in sports.

By no means was I a superstar, but I wasn’t the guy begrudgingly picked last for a team, either.

You name it — football, baseball, wrestling, soccer, basketball, golf and bowling — I’ve given them all a try.

Some went better than others. Nobody ever confused my golf swing with Jack Nicklaus, and my baseball career probably did not keep opposing coaches awake at night. Still, I could usually step onto a field, court or course without becoming an immediate danger to myself or everyone around me.

Our recent vacation across the pond showed me there are a few sports, however, that I want absolutely nothing to do with.

Last month, we traveled around Ireland and Wales before attending an editorial conference. Along the way, several people enthusiastically explained their favorite sports.

The first was hurling, one of Ireland’s great sporting passions. As a devoted fan explained it, hurling is not exactly a leisurely pastime.

It is more like a controlled explosion on grass. The game combines hockey, lacrosse, baseball, football and rugby, apparently because the Irish looked at five dangerous sports and decided to play them all at once.

Players carry a flat-ended wooden stick called a hurley and chase a small, hard ball called a sliotar. They can strike it, catch it, balance it on the hurley or tap it ahead while running at full speed.

That last part would be enough to eliminate me. These days, balancing a cup of coffee while walking across the newsroom can be a challenge. Sprinting down a field while balancing a hard ball on a narrow wooden stick seems impossible.

The object is to send the sliotar between the opponent’s goalposts. A shot over the crossbar earns one point. A shot into the net earns three.

Play moves at tremendous speed. One moment, the ball appears safely at one end of the field. Seconds later, it is sailing toward the opposite goal while players swing their hurleys, leap into traffic and display enough courage to make insurance agents reach for the fine print.

At full speed, hurling is spectacular. The sliotar whistles through the air. Hurleys clash. Players charge into crowded spaces, emerge with the ball and continue running as though none of that was unusual.

The game demands speed, balance, hand-eye coordination, toughness and the ability to make decisions before the brain has time to object.

What makes hurling especially compelling is its connection to Irish communities. Players represent local clubs and, at the highest level, their home counties. Supporters back neighbors, relatives, former classmates and players from nearby villages.

County colors hang from homes and businesses. Families pass their allegiance from one generation to the next. Victories become part of local folklore.

That part made perfect sense to me. Small-town people understand the pride of cheering for someone they know and why a team can become part of a community’s identity.

I could appreciate hurling’s tradition and local loyalty. I just preferred to appreciate it from well beyond swinging distance.

Then we learned about Ba’. Ba’ is a traditional game played in Scotland’s Orkney Islands. During the explanation, one phrase kept coming up.

“There are no rules.” At first, I assumed that was an exaggeration. Then I watched a few minutes of video.

Ba’ is Scotland’s ancient version of football from the days before the sport adopted sidelines, referees, whistles and the radical notion that players should occasionally stop piling on one another.

There are no fixed team sizes, marked field or clock. A match can continue for hours and sometimes well into the night.

Shops sometimes board their windows because the giant moving scrum can surge into doors, walls and storefronts. When local merchants cover their windows before the game, that should probably be considered a warning sign.

The ball is small enough to hide inside the crowd. Players push, pull, lock arms and fight to move the mass of humanity in their direction.

That makes Ba’ less like a conventional sport and more like an annual riot in the streets.

Team loyalties depend on geography and family history. Players inherit their side from fathers and grandfathers. Former residents return home, and stories from memorable matches are passed down through generations.

The winning ball is generally awarded to a respected player from the victorious side, making it a treasured family keepsake.

That tradition is meaningful. It is also fortunate the prize is not awarded to the player with the fewest bruises, because there might not be an eligible candidate.

Ba’ refuses to surrender its ancient traditions. It is also a sport I would happily observe through binoculars from an upstairs window far from the action.

Then there was European football, which most Americans call soccer. After the World Cup was played in the United States, soccer should not require much explanation.

We happened to be in Wales when England was playing in a major semifinal. We watched part of the match in what had been a mellow hotel bar.

It did not remain mellow for long. As the contest progressed, the volume rose. There was shouting, groaning, cheering and backslapping. Every pass seemed to carry national significance.

Honestly, though, I still don’t quite get it. Soccer players can run for nearly two hours, control a ball with remarkable skill and create scoring chances while defenders cling to them like burrs on a pant leg.

Still, after watching hurling players swing wooden sticks at a ball traveling at highway speed and Ba’ players attempt to move half a Scottish town down a narrow street, soccer suddenly seemed peaceful.

Of the three sports, soccer would offer me the best chance of survival.

Hurling can keep its flying sliotar. Ba’ can keep its rule-free scrum. Soccer can keep its endless running.

There is still room for me in sports. Preferably in a bowling alley near the snack bar, where the only wooden object flying through the air is a toothpick.

From Jan. 1 through July 15, the state’s Unclaimed Property Division paid $13,783,664 through 11,408 claims. The average claim was about $1,200.

During all of 2025, the state returned approximately $19.7 million through nearly 20,000 claims.

Unclaimed property includes dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, unpaid wages, stocks, life insurance proceeds, safe deposit box contents and other financial assets.

Under Nebraska law, the State Treasurer’s Office holds the property until the rightful owner or an heir submits a claim.

“This isn’t the state’s money — we’re simply safeguarding it until the owners or their heirs come forward to claim it,” State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg said.

Since Nebraska’s unclaimed property law took effect in the late1960s, the state has returned more than $315 million to owners.

State officials estimate about one in five Nebraskans has unclaimed property. Money is waiting to be claimed in all 93 counties.

Residents may search for unclaimed property at NebraskaLostCash.nebraska. gov. The free online database can be searched using the names of individuals, family members, businesses or organizations.

Those who find a match may begin the claims process online. For more information, contact the Unclaimed Property Division at 877-5729688 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Employee at a Hartington business called to report that a man made three calls to their store and was making some sexual comments to one of the employees. They gave his number to the dispatcher hoping they would be able to contact him.

Cedar County Road Department calls to report that a road that had been closed is now open.

Randolph Fire Department issues burn permit to Grady Wiese.

Yankton Police Dept. calls for assistance with a welfare check. It was determined the person now lives in Knox County, though.

Cedar County Road Department calls to report a road is being closed.

Man calls asking if a burn permit had been issued for the day by Menominee.

Delivery driver reported being bit by a dog in Fordyce.

June 2: Woman calls to say her husband has been having medical issues and is now feeling very dizzy. Hartington ambulance is dispatched.

Accident reported on a gravel road near Randolph.

Laurel Fire Department issues burn permit for Steve Thompson.

Dispatch gets an iPhone notification that an accident has taken place a mile from the Highway 12, Highway 81 intersection.

Dispatch gets an iPhone notification that an accident has taken place a half mile south of Highway 59 near Magnet. Call turns out to be a false alarm.

June 3: Man calls to say his vehicle broke down on Highway 84. His phone does not have service. It will only call 911. He is trying to call a friend for help.

Man calls for information. A relative has died. He had several vehicles, and now the family needs to track down title information. He was informed to call the County Treasurer’s office.

Randolph ambulance called to residence for a man with heart issues.

Woman calls to report someone backed into her vehicle.

Ambulance dispatched for Hartington elderly resident with extreme weakness.

Ambulance dispatched for rural Hartington woman who fell and injured her leg.

Woman calls asking for a deputy to come out and help her. She was in a vehicle on Highway 59. The vehicle is now stopped and she is standing outside of it. “This girl tried to kiss my man and now she is trying to fight me. She won’t get out of my car. She was all up, all over my man. I tried to confront her and now she wants to fight me. I just need a deputy here because she is not riding with me.” Officer comes out removes two people from the car and drives them to an area gas station.

Driver of Highway 59 vehicle calls back to ask if the woman the officer took had two phones with her. Her boyfriend’s phone and wallet are missing.

June 4: Medical alert company calls to have Wynot ambulance paged out for man who’s device went off. It turns out the call was a false alarm.

Laurel Fire Department issues burn permit to Jace Beckwith.

Female calls to get information about communicating with an inmate.

Man calls with questions about how to get a vehicle inspection for an out of state vehicle he just purchased.

Woman calls to inform dispatch they are working on a relative’s medic alert button, so for now, they should ignore any calls they receive about it.

Randolph Police Department calls to report their phone line is down, so any calls for them are being transferred to Cedar County dispatch.

Man calls with concerns about someone he is playing online games with. The man is talking about, “driving his truck into the river.

The Cedar County Board of Commissioners will meet at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, in the commissioners’ room at the Cedar County Courthouse. The agenda is available at the Cedar County Clerk’s Office.

Planning Commission sets public hearing

The Cedar County Planning Commission will meet and conduct a public hearing at 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10, in the basement of the Cedar County Annex, 101 E. Centre St., Hartington. The meeting is open to the public. A current agenda is available at the Cedar County zoning administrator’s office.

Rural water committee to meet

The Cedar-Knox Rural Water Project Advisory Committee will hold its regular monthly meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Lewis & Clark Natural Resources District office in Hartington. The meeting is open to the public, and the agenda is available at the district office.

Public power board meeting announced

The Cedar-Knox Public Power District Board of Directors will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, in the district boardroom. An agenda is available at the district office.

Civics committee schedules meeting

The Hartington-Newcastle Public Schools Board of Education’s Committee on American Civics will meet at 5:15 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10, in the family and consumer sciences room at Hartington-Newcastle Public Schools.

HNS to hold student fees hearing

The Hartington-Newcastle School Board will receive public testimony on the district’s student fees policy at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10, in the family and consumer sciences room at the school.

Parental involvement policy hearing set

The Hartington-Newcastle School Board will receive testimony on its parental involvement policy immediately following the student fees hearing Monday, Aug. 10. The hearings will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the family and consumer sciences room at Hartington-Newcastle Public Schools.

HNS board to meet Aug. 10

The Hartington-Newcastle School Board will conduct its regular meeting immediately following the parental involvement policy hearing Monday, Aug. 10. The meeting will be held in the family and consumer sciences room at the school. A current agenda is available at the superintendent’s office.

HNS explains meeting notice process

The Hartington-Newcastle School Board generally meets on the second Monday of each month in the family and consumer sciences room at the school. Official notices containing the date, time and location of regular and special meetings will be posted on the district’s website because meeting details may change.

NRD board to meet Aug. 20

The Lewis & Clark Natural Resources District Board of Directors will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, at the district office, 608 N. Robinson Ave., Hartington.

Liquor license hearing scheduled

The Cedar County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, on an application from BV Buds LLC, doing business as The Station, for a Class C liquor license at 101 E. 889 Road, Hartington. The hearing will be conducted in the board meeting room at the Cedar County Courthouse. Those supporting or opposing the application may present testimony or submit an affidavit.

NRD reports expenses

The Lewis & Clark Natural Resources District published its expenses from June 19 through July 16. Major listed expenses included employee salaries and benefits, payroll taxes, Bow Creek Watershed work, equipment and technology, public information efforts and other district projects. The complete notice contains an itemized list of payments and recipients.

County publishes employee salaries

Cedar County released its current salary schedule for elected officials and county employees. Monthly salaries include $4,516.67 for commissioners, $6,933.34 for elected officials, $5,502.09 for the road superintendent and $6,216.67 for the emergency manager. Hourly wage ranges were also published for office staff, road employees, sheriff’s deputies, dispatchers and transit workers. The complete notice contains all job titles and salary ranges.

Hartington raises bidding threshold

The Hartington City Council approved an ordinance raising the bidding threshold for certain public improvement contracts to more than $90,000. Contracts exceeding that amount generally must receive City Council approval, be supported by an engineer’s cost estimate and be advertised for bids. The ordinance applies to projects including water extensions, sewers, bridges, street work and equipment used for public improvements.

Commissioners approve permits, road agreement The Cedar County Board of Commissioners approved several building permits and authorized an agreement with the Nebraska Department of Transportation concerning a future Highway 81 passing-lane project during its July 14 meeting.

The board also signed a chip-seal contract for the fairgrounds road and the road north to the Hartington city cemetery. Commissioners were told box culvert bids would be opened Aug. 25.

Commissioners approved six special designated liquor licenses for Nissen Wine receptions scheduled between August and December. They also learned Cedar County had been approved for $44,831.68 in emergency management grant .

Meeting as the Board of Equalization, commissioners considered protests involving 13 parcels and approved a damaged- property report for another parcel. The complete notice contains all claims and payment amounts.

Legal Briefs are condensed summaries of public notices published in this edition. These summaries are generated using artificial intelligence and are provided for reader convenience only. Readers should review the complete original legal notices in today’s publication or in the e-edition for full details.

The enemy to good silage is oxygen. Quality silage needs anaerobic fermentation to occur to maintain quality and ensure stability over the storage period. While factors like moisture content at harvest and packing density are important to maintaining an oxygen-free environment, the physical location and way silage is stored can play an equally impactful role.

When too much oxygen is present in the silage pile, respiration occurs, turning plant sugars into heat and carbon dioxide. This results in lower forage quality and overall yield, though it may not look like it at first glance. The burning off of sugars during respiration causes the left over plant structural components to condense. In the end, the visible layer of spoilage often seen on silage piles may represent 2-3 times that amount, as layers shrink and condense while they degrade.

Respiration also produces heat. This heat build-up causes three negative outcomes in silage piles. First, it limits the activity of lactic acid bacteria. These microbes prevent protein binding to plant lignin during fermentation, without which feed becomes less digestible by the animal. Second, heat encourages the growth of undesirable fermentation bacteria, yeasts and molds, all of which lower forage quality and can reduce yield. Lastly, heat early on in the ensiling process can end up with browning caused by a Maillard reaction. While these browned bits may be highly palatable, they are a sign of denatured protein, once again lowering silage quality. Maillard browning produces even more heat during reaction, increasing the risk that temperatures rise to the point spontaneous combustion is possible.

Selecting a good storage location is the first step we need to tackle. Bags and piles should be placed on elevated locations that allow snow and rain to drain away from the silage and feed out area. Special consideration should be taken for snow drift patterns to prevent restricted access during the winter.

Equipment traffic for feeding out of a pile or bag will be high and the ground will take a beating, Sites with poor drainage can result in ruts and mud holes making feeding more difficult. Provide plenty of room around the silage for maneuvering of equipment during both harvest and feed out. Finally, keep the area around bags or piles away from trees, trash piles and other possible shelters for small animals. Creatures like mice, squirrels and other small animals will gnaw holes in silage coverings, seeking food and shelter. By limiting possible shelters, keeping weeds and grass around silage trimmed up and immediately repairing any holes noticed, wildlife damage can be kept to a minimum. Once we’ve selected a location, how we plan to store our silage needs to be considered. Bagged silage is a versatile option that allows the storage location to move year to year. An additional bonus is the oxygen- free environment right away, especially if we are vigilant in repairing any holes or tears in the bag.

Silage piles are the more traditional approach and can allow for greater volumes of silage to be stored in a smaller area. Placing your pile on a cement pad or bunker is optimal for oxygen exclusion, but be sure to check these structures for cracks and repair any that are found annually to maintain their integrity. If silage is an annual feedstuff on your operation, the reduced loss a permanent structure provides can offset the cost when spread out over several years.

Even temporary piles can be made more oxygen-free if planned for ahead. Line the sides of your planned pile with bales and place an oxygen barrier plastic down on the sides and for several feet under the bottom to really seal the pile’s sides. At a bare minimum, placing plastic on top of the pile is an investment worth the time, labor and money.

By covering the pile we prevent oxygen from moving into the pile from the top and reduce precipitation exposure. Both rain and snow can penetrate the pile if uncovered, bringing more oxygen into the pile dissolved in the water itself, can throw off fermentation by upsetting the moisture balance leading to spoilage and can result in the pile “weeping” and leaching out valuable energy and protein.

Corn silage is a valuable feed resource, but can suffer from high levels of loss when stored incorrectly. Whether choosing temporary option like bag or drive over pile or something more permanent like a concrete bunker, doing what you can to keep oxygen out of your silage requires planning now. Pick an appropriate location for harvest and feed out success and store correctly to minimize feed losses later on.

-Ben Beckman is a beef systems Extension Educator serving northeast Nebraska. He is based out of the Cedar County Extension office in Hartington. You can reach him by phone: (402) 254-6821 or email: ben.beckman@ unl.edu

Dump was elected July 18 during the annual meeting of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors in Cardiff, Wales.

He will serve a three-year term on the board of directors.

South Dakota newspaper publisher Molly McRoberts was elected president of the organization which features members from the United States, The United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Australia, France, South Africa and Nepal.

The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors is a professional organization devoted to community journalism, strong local reporting and independent editorial leadership.

Unlike many newspaper associations, ISWNE has traditionally concentrated less on advertising, circulation and newspaper management and more on the journalistic responsibilities of editors and publishers—particularly their obligation to investigate local government, take stands on community issues and provide a clear editorial voice.

ISWNE was founded in 1955 at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.

WAYNE — A $5 million gift from Wayne State College graduates Don and Diane Soukup has helped the Wayne State Foundation secure more than $13 million in private commitments for the renovation of Brandenburg Hall.

The $18.7 million project will transform the building into the Brandenburg Student Success Center, bringing several academic and student services together in one location.

College officials said it is the largest privately funded project in Wayne State College history.

Along with the Soukups’ gift, the campaign has received financial commitments from the Sherwood Foundation and the William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation. Fundraising for the project will continue.

The renovated building will house the Academic and Career Success Center, admissions, financial aid, registration and records, disability services and other student support programs.

College officials said the center is intended to provide students with access to services ranging from recruitment and enrollment through graduation and career preparation.

Don and Diane Soukup graduated from Wayne State in 1971 and have continued to support the college through scholarships, academic programs and other projects.

“Wayne State College has always held a special place in our hearts,” the Soukups said in a joint statement. “The friendships we built, the education we received and the opportunities we were given helped shape the lives we’ve been blessed to live.”

The couple said they hope the project will provide future students with the resources they need to succeed.

Wayne State President Marysz Rames said the Soukups’ contribution encouraged other donors to become involved in the project.

“Their leadership inspired others to join this effort, creating a once-in-a-generation investment that will benefit students, strengthen our region and position Wayne State College for continued success for decades to come,” Rames said.

In addition to private donations, the renovation will be supported by State of Nebraska capital construction funding authorized through LB309 and money provided by Wayne State College.

Wayne State Foundation CEO Bob Machovsky said the Soukups’ initial contribution helped build support for the broader fundraising campaign.

“Don and Diane Soukup didn’t simply make a transformational gift — they provided the leadership that inspired others to invest alongside them,” Machovsky said.

A public groundbreaking and dedication ceremony will be held Friday, Oct. 2, during Wayne State College’s Homecoming weekend.

The event will take place on the north side of Brandenburg Hall. A reception, building tours and live entertainment will begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by the groundbreaking ceremony at 5:30 p.m.

A social featuring hors d’oeuvres, beverages, entertainment and additional building tours will follow the ceremony.

Things are getting plenty confusing about who is running for office this fall, and who isn’t.

And that’s probably the intent. Every day, it seems, we have new candidates joining races, old candidates dropping out, and at least a couple new political parties forming to field even more candidates.

You’re going to need a scorecard with erasable ink for this year’s November ballot.

For instance, in the U.S. Senate race, nonpartisan Dan Osborn recently submitted enough signatures to officially join the race against U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts.

That’s no surprise because Osborn announced his intent to run months ago. By now, you’ve seen the TV ads from him and Ricketts.

However, just after Osborn officially joined the ballot, Cindy Burbank, the Democrat who won her party’s nomination in the spring primary, dropped out of the Senate race. She had pledged to do that – to allow a Osborn-Ricketts race – and recently told reporters she wasn’t going to win, so I’m out.

With no Democrat on the ballot, that could swing the anti-Ricketts votes to Osborn, who has a decent chance of upsetting the former governor – if you believe early polls.

For a short time, Secretary of State Bob Evnen toyed with the idea of forcing Burbank to remain on the ballot. In the spring, he had called her a “bad faith” candidate (because she pledged to drop off the ballot if she won) and tried to remove her. But Burbank sued, and her name remained on the primary ballot.

This time, Evnen, after conferring with the Attorney General, ruled that he had no legal authority to decline her request to get off the ballot.

But the musical chairs in that race isn’t over.

Two new political parties have submitted signatures to become recognized parties, which would allow them to place their own candidates on the ballot.

It only takes about 6,700 valid signatures to form a new political party. With popularity ratings for both the Republican and Democrat parties in the tank, it probably wasn’t hard to collect those.

But, of course, there’s questions about whether those two parties are legitimate, or whether they’re a sneaky effort to siphon votes from other candidates. The head of the state Democrats, Jane Kleeb, has already called foul on the Nebraska Working People Party, claiming it is an effort to siphon off votes from Osborn (who campaigns as a working man who will represent their interests). One labor union also asked that party to stand down.

There’s claims as well that the America First Party is an attempt to siphon off votes, presumably from Ricketts. And speculation that the candidate in the Legal Marijuana NOW Party will drop out, which might help Osborn (Ricketts opposes legalization of cannabis for any reason).

Got all that? Meanwhile, one nonpartisan candidate in the 1st Congressional District race, Austin Ahlman, says he’s suspending his campaign, one he had barely begun.

And Republican-turned-nonpartisan Brett Lindstrom announced that he’s now seeking signatures to join the gubernatorial race against incumbent Gov. Jim Pillen and former State Sen. Lynne Walz, a Democrat.

Makes you pine for the days when the ballot was pretty much set after the spring primary.

***

There are days when you wake up feeling like a million bucks, and days when you wonder “how could I be so dumb?”

The latter was last week when I wrote a column about suspending the state’s gradual decrease in state income tax rates. To my horror, I wrote the word “sales” (tax) instead in the column I submitted, despite reading and re-reading the piece for accuracy.

I think we were able to make a correction in most papers, but those with earlier deadlines probably contained the error.

My apologies. What a dummy.

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. A native of Ralston, Nebraska, he loves traveling and writing about the state.

But what would cause the United States government to prohibit the sale of such a beloved convenience? The answer is simple: World War II.

On Jan. 18, 1943, Claude F. Wickford, secretary of agriculture and head of the War Food Administration, handed down a shocking directive: “Henceforth the sale of sliced bread will be banned in the United States of America.”

Women throughout the country were furious.

To understand why the ban felt like such a blow, you have to realize how deeply sliced bread had woven itself into the American kitchen.

For millennia, people had torn, bitten and sliced into loaves. That changed thanks to Otto Rohwedder, who spent decades developing a commercial bread slicer.

Despite fires, injuries and financial struggles, Rohwedder introduced his innovation in 1928. The baking industry was taken by storm, and by 1930 Continental Baking’s sliced Wonder Bread — with its slogan, “Builds Strong Bodies in 8 Ways” — had cornered the market. Uniform slices became standard, pop-up toasters became a national rage and breakfast became a breeze.

But Secretary Wickford put a stop to all that. He claimed the steel used to manufacture slicing machines and the wax wrapping paper needed to keep sliced bread fresh would be better used in the war effort.

The backlash was immediate. New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia — undoubtedly listening to his incensed wife, Marie — announced he would not enforce the ban.

Across the country, housewives pulled out old serrated knives and sawed through fresh loaves. Uneven slices often wouldn’t fit into the new pop-up toasters. The result was burnt toast, wasted time and frustration, leaving many a housewife with bloody fingers, a dull knife and choice words for Secretary Wickford.

To be fair, Americans were already coping with major sacrifices on the homefront. Even before the United States entered the conflict, the government had begun preparing for war.

After France fell to the Nazis in 1940, England in the West and Russia in the East stood as the last European powers trying to slow Hitler’s advance. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Premier Joseph Stalin pressed the U.S. for help. Although many Americans were reluctant to enter another European war, President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew that while our military wasn’t ready, our industrial base was.

The Lend-Lease Act of March 1941 transformed the United States into the “arsenal of democracy,” supplying allies with military equipment, food and munitions. Allies could pay us back “as they could,” with the understanding that the supplies were vital to U.S. defense. During the war, $50 billion worth of supplies — roughly $700 billion today — went overseas aboard convoys dodging German U-boats in the North Atlantic.

Among those shipments was a practical, protein-packed delicacy: Spam.

Introduced in 1937, the Hormel product was purchased by the U.S. military at a rate of 15 million cans per week. Although troops maligned it as “the ham that couldn’t pass its physical,” Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev later credited it with helping save his fighting men from starvation.

Once Pearl Harbor pulled the U.S. into the war, rationing became a way of life. Families managed shortages with ration coupons that looked much like the old S&H Green Stamps — remember? Victory Gardens appeared in backyards, while bartering returned to combat black markets. Coal, tin, wood, oil, rubber, sugar, steel, meat, dairy products, coffee and even shoes were regulated. Sugar was the last item removed from the ration list in 1947, owing to its use in explosives manufacturing.

Americans proved creative and willing to make do. Women drew lines down the backs of their bare legs to mimic nylons. Multiple generations moved in together to save money and stretch supplies — including my own family. Everyone understood the need to go without, but they couldn’t understand the sliced bread ban.

Fortunately, the government soon realized it had bitten off more than it could chew.

Just two months after it was imposed, the ban was rescinded. In an ironic twist, one of Wickford’s own Food Administration Board directors had been caught in a sliced bread black-market ring. Sliced bread became the only restricted product to receive a reprieve in the middle of the war.

The secretary didn’t admit he had made a mistake. Instead, he claimed the restriction hadn’t saved as much steel as expected and reassured the public that the country had plenty of wax paper.

Bakers rejoiced, housewives tucked their serrated knives back in the drawer and harmony returned to the American homefront. From there, with our sandwiches neatly sliced and our spirits high, we went on to win the war!

This column is provided by the Nebraska Press Association through a grant from Owen Metals Group. Owen Metals Group is the parent company of several Midwest steel processing and fabrication businesses. Learn more at owenind.com. Find more of Bob’s work at bobfordshistory.com or watch his history videos on YouTube and TikTok. Bob can be reached at robertmford@aol.com.

“ The result was burnt toast, wasted time and frustration.”

Early weaning is not something every operation needs to do every year. But in a short forage year, it can be a difference maker. Once the calf is weaned, the cow no longer has the nutrient demand of lactation. That can reduce her forage needs, help maintain or improve body condition, and give her a better chance of going into fall and winter in good shape.

Timing matters. Early weaning is most useful before cows are already thin and pastures are already overused. If cows have lost significant body condition, or if grass has been grazed too short, the opportunity to recover is more limited. Making the decision earlier gives producers more flexibility to protect the cow herd, stretch forage, and plan winter feed needs.

As a rough rule of thumb, each day calves are weaned early may save about one-quarter to one-third of a cow-calf grazing day. Put another way, weaning 30 days early might stretch forage by roughly 7 to 10 days, if the saved forage is actually captured and managed. That estimate will vary, but it gives producers a way to think about the value of acting before pastures are gone.

Calf age is also an important consideration. Calves can be weaned successfully at younger ages, but they need more management. Younger calves require high-quality feed, clean water, good facilities, and close observation. They also need to be eating well before weaning begins. Typically, creep feeding is not cost effective, but creep feeding ahead of early weaning may help calves adjust.

Health management also becomes more important. Early-weaned calves should have a solid vaccination plan, low-stress handling and a clean, dry place to rest. Work with your veterinarian on timing of vaccines, parasite control and any respiratory disease concerns. Stress is still stress, whether calves are weaned at three months or seven months, so the goal is to make the transition as smooth as possible. Early weaning can also change how forage is used. Calves are not the largest consumers on pasture, but removing the calf reduces total grazing pressure and lowers the cow’s nutrient demand. That can help stretch late-summer pasture, reduce the need to overgraze, or allow more recovery time where plants have been stressed by drought.

There is an economic side too. Early weaning may save forage or reduce cow supplement needs, but it can increase feed, labor, facility, and health costs for calves. You need to know if the benefits and costs fit the operation. Compare the value of saved forage, improved cow condition and reduced winter feed needs against the added cost of managing calves separately.

Marketing should also be part of the decision. Some producers may retain early- weaned calves and feed them to a heavier weight. Others may sell calves earlier if markets are favorable or if facilities are limited. Either option can work, but the plan needs to be made before calves come off the cow.

Early weaning is not a failure; it is a management tool. In a dry year or a short forage situation, using it at the right time can protect cow condition, preserve pasture resources and keep more options open for the months ahead.

— Ben Beckman is a beef systems Extension Educator serving northeast Nebraska. He is based out of the Cedar County Extension office in Hartington. You can reach him by phone: (402) 254-6821 or email: ben. beckman@unl.edu

DAKOTA DUNES, S.D. — Avera Health announced it has reached an agreement to acquire The Center for Neuroscience, Orthopedics & Spine, a specialty physician practice based in Dakota Dunes, with the transition scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Following the acquisition, the practice will operate as Avera CNOS.

The partnership includes more than 100 physicians, advanced practice providers, physical and occupational therapists, athletic trainers and more than 350 employees representing nine medical specialties and subspecialties.

CNOS was established in the 1990s and provides orthopedic, neurological and spine care throughout the Siouxland region. The practice has expanded over the years through mergers and partnerships with other specialty groups and now offers outreach services at 29 satellite locations.

The acquisition also includes eight clinic locations and expands Avera’s specialty care network in the tri-state region.

According to Avera, the health system currently operates two hospitals in Iowa and partners with seven others, along with 15 clinics and numerous specialty outreach locations. Company officials said adding CNOS is intended to improve coordination of specialty services and increase access to care as the region continues to grow.

CNOS Chief Executive Officer Nolan Lubarski said the organization spent considerable time evaluating potential partners before selecting Avera.

“It became very clear early in our conversations that our visions for the future of health care in this region were aligned,” Lubarski said. “Avera and CNOS share similar values, including a strong commitment to clinical excellence, patient-centered care and community service.”

David Flicek, Avera’s chief operating officer, said the two organizations have worked together for years through Avera’s network of hospitals and clinics.

“This group is well known for quality outcomes and patient care,” Flicek said. “We look forward to providing greater continuity of care for the patients and communities we serve.”

Lubarski said maintaining the organization’s workforce was an important consideration throughout the process. He said the two organizations share similar priorities in supporting providers and employees while continuing to expand access to specialty care.

CNOS officials said patients are being notified of the transition this week.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is encouraging producers not to wait until the last minute to apply for disaster assistance, specialty crop payments or review base acreage opportunities.

“Our advice is simple: don’t wait,” FSA Administrator Bill Beam said. “These deadlines represent important opportunities for producers dealing with weather- related losses, rising costs and changing markets.”

Upcoming deadlines include:

Aug. 3: Last day to submit nominations for local FSA county committee elections.

Aug. 7: Deadline to apply for the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program.

Aug. 12: Deadline to apply for the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP).

Aug. 31: Deadline for eligible landowners to review and, if applicable, increase base acreage for Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs.

Specialty crop assistance

The ASCF program provides payments to eligible specialty crop producers based on 2025 planted acreage.

Producers who previously reported eligible crop acreage should have prefilled applications available through their local FSA office or online using a Login.gov account.

Disaster relief

The SDRP provides more than $16 billion in assistance for producers who experienced crop, tree, bush or vine losses caused by qualifying natural disasters during the 2023 and 2024 calendar years.

The program includes assistance for producers with crop insurance claims as well as those with uninsured, underinsured or quality-related losses. Applications for both phases of the program are due Aug. 12.

Base acreage review

For the first time since 2002, eligible landowners have an opportunity to increase base acreage for ARC and PLC commodity programs under changes authorized by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

Nationwide, as many as 30 million additional base acres may be added to eligible farms. Landowners should review their Base Allocation Summary through Login.gov or by contacting their local FSA office before the Aug. 31 deadline.

County committee nominations

Producers interested in serving on their local FSA county committee have until Aug. 3 to submit nomination forms.

County committees help administer federal farm programs at the local level and provide producers with input into FSA operations. Elections are held annually in designated local administrative areas, with ballots mailed to eligible voters in November.

Producers with questions about any of the programs or deadlines are encouraged to contact their local FSA office, where appointments can also be scheduled through the agency’s online appointment system.

While Smith’s Atlantic crossing earned international attention, her return to the Cornhusker State Games revealed another side of her story. What began years ago as a middle school athlete competing in track and field has evolved into a lifelong connection with the Games, culminating in a year that saw her serve as torchlighter, compete in a new sport and stand atop the podium once again.

An Omaha native, Smith, 26, made history by rowing more than 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. Her incredible journey began on Dec. 14, 2025 and concluded 46 days later when she reached her final destination in English Harbor, Antigua, on Jan. 29, 2026.

Smith first competed in the Cornhusker State Games as a middle school track and field athlete, an experience that introduced her to the event years before returning in one of its most celebrated roles. During an interview with the Nebraska Sports Council on Opening Night, Smith was asked which Cornhusker State Games sport she would choose if she were competing today. Without hesitation, she answered, “Sailing.”

Just days later, she turned those words into reality. Smith competed in the 2026 Cornhusker State Games Sailing competition in the Adult Snipe division alongside partner Mary Buckley. The duo finished with six points to capture the gold medal, adding another accomplishment to an already unforgettable year. From participant to torchlighter to champion, Smith’s journey reflects the lasting impact of the Cornhusker State Games and the spirit of trying something new.

Reflecting on her rowing journey, Smith credited her support team.

“I had an immense amount of support from family and friends. They’re the ones that got me to the start line and they’re also the ones that got me across the ocean.”

That support was evident during the 42nd Annual Cornhusker State Games Opening Night, where Smith served as the 2026 torchlighter. As she made her way down to the stage, she was met by her aunt with an emotional embrace.

Before Smith continued to the cauldron, her aunt placed a family keepsake in her hands—her grandfather’s 1989 Cornhusker State Games medal. The medal served as a powerful reminder of her family’s connection to the Games and the generations of support that helped shape her journey.

Carrying both the torch and her grandfather’s legacy, Smith stepped forward and lit the cauldron, officially opening the 42nd Annual Cornhusker State Games in a moment that connected the Games’ past, present, and future. It was a fitting conclusion to a remarkable homecoming, celebrating not only an athlete who made history on the open ocean, but one whose journey began years earlier as a young Cornhusker State Games competitor.

Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., with a $10 fee which includes coffee and rolls and noon luncheon. OACCW meeting begins at 10 a.m. Please join us for 11:30 a.m. Mass and afternoon Commission reports. Guest Speaker will be Sam Minarik, an evangelization coordinator.

All women are invited to attend, sharing in activities of the day with your fellow Council of Catholic Women of Omaha Archdiocese.

Nominations are being accepted for an OACCW Vice-President— the term starting in September 2026.

RSVP is encouraged by Aug. 1 for lunch count to Leonarda Arens, OACCW President via email at arensljrepair@hotmail. com or text to 402-253-5120 .

BOW VALLEY — An event five years in the making is set to take center stage this weekend.

The Bow Valley Schützenfest — one of northeast Nebraska's longest-running community celebrations — returns this weekend as the Bow Valley Park Association brings the old tradition back to life Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 1-2.

The two-day festival, which traces its roots to 1896, will feature food, live music, games, contests and activities for all ages.

Festivities begin at 7:30 a.m., Saturday, with the annual grounds opening and continue throughout the day with horseshoe and cornhole tournaments, kids games, a kickball tournament, a talent show and bingo.

The opening ceremonies are scheduled for 4 p.m., followed by a community meal at 5 p.m., Mass will be held at 6 p.m., a happy hour, featuring Shooter's Calcutta at 6:30 p.m., and live music by The 4020's band beginning at 9 p.m, followed by The Mercenaries from 10 p.m to 12 a.m.

Activities resume Sunday at 10 a.m., with the grounds opening and children's games.

A king and queen parade is scheduled for 11 a.m., followed by a sandpit money grab at 1 p.m. The festival's official opening ceremony begins at 1 p.m., with shooting to follow.

Coronation of the 2026 king and queen is set for 3 p.m., followed by an auction at 3:30 p.m., raffle drawing at 4:15 p.m. and live music by Outback Band beginning at 4 p.m. Greased pig contests are scheduled for 6 p.m., with the band returning at 7 p.m.

Raffle tickets are available in advance at Bow Valley Hall, Keith's Package Liquor, Grossenburg Implement and Stop-N-Go.

Festival organizers encourage area residents and visitors to attend both days of the celebration, which combines long-standing German traditions with family-friendly entertainment and community fellowship. More information is available at the festival website and on the Bow Valley Schützenfest Facebook page.

Overall, students from 32 states and 27 nations graduated, and more than 90 students received two or more degrees or certificates from a college.

Hannah Kleinschmit, Coleridge, graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy from SDSU’s College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions.

Ethan Becker, Hartington, graduated with a Bachelor of Science from SDSU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

Carson Jones, Hartington, graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies from SDSU’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

The city started working with League Association of Risk Management in 2024. That first policy cost the city $164,000. The city agreed Monday to sign a contract extension for two years at a cost of $201,000.

LARM representative Clint Simmons talked with the council about some recent changes to the policy that are responsible for the rate increase.

When the city originally agreed to work with LARM in 2024 the city-owned property wasn't valued properly, Simmons said. In January 2025, the city made some property valuation changes. Those changes, along with the addition of a new city shop and the Skylon Ballroom event center increased the valuation of city owned property by $11 million.

'Insuring you for $11 million more, is almost like adding another small community (to your policy),' Simmons said.

Council members also shared their concerns Monday about electric scooters and E Bikes. The council first brought these concerns up in June. Since then, Mayor Mark Becker has spoken to Cedar County Sheriff Larry Koranda about making sure officers are more aware of the city's concerns. Becker said law enforcement will begin enforcing the law more strictly. State law says scooters and E bikes can only be operated on a city street by someone who is 16 years old or older and has a state-issued driver's license.

In other action, the Council approved a resolution to update the city's bidding threshold to comply with a new law passed by the Nebraska Legislature. The new law updates the bidding threshold. The city will now only be required to seek bids if a project is over $90,000. The old threshold was $30,000.

Also Monday, the Council discussed and then tabled a request from the Hartington Library Board to pay for the purchase and installation of a new $7,400 air conditioning unit to cool the upstairs of the old Carnegie Library building. Library Board members noted that in 2013, the last time the library needed to replace one of the units, the city paid for it. Council members said they wanted to consider the purchase for their new financial year, which begins Oct. 1.

The council also approved a special designated liquor license for Josh Fritz of JJ's Bar for the Hartington Dayz event Aug. 15.

Hartington Chevrolet owner Ray Sukovaty addressed the council with his concerns about the city's tire disposal fee.

Sukovaty said Hartington's tire disposal fees are much higher than area communities, and he'd like to see if that could change. For passenger car and light duty trucks, Yankton, S.D., and Vermillion, S.D., charge $4 per tire, while Wayne charges $5.

'We pass the expense, on to our customers, so it doesn't affect us, but I think our customers deserve better,' he said.

The city charges businesses an $8 fee for each car and light duty truck tire disposal. The price was raised last year from $5.50 per tire, he said.

'I feel the previous amount was fair,' Sukavaty said. 'I can take my tires to Yankton for $4 or $5 depending on weight, but that means I have to invest time and fuel to take them up there.'

Council members discussed the issue, then asked City Clerk Schulte to get more information on what it costs the city to dispose of tires. Mayor Mark Becker told Sukavaty they would gather more information before making a decison. Also Monday, the Council approved a building permit for Chase Rolfes, who wants to put an addition on to his house in the Becker Addition.

The next Hartington City Council meeting is set for Monday, Aug. 10, at 5 p.m. A budget workshop is also scheduled for that same evening.