Polish Consul General of Chicago Regina Jurkowska will be making stops around the Loup Basin this weekend.

Jurkowska, who has been the consul general of the Republic of Poland in Chicago since December 2024, will be visiting the communities of Farwell, Ashton, and Paplin for about two hours on August 29th.

As consul general, Jurkowska leads the consulate in serving Polish communities and Polish diaspora throughout its multi-state district, including in Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

“She goes to all the [notable Polish communities] in her area,” noted Polish Heritage Center, Inc. Board President Sandi Mudloff. “[The consulate] helps to promote Polish heritage.

“They actually let us know if there is funding for our Polish historical sites, and if there is any way they can help us.

“She’s looking to tour the heritage sites and find out what they can do to help.”

“ They actually let us know if there is funding for our Polish historical sites, and if there is any way they can help us.”

— Sandi Mudloff Jurkowska has worked for the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1998. She began as an expert on Central Europe in the Department of Europe before serving as political and consular affairs manager at the Polish Embassy in Montevideo, Uruguay, from 1999 until 2003. She later worked in the Department of Consular Affairs and Polish Diaspora, became head of the Program Affairs Department in the Department of Polish Diaspora in 2010, and served as deputy director of the Department of Polish Diaspora and Poles Abroad from 2012 until 2013. She served as consul general of the Republic of Poland in Sydney, Australia, from 2013 until 2018 before returning to the ministry, where she headed the Department of Cooperation with the Polish Diaspora and Poles Abroad from 2018 to 2022.

From 2022 until December 2024, she worked at the Polish Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, overseeing its political and economic section.

Her diplomatic career has included participation in several international election observation missions, including parliamentary elections in Belarus, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan, as well as local elections in Colombia.

She has received several honors for her diplomatic and foreign service work, including the Silver Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland, the Golden Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, and the Golden Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland. She has also received the Medal of the General Superior of the Society of Christ in Poznań and was named an honorary citizen of the Blacktown district in Sydney.

Mudloff said Monday that an exact itinerary for Jurkowska’s entire visit had yet to be shared with the Polish Heritage Center. The event, she noted, would be about two hours. Jurkowska is expected to be at the heritage center in Ashton for an “open house” from noon until 1:00 before making stops at other sites of historical significance in the area, including the Our Lady of Mount Carmel church and cemetery at Paplin and St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Farwell.

“I thought we’d stop in Farwell for probably fifteen or twenty minutes,” said Mudloff. “Farwell has probably the oldest Polish church in the state, so we’re having her see that.”

“After that, we’ll head out to Paplin cemetery, probably and then the church,” noted Mudloff. “The Polish cemetery is…one of the oldest cemeteries around.”

From Paplin, the group intends to make its way to Ashton by noon. There, hors d’oeuvres will be served by members of the Polish Heritage Center.

“We have Polish sausages coming from Maschka’s, and kolaches. We might have pierogies; we’ll have Polish candy and Polish wine,” note Mudloff. “We try to get as much Polish food as we can, and our board members will be making most of it.”

Water, sewer, streets, parks, snow removal, cemetery work, and mowing have all, at one point or another, fallen under the responsibilities of Holcomb, who will retire Friday after more than twenty-one years as the city’s public works director.

Holcomb came to work for the City of Loup City in May 2005 for a “change of pace,” after spending his adolescence and prior working life as an auto and diesel mechanic at the Arcadia Service Center.

“It turned out to be very challenging,” Holcomb said of the public works job with a laugh. “One thing I don’t think a lot of people in the community realize is that the public works director is on call pretty much twenty-four-seven for anything from water leaks, to sewer blockage, from dog calls, to snow removal, and from large rain events, to windstorms.”

An Arcadia native, Holcomb had started working at the service center while he was still in high school, sometime around 1975 or 1976. He began working full time at the shop in 1981.

“Before I came here, I’d been working at the service center since I was a sophomore in high school,” Holcomb noted. “They taught me a lot.”

At the shop, Holcomb worked on irrigation power units, tractors, pickups, and trucks, gaining the mechanical experience that would later prove useful in his work for the city.

The move to Loup City was, in part, simply an attempt to do something different.

After spending a portion of their early married life in Arcadia, Holcomb and his wife, Cheryl, moved to Loup City in about 1986.

Holcomb continued commuting back to Arcadia until the opportunity with the city came along.

“I guess it just gave me the opportunity to try something different,” Holcomb said of the move. “And not have to drive every day from Loup City to Arcadia.”

The job he found in Loup City, however, had been more demanding than he initially expected.

“I sort of struggled there at the beginning,” he noted.

“When you worked on somebody’s vehicle and in a mechanic, you had to make one person happy,” he laughed. “But when you went to work for the city, you had 1,029 people you had to make happy.”

The responsibilities of the public works director, he noted, have been broad. Holcomb and his department have been responsible for the city’s water and sewer systems, streets, parks, and snow removal. For years, the department also handled all of the city’s mowing before the work was contracted out this year.

The department also handled digging graves at the city cemetery, a responsibility Holcomb said he has always taken particular pride in.

Over the last twenty- one years, Holcomb also saw the job become increasingly complicated as regulations governing municipal water systems have changed. Keeping up with those state and federal requirements has become an increasingly important part of operating the city’s water system.

“The job is always changing,” he said, “especially with all the rules and regulations coming down from the EPA, particularly around lead and copper.”

Holcomb said the regulatory changes were one of the factors in his decision to retire.

While he struggled in the job initially, Holcomb has since proved his ability as director of public works.

In 2012, the city completely replaced its water meter system with automatic-read meters and radios. Instead of manually reading meters throughout town, city employees could drive through Loup City and collect the readings electronically.

The change saved the city both time and money.

Holcomb also oversaw work on a dewatering project that included the installation of a 150-foot well near 9th and I streets. The system pumps roughly 1.5 million gallons of water out of town each day, lowering the groundwater level enough that the city was able to line its sewer system.

As a result, Holcomb said, relatively few residents now need to operate sump pumps.

Perhaps the most visible recognition of Holcomb’s work came through Loup City’s water per se.

The city won the Nebraska Rural Water Association’s Best Tasting Water Contest in 2022, 2024, and 2025, sending Loup City’s water to the National Rural Water Association’s Great American Water Taste Test in Washington, D.C. each time.

Even before that, in 2019, Holcomb was named an Outstanding Water Operator of the year by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Holcomb said Monday that he looked fondly on his time with the city and the people he has served. However, after more than two decades, age and the changing demands of the position convinced him it was time to step away.

“I’m getting older,” he said. “And it’s not getting any easier, especially with what’s coming down the line with more and more stringent regulations.”

Holcomb turns 66 in March.

In retirement, Holcomb hopes to spend more time at his small mechanic shop.

“I have a little mechanic shop that I kind of keep busy at,” he said. “A lot of small engines, a few cars and pickups and stuff like that that keeps me busy.”

He also suspects he will be keeping busy around the house.

“I’m sure my wife is going to have plenty for me to do,” he lauged..

Asked what he would miss the most in retirement, Holcomb said it was helping to keep Loup City operating— as well as the people he has encountered through his work.

Throughout his tenure, Holcomb has maintained ten water sample sites around Loup City. The sites have remained largely unchanged since he took over the water department, and Holcomb has visited each one every five months.

Over the years, Holcomb has gotten to know the people at those homes in particular, creating small but lasting connections through a job that requires him to regularly knock on their doors.

“I’m going to miss all of those people for sure,” he said.

Holcomb officially retires this Friday, August 28th. An open house in his honor will be held on Thursday, August 27th, from 9:00 until 10:30 a.m., at Loup City City Hall.

With Holcomb’s retirement, Jon Rasmussen will take over as the city’s public works director.

You’ve barely stepped out of your car at the drug store when a disheveled person, toting a couple of clipboards, confronts you.

“Are you a registered voter in Nebraska?” they ask.

That person, male or female, is a signature gatherer for a Nebraska initiative petition drive.

These people get paid by the signature, so guess what, there’s an incentive to be aggressive.

There is also, it clearly appears, an incentive to affix fake names of voters on said petitions. After all, you get paid by the signature.

That system has now spawned a growing scandal after it was alleged that hundreds of fraudulent signatures were found on petitions seeking changes in City of Lincoln ordinances. It spread to petitions seeking to put former State Senator Brett Lindstrom on the November ballot for governor as a nonpartisan, and might impact other petition drives, too.

Five people, all from outside Nebraska, now face felony charges for falsely swearing that their signatures were legitimate, and for accepting or offering money for fraudulent signatures.

This wasn’t a mistake or two, according to the allegations. A whopping sixty-five percent of the signatures turned in by a group called “Good Government Lincoln” were flagged as potentially fraudulent.

Lindstrom’s petition drive, which employed three of the accused circulators, faced similar problems.

The petition circulators being charged were employed by a company called Axi-om Strategies, which includes Jessica Flanagain, a former aide to then Governor Pete Ricketts who has directed a string of successful Republican campaigns.

She helped Deb Fischer win her job in the United States Senate, and worked for Jim Pillen when he defeated Falls City businessman Charles Hebster in the 2022 GOP primary.

Axiom and Flanagain are again working to elect Ricketts, now a United States Senator (perhaps you’ve seen the deluge of TV ads), and to re-elect United States Representative Mike Flood. She quit working for Pillen earlier this year.

Flanagain doesn’t win many popularity contests among political types in Lincoln, but she does craft winning GOP campaigns.

She has told the media that “criminal actors”—the circulators— defrauded her firm, and that one of those charged was a manager responsible for assuring that the rules were followed.

These rag-tag petition circulators are hired because they have been effective in gathering signatures in other states. They must also like stalking folks on super-hot sidewalks and parking lots.

I am not against paying people to gather signatures. If it’s legal for corporations and the wealthy to pour millions into campaign advertisements because that’s deemed “freedom of speech,” then it should also be free speech to hire folks to collect signatures on initiative petitions.

But there must be rules. Signatures must be from legitimate, registered voters. And you cannot pay someone, or take money, to sign a petition (just like you can’t pay someone to vote—Elon Musk seemed to discover that in 2026 when he offered $1 million to voters in Wisconsin).

Big money has changed politics in our land, and not for the better.

Campaigns now tend to be more about who has the dirtiest television ads rather than who has the best ideas and abilities. Who can raise (or has) the most money? It’s not always who is best suited to represent us.

This current scandal raises a lot of questions: • Why were so many fraudulent signatures allegedly found now, and not in the past?

• Does Axiom and Flanagain, who hired the circulators, face any responsibility?

• Does the failure of Lindstrom’s effort to run as a nonpartisan mean he’s out?

It’s been a crazy political season so far with candidates dropping out and in, with new political parties seeking to field candidates, and lawsuits filed to prevent all this.

One wise political observer says Lindstrom— who used Axiom’s circulators— would take away votes from Pillen if Lindstrom ran under one of the new political parties. That, he figured, would split the statewide vote almost evenly between Pillen, Lindstrom, and Democrat Lynne Walz.

Not sure I buy that, but the observer opined that voter turnout would determine the winner.

It’s all pretty crazy. And we haven’t hit Labor Day—the traditional start of the campaign season —yet.

Paul Hammel has covered the Nebraska state government and the state for decades. Prior to his retirement, he was senior contributor with the Nebraska Examiner. He was previously with the Omaha World-Herald, Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha Sun. A native of Ralston, Nebraska, he loves traveling and writing about the state.

Each week, I get my fair share of local history.

All five weekly newspapers that I publish feature some sort of historical section, and in many cases, I either compile the information for that part of the paper, or I proofread it.

Sometimes, the lines of text mean little else to me. Other times, however, I have some connection to the news, especially when it comes to the section published in my hometown newspaper, The Palmer Journal.

Such was the case this week when, on Sunday night, I was compiling this week’s listing for the Palmer paper and stumbled across an entry from twenty years ago.

It was an obituary listing, so many of the entries in the Palmer paper describe what obituaries ran in each issue, and I not only remembered the person it listed, but I also recalled the strides made to finalize their estate.

At the time, I was in high school, and sometime after the funeral, a friend of mine and I were hired to help clean out their house.

I was only just a teenager, so I am sure that I was much more interested in making a couple of bucks on a Saturday than I was in guarding a decedent’s possessions, but the job seemed relatively easy.

The basement of the place was full of items, and they needed to be hauled up and thrown out.

The job was pretty simple, but it also proved to be very telling.

As we toted garbage can after garbage can of items out of the basement, I recalled wondering how so much stuff had gotten into the lower level to begin with. (Oddly, I still think about that every time I haul something into my own basement, using my childhood experience as a cautionary tale about being stringent when deciding what to keep and what to toss).

Among the trends that I came across while sifting through someone else’s belongings was that there were lots and lots of newspaper clippings. Entire scrapbooks had been filled with clippings saved from local newspapers. Stories that were relevant to local history, obituaries, and even wedding and engagement announcements had all been diligently clipped out, filed away in specific places, and saved.

To a teenager who probably couldn’t find my shoes when it came time to head off to school, such organization and commitment to the project had to be admired. It also proved to be a bit head-scratching.

It wasn’t until years and years later, when I read a feature story in the West Point News about a woman who maintained a similar collection of local wedding announcements, that I realized such a persistent gathering of local information had, at one time, been a common hobby.

Today, as an adult, I don’t have scrapbooks filled with newspaper stories, but I do have a better grasp on the allure of saving items that are noteworthy about the places that we call home.

After all, that is one of the newspaper’s biggest roles in the communities we serve, preserving history.

Traditionally, that meant binding the printed newspaper into large books that were stored in large libraries. While the process continues to this day—the library is constantly growing larger—in the modern era, there are countless other ways that we preserve our work.

Among them, as I have often touted, is a large photo library that I work to digitally maintain. Additionally, there are also services that store our digital works for safe keeping, and then there are the countless digital recordings that I continue to file Everything from one-on-one interviews for feature stories, to postgame interviews with coaches, and even recordings of public meetings.

Almost all of it—sometimes, if it isn’t used in the newspaper, it does get discarded—is saved, in one form or another.

While the process has become almost automatic— each week, we file every scrap of paper that comes through our office that is a part of our publications—there are times when I pull open a file cabinet drawer and wonder whether this is all really worth it.

Are we being diligent historians or am I simply falling into the same trap that that person in Palmer had.

Have I become a hoarder of history?

That question is never far from my mind. In my early days of publishing newspapers, I had no rhyme or reason to why I preserved what I did. Today, with so much information flowing through our office and into our publications, I feel confident in knowing I have a better system and a more concrete goal.

Sure, my aim is always to make sure that, years down the road, some kid won’t be toting the product of my diligent documentation out of my basement—I long ago had to convince myself there was no need to hoard a personal copy of each newspaper issue I published at my home—but I also want to ensure that if, at some point, that same kid needs to know something about his past or that of our communities, that information is available.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiative emphasizes the importance of sober driving and is backed by increased law enforcement presence on Nebraska roadways.

According to NDOT HSO data, law enforcement agencies recorded 8,047 arrests for driving under the influence (DUI) in Nebraska last year.

Several hunting seasons open in early September, including archery deer, dove, grouse, early teal, and other small game and furbearer seasons on September 1st.

Regulations state that portions of some SRAs are open to hunting from the first Tuesday following Labor Day—this year is Tuesday, September 8th—through the end of the spring turkey hunting season, unless restricted.

Standard hunting regulations apply. A Nebraska Vehicle Park Entry Permit is required for vehicles entering the SRAs. Parks with managed hunting have hunter check-ins and signs posted at designated hunting areas. Hunting is prohibited within 100 yards of any public-use facility or activity area, including picnic areas, campgrounds, private cabins, concession areas, boat ramps, and parking lots.

Additionally, limited hunting is allowed in specific areas of some state parks and state historical parks; find details at OutdoorNebraska. gov; search “state park hunting.”

Wildlife management areas, Open Fields and Waters sites, and other public lands also are open to hunting; these areas are listed in the Public Access Atlas available online or in print.

Find these resources, as well as summaries of hunting regulations in the Small Game and Waterfowl Guide and Big Game Guide or buy a permit at OutdoorNebraska. gov.

Hunters and park guests are encouraged to take advantage of the many lodging and camping opportunities available in park areas across the state. When visiting areas where hunting is allowed, visitors are encouraged to use the following safety guidelines:

• Know hunting season dates: Applicable hunting dates, species allowed and methods of take are specific to designated park areas.

• Know which areas allow hunting: Only limited state park areas and state historical parks allow hunting at specific times. State recreation areas and wildlife management areas often are open to hunting for the full season but are subject to their own restrictions.

• Pay attention to signage: Parks and wildlife management areas post signs indicating any additional safety measures parkgoers should be aware of.

• Wear bright clothing: While hunter orange is best for visibility, any bright color will stand out. Avoid muted or earthy tones.

• Stay on designated trails: Hunters typically avoid well-worn paths; sticking to trails increases one’s visibility. Use extra caution at dawn or dusk. Deer are most active during these times, and low light can make it more difficult for hunters to make out colors or shapes.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7 Stress has a way of sneaking into ordinary moments. A busy schedule, financial concerns, family responsibilities, difficult relationships, or an uncertain future can leave our minds racing and our hearts weary. Sometimes we carry tomorrow’s burdens before tomorrow ever arrives.

God never promised that life would be free from pressure, but He does promise that we never have to face it alone. First Peter 5:7 invites us to cast our anxiety on Him—not hide it, minimize it, or pretend everything is fine. We can honestly bring our worries to God because He cares about what concerns us.

When stress begins to overwhelm you, pause. Take a slow breath and pray. Instead of trying to solve everything at once, give God the concerns you cannot control and ask Him for wisdom concerning what you can. Sometimes faith looks less like having all the answers and more like taking the next faithful step.

Jesus also modeled the importance of rest. In the middle of demanding ministry, He withdrew to quiet places to pray. If the Son of God made time to be still, we should recognize that rest is not weakness. It is a reminder that our strength ultimately comes from God.

Today, refuse to let stress become the voice that directs your life. You may have responsibilities, but you do not have to carry them without God. You may face uncertainty, but you are not facing it alone.

Prayer: Lord, You know the pressures I carry today. Help me release my anxiety into Your hands. Give me wisdom for my responsibilities, patience for difficult moments, and peace when circumstances feel beyond my control. Teach me to slow down, trust You, and remember that I am never alone. Amen.

Today’s reminder: You cannot control everything, but you can choose where you place your trust.

Every five years, nutrition gets a makeover. New headlines pop up, social media debates begin, and it can seem like the rules for healthy eating have changed yet again. If you’re wondering whether you should still be following My-Plate or if there’s a new pyramid to learn, you’re not alone. While the illustrations have certainly changed over the years, the purpose of the Dietary Guidelines has remained the same: to provide evidence-based recommendations that help Americans make healthy food choices. In this article series, we’ll unpack the newest guidance, starting with what the Dietary Guidelines actually are and why this upside-down pyramid is getting so much attention.

What are Dietary Guidelines? Food based dietary guidelines are recommendations regarding specific nutritional principles based on current evidence and over 100 countries around the world have them! The goal is truly to promote human health and reduce chronic disease in their specific country. These guidelines typically use visual tools to make it easier for audiences to understand. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are created by the United States Department of Agriculture as well as the Department of Health and Human Services. They are written every five years and utilize a scientific advisory committee to review current nutrition research.

Why do we have Dietary Guidelines? Although dietary guidelines aren’t typically a part of our daily life at home or in the kitchen, they do play a huge role in influencing the National School Lunch Program and other federal programs. The Guidelines shape what we teach in schools, how we develop educational programs, and the recommendations we share with individuals and families who want to improve their health and lower their risk of chronic disease.

The Current Guidelines: So let’s talk about the current pyramid, including what are the current recommendations are and how you can implement the Dietary Guidelines in your daily life:

• Protein: one of biggest changes in the pyramid is the push towards protein. Protein is a key nutrient throughout the life cycle. It is important to VARY YOUR PROTEIN sources to include fish, nuts, and eggs in addition to red meat.

• Avoid Processed Foods: if you look at the pyramid you will see that it a made up primarily of WHOLE FOODS, this is to emphasize the importance of reducing ultra processed foods.

• Whole Grains: although grains are at the bottom of the pyramid that doesn’t mean that they should be avoided! Whole grains are an important part of the diet and prioritizing fiber is key.

August 31, 2016

The Loup City High School FFA received $10,000 from Farmland Credit Service of America. The grant money will be used toward the greenhouse building project.

The Rebels girls’ golf team came in fifth out of ten teams at the Doniphan- Trumbull Invitational Tournament. McKenzie Hostetler earned an eighth place medal with a score of 106.

The Spartans were down 30-0 to Anselmo- Merna in the first quarter before going 46-14 in the next three periods to win the Highway 2 Championship to win the game 46-44.

Levi Dale showed the Reserve Champion Meat Goat at the Loup Valley Challenge meet held in Ord.

Shanti Yoga teacher Jody Augustyn was presented the Excellence in Economic Development Award Tuesday morning by U.S. Congressman Adrian Smith.

Mary Obermiller, Mary Spotanski, and Blanch Ellsworth were pictured cleaning ears of corn at the cornhusking event sponsored by Rose Lane Home.

Loup City Cadette Girl Scouts troop members Ella Jaixen, DeLynn Day, and Cami Fulton spent a day at Camp Cosmo in Grand Island.

August 30, 2006

Loup City High School English teacher Amy Hostetler was pictured with Jamie Mroczek and Amelia Goc and the “Polish word of the week” written on the board in her classroom. Every Monday Hostetler writes a new word she picked at random from a Polish dictionary.

Sherman County Community Foundation board members LuAnn Unick and Janelle Snow were pictured presenting a $1000 check to Litchfield Superintendent Mike Gilming for a new sound system installed at the football field and in the gym.

Tiffany Bochart and Holly Schachta attended a five day leadership workshop organized by the Nebraska Association of Student Council Leadership.

Loup City High School senior Nathan Dorsey was the pie eating contest winner at the senior eating contest at the fall sports rally held on the southwest side of the courthouse.

The Raiders lost their opening game to Amherst 2-13. Brett Kuhn blocked a punt in the end zone for the only Loup City scoring.

Bill Grossart resigned as Loup City High School girls’ basketball coach.

The Trojan volleyball team has six returning letter winners, Ariel Howard, Erika Unick, Amber Ballagh, Carrie Schall, Erica Slocum, and Jessica Schliecher.

August 28, 1996

Loup City total enrollment stands at 380, down fifteen from last year. Litchfield is at 142, down twenty-two from last year and each of the Class I districts in the county are down one student.

Cindy Ericson was elected president of the Red Raider Booster Club. Other elected officers are Marcia Kaslon, Patty Piontkowski, and Bunny Palu.

Jennifer Adams continues her columns in the Times about her adventures in Costa Rica. This issue’s column is about shower and bathroom differences.

A daughter, Mackenzie Lynn, was born to John and Jane Maschka.

Ashton Community Club completed the picnic table project at Legion Park. All the labor for the $2500 project was donated by community members.

New staff at Loup City Schools are Brian Slominski, History and P.E.; Darren Sindelar, fourth grade; Carrie Kolar, English and Speech; and Robert Kercher, Band.

New Rose Lane Home administrator Alex Snavely was a special guest of the Loup City Area Chamber of Commerce “Chapter After Hours” meeting at the Community Center.

The Loup City City Council proceedings reported a resolution was passed setting a $75 utility security deposit and a minimum charge of $20 for three months of water.

The Litchfield Board of Education directed the Superintendent to put a notice in the September newsletter announcing a limited total in lunch charging will be allowed to accrue for any one family.

The Arcadia Village Board approved Kevin Einspahr and Mike Rickerson as new members of the fire department.

The Floyd Dunker estate sale bill listed a 1932 Iver-Johnson 32-caliber pistol.

August 26, 1986

Sheri Kwapnioski and Pam Krolikowski were pictured wearing the new Loup City High School marching band uniforms that will be worn for the first time by the band members at the Arcadia Fall Festival Parade.

Litchfield Schools new staff members are Kendra Plock, math and coaching of all girls’ sports and Andy Coe, band and music.

Loup City Schools’ total enrollment is 546, the same as last year.

The Sherman County Bank has purchased two Howard County failed credit unions at Cotesfield and Farwell.

The eighteen members of the Shermanette Garden Club answered roll call by showing a butterfly ornament or bringing a live butterfly to identify. Leona Beck was the hostess for the meeting. Mina Schumann presented a program on various butterfly items she has collected over the years.

Michael Grudzinski was awarded a $500 Robert Taylor Scholarship. He is enrolled in the UNL College of Journalism at Lincoln.

Jean Thomsen advertised she had for sale an old football helmet and erector set for $5 each and five dozen largemouth canning jars for seventy-five cents a dozen.

The Sherman County Supervisors voted unanimously for a resolution requiring prisoners of the county to pay their own jail costs and designated the County Treasurer to collect the money. A motion to appeal the recent tax decision failed on a 3-4 vote.

August 26, 1976

The Loup City School Board approved a motion to hire a substitute art teacher while former art teacher Jeff Schafer challenges his termination.

The Loup City Junior Chamber of Commerce ladies paid for the new Loup City Library book drop built by Joe Toczek.

The Loup City High School football team cancelled the soap scrimmage scheduled for Friday night.

The northeast part of Loup City should be getting better phone service soon because Northwestern Bell is laying a new cable into town.

The Social Security Administration reported to the paper it had paid out $156,000 a month in the county during the past year. 997 people are receiving benefits, 723 are retired workers or their dependents, fifty-six people getting benefits who are disabled or dependents of a disabled worker, 425 are men, 493 women, and eighty-two children.

The Loup City Saddle Club met at the Wilbur Heil home Friday evening with ten members present.

Jack & Jill advertised regular ground beef for sixty-eight cents a pound.

The routes and pickup times were published for the ten District 1 bus routes. The listed bus drivers were Mrs. Doris Treffer, Al Smith, Clarence Lamb, Mrs. Delta Placzek, Marvin Gallaway, Henry Thode, Mrs. Angeline Bonczynski, Mrs. Phyllis Janulewicz, and Sam Sullivan. One driver is yet to be hired.

The Ashton column reported Harold Krolikowski spent Wednesday and Thursday night at the Alozy Spotanski home to help friend Mark Spotanski celebrate his thirteenth birthday.

Mrs. Carl Kucera was hostess for an open house honoring the fiftieth wedding anniversary of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Kuhn.

August 25, 1966

David Hurlburt showed the Sherman County Fair Grand Champion Market Sheep, Marvin Beck showed the Grand Champion Dairy Cow and Gary Walker earned top honors in the horse showmanship contest.

Marine Pvt. Ralph Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Baker, has completed his four week Individual Combat Course at Camp Pendleton.

Mrs. John Peters spent the night on the ground in front of her home after falling and breaking her hip at 6:30 p.m. Her neighbor, Mrs. Louis Lewandowski, heard her call for help around 6:30 a.m. and called for an ambulance that took her to Grand Island where she had surgery.

The Sherman County Board of Trustees took out a large ad announcing the sale of 400 used bridge planks and forty stringers.

Mr. and Mrs. Rueben Strate have returned from a vacation to the Black Hills.

Five white face 690 pound red steers brought 27.40 at the Monday Loup City Commission Company sale.

Seven little girls attended a second birthday party for little Tammy Chipps hosted by her mother. Each little guest received a ring as a party favor.

The Ashton column reported Ray Smedra was a Sunday afternoon guest at the Alex and Catherine Gorecki home.

Gary Guthard of Litchfield advertised his 1965 Honda Blue Dream 300 motorcycle was for sale.

Harold Dorsey and J. Russell Ericson attended the Oliver Corporation 1966 “Going O” program at Mason City, Iowa.

The classic film, “The Singing Nuns” starring Debbie Reynolds and Ricardo Montalban is playing the Liberty.

Even though the calendar indicates that we are still in summer, it feels like fall is here to me.

This means that the Sherman County Historical Museum will soon be changing their “open” hours to “by appointment only” after Labor Day. So, if you plan to visit the Sherman County Historical Museum sometime this summer, then you might want to make sure to come on Sunday afternoon (1:00 until 4:00 p.m.) or Labor Day (1:00 until 4:00 p.m.).

Members often are told by visitors that they didn’t know the museum had so many items, or that they didn’t know that the museum had such and such. But remember, members love to show off the museum, which means we love for people to make arrangements for someone to show them around.

The volunteers at the museum go to great lengths to keep the facilities in good condition, to do what is best for the museum and for the public. Come on out and voice your opinion. By the way, this year would be a great one to be a member of this organization. Help the historical society celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in 2027.

You did know that all members of this organization will be receiving a free recipe/history book later in 2027, sponsored in part by the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation.

Lots of activities have been planned for next year. Now would be a great time to become a part of this organization! To become a member of the Sherman County Historical Society, call Donna Trompke at (308) 750-3325, or contact Kathy Spotanski, Mark Nabity, Rose-Ann Kowalski, or Linda Wilke-Heil for a membership application.

The museum’s mailing address is P.O. Box 362, Loup City, Nebraska 68853; the Facebook page is Sherman County NE Historical Society; the website is www. shermancountyhistoricalsociety. com.

The museum has recently been contacted by email asking for information about several family names: Heinrich and Doris Hapner Kroeger, Anton and Albertine (Tina) Jilg, Harder and Mary Holm, Albert Dickerson, Maurice and Ida Mauler, Joseph and Rosa Mauler, Gottlob and Christina Reif Hiser, George and Mary Jane (Molly) Hughes, and William and Delilah Lang Hughes.

The person requesting information said that she wasn’t sure any of these lived in Sherman County, that they could have lived in a neighboring county.

Members felt that some of the families might have relatives in Mason City. Does anyone have information about any of these families?

The Sherman County Historical Museum has resumed its summer Sunday schedule. The museum is now open without an appointment through the summer on Sunday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., with the group’s last weekend of the summer being Labor Day weekend. The Research Center (and Hanshew Barbershop) is open Wednesday afternoon 1:00 until 4:00 p.m. all year. Members welcome visitors at other times, too—just call to make your arrangements.

Father Richard L. Piontkowski, Jr., J.C.D., pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Ravenna, St. Josaphat’s in Loup City, St. Gabriel’s in Hazard, St. Mary’s in Pleasanton, and St. Francis in Ashton, died unexpectedly on Thursday, August 20th at his home in Ashton.

Father Piontkowski was seventy years old.

Still in active ministry at the time, Father Piontkowski’s death was officially announced by the Catholic Diocese of Grand Island on its social media channels on Thursday afternoon.

Father Piontkowski, who was a priest in the Grand Island diocese for the past forty-four years—having been ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1982—had served as pastor of the parishes in Buffalo and Sherman counties since 2016.

In May of 2022, on the occasion of his fortieth anniversary of ordination, Father Piontkowski gave an extended interview to the Ravenna

News. During that interview he pledged to remain in active ministry until his “health gives out,” and added that his time in Buffalo and Sherman counties was the perfect way to end his ministry.

“A pastor cannot end a vocation better than by coming to this place,” he told the newspaper six years into his current assignment. “It is the icing on the cake; the ice cream on the sundae.”

At that time, Father Piontkowski lauded the communities that he served, saying that the people of his parishes were a “marvel” for how well they had raised their children and how involved they were in their communities. On his fortieth anniversary of priesthood, the pastor had said it was his job to aid that process as much as possible.

“I just help people,” he said. “I just try to help as much as I can, because these communities, these people and their descendants are going to be here long after I am.”

When people think of the Catholic church, he said, people often think of the “institutional church.

“In reality,” he said, “the church is the people.”

Father Piontkowski was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Richard L. Piontkowski, Sr. and Catherine Jean (Still) Piontkowski. He was a twin, born alongside his sister, Carol. At the time of their birth, their father had been playing football for the University of Tennessee, though a knee injury would later end his football career. The family relocated to North Platte where his maternal grandparents lived.

It was in North Platte that Father Piontkowski received his education through the community’s Catholic schools. While in the fifth grade, he noted in the 2022 interview, an event inspired him to pursue the priesthood.

A missionary priest had spoken to his class about the works that missionaries were doing in other parts of the world, including in parts of Asia and Africa. During his presentation, Father Richard had recounted a story about a special noodle that was high in protein that the missionary said could be purchased to feed the hungry if enough money was raised.

“Really, what happened is I made up my mind that this was what I wanted to do,” he said, recounting the story.

“I really had no doubts about it.”

In the interview, Father Piontkowski recalled that the missionary had passed out cards, telling the students that they should fill them out if they were interested in becoming a priest, nun, or sister, and the order would contact them. He noted that he had quickly filled out the card, but the response had not been as rapid.

“I am still waiting to hear back all these years later,” he joked. “Hopefully, when I get it, I’ll decide if I want to continue.”

Father Piontkowski noted that, from that moment onward, he had never doubted his vocation.

After graduating from North Platte St. Pat’s, Father Piontkowski would earn his bachelor’s degree from Conception Seminary College in Missouri and his Master of Divinity degree from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois. Two years after being ordained, in 1984, he began studying canon law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He received his Licentiate in Canon Law from The Catholic University of America and, later in 2002, his doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas— also known as the Angelicum—in Rome.

After his first assignment as an associate pastor at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Father Piontkowski said he then served as an “office priest” working alongside the bishop with a variety of roles in the diocese.

Father Piontkowski received his first parish assignment as pastor when he was appointed pastor of the churches in Farwell and Elba in 1992. After serving the two churches in Howard County for two years, and a year studying abroad, in 1995 he began a two-year assignment as pastor at St. Libory’s Catholic Church before he was appointed pastor of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in North Platte in 1997.

Father Piontkowski served in North Platte for eight years before he was assigned to St. Mary’s Cathedral in Grand Island in 2005. He served at the cathedral until he was appointed pastor of the parishes in Buffalo and Sherman counties in 2016.

During his years in North Platte and Grand Island, Father Piontkowski had served as an Army Reservist. The decision to enlist in the United States Army Reserves, he said in 2022, was made after he had been moved by the service of his father—a paratrooper—and his uncle, Ronald Still.

He retired from the Army Reserves in 2016 after twenty-seven years of service, having retired at the rank of colonel and after having earned the Bronze Star and the Combat Action Badge.

In the 2022 interview, Father Piontkowski said his time in the service gave him a deeper understanding of the experience of other veterans, which he noted had benefited him in his ministry.

Father Piontkowski’s passing in Ashton comes after a hospitalization in Chicago in early August. A note published in the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church bulletin for August 9th noted that he was at Holy Family Medical Center in Des Plaines, Illinois, where he was “getting rehab to build his strength.” A week earlier, the bulletin reported that he was hospitalized in Chicago.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Father Piontkowski was held on Wednesday, August 26th at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Grand Island. The Most Reverend William J. Dendinger presided and was assisted by the clergy of the Diocese of Grand Island.

Father Piontkowski was interred at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery in Ashton.

He is survived by his twin sister; brother, Tom; and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Earlier this month, while visiting with my transplant doctors in Omaha, one of the practitioners commented that my blood pressure seemed to be a bit high.

She was concerned; I just laughed.

After all, with the work it took me to get from my home in Howard County to Nebraska Medicine’s campus in midtown Omaha, it is no surprise that my heart was pounding. In fact, after the obstacles— literal obstacles—that I faced on my trip, it is amazing that I hadn’t stroked out!

As someone who travels across the area and state for work on a regular basis, I am used to the perils that road construction can cause. Delays are common, frustrating waits are the norm, and there is no end to the stop-and-go traffic that can antagonize even the most level-headed driver. Yet, at the end of the day, the hassle is well worth it.

After years of having to fight road construction in my area each summer—I had never had to wait at a stop light in my zip code as much as I had to last year during a bridge construction project— this summer I got the chance to breathe a sigh of relief.

Almost nowhere in my immediate area, with the exception of work on Highway 30 through Merrick County, has there been widespread road construction.

I was happy, and my travels were quick.

Turns out, however, that all those orange cones had moved east.

Just like they had when they were hanging around my hood, when I encountered them, the frustration immediately returned.

Bridge work, stoplights, pilot cars, even slow-moving construction zone traffic, on my trip to Omaha, I encountered it all. The construction wasn’t the biggest deal in the world. After all, I had planned ahead and left plenty of time to make the trip to the Big O! However, the more I was waylaid and the more I encountered orange warning signs and flagmen, the more impatient I grew.

Part of my preplanning for the trip and the reason for my angst about having to navigate so many construction zones was a particularly cumbersome construction project taking place on the west side of Omaha that blocked my access to West Dodge Road. Having lived in the metro for several years while in college—including a summer I spent living in the suburbs—I figured I knew the city well enough to skirt around the closures and quickly get back on track.

Turns out, my knowledge of Omaha was good enough to get me to where I wanted to go, but, as luck would have it, my selected routes were just like the rest of the trip, under construction.

After battling bumper-tobumper traffic and sitting through stoplights that cycled through, time after time, without me moving an inch, I decided that the stars had simply aligned and that there was no way that I was supposed to make it to my appointment on time.

Frustrated, and with my heart apparently racing, I decided that the run-and-gun approach that I had adopted to navigate the city was a futile attempt, so instead I slowed down and just did my best to enjoy the day.

Despite a few more work zones and an accident on the interstate that turned that stretch of road into a circus, I eventually reached my destination with a few minutes to spare.

As I pulled into the parking garage, for a moment, I felt as though my luck was on the upswing when I snagged a parking spot right next to the front door, but my newfound high was quickly brought back down to earth.

As I zigged and zagged my way through the hallways of the medical center trying to get to my doctor’s office on time, I was amazed at how fast I had recovered from the trials I faced traveling. Then, as I came around a corner, I was confronted with yet another reminder that construction season has a long reach.

Right in my path, where an escalator should have been, stood a big sign: “Closed for Maintenance.”

It was like I couldn’t catch a break. After searching for the accompanying stairwell, climbing a flight or two, and finally finding my doctor’s office—a pipe had burst a few weeks earlier in the waiting room, so even that was a mess with workmen and builders busy putting everything back into order—I arrived just a few minutes late.

After hours of angst and frustration, when my doctor asked me about my blood pressure, the only thing I could do was smile and laugh.

“This is, one day, going to be a great city,” I told her, “especially when they get done building it.”

I have a dream (no, not that famous one).

It’s about a great idea for a movie. Its superhero would be Larry the Cable Guy, a truly funny guy from Nebraska who can make anyone laugh.

I’d call the movie, “Citizen Larry.”

Larry would portray his normal, curious self, but would be caught up in a political movement to make Congress, the president, and our state politicians work again to solve the nation’s problems.

Larry would head up the “Git-R-Done Party.” Its plank would be to solve the long-festering problems that have been kicked down the road for years (like Social Security, which is supposed to run short of funds by 2032, only six years from now).

Reducing the national debt would be another problem for the Git-R-Doners, as would making homes, gas, and food affordable again.

But the Git-R-Done Party would get it done, and head off crisis after crisis by actually doing something. I do think that’s what most people want—a government and politicians who solve problems and work for them. No more name calling and tossing political bombs at each other to get on television.

But we keep falling for those who campaign on pitches like “I’m fighting for you” or “Be afraid of my opponent.” In the end, things remain the same, and problems fester.

In past years, voters have made some pretty unusual decisions in search of someone who will get things done. We’ve elected a professional rassler (Jesse Ventura), a bodybuilder (Arnold Schwarzenegger), and a reality TV star (Donald Trump). Even the election of a freshman U.S. senator from Illinois as president (Barack Obama) probably fits.

It always strikes me as funny that, if we wanted to build a building, we’d hire an experienced contractor, one who had studied his/her craft, and one who had built several buildings.

But in politics, it seems like it’s always the “flavor du jour,” the newest trend, the newest catch phrase. Yet, we keep searching out of frustration for someone, anyone, to get stuff done.

That, of course, is where the “Git-R-Done Party” would come in.

Larry the Cable Guy would lay out his goals, map out a strategy, and then (drum roll) “git-r-done.” He would rally the country. People would wear “Git-R-Done” hats. They could smile again – and afford to fill their gas tank.

No wild promises like cutting grocery prices and interest rates in half, just accomplishments and progress.

In Nebraska, we have some long-festering, and unsolved problems, like high property taxes and a string of state budget deficits. Over the years, voters have sought to sidestep the gridlock via citizen-led ballot initiatives.

Some have passed, such as legalizing cannabis for pain and children with uncontrollable seizures and increasing the minimum wage. But even voter-approved initiatives are having trouble getting-it-done because of some elected officials, who somehow doubt the will of the people. Thus, there’s new petition efforts.

In the movie, the Git-R-Done Party would be a huge success. Larry would win an Academy Award, and probably a Nobel Prize, too. I’d make a bundle on my idea, maybe enough to buy a pickup with less than 100,000 miles.

We all need dreams.

Paul Hammel has covered the Nebraska state government and the state for decades. Prior to his retirement, he was senior contributor with the Nebraska Examiner. He was previously with the Omaha World-Herald, Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha Sun. A native of Ralston, Nebraska, he loves traveling and writing about the state.

Nebraska Public Media welcomes the public to this free event located in the Raising Nebraska Building, starting with a question-and-answer panel at 5:15 p.m. and live recording at 6:00 p.m.

Join show host Kim Todd, Nebraska Extension landscape horticulture specialist, alongside other professionals to talk about all things related to garden and lawn care, with a focus on growing future gardeners across Nebraska.

Nebraska Extension experts on the panel include Jody Green, urban entomology educator; Dennis Ferraro, wildlife biologist and herpetologist; Amy Timmerman, cropping systems educator and Elizabeth Exstrom, a horticulture, landscape and environmental systems educator.

Another segment will be about the Bowder family from St. Paul, Neb., which is made up of four girls ages 7-14 who have a passion for nature. The family grows their own flower and vegetable gardens and learns about the plant lifestyle through the 4-H program.

This episode will air on television at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, September 3rd on Nebraska Public Media.

“Backyard Farmer,” the longest-running locally produced television series in the nation, airs on Nebraska Public Media Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. through September 10th. It repeats Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. on Nebraska Public Media and at 4:00 p.m. on Sundays and 5:00 p.m. on Mondays on Create.

Please continue to support them with your blood donation.

You can register on line at redcrossblood. org or call Cindy at (308) 390-5857.

Doves are abundant statewide and, with generous bag limits, provide excellent wing-shooting opportunities. Mourning doves, Eurasian collareddoves, and whitewinged doves may be hunted statewide September 1st until October 30, 2026, with aggregate daily bag and possession limits of fifteen and forty-five, respectively. Shooting hours are thirty minutes before sunrise until sunset.

Sunflowers, millet, and wheat, which generally provide good food sources and dove hunting opportunities, were planted on numerous wildlife management areas earlier this year.

Preseason scouting is recommended due to changing habitat conditions. All publicly accessible sites throughout the state—including federal, state, conservation partner, and private lands enrolled in Game and Parks’ Open Fields and Waters Program—are displayed in the 2026-2027 Public Access Atlas, which can be found at OutdoorNebraska.org/ PublicAccessAtlas.

Private lands throughout the state, where permission is required, also provide excellent hunting opportunities for doves.

Nebraska residents sixteen years and older and all nonresidents are required to have a valid Nebraska small game hunting permit, habitat stamp and Harvest Information Program number. Federal and state migratory bird hunting stamps, or duck stamps, are not required to hunt doves. Shotgun plugs restricting shell capacity to no more than three shells are also required.

Hunters who harvest a dove with a leg band should contact the United States Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory at reportband.gov to report the harvest. In addition, randomly selected hunters will be asked to save one wing from each dove during the first week of the season and mail them postage-free to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Eurasian collared- doves may also be harvested between October 31, 2026, and August 31, 2027, with bag and possession limits of fifteen and forty-five, respectively.

“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 We all have weaknesses. Some are visible to others; some are struggles we carry quietly in our hearts. We may become discouraged when we repeat the same mistakes, lose our patience, doubt ourselves, or feel unable to change.

Yet Scripture reminds us that our weaknesses do not disqualify us from God’s purposes. Instead, they can become places where His strength is revealed most clearly.

Paul pleaded with God to remove his “thorn in the flesh,” but God did not answer by taking the struggle away.

He answered with grace. God’s grace was enough to sustain Paul, even when the weakness remained. Sometimes God changes our circumstances; other times, He changes us within them.

Overcoming weakness does not mean becoming strong through our own determination. It means learning to depend more fully on God. When we acknowledge our limitations, we make room for His power. When we surrender our failures to Him, He gives us the courage to begin again.

When temptation comes, we can pray instead of relying solely on willpower. When discouragement whispers that we will never change, we can remember that God is still working.

Do not allow your weaknesses to define you. Let them drive you closer to Christ.

Every setback can become an invitation to trust Him more deeply. Every failure can teach you humility.

Every struggle can remind you that you are not walking alone.

Today, bring your weaknesses honestly before God. Ask Him for strength where you are tired, wisdom where you are uncertain, patience where you are frustrated, and courage where you are afraid.

Then take the next faithful step.

Valley County Health Systems has opened the Arcadia Medical Center at 110 W. Bridge Street. Bob Reilly, PA C will see patients at the clinic on Wednesdays from 8:30 to noon.

The Bowman Lake old swimming hole located on the southwest side of the lake has been cleaned up and banks have been built. It is now being drained so the area can be connected to the other bodies of water.

Bill and Sherene Morris will host an open house Saturday at the Ravenna United Methodist Church to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary.

Vicki Morrow will be signing and giving away free copies of her latest novel “The Eagle and the Dove” at the Nebraska Writers Guild booth at the Nebraska State Fair.

The Sherman County Board approved unanimously a motion to accept the sand from Bowman Lake recreation area.

Returning Spartan volleyball letter winners are seniors Taylor Henry and Jessica Shirley; juniors, Alyssa Bailey, Tyren Howard, Mariah Lane, Sarah Lewis and Paige Stunkel; and lone sophomore Falen Ryan.

August 22, 2006

Loup City High School band director William McMurtry has brought back a Flag Corps to the band. The members of the new unit are Britney Bochart, Amelia Goc, Shelby Hill, Jennifer Glinsmann, Jocelyn McMurtry, and Megan Obermiller.

The family of Thelma Lang is requesting a card shower to honor her 100th birthday.

Loup City Raider school backpacks were handed out to Ashton State Bank drawing winners Hannah Jakubowski and Cole Stanczyk by bank president Claude Badura.

Loup City school enrollment is at 319, down twelve from the last year. Litchfield is at 142, up three from a year ago.

Dennis and Lillian Maciejewski will celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary with a Sunday afternoon open house at St. Josaphat’s Parish Hall.

A grand opening celebration will be held Saturday night at Travis’s Bar, formerly Pat’s Place. Kevin Chelewski and the Boys will provide the music for the dance.

Joe’s Market advertised two twenty-six oz jars of Prego pasta sauce for $3.

The Litchfield Village Board expressed their thanks to Jim Hammond for the use of a loader in the painting of the maintenance shed.

August 21, 1996

Longtime resident and Times correspondent Vera Mason passed away Monday at the age of seventy- six. She wrote the column “Did You Know” for many years.

A Cannon and Associates blue print of the proposed new high school and remodeling of the middle school was published on the front page.

A director for the Nebraska Sheriffs Association told the editor that the group does not solicit funds over the phone and calls supposedly representing them should be hung up on.

Ericson Ford’s “back to school” ad listed a 1991 Ford Probe LX two door five speed V-6 for $5,995.

The Arcadia Flower Show had two exhibitors. Sweepstakes winner was B.J. Ohme. Kelly Hickman was the junior winner. Marjorie Eliot won the coveted Tri-Color Award for her “Standing Tall” arrangement.

The Sherman County Historical Society is raising funds to erect a marker on the Sherman County Courthouse lawn that gives a short account of the Flag Day, 1934 Communist Riot.

Connie Newtson won the $100 Hazard Daze drawing.

A cable company has installed free cable TV to the Litchfield Library.

The Litchfield Village Board appointed A.L. Dunning to finish out the term of David Hastings who resigned after taking a teaching job in another community.

August 21, 1986

The Loup City minipark and gazebo will be dedicated Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.

The coroner’s inquest ruled the death of twenty- six-year-old Richard Bruha of Ord was accidental. He had been hit by a truck after he began walking to Ord from the Placzek dance benefit being held at the VFW Hall. Jury members were Richard Ritz, Judy Obermiller, Don Hancock, Jim Kuehl, Jim Rademacher, and Cindy Janulewicz.

The top “Swim for Heart” fund raisers were Amy Gallaway, Brad and Angie Smith.

Sally Smedra was the happy winner of $405 in Chamber Bucks in the “Cash Bucks Jackpot” Loup City Chamber of Commerce drawing.

Jack & Jill advertised T-bone steak for $3.69 per pound.

The first “Shoot and Rendezvous” encampment was held at the Earl Baillie farm and drew contestants from all over Nebraska. Local winners at the meet were Sam Hurlburt in the twenty- five yard rifle contest and Anita Soper in the twenty-five and fifty yard rifle contests.

Loup City Coast to Coast store advertised a Winchester 30-30 lever action rifle for $149.99.

A Sunday afternoon picnic was held at Bowman Lake to honor the birthdays of Maxine Brewer, Ron Brewer, and Greg Brewer. The afternoon was spent throwing horseshoes and playing volleyball.

Hilda and Mabel Thomsen were Sunday afternoon callers at the Loup City homes of the Landon sisters and Mrs. Harriet Conger.

Leota Burman and Lawrence Burman have returned from a vacation to Colorado and New Mexico.

August 19, 1976

Gary Dethlefs showed the Sherman County Fair Grand Champion breeding heifer and Overall Champion breeding heifer and was named the Sherman County Fair Junior Showman. Betty Shotkoski showed the Grand Champion breeding sheep, the FFA Grand Champion breeding sheep and the FFA Grand Champion market sheep. Carol Dethlefs was the Grand Champion halter winner.

Debbie Quandt won the Senior Division of the 4-H Style Show, Denise Waskowiak won the Top Style Show Model honors and the Bernice Reinertsen Award.

Sherman County Fair Board president Harry Knecht presented Mr. and Mrs. Earle Baillie the Sherman County Farm Family Award.

The Loup City Midget baseball team lost 14-16 to Gothenburg in the first round of the State Tournament. The Midget seasons stats had Tom Nun with a batting average of 527.

The Loup City School budget was set at $1,109,326 for the 197677 school year which is $88,618 more than last year. The increase was due to $50,000 earmarked for the cash reserve account.

The editor noted, “Loup City citizens must love weeds. They let so many of them grow in city limits”.

Farnham Rexall Drug advertised a six-digit, four-function electronic calculator for $6.99.

The Loup City Community Center is offering a free “Turkey Trot” (sock hop) from 8:30 to 10:00 on Thursday night.

John Janulewicz advertised his classic 1970 Dodge Challenger for sale at $1500.

Smiling children David and Mike Ference were pictured just before heading off for a two-day vacation at the Halsey 4-H Camp.

August 18, 1966

Maurice Reiter, representing the Coop Association, purchased the Grand Champion market beef showed by Larry Nagorski at the 4-H auction. Jack & Jill bid in the Champion baby beef that Dennis Day had showed.

Ruth Reiter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Reiter, was chosen Sherman County Centennial Queen. Her attendants were Dorothy Hajek and Janice Shotkoski.

The paper received word from the State Board of Equalization that the valuation for farm land in Sherman County will be raised thirty-five percent and town property by eight percent. Sherman County Assessor Janice Robertson blamed the large increase on the high prices being paid for land being sold in Sherman County.

Rain stalled the Centennial Parade Friday. Sixteen floats were entered. Bob Harrington and children won the $5 prize for the top kiddies float.

St. Josaphat’s Catholic Elementary and Central High School bus drivers are Ralph Blazey and Vern Oseka. The custodian is Leo Dzingle and the school lunch cooks are Mrs. Joseph Jones and Mrs. Anna Rein. The cost of a school lunch was set at thirty cents.

The Litchfield Volunteer Fire Department was called to a possible barn fire at the Linden farm north of town after lightning hit lines leading into the barn and smoke was seen. Fortunately, no fire was found.

Ashton School bus driver and custodian is Robert Reyand and Flora Weiszerski and Celia Ignowski are the school cooks.

Harriet Gallaway advertised the library is in need of discarded costume jewelry to be sewn in decoration projects.

The 157th Nebraska State Fair will open Friday, August 28th and continue through Labor Day, September 7th. Gates will open at 7:00 a.m. each day, with entertainment and vendor buildings opening at 9:00 a.m.

The fair’s schedule offers a mix of traditional agricultural programming and larger entertainment attractions, with events taking place throughout the grounds.

Opening day will feature a tractor pull at 6:00 p.m., with the event kicking off the fair’s ticketed motorsports schedule. The opening Friday will also be one of three days designated for Nebraska’s Largest Classroom, an educational program that gives K-6 students the opportunity to explore the fairgrounds through a self-guided tour. More than 3,000 students, teachers, and sponsors participated in the program in 2025.

The fair will also open with its annual Opening Parade at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, featuring floats, animals, tractors, vehicles, entertainers, and other entries.

The first weekend of the state fair will bring a particularly full schedule.

Saturday, August 29th, will mark County Fair Day. The celebration of Nebraska’s county fairs will feature a reception and board reunion at the Five Points Bank Arena Loft at 11:00 a.m., followed by a county fair celebration parade at 2:00 p.m. Cheer and dance teams also will perform throughout the day, including at the Family Fun Zone and in the celebration parade at 2:00 p.m.

Saturday will also bring a substantial schedule of 4-H livestock competition, including beef, sheep, poultry, swine, goat, rabbit, and llama and alpaca shows. Open livestock competitions and other animal events will continue throughout the fair.

Sunday, August 30th will mark Nebraskappella, a day devoted to a cappella music featuring barbershop quartets, choruses, and other vocal groups. The day also will include motorsports, music, and other special programming. Figure 8 Racing is scheduled to take place at 4:00 p.m.; the ACP Park Stage will host the finals of the Galaxy of Stars talent competition at the same time.

Sunday will be Queens Day, with parade scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

Sunday evening will bring the first of the fair’s two indoor concerts at the Heartland Events Center. Contemporary Christian artist Phil Wickham, joined by Jamie MacDonald, will perform at 6:00 p.m. Wickham is a Grammy- nominated and Dove Award-winning artist.

Monday, August 31st will be Older Nebraskans Day, with KC & The Sunshine Band scheduled to perform at 2:00 p.m. inside the Heartland Events Center.

The fair’s weekday schedule will turn toward agriculture, education, and demonstrations while continuing to offer entertainment throughout the grounds. Livestock competitions, 4-H and FFA activities, agricultural exhibits, and open-class competitions will continue throughout the week, giving visitors opportunities to see Nebraska livestock, crops, horticulture, foods, arts, and other competitive exhibits.

Tuesday, September 1st, and Wednesday, September 2nd, will be additional dates for Nebraska’s Largest Classroom.

Wednesday morning will offer Sunrise Yoga at 8:30 a.m. at the Sustainability Pavilion. The free program will return Saturday, September 5th.

Thursday, September 3rd, will be FFA Day, involving an educational, self-guided tour of the fairgrounds for FFA chapters and their students. Free admission is available to registered chapters.

Some of the fair’s largest entertainment events will come September 4th through the 7th.

Friday, September 4th will be Fair-Tastic Friday, an event for individuals with physical or developmental disabilities. Festivities include a resource fair from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., as well as the Remarkable Rodeo at 10:15 a.m. in the US Foods Outdoor Arena.

That evening will bring Home Free to TD Landing for a free concert. The all-vocal country group is part of this year’s Nebraska Lottery Concert Series.

Saturday, September 5th, will offer another broad slate of activities, including a ranch rodeo at 5:30 p.m. The day also will feature the fair’s annual speed-puzzling competition at Raising Nebraska. That will feature an open competition at 4:00 p.m., followed by a championship contest at 6:30 p.m.

The fair’s parade schedule also will resume Saturday with a parade at 2:00 p.m., giving visitors another opportunity to see floats, animals, tractors, vehicles, and other entries.

Saturday night will shift from rodeo to rock. Shinedown takes the stage at TD Landing, supported by Dexter and the Moonrocks. The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., with TD Landing gates opening at 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 6th, will feature another major outdoor concert, with country artist HARDY performing at TD Landing at 7:30 p.m. McCoy Moore will open.

Sunday also will be Fiesta Latina, with a celebration parade scheduled for 2:00 p.m. The event will add Latino culture, music, and entertainment to the fair’s final weekend.

The fair will close Monday, September 7th, with Labor Day and Veterans Day activities. The annual Veterans Day parade will begin at 1:00 p.m., followed by the annual demolition derby at 2:00 p.m. The derby will offer general admission, youth, and pit tickets. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.

Beyond the headline events, the fairgrounds will remain active throughout the eleven-day run with livestock competitions, agricultural exhibits, 4-H and FFA activities, demonstrations, parades, and additional entertainment. A complete schedule of events can be found at statefair. org.

Eddie Garner, born in Loup City in May 1913, wrote a short story about his family.

Some of the things that he shared include that his mother, the former Arabell Caddy, lived on a large farm about eight miles southwest of Loup City. Eddie’s father was born in North Carolina; he came to Loup City as an infant. He was a Loup City blacksmith. (Later on in his story, Eddie tells that his father bought a blacksmith shop in Rockville.)

Grandmother Garner, a southern lady, lived with her son and wife and their four boys and was known to smoke a corncob pipe.

Eddie recalls riding on the floor of a buggy with Mr. and Mrs. Tom Caddy, his mother’s parents, one winter after a heavy snow. He recalls that it was cold, so he would poke his head out from under a buffalo robe and watch the spokes of the wagon. “The roads were not cleared, so some of the time we cut across country and followed the tops of the hills. When we came to a fence, my grandfather would get out and pull a few staples, let the wires down and we would drive across.

He would put the fence wires back as they were, and we would continue on our way.

Sometimes we would come to a ravine, or draw, as it was called.

These were filled with snow, but the horses would flounder across, buggy, people and all. It was really exciting.”

Eddie’s wife, Janet Weaver, was born at Rockville in 1916. They may have had three children. One daughter, Linda “Lindy”, born in Lincoln, Nebraska, received prestigious awards as an educator. She died at age 77.

Eddie died in 1998; his wife died the following year. Does anyone have more information about this family? Contact us if you do, please.

Eddie goes on to tell other stories about riding bareback, being in kindergarten for four years, riding to school in his father’s Model T, etc. The Way It Was recollection of Eddie Garner, a short fourpage booklet, is available for reading at the Research Center. Come check it out!

If you have items that you or your Sherman County family wants to donate to us, such potential donation needs to be approved by members at one of our regular meetings. As we are nearly out of display and storage space, we have found it necessary to take this step. We would like to add onto the Elsner/Clark Exhibit Hall so that we would have more display area and storage space. We are in the process of accepting donations for this cause. Thank you for helping us with our quest to preserve the history and heritage of Sherman County.

The Sherman County Historical Museum has resumed its summer Sunday schedule. The museum is now open without an appointment through the summer on Sunday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., with the group’s last weekend of the summer being Labor Day weekend. The Research Center (and Hanshew Barbershop) is open Wednesday afternoon 1:00 until 4:00 p.m. all year. Members welcome visitors at other times, too—just call to make your arrangements.

To become a member of the Sherman County Historical Society, call Donna Trompke at (308) 750-3325, or contact Kathy Spotanski, Mark Nabity, RoseAnn Kowalski, or Elsie Kieborz for a membership application.

The society’s mailing address is P.O. Box 362, Loup City, Nebraska 68853; the Facebook page is Sherman County NE Historical Society. The society’s website is www.shermancountyhistoricalso-ciety. com.