HARTINGTON — The four men who committed three burglaries in Randolph and Laurel on the morning of Sept. 7, have been taken into custody by authorities in South Dakota and Wisconsin, according to a report received this Thursday morning by Sheriff Ralph Clements from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Two of the men, James Weaver and Lyle Nowack, are being held at Pierre, S.D., following their arrest near Midland Sept. 18. The men had attempted to run a highway blockade established by police officers. Weaver was wounded and is being held in a Pierre hospital. One of the possemen at the road block was killed.

Two others, Lyle Shepereaux and Eugene Skillback, were arrested Sept. 12 at LaCrosse, Wis.

According to the FBI one of the men has signed a statement admitting 125 burglaries, four armed robberies and 21 stolen cars.

The men committed burglaries in most of the towns between Valentine and Sioux City on Highway 20 and in towns on Highway 75 all the way across Minnesota. The four men, with a fifth not yet taken, escaped from the reformatory at Red Wing, Minn., Aug. 23.

Their connection with the breakins in this territory was established by papers left in a car which they stole at Stuart and abandoned at Fergus Falls, Minn.

A coroner’s jury which investigated the killing of the posseman at Midland, S.D., was not able to determine whether the dead man was killed by a bullet from one of the robber’s guns, or by that of a fellow member of the posse.

Sept. 26, 1946

COLERIDGE — Donald Cisney and Donald Kalin, who were seriously injured in an automobile crash east of Laurel Aug. 22, in which three others lost their lives, were able to return home Saturday in a Jones ambulance.

Cisney sustained a fractured right leg and numerous cuts and bruises, while Kalin sustained fractures of both legs and severe injuries to his head and face and did not regain complete consciousness until several days after the accident.

Catherine Suing of Hartington, whose twin sister was one of those killed in the accident, is still in the hospital in Sioux City. Larell Koch, who was also injured, but less seriously than the rest, has returned to his home in Coleridge two weeks ago.

Sept. 26, 1946

HARTINGTON — Karl Stefan, third district congressman will be in Hartington Friday afternoon, Sept. 27. At that time he will be glad to meet with any one from this vicinity who has congressional business to transact.

Congressman Stefan writes to his friend, Louis G. Rilbe, that he would like to meet as many friends as possible during his brief stay here.

Sept. 26, 1946

HARTINGTON — Lt. Howard K. Burney who is stationed in Battle Creek, Mich., is now a patient in a hospital there. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. D. W. Burney.

Sept. 26, 1946

HARTINGTON — Discharge records were filed in the County clerk’s office the past week by eight more veterans of World War II. Those filing during the past week were: S 2-c Philip McFadden and Pfc. Kermit C. Hamilton of Hartington; Pvt. Daniel L. Wiebelhaus and T-5 Frederick J. Schulte of Wynot; Pfc. William G. Embick, Laurel; 1st Lieut. Esther E. Kremer, Crofton; Pfc. Lavertus F. Klocke, Randolph, and C. C. M. Eugene V. O’Meara, Hastings.

Sept. 26, 1946

HARTINGTON — Eighteen Cedar county men left here Monday morning for Ft. Crook, Omaha, where they were given pre-induction physical examinations for military service. This is the largest group to be taken from the county in several months.

The men who were called for their examinations were: HARTINGTON—Herbert R. Schulte, Louis W. Hahn, Glen M. Olson, Robert R. Koch, Vernon H. Sudbeck.

ST. HELENA—Ralph J. Bottmer, Donald E. Jones.

WYNOT—Cyril T. Koch. CROFTON—Vernon E. Trump, Edward W. Bart.

BELDEN—Donald R. Krei.

LAUREL—Francis E. Urwiler, Arthur H. Anderson.

FORDYCE—James B. Lammers, Gilbert C. Finkermann.

DIXON—Donald C. Anderson. MAGNET—Delmar W. Greene. COLERIDGE—Edgar W. Meyerott. Sept. 26, 1946

HARTINGTON — Hubert Felber is still in a serious condition in a Sioux City hospital as a result of burns received when he came in contact with a 7200 volt wire while working on the REA lines near Belden Tuesday.

Most severely burned was his right hand and upper part of his left arm. He also suffered flash burns on the face and chest.

Doctors found it necessary Saturday to amputate his right hand just above the wrist. A number of blood transfusions have been given Felber the past few days. Although he is still in serious condition, reports Wednesday indicated he has a chance to recover if no further complications develop.

Sept. 26, 1946

HARTINGTON — The Pilgrim Fellowship of the First Congregational church held election of officers at their meeting on Monday evening. Elected were: Melvin Wittler, president; Rolly Heedum, vice president; Bob Erickson, secretary; Shirley Hageman, treasurer; and Virginia Wittler, news correspondent.

RANDOLPH — A light vote and not very much interest, due perhaps to no organized effort against the proposition, marked the special bond election of Tuesday.

The people realized that the better plan was to issue the bonds and pay the bills incurred by recent heavy expenses on our electric light system and give the city management an opportunity to start with a clean slate. Now that the action is taken it is clearly up to the light and water plant and its management, to make good and show a revenue that will take care of the operating expense and show a clean profit sufficient to take care of the interest and to a considerable extent, the principal on these bonds. This is what the city estimates it can do, with the outstanding warrants cleaned up and a cash basis established.

The bonds call for $55,000 for the electric light fund and $10,000 for the water extension fund, the money to be used in improvements already made or in process of construction. The bonds run 20 years and interest and principal payments will be provided for in special funds. The bonds to carry six per cent, and with a provision for payment in 10 years.

The total vote was: For light bonds — 202 Against — 58 For water bonds — 189 Against — 66 At a previous election under Mayor Hill’s administration, this same proposition failed. The urgent need of money was not so well understood at that time.

DON

MILLER

HARTINGTON — David Janes, speech and drama instructor at Cedar Catholic, and Mary Pierce, instructor at Hartington Public, attended a speech and theater workshop Sept. 21 at Dana College, Blair.

The workshop was designed for high school teachers of speech and theater to assist them in maintaining and improving the quality of their speech and theater programs.

Workshop participants heard experts of state wide and national reputation speak on problems of speech and drama competition.

Sept. 22, 1976

HARTINGTON — Cheryl Kathol has been named to head the cast of “The Wizard of Oz” at Cedar Catholic. She will play the part of Dorothy.

Others named to lead roles are: Kathy Sudbeck, Sorceress of the North; Jackie Mines, Wicked Witch of the West; Curt Tideman, Scarecrow; George Hans, Tin Woodman; Collin Kathol, Cowardly Lion; and Mike Becker, the Wizard.

Students named to other roles are Cheryl Steffen, Jim Modde, Glen Kleinschmit, Dave Vlach, Jim Anderson, Tom Burney, Cary Becker, Mary Burton, Bruce Peitz, Kathy Thoene, Tina Kathol, Laurie Heimes and Donnie Noecker.

Munchkins, ghosts and jitterbugs are Judy Kuchta, Jean Keiter, Carolyn Lammers, Nancy Kuehn, Kim Arens, Janel Feilmeier, Ruth Heimes, Carol Leise, John Burke, Jim Anderson, Dave Vlach, Donnie Noecker, Mary Keiser, Sandy Bohlken, Pat Steffen, Laurie Lammers, Marty Schmidt, Mary Konz, Ellen Wortmann, Sheila Noecker, Kathy Vlach, Judy Litz, Kathy Kurtzhals, Kathy Leise, Cindy Heimes, Heidi Litz, Mary Fuchtman, Kari Buschelman and Cheryl Steffen.

Generals are Cary Becker, Terry Dendinger, Glen Kleinschmit, Bill Potts, Don Neuhalfen, John Burke and Chuck Burney.

Kari Buschelman will serve as understudy for Dorothy and Chuck Burney and Cary Becker will be understudies for all men’s parts.

Dan Keiter will be the stage manager- technical director, Rosemary Lammers will be the music director, and David Janes is the director.

Sept. 22, 1976

HARTINGTON — Mayor Kneifl gave an interesting and educational talk to the members of the Tuesday Club and their guests Sept. 14 at the city auditorium. He told of the projects the city had completed and the costs and also of the projects that are being worked on and their costs.

Following his talk, a question and answer time was held. Later cookies and coffee were served.

The afternoon was closed with a short business meeting and acceptance of a new member.

Sept. 22, 1976

COLERIDGE — The local Volunteer Fire Department was summoned to extinguish a blaze at the home of Mrs. Sharon Giese here early Monday morning.

The fire, which began in the utility room, was discovered by Mrs. Giese just after eight o’clock. Her children had just left for school, she said.

The flames spread quickly throughout the kitchen and the children’s bedroom. Speedy action by the firemen kept the flames from spreading into the other rooms. However, the rooms did receive extensive smoke and water damage.

The house was partially insured according to owner, Rudolph Erickson of Coleridge.

Mrs. Giese said the contents were not insured. She lost all but a few pieces of furniture. None of the family’s clothing could be saved.

HARTINGTON — Dress-up days, a parade and coronation are among the festivities included in Hartington High’s Homecoming week. Coronation of the Homecoming King and Queen will be in the HHS gym at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, and on Friday night a dance will follow the Homecoming football game against Newcastle.

Homecoming King and Queen candidates and attendants were announced at a pep rally on Sept. 19. They are — King candidates: Michael Fischer, Mark Fleming, Bryan Johnson, Dennis Larsen; Queen candidates: Paula Bowers, Sue Herbolsheimer, Diane Meirose, Renae Riddle; Junior Class candidates: Corey Crandall, Shannon Tuttle, Mickie Rossiter and Joan Walz; Sophomore Class candidates: Scott Lindquist, Tyler Morten, Teri Joachimsen and Kris Pedersen; Freshman Class candidates: Rodney Heikes, Ryan Riddle, Jill Herbolsheimer and Stacy Opfer.

Days of the week are: Monday Old T-Shirt Day; Tuesday - Hefty Bag Day; Wednesday - Twin Day; Thursday - Dress-up Day; Friday - Purple Day. Prizes will be given each day for the best costumes.

Coronation will be in the HHS gym on Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. with Laura Lou Marsh as mistress of ceremonies. Former King and Queen Jeff Olsen and Susan Bargstadt will crown the new royalty.

A parade will start at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. The football game against Newcastle will start at 7:30 p.m. and the Homecoming Dance will begin after the game with music provided by Complete Music.

Sept. 24, 1986

HARTINGTON — More than 1,500 grassroots delegates (from 48 states) to the United Farmer and Rancher Congress met in St. Louis, Mo., from Sept. 11-13. Of the seven delegates and three alternates elected from Cedar, Knox and Pierce County areas attending were: Jim Forsberg, Gary and Diane Frerichs of Coleridge; Garry Anderson of Laurel; Linda Kleinschmit and Ron Bordersen of Hartington and Eugene Schmidt of McLean. Joan Brodersen also attended.

The three days were spent discussing and formulating resolutions addressing problems and solutions in the agricultural sector. The resolutions deal with the rural economy and community as well as producers. The Congress also heard from a number of speakers, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Jim Hightower, entertainer Eddie Albert, Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa and Representative Richard Gephard of Missouri.

At the final session, the resolutions were passed by the total Congress, which is the most unity ever experienced in the agricultural community.

The delegates have agreed to discuss and answer questions about the resolutions and proceedings of the Congress Sept. 29, at the Gerry Miller Imp. meeting room. Congress State Coordinator Betty Fuchser of Emerson will also be present.

Sept. 24, 1986

HARTINGTON — Kearney State College graduate and Hartington native Mike Walz was a member of the staff of a student newspaper which was ranked as a five-star paper by the Associated Collegiate Press.

Walz was photo editor for the Antelope during the rating period.

Sept. 24, 1986

FORDYCE — Air National Guard Airman Douglas P. Albrecht, son of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd R. Albrecht of Fordyce, has graduated from Air Force basic training at Lackland Air Force Base.

Sept. 24, 1986

HARTINGTON — Hartington-area residents now have fewer things to remember when confronted with an emergency.

Help for all types of emergencies may be summoned by dialing 911.

People served by the Hartington Telephone Co. can access emergency help of all types — fire, ambulance, police, sheriff and State Patrol — by dialing 911. A qualified dispatcher headquartered at the sheriff’s office will field the calls and dispatch the appropriate services.

In conjunction with the initiation of the 911 system, Hartington Ambulance Squad members are carrying pagers which are activated from the 911 center.

“This is something that has been 12 years in coming,” said Hartington City Councilman Gayle Hochstein. “It was thrown on the back burner a couple of times. Now that we have it, we hope it will save some lives.”

The system’s major advantage is the fact that a person confronted with an emergency has only one phone number to remember. In the past, separate seven digit numbers were needed for fire, ambulance, police, and sheriff.

Sheriff Gordon Graham said it will be important for callers to give the 911 dispatcher all of the information requested. They should be prepared to give his or her name, the telephone number he is calling from, the exact location of the emergency and the type of emergency. At that point, Graham said, the dispatcher will ask the caller to stay on the line while emergency personnel are notified. The dispatcher then will return to the caller to get any additional information which may be needed.

Graham said it is extremely important that the caller remain on the line until the dispatcher tells him to hang up.

If a caller hangs up too soon, Graham said, the system does have a ring back capability.

Graham also noted all calls are automatically recorded. Nuisance calls can be traced, he said.

Randolph Saddle Club in Randolph was awarded a Brick-and-Mortar grant in the amount of $2,500 to assist in building a new restroom facility at the Randolph horse arena.

Laurel Public Library in Laurel was awarded a Brick-and-Mortar grant for $2,500 for new signage to the library.

Lied Randolph Public Library in Randolph was awarded a Brick-and-Mortar grant for $2,500 to assist in a new handicap accessible doorway.

Whispering Prairie Pines Cabins LLC in Hartington was awarded a Brick-and-Mortar grant for $2,500 to assist in the Willow Pond Recreation Enhancement project which will include a new floating dock and pond aeration equipment.

May 31, 2027, is the next deadline for submitting funding requests to publicize events or to create or improve physical structures that draw visitors to Cedar County. Grant applications and guidelines can be found online at the Cedar County Nebraska website, https://cedarcountyne. gov/, under Lodging Tax Grant Application.

Entities can apply once each calendar year for up to $2500 in Bricks and Mortar/ Improvement and $1000 in Advertising/Promotion/Publicity support. Grant requests must include estimates/ bids related to the project or event to support the funds being requested.

If funded, applicants must submit a project report to the CCTB, including documentation of expenses, and reports must be postmarked no later than 60 days after the date of the event that was supported or the date by which the bricks and mortar project was completed. Funded organizations that do not submit timely reports are not eligible for future funding.

Applications and reports should be mailed to CCTB Chairperson, PO Box 322, Randolph, NE 68771, or emailed to cedarcotb@gmail.com. Email is preferred. For more information, go to https://cedarcountyne.gov/ and click the links under “Lodging Tax Grant Application.” Send all questions to cedarcotb@gmail.com.

Lauren Kathol, Hartington, coowner of Mayer Signs in Yankton, S.D., was recognized for her work in the wide-format printing industry.

The annual awards recognize women who have demonstrated leadership, technical and creative expertise, mentorship, community involvement and a willingness to take on greater responsibilities within their businesses and the industry.

Award recipients were nominated by colleagues, employees, vendors and other industry representatives.

Women have long held a variety of positions in the wide-format industry, including business owners, executives, marketers, designers, installers and press operators. The awards were created to give greater recognition to their contributions.

In addition to Kathol, this year’s recipients are: Tanor Banks, co-owner, Performance Wraps in Miamisburg, Ohio; Brooke Hamilton, president and CEO of NPI-Printing and Product Identification in Tulsa, Okla.; Katie Jasmin, vice president of national sales for Source One Digital in Norton Shores, Mich.; Vinyl Vixen, co-owner and installer at Wrapsesh, also known as Vinyl Vixen Wraps, in Gilbert, Ariz.; and Carla Marquardt, co-owner of Art City Signs in Oshkosh, Wis.

The six recipients were selected for the lasting impact they have made within their businesses and communities, as well as their efforts to support and mentor others in the industry.

The school was randomly selected as a $5K Fridays sweepstakes winner through T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights, a national competition celebrating small town football and community pride. Hartington-Newcastle joins six additional Nebraska high schools selected so far, bringing the statewide total to $35,000, with all participating schools still eligible for the grand prize.

Hartington-Newcastle Public Schools Athletic Director Rusty Fuller applied in hopes that funding would help upgrade a heavily used city-owned football and track facility shared by two schools and two football programs, where years of wear and tear have created major maintenance and safety needs. If selected, funding would support improvements such as a new turf field, track upgrades, additional locker room space and an expanded weight room, creating a safer, more functional facility that benefits students, athletes, visiting teams and the entire Hartington community for generations to come.

This year, more than $8.4 million is up for grabs, including $25,000 for 40 finalists, $250,000 for four division champions and $1 million toward a football field transformation for one grand prize winner, announced Nov. 12.

So far, 43 Nebraska high schools have applied. Weekly $5K Fridays winners will continue through September, followed by the Top 40 finalist announcement Oct. 8 and public voting through Oct. 25.

The Nebraska $5K Fridays recipients include: Lincoln area, Beatrice High School, Beatrice, and Centennial High School, Utica; Omaha area, Emerson-Hubbard Middle/High School, Emerson; Southwest area: Kimball High School, Kimball, and Leyton High School, Dalton; Sioux City, Ia., area, Hartington-Newcastle Public Schools, Hartington, and Sioux City High School, Sioux City, Ia.

“Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts involve many dedicated individuals working to protect our natural resources,” said Ryan Reuter, president of the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts. “We’re proud to recognize these outstanding individuals for the significant improvements they’ve made to our natural resources, and the NRD Hall of Fame is one small way to thank them.”

Annually, Nebraska’s NRDs nominate and vote for individuals who have made significant contributions to improving the state’s natural resources. Hall of Fame categories include an NRD Director, NRD Employee and NRD Supporter. The NRD Supporter includes an individual outside the NRD system who has shown tremendous care and leadership in Nebraska’s ongoing conservation efforts.

Marcel Kramer is recognized for his 28 years of service to the Lewis & Clark NRD. Elected to the board in 1996, Kramer served as Board Chair and Secretary/Treasurer and was known for his thoughtful leadership, institutional knowledge and commitment to sound conservation practices.

Kramer also represented the Lewis & Clark NRD as a longtime Nebraska Association of Resources Districts delegate and participated in conservation efforts at the state and national levels, including the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee. His dedication to conservation extends to his own farm near Crofton, where he implemented innovative grazing practices and received the Nebraska Forage and Grassland Council’s Outstanding Grassland Award.

Beyond his NRD service, Kramer has been a dedicated community leader through his church, school board and other civic involvement. His nearly three decades of service have strengthened the Lewis & Clark NRD and contributed to natural resources conservation across Nebraska.

Other 2026 NRD Hall of Fame inductees include, NRD Employee – Jane Kuhl, Elk Creek; and NRD Supporter – Patrick Cowsert, Wisner.

Melvin Lee Cap, 58, of Scotland, S.D., was driving a 2010 John Deere farm tractor west on South Dakota Highway 46 near mile marker 298 when he encountered a grain drill partially blocking the roadway.

As Cap pulled into the eastbound lane to maneuver around the grain drill, an eastbound 2015 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Loy G. Nelson, 83, of Maskell crested a hill at that time at the same location.

Nelson attempted to steer into the north ditch, but the Chevrolet struck the tractor.

Nelson died at the scene. Cap was not injured.

The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. Both drivers were wearing seat belts.

Funeral services for Nelson were set for Sept. 23, at Faith Lutheran Church, Maskell, with the Rev. Chad Beckius officiating.

Burial of his cremated remains will be held at the Maskell Cemetery.

Stronger graduation rates, new pathways to complete degrees faster, and high school dual credit courses mean students are achieving their credential sooner, which is a positive development for their financial situation and their ability to transition into the workforce. This is also positive for the region since 81 percent remain in Nebraska upon graduation, based on survey results.

“We’re grateful for the trust students and families place in Wayne State for the opportunity to help them either start a degree program for the first time, transfer to finish their degree with us, or return to higher education,” said Kevin Halle, vice president for enrollment management. “We’re committed to turning their interests into not only a degree, but a career they’re excited about. Our enrollment this year reflects the opportunities, value and people that make Wayne State a place where all students can see what’s possible for their future.”

Student demographics from 2025 show 45 percent of Wayne State students are the first in their family to pursue a bachelor’s degree, 41 percent are low-income, 18 percent are nontraditional, and 5.4 percent are international students.

WSC continues to keep costs down while delivering quality education.

In fact, 44 percent of Wayne State students graduated with zero student loan debt last year. Average student debt for WSC graduates last year was $17,281. The average student loan debt across Nebraska last year was $32,206 and the national average was $39,075.

Douglas, Madison, Dakota, Sarpy, and Hall are the top five counties of origin for Wayne State students.

Out in farm country, I doubt that the story came as much of a surprise.

For years, Nebraska hog barns, feedlots, meat processing plants and roofing crews have relied on immigrant labor to staff their operations.

Pretty much everyone knows that. Few questions are asked about how they are able to get jobs despite immigration checks required of businesses.

And, there’s general acceptance of these immigrants – they’re taking jobs no one else wants to take, and, by and large, are hard workers, trying (like our forefathers did) to get ahead and live the American dream.

Years ago, I covered an ICE raid in O’Neill, aimed at busting a local businessman who was acting as an employment agency for local, agriculture-based businesses – and skimming off some of the wages paid to his clients.

More than 100 immigrants – fathers, mothers and others – were hauled away to detention in the raid. But instead of hailing the crackdown, dozens of O’Neill residents held a protest to get their friends and neighbors back.

To a person, they said these people were part of their community, neighbors, fellow members at church and in local organizations. Their kids played with their kids; they attended school together; played on the same teams and cheer squads.

These new residents were not seen as “the worst of the worst,” which was the stated goal of the current ICE crackdown and deportations (even though more than 70% of the current ICE detainees have no criminal convictions, according to reports).

Anyway, Gov. Pillen didn’t come off too well after the publishing of the recent story. He waved off the story as “old news,” and a spokeswoman said his companies never “knowingly” hired any undocumented immigrants – which is what a lot of companies can say. Pillen has been a full-throated backer of President Trump’s aggressive deportation push, and agreed to turn a state prison camp near McCook into an ICE detention center.

Still, the governor – whose hog barns hold the 14th largest number of pigs in the nation – has also moderated his stance. Once, he told the Nebraska Examiner that immigrants who are working, and are law-abiding, and have been in the country for years are “... A-OK, they’re fine.”

Some pretty conservative groups, like the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, have been saying that if people want to work, and are good people, give them a way to do that. After all, our state has thousands and thousands of unfilled jobs.

But Congress is passing few bills these days, and a bipartisan attempt to fashion a coherent immigration law was scuttled by Trump, who didn’t want former President Joe Biden to get a political win.

It’s the kind of political stuff that drives you crazy – good ideas can’t become law because someone might win some political points.

So we muddle on. Immigrants desperate to flee crime-ridden, no-future countries still see America as a beacon of hope; companies desperate for workers still look the other way when hiring.

As for Pillen, it’s hard to say how the Flatwater/NY Times story might impact his re-election chances. It’s not a good look to root for an immigration crackdown when you’re hiring undocumented immigrants yourself.

But my guess is that our governor has bigger issues dragging down his popularity, like the worsening economy for farmers and the inability to put a major dent into the state’s high property taxes.

Paul Hammel has covered 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.

Enforcer: Slang for a person who maintains order and defends a star individual against a hatchetman.

Henry Clay Frick was Andrew Carnegie’s hatchetman. Together, they forged a steel empire in the mid-to-late 19th century, though Frick eventually went from Carnegie’s business thug to his bitter enemy.

Abraham Lincoln once famously noted: “Nearly all men can withstand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

Henry Clay Frick was a man who wielded power with order and violence. While at the helm of Carnegie Steel as well as his own company, Frick undermined workers’ attempts to organize with threats and violence.

That hostility came to a bloody head during the famous Homestead Strike of 1892 at Carnegie Steel’s primary facility in Homestead, Pennsylvania. On July 6, 1892, Frick answered the striking workers by sending 300 armed agents up the river on barges to break the strike and retake the mill. The resulting battle turned into open warfare, leaving 10 dead, hundreds injured, and Frick a marked man.

Two weeks after that murderous melee, an anarchist named Alexander Berkman slipped into Carnegie Steel’s downtown Pittsburgh headquarters with assassination on his mind. Frick saw Berkman approaching his desk, but before he could fully react, Berkman pulled out a revolver and shot Frick twice in the neck. As colleagues rushed in to tackle the shooter, Berkman managed to stab Frick in the leg several times with a dagger before being wrestled to the floor.

Wounded badly but determined not to show vulnerability, Frick was back at work within a week.

The assassination attempt made national headlines, but it ended up backfiring on the labor movement. Public support for the striking workers waned, the union collapsed, and Berkman was sentenced to 22 years in Pittsburgh’s Western Penitentiary.

Meanwhile, railroads were being built through the United States — including major transcontinental routes like the Union Pacific — creating an insatiable demand for steel rails.

Most of those rails flowed directly out of the massive mills in and around Pittsburgh, creating an elite group of very wealthy men.

These gents loved to gather at exclusive retreats to drink and boast to one another. One of their favorites was the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club on Lake Conemaugh. The club owned the surrounding land as well as the large, earthen South Fork Dam that held back the Conemaugh River to create the lake.

Why is that of interest? Because on May 31, 1889, after years of poor maintenance and neglect by its wealthy owners, the dam catastrophically failed. In an instant, 14.3 million tons of water—a torrent equivalent to the flow of the Mississippi River—burst into the valley below.

Fourteen miles downstream sat the bustling town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Within minutes, a wall of water and debris slammed into the community, killing 2,208 people and sweeping away 1,600 homes. To this day, the Johnstown Flood remains the worst flash flood disaster in American history.

As you might expect, public outrage exploded, and lawsuits mounted against the powerful members of the club. Yet, after years of legal wrangling, the wealthy club members were held completely blameless in court — a result that surprised almost no one.

Local poet’s Isaac G. Reed’s sad, untitled lament said best: Many thousand human lives, Butchered husbands, slaughtered wives, Mangled daughters, bleeding sons, Hosts of martyred, little ones. Sent to heaven before their time; Lovers burned And sweethearts drowned, Darlings lost but never found! All the horrors that hell could wish— Such was the price that Was paid for—Fish! In the end, Frick and a few others helped build a new dam, while years later, Andrew Carnegie gave Johnstown a new library.

These men of incredible financial success, achieved at all costs, went on in later life to reflect on and perhaps regret their ruthless and relentless pursuit of wealth.

Throughout his adult life, Henry Clay Frick was an avid art collector who adored the Old Masters. By his death in 1919, he had amassed one of the world’s finest private art collections. He bequeathed his grand Manhattan mansion and its entire artistic treasure trove to the public, creating the renowned Frick Collection in New York City for generations to enjoy.

Andrew Carnegie, meanwhile, went on to spend his riches building libraries free for the public all around the United States and the world. His enduring gift was building 2,509 free public libraries worldwide, including 1,689 in the United States and 69 right here in Nebraska (26 of which are still active today!).

In St. Joseph, Missouri, two Carnegie libraries are still operating smoothly. When I asked Librarian Jenny Ellis — whose historic building was designed by renowned turn-of-the-century architect Edmond Eckels — what it was like dealing with a foundation established over a century ago, she gave a glowing response.

“Great!” she said. “In fact, in celebration of America’s 250th birthday, they gave every active Carnegie library a $10,000 grant.”

“You’re kidding!” I stammered. “What kind of stipulations or usage requirements are attached?”

“None,” she smiled. “We can use it however we see fit.”

Even from beyond the grave, these complicated men continue to give back. The Frick Collection in New York continues to thrive, and Carnegie libraries across the country continue to help all of us stay curious and reach our own American dream.

This column is provided thanks to the Neb. Press Association and a grant from Owen Metal Group, the parent company of Midwest steel processing and fabrication businesses. Learn more at owenind. com.

Chief Justice Jeffrey Funke signed a onepage order indicating the high court would hear the challenge Sept. 30. The justices initially decided not to take up the case, so the challenging Lincoln voter, Cara Ullman, refiled her challenge before District Judge Lori Maret.

Maret ruled against Ullman and all arguments from her attorneys. The Secretary of State must certify the Nov. 3 general election ballot by Friday, so the measure will appear on the ballot regardless. However, the appeal, if successful, could invalidate the vote in November.

The first certified ballots of the year were required to be sent to military and overseas voters by Sept. 18.

Ullman’s main contention is that the Fairness for Girls campaign lacked detail in some specific petition language, known as an “object statement,” so she signed a petition to place the measure on the general election ballot without fully knowing what it would do.

Maret disagreed and said the statement was “certainly brief,” but state law only requires that the statement be “concise.”

The Supreme Court will give supporters and opponents 10 minutes per side. Aligned parties must share argument time. Ullman’s attorneys were ordered to submit a brief by Sept. 15, while attorneys for Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen and the campaign must submit a brief by Sept. 22. Any reply from Ullman, if she has one, is due Sept. 25.

The sponsors for the ballot measure are University of Nebraska Regent Rob Schafer, former state Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar and Nebraska Family Alliance’s Elizabeth Nunnally.

The Fairness for Girls proposal would make permanent part of a 2025 state law requiring public K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and private schools or colleges in the state playing against those schools, to designate sports and athletic teams as male, female or coed. Male students couldn’t play on female- only teams.

The ballot measure would not define “sex” in the constitution. State law defines sex as whether someone “naturally has, had, will or would have, but for a congenital anomaly or intentional or unintentional disruption, the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports and utilizes” either eggs (female) or sperm (male) for fertilization.

Also Sept. 30, the high court will hear oral arguments in an appeal from the Republican National Committee and two Lancaster County voters over the constitutionality of a state law that allows U.S. citizens who have never resided in Nebraska but have a parent registered to vote in one Nebraska county to register in that county. Lancaster County District Judge Ryan Post upheld the validity of that state law Aug. 12.

Representatives from Laurel-Concord- Coleridge School, the city of Randolph, Randolph Public Schools, and Wynot Public Schools were among those required to participate in the hearing, commonly called the Pink Postcard meeting.

Nebraska law requires a taxing entity to participate in a joint public hearing when its proposed property tax request exceeds its allowable growth percentage. The hearing gives taxpayers an opportunity to learn about the proposed budgets and ask questions before they are finalized.

About two dozen county residents attended the meeting, which was moderated by Cedar County Clerk Jessica Schmit.

Wynot Public Schools Supt. Paul Hans told audience members the district faces a balancing act each year as it works to meet educational and facility needs of students without placing an undue burden on taxpayers.

Hans said the district’s total assessed valuation increased approximately 6.36 percent for the 2026-27 budget year.

Despite that increase, the district is proposing to lower its overall property tax levy from 86.48 cents to 85.18 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The levy has dropped by nearly 15 cents since 2022-23, when it stood at 100.12 cents.

The district is requesting approximately $2.35 million in property taxes for its General Fund and $194,000 for its Special Building Fund. It is not requesting property taxes for its Bond Fund this year, compared with approximately $245,000 requested for that fund last year.

Hans said Wynot was required to participate in the joint hearing because its proposed non-bond property tax request exceeded the state’s allowable-growth threshold.

The district’s allowable growth percentage was 3.39 percent, permitting a non-bond property tax request of approximately $2.258 million without triggering the hearing requirement. Wynot’s proposed non-bond request is approximately $2.547 million, or about $289,000 above that threshold.

Hans emphasized that exceeding the threshold triggers the public hearing process but does not mean the district has exceeded a legal spending limit.

Although the district is requesting more property tax revenue, its overall operating budget is expected to increase only slightly. The proposed budget totals approximately $6.255 million, up about $19,000, or 0.3 percent, from $6.236 million in 2025-26.

The General Fund budget is expected to decrease by approximately $101,000, or 2.14 percent.

The Special Building Fund budget, however, would increase from approximately $234,000 to $442,000. Hans said the district’s Bond Fund is declining significantly as its existing bond obligation comes to an end.

Officials from Laurel and Randolph public schools had similar explanations.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Supt. Jeremy Christensen told audience members the district’s proposed 2026-27 General Fund budget is $11.4 million, an increase of $184,994, or 1.65 percent, from the previous year’s budget.

The increase includes approximately $203,000 in additional personnel costs for salaries, Social Security and Medicare taxes, retirement contributions and a 7.44 percent increase in health insurance costs.

The district is also planning for current and future facility needs, including resurfacing the track and completing roof repairs and maintenance.

Just the Messenger will present its Sound of Freedom concert at 3:30 p.m., honoring veterans while raising awareness of an effort to provide housing for those in need.

A freewill offering will be accepted, and a meal will follow. Everyone is invited, especially veterans and students.

Laurie Larsen, a member of Just the Messenger, said the group is partnering with Bridgehead, a Holt County organization working to build a home for veterans who are leaving treatment or other services and have no place to live.

The concerts celebrate veterans and rural communities while drawing attention to homelessness among veterans in northeast Nebraska, Larsen said.

“I just thought, when we’re out there singing, let’s sing for a cause,” she said.

The group also is selling raffle tickets for four patriotic quilts donated by women from Verdigre. Proceeds will support the Bridgehead effort.

Larsen said the raffle provides another opportunity to explain the organization’s mission.

The Sound of Freedom concert series, which combines music and video, began in May as part of an effort to visit communities throughout the region during the nation’s 250th anniversary year.

The group has performed in Holt, Yankton and Knox counties, with additional concerts planned in Pierce, Antelope and Madison counties.

Just the Messenger began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when members started singing at churches, community centers and other locations to encourage people experiencing anxiety and uncertainty.

The group now includes 13 people, including two high school students and a seventh grader.

Members are Kim Sawatzke, Crofton; Eric Tippery, Gil Larsen, Christy Mackeprang, Madyson Mlady, Kennedy Mlady, Bailey Mlady and Laurie Larsen, Bloomfield; Tim White, Lynch; Randee Falter, Pierce; Deb Van Metre, Creighton; Viv Lackas, Norfolk; and Jan Shiferl, Fordyce.

The council approved increases designed to help the city meet its budget goals and generate additional revenue for improvements to its aging utility systems.

The residential sewer rate will increase from $35 to $36.75 per month, while the residential water rate will rise from $28 to $34.

Commercial sewer rates will increase from $40 to $42.50 per month. Commercial water rates will climb from $28 to $37, resulting in a combined monthly increase of $11.50.

Electric rates will remain unchanged for now. City officials continue to review those rates and could bring proposed changes to the council later.

The council also received an update on the city’s sewer system and its ability to accommodate future residential and industrial growth.

A report prepared by JEO Consulting Group indicated the existing system could potentially handle an increase in normal wastewater flow. However, the city’s wastewater treatment facility was designed for a 20-year lifespan and has now been operating for more than 55 years.

JEO recommended several improvements that could increase the system’s capacity and better prepare Randolph for future growth.

Deputy City Clerk Josh Rayford said discussions remain in the early stages, and the council will need to decide how to proceed with the recommended improvements. Council members expressed general support for investing in the sewer system.

In other business, the council approved the third and final reading of Ordinance No. 775, which would bring two additional tracts of land into the city limits and add the properties to Randolph’s tax base.

The annexation still requires approval from Cedar County.

The council also approved rezoning property at 103 N. Jennie St. from R-1 residential to R-3 residential-commercial.

DETROIT — The Cedar County News earned five national awards last week, bringing its total to 28 National Newspaper Association awards since 2020.

The News was one of only seven Nebraska newspapers recognized Friday, Sept. 18, during the National Newspaper Association Foundation’s 140th annual convention and trade show at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.

The Hartington newspaper earned honors for local news coverage, feature photography, photo essay, sports photography and sports writing.

Judges praised the emotion captured in Jeremy Buss’ photograph of Cedar Catholic wrestling coaches jumping for joy at the State Wrestling Tournament.

Judges said the photo showed “great facial expressions and pure emotion. The focus is sharp and the expressions and jumps make it pop — proof that good sports photos aren’t limited to what’s taking place on a field or court.”

Buss also earned recognition for his photograph of swimming lessons at the Hartington swimming pool.

Rob Dump’s feature photos of the St. Helena Fourth of July celebration earned national honors, as did his story about Cedar Catholic’s Evie Freeman winning the school’s first district wrestling title.

Judges praised the article’s “strong reporting, and nice storytelling about an athlete with a cool story to tell. Feature stories like this make any sports section better.”

The News also earned recognition for its overall local news coverage. Judges described its City Council coverage as “factual, captivating and entertaining.” They also noted the newspaper's other news articles were 'well-written local content highlighting a wide range of voices reflecting the community.'

Other Nebraska newspapers receiving awards were the Antelope County News, Knox County News, Cedar Valley News, Fairbury News, Hooker County News and Stanton Register.

The 2026 Better Newspaper Editorial Contest drew 1,552 entries, while the Better Newspaper Advertising Contest attracted 246, for a combined 1,798 entries from 32 states. Judges presented 724 awards.

The Wyoming Press Association received the seventh annual Best of NNA Award, with its newspapers earning 114 awards. Texas followed with 69 and California with 67. It was Wyoming’s sixth Best of NNA honor for excellence in editorial and advertising.

Entries were judged primarily by active community newspaper editors and publishers, along with retired university journalism professors and former newspaper professionals.

The staff of the Grosse Pointe News Times in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., won the new “It’s All About Audience” category, sponsored by the Tonda Rush Scholarship Fund.

Rush, NNA’s longtime legal counsel, praised the newspaper’s fishing tournament for building community involvement and reaching new readers.

“This indeed checked all the boxes. It got people involved in the community, developed its own audience and showed newspapers can attract a demographic that might otherwise not pay much attention to the news,” Rush said.

Submissions should be made at Magazine.OutdoorNebraska.gov. To be eligible for the contest, photos should be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central time Oct. 31.

Photographers of all ages and skill levels are invited to submit photos in four categories: Macro — Close-up photographs of native wildflowers, foliage, fruiting bodies, insects and other small creatures, or other details of the natural world that are not often seen up close.

Flora/fauna — Photographs of native plants, trees, wildflowers, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and other wildlife.

Landscape — Photographs in which scenery, natural features or landmarks are prominent. Capture Nebraska’s diverse landscapes, including prairies, forests, rivers, lakes, wetlands, rock formations and the skies above them.

Hunting and fishing — Photographs that capture hunting and fishing in Nebraska, including wildlife, anglers, hunters, hunting dogs, gear, and other aspects of these outdoor pursuits.

All photos must be taken in Nebraska.

Submissions will be judged by Nebraskaland staff, and winning photos will be published in the January/February 2027 issue of Nebraskaland Magazine. First-, second-, and third-place prizes will be awarded in all categories, and a Best in Show prize also will be awarded.

Find the complete contest rules at Magazine.OutdoorNebraska.gov/about/photo-contest.

With miles of winding rivers, wide-open vistas and wildlife, Nebraska is a photographer’s paradise. Each year, Nebraskaland Magazine celebrates the state’s beauty and recognizes the work of photographers with the photo contest.

Learn more about the magazine at Magazine.OutdoorNebraska.gov.

90 area elementary schools will participate in the 25th annual Pumpkin Run on Sunday, Sept. 27, in Lincoln’s West Haymarket.

The one-mile fun run, recognized as the largest youth-only event of its kind in the nation, will begin near Canopy and P Streets and finish at the main entrance of Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Heats will begin at 10 a.m. and continue every 30 minutes through 12:30 p.m., organized by grade level.

Each registered runner will receive a 2026 Pumpkin Run medal and souvenir cup at the finish line. Following the race, participants and their families are invited inside Pinnacle Bank Arena to enjoy a vendor fair featuring games, giveaways and activities from more than 15 local businesses and organizations.

Registration is still open, and all event details—including the full heat schedule and course map—can be found at PumpkinRunLincoln. com.

The event is made possible through the support of generous community sponsors. Blumenstock Family Eyecare, Home Real Estate, Runza, Black Hills Energy and Scheels are the presenting partners. Lincoln Pediatric Dentistry and Rallis & Bonilla Orthodontics are the medal and cup sponsors.

The Nebraska Sports Council is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to promote healthy and active lifestyle choices.

It’s a phrase I’ve heard constantly for the past 15 years or so.

“Oh, I just can’t wait to retire. I’ll have so much time to do all the things I’ve always wanted to do.”

To say the least, I felt pretty jealous every time I heard it. Next week marks the first anniversary of the leadership transition at the Cedar County News and Northeast Nebraska News Company.

Our son, Kellyn, and his wife, Emily, took over as co-publishers, allowing Peggy and me the chance to start slowing down a bit.

Well, that was the theory, anyway. For more than three decades, the two of us wore just about every hat a small-town newspaper could keep on the rack. We edited stories, designed ads, laid out pages, covered meetings, shot photos, handled personnel matters, worked with the printer and tried to solve whatever crisis happened to wander through the front door that day, not to mention, we swept the floor, shoveled the sidewalk, and all the other things a small business person does in a small town. Some days, we changed hats so often it would’ve made a magician dizzy. Now Kellyn and Emily handle the daily decisions that keep four newspapers moving forward — working with employees and advertisers, watching budgets, overseeing production and making sure each paper gets out the door on time. They’re the ones who carry the responsibility of knowing that no matter what goes wrong, the deadline stubbornly refuses to move.

That changing of the guard was supposed to leave Peggy and me with considerably less to do.

Peggy began slowing down by agreeing to help the Nebraska Press Association for 20 hours a week while continuing to do copy editing and some graphic design work for the Cedar County News.

If that wasn’t enough, she also agreed to serve first as a board member and now as treasurer of the National Newspaper Association.

Slowing down, you say? Huh. My idea of slowing down developed its own unique definition, too. Ink runs through my veins, as they say. I’ve been part of the newspaper business for nearly 50 years now — 35 of them right here in Cedar County. After that long, calling it quits cold turkey simply isn’t part of my DNA. Besides, I’m not sure there’s a treatment program for recovering newspaper publishers.

Bringing Kellyn and Emily in to run the operation allowed me to cut my workload and working hours roughly in half. It also freed me from many of the day-to-day management duties that once followed me from the office to the supper table, occasionally into the middle of the night, and frequently on vacation.

These days, I’m happy to say I do only a fraction of the work I once did. Oh, sure, I cover a few meetings each month, shoot some sports, write an occasional feature story and gather material for our Archives pages and Law Log section, but that’s nothing compared with my old schedule.

Instead of worrying about every story, every ad, every page and every deadline, I can concentrate on the parts of newspapering I enjoy most.

Of course, I decided I needed to add just a little more to my plate. I recently became a board member for the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors.

Apparently, an empty space on the calendar makes me nervous. Looking in the rearview mirror, I have to admit Peggy and I haven’t really slowed down during the past year. We’ve simply broadened our focus by helping guide the journalism organizations we believe in so strongly.

We’ve spent most of our adult lives working in and promoting this industry. Now that we have a little more time on our hands — or at least fewer daily deadlines hanging over our heads — it seems like the right time to give something back.

So, no, retirement hasn’t turned out to be endless afternoons with our feet up and nothing on the schedule.

Maybe we’re just not very good at it yet. I guess we’ll slow down some other time ...

Former Cedar County News copublisher Peggy Year was elected treasurer during the association’s annual meeting last week in Detroit.

She previously served a two-year term on its board of directors. She previously served as President of the Nebraska Press Association Board of Directors.

Nebraska Press Association Executive Director Dennis DeRossett was appointed to a two-year board term as the state press representative.

Members also elected Jeremy Gulban of CherryRoad Technologies as chair and Peggy Scott of Leader Publications in Festus, Mo., as vice chair.

Founded in 1885, NNA is a nonprofit trade association representing community newspaper owners, publishers and editors across the country.

The association combines national advocacy with practical assistance to help newspapers serve their readers and remain financially viable. Its work includes representing newspapers before policymakers, promoting their value to readers and advertisers and helping publishers respond to changes in the industry.

Headquartered in Pensacola, Fla., NNA brings together publications of all sizes with different ownership structures, audiences and publishing schedules.

Membership is open to qualifying daily and nondaily newspapers, online publications, college newspapers, nonprofit publications, church newspapers and neighborhood newspapers.

Both paid-circulation and free publications are also eligible to join the Association.

The association is governed by a board of directors elected by members at its annual business meeting, with additional representation through appointed positions.

Lynne Lance serves as executive director, Lisa McGraw as public policy manager and Tonda Rush as general counsel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

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

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

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

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

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

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

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

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

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sept. 17, 1936

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

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

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

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

Sept. 17, 1936

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

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

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

Sept. 16, 1926

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

Sept. 16, 1926.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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