Heat Advisory Issued

July 17, 2015 Leave a comment


Heat advisory in effect until 8 PM CDT this evening for … The National Weather Service in Omaha/valley has issued a heat advisory…which is in effect until 8 PM CDT this evening. * Temperature…heat indices will range from 105 to near 110 degrees this afternoon. * Impacts…above normal temperatures combined with high humidity will lead to dangerously high heat index values today and Saturday. Precautionary/preparedness actions… A heat advisory means that a period of hot temperatures is expected. The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity will combine to create a situation in which heat illnesses are possible. Drink plenty of fluids…stay in an air-conditioned room…stay out of the sun…and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Filed under News Tagged with ,

Village Board of Decatur to Hold Special Meeting

July 17, 2015 Leave a comment


The Village Board of Decatur will hold a special meeting on July 24th at 3 pm.

On the agenda is ordinance 7-15 and employee insurance.

Filed under News Tagged with , , ,

Fremont 4-H Fair Swine Showmanship Winners

July 17, 2015 Leave a comment


Burt County showmanship skills were apparent at the Fremont 4-H Fair Swine Showmanship Contest Saturday evening in Fremont. Brayden Anderson of Lyons won the Intermediate Division while Jenna Bromm of Oakland won the Senior Division and Elise Anderson of Lyons placed third in the Junior Division. Photo Credit/Kevin Anderson.

Burt County showmanship skills were apparent at the Fremont 4-H Fair Swine Showmanship Contest Saturday evening in Fremont.
Brayden Anderson of Lyons won the Intermediate Division while Jenna Bromm of Oakland won the Senior Division and Elise Anderson of Lyons placed third in the Junior Division. Photo Credit/Kevin Anderson.

Filed under News Tagged with , ,

Federal Crop Insurance Gets Failing Grade

July 17, 2015 Leave a comment


The Center for Rural Affairs releases a report card and white paper evaluating the performance of federally subsidized crop insurance programs.
“The time has come for crop insurance reforms that emphasize conserving soil and water, put real limits on subsidies to the nation’s largest farms, and ensures these subsidies are transparent to taxpayers.”
Traci Bruckner, Center for Rural Affairs
On June 3, 2015, the Center for Rural Affairs launched their Crop Insurance Reform Initiative (www.cfra.org/crop-insurance-reform) to address long-standing concerns about federal farm programs and crop insurance subsidies. According to Traci Bruckner, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Rural Affairs, evaluating the current state of and functionality of federally subsidized crop insurance programs has been a first-order priority since the very beginning.
“We’ve heard from farmers across the Midwest and Great Plains about the negative impacts of federally subsidized crop insurance for over a decade,” said Bruckner. “A farm safety net is important to help family farmers mitigate risks, but there are real concerns with the current crop insurance program. The best way to begin addressing those concerns is through honest and forthright assessment of the crop insurance system.”
“This report card is our earnest effort to get that assessment started,” added Bruckner. “And this is just the beginning, we will have more analysis, and more recommendations for reform coming out in the coming weeks and months.”
The report card evaluates six categories of performance: reliability, transparency, support it gives to beginning farmers, emphasis on crop diversity, efficient use of taxes, and conservation of soil and water. Along with the report card, the Center for Rural Affairs is also releasing a policy brief, which more fully explains each letter grade provided in the report card.
To view or download the Crop Insurance Report Card and Policy Brief go to:
“By displaying this assessment of crop insurance in a format that everyone is familiar with, we hope to simplify a set of complicated issues and attract the general public to join us in pushing for reforms,” Bruckner explained.
Bruckner also pointed out that while most of the grades we awarded are not what parents would hope to see on their own child’s school report, grades did range from a B to several grades of F. And the accompanying Policy Brief offers further analysis and what reforms could be enacted to improve the performance of the crop insurance system. In overall performance, crop insurance received a failing grade.
“A student who fails overall is usually not allowed to progress to the next grade,” offered Bruckner. “We want to stress that the crop insurance system needs some serious reforms before we can honestly say this is a real safety net that deserves to advance, as is, in the next farm bill debate. The impact crop insurance will have on future years of farming practices is significant, making reform of the federally subsidized crop insurance system vitally important to the future of rural and small town America.”
“Subsidizing the nation’s largest and wealthiest farms on every acre, every year, regardless of crop prices, production or farm profitability, puts America’s natural resources at risk,” concluded Bruckner. “And, absent reform, crop insurance gives mega-farms an advantage in bidding up land costs, driving their smaller neighbors out of business, and preventing the next generation of farmers from ever getting started.”

Filed under News Tagged with , , ,

Elaine Marie Ida (Hitz) Holm, 93, of Wakefield NE

July 17, 2015 Leave a comment


Elaine Marie Ida (Hitz) Holm, 93, of Wakefield, Nebraska passed away Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at the Wakefield Health Care Center in Wakefield. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 18, 2015 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wakefield, with Pastor William Bertrand officiating. Visitation will be held 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, July 17, 2015 at Bressler – Munderloh – Smith Funeral Home in Wakefield with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. Burial will be in the Wakefield Cemetery in Wakefield. Memorials may be directed to St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wakefield. Arrangements are under the direction of Bressler – Munderloh – Smith Funeral Home in Wakefield.

Elaine was born on October 4, 1921 to Erie and Ella (Pittack) Hitz in Pierce, NE. She was baptized on October 16, 1921 and confirmed in her faith on Palm Sunday 1934 at St. John’ s Lutheran Church in Pierce, NE, by Pastor H. A. Hilpert. Elaine moved with her parents to Wakefield in November 1936 and graduated from Wakefield High School in 1939. On November 16, 1942 she was united in marriage to Harold Holm at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wakefield by Pastor W. A. Gerdes.

Elaine was active in St. John’s Lutheran Church, helping with the Ladies Aid, Ruth’s Bible Study, Lutheran Women’s Missionary League and a Bible School Helper. She was also involved with Club 16, the V.F.W. Auxiliary, Rural Letter Carrier’s Auxiliary. In her spare time Elaine enjoyed quilting, crocheting, sewing and crafts. Elaine is survived by her daughter, Cheryl (Dennis) Evans of Bennington, NE; son, Charles (Cecil) Holm of Depoe Bay, OR; four grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.

Elaine is preceded in death by her parents, Erie and Ella Hitz; husband, Harold Holm and a brother, Alfred Hitz.

Elaine Holm

Elaine Holm

Filed under Obituaries Tagged with , , ,

The Loss of a Pet

July 16, 2015 Leave a comment


Our dog, Sox, died a few days ago, he was 15 years old.

I remember when our daughter, Whitney, picked him out at the Humane Society in Fremont. He was not the cutest dog there. He was a mix of breeds, or a Heinz 57. He was one of several from the same litter left there. But, he was the only one left.

Whitney took one look at him and knew he was the dog for her. I wondered, but over time, learned she was right from the beginning.

Every night, he slept in Whitney’s room. He was definitely her dog. He wasn’t a watchdog. He would bark, but usually it was because the doorbell rang or someone knocked at the door. He didn’t bark at outside noises.

The grandkids loved playing with him. He would lie right beside them and they would pet him, sometimes harder than they should, but he never flinched or became angry. He loved them and felt he was protecting them by being beside them. I think most dogs protect children.

After Whitney went to college, he became more attached to me. He followed me all over the house. If I was walking towards the front door, he ran to get there ahead of me. He couldn’t wait to run and play in the yard.

But, the minute Whitney walked in the door, he was her dog again. He adored her. She would cut his hair. He would sit in front of her, never moving, until she was done. He wasn’t quite as accepting of me cutting his hair. Sometimes Jeff would have to help me.

He started to go downhill, then rebounded, only to go downhill later. I was taking him to the veterinarian the following morning, but he passed away late the night before, peacefully and on his favorite rug.

I felt like we had lost a member of the family. But, in truth, we had. I dreaded telling Whitney. I knew how much the news would hurt.

We gave him a proper burial.

It is so sad that pets don’t live as long as we do. I have had many dogs over the years and cry like a baby when they die.

I discovered how attached I was to him once he was gone. So, I have decided to get another dog. My sister Angie has puppies and next week, one of them will be coming to our house. His name will be Shiloh. I read the books about Shiloh, loved them and thought the name would be appropriate.

If you have a place in your heart for a pet, there are many that need rescued and placed in a good home.

Contact your local humane society today!

Filed under Opinion Tagged with ,

No Wrong Door Networking and Training

July 16, 2015 Leave a comment


Contacts:

McKayla Hammond

VetSET Coordinator
Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department/

Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department

(402) 529-2233

mckayla@elvphd.org

www.elvphd.org

 Teri Clark

VetSET Project Director

Nebraska Association of Local Health Directors (NALHD)

(402) 904-7983

vetset@nalhd.org

http://www.nalhd.org

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Are you ready for veterans and their families when they walk through your door? No Wrong Door Networking & Training comes to communities across Nebraska

Nebraska Association of Local Health Directors (NALHD) VetSET Nebraska project, in partnership with and The Brain Injury Association of Nebraska, is coordinating 5 No Wrong Door training and networking events across the state (see attached flyer). Multiple dates and locations are available as follows:

 

  • July 21 – Scottsbluff (Register by July 16)
  • July 22 – North Platte (Register by July 16)
  • Sept. 9 – Norfolk (Register by Sept. 3)
  • Sept. 10 – Fremont (Register by Sept. 3)
  • November 4 – Beatrice (Register by Oct. 29)

No Wrong Door trainings have been developed by the multi-disciplinary Veteran’s Brain Injury Task Force over the past several years to give community members from a range of professions and organizations information to better serve the veterans and their families in their communities. In this one-day training, participants will hear from veterans and their families, as well as experts in the field, to learn about military culture, how military experiences, PTSD, and Brain Injury influence the emotions and behaviors of military members and their families, and available resources and support through the VA and other organizations. Additionally, they will connect with others in their communities who have the same goal.

 

Invited to attend are professionals and community members who have contact with or work with returning service members or veterans. NALHD’s Executive Director, Susan Bockrath, encourages those in the community who have not traditionally worked with veterans to attend. “We especially want to make sure that folks who might not think their work relates to Veterans know that these trainings are coming up and that there really is value for everyone… teachers, principals, health professionals, county clerks, clergy, employers, law enforcement… etc. It’s a great way to network with a cross-section of our communities toward a common goal.”

 

“There are over 8,000 veterans in our Northeastern Nebraska counties. Many people are working with veterans or their family members and are not aware of the culture they bring with them. This training will help people in the community become more aware of those things”, says McKayla Hammond, VetSET Coordinator for the Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department in Wisner and Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department in Wayne.

 

The training makes service members more visible to community providers, says Teri Clark, Air Force Veteran and VetSET Project Director. “At our last training, we asked participants if they served military members. Just over a third of them didn’t think they did. When we followed up with them after the training, they reported more frequent interactions with Veterans and their families in their day-to-day business.”

 

To date, over 1400 individuals across Nebraska have attended the trainings and the feedback we get from those attending the trainings continues to indicate that participants value the information and opportunity to network.”

 

For more information and to register, visit http://nalhd.org/nwd.html or call 402-529-2233.

 

VetSET Nebraska is Rural Veteran Coordination Pilot project funded through a grant from the VA Office of Rural Health to the Nebraska Association of Local Health Directors (NALHD). The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) created this grant program to support Veterans and their families who reside in rural or underserved areas and make sure they have the support and resources to successfully reintegrate into their families and communities.

 


 

Filed under Community Tagged with , ,

Wanda K. Dodge, 58, of Lyons NE

July 16, 2015 Leave a comment


Wanda K. Dodge, 58 years, of Lyons, NE died Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at her sister’s home in Fremont, NE. Wanda was born November 19, 1956 in Fremont, NE to William and Marguerite “Margie” (Bales) Riggs. She grew up in Fremont and lived here until moving to Lyons, NE in 1997. Wanda married Tony Dodge on February 8, 1989 in Yankton, S.D. She was employed as a CNA at the Logan Valley Manor in Lyons, NE for 17 years. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Lyons.

Wanda is survived by husband, Tony; daughter, Stacey Toft of Fremont; step-son, Aaron and wife, Amanda Dodge of Columbus, NE; step-daughters, Lisa and husband, Daniel Martines of Denver, CO and Jessica Bates of Lincoln, NE; brothers, William “Chip” and wife, Kathie Riggs of Fremont, R.J. “Dick” and wife, Joanne Riggs of Omaha, James Riggs of Columbus and Thomas and wife, Laurie Riggs of North Bend, NE; sisters, Debbie Kinkenon and Joyce and husband, Richard Mangum all of Fremont; 1 grandchild and 6 step grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and 2 brothers, John and Gary Riggs.

Funeral service will be 1:30 P.M., Friday, July 17, 2015 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1160 N. Garden City Road in Fremont. Bishop Seth Chappell will officiate. Visitation will be Thursday, with family receiving friends from 5PM to 7PM at Moser Memorial Chapel in Fremont and continue 1 hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at Memorial Cemetery. Family requests casual attire for the funeral service.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Moser Memorial Chapel, 2170 N. Somers Ave., Fremont, NE 68025 402-721-4490

Wanda Dodge

Wanda Dodge

Filed under Obituaries Tagged with , ,

Half-Price Youth Lifetime Permit Program

July 16, 2015 Leave a comment


Cabela’s Outdoor Fund has renewed a three-year agreement to gift $150,000 to the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation in support of the Half-Price Youth Lifetime Permit Program.

The program provides Nebraska youth, age 15 and younger, the opportunity to obtain a lifetime hunting and fishing permit with half of the cost paid by the Foundation. Lifetime combination hunting/fishing permits, fur harvest permits, habitat stamps and the Nebraska waterfowl stamp are also options for program winners.

The Foundation established the Half-Price Youth Lifetime Permit Program in 2006 through an anonymous donation of $1 million creating an endowment to encourage and provide opportunities for youth to obtain a lifetime permit to hunt and fish to help ensure the future of hunting and fishing in Nebraska. In addition to public permit drawings at Nebraska Game and Parks Commission events statewide, conservation organizations and events focused on outdoor pursuits are eligible to hold drawings or use these half-price permits in raffles as fundraisers for their activities.

“The Foundation appreciates Cabela’s continued contribution and dedication to this program,” said Foundation Chairman Jim Abel. “With Cabela’s generous help, we are able to ensure that Nebraska’s outdoor heritage remains strong for generations to come.”

Through 2014, 3,836 lifetime permits have been issued to young hunters and anglers. The Foundation has invested $709,995 in the program. Including federal matching funds, this investment is conservatively estimated to be worth $4.9 million for conservation efforts in Nebraska.

The outdoor retailer Cabela’s is headquartered in Sidney, Neb.

For more information on the Half-Price Youth Lifetime Permit Program, visit OutdoorNebraska.org and then type “Youth Lifetime Permits” in the Search box at the top of the page.

 -30-

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
2200 North 33rd Street
Lincoln, NE 68503
402.471.0641
www.OutdoorNebraska.org

Filed under Community Tagged with , , ,

Free Scrap Tire Collection

July 16, 2015 Leave a comment


The Papio Missouri River NRD, Nebraska Loess Hills RC&D Council, and the Lower Elkhorn NRD are organizing another free scrap tire collection!  The collection will be Friday, August 7, 2015 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (noon) at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Arlington, NE.

The 10 county collection area includes Burt, Colfax, Cuming, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, Stanton, Thurston and Washington counties.  “Residents and businesses which do not charge tire disposal fees are encouraged to dispose of their scrap tires during this collection”, said Deborah Ward, Papio Missouri NRD Program Assistant. “We suggest that loads with less than 20 tires plan to arrive during the last 90 minutes of the collection. This will usually result in a shorter wait time for these smaller loads.”

The fairgrounds are located in Arlington, NE on the north side of Hwy 30.  Vehicles should enter the fairgrounds using the east entrance on Hwy 30. The collection will accept all sizes of car, truck and tractor tires. Each load is limited to 100 tires. All tires must be off rim, no rims will be accepted.   Tires cannot be accepted from any business or entity which charges a tire disposal fee.  Do not leave vehicles unattended in line. Limited unloading help will be available, so plan to unload your own. Semi-trucks may not be able to unload if there is limited maneuvering room.

“After the collection, Champlin Tire Recycling will load and transport the tires to their facility for further processing”, said Deb Ward. “This processing includes repair and retread of salvageable casings, reclamation of tires meeting used tire specifications and the production of park benches, picnic tables and feed bunks.”  Funding for the free collection is provided through a grant from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. For more information please contact Deborah Ward at the Papio Missouri River NRD (402)374-1920 ex. 101.

 

 

Filed under News Tagged with , , ,

← Older posts

Newer posts →