We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Month: April 2019

Disaster declaration for Nebraska amended to 50 counties

Posted on

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A federal disaster declaration for Nebraska has been amended to authorize public assistance grants for 50 counties to help pay for public facilities damaged in the wake March flooding — down from 65 counties and five tribal nations that had previously been approved.

A news release Saturday from the Federal Emergency Management Agency says more counties and tribal nations may be designated for additional reimbursement for public facilities — such as roads, bridges, utilities and water plants — as damage assessments in the state continue.

Individual assistance for homeowners, renters and businesses has been approved in 15 Nebraska counties and the Santee Sioux Nation.

The Omaha World-Herald reports that as of Saturday, 3,838 applicants have applied for individual assistance and nearly $12.5 million has been approved. More than $11 million of that was for housing assistance, which can include rent for a temporary place to stay or housing repairs.

NSAA April Meeting: Girls wrestling and bowling fall short, new cutoff for Class A

Posted on

Lincoln, NE – The April NSAA meeting had a lot of potential big changes on the agenda, only one of which really came to pass.

The most controversial item on the agenda was the vote to sanction a separate division for girls wrestling in the state of Nebraska. Proponents of the proposal argued that it would increase people interested in the sport and would not take any time away from the state championships.

The proposal fell just 1 vote shy of the 30 total votes needed to pass, 29-21.

The other item on the agenda was a proposal to sanction bowling as an official high school sport instead of a club sport. That was rejected 23-27.

The final news to come out of the meeting is a major shift in how schools are classified going forward.

From now on, schools with 850 or more students enrolled in three grades (boys and girls combined) will be considered Class A in everything but Football. Football will remain with its 450 boys enrollment cutoff for the time being.

That means North Platte High School, who has spent the last few years bouncing between Class A and Class B will now be considered Class A once again in every sport.

New Nebraska DHHS leader confirmed by state lawmakers

Posted on
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have confirmed Gov. Pete Ricketts’ appointee to lead the state Department of Health and Human Services.

Lawmakers voted 38-0 on Friday in favor of Dannette Smith as the department’s new chief executive officer.

Smith has more than 25 years of executive leadership experience and most recently served as director of the Virginia Beach Department of Human Services, a position she held since 2013.

Lawmakers praised Smith for her willingness to listen seriously to their concerns about the state’s social services.

Sen. Sara Howard, chairwoman of the Health and Human Services Committee, says Smith has “hit the ground running” in her new role and urged lawmakers to support the confirmation.

Nebraska mulls financial literacy education requirement

Posted on
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Proposed academic standards for teaching social studies in Nebraska would require public school students to learn how to manage money and would encourage them to look at history from multiple perspectives.

The Nebraska Department of Education is seeking public input on the draft standards released Thursday, which detail what students in kindergarten through 12th grade will learn in history, economics, geography and civics.

The draft builds on standards set in 2012 by adding clarity and direction for teachers, said Harris Payne, the Education Department’s director of social studies. The department is required to update the standards every seven years under state law.

The latest guidelines offer fewer standards but go into more detail. They include guidance about overarching themes that teachers should be addressing at each grade level.

“We’re not giving them 100 targets, but fewer targets and more depth,” Cory Epler said, the department’s chief academic officer.

Under the proposed financial literacy requirements, high school students would learn about setting financial goals, managing debt and investing.

Students will also be encouraged to explore historical events from the perspective of marginalized groups, such as Native Americans, immigrants and people of various sexual orientations. The standards also address climate change and civic engagement.

The Education Department selected a group of teachers, administrators, college representatives and staff from educational service units to create the draft standards. The group worked to make sure the standards align with the state’s multicultural education law, Payne said.

The draft standards are “not perfect” and will likely be edited in the coming months based on public input, Epler said.

The State Board of Education is expected to vote on the revised standards in the fall.

Nebraska state energy, environmental agencies to merge

Posted on

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two Nebraska state agencies that oversee environmental and energy issues are set to merge under a new law approved by Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Ricketts signed the measure last month to combine the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and the Nebraska State Energy Office.

The governor’s office said Friday that Jim Macy will oversee the combined agency in place of his current role as head of the environmental quality department. Former energy office director David Bracht stepped down last year.

The new agency will be renamed the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.

Ricketts proposed the merger as a way to increase state government efficiency. State officials say the merger could save roughly $207,000 in annual personnel expenses. That money will be used instead for operating costs and state aid programs.

Glen Fredrick Golter

Posted on

Glen Golter, 97, of Brady, NE passed away on April 4, 2019 at Hilltop Estates in Gothenburg. Glen Fredrick Golter was born on September 24, 1921 to Fred and Lillian Golter at their Furnas County farm home. He was baptized into Christs death and resurrection on October 12, 1921 and confirmed into the Lutheran faith on May 26h, 1935 at Trinity Lutheran
Church near Arapahoe, Nebraska. Glen was the oldest son, he had an older sister Alene and two younger brothers Lloyd and Gerald. He attended Furnas County School District 18 where he graduated from the eighth grade in 1936.

He met Marjorie Huff in Arapahoe, where they dated and were married on December 12, 1943. Glen proudly enlisted in the United States Army and served from 1944-1946. After returning from Germany Glen got a job with the Bureau of Reclamation as a surveyor laying out the Medicine Creek Dam. He then went to work for Central Nebraska Public Power. Glen and Marge raised their three sons in a small house on Jeffrey Lake Dam. He retired in 1986 after 34 years as an operator of the power plant.

Glen was called home by our Lord on April 4, 2019 at Hilltop Estates where he resided. He is survived by his three sons, Gary (Connie) Golter of Hastings, Bobby (Susan) Golter of Brady and Randy (Elizabeth) Golter of Davenport, Iowa, 7 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, and 3 great great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Glen was preceded in death by his parents, Marge, his loving wife of 72 years, his sister Alene and brother-in-law Wayne, his brother Lloyd and his daughter-in-law, Julie Golter.

Funeral Services will be held at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, 402 S. Baytree Avenue, in North Platte on April 12, 2019 at 10:30 AM. Burial will follow in the Brady Cemetery at Brady Nebraska.Memorials may be directed to Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, 402 Baytree Ave. North Platte, NE 69101

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.blasestrauser.com

PAC gets new digital sign

Posted on

The crew from Condon Signs works on installing the new digital sign at the Prairie Arts Center, 416 North Jeffers, on Friday afternoon. PAC will use the sign to promote upcoming classes and events.

The purchase of the sign was made possible, in part, by a grant from the Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation.

Sharon Kay Moller

Posted on

Sharon Kay Moller, age 78, a longtime resident of North Platte, passed away December 11, 2018 at her home, surrounded by loved ones.

Sharon was born April 12, 1940 in North Platte to Ivan and Ruby (Lasure) Smith.  She graduated from North Platte High School with the class of 1958.  She married William Moller, the love of her life, in 1984.  Traveling, going to Husker games, digging in the garden, jumping thru mud puddles with the grandchildren and visiting with friends and family on the patio, were some of her most cherished moments.

Sharon worked at Schwesers, Maurice’s and Adams and Swanson Funeral Home.  She was a past president of the Eagles Ladies Auxiliary and enjoyed sewing, cooking, crocheting, quilting and bowling. She shared her talents with many. Whether it was baby blankets and Halloween costumes for the grandkids or an Advent calendar for a friend, she did it with love.

Sharon is survived by her children, Debbie Keithley of Seattle, WA, Leisa (Donald) Klinge of Colorado Springs, CO, Kristine Schwager of North Platte; brother I.C. (Jerry) Smith of Henderson, NV; sister Susan (Morris) McKillip of Raton, NM; 5 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren; close friends Vicki and Jeff Young; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband William Moller; parents Ivan and Ruby Smith; and son Danny Keithley.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Eagle’s Women’s Auxiliary and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com.

Cremation was chosen and a Celebration of Life will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, April 12, 2019 at Ft. McPherson National Cemetery, 12004 S Spur 56A, Maxwell, NE.  Those wishing to do so may sign her register book from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Thursday April 11, 2019 at Adams and Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.  Family and friends are invited to share a brunch immediately following the graveside service at the Eagles Club, 620 N Chestnut St. in North Platte.

 

 

Kansas woman’s effort to support Neb. flood victims goes viral

Posted on
Addy Tritt, FHSU grad, stands in the Hays, Kan., Payless with some of the shoes she bought for Nebraska flood victims.

 

Hays Post

HAY, Kan. — When Fort Hays State University grad Addy Tritt decided to help Nebraska flood victims by buying out the remaining inventory of the Hays Payless store, she wasn’t thinking about the attention she would receive.

And no one could have expected just how much attention would be attracted to the Hays Post story.

Tritt has been in contact with news organizations ranging from Good Morning America to CBS News and the story has been republished in dozens of news outlets worldwide.

Just some of the national news organizations that published Tritt’s tale include Huff Post, CBS News, BBC News, the New York Post, the New York Daily News, Better Homes and Gardens, The Hill, the U.K. Daily Mail, USA Today, CNN, Fox News, Business Insider, Good Morning America and People. Dozens more local and regional news organizations also republished the story.

Tritt’s good-news article jumped the pond, as well, and was published in the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail.

The story has also been published in several languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Indonesian and Vietnamese, among others.

Arlene J. Hardin

Posted on

Arlene J. Hardin 86, of Oakland, IA, formerly of North Platte passed away April 3, 2019 at the Oakland

Manor in Oakland, IA.

Arlene was born in Blair, NE on October 10, 1932 to Albert and Mabel (Larson) Curtis. She moved to Brady where she graduated from Brady HS in 1950 and married her husband Conrad Hardin in 1951.  Arlene moved to North Platte from Hershey after the death of her husband in 1963. She raised her five children in North Platte and earned a Nursing degree at Mid plains Community College. She worked at Linden Manor in North Platte until 1977 when she moved to Cheyenne, WY to pursue her Nursing career at the VA Hospital. After retiring from the VA, Arlene returned to North Platte to enjoy her retirement with family and longtime friends. In 2014 she was moved to Iowa due to her failing health and to be closer to her daughter.

Arlene was preceded in death by her parents, Albert & Mabel Curtis of Brady; her husband, Conrad and one son, Kyle.

Arlene is survived by her son, Mike (Kim) Hardin of Sacramento, CA.; daughters, Coral (Jim), Gail (Steve) Lopez of North Platte, and Connie (Bob) Jepsen of Council Bluffs, IA.;12 grandchildren; and 16 greatgrandchildren.

Her witty sense of humor will be greatly missed by those who knew her.

Graveside Services will be 1:00 p.m. Monday, April 8, 2019 at Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens with the Reverend Daniel Ramsey officiating.  Visitation will be noon – 6:00 p.m. Sunday, April 7, 2019 at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File