Christmas Program Held at Craig-Alder Grove Church


The Craig-Alder Grove Sunday school held its annual Christmas program last Sunday during morning services showing “God’s Chain Reaction.”

They showed a Christmas Chain as a reminder of the Chain Reaction of the Love between God and His people.

Participating in the program were:

Front Row: Deklan Anderson, Brinley Eriksen, Elijah Gahan, Naomi Gahan, Avery Bryan, Emma Johansen, Karley Eriksen, Blayr Keller, Morgan Pickell, Cadence Johansen, Shelby Pickell.

Back Row: Paisley Peterson held by Brynn Norton, Justin Smith, Amy Rogers, Luke Rogers, Colton Smith, and Ryan Smith.

Photo Credit/Mary Loftis.

Photo Credit/Mary Loftis.

Ricketts selects David Schnoor of Scribner for LD15 Appointment


At the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Annual Convention Banquet, Governor-elect Pete Ricketts announced the selection of David A. Schnoor, a veteran and cattleman from Scribner, to fill the District 15 legislative seat vacancy.

 

Schnoor will be sworn into office at a ceremony with Secretary of State John Gale, Governor Dave Heineman, and Governor-elect Pete Ricketts at 1:30pm today in the Governor’s Hearing Room at the Nebraska State Capitol.

 

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to continue to serve my state and country in this new capacity as the next state senator from Dodge County,” said David Schnoor of Scribner. “I look forward to working with Governor-elect Ricketts to provide meaningful property tax relief, boost career and vocational training at our schools, and create jobs in our rural communities.

 

“David’s military service and business-minded ag background set him apart in the field of applicants,” said Governor-elect Pete Ricketts. “His broad talents and strong values have made him a leader in his community, and his district can count on him to champion their priorities in the Nebraska Unicameral.”

 

Schnoor, 52, operates a farm near Scribner with his family and owns and operates Schnoor Feedyard, a commercial cattle feeding operation. From 1980 to 2000, he served in the United States Air Force, retiring at the rank of Master Sergeant.  During this time, Schnoor served overseas in Panama, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Haiti where he conducted and supported combat operations. He was awarded a Bronze Star with a “V” device for Valor during the rescue of a downed helicopter with sensitive cargo on board in Panama.

 

Schnoor is a graduate of Scribner High School and holds two Associate Degrees from the Community College of the Air Force at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina.

 

Schnoor currently serves as President of the Scribner-Snyder School Board, as Sergeant at Arms for American Legion Scribner Post 121, and as a Director on the Board of the Dodge County Cattlemen. He is a Past President of the Dodge County Cattlemen, Past Commander of the Scribner Legion, and Past Commander of the Dodge County Legion. He is also a member of the Columbus Post 84 Legion Riders, Snyder Veterans of Foreign Wars, Fremont Alliance Church, Scribner Community Improvement Program, and the Scribner Area Chamber. Schnoor and his wife Nickie have been married for 11 years and have 6 children.

 

Legislative District 15 includes all of Dodge County in Northeast Nebraska. Schnoor’s appointment lasts through January 3, 2017, and he is eligible for election to a 4-year term in November 2016. This appointment fills a vacancy created by State Senator Charlie Janssen’s resignation on December 11, 2014 in anticipation of his swearing in as Nebraska State Auditor on January 8, 2015.

 

Eunice C. Shepard, 95, of Hooper NE Formerly of Fremont NE


Eunice C. Shepard, 95 years, of Hooper, NE formerly of Fremont, NE passed away Friday December 12, 2014 at the Hooper Care Center in Hooper. Eunice was born May 20, 1919 in Hooper, NE to Amos J. and Nora C. (Lueninghoener) Sohl. She grew up in Hooper and had lived in Ainsworth, NE and Denver, CO and then moved to Fremont. Eunice married Lawrence M. Shepard on December 27, 1948 in Norfolk, NE. Lawrence preceded her in death on January 9, 1979.

Eunice was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Hooper. She enjoyed cooking, flowers, gardening and spending time with her family.

She is survived by son, Larry and wife, Linda Shepard of Fremont; daughter, Sharon and husband, LaVern Larsen of Fremont; five grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Lawrence; brother, Ken Sohl; sisters, Gladys Clough, Marie Uhler, Ruth Heelan and Clara Mae Bourrett; and granddaughter, Dawn Wiese.

Funeral service will be 2:30 PM, Monday, December 15, 2014 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Hooper. The Rev. Joel Schroeder will officiate. Visitation will be Sunday from 2 PM to 5 PM, with family receiving friends from 4 PM to 5 PM at Moser Memorial Chapel in Fremont. Visitation will continue on Monday 1 hr prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at the Hooper Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or to Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Eunice Shepard

Eunice Shepard

Janet Marion (Stevens) King, 76, of Tekamah NE


JANET M. KING, 76 years, of Tekamah, Nebraska, passed away, Wednesday, December 10, 2014, at Crowell Memorial Home in Blair, Nebraska, after several months of a lingering illness.

Janet King

Janet King

Janet Marion (Stevens) King was born July 11, 1938, in Tekamah to Evert and Lucille (Martin) Stevens. Janet received her elementary education from a one room school house in Silver Creek Township and graduated from Tekamah High School. She also attended Bahner College of Hairstyling in Fremont, Nebraska, where she received her education in cosmetology.
On July 9, 1993, Janet was married to Leroy King at the United Methodist Church in Tekamah. They lived on a farm west of Tekamah until his passing in 1998, at which time she moved into town.
Janet was a member of the First Baptist Church, where she was a deaconess for several years. She was a member of Eastern Star as a young woman and later joined the Red Hatters Society and enjoyed all the activities she was involved in with these organizations. Janet loved gardening and cooking. She always enjoyed talking about what was growing in her garden or what new recipe she had tried. She always had a soft spot for animals, especially cats, and she loved her cat, Tucker.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband, Leroy.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Noelle Stevens of Omaha; two brothers and their wives: Clark and Chae Stevens of Menifee, California, Mark and Robyn Stevens of Peoria, Arizona.

FUNERAL SERVICE: Monday, December 15, 2014, 10:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Tekamah.

VISITATION: Sunday, December 14, 2014, from 2 – 5 p.m. at Pelan Funeral Home in Tekamah. Visitation Monday will be held at the church one hour prior to the service.

BURIAL: Tekamah Cemetery

MEMORIALS: Nebraska Humane Society

Please feel free to send your condolences to the family.
Each condolence will be printed and given to the family after the service.

pelan@pelanfuneralservices.com

Singing at the Santa Lucia Festival


The Santa Lucia Festival also included singing, with a solo performed by Mia Linder. All photos credit of Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.

The Santa Lucia Festival also included singing, with a solo performed by Mia Linder. All photos credit of Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.

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Teachers: Champions of Children!


By

Nebraska State Board of Education President Rachel Wise congratulated the school and citizens on their new addition. Photo Credit/Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.

Nebraska State Board of Education President Rachel Wise congratulated the school and citizens on their new addition. Photo Credit/Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.

Rachel Wise, District 3, Nebraska State Board of Education (November, 2014)

A highlight of serving on the Nebraska State Board of Education is participating in the celebration of the Teacher of the Year and Excellence in Teaching Awards. The Nebraska Teacher of the Year program has been in place since 1972. The award winners receive a great deal of accolades for their accomplishments and a variety of monetary awards, including a $1,000 grant from the State Board of Education to each of the recipients’ school districts to support innovative practices, tools and resources.

The Teacher of the Year for 2015 is Shelby Aaberg, a high school math teacher at Scottsbluff High School. The Excellence in Teaching Award Winners include: Jim Fielder, a high school science teacher at Hastings Senior High School; Christopher Maly, an English teacher at Lincoln High School; and, Sarah Schau, a business teacher at Westside High School in Omaha. The commonality of all of these exceptional teachers includes a passion for their students and an ability to inspire and motivate every student, every day! Following the November luncheon celebration, the 2014 Teacher of the Year, Kristi Bundy from Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools provided an overview of her experiences the past year to the State Board of Education. Congratulations to these amazing educators who are the everyday champions of children and education.

Though this event highlighted only a few of the outstanding teachers in Nebraska, I know that every school in Nebraska has teachers of excellence—teachers who come to work every day to provide engaging learning experiences for all children. Our schools in Nebraska are always working to get better and to build on their strengths; one of their strengths is our great teachers!

At the end of October, the Nebraska State of the Schools Report was released to the public. At the November meeting, the State Board of Education discussed highlights of that report as well as the status of student achievement. The good news: students across the state are improving in reading, math and science! The challenge: an achievement gap among groups of students continues to exist! Once again, I encourage you to go to the NDE website, www.education.ne.gov, to review a wealth of information about our schools and student performance, including student dropout rates and school district test scores. This is an accurate and reliable source of information about our Nebraska schools.

Finally, the State Board of Education is making progress pursing a “waiver” or flexibility under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. In earlier articles I described the challenges schools have working to meet the unrealistic federal accountability benchmark of 100 percent student proficiency in reading and math. The State Board’s goal is to submit a “waiver” request this spring.

This article represents my personal view, not that of the State Board of Education or my role as president. Feel free to contact me at rachel.wise@nebraska.gov. Search the Nebraska Department of Education website at www.education.ne.gov to learn more about education in our state.

The Swedish Heritage Center was the Site of the Santa Lucia Festival


The Santa Lucia Festival was held at the Swedish Heritage Center. Many songs were danced to by the OC fourth graders. All photos taken by Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat County Hub.

The Santa Lucia Festival was held at the Swedish Heritage Center. Many songs were danced to by the OC fourth graders. All photos taken by Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat County Hub.

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The fourth grade class from OC performed the Santa Lucia Festival for the public's enjoyment at the Swedish Heritage Center. All photos credit of Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.

The fourth grade class from OC performed the Santa Lucia Festival for the public’s enjoyment at the Swedish Heritage Center. All photos credit of Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.

Janet M. King, 76, of Tekamah NE


JANET M. KING, 76 years, of Tekamah, Nebraska, passed away, Wednesday, December 10, 2014, at Crowell Memorial Home in Blair, Nebraska.

FUNERAL SERVICE: Monday, December 15, 2014, 10:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Tekamah.

VISITATION: Sunday, December 14, 2014, from 2 – 5 p.m. at Pelan Funeral Home in Tekamah. Visitation Monday will be held at the church one hour prior to the service.

BURIAL: Tekamah Cemetery.

Please feel free to send your condolences to the family.
Each condolence will be printed and given to the family after the service.

pelan@pelanfuneralservices.com

 

Village of Decatur Meeting Agenda


VILLAGE OF DECATUR

REGULAR BOARD MEETING AGENDA

December 11, 2014
4:30 P.M. CITY HALL

 

NOTE: Everyone must use the microphones at the table. The audience must be quiet during the meeting. If you want to ask a question and you are not on the Agenda, you must raise your hand, get permission from the Chairman, and come to the microphone before speaking. If you are on the Agenda the same rule applies.

 

THE VILLAGE BOARD HAS THE RIGHT TO MODIFY THE AGENDA AT THE PUBLIC MEETING WHEN CONVENED. MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

 

1)         Meeting Called to Order by Chairman Richards

Roll Call: Bolln _____, Richards ______, Tolby _____

 

2)        Agenda and minutes of the previous month’s meeting received:

Roll Call: Bolln _____, Richards ______, Tolby _____

 

3)        Approval and/or correction and suspended reading of the previous month minutes.

           Roll Call: Bolln _____, Richards ______, Tolby _____
4)        EXCUSE BOARD MEMBERS NOT ATTENDING THE MEETING:

 

Roll Call: Bolln _____, Richards ______, Tolby _____

 

5)         REPORTS OF OFFICERS, BOARDS AND OR COMMITTEES:

 

1)         Police: Monthly Report

2)         Lights: Monthly Report

 

3)         Water & Sewer: Monthly Report
4)         Parks: Monthly Report- No income
5)         Streets: Monthly Report
6)          Recycling Report-No income.

 

6)        OLD BUSINESS

             1. Check Signer-Resolution #139
7)        NEW BUSINESS

 

  1. Oath of office for new Board members

 

  1. Reorganization of the Board
  2. Annual Reappointments

    4. Tri State High Adventure Base Development & Proposed Use of Beck Memorial Park.

    5. Employee and Board member appreciation supper-tentative date Friday Jan. 9, 2015.

8)        CORRESPONDENCE

Stephanie Warren’s resignation as Board member.

9)         APPROPRIATIONS AND CONSIDERATION OF THE CLAIMS:

 

1) Claims preapproved by Tolby and Bolln
2) Motion to Approve the Claims as Submitted

 

________________2nd_________________

 

 

Roll Call: Bolln _____, Kellogg _____, Richards _____, Tolby _____, Wolf _____

 

Are there any questions from the audience?

 

 

10)       MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING

 

 

_______________2nd________________

Adjournment Time:

Wine and Cheese Christmas Open House Reminder


There is a wine and cheese Christmas Open house today at the Swedish Heritage Center from 4:30-9:00 p.m. It is open to the public and everyone is invited to attend. Tickets may be purchased at Nelson’s Food Pride or at the door.