Visitors to the KBRB Web site may listen to live programming, with news broadcasts from 6 until 11 a.m., and from noon to 1 p.m., plus all of our local sports broadcasts.

E-mail us at kbrb@sscg.net

Service Information can be found on the Obituaries Page

* Russell L. “Rusty” Strand, 70, of Ainsworth 1 p.m. June 14

* Meeting reports located below for:

June 10 Sandhills Care Center Board of Directors

June 10 Ainsworth Community Schools Board of Education

June 4 Brown County Commissioners

May 21 Brown County Commissioners

May 15 Ainsworth City Council

* Lightning sparks 3 small fires Thursday evening

(Posted 9 a.m. June 13)

The Ainsworth Volunteer Fire Department responded Thursday evening to three small fires all sparked by lightning south of the Niobrara River.

Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala said the fires were reported at approximately 7:30 p.m. and were all located on property owned by Jason and Michelle Appelt south of the river near Meadville. Fiala said there was no rain accompanying the lightning.

“All of the small fires stayed in grass on the top, they didn’t get into any timber,” Fiala said. “The Civil Air Patrol will fly the canyon today to see if there are any hotspots.”

Fiala said no property was damaged, and a total of only about 2 acres burned. Firefighters were on scene until approximately 9:45 p.m.

Fiala said, at this point, he was not planning on restricting fireworks for Fourth of July celebrations. He reminded people that fireworks are not allowed at state park, and Long Pine Fire Chief Matt Pozehl may restrict fireworks in Hidden Paradise, but he said there should not be an issue with home fireworks shows or the large display at the Ainsworth Golf Course.

“We just ask that people use common sense and don’t shoot them off in areas that could burn,” the fire chief said.

* Kinney named KBRB Athlete of the Year

(Updated 8:30 a.m. June 13)

A conversation with Morgan Kinney, KBRB’s Athlete of the Year, can be heard below.

Morgan Kinney has been selected as the 2024-25 KBRB Athlete of the Year.

Chosen each year by the Ainsworth Community Schools varsity coaches, teachers and A-Club, the KBRB Athlete of the Year is awarded to a senior who makes an impact in multiple sports, displays excellent sportsmanship, is coachable and is a great teammate.

Kinney was one of three seniors to receive a 12-sport athlete designation, participating in three sports during each of his four years of high school.

In football, Kinney was named the team’s MVP and was a contributor on three straight Bulldog football district championship teams. Kinney was named All-District in football following both his junior and senior seasons. He was selected by his fellow players as the Teammate of the Year.

As a senior, Kinney rushed for more than 900 yards and scored 21 touchdowns, added more than 500 receiving yards with 11 touchdowns and threw for seven touchdowns.

Kinney represented Ainsworth during the recent West Nebraska All-Star Football Game at Scottsbluff and will participate in the annual Eight Man All-Star Game.

In basketball, Kinney was a contributor on the Class D-1 State Runner-Up Bulldog team from the 2023-24 season.

As a senior, he set the single season record with 63 steals. He was named the team’s Defensive MVP and also received the Teammate of the Year and the Impact Player Award.

Kinney also participated in track for three years and golf for one season.

For being named the KBRB Athlete of the Year, Kinney receives a $500 college scholarship and his name will be engraved on a plaque at Ainsworth Community Schools.

* Recent cases from Brown County Court

(Posted 3 p.m. June 12)

In addition to fines, each case carries $50 in court costs

Trenton D. Schmeckpeper, age 27, of Johnstown, charged with speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, fined $25.

Andrew J. Lesley, 40, of Ainsworth, attempting a Class 4 felony, sentenced to 30 days in jail with credit for 30 days served and sentenced to one year of probation.

Richard A. Path II, 58, of Ainsworth, attempting a Class 1 misdemeanor, costs only judgment.

Matthew C. Walton, 33, of Ainsworth, disturbing the peace, $100.

Hunter J. Kykendall, 27, of Ainsworth, disturbing the peace, $50.

Megan J. Mashburn, 38, of Ainsworth, speeding 11-15 mph over the limit, $75.

Nina A. Buchanan, 26, of Fargo, N.D., speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, $25.

John W. Lewis, 15, of Johnstown, speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, $25.

Trevor J. Modaff, 29, of Ainsworth, no registration in vehicle, $25; also charged with improper or defective vehicle lighting, $25.

Gordon W. Hitchcock, 83, of Ainsworth, failure to yield the right of way on a left turn, $25.

Chase W. Blum, 25, of Wayzata, Minn., speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, $25.

Mary L. Thompson, 68, of North Platte, speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, $25.

Landon J. Langenstein, 22, of Harrisburg, S.D., commercial vehicle marking violation, $50.

Kevin K. Kaiser, 67, of Ainsworth, violating a stop or yield sign, $75; no valid registration, $25.

Casey J. Vanvleck, 33, of Summerset, S.D., speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, $25.

Julie K. Rau Ruhter, 49, of Ainsworth, speeding 11-15 mph over the limit, $75.

Kirsten M. Schmuecker, 21, of Norfolk, speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, $25.

Kristy L. Mead, 46, of Ainsworth, speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, $25.

Dana B. Roads, 67, of Park City, Utah, speeding 11-15 mph over the limit, $75.

Michael G. Merkle, 43, of St. Louis, Mo., speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, $25.

Robert T. Appleman, 87, of Johnstown, failure to yield the right of way, $25.

Sally M. Gronlund, 25, of Alliance, possession or use of drug paraphernalia, $100.

Brandy L. Dowdy, 44, of Johnstown, speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, $25.

Dennis A. Harman, 60, of Littleton, Colo., speeding 11-15 mph over the limit, $75; no operator’s license, $75.

Stephanie Aguilar Garcia, 26, of Yankton, S.D., speeding 21-35 mph over the limit, $200.

* Council approves $170,000 tower lease buyout

(Posted 7 a.m. June 12)

The Ainsworth City Council on Wednesday opted to accept a buyout of its tower lease, agreeing after several months of discussion to a $170,000 proposal from Tower Alliance.

City Administrator Lisa Schroedl said the company currently pays the city $780 per month to lease space on the city’s communications tower on the north end of Ainsworth. She said the current lease runs for another 25 years, and includes a 3 percent annual escalator.

The $170,000 buyout offered by Tower Alliance represents about 15 years of monthly payments.

Mayor Joel Klammer said, “We just need to make a decision. I’m not sure there is a right or wrong decision.”

Councilman Brad Fiala said, if the council accepted the buyout, he would like to see the money placed into a separate account drawing interest to then be used to match a grant for a project in the city.

The monthly lease payments are currently placed into the city’s general fund.

The council unanimously approved accepting the buyout and placing the $170,000 in a separate account.

In other business Wednesday, auditor Michael Hoback with AMGL walked the council through findings from the recently completed audit of the city’s 2024-25 fiscal year.

Hoback said there were no major deficient findings in the audit other than a lack of segregation of duties over financial documents. He said almost all of the 80 to 85 cities AMGL audits receive that finding, as it is not feasible to hire additional personnel simply to avoid that finding. He encouraged the mayor and council to actively monitor claims and financial transactions.

Hoback presented the council with four findings from the audit, which include monitoring utility rates.

“It is hard to get caught up if you get behind,” the auditor said.

He said there were seven checks outstanding for more than a year that either need follow-up from the city staff or voided. Hoback said several deposits that were double entered needed to be cleaned up, and interest earned on CDs needed to be recorded.

“Those are all pretty minor,” Hoback said. “It was a pretty clean audit. The staff was good to work with.”

In comparing Ainsworth to other cities with populations between 1,000 and 3,000 the company audits, Hoback said the average sales tax revenue generated by those cities was $306 per capita. He said Ainsworth was on the higher end with per capita sales tax collections of $426. He said that shows the city has a strong sales tax base.

Cities of similar size on average collect $299 per capita in property tax, while Ainsworth collects $342 per capita. Hoback said the city receives $77 per capita in state aid, higher than the $61 average.

Hoback said the city’s utility funds are all below normal in their cash positions.

“I would just encourage you to keep an eye on it,” the auditor said. “You are in pretty good shape, but you took on additional debt.”

He encouraged the city to spread out its administrative costs across the utility funds instead of using the general fund entirely to pay for administrative staff. The council indicated it would address that recommendation during its 2025-26 budget preparation.

The city spent $2.1 million for the Main Street project and added $920,000 in debt compared to the previous year. The city bonded for water and sewer improvements and new concrete for Main Street north of Highway 20.

The council Wednesday approved three applications for LB 840 funds as recommended by the LB 840 loan committee. The first application approved was up to $10,000 for façade improvements for a local business. The second was approved for a business loan in the amount of $23,853 with repayment over five years at 4 percent interest. The third was approved for façade improvements for a non-profit organization up to $3,400.

The council, by a 3-1 vote, approved a counter offer from the North Central Development Center to manage the LB 840 fund for the next year. During its May meeting, the city offered $40,000 to the NCDC for the LB 840 management contract, down from the previous $60,000.

The NCDC countered Wednesday with a proposal of $50,000 for the annual contract, with NCDC Board President Graig Kinzie saying that was down substantially from the $75,000 annually the NCDC had received a few years ago from the LB 840 fund.

The NCDC counter proposal also included having the mayor serve as the city’s second NCDC Board member along with Schroedl, and for the current quarter to be paid at the previous rate since the NCDC had continued to manage the program without a new contract since March 1.

Councilman Dustin Barthel said he was more comfortable with the $40,000 contract the city had offered.

Fiala said he would like to see LB 840 funds focused more on housing and bringing new businesses to the community. He said, while façade improvements do provide some benefit, they are not as impactful as housing and having new businesses open.

Kinzie said the NCDC housing program used to work well, with four new homes and a commercial property built inside city limits. He said the city determined the NCDC could no longer be the applicant for LB 840 funds for housing, and no contractors had applied privately for LB 840 funds to build houses. He said a group consisting of several members of the previous housing committee was working to form a private corporation so housing projects could resume.

Councilman Kent Taylor said he had issues with rural workforce housing funds having to be turned back to the state.

“I have received complaints,” Taylor said. “I don’t think we are getting good input.”

NCDC Executive Director Kristin Olson said it works both ways, as she has had complaints from applicants to the program about the city.

Olson said it is difficult to provide the service the city demands when it keeps cutting its contribution.

Kinzie said the NCDC has brought in partnerships with Rock County and the city of Bassett over the past few years in an effort to alleviate some of the burden from the city of Ainsworth for the NCDC budget. The NCDC now manages Bassett’s LB 840 program in addition to Ainsworth’s.

Following the discussion, the council approved the $50,000 counter proposal with Barthel voting against.

Julie Mizner approached the council with a request for a lift to be purchased for the Ainsworth Swimming Pool. Mizner said her son Kolter has muscular dystrophy which has now affected his muscles to the point he is almost wheelchair bound.

Mizner said Kolter has a caregiver who helps him get in and out of the swimming pool currently and pool staff have also assisted, which is generous of them. She said she would hate to have someone injured trying to help him in and out of the pool.

“The pool is his life in the summer,” Mizner said. “This would help our family but I feel there would be others who would use it.”

She said people had suggested to her to apply to the ABC Committee and to the Brown County Foundation for funds to purchase a lift.

“It would be great if the city could help me to navigate those,” Mizner said.

Fiala said a lift would not just be for Kolter’s benefit, it would help other people.

“This is something I think we should help with,” Fiala said. “We can see what would be the easiest for our pool employees to operate. I am glad we have some time to figure this out. We should definitely be able to have this in place by next year when the pool opens.”

Barthel said there are portable lifts that can be moved in and out when needed instead of having to install a permanent lift.

“I think this is something we need to do,” Barthel said.

Schroedl said she could fill out an application to the ABC Committee.

“It would be nice if you could attend their meeting with me,” Schroedl said.

Taylor said applications to the Brown County Foundation could be made at any time between now and March, with the foundation selecting projects after that for funding each year.

The council unanimously approved having Schroedl work with pool staff to select a lift and pursue applications for funding.

Mizner said she appreciated the council’s support.

“However I can help to get it accomplished,” she said.

In a final action item Wednesday, the council approved a special designated liquor license application for the Elks Lodge 1790 for the Ainsworth Booster Club’s fund-raising event Aug. 15 in the Conference Center.

During her report, Schroedl said Mike Quinn had been hired to operate the city’s garbage truck, with Stan McDaniel moving from that position to replace Monte Goshorn with the streets department. Goshorn retired recently after a more than 40-year career with the streets department.

The next meeting of the Ainsworth City Council is scheduled for 5 p.m. July 9.

* Recent cases from Brown County District Court

(Posted 6:45 a.m. June 11)

During Brown County District Court proceedings Tuesday, Mitchell Philben, age 27, of Valentine, entered pleas of guilty to two felony charges, including attempted use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, and terroristic threats. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 12 in District Court.

Donald Killion, 51, of Ainsworth, entered pleas of no contest to three counts: second degree domestic violence/assault, a Class IIIA felony; attempted possession of a deadly weapon by a felon, a Class II felony; and terroristic threats, a Class IIIA felony. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 9.

Hunter Kykendall, 27, of Ainsworth, entered pleas of no contest to three counts: terroristic threats, a Class IIIA felony; assault with a bodily fluid, a Class I misdemeanor; and criminal mischief, a Class III misdemeanor. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 12.

* Underground sprinklers installed at care center

(Posted 12:30 p.m. June 10)

An underground sprinkler system has now been installed and is operational at the Sandhills Care Center. The project covers the entirety of the care center’s lawn. Board members Monday said the underground system was a welcome addition and would enhance the appearance of the campus.

Maintenance director Darrell Olson said the company did an excellent job with the installation, with the areas that were dug up for the installation barely noticeable after the work was completed.

Administrator Penny Jacobs said a new compressor had been installed for the facility’s air-conditioning unit and the AC was working again to cool the halls and common areas. Each room has an individual window air-conditioner.

The board discussed the possibility of installing mini-split units in each room to provide cooling as well as supplemental heat. Each mini-split outdoor unit would have the potential to heat and cool three resident rooms.

Director of Nursing Sara Mayhew said the facility could really use a new whirlpool bath before moving forward with mini-split units as the window units were still working pretty well. Board member Dr. Mel Campbell said a benefit of the mini-split units would be the window units could be removed and residents would have a better view out of their windows.

Board member Bruce Papstein said he believed the board should do some planning and spend any money available where it was most needed.

The care center continued its stretch of profitability, as the facility generated $319,748 in revenue in May with expenses of $262,667 for a net profit for the month of $57,081. The care center also received $66,470 in voter-approved property tax funding during May. The property tax money collected is kept in a separate interlocal account and must receive board approval for facility upgrades to be spent.

The interlocal account now has $146,382, while the care center’s accounts receivable and operating account after bills were paid Monday showed a balance of $248,970. The facility previously paid off a line of credit in full and has not had to use its credit line at all in 2025. The care center also has a certificate of deposit in the amount of $100,000.

Business manager Makenzie Crane said the facility’s finances for May looked really good.

“Our savings is growing, and our interlocal account is growing,” Crane said.

Jacobs reported there are 31 residents calling the Sandhills Care Center home, with 14 of those from Ainsworth, nine from Cherry County, four from rural Brown County, two from Long Pine, and one each from Rock County and Keya Paha County.

Of the current residents, 15 pay privately, 14 receive Medicaid assistance and two receive Medicare assistance. Jacobs said there had been one admission since the board’s May meeting and the facility was working on two additional referrals. She said one resident would likely be discharged soon after completing rehabilitation.

Jacobs reported the care center hired two full-time CNAs during the past month, as well as one PRN RN, one PRN CNA and one full-time dietary aide. She said the facility lost one CNA and one dietary employee during the past month.

Crane discussed replacing the phones in the facility through Applied Connective. Twenty new phones would cost the facility $6,900.

“We are expanding our team, so we have to find office space,” Crane said.

She said the head of housekeeping is using a closet as an office currently, and the scheduler has an office set up in the activities room.

“The phones have to be upgraded so we can get lines into those offices,” Crane said.

Board Chair Tom Jones went through results of a recently completed survey by 31 employees of the care center. He said, overall, the facility scored better than it did during the same survey last year.

“Some areas have improved vastly,” Jones said. “Like employees feeling like they are being recognized for their efforts and receiving feedback. Feeling like the organization cares for their well-being has also improved. We are making progress. Most of the results were better than last year.”

Tina Rehkopf shared results from 12 surveys returned by family members of residents, which she said was a much higher participation rate than the three or four family member surveys typically returned. She said there was a lot of good feedback as well as good suggestions for areas where the care center could improve.

The care center entered into executive session to discuss the results of the resident family member surveys in greater detail.

The next meeting of the Sandhills Care Center Board of Directors is scheduled for 5 p.m. July 14.

* ACS hires middle school English teacher

(Posted 7 a.m. June 10)

The Ainsworth Community Schools Board of Education approved a certified teaching contract Monday for a junior high English and language arts teacher for the 2025-26 school year.

After the school’s junior high and high school English teachers submitted resignations following the 2024-25 year to pursue other opportunities, the district was facing the possibility of having a shortage in that department.

Superintendent Dale Hafer said he was excited to have Cory Friedrich join the district’s staff and fill the junior high English position.

“Securing his hire has been helpful in the development of schedules,” Hafer said.

The superintendent said Friedrich had previously served as an administrator with Creighton Public Schools but decided to move back to the classroom.

Hafer said the district also had an interview lined up for Tuesday for a potential high school English teacher.

In the only other action item Monday, the board approved the first reading of Nebraska Association of School Boards policy updates for 2025. Hafer said the NASB updated policies to account for legislation passed during the recently completed session of the Unicameral. He said the policy updates take into account legislation passed regarding cell phone usage in schools, library materials and other items.

Addilyn Doke presented her National FCCLA qualifying project, explaining how she created a jumpsuit made from cotton gauze fabric. Doke sewed the garment herself, taking 11-1/2 hours to create the piece for a cost of $50. Doke will compete during the National FCCLA Conference at Orlando, Fla.

Caden Frank with the NASB walked through the process of creating the district’s next five-year strategic plan for school improvement. Frank said NASB staff would engage with the district’s staff, administration and the community to guide the next five years of strategic planning.

Frank asked the board what it was proud to have accomplished during the previous five years.

Board President Brad Wilkins said the district made several improvements to school facilities and made several upgrades to the district’s curriculum during the past five years.

Board member Jessica Pozehl said the district was using data to drive decisions and was using data to make sure the district was achieving its goals.

Board member Bryan Doke said the board was taking a more proactive approach in reviewing school policies.

Hafer said the district had increased dual credit opportunities for students during the past five years.

“That was important during our last strategic review,” the superintendent said.

Frank asked the board members what they would like to see happen during the next five years.

Doke said he would like to see more school pride and engagement at all levels.

“It seems harder to achieve these days, that sense of oneness,” Doke said.

Wilkins said the board has talked about chronic absenteeism, and would like to see students take responsibility for their education.

Hafer said it was important for the board to have community-based input, such as by asking business leaders in the community what they were looking for in future employees.

Frank said the NASB would work on timelines over the next few weeks and gather data for the board to review.

“The plans we create now are more concise and individualized,” Frank said. “We make these plans very useable for your district.”

Staff members Wendy Allen and Amanda Ganser presented the board with a Cognia review.

Allen said staff members spend a lot of time with the district’s data, reviewing strengths and identifying areas to improve.

The Cognia review identified district strengths as culture and student relationships, and continuous improvement in curriculum and individual interventions.

“We have worked on both those areas very hard,” Allen said.

She said areas of focus going forward would be to develop evaluation systems to optimize learning, and evaluate instructional programs.

Ganser said the Cognia reviews were a continuous process.

“Cognia is based on four performance areas – culture, leadership, engagement and growth,” Ganser said.

High School Principal Steve Dike said, when Ainsworth staff attend MTSS conferences and present on Cognia, Allen and Ganser are seen as the experts in this.

“People say at those conferences, ‘If you want to do this right, contact Ainsworth,’” Dike said. “It all goes back to being a student-centered approach.”

Hafer said the group was already making significant progress on updating its evaluation process.

“We have everything documented on instructional programs so anyone can come in and pick up right where the previous teacher left off,” Hafer said.

Scott Steinhauser presented the board with information on dyslexia reporting requirements that were mandated by the Legislature two years ago. Steinhauser said screening is done with all students to determine if individual interventions are needed.

The board on Monday held annual public hearings to review the district’s student fee and parent and family involvement policies. Hafer said there were no major changes to either policy. He said 133 students submitted waivers to have student fees waived, as any student who qualifies for free or reduced-price meals can apply to have any student fees waived. He said 51 percent of the district’s students qualified for the waiver during the 2024-25 school year.

The board also reviewed its bullying policy, which is an annual requirement. Hafer said there was a lot of effort that goes into educating students and parents on the topic of bullying. Efforts to address bullying occur at all class levels, with numerous lessons on bullying, cyber bullying and relationships.

“Both principals have spent considerable time meeting with parents on these issues,” Hafer said.

The activities director’s report Monday announced Preselyn Goochey and Morgan Kinney were named as the John Nelson Sportsmanship Award winners.

Elementary Principal Ben Wright reported between 27 and 30 students are attending summer school, and all children are being provided with free lunches during the month of June. Monday was Wright’s final board meeting, as he will begin his new position as the superintendent of Sumner-Eddyville-Miller Public Schools.

The next meeting of the Ainsworth Community Schools Board of Education is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 14.

* Area students selected for youth institute

(Posted 7 a.m. June 10)

A total of 220 high school juniors and seniors across Nebraska have been selected to be a part of the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute this summer. Put on by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, the youth institute brings together hundreds of students every year to learn more about Nebraska agriculture, network with ag leaders and explore career opportunities.

NDA selects students to attend the institute based on their leadership skills, interests and involvement in agriculture. This year, the youth institute will be held July 7-11 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus.

Area students selected to attend are Macy Bearnson and Kade Wiiest of Bassett, Cale Deseive of Atkinson, Jaylee Lechtenberg of Butte, Eli Rogers of Dunning, and Kennedie Assman, John Fulton, Sari LaDeaux, Doc Lancaster, Grace Murphy, Maeli Patterson and Ella Brennemann all of Valentine.

“NAYI provides a unique opportunity to Nebraska high school students,” said NDA Director Sherry Vinton. “The institute introduces young people to the many options that come from a career in agriculture as well as establishing lifelong connections and friendships. Our youth are the future of innovation and advancement in agriculture, and I am excited to see so many young people interested in our state’s largest industry.”

The youth institute is in its 54th year, making it the longest running ag youth program of its kind in the nation. This year’s theme is “It’s in Our Genes” and the institute will feature motivational speakers, discussions on agricultural issues, career development, networking opportunities, leadership activities, as well as several hands-on learning opportunities and workshops.

The institute is coordinated by the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Council, which is comprised of 22 college-aged students selected by NDA for their passion and interest in the ag industry. During the institute, youth council members provide valuable guidance, insight and advice about agriculture, college coursework and career-building.

* Brown County Sheriff’s Department weekly summary

(Posted 10:30 a.m. June 9)

June 1

• The Brown County Sheriff’s Office took reports of a fight that took place in Ainsworth. After the investigation multiple people involved in the fight received citations for mutual consent fighting.
• Received a report of a dog bite victim in Long Pine.

June 2

• Brown County Ambulance responded to an Ainsworth residence and transported a patient to the Brown County Hospital.
• The Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a request for a welfare check of a child in Ainsworth. The child was found to be ok.
• Deputies responded to a dispute between neighbors in Ainsworth. The parties were separated.
• Deputies provided traffic control for NPPD while negotiating a turn into Long Pine.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle that was not parked in the correct area near the pond at East City Park. The deputy spoke to the owner of the vehicle and the vehicle was moved.

June 3

• A subjected was arrested near Norfolk on a Brown County warrant. The person bonded out of jail later in the day.
• A traffic stop was made on Highway 183 for speeding. A written warning was given.
• Brown County Ambulance helped at the rodeo camp in Johnstown.
• A Brown County deputy responded to a two-vehicle accident on Highway 20 west of Ainsworth. One of the drivers from the accident was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.

June 4

• Brown County Ambulance responded to an Ainsworth residence and transported a patient to the Brown County Hospital.
• Brown County Sheriff provided courtroom security.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office released an inmate from the Brown County Jail on bond.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office released an inmate from the Brown County Jail for time served.
• Brown County Ambulance helped at the rodeo camp in Johnstown.
• Deputies provided traffic control for a funeral in Ainsworth.
• Brown County Sheriff’s office received multiple complaints of two juveniles disrupting the rodeo camp on their four wheelers in Johnstown. The juveniles were located. Deputies spoke with the juveniles and their parents.

June 5

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an abandoned vehicle behind the Ainsworth city office. The sheriff and deputy were able to contact the owner. Everything was found to be ok.
• Brown County Ambulance assisted the Brown County Hospital with a transfer of a patient.
• Deputy started recertification training for taser instructor.

June 6

• Brown County Ambulance responded to an Ainsworth residence and transported a patient to the Brown County Hospital.
• Brown County Sheriff’s office was notified of a semi-truck struggling to maintain its lane driving on Highway 20 just west of Ainsworth. A deputy was able to locate the semi-truck and the driver reported he has been having trouble with tires or brakes.
• Assisted another county with an investigation.

June 7

• Brown County Ambulance responded to a Brown County residence and transported a patient to the Brown County Hospital.
• Brown County Ambulance assisted the Brown County Hospital with the transfer of a patient.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office was requested for extra patrols in Long Pine due to a lot of extra traffic coming and going. A deputy patrolled the area.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received numerous phone calls regarding a scam text message.
• A deputy took a report from an Ainsworth resident of possible harassment. This is an ongoing investigation.
• A traffic stop was made west of Ainsworth on Highway 20 for a vehicle traveling 16 mph over the posted speed limit. A citation was issued to the driver.
• A deputy took a report of possible domestic abuse. This is an ongoing investigation.
• Brown County Ambulance assisted the Brown County Hospital with the transfer of a patient.
• A deputy responded to a call of harassment on a work site. Both parties involved were contacted.
• Brown County Ambulance responded to an Ainsworth residence and transported a patient to the Brown County Hospital.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint about a reckless driver traveling eastbound on Highway 20. A deputy responded to the reported area and was unable to locate the vehicle reported.
• A traffic stop was made west of Ainsworth on Highway 20 for a headlight not working on the vehicle. The driver was given a repair order for the headlight and received a citation for not having a driver’s license.
• A traffic stop was made east of Ainsworth on Highway 20 for a headlight not working. The driver was given a verbal warning for the headlight.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint about kids jumping off a bridge on private property in Hidden Paradise. A deputy spoke to the kids who were jumping off the bridge.
• Deputies provided a civil standby at a residence in Ainsworth so an individual could get their things from inside of the house.
• Deputies along with the Brown County Ambulance responded to a single vehicle rollover accident approximately 8 miles north of Johnstown on Norden Ave. The driver was found to be ok.

Weekly Log
Calls received – 811
Calls for service – 19
911 calls – 12
Vehicle title inspections – 3
Handgun permits purchased – 1
Inmates housed – 1

* DMV text scam circulating in area

(Posted 7:15 a.m. June 9)

The Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles are warning about a scam that has targeted numerous Nebraskans. The Brown County Sheriff’s Department reported the scam has been circulating in this area.

The scam involves a text message purportedly from the Nebraska DMV claiming that the recipient has unpaid traffic fines and that several penalties are possible unless the recipient clicks a link to pay the supposed fines.

“None of these text messages are legitimate,” said DMV Director Rhonda Lamm. “The Nebraska DMV does not send any such official notice via text message. Thank you to the many Nebraskans who have reported this scam quickly to several law enforcement agencies.”

The aim of this phishing scam is most likely to steal personal or financial information. Do not click on the link.

“Scammers can be relentless, but there’s a rule of thumb to protect yourself from this type of scam,” said Colonel Bryan Waugh, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Never click links or provide personal or financial information on unsolicited messages. If you think the message may be legitimate, go directly to the source and initiate contact yourself rather than clicking the unsolicited link.”

Additional information about spotting and reporting scams can be found at the Federal Trade Commission website.

* Micro-surfacing work scheduled for Highway 137

(Posted 6:45 a.m. June 9)

Weather permitting, micro-surfacing work will begin June 16 on Nebraska Highway 137 north of Newport according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

Intermountain Slurry Seal, Inc., of Watsonville, Calif., has the contract. Traffic will be maintained with a pilot car and flaggers. The anticipated completion is June.

* Valuations increasing for many property owners

(Posted 9:30 a.m. June 4)

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Brown County Commissioners, Assessor Peg Gross discussed valuation increases many property owners will experience for 2025. Gross said a six-year evaluation was conducted in Ainsworth, resulting in some property valuations increasing dramatically due to comparable sales.

“Things were not between the 92 percent to 100 percent of value as the state requires,” Gross said after the evaluation of property in the Ainsworth area. “We were only at about 87 percent.”

The state of Nebraska requires valuations for residential and commercial property to be set between 92 percent and 100 percent of actual value, with agricultural property set at a minimum of 70 percent of actual value.

Gross said people continue to pay high prices for land, with many of those purchases coming from people who live outside the county.

The assessor said a costing metric also used to value property had not been updated since 2018. She said updating that metric resulted in property values increasing.

Commissioner Dennis Bauer said he would like to have someone from the state explain the costing metric, as he was under the impression valuations were based strictly on sales.

“I would like to know how that is calculated,” Bauer said.

Gross encouraged homeowners age 65 and older to apply for a homestead exemption. If a property owner qualifies for a homestead exemption, the state will pay for a portion or all of the property tax levied on a primary residence. Qualifications for the homestead exemption are on a sliding scale based on income.

Commissioner Don Painter said he believed 1031 Exchanges were a factor in why people were willing to pay higher prices for property.

In other business Tuesday, the commissioners approved making payments on the Brown County Hospital addition bond and the Meadville Avenue highway improvement bond. Treasurer Bruce Mitchell said the $7,992 payment on the highway bond was interest only and would be taken from the roads department’s highway buyback fund.

The $216,222 payment for the voter-approved hospital addition bond represents principal and interest on the bond. Mitchell said the 20-year hospital addition bond will be paid in full in December, as just one final payment remains.

Highway Superintendent Kenny Turpin reported John Deere brought a motor grader for the roads department to try.

“There are a couple things I saw on it that I liked,” Turpin said.

Bauer asked if the size of the John Deere machine was comparable to what the roads department currently operates with its Caterpillar graders.

Turpin said the larger John Deere model was the same price as its smaller model and was comparable to what the county currently operates.

Commissioner Jeremiah Dailey asked whether John Deere would be able to service and repair the grader in a timely manner. He said Caterpillar has an area service technician for its machines.

Turpin said there was a John Deere technician at Neligh, and a service technician who was closer. He said most parts for the machine could be ordered through the local John Deere dealer.

Turpin said he had inspected several bridges in the county recently.

“The Meadville Avenue bridge is still in good shape,” Turpin said. “The bridge near Jason Appelt’s we had issues with in 2019 is in good shape.”

The highway superintendent reported he was seeing major improvements in the overall condition of roadways in the county based off some of the shoulder work the roads department has performed.

“We are bringing up a lot of material from the ditches and utilizing it,” Turpin said. “That should help cut back on some of the dust as well. The road crew is trying hard and is doing a good job.”

He said, with the lack of snow removal required during the winter months, coupled with the lower cost of fuel and the department operating with one fewer employee, there was money remaining in the roads department budget.

“I would like to use that to pay off the note on the truck if the bank will allow it,” Turpin said. “We could get that paid off early.”

Dailey said he did not have an issue with paying off the note early. He said the roads department could purchase additional gravel and materials instead if that would help. Turpin said the department had an adequate supply of gravel on hand.

Clerk Travee Hobbs, who is on a committee working to update the county’s employee handbook, asked the board to review its policy on compensatory time employees are allowed to bank. She said the current policy allowed roads department employees to bank 120 hours of compensatory time while the courthouse and sheriff’s department employees can only bank 80 hours of comp time.

Turpin said the commissioners had previously increased the amount of comp time bankable for the roads department after the 2019 flooding. He said employees were putting in a lot of overtime hours following the floods and preferred to receive additional comp time instead of overtime pay.

Hobbs said the committee just wanted to make the commissioners aware the bankable time was different and to provide guidance.

Bauer said the county could simply increase the comp time allowed for all employees to 120 hours, but after discussion the board opted to keep the policy the same.

Sheriff Brent Deibler said the committee should have the county handbook available to the commissioners for a preliminary review during the board’s June 17 meeting.

“It was good for us to go through it,” Deibler said. “I learned a lot.”

He said the updates, if approved by the commissioners, would then need to be reviewed by the county attorney and NIRMA before the updated employee handbook was finalized.

The board also approved an updated job description for the courthouse custodian position. Dailey said the job description was now much more detailed than the previous version.

County Attorney Andy Taylor said he reviewed the updated job description and it looked fine. Bauer thanked Dailey for his work in updating the custodian’s job description.

The commissioners approved renewing the county’s property, liability and workman’s compensation insurance through NIRMA for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Bauer said the NIRMA policy was going up by about $16,000 to a total premium of $104,689. He said the board could lower the premium if it chose to increase the county’s deductible when a claim is filed, but the board opted to leave the current deductibles in place.

The next meeting of the Brown County Commissioners is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. June 17.

* NSAA names Academic All-State Award winners

(Posted 7 a.m. June 4)

The Nebraska School Activities Association announced the student recipients of the Spring Academic All-State Awards. Since 2006 this NSAA Awards Program has recognized students who meet the criteria for nomination by their school in the season of their activity.

Each year the NSAA and the Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association recognize students during the fall, winter, and spring seasons who are nominated by their schools for their individual academic excellence, leadership, and significant contributions in their NSAA activity.

Area students named Academic All-State for the spring season include:

Ainsworth
Jordan Beatty and Jon Strand in music, Chris Fernandez and Logan Schroedl in boys track and field, and Willa Flynn and Kiley Orton in girls track and field

Keya Paha County
Angela Frick in girls track and field

Rock County
Keian Fischer and Zak Swanson in boys golf, Dalton Gilbert and Kade Wiiest in music, Trey Anthony and Noah Seberger in boys track and field, and Bridget Lewis in girls track and field

Stuart
Dawson Heiser and Hunter Tubbs in boys golf, Maddux Alder and Megan Karo in music, Luke Ludwig and Drew Schmaderer in boys track and field, and Addisyn Ketteler and Reagan Stracke in girls track and field

West Holt
Mason Crumrine and Dominick Ogden in boys golf, Emersyn Mlady and Peyton Olberding in music, Drake Nemetz and Grant Osborne in boys track and field, and Ainsley Galyen and Makenna Schaaf in girls track and field

Boyd County
Madalyn Reiser in golf, Addison Birmeier in music, Adrien Baer and Will Nelson in boys track and field, and Jaylee Lechtenberg and Kaylee Warnke in girls track and field

Sandhills
Thatcher Teahon in boys track and field, and Kallan Cox in girls track and field

Valentine
Reeves Witte in boys golf, Katelyn Bitner and Tierney Miller in journalism, Titus Maunu and Marybelle Ward in music, John Fulton and Doc Lancaster in boys track and field, and Aubrey Benson and Kimber McGinley in girls track and field

* McCarthy named to NCTA Dean’s List

(Posted 2:30 p.m. June 3)

The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at Curtis awarded Dean’s List students for the spring semester.

Courtney Jo McCarthy of Newport was named to the 4.0 Dean’s List for the spring semester at NCTA.

* Brown County Commissioners Tuesday agenda

(Posted 2:15 p.m. June 2)

Brown County Commissioners
Meeting 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, June 3
Brown County Courthouse
Agenda

1:15 Roll Call.

Acknowledge posting of Open Meetings Law.

Opening Prayer.

Pledge of Allegiance.

Approve minutes of the 5-20-2025 and the regular meeting.

Approval and Resolutions to pay Highway Bond and Hospital Bond payments – Treasurer

Kenneth Turpin Road Department update

NIRMA & NIRMA II Renewal Billing statement – Clerk

Review Janitorial Job Description – Dailey

Mary Jo McCall – FMLA – Attorney

Ag Society Agreement – Board

Review county policy on compensatory time bank limit – Clerk

Approve Claims

THE FOLLOWING WILL PRESENT THEIR PROPOSED BUDGET TO THE BOARD

2:30                             Brown County Attorney

2:45                             Brown County Highway Superintendent

3:00                             Brown County Treasurer

3:15                             Brown County Court

3:30                             Brown County Veteran Service Officer

3:45                             Brown County Sheriff

4:00                             Ainsworth Public Library      

4:15                             Probation

* City of Bassett issues advisory boil water notice

(Updated 10:45 a.m. June 2)

The city of Bassett has issued an advisory boil water notice for all customers on the city water system effective immediately. According to city officials, there is an issue with the city’s well that resulted in the boil water advisory being issued.

While boiling water is not a requirement, it is strongly recommended until appropriate water testing has been completed. The city of Bassett will notify KBRB when the boil water advisory has been lifted.

* Brown County Sheriff’s Department weekly summary

(Posted 10:45 a.m. June 2)

May 25

• A person from Ainsworth received a citation for no registration in their vehicle after getting a warning earlier in the month.
• Brown County Ambulance was dispatched to a residence in Ainsworth and transported a patient to the Brown County Hospital.

May 26

• A Brown County dispatcher helped an Ainsworth resident with changing the battery on her smoke alarm.
• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth on a vehicle speeding. The driver received a written warning.
• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth on a vehicle for speeding. The driver received a citation for driving 10 mph over the posted speed limit.
• Brown County Ambulance assisted the Brown County Hospital with the transfer of a patient.
• Received a report of possible harassment and a violation of a protection order. This is an ongoing investigation.
• The Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of cattle being out south of Ainsworth on Highway 7. The owners were contacted, and the cattle were moved off the Highway.

May 27

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a man sleeping in the laundry mat in Long Pine.
• The Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a welfare check request from another law enforcement agency in Nebraska. The person was found to be ok.
• Multiple traffic stops were made on Main Street in Long Pine for speeding. The drivers received written warnings. One driver received a citation for driving 17 mph over the posted speed limit. Watch your speeds in Long Pine, the speed limit drops from 45 mph to 25 mph. 

May 28

• Brown County Ambulance assisted at Rodeo Bible Camp in Johnstown.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a gas drive off in Ainsworth. A deputy attempted to locate the vehicle reported.
• A traffic stop was made south of Ainsworth on Highway 7 for speeding. The driver received a citation for driving 14 mph over the posted speed limit.
• Brown County deputies spoke to a resident of Ainsworth about putting out a fire in their backyard. The fire was on the ground and not in a burning barrel. The resident put the fire out.

May 29

• Brown County Ambulance assisted at Rodeo Bible Camp in Johnstown.
• The Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an injured deer near Highway 183. Deputies dispatched the deer.
• Brown County Ambulance was dispatched to a residence in Ainsworth and transported a patient to the Brown County Hospital.

May 30

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office was requested to do more patrols around the Hog Farms in Brown County due to PETA’s vehicles being in Valentine over the weekend.
• Brown County Sheriff and deputies responded to the DMV room in the Brown County Courthouse because of an irate person screaming and yelling at the worker. The individual was detained by deputies and later transported to the Brown County Hospital by the Brown County Ambulance.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of suspicious activity around a residence in Long Pine. A deputy patrolled the area and was not able to locate anything out of the ordinary. 

May 31

• A Brown County deputy performed a civil standby at a residence in Ainsworth.
• Brown County Ambulance assisted the Brown County Hospital with the transfer of a patient.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a reckless driver out on a county road. A deputy patrolled the reported area and was unable to find or locate the reported vehicle.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of cattle out north of Ainsworth on a county road. The owners were contacted.

Weekly Log
Phone calls – 762           
911 calls – 7      
Calls for service – 16     
Vin inspections – 5
Handgun Purchase permits – 1
Inmates Housed – 2

* Work to begin on Highway 183 near Sargent

(Posted 7:15 a.m. June 2)

Weather permitting, work will begin today (June 2) on Highway 183 near Sargent, from milepost 114 to milepost 121, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

Paulsen’s, Inc., of Cozad, is the contractor for the project. Work includes milling and asphalt overlay. Traffic will be maintained with a pilot car and flaggers. A 12-foot width restriction will be in effect. Anticipated completion is this month.

* Area students named to UNK Dean’s List

(Posted 7:45 a.m. May 30)

The University of Nebraska at Kearney announced students who earned a place on the Dean’s List for the spring semester.

Students who are on the Dean’s List must have completed 12 credit hours or more of classes with a 3.5 grade-point average or better on a 4.0 scale.

Area students named to the Dean’s List at UNK include:

Bassett – Mason Hagan

Purdum – Elizabeth Smith

Stuart – Cory Gubbels, Addie Karo and Lacey Paxton

Atkinson – Kelcie Osborne and Sidney Burkinshaw

Valentine – Logan Muirhead, Rhiannon Painter and Jaycie Cox

* Three area counties among best jobless rates in state

(Posted 7:15 a.m. May 30)

The Nebraska Department of Labor announced Nebraska’s unemployment rate for April is 3.0 percent. The rate is up 0.1 percentage points from March and is up 0.3 percent from the April 2024 rate of 2.7 percent. 

Nebraska’s rate ranks the sixth lowest in the nation. South Dakota maintains its grip on the lowest rate in the country at 1.8 percent in April. North Dakota remains in second with a rate of 2.6 percent, followed by Vermont and Montana tied for third with rates of 2.7 percent. Hawaii rounds out the top five with an April rate of 2.9 percent.

Nevada continued to experience the highest jobless rate in the U.S. in April at 5.6 percent. Michigan has the second-worst rate at 5.5 percent, with California at 5.3 percent, Kentucky at 5.2 percent, and Ohio and Rhode Island at 4.9 percent rounding out the bottom five.

The national unemployment rate for April is 4.2 percent, unchanged from the March rate and up 0.3 percent from the April 2024 rate of 3.9 percent.

Brown County’s unemployment rate of 2.1 percent in April was well below the state average and was among the lowest in the state. Cherry County tied several counties for the lowest rate in the state at 2.0 percent. Holt County matched Brown County’s 2.1 percent rate. Rock County’s 2.4 percent rate was below the state average, as was Boyd County’s 2.8 percent rate.

Keya Paha County had an unemployment rate of 3.4 percent in April, just above the 3.3 percent rate in Blaine County. Hooker County in the Sandhills had the highest rate in the state at 5.7 percent.

“Growth in Omaha and Lincoln continue to drive record high employment,” Commissioner of Labor Katie Thurber said. “The number of employed workers and the labor force as a whole have reached record highs for the fourth straight month.”         

Nonfarm employment, the number of filled jobs, was 1,063,415 in April, up 9,903 from March and up 5,727 from April 2024.

Private industries with the most growth between March and April were the leisure and hospitality sector (up 3,866 jobs); the professional and business services sector (up 2,543 jobs); and the mining and construction sector (up 1,604 jobs). Private industries with the most growth during the past year were the private education and health services sector (up 6,250 jobs); the leisure and hospitality sector (up 1,005 jobs); and the other services sector (up 821 jobs).

The labor force includes both employed workers and those who are actively looking for work. The counts of employed and unemployed in the labor force are based on a survey conducted by the Census Bureau regarding employment status.

* Brown County Sheriff’s Department weekly summary

(Posted 5:45 a.m. May 27)

May 18

• The Ainsworth Volunteer Fire Department responded to a fire north of Ainsworth. A Brown County Ambulance also paged for standby for the fire.
• Brown County Ambulance was dispatched to an Ainsworth residence and transported a patient to the Brown County Hospital.
• A traffic stop was made east of Ainsworth on Highway 20 for speeding. The driver received a written warning.
• A traffic stop was made on Main Street in Long Pine for a vehicle driving 19 mph over the posted speed limit. The driver was issued a citation for speeding.
• A traffic stop was on Main Street in Long Pine for a vehicle driving 18 mph over the posted speed limit. The driver was issued a citation for speeding.
• A traffic stop was on Main Street in Long Pine for a vehicle driving 12 mph over the posted speed limit. The driver received a citation for speeding, a repair order for defective lights, and warning for expired vehicle registration.

May 19

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office responded to a complaint of vandalism to a mailbox. This is an ongoing investigation.
• A traffic stop was made east of Ainsworth on Highway 20 for a vehicle driving 20 mph over the posted speed limit. The driver was given a citation for speeding.
• A traffic stop was made south of Ainsworth on Highway 7 for a vehicle driving 15 mph over the posted speed limit. The driver received a citation for speeding.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office released an inmate from the Brown County Jail on a personal recognizance bond.
• A traffic stop was made on 4^th in Ainsworth for speed. The driver received a written warning for speed.

May 20

• A Brown County deputy took a complaint of a juvenile ringing a doorbell and running away. The juvenile was contacted by the deputy.
• A traffic stop was made on 4^th in Ainsworth for driving 12 mph over the posted speed limit. The driver was given a citation for speeding.

May 21

• A traffic stop was made west of Ainsworth on Highway 20 for speeding. The driver received a written for speeding.
• A Brown County deputy assisted an Ainsworth resident with scam phone calls and text messages that they were receiving.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office placed an individual under emergency protective custody and was transported by a deputy and Brown County Ambulance to a medical facility.

May 22

• The Brown County Ambulance was dispatched to an Ainsworth residence and transported a patient to the Brown County Hospital.
• The Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a request to contact a couple of Ainsworth residents and notify them of a death in the family. Deputies were able to contact residents in Ainsworth.
• The Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of calves out north of Ainsworth. Dispatchers contacted the owners of the calves.

May 23

• Brown County Sheriff and deputy were contacted about a person in Ainsworth stalking and following someone around the area. The sheriff and deputy stopped the reported person. This is an ongoing investigation.
• A traffic stop was made on Highway 20 near Long Pine on a vehicle traveling 20 mph over the posted speed limit. While the Brown County deputy was speaking with the driver of the vehicle it was discovered that the driver was speeding due to a possible theft of their purse and all the contents in the vehicle’s wallets. The deputy contacted the police department where the theft was committed. The individual who took the purse was found and the property was returned to the owner.
• Brown County deputies responded to a single vehicle accident that hit a cow on a county road near Johnstown.

May 24

• Brown County Ambulance was dispatched to Elsmere Road and transported a patient to the Brown County Hospital.
• Brown County deputies received a report of a physical altercation between two Ainsworth residents at a gas station in Ainsworth. This is an ongoing investigation.
• Brown County deputies responded to a vandalism and trespassing call north on Meadville Avenue. Deputies contacted the reported person on the property. The person was informed that they are not allowed on the property. Deputies stood by and verified that the person left the property.
• A traffic stop was made on two vehicles on 4^th in Ainsworth for driving 17 mph over the posted speed limit. Both drivers received citations for speeding.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a couple of juveniles in Ainsworth were messing with people’s mailboxes and ringing doorbells and running away. The juveniles were contacted by deputies.
• A traffic stop was made on 4^thin Ainsworth for speeding. The driver received a written warning for speed.
• A traffic stop was made on 4^th in Ainsworth for speeding. The driver received a written warning for speed.

Weekly Log
Calls – 810
911 Calls – 11
Calls for Service – 11
Vin Inspections – 8
Handgun Purchase Permit – 2
Inmates Housed – 2

* Highway 7 micro-surfacing work begins June 2

(Posted 10 p.m. May 25)

Weather permitting, micro-surfacing work will begin June 2 on Highway 7  beginning at the Highway 91 intersection and proceeding to the north for 8 miles, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

Intermountain Slurry Seal of Watsonville, Calif., is the contractor. Traffic will be maintained with a pilot car and flaggers. Anticipated completion is June.

Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down.

* Work to begin Tuesday on Highway 12

(Posted 12:15 p.m. May 22)

Weather permitting, work will begin Tuesday, May 27, on Highway 12 between Butte and Spencer from milepost 113 to 123, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

Knife River Midwest, of Sioux City, Iowa, is the prime contractor for the project. Work includes culvert repair, milling, asphalt paving and seeding operations.

The roadway will be temporarily reduced to single lanes for daily paving operations. Traffic will be maintained with a pilot car and flaggers and Automated Flagging Assistance Device. Anticipated completion is late June.

Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down.

* Area students graduate from Wayne State College

(Posted 9:15 a.m. May 22)

Wayne State College held commencement ceremonies for graduate and undergraduate students on May 10 in the college’s Willow Bowl amphitheater.

Area students graduating from Wayne State College include:

Hannah Keller of Long Pine, a Bachelor’s degree in communication studies.

Tristen (Sell) Gardner of Grand Island formerly of Bassett, with a Master of Science degree in education – curriculum and instruction – instructional leadership/family and consumer sciences.

Courtni Peterson of Stuart, with a Master of Science degree in school counseling PK-12.

Will Thiele of Atkinson, with a Master of Science degree in curriculum and instruction – instructional leadership/English education.

* Commissioners set hearing on road vacation

(Posted 10:30 a.m. May 21)

The Brown County Commissioners on Tuesday set a public hearing for 1:30 p.m. June 17 to consider vacating a road in the southern part of the county.

After receiving a request to vacate the Harry Johnston Road located in Section 34, Township 25, Range 22 West, Highway Superintendent Kenny Turpin conducted a study and recommended the county proceed with vacating the dedicated county road. All of the property adjacent to the stretch is owned by one landowner.

Following the hearing June 17, during which the public can speak about the proposed vacation, the commissioners will make a determination on vacating the road.

In other business Tuesday, the board agreed to have the Brown County Agricultural Society repay the county’s inheritance tax fund over a three-year period for the cost of replacing the roof on the Johnstown Community Hall.

The county provided the Agricultural Society $52,000 from the inheritance tax fund to pay for the cost of the roofing project, with the organization paying back the inheritance tax over time. The ag society will pay $20,000 by Dec. 31, 2026, another $20,000 by Dec. 31, 2027, and a final $12,000 by Dec. 31, 2028.

Ag society representative Craig Smith said the roofing project is complete, and the contractor performing the work was very efficient. Smith said the contractor also had time, at the ag society’s expense, to put a new tin roof on the animal building.

After discussion on when to have the payment due, Agricultural Society President Alex Goochey said the county treasurer has handled the transfers in the past from the group’s sinking fund.

“In the past, we have never seen the sinking fund money,” Goochey said. “It just goes back to the inheritance fund account.”

The resolution originally called for annual payments to be made by July 31 of each year, but Clerk Travee Hobbs said the property tax allocated to the agricultural society’s sinking fund won’t be fully collected each year until September.

The resolution was adjusted to require the payment by Dec.31 of each year. With Board Chairman Dennis Bauer absent Tuesday, the commissioners approved the agreement.

The commissioners also approved the purchase of a used vehicle for county officials to use after Sheriff Brent Deibler reported the current 2006 Chevy Trailblazer was having electrical issues.

“We have had to use hand signals to make turns,” Deibler said. “We would like to replace it. Other officials can also use this vehicle.”

Commissioner Jeremiah Dailey said he didn’t necessarily want to replace any vehicles this year, but the fact that other officials can also use the vehicle swayed him a little.

Commissioner Don Painter said, for safety reasons, the vehicle should probably be replaced.

“We’ve put money into it twice,” Painter said.

The board approved a quote from First Class Auto for a 2012 Buick Enclave with 89,537 miles at a cost of $10,900, with the county receiving $2,000 as trade-in value for the 2006 Chevy Trailblazer with 131,948 miles for a cost to the county of $8,900. The money for the purchase will come from the county’s general fund.

The board also approved having Bauer sign a lease-purchase agreement for financing the purchase of the new radio system for the sheriff’s department.

The commissioners authorized Turpin to move forward with a service agreement with IWorQs for mapping and data entry for the roads department. The initial cost of setting up the county with the system is $7,000, with an annual fee of $4,500 after the initial setup. Turpin previously told the commissioners the system would reduce a substantial amount of paperwork and would allow him to track the work done on county roads.

Turpin reported there is a company that places new hard plastic liners inside deteriorating culverts to increase their longevity and keep the county from having to close roads for substantial periods of time to dig out and replace aging culverts.

Turpin said he would like to try the plastic liner on a culvert on South Pine Avenue to see how it works. He said the liner is supposed to harden better than even the original culvert.

“We could do that in a day or two instead of having the road closed for two weeks,” Turpin said. “They are doing some work for the state this way in a few weeks. I will have them give me an estimate.”

Dailey said it was at the very least worth checking into to see what the cost would be to have the company place the liner in the culvert.

The commissioners received budget requests from the Brown County Historical Society, the BKR Extension office and the Ainsworth Public Library for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The library’s $11,000 request was the same as the current fiscal year, while the Historical Society at $4,500 and the Extension office at $91,660 both requested small increases. The Extension office’s budget is shared between Brown, Rock and Keya Paha counties, with Brown County paying 42 percent of the budget, Rock County 33 percent and Keya Paha County 25 percent.

The commissioners acknowledged the requests. The funding amounts will be determined when the board approves the 2025-26 fiscal year budget in September.

In final action items Tuesday, the board approved tuition reimbursement in the amount of $495 for county employee Zach Welch and approved a transfer of $131 from the county’s miscellaneous general fund to the institution fund.

The next meeting of the Brown County Commissioners is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. June 3.

* Highway paint striping in area begins next week

(Posted 10:30 a.m. May 21)

Weather permitting, roadway paint striping will begin May 27 in the Merriman and Valentine areas, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

Sir Lines-A-Lot, LLC, of Edina, Minn., is the contractor for this project. Work includes repainting the yellow and white stripes on the roadways. This is a slow-speed mobile operation. Be aware of wet paint when approaching the striping equipment. After striping is completed in the Valentine area, work will progress into the Ainsworth, Springview and Bassett areas.

Anticipated completion is July. Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down.

* Despite ban being lifted, burn permits will not be issued

(Posted 7:45 a.m. May 21)

Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala reminds Brown County residents that, even though Gov. Jim Pillen lifted the statewide burn ban, burn permits are still required to burn any tree piles or debris.

Fiala said, at this time, fire chiefs in Brown County are not issuing any burn permits for tree piles or other controlled burns.

Fiala said the lifting of the statewide ban does allow for campfires and for people to burn trash in burn barrels if properly screened.

Anyone with questions may contact the fire chief in their area.

* Brown County Sheriff’s Department weekly summary

(Posted 9:45 a.m. May 19)

May 11

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of family members fighting each other in Ainsworth. A deputy responded to the reported address. Two citations were issued for fighting by mutual consent.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle parked on their property in the county that did not have permission to be parked there. When the reporting party was contacted he advised the vehicle had already left.
• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth on a vehicle that did not come to a complete stop at stop sign. The driver was given a written warning.

May 12

• A traffic stop was made for speeding in Ainsworth. The driver was given a written warning.
• Multiple traffic stops were made for speeding as they were entering into Long Pine. The sheriff’s department reminds motorists to pay attention to the speed limit signs as you are entering Long Pine, it drops from 45 mph to 25 mph.
• Brown County Ambulance assisted with a transfer of a patient from Cherry County Ambulance.

May 13

• The Brown County Ambulance was dispatched to an Ainsworth residence and transported a patient to the Brown County Hospital.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a request for a welfare check on an elderly Ainsworth resident. A deputy found the resident to be ok.
• The Brown County Ambulance assisted the Brown County Hospital with the transfer of a patient.
• A deputy responded to a two-vehicle accident near 4^th and Elm St. in Ainsworth. The driver of one of the vehicles received a citation for failure to yield to the right of way.
• Brown County Ambulance assisted the Brown County Hospital with the transfer of a patient.
• A deputy attended a multi-agency meeting at Winner, S.D.
• The Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle driving recklessly around Long Pine. A deputy was unable to locate the reported vehicle.

May 14

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report from another county that a semi from Brown County had an unsecured load and that debris from the vehicle chipped the window on his vehicle. The owners of the semi were contacted and relayed contact information of reporting party so they can handle it privately.
• A deputy investigated a report of a person burning on their property during a burn ban. It was found the fire was already put out.
• A Brown County resident reported juveniles fighting after school. This is still an ongoing investigation.
• Mutual aid was requested from the Calamus and Raven fire departments for a fire near Purdum.
• A fire was reported south of Ainsworth on Highway 7 near the hog barn. Ainsworth Fire Department responded to the fire.

May 15

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of vandalism to the newly poured concrete at East City Park. This is an ongoing investigation.
• The Brown County Sheriff’s Office was contacted for a welfare check of an elderly resident in Ainsworth. The resident was found to be ok.

May 16

• A traffic stop was made east of Ainsworth on Highway 20 for speeding. The driver received a citation for speeding 15 mph over the posted speed limit.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office was requested to perform a welfare check on an Ainsworth resident. The resident was found to be ok.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received reports a tree fell and knocked over a power line on Second Street in Ainsworth. NPPD was contacted.
• Brown County Ambulance assisted the Rock County Hospital with a patient transport.
• Brown County Ambulance assisted the Brown County Hospital with a patient transport.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report a tree that had fallen over and was blocking 885^th The Brown County Roads Department was contacted.
• A female was booked into the Brown County Jail on a court ordered commitment.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle driving around Ainsworth shooting a nerf gun at other cars in Ainsworth. A deputy was able to contact the driver of the vehicle.
• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth on a vehicle with a headlight not working. The driver was given a fix-it ticket.

May 17

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle parked in Ainsworth with two occupants sleeping inside of it.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a request for traffic control south of Ainsworth on Highway 7 for cattle crossing. A deputy attempted to provide traffic control, but the cows were already moved across the highway.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a fire 8 miles northeast of Ainsworth on the Bar 25 Road. Long Pine Fire and Ainsworth firefighters responded.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received reports of two vehicles driving recklessly on Highway 20.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a gas meter hit in the alley between Elm Street and Ash Street in Ainsworth. Deputies and the Ainsworth Fire Department responded. The Ainsworth Fire Department was able to turn off the meter and Black Hills Energy was contacted.
• Deputies patrolled in southwest Brown County due to an event in a neighboring county.
• A traffic stop was made on a vehicle south of Ainsworth on Highway 7 for speeding. The driver received a written warning.

Weekly Log
Calls – 725
911 Calls – 10
Calls for Service – 13
Vin Inspections – 3
Handgun Purchase Permit – 2
Inmates Housed – 3

* Area students graduate from UN-L

(Posted 8 a.m. May 19)

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln conferred 3,680 degrees during May commencement exercises.

The degrees were earned by 3,590 graduates from 57 countries, 46 U.S. states and 250-plus Nebraska communities.

Ainsworth
Maren Arens, College of Business, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Josie Ganser, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Bachelor of Science in Animal Science.

Long Pine
Logan Hafer, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with high distinction.

Bassett
Jillian M. Buell, College of Journalism and Mass Communications, Bachelor of Journalism.

Wood Lake
Shyanne Dawn Urbin, College of Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Biological Systems Engineering with highest distinction.

Stuart
Emma Claire Alder, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with high distinction.

Harlee Makenna Fischer, Graduate Studies, Master of Science.

Cameron John Sattler, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Bachelor of Science in Animal Science with high distinction.

Atkinson
Grace Alder, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry.

Rumen S. Rentschler, College of Business, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Valentine
Ryan Michael O’Kief, College of Business, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with high distinction.

* Area students graduate from UNMC

(Posted 11:45 a.m. May 16)

Diplomas and certificates were conferred on nearly 1,000 University of Nebraska Medical Center students during ceremonies held May 8 in Lincoln, Norfolk and Kearney and May 10 in Omaha and Scottsbluff.

Among the students graduating from UNMC are:

Ainsworth
Madison Welch, a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the College of Nursing Kearney Division

Payton Allen, a Master of Public Health degree with high distinction

Atkinson
Bailey Kraus, a Doctor of Pharmacy degree with distinction from the College of Pharmacy

Valentine
Reganne Schrunk, a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the College of Nursing Norfolk Division

Aretta Brennemann, a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the College of Nursing Scottsbluff Division

Rebecca Higgins, a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree

Spencer
Lauryn Hoffman, a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing with distinction from the College of Nursing Norfolk Division

Alyssa Ludwig, a Master of Science degree in nursing from the College of Nursing Norfolk Division

Kiryn Kayl, a Bachelor of Science degree in medical imaging and therapeutic sciences from the College of Allied Health Professions at Omaha

* Work to begin on Highway 11 south of Butte

(Posted 3:15 p.m. May 15)

Weather permitting, work will begin the week of May 19 on Highway 11 from the Niobrara River north to Butte between milepost 175 and 181, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

Knife River Midwest, of Sioux City, Iowa, is the prime contractor for the project. Work includes bridge repair, culvert installation, milling, asphalt paving, flume installation, guardrail installation and seeding.

Traffic will be maintained with temporary traffic signals and a pilot car and flaggers. A 12-foot width restriction will be in effect. Anticipated completion is August.

Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down.

* City’s health insurance premium increasing by 40 percent

(Posted 9:45 a.m. May 15)

The Ainsworth City Council learned Wednesday that renewing its health insurance policy through the League of Nebraska Municipalities group plan would cost the city 40 percent more than the current year’s plan.

Dennis Maggart with McInnis Group explained to the council by phone the reasons for the premium increase, which will result in approximately $9,000 in additional monthly expense for the city if renewed.

Maggart said the LIGHT group policy through the league has 14 tables to rank each municipality in the group. He said there is only a difference of 5 percent in the premium cost between Table 1, the lowest risk, and Table 13, the second-highest risk. The difference in premium, however, between Table 13 and Table 14, the highest-risk category, was 25 percent.

Maggart said there are several factors that come into play when underwriters place members of the group in tables, and Ainsworth’s age of employees and claim history moved the city from Table 13 to Table 14, the highest-risk, for the 2025-26 plan year. That 25 percent premium jump from the table change, coupled with an overall increase in the premiums for the group policy, resulted in Ainsworth seeing a 40 percent total premium increase.

“Your loss ratio warranted the increase,” Maggart said. “We were made aware of a situation that will help you, but that came after the cutoff date. That’s why I am confident you will see your rate go back down next year.”

Maggart said the city saved about 25 percent in its premiums when it made the switch to the LIGHT policy through the League of Municipalities.

“The pool is still working for you, but it is hard to see that with this kind of increase,” Maggart said. “Your rates are still about 15 percent lower than what you would find outside the pool.”

Maggart said one benefit of being in the group plan is the overhead costs are lower than if the city was on its own.

“In the long haul, this will still be the least expensive option for the city,” Maggart said. “I am optimistic this is a one-year bump for you, and you will have the opportunity to move down two tables next year.”

Councilman Kent Taylor said he has been a part of group pools before, and he had never seen individual members punished like this. Taylor asked how many members were in the pool and how many of those members were in Table 14 like Ainsworth.

Maggart said there were about 80 cities involved in the pool, and there were at least two other cities who received Table 14 designations.

“You were the only member who moved from Table 13 to Table 14 for the upcoming year,” Maggart said. “This program is run by cities for the benefit of the cities. We want to be completely transparent with you. I know there is some shock this year, but I feel this is still a great plan for you.”

Maggart said there has never been a member of the pool who has found a better policy that provided the same level of benefits outside the pool.

“We have never had a group leave once they are in,” Maggart said.

Councilman Dustin Barthel said he believed the city should at least explore other potential insurance plans to compare to the premium increase the city was seeing with the group plan.

Mayor Joel Klammer said, after visiting with Maggart, he understood the process a little better.

“We can have Lisa (Schroedl) make some calls,” the mayor said. “My gut feeling is we won’t do better.”

The council tabled action on the health insurance renewal.

In other business Wednesday, the council approved the city’s one- and six-year streets improvement plan as presented. The plan was created by Streets Superintendent Lloyd Smith with Niobrara Valley Consultants of Valentine.

Streets Foreman Jade Egle said the plan included only maintenance on the city’s streets for the one-year plan, and nothing had been added or subtracted from the previous year’s plan.

Egle encouraged the council to begin the process of creating a paving district that would replace the current asphalt on Pine and First streets and the city’s portion of Meadville Avenue with concrete.

“We need to try and get our emergency routes done as soon as possible,” Egle said. “They are in bad shape.”

Councilman Brad Fiala said the city definitely needed to get a paving district started for First and Pine streets and Old Highway 7.

Barthel said he would be in favor of going with concrete for the paving district. Taylor said, for the long term, there was no question the city should go with concrete for the streets.

Egle said the paving district needed to be at the top of the city’s priority list. He said we was going to try to save some money by using AMZ for any cracks in the streets and hold off on armor coating since armor coating prices had increased substantially.

Fiala said there may be some state or federal funding available to help with the cost of the project since the streets serve as emergency routes.

With a paving district, residents who own property along the streets in the district are assessed for a portion of the cost of the pavement based on lot sizes adjacent to the streets. After a paving district is created, property owners adjacent to the streets have the option of opting out. If more than 50 percent of the total property is opted out by the owners, then the paving district fails and the streets are not renovated.

It has been more than a decade since the city’s last paving project, which saw portions of several streets receive new concrete while other blocks were opted out by property owners and not improved.

Klammer said it was clear the council was in agreement to start taking steps to create a paving district.

In another streets item, the council approved a motion that the city would not provide any special designations for parking spaces on Main Street other than the handicap spaces already in place.

Klammer said the city received a request from a business for a designated parking space in front of their business on Main Street.

“It is my personal opinion we don’t need any special parking on Main Street,” the mayor said.

Fiala said, if the city grants one designated parking space, there would be no way to turn away additional requests.

“I am not in favor of providing any designated parking,” Fiala said.

Fiala said Main Street already lost 16 parking spaces during the recent renovation project by the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

Klammer said he believed it would clear things up if the council passed a motion that there would be no special designated parking spaces allowed other than the current handicap parking spaces. The council voted unanimously to affirm that suggestion.

In other action items, the council approved an LB 840 façade grant application for up to $10,000 to cover the cost of 50 percent of improvements made by a business to its building. North Central Development Center Executive Director Kristin Olson said the LB 840 loan committee reviewed the application and determined it met the façade program guidelines.

The council also approved a recommendation from the ABC Committee to provide $2,500 in funding to the Ainsworth Commercial Club for a Fourth of July fireworks display at the Ainsworth Golf Course.

Fiala said the Ainsworth Commercial Club was agreeable to adjusting the date of the display if conditions in July resulted in a fireworks ban in the county. He said, if the display is held July 4, either the Ainsworth or Johnstown fire department would have a presence at the golf course in case the fireworks sparked a fire.

The council approved a 3 percent cost of living wage increase for the 2025-26 fiscal year for city employees who are members of Local Union No. 1597 IBEW AFL-CIO.

Klammer said City Administrator Lisa Schroedl met with representatives from the union, who requested the 3 percent cost of living increase. Klammer said the Consumer Price Index was 2.7 percent. He said the difference between 2.7 percent and 3 percent amounted to pennies per hour, and the increase would help keep the city’s wage scale competitive considering the state’s minimum wage would increase from $13.50 to $15 per hour for 2026.

The council approved a special designated liquor license request and street closure for the Silver Circle for an annual event June 28 during alumni weekend. The request was to close the alley behind the business and to close Second Street between Main Street and the west alley during the event.

Fiala said the request was the same as had been approved in past years. Taylor said he has never heard of any problems stemming from previous years.

The council tabled action on a proposal from Tower Alliance to buy out the company’s tower lease with the city for a one-time payment of $170,000. The council currently receives approximately $780 per month to lease the tower to the company. The matter was tabled to allow City Attorney Michael Sholes time to review the proposal and make a recommendation to the council.

The council approved the mayor’s recommended appointments of Shawn Fernau and Robbie Ashcraft to fill vacancies on the city’s park board created by the departures of Brian Delimont and Robby France.

Klammer said Delimont and France were both moving from the community, and Ashcraft and Fernau are both active at East City Park with the softball and baseball programs.

Klammer also recognized longtime city streets employee Monte Goshorn, who recently retired after 44 years of employment with the city.

Klammer presented Goshorn with a gift and thanked him for his years of dedicated service to the city.

Following an executive session prior to adjourning Wednesday, the council voted to offer the North Central Development Center a one-year contract for $40,000 to manage the city’s LB 840 program. The current agreement, which paid the NCDC $65,000 to manage the development program, expired March 31.

The next meeting of the Ainsworth City Council is scheduled for 5 p.m. June 11.

* Hafer graduates from UN-L Honors Program

(Posted 10 a.m. May 13)

A total of 205 graduating seniors have completed the requirements of the University Honors Program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

To graduate from the Honors Program, students must maintain at least a 3.5 grade-point average, complete a culminating senior project or research thesis, and fulfill other curricular requirements. 

“These students have accomplished so much throughout their time here, and we are excited to see what comes next for each of them,” said Tyler White, faculty director of the Honors Program. “They should all be proud of their achievements as they begin the next part of their lives.” 

Logan Hafer of Long Pine is graduating in the Honors Program from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

* Area students graduate from Northeast Community College

(Posted 9:45 a.m. May 13)

Area students graduating Friday, May 9, from Northeast Community College at Norfolk during spring commencement were:

Ainsworth
Joseph McNair with an Associate of Applied Science degree in paramedic

Bassett
Jade Johnson with an Associate of Arts degree and an Associate of Science degree
William Pfister with a diploma in welding and a certificate in welding
Dalton Clemens with a certificate in welding

Mills
Raden Orton with an Associate of Applied Science degree in building construction

Stuart
Lexi Schroder with an Associate of Applied Science degree in paramedic
Jonathan Fessler with a certificate in information technology

Atkinson
Autumn Hoppe with an Associate of Applied Science degree in agriculture-agribusiness
Isaiah Skrdla with an Associate of Arts degree
Brody Deseive with an Associate of Applied Science degree in business
Cadey Schaaf with an Associate of Science degree
Ian Larson with an Associate of Applied Science degree in heating, ventilation and air conditioning
Weston Mathis with a diploma in automotive technology and a certificate in automotive light service technician
Rylan Olson with a certificate in automotive light service technician

Valentine
Jack Lancaster with an Associate of Arts degree
Jaycie Cox with an Associate of Science degree
Malika-Shae Monroe with an Associate of Arts degree
Jackson Ravenscroft with an Associate of Applied Science degree in building construction
Jace Patterson with an Associate of Applied Science degree in information technology, a certificate in information security, and a certificate in Cisco Networking Academy
Nathan Perrett with an Associate of Applied Science degree in media arts and a certificate in media production
Becca McGinley with an Associate of Applied Science degree in paramedic

* School Board approves ESU special education contract

(Posted 7 a.m. May 13)

The Ainsworth Community Schools Board of Education on Monday approved a more than $600,000 contract with the Educational Service Unit 17 to provide special education and nursing services to the district for the 2025-26 school year.

ESU 17 Administrator Geraldine Erickson told the board providing special education services is not a money making venture for the ESU, the goal is to break even and cover the costs of providing the service.

Erickson said the state of Nebraska now provides reimbursement to school districts for 80 percent of the cost of providing special education services.

“It had been at 80 percent, but the state didn’t add money to the program and for a while it got down to about 42 percent,” Erickson said. “It has now been boosted back up by the state to 80 percent.”

Board President Brad Wilkins asked if all of the expenses on the contract would be reimbursed at the 80 percent level by the state. Erickson said everything in the contract was reimbursable.

The cost to the district for speech and occupational therapy, as well as providing a school psychologist, early childhood and nursing services to Ainsworth Community Schools will cost an estimated $604,160 for the 2025-26 school year. Erickson said the total cost would not be any higher than that total, but it could be lower based on the actual costs incurred by the ESU to provide the services.

The Educational Service Unit 17 covers Brown, Rock, Keya Paha and Cherry counties. There are five school districts in the ESU’s coverage area – Ainsworth, Rock County, Keya Paha County, Valentine and Cody-Kilgore.

The ESU has been fully providing special education services to Ainsworth Community Schools for more than 25 years.

The board unanimously approved the special education services contract, and approved an additional $31,626 contract with the ESU to provide nursing services to regular education students in addition to nursing services for special education students. The contract for the regular education nursing services is not reimbursed by the state.

Following a discussion of the numerous bids received and a debate on whether the district should handle the removal itself, the board unanimously approved a bid from Complete Floors of Norfolk to replace the flooring in the school’s cafeteria and kitchen.

The board compared the bids from Complete Flooring, Gaughenbaugh Flooring of O’Neill and Nelson Furniture of Valentine. One of the bids provided a roughly $9,000 price difference if the district removed the current flooring itself. Wilkins said it might make sense to have the district’s custodial staff handle the removal if it could.

Board members Jake Graff, Bryan Doke and Jessica Pozehl each indicated they were in favor of having the company handle the removal of the current flooring.

Superintendent Dale Hafer said all the companies who provided quotes to the district have good reviews. He said Keya Paha County has been happy with Complete Flooring and has them coming back this year for another project.

“O’Neill St. Mary’s and Elkhorn Valley have also used them and are happy,” Hafer said.

The board unanimously approved the quote for epoxy flooring in the kitchen at a cost of $17,041 and LVT vinyl flooring in the cafeteria at a cost of $23,339 for a total of $40,380. The board opted to use funding from its depreciation account to pay for the flooring.

Custodian Joe McMurtrey said the flooring project would start after summer school was completed and be finished prior to Aug. 1.

The board set school breakfast and lunch prices for the 2025-26 school year as recommended by Lunchtime Solutions based off the Paid Lunch Equity formula.

Hafer said the federal government has a tool to guide districts on how their meal prices should be set based on the reimbursement provided by the government for students who receive free or reduced-price meals.

“We have a balance of about $71,000 in the fund,” the superintendent said. “The fund has decreased a little this year, but we are still in good shape.”

Hafer said the rule of thumb is to keep enough funds in the account to cover three months of expenses. He said the district currently has 2.4 months of reserves.

“If we take small increases each year, it keeps us from having to take big jumps later,” Hafer said.

The board approved breakfast prices of $2.10 per meal, with elementary lunch at $3.65 and middle school and high school lunch at $3.75 for the 2025-26 school year. The prices increased by 10 cents per meal from the current school year, with the exception of elementary lunch prices, which will increase by 20 cents.

The board approved the resignations of two certified staff members effective at the end of the current school year. Third-grade teacher Sarah Carpenter submitted her resignation after 12 years at Ainsworth Community Schools. She said her family was relocating to another community.

Seventh- and eighth-grade English teacher Tamera Hancock submitted her resignation after 11 years with the district. She said she was pursuing other professional opportunities. Both thanked the school board for allowing them to teach in the district.

Hafer indicated Bobbi Jo Robinson would move from a special education position to fill the third-grade position.

He said the district now has two English teaching openings that needed to be filled. He said the district interviewed and worked hard to recruit an applicant with local ties for one of the openings who would also have been interested in coaching, but he said ultimately the timing was not right for that candidate to relocate.

The superintendent said the principals and counselor were working to create schedules to address the possibility the district would not be able to fill both positions, but he hoped the district would be able to find candidates to fill the spots. He said he may have the board hold a work session to discuss options and provide guidance.

The board approved the review of district policies 604 through 606 with the exception of policy 605.07, which relates to the district’s part-time student policy. Hafer said that policy was on hold for now depending on action that might be taken by the Nebraska Legislature.

The board also approved the first reading of a revision to policy 508.13 which relates to wellness services.

Hafer said board member Frank Beel had previously met with him over concerns he had about the wellness policy. Hafer said the district sent questions to Jim Luebbe with the Nebraska Association of School Boards, who indicated several districts had inquired about the same policy.

“The revisions will make things simpler and more streamlined,” Hafer said. “It won’t get us bogged down with things that don’t make sense for us to do. This revised policy will probably be the new policy for about a dozen districts now.”

At the outset of Monday’s meeting, students Blake Hansmeyer and Adeline Hladky presented their National History Day national-qualifying projects to the board. Hansmeyer created an individual documentary titled “Mendez v. Westminster” that delved into a school desegregation court case in California.

Hladky presented her individual exhibit titled “The Right to Safe Food.” Hladky and Hansmeyer will compete in Maryland during the National History Day contest after finishing in the top two at the state level of competition.

Prior to the regular board meeting Monday, the board conducted its second Americanism meeting as required by the state.

The next meeting of the Ainsworth Community Schools Board of Education is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 9.

* Area students to graduate Friday from UNK

(Posted 1:30 p.m. May 12)

Graduate and undergraduate degrees will be conferred for 729 University of Nebraska at Kearney students during commencement exercises at 10 a.m. Friday (May 16) in UNK’s Health and Sports Center.

Students graduating with honors include: summa cum laude, 3.90-4.00; magna cum laude, 3.80-3.89; cum laude, 3.70-3.79; and honorable mention, 3.50-3.69.

Area students graduating Friday are:

Ainsworth
CeeAnna Beel, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Education degree in elementary education

Wood Lake
Holden Mundorf, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration

Stuart
Alyssa King, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and sociology

Atkinson
Jordyn Laible, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Education degree in elementary education

Valentine
Mekallyn Bancroft, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration
Rhiannon Painter, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration
Bobbie Jo Roshone, graduating with a Master of Arts degree in history
Ellana Springer, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Education degree in modern languages

* Brown County Sheriff’s Department weekly summary

(Posted 10:45 a.m. May 12)

May 4

• Brown County deputies went to the gun range for training.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of damaged property in Long Pine. Deputies contacted the suspected person, and it was worked out between the two parties.
• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth for speeding. The driver of the vehicle received a citation for driving 15 mph over the posted speed limit.
• A traffic stop was made east on Highway 20 for speeding. The driver of the vehicle received a citation for driving 11 mph over the posted speed limit and no proof of insurance on their vehicle.

May 5

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office assisted in a fire drill at Ainsworth Community Schools.
• The Brown County Ambulance helped with transferring a patient from the Brown County Hospital.
• Brown County deputies responded to a verbal argument between two house members in Ainsworth. The individuals were separated for the remainder of the night.
• Brown County \deputies responded to an argument between family members in Ainsworth. Deputies spoke to the reporting party, and she was found to be ok.
• A traffic stop was made in Long Pine for speeding. The driver was given a written warning.

May 6

• Brown County deputies responded to an argument between family members in Ainsworth. The reporting party asked the deputies to remove her family from her house. The family left the residence.
• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth for no registration/license plates on their vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was given a fix-it ticket.
• A traffic stop was made in Long Pine for speeding. The driver received a written warning.
• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth for an individual driving without headlights after dark. The driver received a fix-it ticket for his lights not working properly and a fix-it ticket to update his driver’s license.

May 7

• Brown County deputies walked around the elementary field day at East City Park in Ainsworth.
• A traffic stop was made south on Highway 7 for speeding. The driver received a citation for driving 15 mph over the posted speed limit.
• A traffic stop was made for speeding east on Highway 20. The driver received a written warning.

May 8

• Brown County Ambulance was requested for a transfer.
• Brown County sheriff and deputies received annual training on implicit bias, de-escalation and legislative updates.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle driving erratically on highway 20.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a request from a Brown County resident with help getting their bull back into the pasture.
• Brown County deputies were called to residence in Ainsworth for the neighbor yelling and cussing at them. The individual yelling and cussing received a citation for disturbing the peace.

May 9

• A traffic stop was made east on Highway 20 for driving left of center and driving on the shoulder of the highway. The driver was given a written warning for both violations.
• A semi was stopped in Ainsworth because of large amounts of possible smoke coming from the semi. It was learned that the semi had an exhaust problem, and that the semi was possibly burning oil.
• A Brown County deputy investigated a 911 hang up in Brown County. The deputy was able to contact the person who called 911 and found that everyone was alright.

May 10

• A traffic stop was made south on Highway 7 for speeding. The driver was given a written warning.
• A traffic stop was made west on Highway 20. The driver received a citation for driving 15 mph over the posted speed limit.

* Schroedl discusses park improvement project

(Posted 4:30 p.m. May 7)

Ainsworth City Administrator Lisa Schroedl appeared on KBRB’s Open Line program Wednesday to discuss a project underway at East City Park.

The conversation is located below.

* Ainsworth High School Academic Awards presented

(Posted 12:45 p.m. May 7)

During the Ainsworth High School Academic Awards Tuesday, seniors Hannah Beel and Preselyn Goochey received the annual Principal’s Leadership Awards. Emma Kennedy was selected to be the senior class speaker during graduation Sunday.

Twelve students were inducted into the National Honor Society, including seniors Jaden Lee and Logan Schroedl, juniors Chris Fernandez and Payton Moody, and sophomores Londyn Dunbar, Willa Flynn, Jaylee Good, Puridy Haley, Addison Held, Erick Hitchcock, Kiley Orton and Gracyn Painter.

Emma Kennedy was named to the Norfolk Daily News All-Academic Team and was honorable mention with Jordan Beatty on the Omaha World-Herald All-Academic Team.

William Biltoft and Adysson Sears recorded the highest ACT English scores, William Biltoft and Sam Titus the highest ACT reading scores. The highest ACT math score went to Jace Johnson.

For Pre-ACT, Erick Hitchcock and Ryan Kerrigan had the highest English score, Erick Hitchcock, Jaylee Good and Teigan Marbry the highest reading score and Ben Clingman and Erick Hitchcock the highest math score.

The highest Math Fastbridge score was recorded by Sam Titus, and Jaxon Rucker had the highest Fastbridge Automaticity score.

Students received awards from each class at Ainsworth High School. Those awards were presented by each classroom teacher.

Art

Maria Galarza was named the Artist of the Year. Annick Altamirano and Axel Gress received the Drawing Student of the Year awards. Addison Held and Jacob Held were the Beginning Artists of the Year. Madison Phares and Renata Pedreira Arizmendiz were named the Painting Students of the Year.

Graphic Design Student of the Year was shared by Brian Eick and Talone Trip. Madison Palmer and Gracyn Painter were the Pottery Students of the Year. Artistic honorable mention awards were given to Maya Macias Villalobos and Londyn Dunbar.

Industrial Technology

The Industrial Technology Students of the Year were Owen Blumenstock, Gus Ganser, Tyrin Daniels and Bateson Raymond.

Family and Consumer Science

In Food and Nutrition, Rowan Lemunyan was named the outstanding student and John Lewis and David Cook received the Cheffin’ It Up Award.

Outstanding achievement awards in the dual credit medical terminology class went to Jace Johnson and Megan Jones. The dual credit nutrition bedside manner outstanding student went to Addah Booth.

Payton Moody and Adysson Sears received outstanding achievement awards in interior design. Abbigail Paulson received an outstanding achievement award in fashion design, with Renata Pedreira Arizmendiz receiving outstanding achievement in interpersonal relationships. Outstanding achievement in child development went to Kiley Orton, with Addah Booth receiving the outstanding achievement award in families and crisis.

Physical Education

Kyle Fernandez received the strength class Newcomer of the Year Award, and Cole Swanson was named the strength class Lifter of the Year.

Math

Ben Clingman was named the Geometry Student of the Year, with Aiden Jackman receiving the Technical Math Student of the Year Award. Emma Kennedy received the Outstanding Student Award in Calculus. Precalculus Outstanding Achievement went to Jaden Lee, with the Outstanding Dedication awards to Hannah Beel and Jordan Beatty.

In Algebra II, Outstanding Achievement awards were presented to Londyn Dunbar, Willa Flynn, Jaylee Good, Erick Hitchcock, Jace Johnson, Megan Jones, Angeles Manoatl Sedeno and Sam Titus.

Outstanding Achievement in Algebra I went to Maya Macias Villalobos, with Outstanding Dedication awards to Carson Koch and Jaxon Rucker.

Agriculture

Braxton Fletcher was the Student of the Year in Floriculture, Nursery and Landscape and Cassandra Cole received the Friendly Neighbor Award.

Miah Ortner was named the Ag Business and Sales Student of the Year with Morgan Kinney the Friendly Neighbor Award.

The Plant Science and Agronomy Student of the Year was presented to Annick Altamirano, with Branden Freudenburg receiving the Friendly Neighbor Award.

In Animal Science and Large Animal Management, Londyn Dunbar was the Student of the Year and Kenley Welke received the Friendly Neighbor Award.

Megan Jones and Hannah Beel were the Students of the Year in Ag Leadership and Vet Science, with Addah Booth receiving the Friendly Neighbor Award.

The Intro to Ag Student of the Year was presented to Ben Clingman, with Jacob Ortner receiving the Friendly Neighbor Award.

Spanish

Kyle Fernandez was named the Student of the Year in Spanish I, and Kiley Orton received the Student of the Year award in Spanish II.

Business

Willa Flynn, Jaylee Good and Erick Hitchcock were named the Personal Finance outstanding students for the first semester, with Londyn Dunbar and Puridy Haley the outstanding students for the second semester.

In Accounting I, Angel Ajin, Tyrin Daniels and Gus Ganser were named the outstanding students, with Jaden Lee receiving the award for Accounting II and Jace Johnson the award in Information Technology.

English

Academic Excellence awards in Public Speaking went to Puridy Haley, Willa Flynn, Maria Galarza, Jaylee Good, Addi Held, Erick Hitchcock and Kiley Orton.

In English II, outstanding students were Londyn Dunbar, Puridy Haley, Willa Flynn, Erick Hitchcock and Gracyn Painter.

English II Fiction Writing awards were given to Londyn Dunbar and Jodie Denny, with Erick Hitchcock and Kiley Orton receiving Research Writing awards.

The academic excellence award in Workplace Communications went to Renata Perdeira Arizmendiz, and Jacob Held and Terra Shoemaker received academic excellence awards in Speech Communication.

The Composition I Outstanding Achievement Award went to Emma Kennedy, with Mason Painter being named the Most Improved Writer.

In Composition II, Outstanding Achievement awards went to Jordan Beatty and Jaden Lee, with Morgan Kinney named the Hardest Working Writer.

The Novels awards were given to Jordan Beatty and Jaden Lee. Outstanding achievement in English Lab was awarded to Abbigail Burton.

English I Outstanding Students were Raelynn Reagan, Lilyan Beel and Graham Duester. English III Outstanding Students were Adysson Sears, Payton Moody, Addah Booth and Megan Jones.

Social Studies

The Government Student of the Year was presented to Maria Galarza, with Emma Kennedy named the Future Politician.

Outstanding Achievement awards in Psychology/Sociology were given to Adolfo Rojas Salazar and Annick Altamirano.

Outstanding Achievement awards in Social Studies were presented to Carson Koch, Bear Rea and Raelynn Reagan, with John Lewis named the most improved freshman.

In World History, Academic Excellence awards were given to Jaylee Good, Puridy Haley, Addison Held, Erick Hitchcock, Kiley Orton and Jonathan Strand. The most improved student award was Ty Bolli.

In American History, Payton Moody, Madison Phares, Adysson Sears and Sam Titus were presented Academic Excellence awards, with Brian Eick named the most improved student.

Science

In Physical Science, the Academic Excellence Award was presented to Skyler Flageolle. Maya Macias Villalobos was named the Rising Star, with Jacob Ortner receiving the Awesome Attitude award, Raelynn Reagan the Extra Mile award, Dylan Titus the Mad Scientist award and Carson Koch the Friendly Neighbor award.

In Biology, Puridy Haley received the Academic Excellence Award, with awards going to Gracyn Painter as the Rising Star, Willa Flynn for Awesome Attitude, Ty Bolli the Extra Mile, Braedyn Ziemba the Mad Scientist, and Braylin Rudnick the Friendly Neighbor award.

In College Biology, the Academic Excellence award was presented to Jordan Beatty. Hannah Beel received the Mad Scientist award and Terra Shoemaker the Rising Star.

Megan Jones received the Academic Excellence award in Anatomy and Physiology.

Jace Johnson received the Academic Excellence award in Earth Science, with Witten Painter given the Awesome Attitude award, Madison Phares the Extra Mile award, Kaden Evans the Mad Scientist, Brian Eick the Rising Star, and William Biltoft and Zaily Daniels the Friendly Neighbors.

In Chemistry, the Academic Excellence award was presented to Megan Jones. Adysson Sears was recognized for Awesome Attitude, Addah Booth for Extra Mile, Payton Moody for Friendly Neighbor and Sam Titus as the Mad Scientist.

Emma Kennedy received the Academic Excellence award in Physics.

* Commissioners hear report on Plum Creek Fire

(Posted 3:15 p.m. May 6)

Brown County Emergency Manager Traci Booth on Tuesday provided the Board of Commissioners with a timeline of the response to the Plum Creek Wildfire complex.

The fire was reported at 3:20 p.m. Monday, April 21. Booth said, within two hours, the county’s emergency operations center was up and operating which allowed aerial operations to be utilized as needed.

Booth said the county designated the fire as a disaster on Tuesday, which opened the door to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and state resources such as the Nebraska National Guard to assist volunteer responders.

She said the fire was officially closed on Wednesday, April 30, as any remaining hotspots were deemed to be a far enough distance from the fire’s perimeter.

“We are now working with landowners on individual assistance through their insurance and with USDA and the FSA,” Booth said. “We will meet again in June with everyone to go over what went right and what needs to be worked on.”

Commissioner Dennis Bauer asked if a total damage estimate had been finalized.

“It’s important for those fire departments to be able to recover their costs,” Bauer said.

Booth said her department was in the process of compiling those figures and was working with all the responding departments that provided assistance.

Commissioner Jeremiah Dailey, who serves as a volunteer firefighter, said the Brown County Rural Fire Board believed it had the money in its budget to cover the initial expenses while awaiting potential reimbursement.

Booth said there were no reports of injuries or equipment breaking down during the firefighting effort.

Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala said Gov. Jim Pillen extended the burn ban to May 10 for this area. However, if Pillen does not extend the ban past May 10, the local fire departments are prepared to implement a fire ban starting May 11. Fiala said warm and windy conditions in the forecast would again lead to the possibility of dangerous fire weather.

Bauer said, “We haven’t had enough rain to put an end to anything.”

In other business Tuesday, the commissioners approved making the upcoming interest payment on the Meadville Avenue bond project from the roads department buyback fund. Treasurer Bruce Mitchell said there was enough in that fund to cover the $7,992 payment on the bond. The bulk of the highway bond payments will not start coming due until after the Brown County Hospital addition bond is paid in full.

Highway Superintendent Kenny Turpin said it was nice not having to patch numerous holes on Meadville Avenue like the roads department had to do in the past.

Bauer reported the Nebraska Department of Transportation had provided the county with information on an asphalt renovation project for a 9.3-mile stretch of Highway 20 from the west edge of Johnstown to the west edge of the Ainsworth city limits. Bauer said the information did not include a projected start date for the highway improvement project.

In other roads department items, Turpin discussed the potential for the county to purchase I Works asset management software that would allow the roads department to digitally track the work done by the roads department and cut down on a substantial amount of paperwork.

“It would cut the paperwork in half and make me more efficient,” the highway superintendent said. “Each employee could log what they do each day, it would be already entered into the system and we could just print the report.”
Turpin said the system would allow roads department employees, especially newer employees, to identify culvert locations when blading roads.

“It is a way to track our work on culverts, bridges and signs,” Turpin said. “Citizens could also log any concerns.”

Turpin said there would be an initial setup fee of approximately $4,300 with a $2,500 annual fee for the public works package and a $2,000 annual fee for the asset management system.

Commissioner Don Painter said if the system helped keep the roads department from hitting culverts while blading they didn’t know were there, it wouldn’t take the system long to pay for itself.

Bauer said it was a good idea, but he would insist that the use of the system be mandatory for all roads department employees and would be part of the department’s standard operating procedure. Turpin said using the system daily would be a requirement for all employees.

Dailey said he was interested but would like to look at more information on the system and make a decision during the board’s May 20 meeting.

“I always thought we needed to be able to document what was getting done on the roads and when,” Dailey said.

 The board tabled action on the matter until that meeting.

Turpin said the Ainsworth Irrigation District has two culverts it purchased that it did not end up needing and was willing to sell them to the county at a discount. He said the culverts cost more than $20,000 and the district was willing to sell them for $18,000 to the county. The board agreed to the purchase as long as Turpin had funds remaining in his budget, which he indicated he did.

Following roads department employee evaluations, Turpin recommended three roads department workers receive performance-based wage increases of $1.45 per hour, with one employee receiving a $1.20 per hour increase and one employee earning an increase of $1.05 per hour.

In other action items, the board approved renewing its health insurance plan with NACO’s Blue Cross/Blue Shield group plan, with the county paying 78 percent of the premium and the employee responsible for 22 percent of the premium cost. Deductibles and cash in lieu of insurance would remain the same as the previous year.

Deputy Clerk Becky Hardy said premiums would increase by 5 percent for the 2025-26 plan year. Bauer said the premiums went down the prior year, so a 5 percent increase was not terrible.

The board approved a corrected resolution for the purchase of communications equipment by the sheriff’s department. The resolution was corrected to include that funding would be used from the county’s wireless 911 fund for the purchase, with the sheriff’s department paying the remainder with assistance from the miscellaneous general fund through a transfer if the department did not have sufficient funding for the remainder.

The board previously deemed the purchase an emergency after hearing a report on how the current communications equipment was failing and could no longer be repaired.

Sheriff Brent Deibler provided the board with an update on the progress made by a committee to review and make updates to the county’s employee handbook. Deibler said the committee met to categorize and organize the current handbook. It will be formatted to fit NIRMA’s recommendations and will then be reviewed by the county attorney and NIRMA before the updates are presented to the commissioners.

Audrey Worthing from 3^rd District Rep. Adrian Smith’s Scottsbluff office updated the commissioners on the work being done by the congressman.

She encouraged constituents to contact Smith’s office if they have any issues with a federal agency. She also encouraged students to consider internships available through the congressman’s office as well as the potential to apply for a seat on his Youth Advisory Council, which meets with Smith four times each year to discuss issues.

The next meeting of the Brown County Commissioners is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. May 20.

* Ainsworth Quiz Bowl team goes 1-2 at state

(Posted 12:30 p.m. May 6)

Ainsworth High School took nine members of the Quiz Bowl team to Hastings April 30 to compete in the State Quiz Bowl hosted by ESU 9.

Each Educational Service Unit in Nebraska sent two teams for a total of 30 teams competing with no division by classes. Ainsworth defeated Nebraska City in the first match by a score of 50-20.

The Bulldogs then lost to Elkhorn North 20-85 and were eliminated by Gothenburg 20-35.

The score with Gothenburg was tied after 11 of 12 questions, Ainsworth just didn’t buzz in quickly enough on the final question.

The state champion was Elkhorn North, runner up was Elkhorn High and Central City placed third. Ainsworth finished the season with seven wins and six losses. Team members included Sam Titus, Erick Hitchcock, Ben Clingman, William Biltoft, Dylan Titus, David Cook, Willa Flynn, Jace Johnson, Raelynn Reagan and Grace Goodwin.

* 2024 was deadliest year on Nebraska roads in 20 years

(Posted 10:30 a.m. May 5)

The Nebraska Department of Transportation released its 2024 Annual Report, delivering a look into its efforts and accomplishments in providing the best possible statewide transportation system. In partnership with Gov. Jim Pillen’s administration, the NDOT focused on three priorities: increasing safety, maximizing investments and modernizing business practices.

NDOT reported 2024 was the deadliest year in nearly two decades on Nebraska roadways with 251 fatalities. To help reverse the trend, the NDOT implemented successful strategies such as Restricted Crossing U-Turns and Cable Median Barriers.

Since 2022, the NDOT has completed about 50 miles of cable median barrier installations along Interstate 80, eliminating fatal crossover crashes and decreasing injury crossover crashes by 83%. Another 15 miles will be under construction this year, with future installations set in the next 10 years along I-80 and portions of Highways 75 and 275 in Omaha.

RCUT intersections have also proven to be effective. Between 2021-2023, the RCUT at US-81 & N-91 near Humphrey reduced crashes by 54% and reduced fatalities and injuries by 96%.

In 2024, the NDOT awarded 81 projects in the one-year program estimated at $698.8 million. Compared to 2012, that represents 61 fewer projects at nearly double the expense, with a more than $356 million cost difference.

In an effort to explore additional funding options, Director Vicki Kramer spoke in support of LB 558 during the 109th Legislative Session to establish a task force to study Nebraska’s transportation infrastructure and its needs.

In addition to optimizing funds, the NDOT is also helping local partners secure their own funding.

In July 2024, the NDOT launched the Nebraska Infrastructure Hub, marking Nebraska’s first-ever intergovernmental entity that empowers public agencies to compete for federal discretionary funding. The hub assists local partners to navigate the complex grant application process to secure crucial funds, allowing them to bring what would have been impossible projects to life.

Since its launch in July, the hub managed 16 projects and secured more than $109 million in federal discretionary funds. That includes more than $21 million for the city of Beatrice, more than $12 million for Platte County and $750,000 for Lincoln County. The hub is currently working with 32 different local public agencies looking to submit grant applications for further projects.

“The Nebraska Department of Transportation is working hard to improve safety, remain fiscally responsible, and continuously improve, all for the benefit of our state’s traveling public,” Kramer said.

To view the full 2024 Annual Report, visit dot.nebraska.gov/news-events/annual-report.

* Brown County Sheriff’s Department weekly summary

(Posted 10:15 a.m. May 5)

April 27

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a call for a possible civil standby to retrieve property. Later in the day, Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a call that they had worked out a time to get their property.
• Received a report of a cattle out on Highway 183. The owner of the cattle was contacted.
• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth for speeding. The driver received a written warning for speeding and not having an insurance card in their vehicle.
• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth for speeding. The driver received a written warning for speeding.
• A traffic stop was in Ainsworth for speeding. The driver received a citation for not having a driver’s license and warning for speeding.

April 28

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Code Enforcement Officer for Ainsworth with a transient staying at East City Park. The individual in the park was contacted and was found to have a job locally. Later the individual informed the Sheriff’s Office that he had found a residence to reside in.
• A traffic stop was conducted east on Highway 20 for speeding. The driver received a written warning.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an abandoned vehicle on a property. Brown County Sheriff and a deputy drove around the reported area and were unable to locate the abandoned vehicle.
• A traffic stop was made south on Highway 7 for speeding. The driver received a citation for driving 17 mph over the posted speed limit.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office assisted an individual with blocking phone calls from a SPAM caller.

April 29

• Brown County Ambulance was dispatched for a possible elderly female that fell.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office helped with a lockdown drill at Ainsworth Community School.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint that a semi on the highway was driving recklessly. Deputy attempted to locate the described semi.
• A Brown County deputy traveled to Omaha to pick up an individual arrested on a Brown County warrant. The individual was transported back to Brown County and booked into the Brown County Jail for failure to appear; his original charge was possession of a controlled substance (Methamphetamine).
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office assisted an Ainsworth resident with a complaint about getting video messages of inappropriate behaviors. Deputies spoke with the resident and retrieved the phone number sending the messages. Deputies contacted the number given. The individual was not from the area, stated that he was sending the messages to wrong number. Deputies advised him to stop sending videos.

April 30

• The Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle traveling east on Highway 20 near the Brown County and Cherry County line that appeared to be having a physical altercation inside of the vehicle. A description of the vehicle was given. Deputies responded to the area that was reported. They were unable to find the vehicle or anyone in the reported area.
• The Brown County Ambulance was dispatched to a county residence. A resident was transported to the Brown County Hospital.
• An individual was arrested in Brown County and booked into the Brown County Jail for two counts of strangulation and three counts of an assault.
• Brown County Ambulance was requested for a transfer of a medical patient.
• A Brown County Jail inmate was released on a personal recognizance bond.

May 1

• A traffic stop was made on Highway 183 for speeding. The driver received a citation for driving 15 mph over the posted speed limit.
• The Brown County Ambulance responded to a residence and transported an individual to the Brown County Hospital.
• The Brown County Ambulance was requested to transfer a patient.

May 2

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint about a reckless driver near Highway 183. Deputies were able to locate the reported vehicle and make a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle was an elderly male. The driver received a written warning for driving over the shoulder and driving left of center.

May 3

• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth for speeding. The driver received a written warning.
• A traffic stop was made south on Highway 7 for speeding. The driver received a written warning for speeding.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a request to perform a welfare check on an elderly female in Ainsworth. The resident was found to be ok.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a request to perform a welfare check of an elderly male in Long Pine. The resident was found to be ok.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence after a report of loud yelling was heard coming from the residence. Deputies spoke to the household members, and everything was found to be ok at the household.
• The Brown County Ambulance was dispatched to an Ainsworth residence and transported a person to the Brown County Hospital.
• Brown County deputies responded to a suspicious activity call near the football field at East City Park. The person was contacted, and nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
• Brown County deputies were asked to perform a welfare check on a minor in Ainsworth. Deputies spoke to the father of the minor and the minor. The child was found to be ok.

Weekly Log
Calls – 714
911 Calls – 8
Calls for Service – 15
Vin Inspections – 3
Gun Purchase Permits – 2
Inmates Currently Housed – 2

* Author recounts 1952 murders, posse in Sandhills

(Posted 9:30 a.m. May 2)

Author Harlen Wheeler of Gordon appeared on KBRB’s Open Line program Friday to discuss three murders that occurred in 1952 south of Merriman and an impromptu posse of neighbors that formed to track, surround and apprehend the killer.

The conversation between Wheeler and KBRB’s Graig Kinzie on “The 12 Hours That Changed the Sandhills Forever” can be heard below.

* Recent cases from Brown County Court

(Posted 2:30 p.m. May 1)

In addition to fines, each case carries $50 in court costs

Juan Flores Pinuelas, age 37, of Norfolk, charged with no operator’s license, fined $75; also charged with speeding 11-15 mph over the limit, $75.

Kaycee L. Hollenbeck, 31, of Bassett, leaving the scene of an accident or failing to furnish information, $100.

Magdiel Sanchez, 37, of Ainsworth, no registration in vehicle, $25; violating a stop or yield sign, $75.

Dustin S. Privett, 27, of Ainsworth, failure to yield the right of way, $25; failure to wear a seat belt, $25.

Gabrielle C. Benham, 30, of Aurora, Colo., speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, $25.

Taylor L. Pass, 33, of Ainsworth, operating an ATV without authorization, $50.

McKenzie L. Scripter, 26, of Ainsworth, driving under suspension, $100.

John L. Tripp II, 19, of Ainsworth, no license on person, $50; no proof of insurance, $100; no registration in vehicle, $25.

Joshua L. Hays, 36, of Wayne, speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, $25.

Edward F. Osborne, 73, of Creighton, speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, $25.

Sri H. Karasala, 27, of Brookings, S.D., speeding 6-10 mph over the limit, $25.

Brittnee A. Schenk, 34, of Ainsworth, no valid registration, $25.

Chelsey C. Riha, 37, of Stuart, speeding 16-20 mph over the limit, $125.

Carolyn M. Essig, 55, of Sartell, Minn., speeding 11-15 mph over the limit, $75.

Tylor D. Larson, 25, of Alexandria, Minn., attempting a Class 4 felony, $1,000; possession of marijuana more than 1 ounce but less than 1 pound, $500.

Gaylen S. Lewis, 50, of Ainsworth, no registration in vehicle, $25; improper or defective vehicle lighting, $25.

Rachel A. Shadbolt, 50, of Gordon, speeding 16-20 mph over the limit, $125.

* Three seniors earn 12-sport athlete awards during banquet

(Posted 9 p.m. April 29)

Three seniors were presented with 12-sport athlete awards Tuesday during the 57^th annual Ainsworth High School All-Sports Tailgate Party.

Preselyn Goochey, Morgan Kinney and Ryan Salzman competed in three sports during all four years of their high school careers.

Each coach and sponsor presented end of season awards and recognized the students who participated in each sport and activity.

Football coach Jesse Owen presented the Most Valuable Player Award to senior Morgan Kinney. Kinney rushed for more than 900 yards and 21 touchdowns, had 11 receiving touchdowns and more than 500 receiving yards and threw for seven touchdowns in leading the Bulldogs to their third consecutive district championship.

Kinney will also represent Ainsworth at both the Eight-Man All-Star Game and the East-West All-Star Football Game. Kinney also was named the Teammate of the Year by his fellow players.

Two school records were set during the season, with Chris Fernandez breaking the single game passing record with 252 yards and Jacob Held setting the career tackles record with 250.

Seven players were named to the All-District team, including Morgan Kinney, Chris Fernandez, Jacob Held, Aiden Jackman, Cole Swanson, Witten Painter and Owen Blumenstock.

Owen also presented the school’s Lifter of the Year Awards to sophomore Gracyn Painter and freshman Kyle Fernandez.

Volleyball coach Jeri Graff named Gracyn Painter as the team’s Most Valuable Player. Painter led the team in kills, digs and blocks and also received the team’s Hustle Award.

Most Improved Player awards went to Megan Jones and Raelynn Reagan. The Heart Award was presented to Willa Flynn.

In cross country, coaches Trey Schlueter and Katie Winters presented the Most Valuable Runner Awards to Emma Kennedy and Holden Beel.

The cross country team members voted Kiley Orton and Jonathan Strand to receive the Team Player Awards for their positive attitudes, hard work and encouragement of teammates.

Girls golf coach Heather Lutter presented the Most Valuable Player Award to senior Jordan Beatty.

Cheer sponsor Juli Murphy announced Preselyn Goochey and Kiley Orton were named All-American Cheerleaders.

Pom sponsor Lauren Osborne recognized the members of the team.

Moving to the winter seasons, girls wrestling coach Todd Pollock presented the Outstanding Wrestler Award to junior Megan Jones. Pollock announced Jolyn Pozehl will represent the school in an All-Star Duel Meet at Grand Island during the summer.

Boys wrestling coach Jake Graff named sophomore Holden Beel and freshman Dylan Titus as the team’s Co-MVPs. Titus set a school single season record with 45 escapes, and brother Sam Titus set the school record for four-point near-falls in a season with 17.

Graff presented Angel Ajin with the Most Improved Wrestler Award, Carson Koch with the Heart Award, Aiden Jackman with the Leadership Award, Mason Painter with the Hard Luck Award, and Dylan Titus as the team’s Newcomer of the Year.

Girls basketball coach Sandy Nelson named Gracyn Painter as the team’s Most Valuable Player. Painter led the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks on the season. She set the school’s single-game scoring record with 34 points during the season, eclipsing the mark held by her aunt Ki Kuhre.

Preselyn Goochey was named the Teammate of the Year as voted on by members of the team and will represent the school in a senior all-star game this summer. Kenley Welke received the Most Improved Player Award.

Boys basketball coach Jake Nelson named senior Logan Schroedl as the team’s Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Offensive Player. Schroedl led the team in scoring and set a school record with 10 steals in one game. He will represent the school in a summer all-star game.

Morgan Kinney was named the team’s Defensive MVP. Kinney also received the Impact Player Award and the Teammate of the Year Award. Kinney also set a single season school record with 63 steals.

Freshman Jacob Ortner was named the Most Improved Player for the boys basketball teams.

Boys golf coach Julie Micheel presented the 2024 Most Valuable Golfer Award to senior Jhett Hollenbeck.

Track and field coach Jake Nelson named Gracyn Painter and graduate Carter Nelson as the 2024 Track and Field MVPs. Carter Nelson and Katherine Kerrigan received the 2024 Teammate of the Year awards.

Owen Blumenstock and Kiley Orton will represent Ainsworth High School during this week’s Northeast Nebraska Track and Field Classic at Norfolk.

At the outset of the banquet, Scott Steinhauser with the Ainsworth Lions Club presented the club’s Melvin Jones Fellow Award to the family of the late Larry Rice. Rice was a 57-year member of the Ainsworth Lions Club and helped found the annual all-sports banquet at Ainsworth Community Schools.

* Three area counties among best in state in jobless rates

(Posted 7 a.m. April 29)

The Nebraska Department of Labor announced Nebraska’s preliminary unemployment rate for March is 2.9 percent. The rate is down 0.1 percentage points from February but is up 0.3 percent from the March 2024 rate of 2.6 percent.

Nebraska’s unemployment rate is tied for fifth lowest in the nation. South Dakota continues to lead the nation with an unemployment rate in March of 1.8 percent. North Dakota and Vermont are tied for second with rates of 2.6 percent, followed by Montana at 2.7 percent, then Nebraska and Hawaii at 2.9 percent.

The highest unemployment rate in the country continues to occur in Nevada, which saw a jobless rate of 5.7 percent in March. Michigan’s unemployment rate was second highest at 5.5 percent, followed by California at 5.3 percent and Kentucky at 5.2 percent.

Brown County’s unemployment rate in March was among the best in the state, coming in at 2.0 percent. Cherry County tied Sheridan County and Fillmore County for the lowest jobless rate in the state in March at 1.9 percent.

Rock County and Holt County both saw rates of 2.1 percent in March, well below the 2.9 percent state average.

Keya Paha County, however, experienced an unemployment rate of 3.7 percent in March, with Boyd County’s rate at 4.1 percent and Blaine County among the highest in the state with a rate of 4.3 percent.

Hooker County in the Sandhills had the highest unemployment rate in the state in March at 8.6 percent.

“Nebraska’s labor force continues to grow, reaching a record high of over 1,080,000 in March,” Commissioner of Labor Katie Thurber said. “The number of employed workers in the labor force also reached a new high statewide, driven by record highs in the Omaha and Lincoln metro areas.”

Nonfarm employment, a count of filled jobs, was 1,054,046 in March, up 6,134 from February and 3,441 more than March 2024.

Private industries with the most growth between February and March were the trade, transportation and utilities sector (up 1,843 jobs), the leisure and hospitality sector (up 1,715 jobs) and the mining and construction sector (up 1,492 jobs).

Private industries with the most growth since March 2024 were the public education and health services sector (up 6,614 jobs); the mining and construction sector (up 1,086 jobs); and the other services sector (up 704 jobs).

The national unemployment rate for March 2025 is 4.2 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from the February rate of 4.1 percent and up 0.3 percentage points from the March 2024 rate of 3.9 percent.

The counts of employed and unemployed in the labor force are based on a survey conducted by the Census Bureau regarding employment status.

An aerial map shows the area burned during the Plum Creek Fire. The fire began Monday, April 21, as a result of a prescribed burn that broke containment when the wind switched. Firefighters battled the blaze through Sunday, April 27. The fire burned more than 7,000 acres.

(Photos courtesy of Tyler Johnson)
A back burn was implemented to try and keep the fire from progressing.

A Johnstown grass rig responds to an area with burning timber and dry vegetation.

 
A Wood Lake volunteer firefighter atop a grass rig monitors a cedar tree belt burning.

(Photos courtesy of Ann Fiala)
A column of flame rises as a cedar tree is engulfed during the Plum Creek Fire west and north of Johnstown.

Fire can at times create its own weather, as a wind funnel rises from a burning area.

Firefighters use an aerial map to assign crews to areas of the fire. 

Bulldozers created containment lines in an attempt to limit the fire’s ability to spread.

Resources massed to protect a home threatened by the fire near Norden Avenue.

Firefighters work to knock down flames near the perimeter of a home near Norden Avenue.

A hand crew works to remove timber in an area with heavy vegetation.

A SEAT plane drops fire retardant on the Plum Creek Fire.

Dry vegetation and strong winds that changed direction frequently helped spread the fire, which left nothing in its wake.

A grass rig attempts to stop the fire from moving into a field of dormant grass.

* Plum Creek Fire 95 percent contained

(Posted 7:15 a.m. April 28)

Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala said excellent progress was made over the weekend in completing work on the Plum Creek Fire. Fiala said the burned acreage total did not increase over the weekend, and the volunteer fire department presence at the site would be greatly reduced going forward.

Fiala spoke with KBRB’s Graig Kinzie Monday morning. The conversation can be heard below.

* Brown County Sheriff’s Department weekly summary

(Posted 6:45 a.m. April 28)

April 20

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a person trespassing and sleeping in a tree grove. State Patrol and a Brown County Deputy responded. The individual was escorted off the property.
• Deputies contacted an individual looking through windows of a business on Main Street.
• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth for speeding. The driver was given a written warning.

April 21

• A traffic stop was made south on Highway 7 for speeding. The driver was given a written warning.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a fire west of Johnstown. Johnstown, Ainsworth, Raven, Long Pine and South Pine fire departments responded to the fire. Brown County Ambulance provided standby service in Johnstown.
• Received a report of a vehicle struggling to maintain their lane while driving on Highway 20.
• Mutual aid was later requested from Cherry County regarding the fire.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a stuck vehicle in the county near Johnstown. Deputies responded and the vehicle was assisted and removed from the area.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call that a cow was out near the canal road.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a call that a power pole was down north on Norden Ave.
• Brown County Sheriff and deputies went to Johnstown to help the fire departments.

April 22

• Brown County Sheriff and deputies contacted an Ainsworth resident about a fuel theft. This is an ongoing investigation.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office and deputies went to the gun range for training.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a driver driving recklessly and fast through Ainsworth. The driver was contacted by a Brown County deputy.
• A traffic stop was made for speeding in Ainsworth. A written warning was given for speed, and a fix-it ticket was given for not having insurance.
• A request was made to Rock County, Keya Paha County and Cherry County fire departments for mutual aid for the Plum Creek fire.

April 23

• Brown County Sheriff’s office was requested for traffic control by the fire department and the incident command for the Plum Creek Fire. Traffic control was provided around the Johnstown area and Norden Avenue.

April 24

• Brown County Sheriff’s office was requested for traffic control by the fire department and the incident command for the Plum Creek Fire. Traffic control was provided around the Johnstown area and Norden Avenue.

April 25

• Brown County Sheriff’s office was requested for traffic control by the fire department and the incident command for the Plum Creek Fire. Traffic control was provided around the Johnstown area and Norden Avenue.
• Brown County Sheriff’s office responded to a welfare check of an Ainsworth resident. The resident was found to be ok.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint about a Brown County resident burning tree branches in their back yard. Deputy spoke to the individual and informed them that there was a statewide fire ban on burning right now. The individual put out the fire.
• Brown County received a report of a possible drunk driver traveling through Brown County. A Brown County deputy responded to the reported area and was unable to locate the reported vehicle. Later it was discovered that the vehicle was not in the reported area.
• A neighboring county came to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office to utilize the data master for driving under the influence of alcohol arrest.
• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth for speeding. The driver was given a written warning.

April 26

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of possible child abuse. This is an ongoing investigation.
• Plum Creek Fire is still in the mop up phase by multiple fire departments. Traffic control was not needed.
• Deputies contacted motorists parked along the road. Determined to be okay and not needing assistance.

Weekly Log
Calls:  144
911 Calls:  7
Calls for Service:  9
VIN Inspections:  5
Handgun Purchase Permits:  6
Inmates Currently Housed:  1

* Plum Creek Fire now 70 percent contained

(Posted 7:15 a.m. April 25)

Improved weather conditions and numerous outside resources allowed for substantial progress to be made Thursday fighting the Plum Creek Fire west and north of Johnstown.

Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala said the fire has now consumed 7,025 acres but he said the fire was mainly under control and is now considered 70 percent contained.

“Unexpected winds could still cause an issue, but it is under control right now,” Fiala said. “Sunday is the worry for us now.”

Warmer temperatures and strong winds are expected to return to the area Sunday.

The fire chief said many of the outside resources would be departing the area today and any additional efforts needed would be handled by local resources.

He said the Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopters would still make drops today on interior hot spots, and the hand crew was headed out this morning to look at a few spots of concern before departing for Norfolk.

“We are trying to work hot spots and smoldering areas now,” Fiala said. “You are still going to see smoke in there for the next couple weeks.”

The fire chief encouraged landowners to help the local volunteer fire departments monitor the area.

“If landowners can help us mitigate issues on their land, that would help us going forward,” Fiala said. “But, they can always call us too.”

With the one cabin and 45 head of cattle previously reported as lost to the fire, Fiala said firefighters have been able to save the houses in the area and other structures. He said a few people lost their deer stands.

* Progress made Wednesday, burned acre total revised

(Posted 8:15 a.m. April 24)

Progress was made Wednesday on the Plum Creek Fire as relative humidity increased and additional state resources were brought to bear.

“We are finally gaining,” Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala said. “The rain, if anything, helped a little on the south end, but the higher humidity is helping.”

Fiala reported the official total burned area is 6,631 acres after a plane mapped the area Wednesday. He said the initial estimate of 20,000 acres was taken using a mileage estimate on the edges of the fire’s perimeter.

The fire chief estimated the fire to be 40 percent contained, with the hope of increasing containment prior to the weekend, when warmer temperatures and strong winds are forecast.

“It won’t be 100 percent contained by this evening, but we hope to get it to 60 percent by tonight,” he said. “If the wind comes up and embers can blow, then it is not considered secured.”

To be considered contained, Fiala said there needs to be no active embers within 200 yards of the burned perimeter.

“The southwest edge is the biggest concern now with the timber and buildings there,” he said. “The National Guard hand crew will be there today to work the southwest edge. We did a burn out yesterday as a precaution on the north edge of Plum Creek. I know people sometimes don’t understand why we do that, but sometimes we have to fight fire with fire to prevent it from spreading if the wind switches. We are doing the best we can after three or four days out here.”

Fiala said local firefighters will have the day off as state resources and outside volunteers continue the suppression effort.

He said the SEAT plane would not be used today unless the fire flares up, but the National Guard Blackhawk helicopters would continue to make drops on hotspots.

He said state resources would likely start leaving the area on Friday. He said he hoped to keep the helicopters and the hand crew working into Saturday.

“I am a little concerned about the forecast for Saturday and Sunday when those resources are no longer here,” Fiala said. “Landowners may have to do some scouting on their property over the weekend.”

Fiala urged the public to remain off Norden Avenue as that continues to be the main route for the firefighting effort. He said the Brown County Roads Department planned to maintain Norden Avenue today as the road is in rough shape.

He thanked the public for the outpouring of support shown to those fighting the Plum Creek fire.

“The communities have done a remarkable job,” Fiala said. “The support we have received is amazing. A fire like this is a hardship for these small volunteer departments. Two inches of rain would change everyone’s attitudes.”

* Pillen directs resources to assist firefighting efforts

(Posted 6:30 a.m. April 24)

Governor Jim Pillen on Wednesday authorized the Nebraska National Guard to mobilize 29 soldiers and airmen to assist local volunteer fire departments currently battling the Plum Creek Fire near Johnstown.

Nebraska Army National Guard aerial resources have also been authorized to support the firefighting mission. The assignment of state resources is in response to a request received Tuesday evening through the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency to assist local volunteer firefighters who have been fighting the fire since Monday.

The Plum Creek Fire is now estimated to have burned 6,600 acres. Forty-five cattle have died, and a cabin has been destroyed. Other structures have been threatened and were boxed in with heavy equipment to provide protection. The cause of the fire has been attributed to a permitted burn that got out of control.

Pillen issued a statewide burn ban Wednesday, emphasizing the persistent dry conditions that have continued to plague the state. In February, the governor issued an emergency declaration for wildfires in Custer and Dawes counties that were also fueled by dry conditions, high winds and a lack of humidity.

“It’s way too dry in Nebraska right now, and it only takes one burn, one mistake and then you have a situation like we have in Plum Creek. The risks are too significant,” Pillen said.  

Department of Agriculture Director Sherry Vinton discussed the rough and dangerous terrain where the fire is burning, and the extreme difficulty that it poses for fire crews and others who were trying to control flames.

“As the director of agriculture, and a rancher myself, I support the statewide burn ban,” Vinton said. “While fire is a tool that we use in our agricultural operations and for conservation, right now our current conditions make it just too dangerous. Protecting our land, our livestock, wildlife, and most importantly, people in our neighborhoods and our communities from the potential of wildfire damage, is of the utmost importance right now.”

Currently, more than 60 local, state and federal partners are responding to the Plum Creek Fire.

“I applaud the governor for taking this action to save lives and protect property,” NEMA Assistant Director Erv Portis said. “Safety is our number one priority.”

The Nebraska Army National Guard is providing two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters and a ground crew of 16 to assist with fire suppression. The helicopters arrived Wednesday and made 70 water drops throughout the day.

“We appreciate the willingness of our soldiers and airmen, as well as their families and employers, to support these local volunteer firefighters as they work tirelessly to control this wildfire,” said Col. Shane Varejcka, Nebraska National Guard chief of the joint staff.  

The governor signed three documents Wednesday – a proclamation providing state assistance to the Plum Creek Fire, a proclamation providing for state resources to be utilized in response to drought conditions and an executive order establishing the statewide burning ban in all areas of the state through April 30.

* Fiala provides update on firefighting effort

(Posted 8:15 a.m. April 23)

The large fire west and north of Johnstown has now burned between 20,000 and 25,000 acres,  with numerous resources brought to the area from across the state to try and contain the fire’s spread. Numerous smoke plumes dotted the landscape Tuesday afternoon as the fire flared.

A SEAT plane made numerous drops Tuesday as additional volunteer fire departments arrived on site to assist.

Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala said two SEAT planes and two Blackhawk helicopters will make drops on the fire Wednesday, with additional state resources expected to arrive. He said one bulldozer will be working the fire line.

Fiala, the incident commander, said 50 volunteer fire departments have provided assistance, with 15 outside departments working the fire Wednesday to give local volunteers a break.

He said firefighters thought they had decent containment on the fire Tuesday morning, but winds switched and the fire broke out.

“By 1 p.m., it was back to zero percent contained,” Fiala said. “You think you have it stopped and two minutes later it explodes.”

Fiala said the conditions remind him of the 2012 wildfires that burned in the Niobrara Valley with the way the fire is behaving and the dry fuel loads.

Fiala said the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, the Nebraska Forest Service, the Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office and a WIRAT team are on location assisting the volunteer fire departments that have arrived.

The fire has been divided into East and West Divisions. Fiala said he has primarily been working on the east side of the fire, with crews attempting to keep the fire south of Plum Creek and west of Norden Avenue on that side of the complex. He said the fire is burning north of Plum Creek on the west side of the complex.

Fiala said firefighters got the fire stopped and saved a new house near Norden Avenue on the east side of the fire.

“On the east end, we have kept it from jumping east of Norden Avenue and north of Plum Creek,” he said. “We are trying to work to get it stopped today before it can flare up. We hope to have better containment by 1 or 2 p.m. today. We are trying to get it buttoned up before the wind picks up on the weekend.”

Fiala said he is thankful no one has been hurt. He said one fire truck became stuck in a low-lying area and three firefighters had to abandon it to escape after winds switched and pushed the flames toward the area.

“We thought for sure we had lost that truck, but we went back later and the fire had missed it and we were able to get it out of there,” Fiala said. “It is a dangerous situation.”

He said one building may have been lost but no homes have been burned thus far.

Fiala said the Brown County Sheriff’s Department and Nebraska State Patrol were helping to keep traffic away from areas needed for firefighting efforts. He said roads are now rutted in the area with all the heavy equipment going across them.

The fire chief thanked members of the public who have provided food and water for the volunteer firefighters.

“We have had amazing support,” Fiala said. “I can’t thank people enough.”

The Johnstown Fire Hall and the Brown County Fairgrounds are being used as staging areas for anyone who would like to provide food and water to the volunteers.

KBRB will provide more information as it becomes available.

(Photos courtesy of Terry Burdick)
FIRE CONTINUES TUESDAY – Firefighters continued to battle the large fire burning west and north of Johnstown Tuesday, with volunteers from numerous departments assisting area departments and a SEAT plane making numerous drops Tuesday.

DRY FUEL – Large amounts of dry vegetation and cedar trees have provided the fuel as the fires continued to spread Tuesday. Burning grass burned white, while burning trees sent black smoke billowing.

BURNING TREES – Black smoke billows as cedar trees burned Tuesday.  Winds are expected from the northwest at 10-20 mph on Wednesday. Cooler temperatures and a decent chances for showers are in the forecast for Thursday, but winds are expected to pick up Sunday and Monday.

* Fire continues to burn, more resources arriving

(Posted 6:45 a.m. April 23)

The large fire west and north of Johnstown continued to burn Tuesday, with numerous resources brought to the area from across the state to try and contain the fire’s spread. Numerous smoke plumes dotted the landscape Tuesday afternoon as the fire flared.

A SEAT plane made numerous drops Tuesday as additional volunteer fire departments arrived on site to assist.

Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala said two SEAT planes and two helicopters will make drops on the fire Wednesday, with additional state resources expected to arrive.

Fiala, the incident commander, said all responders will be briefed early Wednesday morning. He said he would have additional information to report on the progress made following that briefing.

Motorists are urged to stay clear of the entire area, as large pieces of equipment will be moving on county roadways.

(Photos courtesy of Ann Fiala)
FIRE BREAKS OUT MONDAY – A prescribed burn broke containment Monday afternoon west of Johnstown, prompting the response of numerous volunteer fire departments.

* Monday fire burns between 12,000 and 14,000 acres

(Posted 8:15 a.m. April 22)

The prescribed fire that broke containment Monday west of Johnstown has claimed between 12,000 and 14,000 acres and, as of Tuesday morning, was approximately 30 percent contained.

Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala said the fire began as a prescribed burn by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and other partners on the Jack King Ranch. Fiala said the fire broke containment when the wind switched directions and picked up.

Winds Monday moved from the south to the west, then picked up from the north Monday evening.

“It was headed to the (Niobrara) river until the wind switched to the north,” Fiala said.

The initial call from the Johnstown Volunteer Fire Department for mutual aid went out at 3:20 p.m. Monday, with the Ainsworth, Long Pine, South Pine, Raven and Calamus departments responding.

Firefighters from Springview, Bassett, Valentine, Newport, Stuart, O’Neill and Kilgore later provided assistance.

Fiala said firefighters worked to protect a dozen structures that were potentially in the path of the flames. Fiala said one cabin may have been lost to the fire, but that was not yet confirmed as of Tuesday morning. He said he did not have confirmation on whether any livestock perished.

Fiala said the SEAT plane was stationed at the Ainsworth Regional Airport and made one aerial drop Monday before being grounded by strong cross winds and visibility issues at the airport caused by heavy smoke. He said the plane was available to make drops Tuesday if needed.

The fire mainly stayed north and west of Johnstown, but did burn about 50 to 60 acres east of Norden Avenue. Fiala said Johnstown was not in any danger Monday. He said the Theis residence was still under threat, with the fire burning about 500 yards from that residence Tuesday morning.

The Ainsworth fire chief said the fire was about 30 percent contained, with the fire burning in low-lying areas. He said firefighters should be able to keep the perimeter contained unless the wind switches again and picks up.

“It is going to burn for several days,” Fiala said. “We want to keep the perimeter contained and let the interior burn.”

Fiala said he was amazed no one was hurt Monday, as onlookers traveled through the smoke into dangerous areas and blocked Norden Avenue.

“I am really surprised no one got hurt,” he said. “They clogged Norden Avenue and we had to go around.”

* Numerous departments battling fire west of Johnstown

(Posted 7:45 p.m. April 21)

Numerous area fire departments are currently battling a large fire burning west of Johnstown. The fire, according to officials, began as a prescribed fire by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission west of Johnstown.

Increasing winds caused the fire to jump the prescribed area late Monday afternoon, with the first call for mutual aid going out at approximately 3:20 p.m. The Johnstown Volunteer Fire Department requested mutual aid from the Ainsworth, Long Pine, South Pine, Raven and Calamus volunteer departments. Additional departments responded later Monday.

This is an ongoing situation. KBRB will provide additional information as it becomes available.

* Brown County Sheriff’s Department weekly summary

(Posted 4:45 p.m. April 21)

April 13

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a hit and run accident on Main Street in Ainsworth. This is still an ongoing investigation.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a request for a welfare check of an elderly woman in Ainsworth. During the welfare check, the Brown County Ambulance was dispatched and transported the resident to the Brown County Hospital.
• A traffic stop was made south on Highway 7 for speeding. The driver was given a written warning.
• A traffic stop was made south on Highway 7 for speeding. The driver was given a written warning.

April 14

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a request for a welfare check on an Ainsworth resident. Before the deputies were able to get to the household the Sheriff’s Office received a call from a relative letting the Brown County Sheriff’s Office know that the resident was ok.
• The Brown County Ambulance responded to a Long Pine residence and transported a patient to the Brown County Hospital.
• A traffic stop was made east on Highway 20 for speeding. The driver was given a verbal warning for speed.
• A traffic stop was made east on Highway 20 for speeding. The driver was given a written warning.

April 15

• Brown County Sheriff’s office employees received state radio training.
• A traffic stop was made east on Highway 20 for speeding. The driver was given a written warning.

April 16

• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of multiple horses out on the roadway south on Highway 7. Owners were contacted and the horses were removed from the highway.
• The Brown County Sheriff’s Office received more complaints about a vehicle playing their music too loud. The driver was previously talked to about how loud he had been playing his music driving around Ainsworth. The driver of this vehicle received a citation for disturbing the peace.

April 17

• Released an inmate from Brown County Jail on a PR bond.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report of juveniles in Johnstown driving recklessly on four wheelers. Deputies patrolled around Johnstown for the next few days.
• Brown County Sheriff’s office took a phone call updating the Sheriff Office on a civil situation in Ainsworth.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report stating that they spoke to an out-of-state hunter about trespassing on their property.

April 18

• The Brown County Sheriff’s Office received taser training. This training included certifying employees to use their tasers and consisted of de-escalation scenarios.
• Brown County Deputy responded to a two-vehicle accident in Ainsworth.
• A traffic stop was made on Main Street in Long Pine for speeding. The driver of the vehicle received a written warning.
• A traffic stop was made on Main Street in Ainsworth for a vehicle headlight not working properly. The driver received a fix-it ticket.

April 19

• A traffic stop was made on 4^th Street in Ainsworth for speeding. The driver of the vehicle received a written warning.
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a report on a possible drunk driver in Ainsworth. Deputy was able to locate the reported vehicle and it was parked with no driver present.
• Deputies contacted a couple of people outside of a bank on Main Street in Ainsworth. Everything was found to be ok.

Weekly Log
Calls:  596
911 Calls:  4
Calls for Service:  7
VIN Inspections:  1
Inmates Currently Housed:  1

* Work begins Monday on Highway 11 north of Butte

(Posted 6:30 p.m. April 20)

Weather permitting, work will resume Monday on Highway 11 north of Butte between mileposts 181 and 189, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

Knife River Midwest, of Sioux City, Iowa, is the contractor for the project. Work will include aggregate subdrains, milling, cement stabilization, asphalt paving and seeding operations. Lanes will be temporarily reduced to single lanes for daily paving operations.

Traffic will be maintained with Automated Flagging Assistance Devices with a pilot car and flaggers. Anticipated completion is early summer.

Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down.

* County road vacation process delayed

(Posted 10 a.m. April 17)

The Brown County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a resolution directing Highway Superintendent Kenny Turpin to perform a road study for the potential vacation of the Johnston Road in southern Brown County.

While the commissioners had approved having Turpin conduct the study during a previous meeting and Turpin had already provided a report, the board was advised Tuesday that the action needed to come in the form of a resolution.

During its April 1 meeting, the board set a public hearing for the potential road vacation for May 6. That hearing will now have to be pushed back as Turpin will now have to resubmit his report and recommendation to the board May 6.

Following that report, the commissioners can set a hearing to receive public comments on the road vacation. The county is also required to publicize notice of the hearing and notify all adjacent property owners.

Commissioner Dennis Bauer said having to approve the study by resolution will just push back the process by a month.

In other roads items Tuesday, Turpin reported the roads department plans to clean out numerous culverts in the county so they flow the way they should.

Bauer said cleaning out culverts was hard work. Turpin said the roads department also has to contact utility companies before cleaning the culverts because sometimes utilities are buried near them.

Culverts on Moon Lake Avenue are among those that need to be cleaned. Turpin said there has been some erosion and beavers have plugged up a couple culverts in that area.

The highway superintendent reported the roads department has started hauling armor coat gravel from Brewster to the Elsmere Road ahead of an armor coating project on that paved road in the fall.

Turpin said he planned to switch leasing companies for the county’s skid steer.

“We have had our skid steer lease through Bobcat,” he said. “They wanted to take a $3,000 increase. Nebraska Machinery offered a lease for $100 more per year than what we had been paying.”

Turpin said he preferred to lease skid steers instead of purchasing them because the department then always has a new machine to operate that doesn’t need to be worked on. The highway superintendent said, in the past, the county had a tendency to hold on to skid steers for too long due to budget constraints and the roads department ended up having to have a lot of work done on the machines.

Turpin said he received a request from the Brown County Agricultural Society to perform some dirt work at the Brown County Fairgrounds. He also requested the commissioners conduct an evaluation of his performance with the potential to receive a pay increase after he said he did not request an increase last year.

In other action items Tuesday, the commissioners appointed Sheriff Brent Deibler, Turpin, Clerk Travee Hobbs, Veterans Services Officer Jake Graff and Commissioner Don Painter to a committee to update the county’s employee handbook.

Bauer asked that the committee review the handbook and provide recommended updates to the board by July.

The board approved a budgeted transfer of $5,000 from the county’s miscellaneous general fund to the reappraisal fund, and approved changing a signature card at Homestead Bank to remove Raymond Small and add Painter.

The board tabled action on a corrective resolution for the purchase of communications equipment by the sheriff’s department. Hobbs said the resolution approved for the equipment purchase during the board’s April 1 meeting showed a transfer of funds was necessary to complete the purchase.

Hobbs said the money was already in place in the sheriff’s budget to make the purchase, so a transfer was not needed and the resolution would need to be amended. That item was placed on the board’s May 6 agenda.

* Wilkins, Ortner earn UN-L Engler scholarships

(Posted 7 a.m. April 16)

Ninety students have been awarded scholarships through the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for the 2025-26 academic year. A total of $175,000 in one-time scholarships will support these aspiring builders in their pursuit of purpose and entrepreneurial growth.

Rooted in a gift from the Paul and Virginia Engler Foundation, the Engler program was founded in 2010 with a mission to embolden people on the courageous pursuit of their purpose through the art and practice of entrepreneurship. Today, Engler is more than a program—it’s a community where students from all majors and backgrounds converge to build purpose-driven enterprises, turn problems into solutions, and chase down the American Dream.

Area students who received Engler Entrepreneurship scholarships are Libby Wilkins of Ainsworth and Miah Ortner of Long Pine.

* NSAA names winter Academic All-State recipients

(Posted 9 a.m. April 15)

The Nebraska School Activities Association and the Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association recognize students who have been nominated by their schools based on their individual academic excellence, leadership and significant contributions made to their NSAA activity with Academic All-State Awards.

Area students named Academic All-State for the winter sports and activities season are:

Ainsworth
Christopher Fernandez and Logan Schroedl in Boys Basketball, Jaylee Good and Puridy Haley in Girls Basketball, and Megan Jones in Girls Wrestling

Keya Paha County
Reece Taylor in Girls Basketball, and Brenna Caulfield and Bailey Kaufman in Speech

Rock County
Collin Hagan and Zak Swanson in Boys Basketball, Bridget Lewis in Girls Basketball, Branson Anderson and Kip Leonard in Wrestling, and Paisley Hoffman in Girls Wrestling

Stuart
Benjamin Paxton and Hunter Tubbs in Boys Basketball, Gracie Kaup and Elly Steinhauser in Girls Basketball, and Dawson Heiser and Drew Schmaderer in Speech

West Holt
Mason Crumrine and Andrew Rentschler in Boys Basketball, Ava Hoffman and Taylor Walnofer in Girls Basketball, Madison Kratz and Lily Vogel in Speech, Grant Osborne and Jamison Slaymaker in Wrestling, and Madalyn Pistulka and Morgan Schaaf in Girls Wrestling

Sandhills
Ross Martindale in Boys Basketball, Shaylee Mileson in Girls Basketball, Matelyn Zutavern in Speech, Caden Zutavern in Wrestling, and Emily Chavez and Shelby Schukei in Girls Wrestling

Boyd County
Adrien Baer and Will Nelson in Boys Basketball, Elizabeth Bernt and Addison Birmeier in Girls Basketball, and Brooklyn Eckert in Speech

* School Board approves laptop replacement plan

(Posted 7 a.m. April 15)

The Ainsworth Community Schools Board of Education on Monday entered in to an agreement with Apple to replace the district’s laptop computers and begin a planned replacement program every four years.

The sustainability plan from Apple partners with Diamond Assets of Wisconsin. Diamond Assets provided a guaranteed quote of $102,249 to purchase the district’s current computers. That figure can increase based on the condition of the machines.

That money is credited toward the $331,471 cost to outfit the district with new Apple Macbooks and support. The district can make $57,305 interest-free payments over four years. After the four-year period, the computers would again be refreshed with new models and the previous models purchased by Diamond Assets.

Apple representative Brent Sallee said he handles Apple’s one-to-one computer initiatives for the entire state, and 60 to 70 of the districts utilize a planned replacement program similar to the one being offered to Ainsworth Community Schools.

“You have a lot of older equipment you are trying to use that has fallen out of warranty and is no longer supported by Apple,” Sallee said. “This lets you bring everything up to date and spreads out the cost. It keeps your hardware up to date and streamlines your budget.”

Keith Ryskoski with Diamond Assets said his company comes in and packs up all the old devices to be shipped.

Board member Jessica Pozehl asked how the minimum guaranteed quote is determined.

Ryskoski said the devices are cleaned and the memory erased before being resold. He said the value the district receives is based on the condition of the machines. Each machine is graded and the district receives payment based on the grade of each machine.

Superintendent Dale Hafer said the school has worked with Diamond Assets before.

“They are good to work with and are fair,” Hafer said. “Our devices are in good shape.”

Board member Bryan Doke asked what the turnaround time would be to receive the new machines if the district opted to accept the plan.

Sallee said it can take up to six to eight weeks after the order is placed to receive the new computers, however, in many cases the delivery time is quicker.

“We are seeing a lot of districts wanting to move up and lock in the price now with the potential for tariffs,” Sallee said.

Board President Brad Wilkins said the timing of this proposal was good due to the tariff uncertainty and where the district was in its current cycle of computers.

“I like the predictability of knowing our costs and what we will do with them when we replace,” Wilkins said.

The board unanimously approved the quote from Apple for the new laptops.

In other business Monday, with Board member Frank Beel abstaining, the board approved a certified teaching contract for CeeAnna Beel for Little Paws Preschool for the 2025-26 school year.

The board accepted the resignation of high school language arts teacher Lauren Osborne effective at the end of the current school year. Hafer said the district is currently advertising for the position.

The board approved a 3.25 percent increase in wages for classified and support staff, which includes positions like the district’s custodians, secretaries and paraprofessionals.

Wilkins said the district’s personnel committee met and reviewed the wage schedules for classified staff.

“It has been a while since we updated this,” Wilkins said. “We felt we weren’t quite recognizing the value of our classified staff. We want to make sure we recognize the work that is being done by all of our staff.”

Wilkins said the committee discussed keeping wage percentage increases somewhat equal to the percentages received by certified staff. He said the board could review the classified wages on an annual basis and let the superintendent make a recommendation on where the market is for those employees.

Doke said the district should be competitive with its classified staff wages and recognize the importance of the work they do.

The board approved an option enrollment request for Brooke Zeman to allow her son Maverick to attend kindergarten at Rock County Public Schools for the 2025-26 school year. Hafer said the family already has an older sibling attending Rock County.

During his report, Hafer said insurance covered most of the cost of the recent replacement of the heating and air conditioning unit in the agriculture and shop building.

He reported the district has received two proposals and anticipated receiving two more to replace the flooring in the cafeteria and kitchen. He said, at most, the flooring would cost $40,000, but the quotes would likely come in below that.

Hafer reported the district received a Diamond Status designation from the Department of Education as a safe school. He said the entire staff did well during the recent training through the I Love You Guys Foundation and the NDE.

Pozehl encouraged the board to submit comments to the state’s Congressional delegation regarding the importance of the National Weather Service to the district’s operations.

Pozehl said she uses the National Weather Service in her job with the county’s emergency management department, and the school utilizes the NWS as well when determining when to potentially cancel classes.

“They have had quite a bit of their funding cut,” Pozehl said. “They have lost 40 percent of their staff.”

She said receiving comments about the importance of the National Weather Service is the best way to see the funding restored.

Secondary Principal Steve Dike reported Prom was a success, with the kids behaving themselves and seeming to enjoy themselves. He said Jhett Hollenbeck and Miah Ortner were crowned Prom king and queen.

Activities Director Luke Wroblewski reported Addilyn Doke was named the state champion in the FCCLA fashion construction category and qualified for the national event. He said Payton Moody and Ady Sears received silver medals in interior design, and Miranda Lambrecht and Isabelle Arens earned silver medals in nutrition and wellness during state FCCLA.

The next meeting of the Ainsworth Community Schools Board of Education is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 12.

* Brown County Sheriff’s Department weekly summary

(Posted 11:15 a.m. April 14)

April 6^TH

• Brown County received a report on a deer that was hit on Highway 20 that was still alive in the ditch. Game and Parks were contacted reference the deer.
• The Brown County Sheriff Office received a call about water meter problems at their home in Ainsworth. Assisted the residents in getting hold of the water department.
• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth. The driver was given a repair order for no red lights on the back of the vehicle.

April 7^Th

• Deputy with Brown County stopped and did a follow-up interview with an Ainsworth resident on a prior investigation.
• Assisted a Brown County resident with questions on social media scams.
• A traffic stop was made on Hwy 20 for driving on the shoulder of the highway. The driver received a written warning for driving on the shoulder of the highway, no driver’s license on person, and violating license eyesight restrictions.

April 8^TH

• Received a report of horses out on South Pine Ave. South of Long Pine. The owners were contacted.
• Helped an Ainsworth residence with ignition interlock questions.
• Brown County Ambulance was dispatched to a Johnstown resident and transported to the Brown County Hospital.

April 9^TH

• A traffic stop was made on Highway 183. The driver was given a verbal warning for driving on the shoulder of the highway.
• The Brown County Ambulance was dispatched to an Ainsworth resident. The Ainsworth resident was transported to the Brown County Hospital.
• The Brown County Ambulance was dispatched for a transfer crew from Brown County Hospital to the airport.
• Brown County Deputies were asked to do a civil standby at an Ainsworth resident. The civil standby was cancelled by the parties involved.
• The Brown County ambulance was dispatched to a local business. The Brown County Ambulance transported an individual to the Brown County Hospital.
• Brown County Sheriff Office received a request for a welfare check of an Ainsworth resident. The resident was found to be ok.
• Brown County Sheriff Office received a noise complaint about a vehicle driving around Ainsworth playing their music loud. The driver of the vehicle was contacted by a Deputy and the Ainsworth code enforcement officer and was informed of the complaint. The driver of the vehicle said that he would no longer do it and keep his music turned down.

April 10^TH

• Brown County Deputy traveled to Norfolk for a follow-up interview for an ongoing investigation.

April 11^TH

• Brown County Sheriff Office received a report of harassment by an Ainsworth resident. Deputies took a report from the calling party. The reported person was no longer on or around the reported party’s residence.
• Brown County Sheriff Office received a call from a concerned family member asking for Deputies to speak to her son.
• A traffic stop was made on a Brown County resident for failure to yield the right of way. Driver of the vehicle almost caused a multi vehicle car accident at the intersection of 4th St and Main St. in Ainsworth. The driver received a citation for failure to yield the right of way.
• Brown County Sheriff Office attended the Ainsworth Community School fire drill and provided traffic control around the school.
• Received a report that someone had left their broken down vehicle on their property. The reporter called back and let us know that it was a neighbor’s vehicle and was contacted.
• The Brown County Ambulance responded to a local business for an Ainsworth resident. The Ainsworth resident was then transported to the Brown County Hospital.
• Brown County Sheriff Office was informed that someone has blown a tire east on highway 20 and that there is tire debris all over the highway. Deputies removed the tire debris from the roadway.
• Brown County Ambulance responded to an Ainsworth resident. The resident was transported to the Brown County Hospital.

April 12^TH

• Deputies responded to a Brown County residence for a verbal altercation between family members. The family members were separated for the night.
• Brown County Sheriff Office took a possible theft report of personal items. Later in the day these items were returned to the owner.
• The Brown County Deputies and Ainsworth city code enforcement officer were out on foot patrol through East City Park for the softball tournament.
• Brown County Sheriff Office received multiple complaints about separate vehicles driving recklessly in Brown County. Deputies responded in the reported areas and were unable to locate the reported vehicles.
• Brown County Deputies were at Ainsworth prom and post prom to administrate PBT’s.
• A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth on a vehicle driving 19 Mph over the posted speed limit of 35 Mph. Driver of the vehicle was given a citation for speeding.

Weekly Log
Calls:  686
911 Calls:  11
Calls for Service:  11
VIN Inspections:  03
Handgun Purchase Permits:  1
Inmates Currently Housed:  2

* Blake qualifies for NHD national contest

(Posted 9 a.m. April 14)

Caitlyn Blake from Rock County Public Schools earned first place in the Junior Individual Documentary category at State History Day held Saturday at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln.

Blake’s documentary is titled, “Sequoyah’s Syllabary: Beginning the Fight for Cherokee Rights”.  She is now eligible to attend the national contest at Washington, DC in June.

* Ainsworth students qualify for NHD finals

(Posted 6:45 a.m. April 14)

The National History Day state contest was held Saturday on the campus of Nebraska Wesleyan University at Lincoln.

Of the 166 entries at the state contest, four were created by students from Ainsworth Middle School.

The top two entries in each project category qualify for the national contest. Two of the entries from Ainsworth Middle School are advancing to the national contest.

Blake Hansmeyer was the state runner-up in the junior individual documentary category. He created a documentary titled “Mendez v. Westminster: The Pathway to School Desegregation.” Adeline Hladky was the state runner-up in the junior individual exhibit category. She created an exhibit called “The Right to Safe Food.”

Also participating during the state contest from Ainsworth Middle School were Andrew Arens, Tristan Sedlacek, Kailey Cook and Emersyn Hasenohr.

All projects fit the 2025 theme for National History Day, which is “Rights and Responsibilities in History.” 

Advisor Nicole Flynn said the students have been working hard on their projects since last fall. 

The national contest will be held in June at College Park, Maryland.

* Work begins Monday on Highway 83 in Valentine

(Posted 7 a.m. April 14)

Weather permitting, work will resume Monday on Highway 83 in Valentine, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

The West Fourth Street project was awarded to Paulsen Inc. of Cozad. Work includes 0.74 miles and starts at the intersection of Highway 83 and Highway 12 at milepost 213.

Work on the project includes reconstructing Highway 83, which requires removing and replacing the existing concrete pavement. The project also includes improvements to sidewalks, storm sewer, roadway lighting, and repairs to the bridge over Minnechaduza Creek.

The city of Valentine plans to update city-owned sanitary sewers and water mains.

The project will be constructed in phases. The phase from the Highway 83 and Highway 12 junction to Edna Street will require complete closure and traffic will be detoured on Cherry, West Third, and Edna Streets. The phase from Edna Street to the end of the project will be constructed under traffic with lane closures controlled by temporary traffic signals.

Access to adjacent properties will be maintained during construction but may be limited at times due to phasing requirements.

Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down.

* Council amends professional retainment agreement

(Posted 9:30 a.m. April 10)

By a 2-1 vote following an executive session Wednesday, the Ainsworth City Council amended the terms of an LB 840 professional retention application, shortening the contract from five years to three years.

After months of discussion, the council in March approved the application but required a five-year commitment from the professional to remain in the community. Mayor Joel Klammer said there were still some concerns from the applicant following that council decision.

“Each recruitment and retention application is unique,” Klammer said. “The council considers them one by one.”

Brown County Hospital Administrator Mirya Hallock said a typical contract for a hospital professional is three years.

“You have a larger candidate pool to choose from with a three-year contract,” Hallock said. “Then it is up to us as a community to get them to want to stay.”

Hallock said the state has a matching program for recruitment money provided by communities, and the initial state contract requires a professional to remain in the community for three years.

Audience member Karen O’Hare said she reached out to Rachel Wolfe at the state of Nebraska, who affirmed that the state’s matching program is for three years.

“I don’t understand why you are changing the rules now and punishing this applicant,” O’Hare said.

Klammer said the council was trying to provide $90,000 in matching funds for the provider.

“I don’t see that as a punishment,” the mayor said. “This wasn’t a standard tuition reimbursement.”

Councilman Dustin Barthel said the council had to consult with the city’s LB 840 attorney to see if the city could provide any support to the applicant.

“It took a little longer,” Barthel said. “We put a lot of work into this. We tried everything we could to make sure we could do it.”

Audience member McKenzie Brodbeck said there were concerns about having a five-year agreement with the city when the state’s program is for three years.

Barthel said the council agreed to provide all of the funding in the first three years to match the state, but the commitment with the city would be for five years.

Councilwoman Heather Lutter asked Brodbeck if there were issues created with the state program with the city requiring a five-year agreement. Brodbeck indicated there were issues created.

City Administrator Lisa Schroedl said in her conversation with the state it was not uncommon for a professional to have separate agreements with the state and with the community.

“The agreement with the community doesn’t take anything away from the agreement with the state,” Schroedl said. “Not every situation is the same. A lot of pieces play in to the recommendations that come from the loan committee.”

Councilman Brad Fiala said it was impossible for the council to handle every application the same. He said council members change and program administrators change.

Lutter said most of the professional contracts are agreements with the hospital, so the circumstances were different with this application.

Brown County Hospital Board member John Gross said he felt it would behoove the city to look back and see if the money provided through the program in the past had been effective.

“Those at the hospital, for the most part, we have kept for five years or so,” Gross said. “You could look at a three plus two plan. If everyone was happy after three years you can go to the next two for a max of five. That helps you get to where you want with longevity. I encourage you to take a hard look at how effective you have been.”

Gross said, from the hospital’s perspective, the question is how can the hospital position itself to be the most attractive option for professionals.

“How to we enhance what we are doing and be more effective?” Gross said.

Barthel said he received substantial feedback from community members on the issue of professional recruitment. He said community members who talked to him think five years should be the minimum commitment.

Brodbeck asked to enter into executive session with the council to provide additional information.

Following that session, by a 2-1 vote with Barthel against and Councilman Kent Taylor absent Wednesday, the council approved reducing the length of commitment from five years to three years for the professional retention agreement with the city.

In other business Wednesday, the council approved purchasing two solar-powered flashing speed limit signs for the 45 mph zones on the east and west entries into Ainsworth on Highway 20.

Brown County Emergency Manager Traci Booth said the county and the Brown County roads department had each agreed to purchase signs for the north and south entries into the community.

Booth said the state handles the installation and maintenance of the signs, which will cost the city a total of $8,208 to purchase.

Fiala said the signs do slow traffic down.

“I think it is a very good deal,” Fiala said. “Traffic needs to be slowed down.”

Booth said Rock County is also purchasing two signs for speed zones entering Bassett.

The council approved a recommendation from the Ainsworth Betterment Committee to provide $26,885 in ABC funding to the Brown County Ambulance Association to help replace defibrillator units in the association’s ambulances.

Ann Fiala said the association would need to replace both its ambulance defibrillator units in the near future at a total cost of $96,000.

“They are important pieces of equipment,” Fiala said. “It is vital we have these units. They should last us 20 years.”

She said the units being purchased would match what is in place at the Brown County Hospital so equipment would not need to be changed when transporting a patient to the hospital.

Ainsworth Betterment Committee member David Spann said the association has funding requests submitted to other groups as well.

“We agreed to recommend providing 50 percent of the cost of one unit hoping the hospital auxiliary and foundation might also assist,” Spann said.

The council approved the committee’s recommendation to provide $26,885 in ABC funding to the ambulance association. The city receives ABC funding from a portion of its city sales tax revenue.

Following a public hearing Wednesday, the council approved a Class C liquor license application for Yogi’s Place. Greg Jochem said the business wanted to change from a Class D to a Class C license so it could host wine tastings.

The council approved authorizing the North Central Development Center to submit an application to the Advancing Nebraska’s Communities grant program for the pickleball court project at East City Park.

NCDC Executive Director Kristin Olson said the grant could potentially assist with the Phase II portion of the project, purchasing the synthetic material for the pickleball court.

Olson said the application was due in May and required the applicant to raise 60 percent of the funding. She said the $107,000 from the ABC fund for Phase I of the project could count toward the community match.

She recommended the city also try to raise some private funding for the project to score better on the grant application.

In a related item, the council approved a policy regarding donor levels for naming rights for community projects. Schroedl said she received feedback from other communities and provided a proposal to the council based on what other communities utilize.

Klammer said the policy provides a framework for the council but doesn’t tie the city in to anything.

“Every situation is unique, so we want some flexibility,” Klammer said.

Fiala said, “I think we need to have something in place. If we want to change it down the road we can.”

The council approved a resolution to allow expedited reviews of Micro TIF redevelopment plans.

Klammer said the resolution is procedural and puts a framework in place for future projects.

Olson said the resolution was the state’s draft for any community that wants to utilize Micro TIF for development projects.

“It is a lot easier application than a full TIF project,” Olson said. “It is a one page application. It works with a city’s vacant property ordinances.”

Schroedl said Micro TIF is used more for housing development projects.

“Instead of a 15-year commitment, it is for five to seven years,” Schroedl said. “There is no harm in adopting it.”

The TIF program allows the additional property tax generated by improving the value of a parcel to be captured and used for improvements at the site, such as utility work.

In a final development item, Klammer appointed Barthel and Taylor to negotiate a continued agreement with the North Central Development Center to manage the city’s LB 840 program. Barthel and Taylor are to provide a recommendation for the full council’s consideration in May.

The council discussed a proposal from Tower Alliance to purchase the existing cell tower lease the city has with the company. The city has a long term lease with Tower Alliance that provides the city a lease payment of $785 per month with a 3 percent annual escalator.

Schroedl said the city renegotiated the current lease with Tower Alliance last year and at that time opted not to allow the company to purchase the tower.

She said the company was offering $170,000 as a one-time payment to the city to purchase the lease. She said the payment would equate to around 15 years of lease payments.

“This is not an emergency if you would like some time to think about it,” the city administrator said.

The council opted to table the item to its May meeting.

Brittney Koenig with the Nebraska Public Power District provided the council with an update on the utility’s rates and performance. NPPD has the most reliable electric grid in the country, and Nebraska is the only state completely powered by public power.

She said NPPD’s rate of 10.9 cents per kilowatt hour was below the state average of 11.2 cents and well below the national average of almost 16 cents per kilowatt hour.

Koenig said NPPD provided the city of Ainsworth with $279.053 in lease payments in 2024 and paid $28,524 in sales tax last year. She said the utility also provided $112,392 through a 5 percent gross revenue tax in 2024 to Brown County.

She said incentives were available to residential customers who upgrade their electric heating and air conditioning systems, and NPPD provides a 20 percent rebate for the cost of purchasing battery operated yard equipment. Customers can apply for the rebates at nppd.com. She said $1,830 in incentive payments were provided to Ainsworth customers in 2024.

Koenig reported the city’s solar farm produced 1.01 million kilowatt hours of electricity in 2024 and the power produced by the array was fully subscribed.

Koenig said the utility was in the beginning stages of utilizing small nuclear reactors in willing communities. She said 16 communities in the state, including Valentine, were identified as being potential sites for the small reactors, which she said could each provide 50 megawatts of power annually. She said the technology was still about 10 years away.

Koenig said NPPD was looking at spending $2 billion in the next five years to increase its power generating capacity. She said the utility was currently producing 58.3 percent of its power using carbon-free sources with a goal of being completely carbon neutral by 2050.

Councilman Fiala said NPPD runs a good organization.

“Ainsworth is rarely without power,” Fiala said. “The guys are good to work with.”

The council approved ratifying action taken during its March 12 meeting after a notice publication issue, and approved the mayor’s recommended appointments of Mark Johnson and Crystal Allen to five-year terms on the Ainsworth Housing Authority. Johnson and Allen replace Earl Brown and Tom Osborn on the Housing Authority.

The next meeting of the Ainsworth City Council is scheduled for 5 p.m. May 14.

* Rock County students attend AG Youth Conference

(Posted 10:45 a.m. April 9)

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers hosted 52 students Tuesday in the Nebraska State Capitol for the annual Attorney General’s Youth Conference.

Among the students attending were Trey Anthony, Carter Buell and Kade Wiiest from Rock County High School.

High school juniors and seniors from across the state were invited to the Youth Conference. Students submitted essays about the U.S. Constitution to be accepted to the conference.

Joining Hilgers in addressing the students were Governor Jim Pillen, Senator Beau Ballard, and Nebraska Supreme Court Justice Jason Bergevin. Additionally, students engaged with chiefs of several different bureaus in the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and members of the Solicitor General team.

“We had another great year with young Nebraskans from across the state, who came together for a jammed-packed day filled with learning and growth opportunities. I am excited to see how the futures of these energetic, conscientious, and bright Nebraskans unfold,” Hilgers said.

Students joined together in the Warner Legislative Chamber, where they had the opportunity to debate a bill on social media use. They spent the day immersed in various topics related to government, law, and consumer protection issues.

The Attorney General spoke to the students regarding the importance of following their passions, choosing meaningful careers, and considering a career in Nebraska.

* Great showing at State FFA for area students

(Posted 1:30 p.m. April 8)

The Nebraska State FFA Convention was held last week at Lincoln, and numerous area FFA students earned recognition for their efforts with the organization.

For the Ainsworth High School chapter proficiency events, Aiden Jackman was the state champion in fiber and oil production and Kenley Welke finished as the state runner-up in wildlife management. Emma Kennedy took third in the state in health and human services, and Terra Shoemaker placed third in nursery operations. Kennedy was also a gold medal winner in the employment skills category.

The Ainsworth veterinary science team of Megan Jones, Londyn Dunbar, Addi Held and Miah Ortner finished eighth as a team, with Jones placing seventh individually.

The agriscience team of Ben Clingman, Ryan Kerrigan, Bateson Raymond and Bristol Goodwin placed 11^th in the state. The ag sales team of Morgan Kinney, Preselyn Goochey, Emma Kennedy and Hannah Beel finished 14^th, with the livestock judging team of Kenley Welke, Holden Beel, Londyn Dunbar and Branden Freudenburg placing 20^th.

State FFA Degrees were awarded to Terra Shoemaker, Braxton Fletcher, Hannah Beel, Aiden Jackman, Preselyn Goochey, Emma Kennedy and Miah Ortner.

For Keya Paha County, Jamison Graham received a State Degree. The Keya Paha Chapter received fourth place in the I Believe in the Future of Ag contest, and Zach Wiebelhaus and Kit Painter received NIFA Chapter Awards.

The agricultural technology and mechanics team of John Schrader, Lucas Clay, Mason Schubauer and Landon Stephen finished 23^rd of 60 teams in the state. The natural resources team of Thomas Carr, Mason Schubauer, Reece Taylor and Courtnie Kruger finished 23^rd of 77 teams. The welding team of John Schrader, Mason Schubauer, Lucas Clay and Angela Frick placed 32^nd of 60 teams.

Kit Painter received a silver rating in her individual proficiency event, with Angela Frick earning a bronze rating in her event.

For Rock County FFA, Bridget Lewis, Sydney Sybrant, Maddie Corkle and Lindsay Wegener earned State Degrees. The Rock County Chapter placed third in the I Believe in the Future of Ag campaign.

Individually, Carter Buell earned a gold rating in senior public speaking. Kade Wiiest picked up a silver rating in extemporaneous speaking, and Addie Wiiest earned silver in natural resources speaking. Owen Blake placed third in ag literacy speaking, Trey Anthony and Macy Bearnson were third in the agriscience fair social systems category, Carter Buell took fourth in the agriscience fair social systems category, and Addie Wiiest and Lyndsey Sybrant placed fourth in the agriscience fair environmental natural resources category.

Rock County’s ag biotechnology team of Carter Buell, Trey Anthony, Noah Seberger and Collin Hagan placed fifth, with Buell and Anthony finishing 10^th and 11^th respectively.

The agriscience team of Noah Seberger, Lyndsey Sybrant, Ireland Buell and Trevor Keller finished fifth. The nursery and landscape team of Carter Buell, Trey Anthony, Macy Bearnson and Ireland Buell finished 12^th in the state.

The Stuart FFA Chapter landed state championships in both the Conduct of Chapter Meetings category and Parliamentary Procedure to advance to nationals.

The champion Conduct of Chapter Meetings team consisted of Kyra Tubbs, Tommy Paxton, Paityn Sheffield, Klaire Ramm, Max Alder, Annie Ludwig and Brook Wallinger.

The champion Parliamentary Procedure team included Hunter Tubbs, MaKayla Menke, Benjamin Paxton, Addie Ketteler, Luke Ludwig and Dawson Heiser.

The Marketing Plan Team of Gracie Kaup, Reagan Stracke and Annie Ludwig finished as the state runner-up, as did Tommy Paxton in Creed Speaking.

Blake Wallinger placed third in the state in MIG Welding. Hunter Tubbs took fourth in employment skills and fifth in ag sales.

Megan Karo finished fifth in food science, with Dawson Heiser sixth in the state in natural resources speaking. The Ag Demo team of Owen Littau, Kayde Ramm, Zane Doke and Morgan Menke placed sixth.

The Stuart team earned a gold medal in Conduct of Chapter Meetings with Kemberlyn Kohle, Ali Wondercheck, Alex Paxton, Mac Wallinger, Collin Heiser, Jaxon Kohle and Amry Paxton.

Blake Wallinger picked up a silver medal in extemporaneous speaking.

Luke Ludwig was a State Star in Agribusiness finalist, and Jameson Estill and Blake Wallinger were finalists in the State Star in Agricultural Placement.

The Stuart FFA Chapter also landed state proficiency champions with Blake Wallinger in diversified crop production placement and Luke Ludwig in vegetable production.

State proficiency runners-up were Gracie Kaup in equine science entrepreneurship and Reagan Stracke in home and occupational safety.

Third place finishers in state proficiency events were Zane Doke in specialty animal production, Ben Paxton in forage production and Luke Ludwig in ag sales entrepreneurship.

The Stuart farm and agribusiness management team of Blake Wallinger, Jameson Estill, MaKayla Menke and Austin Fuelberth finished sixth in the state.

The ag sales team of Hunter Tubbs, Blake Wallinger, Ben Paxton and Klaire Ramm placed seventh in the state.

The food science team of Megan Karo, Austin Fuelberth, Annie Ludwig and Alyssa Karo finished 16^th.

State Degrees were awarded to 11 Stuart FFA members: Gracie Kaup, Addisyn Ketteler, Reagan Stracke, MaKayla Menke, Megan Karo, Blake Wallinger, Luke Ludwig, Dawson Heiser, Hunter Tubbs, Jameson Estill and Benjamin Paxton.

The West Holt FFA Chapter saw 16 members earn State Degrees. Those students were Teagan Butterfield, Mason Crumrine, Abby Davis, Nick Hansen, Kruz Jelinek, Lincoln Konrad, Ryanna Mathis, Olivia Nelson, Drake Nemetz, Hannah Olson, Cole Poessnecker, Naomi Sanchez, Makenna Schaaf, Oliver Shane, Lily Vogel and Kimberly Wettlaufer.

The West Holt Parliamentary Procedure team of Cale Deseive, Ava Hoffman, Pavan Larson, Morgan Mitchell, Aleigha Ogden and Taylor Walnofer was named a state finalist and earned a gold medal.

The Ag Demonstration Team of Kruz Jelinek, Drake Nemetz, Teagan Butterfield and Naomi Sanchez earned a silver medal, as did the Conduct of Chapter Meetings team of Sadie Keogh, Jadon Davis, Case Shane, Taylor Nowlin, Tagen Kramer, Carter Wettlaufer and Gabe Monasterio.

Teagan Butterfield was a state finalist in agricultural production.

Ava Hoffman finished as the state runner-up in creed speaking and earned a gold medal. Lily Vogel took fifth in the state and earned gold in senior public speaking.

Madalyn Pistulka earned gold in natural resources speaking, and Monica Chavez received gold in employment skills.

Elizabeth Olson earned a silver medal in extemporaneous speaking.

In career development events, the Huskies earned a state championship in farm and agribusiness management with the team of Mason Crumrine, Nick Hansen, Drake Nemetz and Lincoln Konrad. Crumrine and Hansen finished second and fourth individually.

The West Holt Marketing Plan team of Kearsten Keogh, Aila Nowlin, Claire Sholes, Ansley Cadwallader and Kayli Monasterio also won a state championship.

The Agricultural Communications team of Lily Vogel, Monica Chavez, Hannah Olson and Taylor Walnofer finished as the state runner-up. Vogel placed fifth individually, with Chavez eighth.

The Nursery/Landscape team placed third in the state with Hunter Wettlaufer, Makenna Schaaf, London Konrad and Berkleigh Dvorak. Wettlaufer was fourth individually and earned a $1,000 scholarship from Stihl. Schaaf placed eighth and Konrad ninth individually.

The Environmental Natural Resources team of Marek Dvorak, Alex Gotschall, Zeke Klabenes and Carson Wieneke placed eighth, with Dvorak 11^th individually.

The Floriculture team of Kimberly Wettlaufer, Avery Nemetz, Abby Davis and Madison Kratz took ninth. Wettlaufer was 11^th individually.

The Poultry team of Taylor Schaaf, Case Shane, Carter Wettlaufer and Elizabeth Olson finished 12^th, with Schaaf 10^th individually.

The Welding team of Kyle Schmidt, Cole Poessnecker, Lane Cole and Max Caro took 19^th, with Schmidt third in TIG welding and Poessnecker fifth individually in MIG welding.

The Husky Chapter landed four state proficiency champions to qualify for nationals.

Teagan Butterfield won the proficiency championship in beef production, as did Ava Hoffman in diversified horticulture, Oliver Shane in forage production and Taylor Walnofer in agriscience research.

Four West Holt members were the state runners-up in their proficiency categories: Monica Chavez in agricultural mechanics, design and fabrication; Pavan Larson in nursery operations; Lane Keogh in residential construction; and Hunter Wettlaufer in landscape installation.

Hannah Olson finished third in the state in sales and service.

In the Agriscience Fair, Elizabeth Olson and Ansley Cadwallader won a state championship in power, structural and technical systems to qualify for nationals.

Anel Monasterio and Maria Mora Gallardo finished as the state runner-up in plant systems.

* Long Pine receives $53,000 in CDBG funding

(Posted 1:30 p.m. April 7)

The Nebraska Department of Economic Development announced $836,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to three communities through the 2024 Planning and Public Works opportunities.

The awards supplement DED’s Nov. 8 announcement of more than $8.3 million in CDBG awards.

The city of Long Pine received a $53,000 Community Development Block Grant  to create a comprehensive plan. Edison received $480,000 in CDBG funds to construct a backup well, and Sprague picked up $303,000 in CDBG funding to construct a new well and well building.

The CDBG program provides funds to help communities plan and implement projects that enhance public health and safety, economic well-being, local vitality, and quality of life. The program is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Each of the funded communities outlined a sound plan for their community development project, demonstrating collaboration and support from local businesses and residents.

* Brown County Sheriff’s Department weekly summary

(Posted 9:15 a.m. April 7)

March 30

Received a report of power lines sparking in southeast Brown County. KBR was contacted.

Received a report of a vehicle speeding and driving carelessly south on Highway 7. Deputies were unable to locate the vehicle.

A traffic stop was made south on Highway 7. The driver received a citation for speeding 78 mph in a posted 65 mph zone. 

Received a report from a Long Pine resident about smelling smoke and seeing a possible fire in the canyon. Long Pine Volunteer Fire Department was contacted and reported that they could see the fire but it looked to be someone’s camp fire.

March 31

Received a written complaint about harassment of an Ainsworth resident. This is being investigated by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office.

Brown County Sheriff’s Office was requested to do a welfare check on an elderly male in Ainsworth. The resident was found to be ok.

Received a report about a vehicle driving on Highway 20 that was struggling to maintain his lane. A deputy patrolled the reported area and was unable to locate the vehicle.

Received a report of possible child abuse. Deputies spoke with all parties involved. This is still an ongoing investigation.

Received a report of saws that were left at the Ainsworth car wash. The property was picked up by deputies and later returned to the owner.   

Brown County Ambulance responded to a residence in Ainsworth and transported the resident to the Brown County Hospital. 

Deputy responded to suspicious activity in Ainsworth. Brown County deputy drove around the reported area and did not see anything out of the ordinary.  

April 1

A deputy responded to a request for a civil standby for an Ainsworth resident so they could deliver paperwork.

April 2

Brown County deputies with the assistance of Valentine Police Department did a K9 sniff of Ainsworth Community Schools. The K9 officer reported that there was nothing found or located during the K9 sniff.

Brown County Sheriff and a staff member attended a NIRMA conference in Norfolk.

April 3

Calamus fire department did a training burn on Calamus Road.

Received a call from the Fremont Police Department advising that an individual had been arrested on a Brown County warrant.

April 4

Brown County deputy assisted an individual with civil matter questions.

A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth for not stopping at a stop sign. The driver was given a written warning.

Brown County Ambulance responded to a residence in Ainsworth and transported a resident to Brown County Hospital. 

A traffic stop was made west on Highway 20. The driver received a citation for not having a registered vehicle and was given written warnings for not having their driver’s license on the person and his headlight was not working properly.

A traffic stop was made just east of Ainsworth for driving 50 mph in a posted 35 mph zone in Ainsworth. The driver was given a citation for 15 mph over the posted speed limit and driving without having valid driver’s license.

Brown County Ambulance assisted an Ainsworth resident with transport from the Brown County Hospital back to their house.

A traffic stop was made in Ainsworth for a headlight not working properly. During the traffic stop the deputy discovered that the driver’s registration has been expired for approximately one full year. The driver received a citation for his expired registration and warning for his headlight not working properly.  

April 5

Brown County Deputies responded to a call for a possible shot window of an Ainsworth Resident. This is still an ongoing investigation.

Responded to hit deer south on Highway 7 still in the roadway. Brown County Deputy removed the deer from the traffic lane.

Brown County Deputies responded to a car deer accident on highway 20.

Deputies responded to a welfare check of a child. The child was found to be ok.

Weekly Log
Calls:  681
911 Calls:  4
Calls for Service:  14
VIN Inspections:  5
Handgun Purchase Permits:  2
Inmates Currently Housed:  2

* Swanson recognized during Teacher Education Convocation

(Posted 7:15 a.m. April 7)

The 225 University of Nebraska–Lincoln undergraduate students who have officially been admitted to teacher education programs in the College of Education and Human Sciences during the 2024-25 academic year were recognized at the second annual Teacher Education Convocation April 4 at Carolyn Pope Edwards Hall.

Among the students recognized was Gracie Swanson of Bassett, a junior majoring in elementary education and special education.

Students were formally recognized during the ceremony and presented with a commemorative pin symbolizing that they are one step closer to entering the professional life of an educator. 

Kenneth and Annie Bird provided the keynote address for the event. Kenneth Bird is a former superintendent of Omaha’s Westside High School and former founder, president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit Avenue Scholars. Annie Bird is a former speech-language pathologist for the Nebraska Department of Education and former educator.

“You have chosen an amazing career path,” Annie Bird told the future teachers during the convocation. “I would guess that as you’ve chosen this profession, there was some teacher, some educator in your life, that really left an impression on you and led you to the direction of wanting to go this route. You’re going to be that person for someone else.”

* Area counties see lowest February jobless rates

(Posted 1:30 p.m. April 3)

The Nebraska Department of Labor announced Nebraska’s unemployment rate for February is 3.0 percent. The rate is up 0.1 percent from January and up 0.4 percent from the February 2024 rate of 2.6 percent.

Nebraska’s unemployment rate is tied for fifth lowest in the nation. South Dakota maintained its grip on the best unemployment rate in the country in February at 1.9 percent. North Dakota and Vermont tied for second with rates of 2.6 percent, followed by Montana at 2.8 percent, then Nebraska, Minnesota, Maryland, Hawaii and New Hampshire at 3.0 percent.

The highest jobless rate in the country continues to be Nevada. That state’s rate climbed to 5.8 percent in February. Michigan and California tied for the second highest rate in February at 5.4 percent, with Kentucky at 5.3 percent and Illinois at 4.8 percent rounding out the bottom five.

Brown County and Rock County each saw jobless rates of 2.7 percent in February, below the state average and tied with several other counties for the second-best rates in the state.

Cherry County had the lowest rate in the state in February at 2.4 percent.

Holt County was also better than the state average with a rate of 2.8 percent in February. Blaine County’s rate came in at 3.8 percent, followed by Keya Paha County at 4 percent and Boyd County at 4.3 percent.

The highest unemployment rate in the state was experienced in Hooker County in the Sandhills at 8 percent.

“Nebraska’s labor force reached 1,077,890 in February, a record high for the second straight month,” said Commissioner of Labor Katie Thurber.  “Employment is up by 10,000 compared to a year ago.”

The counts of employed and unemployed in the labor force are based on a survey conducted by the Census Bureau regarding employment status.

Nonfarm employment, a count of filled jobs, was 1,048,487 in February, up 4,754 from January and up 6,569 from February 2024. Private industries with the most growth between January and February were the private education and health services sector (up 1,399 jobs), the manufacturing sector (up 665 jobs) and the mining and construction sector (up 557 jobs).

Private industries with the most growth during the past year were the private education and health services sector (up 5,889 jobs); the mining and construction sector (up 1,803 jobs); and the other services sector (up 1,144 jobs).

The national unemployment rate for February is 4.1 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from January and up 0.2 percentage points from the February 2024 rate of 3.9 percent.

* Meadville Avenue speed limit to remain 50 mph

(Posted 8:15 a.m. April 2)

The Brown County Commissioners will not attempt to increase the 50 mph speed limit on Meadville Avenue after the results of a speed study indicated there were areas where minimum site line standards for stopping were not met.

Highway Superintendent Kenny Turpin told the commissioners Tuesday the survey was conducted free of charge by Lance Harter with Oak Creek Engineering because of the time it took to complete the survey.

Turpin said the survey showed at least four areas where the minimum site line standards for stopping distances would not be met if the speed limit on Meadville Avenue was increased to 55 mph.

Turpin said Harter recommended the commissioners keep the speed limit at the current 50 mph. The highway superintendent said increasing the speed limit after receiving a recommendation not to do so could lead to liability issues for the county if an accident occurred.

Commissioner Jeremiah Dailey said, now that the commissioners have this information, he didn’t believe the speed limit should be changed. Dailey said he did not want to see the county exposed to potential liability should an accident occur.

Commissioner Dennis Bauer agreed, saying he did not want to see anyone get hurt if the speed limit was raised and an accident occurred.

The study did recommend the county extend the 35 mph speed limit on Meadville Avenue an additional 500 feet north of the 879^th Road intersection. The current 35 mph speed limit begins at the 879^th Road intersection and continues south to the Ainsworth city limits.

In another roads item Tuesday, Turpin recommended the commissioners move forward with a request to vacate 1.65 miles of Harry Johnston Road in southern Brown County.

Turpin conducted a study of the road’s usage and reported the road has daily traffic of five vehicles or fewer. He said the property adjacent to the entire stretch of road is owned by one landowner.

He recommended the county consider vacating the road and hold a public hearing so anyone with concerns could voice them.

The commissioners set a public hearing on the road vacation request for 1:15 p.m. May 6.

Turpin said, should the commissioners ultimately decide to vacate the road, the landowner would be given the option to either purchase the county-owned auto gates on the stretch or the roads department would remove them.

Turpin reported there have been erosion issues on both 430^th Avenue and Meadville Avenue where they intersect with Bone Creek.

Turpin said he contacted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about potentially straightening the channel on Bone Creek to alleviate the erosion issues and was told it was a possibility but would require a wetlands delineation from an engineer.

“If we get the wetlands delineation, I can fill out the application to the Corps of Engineers,” Turpin said.

The board approved hiring an engineer to conduct the study needed for the application.

The commissioners approved the purchase of three pieces of equipment from armor coating company Topkote, which recently ceased operations.

Turpin recommended the county purchase a 1998 packer, a 24-foot Trail King trailer and a 2018 Bearcat tar pot. Turpin said each piece of equipment would be useful to the roads department.

“The tar pot will let us fill cracks on oil roads,” Turpin said, instead of the county having to contract for that work.

Dailey said the tar pot would pay for itself in the first year.

The commissioners authorized Turpin to purchase all three pieces of equipment for a total cost of $64,000. Turpin said he did have money in his current budget to accommodate the purchase.

In a final roads item Tuesday, the commissioners approved a request from property owner Randy Rau to have the county surveyor locate property lines in an area that had recent road improvement work completed.

Rau said he purchased property near the Ainsworth South Cemetery and the property markers were removed when the roads department made the road wider while it was being used as a detour route.

Rau said he would like to see the property lines reestablished so he knew where he could put in fencing.

The commissioners approved having Lloyd Smith survey the site.

In other business, the commissioners approved a resolution for a countywide burn ban after receiving a request from fire chiefs in the county during the board’s March 18 meeting.

Fire chiefs indicated the state statutes on open burning bans were not all-encompassing and a county-issued burn ban would cover types of open burning state statutes did not address.

The resolution approved by the commissioners bans all forms of open burning when fire chiefs deem conditions call for a ban.

The commissioners authorized the purchase of new communications equipment for the Brown County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Brent Deibler said the current dispatching system was outdated and parts could no longer be found.

The board approved a resolution drafted by County Attorney Andy Taylor that designated the equipment as specialized, removing the requirement to advertise for bids.

Deibler said $85,509 in E911 funding could be used to pay for a majority of the cost of outfitting the department with the new equipment, and the remaining $49,111 could be financed through Shaffer Communications of Lincoln.

By a 2-1 vote with Commissioner Donnie Painter against, the commissioners approved a special designated liquor license request for the Sandhills Corral for a wedding reception to be held May 17 on the Carson Ranch in southern Brown County.

The commissioners approved the 2024 weed superintendent performance evaluation as submitted by the state. Weed Superintendent Scott Erthum said he scored 3,390 out of a possible 3,400 on his evaluation. He said he was docked 10 points because he didn’t see a question asking if he was a full time or part time employee.

Treasurer Bruce Mitchell reported a recent public tax sale had four entities purchase 12 parcels of overdue property tax with the county receiving $23,158. The companies purchasing the back taxes receive interest from the property owner if the taxes are eventually repaid. If the taxes are not paid within three years, the companies can file a lien on the property.

Mitchell said 99.76 percent of 2023 property taxes have now been collected.

Emergency Manager Traci Booth discussed EMPG grants the county receives to cover half the cost of the wages paid to the designated emergency manager. Booth said deputy emergency manager Jessica Pozehl had been nominated for the deputy emergency manager of the year award.

The board approved providing a letter of support requested by Next Link to bid on broadband projects advertised by the state to provide service to residents located in the northern and southern portions of the county.

Next Link representative Aaron Clark said the letter of support was needed for the company to bid the project, and the county could provide a letter of support to more than one company if requested.

AFLAC representative Ashley Leonard discussed the products the company provides to county employees at the employees’ cost. She said 19 of the county’s 30 employees participate in supplemental insurance provided by AFLAC, and those employees receive lower premiums and better coverage by having the cost of the premiums withheld from their paychecks by the county.

If the county does not participate, employees would have to pay higher premiums and receive lower levels of coverage. Leonard said the county currently saves about $1,600 in payroll tax responsibilities as an added benefit since the insurance premiums are pre-taxed.

* Randolph receives inaugural NSAA award

(Posted 11:15 a.m. April 1)

The Nebraska School Activities Association presented the inaugural NSAA Above and Beyond Award, celebrating individuals whose dedication and service make a profound impact within their school communities.

The NSAA recognized Mark Randolph from West Holt Public Schools with the first Above and Beyond Award, noting he truly embodies the spirit of going above and beyond.

Randolph is employed as West Holt’s transportation director and custodian, but his contributions extend far beyond any job description. Described as a servant at heart, Randolph is the kind of person who quietly and consistently makes life better for those around him. Whether it’s driving buses through snowstorms to ensure students arrive safely, preparing classrooms for a new day, or simply offering a kind word of encouragement, his unwavering dedication is evident in every action.

As a bus driver, Randolph has logged countless miles, transporting students to field trips, FFA and FCCLA events, music performances, athletic competitions, and even church mission trips. Coaches and staff alike have often relied on his vast knowledge of Nebraska roads, giving them peace of mind knowing they’re in the safest hands. His calm presence and genuine care ensure every journey is a secure and positive experience.

In his role as a custodian, Randolph brings joy and warmth to every corner of West Holt. From ensuring the school is clean and welcoming, to checking in on teachers and staff just to see how they’re doing, his kindness and willingness to help never waver. It’s not uncommon to find him lending a hand with a smile, no matter the task.

As Transportation Director, Randolph treats his responsibilities as more than a job, it’s his life’s work. Maintaining West Holt’s fleet of vehicles with meticulous care, he ensures each bus and van is road-ready, both inside and out. And when it comes to assigning drivers for school events, he often volunteers himself not because he has to, but because he genuinely loves being there for the students and staff.

Beyond his official roles, Randolph’s dedication to his community is unmatched. He even opens the local coffee shop each morning, simply to lend a helping hand. His support and positivity provide a sense of comfort, offering a smile and words of encouragement after both wins and losses.

Randolph’s connection with the students is remarkable. He knows their interests, passions, and favorite songs, making every ride feel like a moment of joy and belonging. His kindness, humility, and selflessness have left an indelible mark on West Holt, and his legacy of service will inspire generations to come.

* Ludwig receives KLOP scholarship from UNK

(Posted 6:30 a.m. April 1)

Twenty high school seniors from across the state, including Luke Ludwig of Stuart High School, will attend the University of Nebraska at Kearney as part of scholarship programs that prepare them for high-demand careers in law, government and public administration.

The UNK Department of Political Science selected 16 students for the prestigious Kearney Law Opportunities Program, a partnership with the University of Nebraska College of Law that addresses the ongoing need for more attorneys in greater Nebraska.

Launched in 2016, the program recruits and trains students from rural Nebraska who are committed to practicing in these communities as professionals.

All KLOP participants receive a partial room waiver and tuition assistance during their time at UNK, with most scholarships covering the full cost of tuition. The program also offers academic support, including one-on-one mentorship from faculty and peers, along with professional development opportunities.

KLOP members connect with current law students, judges, attorneys and other professionals during on-campus events and frequent visits to the Nebraska College of Law in Lincoln, with these interactions leading to internships both locally and nationally. They’re encouraged to participate in undergraduate research and other experiential learning activities, including field study courses that allow them to learn about international human rights law during a two-week trip to Europe and the politics and law of the Civil Rights Movement during a one-week trip to the Southern U.S.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree at UNK, students are guaranteed admission into the Nebraska College of Law, provided GPA and Law School Admission Test requirements are met.

When the newest class of KLOP scholars arrives on campus this fall, a total of 56 students will be part of the UNK program.

“This highly accomplished class of incoming KLOP students comes from all areas of the state, which is really exciting,” said program director and political science professor Chuck Rowling, who serves as chair of the UNK Department of Political Science. “It is clear that these students are drawn to the intellectual rigor of this program, as well as the numerous experiential learning and professional development opportunities that will be available to them. I am excited to see the eventual impact these students will have on addressing the shortage of attorneys in rural Nebraska.”

The KLOP program is available to Nebraska students outside Lincoln and the Omaha metropolitan area. Participants can major in any academic area as long as they plan to pursue a law degree.

* Brown County Commissioners Tuesday agenda

(Posted 2 p.m. March 31)

Brown County Commissioners
Meeting 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, April 1
Brown County Courthouse
Agenda

Roll Call.

Acknowledge posting of Open Meetings Law.

Opening Prayer.

Pledge of Allegiance.

Approve minutes of the 3-18-2025 and the regular meeting.

Approve Claims

Public Tax Sale Report – Treasurer

Kenneth Turpin Road Department update

Randy Rau, location of property line and reimbursement of dirt – Randy Rau

Meadville Avenue Speed Limit change & speed study recommendation – Turpin

Letter of Support for Central Nebraska Economic Development District – Bauer

Resolution for a County wide burn ban Taylor

Resolution to provide Sheriff Department additional funds for unique communications equipment – Taylor

Special Liquor License for Sandhills Corral @ the Carson Ranch on May 17, 2025 – Kendra Johnston

1:30     Grant and LEOP update – Booth

1:45     Ashley Leonard – Aflac                     

2:00     Scott Erthum –  Present and approve State evaluation

Correspondence

Public Comment

Executive Session

Adjourn

* Brown County Sheriff’s Department weekly summary

(Posted 11 a.m. March 31)

March 23

Released inmate from Brown County Jail because they completed their court commitment.

Released inmate from Brown County Jail on Bond.

Brown County Ambulance responded to an Ainsworth residence and took the resident to the Brown County Hospital. 

March 24

Brown County Sheriff Office responded to a harassment call on an Ainsworth resident.

Deputies responded to a welfare check on an individual in Long Pine State Park. Individual was found to be ok.

The Sheriff’s office took a report of lost property in Ainsworth.

The Sheriff’s office took a report of possible child abuse in Ainsworth. This is still an ongoing investigation.

Deputies responded to a noise complaint with a Long Pine resident screaming and making threats in the middle of the street. This is still an ongoing investigation.

Deputies responded to Long Pine for a possible trespassing. The Deputies walked the property, including neighboring properties, and were unable to locate anyone.

March 25

Received a report of a bicyclist looking through the windows of Pump and Pantry.

Deputies responded to a call to Long Pine for a noise complaint.

The Sheriff’s Office received a written report of a Scam on social media and harassing phone calls. This is an ongoing investigation.

Released an inmate to a neighboring county for court appearance.

Neighboring County dropped off inmate after completing their court appearance.

Received a traffic complaint for a reckless driver in East City Park. A traffic stop was made, and the driver was arrested for driving with a revoked driver’s license. A Citation was also given for reckless driving.

Deputy attended storm watch training in Long Pine.

Suspicious activity was reported south of the airport on Highway 20. A deputy responded and reported nothing was found to be out of the ordinary.  

March 26

Sheriff’s Office employees attended Traffic Incident Management training.

Brown County Sheriff’s Office Tested Tornado sirens for Brown County.

Deputies took a report of a physical altercation that happened between two residents of Ainsworth.

Received a phone call about a residence around Long Pine smelling smoke. Long Pine fire department was notified. They advised that they did not locate fires in the Long Pine area that it may be coming from a controlled burn near Broken Bow.

Received complaint of a Transient camping off Highway 7. Transient was spoken to and that he is traveling the sandhills on his bike.

March 27

Took a report of someone has been doing “cookies” out at the Ainsworth Airport.

The Sheriff’s Office did a welfare check on an Ainsworth resident. The resident was found to be ok.

The Sheriff’s Office found a vehicle driven into the trees in Keller State Park. Since the vehicle was not in a designated parking area or camping area, the vehicle was towed.

March 28

Received a phone call from Cherry County requesting mutual aid for a fire south on Highway 83. The Ainsworth fire and Johnstown fire responded to the fire On Highway 83.

Traffic Control was provided for a funeral service in Ainsworth.

Received traffic complaint in Ainsworth of reckless driving. Vehicles reported were not located.

Took a report of a possible fire, the caller advised that a chimney in Ainsworth was puffing black smoke.  There was no fire found.

Deputy responded to two separate car deer accidents South on Highway 7. The Brown County Ambulance was called to assist with a possible injury from the accident. One of the drivers was transported to the Brown County Hospital.

March 29

A written warning was given to a driver for driving left of center.

A traffic stop was made on Highway 20 the driver of the vehicle was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. The driver was also cited for driving left of center, minor in possession of alcohol, unlawful consumption of alcohol and no license on person.

Brown County Ambulance responded to an Ainsworth resident; the resident was transported to the Brown County Hospital.  

Released individual from Brown County Jail on Bond.

Responded to a verbal argument of Long Pine residents. Parties were separated for the night.

Responded to a report of a vehicle parked along the highway with a person possibly slumped over the steering wheel. Deputies checked the reported area, and the vehicle was no longer there.   

Weekly Log
Calls:  870
911 Calls:  10
Calls for Service:  21
VIN Inspections:  2
Handgun Purchase Permits:  3
Inmates Currently Housed:  4

* Stuart finishes as Class D-2 State Speech runner-up

(Posted 6:45 a.m. March 31)

Class D-2 State Speech
Kearney
Team Scores
1. O’Neill St. Mary’s, 116; 2. Stuart, 110; 3. Chambers, 86; 4. Giltner, 64; 5. Arnold, 5; 6. Elgin Pope John, 52; 7. Sioux County, 50; 8. Wallace, 34; 9. Scribner-Snyder, 32; 10. Lewiston, 28.

Stuart Medal Winners
Extemporaneous speaking – 1. Dawson Heiser; 3. Thomas Paxton.

Entertainment speaking – 2. Maddux Alder.

Humorous prose – 2. Thomas Paxton.

Oral Interpretation of Drama – 4. Thomas Paxton, Matthew Yemma, Drew Schmaderer and Maddux Alder.

Persuasive speaking – 4. Dawson Heiser.

Serious Prose – 5. Drew Schmaderer.

* Fire burns 23,000 acres in Valentine Wildlife Refuge

(Posted 5:30 p.m. March 29)

Federal and state firefighters continue full fire suppression and monitoring operations for the Dads Lake Fire south of Valentine. Cooler temperatures, increased humidity and decreasing winds aided firefighters in blunting fire growth overnight Friday and into the day Saturday.

As of noon on Saturday, the fire perimeter was estimated at 23,000 acres based on preliminary information from heat signature mapping, which is not precise.

Reduced fire activity with limited to no growth is expected in the days ahead, but crews will continue suppression operations and monitor for renewed activity. The most active area of fire Saturday was in the southwest area of Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, but the fire burned off the refuge yesterday and overnight.  

While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, preliminary information indicates the fire may have been sparked by a UTV used for refuge operations.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service thanks the many volunteer fire departments, nearby landowners, and public safety and law enforcement departments that responded Friday and through the night. Federal and state interagency fire resources have responded with more enroute Saturday to assist with ongoing suppression, extinguishing any hotspots, and removing burning material near fire control lines to ensure the fire is fully out in areas that have burned. Resources supporting firefighting efforts include both ground and air assets. 

* Recent cases from Brown County Court

(Posted 1:45 p.m. March 27)

In addition to fines, each case carries $50 in court costs

Christopher G. Hockaday, age 42, of Parker, Colo., charged with speeding 16-20 mph over the limit, fined $125.

Nicholas J. Heisel, 41, of Garretson, S.D., possession of marijuana less than 1 ounce, $300; also charged with no operator’s license, $50; possession of drug paraphernalia, $100.

Bryant J. Neel, 19, of Gainesville, Mo., disclose undercover license plate information, $100; improper or defective vehicle lighting, $25; no proof of insurance, $100.

Morris A. Gilmore, 59, of Terlingua, Texas, speeding 11-15 mph over the limit, $75.

Kateryna O. Mukhina, 37, of St. Paul, Minn., speeding 11-15 mph over the limit, $75.

Kenneth D. Voss, 78, of Ainsworth, no license on person, $50.

* Trout to be stocked at Ainsworth pond next week

(Posted 6:45 a.m. March 26)

Spring trout stockings will continue throughout the state in April. As the spring temperatures continue to rise, anglers are encouraged to catch some of these larger trout – many near or exceeding 12 inches – being stocked.  

The Ainsworth Community Pond will have 250 cutbow trout stocked the week of April 1. The Sand Springs Pond on the Plum Creek Valley Wildlife Management Area will have 250 rainbow trout stocked the same week.

Pond 4 at Keller State Park will see 200 rainbow trout stocked the week of April 1, with 250 rainbow trout stocked in Pond 5.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is continuing to seek valuable input from trout anglers, particularly those who fish put-and-take lakes. Information from a voluntary survey will be used to continue informing future trout management and stocking decisions.

A survey is available at OutdoorNebraska.gov. Search “trout stocking reports.” Information from this survey will be used to inform future trout management and stocking decisions.

* Brown County Sheriff’s Department weekly summary

(Posted 6:30 a.m. March 25)

March 16

• Officers responded to a report of vandalism.  Citations issued to two parties with future court dates.
• Papers served to two residents of Ainsworth.
• Assisted motorist with brake issues on Hwy 20.
• A traffic stop in Ainsworth resulted in two citations with future court dates.

March 17

• Ainsworth Firemen responded to report of a fire south of Ainsworth which was started by a blown transformer. KBR Rural Electric also notified of down powerline.
• Officers and Administration staff attended the “I Love U Guys” reunification training held by the NE Dept of Education, Safety and Security & “I Love U Guys” Foundation.
• Paper service handed to Ainsworth resident through window at the BCSO.
• Received report of pedestrians walking unsafely in the streets of Ainsworth.  This office would like to remind people to use the sidewalks whenever possible and to always walk against traffic.  Walking in the street in the same direction as traffic, with headphones on, can be extremely unsafe.
• Officers arrested a female for DUI who was booked into the Brown County Jail until posting bond the next morning.

March 18

• Responded to a report of suspicious activity in Ainsworth which was later found to be someone visiting the neighbors.
• Transported a female patient to Richard Young in Kearney on an emergency protective custody hold.
• Responded to mutual aid request from the State Patrol to intercept a speeder entering Brown County from the west. The speeding driver either slowed down or turned off Hwy 20 as it was not found.
• A local resident accidentally drove off after getting fuel was contacted by an officer and returned to local business to pay for their fuel.

March 19

• Citation issued to driver speeding on Hwy 20.
• Verbal warning given to driver in Ainsworth for repairs needed on vehicle.

March 20

• Officers responded to an accident reported in a parking lot in Ainsworth.
• Written warning given to a driver in Ainsworth.

March 21

• Responded to reports of two vehicles in the ditch on east Hwy 20. No injuries were reported, and an ambulance was refused.
• Officers investigated suspicious activity near Ainsworth Community Schools.  It was determined to be a non-threat.
• Traffic stop at Hwy 20 & Hwy 183 resulted in a written warning for speed.
• Papers served in Ainsworth.
• Responded to noise complaint in Ainsworth.  Party turned down his music.
• Written warning for speeding issued for driver on Hwy 20.
• Traffic stop made on individual in Ainsworth.  Party was advised to walk home as they did not meet the DUI threshold.

March 22

• Officers responded to a report of fighting in the street in Ainsworth.  One party taken to Brown County Hospital by the Brown County Ambulance.  This is an investigation still underway.
• Female booked into Brown County Jail on a 12 hour hold per a mandatory PBT check by court order from Holt County.
• Papers served in Ainsworth.
• Multiple citations were issued as result of investigation into incident in street on 3/21.
• Ainsworth Ambulance transported a female patient to the Brown County Hospital from Cottonwood Villa.
• Responded to report of reckless driving in Long Pine.  One driver was arrested on DUI charges.

Weekly Log
Calls:  776 
911 Calls:  7 
Calls for Service:  14 
VIN Inspections:  5 
Handgun Purchase Permits:  1 
Inmates Currently Housed:  3 

* Lions Club meets for first time in three months

(Posted 6:30 a.m. March 25)

The Ainsworth Lions Club held its regular monthly meeting March 17 after the January and February meetings were cancelled due to the weather.

The Ainsworth Food Pantry sent a thank you card for the club’s donation. The club received a $500 anonymous donation that will be added to the Activity Account. The Lions Club International Foundation sent recognition of the $1,000 donation made to LCIF’s Empowering Service Fund.  This donation allows the Ainsworth Lions Club to name a Melvin Jones Fellowship recipient. Lions Club International informed the club that it earned the Membership Satisfaction Award for the 2023-24 year and sent the club’s award patch.

The club approved to renew the Adopt-A-Highway service project that is completed twice per year.  It was approved to renew the Ainsworth Lions Club annual membership to the Ainsworth Area Chamber of Commerce at the $100 level.  The club also approved to again be a hole sponsor in the amount of $200 for the Brown County Hospital Fundraiser Golf Tournament.

The Ainsworth Lions Club Officers/Directors initial nomination slate for the 2025-26 year was reviewed and completed.  The final nomination slate will be approved during the April meeting and will then be sent to the membership for voting approval.

The annual Fourth Grade Forester Project will be held April 25 at McAndrew Elementary, in conjunction with the Natural Resources District.  All students will be provided a tree sapling for planting.  The annual All-Sports Tailgate is scheduled for April 29 in McAndrew Gymnasium.  There will again be no presale tickets, with all meal tickets purchased at the door.

The next meeting of the Ainsworth Lions Club will be held Monday, April 21, at 5 p.m. in the Ainsworth Senior Center.

* Phares qualifies for State Speech

(Posted 11:30 a.m. March 23)

Class C2-4 District Speech
Plainview High School
Team Scores
1. Howells-Dodge, 280; 2. Plainview, 216; 3. Humphrey-Lindsay, 166; 4. Creighton, 104; 5. Lutheran High Northeast, 60; 6. Ainsworth, 42; 7. Burwell, 32.

Ainsworth Results
Poetry – 3. Madison Phares (qualifies for state)

Serious Prose – 5. Preselyn Goochey

Persuasive Speaking – 4. Hannah Beel

* Stuart wins Class D2-3 District Speech Meet

(Posted 10:15 a.m. March 20)

Class D2-3 District Speech
Stuart Public School
Team Scores
1. Stuart, 282; 2. Cody-Kilgore, 136; 3. Sargent, 114; 4. Tie between Keya Paha County and Mullen, 78; 6. Thedford, 48; 7. Loup County, 42; 8. Sandhills, 34.

Top Three in Each Event Qualify for State
Entertainment speaking – 1. Maddux Alder, Stuart; 3. Connor Sutton, Sandhills.

Extemporaneous speaking – 1. Dawson Heiser, Stuart; 2. Thomas Paxton, Stuart.

Informative speaking – 2. Matthew Yemma, Stuart; 3. Jasmine Davis, Stuart.

Oral Interpretation of Drama – 1. Drew Schmaderer, Maddux Alder, Matthew Yemma and Thomas Paxton, Stuart; 2. Connor Sutton, Mason Sutton and Mattee Zutavern, Sandhills.

Humorous Prose – 1. Thomas Paxton, Stuart; 2. Maddux Alder, Stuart; 3. Brenna Caufield, Keya Paha County; 4. Zoey Snyder, Keya Paha County.

Poetry – 1. Bailey Kaufman, Keya Paha County; 2. Jasmine Davis, Stuart.

Serious Prose – 1. Drew Schmaderer, Stuart; 2. Jasmine Davis, Stuart; 3. Brenna Caufield, Keya Paha County; 5. Courtnie Krueger, Keya Paha County.

Persuasive – 1. Dawson Heiser, Stuart; 2. Matthew Yemma, Stuart.

Program of Oral Interpretation – 1. Drew Schmaderer, Stuart; 2. Dawson Heiser, Stuart.

* Commissioners approve roof replacement funding

(Posted 2:45 p.m. March 19)

After months of discussion over the bids received, the Brown County Commissioners on Tuesday opted to provide the Brown County Agricultural Society with $52,000 from the county’s inheritance tax fund to pay for the replacement of the Johnstown Community Hall roof.

Board Chairman Dennis Bauer said, after discussing the matter with County Attorney Andy Taylor, the commissioners had the authority to decide how much money to provide the agricultural society for the project.

The agricultural society previously told the commissioners, of the numerous bids received for the roof replacement, the group opted for a quote of approximately $57,000 from Leach Roofing. The board did not approve the low bid for the project, which came in at around $44,000.

Bauer said he would be abstaining from any vote regarding the funding for the roof replacement.

Commissioner Jeremiah Dailey said he was considering providing $52,000 from the inheritance tax fund to the agricultural society, with the money repaid to the inheritance tax fund over a three-year period.

“That is in between the two bids,” Dailey said.

Commissioner Donnie Painter said that number would be agreeable to him, as he wanted to provide $51,000 for the project.

By a 2-0 vote with Bauer abstaining, the board approved contributing $52,000 from the county’s inheritance tax fund toward the roof replacement, with the Brown County Agricultural Society repaying the money to the inheritance tax fund over a three-year period.

Agricultural Society representative Alex Goochey said the Ag Society has been receiving $50,000 annually from the county in property tax for its general operations and $20,000 toward a sinking fund. The sinking fund money would be used to repay the inheritance tax fund over the three years.

In other business Tuesday, Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala approached the commissioners about passing a more strict burning ban in the county during times of extreme fire danger.

Fiala said fire chiefs in the county would like to see the commissioners approve a resolution that included the prohibition of all burning in the county when fire chiefs issue a burn ban.

Fiala said state statute covers some forms of burning that are prohibited when a burn ban is issued, but the state statute does not cover everything.

“In the past several months, there have been several wildfires,” the Ainsworth fire chief said. “Some started from burn piles that got away. Some started from trash barrels.”

Fiala said one of the recent large fires in Custer County started from a burn barrel.

“It is a huge cost to the county to fight fire,” Fiala said.

Despite firefighters being volunteers, the fuel for the vehicles and the wear and tear on vehicles and equipment are a cost burden to the county.

“It would be nice to be able to recoup the cost of our fuel when having to fight a fire that someone causes,” Fiala said. “Fires are getting worse every year.”

He said recreational campfires were not included in burn bans issued by fire chiefs unless an additional resolution was approved by the county board.

Bauer said he would not have a problem voting for a resolution prohibiting all burning in the county when a burn ban is issued.

Taylor said he would like to have some time to research the state statutes and then prepare a resolution for the board to consider that would be in addition to the state regulations.

The item was placed on the board’s April 1 agenda.

Max Fay approached the commissioners with a petition to vacate a road in extreme southern Brown County. Fay presented the commissioners with signatures from property owners near the road, which is bordered on all sides by property he said he owns.

The commissioners directed Highway Superintendent Kenny Turpin to proceed with a study of the road. Turpin has 30 days to complete the road study and present a recommendation to the board. Should the recommendation be to vacate the road, the commissioners would then set a public hearing on the vacation. The county is required to publish notice of the hearing and notify all adjacent property owners of the public hearing.

Dailey said it would likely be June before the board could provide Fay with an answer on vacating the road.

Bauer said, “The wheels of progress turn slowly.”

The commissioners discussed creating an official procedure for determining when to close the Brown County Courthouse during inclement weather.

Bauer said there are times when a blizzard is forecast but then the area doesn’t end up with much snow. He said he didn’t want to see people trying to drive in to the courthouse when the weather is bad, and having people slip and fall on the courthouse parking lot or the sidewalk is a concern.

While some counties follow the school and close the courthouse when the school cancels classes, the board determined the decision would be left to the commissioners, with decisions made by 6 a.m. on whether to close the courthouse for the day.

Clerk Travee Hobbs asked about whether board meetings would be cancelled on days the courthouse was closed as that issue came up March 4 when the courthouse was closed due to inclement weather with a board meeting scheduled. The board convened later that week to pay claims, but the remainder of the March 4 meeting agenda was moved to the following regular meeting date.

Taylor said he would work with Hobbs to draft a policy for the commissioners to consider April 1.

Sheriff Brent Deibler presented the board with a quote for a dispatch system. He said the current system is 30 years old and is having problems, buttons were sticking and information was not going out to responders during fire and ambulance calls. He said parts are no longer available to fix the current system.

Deibler said the $134,620 quote for the new system would include a hardware update after five years, and the county could pay for the cost of the system upgrade over a five-year term. If a grant is approved the sheriff’s department applied to receive, there would be no penalty for paying off the system early.

Taylor said, unless the equipment is specialized or it is an emergency, the county would have to advertise for bids for the new system. He said he would visit with Deibler to determine whether any other companies made a similar system to the one quoted.

Linda Alberts approached the board regarding a building on Main Street in Long Pine the county now owns.

Alberts said she understood the county was not awarded a grant to demolish the dilapidated building and asked if the board had a Plan B in mind.

Dailey said the county had no choice but to take ownership of the building.

“Nobody in Long Pine made anyone do anything about it before we inherited it, so I am not in favor of spending a bunch of money on it,” Dailey said. “The last time we checked, it was going to be $60,000 to demolish it.”

Bauer said the county should probably tear down the building and clean up the lot at some point.

In other action items Tuesday, the board appointed Painter to serve as the county’s representative on the Lexington Area Solid Waste Board, with Bauer serving as the alternate.

The commissioners also approved the final 2023-24 county audit as prepared by Contryman Associates of Kearney.

The board open sealed bids for armor coating, with just one bid received from Midwest Coatings of Modell, Iowa, at $25,875 per road mile with the county also responsible for the cost of the gravel.

Turpin said the quote approved for 2024 was $18,747 per mile so the cost for armor coating had increased substantially. He said Dan Osborne, who had performed armor coating work in the county for numerous years while employed by TopKote, was now working for Midwest Coatings.

The board discussed rejecting the bid and readvertising for armor coating. Turpin said, the longer the county waits to approve a quote, the higher the risk of not getting anyone at all to do the work.

Dailey said he was not in favor of increasing the line item budget for paved road maintenance, but he also did not want to short the roads department from having the ability to create cold mix asphalt for use on paved roads in the county.

Turpin initially said he hoped to armor coat 13 to 14 miles of paved roads, but with the price of the quote he said he would cut down to armor coating 10 miles of the Elsmere Road this fall.

The commissioners approved the bid from Midwest Coatings for 10 miles of armor coating in the county in the fall.

During his report, Turpin said there are members of the roads department who also serve as volunteer firefighters. He asked if the commissioners wanted those employees to clock out if they respond to a fire

Painter said he did not believe the employees needed to clock out as long as they used good judgment on when to respond.

Turpin said, if the employees are close to the shop, they could respond to fire calls but he would not have them respond if they were miles away.

Dailey said, “If they aren’t going to make it in the first five minutes, there is no point in going most times.”

Turpin reported the county has now received $783,730 in reimbursement from FEMA from the 2019 flooding in the county and an additional $490,605 in federal aid project reimbursement. He said the only thing that has yet to be reimbursed from the 2019 flooding is about $30,000 in administrative expenses.

Painter said he toured a site on Moon Lake Avenue where a property owner requested the county provide work on a private drive. He said he didn’t think the county should have anything to do with working on private drives.

Dailey said, “If we do that, we are going to open up a huge can of worms. Everyone in the county with a private drive will want us doing work.”

Turpin said he had researched the drive and found it had never been a dedicated county road.

The next meeting of the Brown County Commissioners is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. April 1.

* County Highway Improvement Plan approved Tuesday

(Posted 3:45 p.m. March 18)

Following a public hearing Tuesday, the Brown County Commissioners approved the one- and six-year highway improvement program as submitted by Highway Superintendent Kenny Turpin.

Turpin said the county completed four projects in 2024 and partially completed two others. Among the projects completed during 2024 were:

* Armor coating Meadville Avenue

* Grading on East Calamus Road

* Grading on Road 883

* Grading on 426^th Avenue

* Grading on a portion of 422^nd Avenue

* Grade on a portion of Meadville Avenue

Turpin said the roads department still had about one-half mile of grading work to complete the Meadville Avenue project.

Turpin said the other projects from the county’s 2024 one-year plan will carry over to this year’s plan.

“Getting five to six projects completed each year is pretty typical,” Turpin told the commissioners. “The most we have ever got done in one year is 13.”
Turpin said he included 24 projects on the one-year plan for this year.

“It is overloaded because we put a bunch of bridge projects on there hoping to get federal earmarked funds,” Turpin said.

Eight bridge replacement or rehabilitation projects were included on the one-year plan, with the county applying for federal funding to assist in the completion of those projects.

The projects include the replacement of the McCullough Bridge on the Bar 25 Road, and the rehabilitation of bridges located on 426^th Avenue, 432^nd Avenue, Road 881, Road 882, 424^th Avenue, Rauscher Avenue and a bridge on the access road off Koshopah Road.

“I like to try to keep the one-year plan to about 10 projects,” Turpin said. “That is more realistic. But I do try to make it flexible based off the weather and funding.”

In addition to the eight bridge projects, the one-year plan includes:

* Armor coating on 10 miles of the Elsmere Road (estimated cost of $185,000)

* Grading and gravel resurfacing on one-half mile of Road 879 ($6,000)

* Grading and resurfacing of one-half mile of Norden Avenue ($20,000)

* Grading and culverts on a portion of Road 880 ($2,000)

* Grading and resurfacing on 2 miles of 430^th Avenue ($15,000)

* Grading and gravel on one-half mile of Road 876 ($6,000)

* Grading and gravel resurfacing on 2 miles of Meadville Avenue

* Grading and gravel on 1 mile of Road 881 ($9,000)

* Grading and gravel on one-half mile of Road 880 ($4,000)
* Grading and resurfacing on two-tenths of a mile of Raven Road ($8,000)

* Grading and resurfacing on an additional two-tenths of a mile of Raven Road ($8,000)

* Grading and resurfacing on an additional one-half mile of Raven Road ($10,000)

* Grading and resurfacing on 1 mile of Road 886 ($12,000)

* Grading and resurfacing on 1.5 miles of Moon Lake Avenue ($14,000)

* Grading and resurfacing of seven-tenths of a mile of Kicken Road ($4,000)

Turpin said most of the 14 projects on the six-year plan involve grading or armor coating.

“The plan helps us keep track of what we are getting done,” Turpin said. “We are required to have a one- and six-year plan to receive our $850,000 in highway allocation funding.”

Projects on the county’s six-year plan include:

* Armor coating 10 miles of the Elsmere Road (estimated cost of $185,000)

* Armor coating 7.9 miles of South Pine Avenue ($148,000)

* Grading and gravel on one-tenth of a mile of Norden Avenue ($8,000)

* Grading and gravel on an additional 1.2 miles of Norden Avenue ($14,000)

* Grading and resurfacing on one-half mile of Road 876 ($8,000)

* Grading and resurfacing on 1 mile of Seaman Road ($12,000)

* Grading and resurfacing on 1 mile of 435^th Avenue ($6,000)

* Grading and resurfacing on one-half mile of Road 882 ($8,000)

* Grading and gravel on 1 mile of 434^th Avenue ($8,000)

* Grading and resurfacing on 1 mile of Cattleman Road ($16,000)

* Grading and resurfacing on 3 miles of 422^nd Avenue ($27,000)

* Grading and resurfacing on one-half mile of Road 888 ($8,000)

* Grading and resurfacing on 1 mile of Road 879 ($8,000)

* Grading and gravel on one-tenth of a mile of Road 885 ($8,000)

Following the public hearing Tuesday, the commissioners unanimously approved the one- and six-year improvement plan as presented.

* Work to begin on Highway 12 east of Burton

(Posted 3:15 p.m. March 18)

Weather permitting, work will resume March 25 on Highway 12 east of Burton between mileposts 65 and 80, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

Werner Construction of Hastings is the contractor for the project. Work includes earthwork, pavement marking and seeding. Traffic will be maintained with a pilot car and flaggers. Traffic for the bridge work will be maintained with a lane closure controlled by a traffic signal.

The project’s anticipated completion is in June. Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down.

* Brown County Sheriff’s Department weekly summary

(Posted 6:45 a.m. March 17)

March 2

• Citation issued for speeding on Hwy 20
• Officer investigated reports of reckless driving in Ainsworth. Suspects not found.

March 3

• The Brown County Ambulance responded to a page in Ainsworth. Patient then transported to the Brown County Hospital.
• The Brown County Ambulance responded to a 2^nd page in Ainsworth. Patient then transported to the Brown County Hospital.
• Received call from security alarm triggered. Was determined to be a false alarm.
• Issued Warning for speeding on Hwy 183.
• Officer made contact with motorist on Hwy 20. No citations were issued.
• Assisted NE State Patrol with traffic stop with suspicion of drugs.
• Booked a female inmate into Brown County Jail on DUI violation.

March 4

• Papers Served to residences in Ainsworth
• Motorist assistance for a semi-truck which slid into the ditch. Motorist had their company mechanic come make minor repairs.

March 5

• The Brown County Ambulance responded to a page in Ainsworth. Patient then transported to the Brown County Hospital.
• The Brown County Ambulance assisted 2 flight crews with patients transported from Brown County Hospital to the airport.
• 3 Warnings issued for speeding on Hwy 20.
• Warning issued for no proof of ownership.
• Driver’s License pickup order completed in Long Pine.
• Verbal warning issued for expired plates on Hwy 20. The stickers were in the vehicle.
• Papers served in Ainsworth.
• Verbal warning given in Ainsworth for traffic infraction.
• Responded to a business security alert in Ainsworth. All windows and doors found to be secure.

March 6

• The Brown County Ambulance responded to a page in Ainsworth. Patient then transported to the Brown County Hospital.
• Motorist assisted due to sliding into ditch on bad roads. Officer transported 3 passengers to hotel until tow services could be made next morning.

March 7

• Assisted motorist in gaining access to their vehicle
• Responded to accident call in Ainsworth.
• 3 Burn permits were issued.
• Citation issued for no operator’s license and speeding on Hwy 20.
• Warning issued for speeding in Ainsworth.

March 8

• The Brown County Ambulance responded to a page in Ainsworth. Patient then transported to the Brown County Hospital.
• Citation issued to DUI driver also leaving the scene of an accident.
• 2 Burn permits issued.
• Civil standby at an Ainsworth residence.
• Citation issued for speeding on Hwy 183.
• Made contact with motorist on side of Hwy 20. Motorist had already made arrangements for a tow.

Weekly Log
Calls:  642
911 Calls:  7
Calls for Service:  9
Vin Inspections:  3
Handgun Purchase Permits:  3
Inmates Currently Housed:    2

March 9

• 2 vehicle no injury accident on north Main St in Ainsworth. One vehicle towed a 2^nd was able to drive away.
• Citation issued for failure to yield, no insurance or registration.
• Responded to a report of reckless driving of motorcycle in Long Pine. Unable to make contact with driver.
• Responded to a report of hit & run accident in Ainsworth. This is still under investigation.

March 10

• The Brown County Ambulance responded to a page in Ainsworth. Patient then transported to the Brown County Hospital.
• Responded to Brown County Hospital regarding an emergency protective custody of a male juvenile. Patient later transported to Richard Young in Kearney.
• The Brown County Ambulance responded to a page for lift assist at residence in rural Brown County. Patient then transported to the Brown County Hospital.
• The Ainsworth Firemen assisted with standby of pallet fire at the Brown County Dump.
• Booked a Boyd County inmate into the Brown County Jail for holding.

March 11

• Received report of a one vehicle deer accident on Hwy 20. Driver reported minimal damage to vehicle and will self-report to Crash.Nebraska.gov
• Provided traffic control for funeral.
• Assisted Nebraska State Patrol with suspect photo line-up.
• Made contact with motorist on Hwy 7. No citation reported.
• The Brown County Ambulance transported a patient from the Brown County Hospital to their residence when discharged.
• Officer investigating suspicious activity at a residence in Ainsworth. This is an ongoing investigation.
• Officers attend multi-state meeting held in Springview, NE.
• Warning issued for not having Operators License on person on Hwy 20.

March 12

• Officers respond to Ainsworth residence for reports of domestic abuse. One individual transported to the Brown County Hospital.
• Released an inmate held for Boyd County on bond.
• Written warning given for speeding on Hwy 20.
• Written warning given for driving left of center and expired registration on Hwy 183.
• Dog complaint referred to City of Ainsworth.

March 13

• Released inmate from Brown County Jail at completion of their Court Commitment.
• Citation issued in Ainsworth for stop sign violation and expired registration.
• Verbal Warning issued for speeding on Hwy 20.
• Responded to report of impaired driver in Ainsworth. Officers located elderly driver and will submit report to DMV for driving recheck.
• Officers responded to security alarm at an Ainsworth business. Keyholder notified and met with officer at the business where all windows and doors remained secured.
• Written Warning issued for taillight out and expired registration on Hwy 20.
• Officers made contact with motorist illegally driving on the cowboy trail and was advised it is unlawful.

March 14

• Provided traffic assistance for cattle crossing on Hwy 7.
• Received a pocket 911 call. Caller reports no emergency.
• Written warning for speeding on Hwy 183.
• Made contact with motorist missing rear plate. Found to be commercially licensed with no rear plate required.
• Written Warning issued for no proof ownership on Hwy 20.
• Received report of speeding driver West of Ainsworth. Officer dispatched but at the time he made contact the driver was no longer speeding.
• Received complaint of improperly parked vehicle in Long Pine. Owner was able to relocate to correct parking spot.

March 15 

• Written Warning issued for speeding on Hwy 7.
• Written Warning issued for speeding on Hwy 20.
• Officer made contact with vehicle without plates, Temp tag was hard to see in window with tint.
• Received report of a one vehicle accident with deer. No injuries reported. Driver with self-report to Crash.Nebraska.gov.
• Written warning issued for stop sign violation on Hwy 20.
• Verbal warning issued for speeding on Hwy 20.
• Written warning issued in Long Pine for driving without headlights after dusk.
• Written warning issued in Long Pine for speeding.

Weekly Log
Calls:  681
911 Calls:  4
Calls for Service:  13
VIN Inspections:  3
Handgun Purchase Permits:  5
Inmates Currently Housed:  3

* State grant assists Rock County Community Center

(Posted 11:45 a.m. March 16)

On March 1, more than 350 attendees gathered to celebrate the new Rock County Community Center at Bassett. The evening event featured dueling pianists, prime rib served by the Bassett Country Club, and a tour of the new community center. The facility has a large multipurpose room, stage, kitchen and dining area, bar, and a smaller community meeting room.

The City of Bassett’s offices will soon be housed in the 13,200-square-foot building as well. The community constructed the facility with support from a grant of $562,000 through the Civic and Community Center Financing Fund.

Kristin Olson, North Central Development Center Executive Director, said the CCCFF grant was instrumental in helping complete the project.

“We needed a steppingstone, and the CCCFF grant positioned us to go back to some of the private funders so they could see the progress,” Olson said. “That’s what gave us the motivation to be able to finish the project.”

The Rock County Community Center reflects the power of partnership. Groups throughout the county united around the project—giving their time, money, and talent to support its construction.

“The people, the government, all the organizations, the businesses, it was everyone coming together [that made it possible],” said Sonny Corkle, a board member of the Rock County Community Fund.

The idea of building the community center dates back more than a decade. That’s when an informal group of civic-minded citizens started gathering to discuss local development.

“My brother and I ran a ranching operation in southern Rock County,” said Larry Buell, a member of the RCCF board. “In 2014, my brother called and told me he was meeting two other people, and I needed to come. That was the start of the Rock County Community Fund.”

The group determined that their county would need to access capital to support development. “Rock County is a great place to live and there are great people here, but there was not a lot of infrastructure,” Buell said.

Since forming, the Rock County Community Fund has raised over $1 million in funding. It has assisted numerous area projects and initiatives, including a fire hall for the Newport Rural Fire Department, the Bassett Arts Council, and Miles of Smiles—which offers no-fee dental services to children across north-central Nebraska. The foundation also supports local sporting events.

Early on, Rock County Community Fund set its sights on building a community center.

“The community has always recognized that there is a lack of public space for community members to use,” Corkle said.

The only large gathering place in Bassett has been the public school, which is only available at times when school is not in session.

While the need for a community center was clear, the path to fund it was uncertain. That all changed in 2016, thanks to a generous gift from Francis Kramer. Kramer, who died in 2016, bequeathed money to build a community gathering place. Mobilized by the memorial gift, local leaders sought community input, conducted a feasibility study, and set about raising additional funds for the project.

When Corkle began volunteering for the Rock County Community Fund in 2019, she saw an opportunity to access grants for the community center. She didn’t know a lot about grant writing at the time, but she knew how valuable the grants could be. Undeterred by her inexperience, she forged ahead with drafting proposals.

Her initiative paid off. RCCF received its first grant from the Peter Kiewit Foundation and then another from the Robert B. Daugherty Foundation. These funds, along with contributions from local businesses, made it possible to break ground on the Rock County Community Center in June 2023.

Additionally, Corkle and Olson learned about the CCCFF grants from the state of Nebraska, which are available to municipalities.

“Honestly, probably the best thing for us was to find out about the CCCFF grant,” Corkle said. “As a foundation, we had the idea we needed to build the facility, but there was no clear plan about who was going to own and operate it. We’re a bunch of volunteers.”

The Rock County Community Fund reached out to the city about partnering on the project. Since most of the construction funds had already been raised, building the facility would not impose costs on taxpayers. RCCF even committed to set up a $250,000 endowment fund to help maintain the building. 

“The city agreed [to own and run the facility], and that was huge for us. It’d be one thing for us to build the building, but who was going to take care of it? It was a huge thing to have collaboration with the city,” Corkle said.

With municipal leaders on board, Olson and Corkle then supported the city of Bassett’s successful application for a CCCFF construction grant.

Olson said gaining community support is essential for a large-scale project, and grants like CCCFF can help attract this backing.

“If you don’t invest in your own community, nobody else is going to invest in your project either,” Olson said. “It was really up to the community to come up with those sources of support and, without the CCCFF grant funds, I’m not sure we would have.”

Corkle said the day she found out they were receiving the CCCFF grant was memorable.

“It was probably the perfect time,” Corkle said. “I will never forget when I got the phone call that we received the grant. I was going to call some of our board members and tell them, ‘I just think we need to re-evaluate and not look at doing this right now.’ The importance of a grant like this is that it keeps the passion going. That way you can be successful in your project.”

* Work begins Monday on Carns Bridge replacement

(Posted 11:30 a.m. March 16)

Weather permitting, work will begin Monday, March 17, on Bassett Northeast Bridge, along county road 449th Ave and Carns Road, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

United Contractors of Johnston, Iowa, is the contractor for the project. Work includes removing the old bridge and replacing it with a new 950-foot bridge. Traffic will be maintained using the existing detour along Highway 7. Anticipated completion is July 2026.

Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down.

* Cowboy Hall of Fame banquet set for June

(Posted 11:45 a.m. March 16)

The 20^th annual Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony will be held June 7 in the 4-H Building at the Cherry County Fairgrounds in Valentine. Social Hour begins at 4 p.m., followed by the banquet at 6 p.m. and induction ceremony at 7 p.m.

There are 10 inductees into this year’s Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame. They are Stanley Huffman and Sam Miles of Cherry County, John Schroder Sr. of Loup County, Jerry Kennedy and Jack Malmberg of Sheridan County, Lee “Butch” Stout of Garfield County, Vern Boeser and Charles Daly of Logan County, Mick Knott of Arthur County, and Alice Cotton of Garden County.

* Council approves $90,000 LB 840 grant

(Posted 7 p.m. March 12)

After several months of discussion, executive sessions and a special meeting Tuesday, the Ainsworth City Council on Wednesday approved a $90,000 professional recruitment/retention grant to a local applicant.

Mayor Joel Klammer said the application was first discussed in November. He said the council gathered a lot of information.

Councilman Kent Taylor said, going forward, the council was going to ask the LB 840 Loan Committee, which makes a recommendation to the council on each LB 840 application, to work on some guidelines for future applications relating to professional recruitment and retention.

The council unanimously approved the application with a provision that the professional commit to five years in the community instead of three.

Councilman Dustin Barthel said, as far as he was concerned, future applications for professional recruitment would all need to be five-year commitments.

“I am tired of professionals coming for a couple years and then leaving just to take advantage of this program,” Barthel said.

North Central Development Center Executive Director Kristin Olson asked how the five-year agreement would be structured when the funds were being used as a match for a state grant program for professionals serving in rural areas.

Klammer said the city could provide the match the state needs. He said the council was just asking for a longer commitment.

“I don’t think anyone believes (the applicant) plans to leave,” Klammer said.

In other business Wednesday, the council opened bids for three pieces of an East City Park basketball and pickleball court project. The site planned for the project is a dilapidated basketball and tennis court east of the swimming pool.

The council received one bid for the concrete portion of the project, and approved the $79,385 bid from Walton Concrete of Ainsworth for the pad, which includes 249 yards of concrete for the court, 18 yards for the border as well as rebar, sealer and labor.

The council also received just one bid for the fencing portion of the project, and unanimously approved the $15,570 bid from Schumacher Fencing of Kearney and Ainsworth. The bid included 451 feet of fence, two gates, cement and labor.

The council received two bids for the lighting portion of the project. The council discussed any potential differences in the items quoted by bidders Ainsworth Electric Motor and Travis Electric of Ainsworth.

“It worries me there is that much difference in the price,” Councilman Brad Fiala said.

Travis Electric quoted $8,014 for the lighting project, with Ainsworth Electric Motor submitting a bid of $13,306.

Councilman and Ainsworth Electric Motor owner Dustin Barthel said the specifications included the potential for having to bury new conduit as well as replace the electrical box at the site. He said he included those items in his bid.

Klammer said the Ainsworth Electric Motor bid included the lights, conduit and new box, while the Travis Electric bid included the lighting portion.

Olson said most of the bids were coming in at or below the estimates from the city’s Park Board.

After discussion, with Barthel abstaining, the council approved the bid from Travis Electric.

The three approved bids total $102,969. The city received a $107,000 grant from the Ainsworth Betterment Committee for the project.

Fiala asked if the city included money in its parks budget to go toward the project, as Phase 2 of the project would include a surface for the pickleball court as well as the construction of basketball hoops at the site.

Schroedl said the city’s budget included the entire estimated amount of the full project, but the hope was for the city to secure outside funding to cover the cost.

Olson said there was a private grant that was potentially available to assist with the Phase 2 portion of the project, but the city would need to have matching funds.

City Administrator Lisa Schroedl said the city’s park budget could probably come up with the funds needed to match a grant for the second phase of the project.

Klammer said it was exciting to get that improvement project at the park moving.

Fiala said, “I am glad we are doing something with that.”

Taylor said he was excited for the community to have a pickleball court.

Olson provided a quarterly update of activity related to the LB 840 program. She said there were currently four applications that had been requested for potential business loans from the fund, as well as three applications for façade projects, two applications for professional recruitment and one for a potential housing project.

Olson said some applicants end up opting for private financing instead of utilizing the LB 840 program, as there is a substantial amount of documentation required to complete an LB 840 application.

She said the LB 840 loan committee and the council had been diligent in the applications approved for the program, as all LB 840 loans are current or have been repaid. She said few communities have that kind of record with their LB 840 program.

Fiala said he would like to see the LB 840 program used to bring businesses to the community. Olson said retaining current businesses was equally as important.

In final action items Wednesday, the council approved the mayor’s recommended appointment of Dr. Kenneth Wasmund to the physician position on the city’s Board of Health. Wasmund replaces Dr. Mel Campbell in that role.

The council also approved the mayor’s recommendation of Dan Spier to a three-year term on the city’s Board of Adjustment. Spier replaces Heather Lutter, who was appointed to the City Council.

The council also approved the mayor’s recommended reappointment of Mark Kovar and Marcus Fairhead to four-year terms on the LB 840 Citizen Advisory Review Committee, and the appointment of Rod Worrell to a four-year term on the Citizen Advisory Review Committee. Worrell replaces Roger Lechtenberg on the committee.

The next meeting of the Ainsworth City Council is scheduled for 5 p.m. April 9.

* Care Center interlocal account growing

(Posted 10:45 a.m. March 11)

With a growing interlocal account as voter-approved tax dollars are received, the Sandhills Care Center Board of Directors voted Monday to place $100,000 into a 12-month certificate of deposit with Union Bank & Trust which will earn the care center a 4 percent interest return.

Board Chairman Tom Jones said, with the interlocal account now having more than $170,000 in it, and with additional tax revenue likely to come in during the next two months, he researched CD rates with local banks.

Jones said Union Bank & Trust offered the best return on a 12-month CD, and he recommended the board place a portion of its interlocal funds into a CD to take advantage of the 4 percent interest rate.

With board member Kent Taylor abstaining and board member Dr. Mel Campbell absent, the board on Monday approved putting $100,000 from its interlocal account into a CD with Union Bank & Trust.

The care center’s interlocal account is used to house the money collected from the voter-approved county and city bond funds. Those funds are not used for the facility’s operations and must be approved by the board for improvements to the facility.

The Sandhills Care Center during February generated $280,749 in revenue with expenses of $235,074 for a net operating margin for the month of $45,675. The facility also received $19,083 in tax levy funds. This is the second year that the 1-cent county property tax levy and 10-cent city property tax levy are being collected. The levies each generate approximately $100,000 annually for the care center.

Administrator Penny Jacobs reported there are currently 31 residents calling the Sandhills Care Center home. The facility admitted two new residents during the past month, with one resident being discharged back to an assisted living facility and one resident death.

Of the 31 residents, 13 are residents of Ainsworth, nine are from Cherry County, four are from rural Brown County, two are from Long Pine, two are from Keya Paha County and one is from Rock County.

Of the current residents, 14 pay privately, 15 receive Medicaid assistance, one receives Medicare assistance and one resident receives hospice care.

Jacobs said the care center hired a new CNA during the past month, and was still in need of additional CNAs, charge nurses and dietary staff.

Jacobs reported repairs to the facility’s generator are completed and the generator is operational. She said she was working with the care center’s insurance carrier on a potential claim.

Jacobs said the new door should have arrived and she is working with Securitas to schedule a date to replace the front entry door to the facility.

Brown County Attorney Andy Taylor provided the board with a review of the Open Meetings Act. Taylor reviewed the construction of agendas, allowing public comment and being transparent with all board action.

Taylor said the biggest thing that gets boards in trouble with the Open Meetings Act are the way executive sessions are conducted. He reviewed the allowable reasons for a board to enter into executive session and stressed that only the allowable topic can be discussed during the closed session. All action must be taken in open session, and anyone who is going to be talked about during the executive session must be notified and given the option to attend the session.

The next meeting of the Sandhills Care Center Board of Directors is scheduled for 5 p.m. April 14.

* Ainsworth joining the Niobrara Valley Conference

(Posted 6:45 a.m. March 11)

The Ainsworth Bulldogs have found a conference to call home after being unaffiliated for the 2024-25 school year following the school’s departure from the Southwest Conference. The Board of Education Monday accepted an invitation to join the Niobrara Valley Conference, a league that had twice previously denied Ainsworth’s application for entry.

After losing West Holt, Summerland, Neligh-Oakdale and Elkhorn Valley to the newly formed Greater Northeast Activities Conference, dropping the league’s membership from 12 to eight teams, the NVC extended an invitation to Ainsworth to become the ninth conference member.

After its application twice did not meet the 75 percent approval threshold for conference membership, Ainsworth indicated to the NVC it would not apply for membership again, but if the conference changed its mind it could extend an invitation to join the league.

Board member Bryan Doke said, “It makes the most sense going forward with the location and size of schools.”

The Niobrara Valley Conference consists of North Central, Stuart, Boyd County, O’Neill St. Mary’s, Chambers/Wheeler Central, Niobrara/Verdigre, Santee and Elgin/Elgin Pope John. Ainsworth becomes the ninth member.

Activities Director Luke Wroblewski said the 2025-26 school year will be a transition year for the Bulldogs, with the school becoming a full member for the 2026-27 year.

“We will do our best to try and become a full member in the first year,” Wroblewski said. “The basketball schedule for next year is pretty full already, but we are working on it. With everything else, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

The board unanimously approved accepting the invitation Monday to join the NVC.

In other business Monday, the board approved a contract for Kelsey Riesen to serve as the district’s elementary principal for the 2025-26 school year. Riesen moves to the position after serving as the elementary counselor.

Emily Jackman is moving from the agricultural education and FFA advisor position to the elementary counselor spot for the 2025-26 school year to fill the vacancy created by Riesen’s move.

The board Monday approved a contract for Josie Ganser to replace Jackman as the agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor. Ganser is an Ainsworth High School graduate.

Referring to Ganser, Superintendent Dale Hafer said, “We are excited to bring one of our own back.”

The board also approved a contract for Bailey Schneider to serve as a fifth-grade teacher for the 2025-26 school year. Hafer said the district received four applications for the position and interviewed two candidates. He said Schneider is currently teaching in the Arapahoe-Holbrook School District.

In other action items, the board approved the second reading of policy updates recommended by the Nebraska Association of School Boards, and approved the second reading of an update to district policy 408.02 regarding the date when staff members can be released from a contract.

The board, after member Frank Beel requested one policy be pulled for further discussion in April, approved the review of district policies 506.11 through 509.03.

The board approved an $11,122 quote from the Educational Service Unit to replace five office computers. Two machines will be replaced in the district office, two in the secondary office and one in the elementary office.

Hafer also discussed putting the district on a replacement schedule with Apple he said would lead to fewer swings in the district’s budget. He said technology coordinator Laurie Goodloe had been working with representatives from Apple on planned technology refreshes and trading in machines while they still had value.

Hafer said the plan would put the district on a replacement cycle for all of its laptop computers for the elementary, middle and high school students as well as the staff. Machines would be refreshed every four years at a cost that Hafer said would be equal to the way the district currently replaces its laptops.

“It is a smaller annual budgeting number to keep our technology updated,” Hafer said. “It doesn’t cost us any more, and it gives us credit for trading in our current devices.”

Hafer said, if it was just a convenience to enter into the replacement schedule with Apple but cost the district more, he would not bring the proposal to the board.

“We would not be spending any more than we otherwise would, we would just be going about it in a different way,” the superintendent said.

In the past, the superintendent said the district may budget $130,000 in one year to replace the high school computers, then budget nothing the next year, then budget $80,000 to $90,000 to replace the teachers’ computers.

“There are a lot of perks to this,” Hafer said. “Think about it, and I will bring you a proposal in April.”

Hafer discussed the reunification training the district will host March 17 with representatives from the Nebraska Department of Education and the “I Love U Guys” Foundation. There will be no school on March 17, with training provided to district staff and participating community responders during the morning and a live exercise conducted during the afternoon.

The next meeting of the Ainsworth Community Schools Board of Education is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 14 beginning with a required Curriculum, Americanism and Multicultural Education meeting followed by the regular session.

* NRD to host special meeting March 21 on building project

(Posted 5 p.m. March 10)

The Middle Niobrara Natural Resources District will host a special meeting from 12:30 until 2 p.m. Friday, March 21, in the Ainsworth Conference Center for the purpose of providing information to the public on a proposed office building construction project.

The MNNRD acquired property in 2012 to house its offices. Middle Niobrara NRD Manager Mike Murphy said the entire property was initially leased out to Morris Equipment who paid rent, taxes, and insurance, so there was no increase in property tax required. 

Murphy said the board put ambitions for improved office and shop space on hold for four years. The MNNRD offices were relocated to the site along Highway 20 in early 2017.

Issues with the building have since been identified, and include a leaky roof, rotten insulation, uninsulated doors and no kitchen. Murphy said the NRD has also been working to address inadequate electrical, ADA compliance issues and fire codes that are required to be met.

Since 2017, Murphy said the NRD has worked with local contractors, the city of Valentine, architectural engineer(s), and the state fire marshal to make improvements and develop a plan for an improved facility.

Murphy said the MNNRD has budgeted for capital improvements alongside applying and being awarded grant funding for many of the planned improvements.

Miller Architects and Builders provided two options with costs: adding on to the existing structure and building a stand-alone unit. Murphy said the board deemed it would be better to have a stand-alone office when comparing costs while addressing electrical and fire code requirements.

As proposed, the new facility would be connected to the existing shops via a breezeway. The proposed new 11,000+/- square foot ADA-compliant facility would include a kitchen/break room, lobby, offices, a meeting room along with smaller conference areas, and a tree pickup area for local constituents.

The ADA parking lot would be paved and include green infrastructure like rain gardens and landscape to help address city storm water drainage and wind management all while being used for educational purposes. 

Murphy said planning for the future would also allow office space for the additional staff needs now and into the future but also allow partnerships with other agencies if space is available.

The MNNRD has been able to utilize NDEE Litter and Waste Reduction grant funds to assist with the removal and repurposing of the aggregate material from the parking lot and three old building foundations.

Murphy said the current building would be torn down and repurposed as an equipment storage lean-to. The new facility with improved signage would be set to run east to west and a little closer to the highway. The estimated cost for the new building, parking lot, and green infrastructure is $3.62 million. 

Murphy said the board has been budgeting funds annually into its capital outlay fund for this building project for over 10 years and feels confident that they can complete the project without having to raise local property taxes.

If outside funding and grant funding become available, Murphy said future plans would include the creation of an indoor classroom to compliment the already started outside environmental educational classroom and training facility that has been funded through donations and grants.

Anyone with questions on the building project is invited to attend the MNNRD Board of Directors special meeting from 12:30 until 2 p.m. Friday, March 21, in the Ainsworth Conference Center.

* Ainsworth to participate in reunification training

(Posted 12:15 p.m. March 6)

Groups of educators, law enforcement officers and first responders from across Nebraska are joining the Nebraska Department of Education’s School Safety staff for a series of specialized trainings from the “I Love U Guys” Foundation at three different sites.

Ainsworth Community Schools has been selected as one of the three sites, with the training scheduled from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. March 17. The other training sites are at North Platte and Wahoo schools.

NDE staff will help schools in developing safe school communities during emergency situations by putting Standard Reunification Method into a practical exercise. The SRM-Reunification Exercises will be giving school communities and their surrounding partners the opportunity to practice how to reunite children with their families during mock emergency incidents.

The one-day training will include in-person, hands-on simulated emergency events.

The purpose behind the training is to bring together a variety of different partners, agencies, and school personnel so everyone can work together more efficiently during a real emergency.

“Parents practice reunification daily with their children when they pick them up from school,” said NDE School Safety and Security Director Jay Martin. “However, during emergencies more people and challenges come into play leading to chaos if it is not practiced. These events are meant to reduce the potential of chaos and be as prepared as possible for an emergency.”

The events will also emphasize key components to avoiding emergency situations all together such as having Threat Assessment Teams at every school and using reporting services like Safe2HelpNE, a system designed for students, staff, and parents to anonymously report concerning behavior that could impact the safety of students or schools across Nebraska.

* Storer provides update from Nebraska Legislature

(Posted 5:45 a.m. March 5)

Nebraska 43rd District State Sen. Tanya Storer visited with KBRB’s Graig Kinzie, discussing bills making their way through committee and onto the floor of the Nebraska Legislature.

The conversation is located below.

* Ainsworth places third in home speech invitational

(Posted 8:45 a.m. March 3)

The Ainsworth speech team finished third Saturday in its home invitational. Placing for the Bulldogs Saturday were:

Entertainment

Willa Flynn – 4th

Erick Hitchcock – 5th

Extemporaneous

William Biltoft – 4th

Erick Hitchcock – 5th

Informative

Hannah Beel – 6th

OID

Miranda Phares, Erick Hitchcock, William Biltoft and Raelynn Reagan – 3rd

Humorous Prose

Miranda Phares – Superior

Poetry

Madison Phares – 4th

Serious Prose

Madison Phares – 4th

Persuasive

Hannah Beel – 5th

Program Oral Interpretation (POI)

Preselyn Goochey – 4th

Raelynn Reagan – 5th