Category Archives: Local News

Custer County supervisors adopt data center regulations, put battery storage systems moratorium in place

The Custer County Board of Supervisors met for less than an hour on Tuesday morning inside the Custer County Courthouse.

Following a public hearing late last month which saw no members of the public coming forward, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously today to adopt the data center regulations recommended to them by the planning commission.

Ahead of last week’s public hearing, Zoning Administrator Darci Tibbs explained the process that led to the regulations being drafted.

“The purpose of these regulations is to not encourage or attract data centers, but to make sure that if one is proposed in Custer County, we have appropriate standards and safeguards in place to protect the health, safety, and welfare of our citizens, and to protect the ag and rural character of the county,” said Tibbs.”

View the full data center regulation document here: Custer County Data Center Regulations

The board also voted unanimously to put a 12 month moratorium in place regarding battery energy storage systems. This time period was stated to be so that more time could be given to researching them and to work toward regulations, much like the months long process ahead of the adoption of data center regulations.

In board of equalization matters, tax corrections for the years 2023 through 2025 were made to change a stick built home to a mobile home resulting in over $2,000 back to the property owner. A motor vehicle exemption for Custer Care was also approved, at a loss to the county of $16 and change.

Levy allocation requests for the upcoming fiscal year were approved unanimously for all subdivisions.

View the levy allocations here: 2026-2027 Levies Custer County Sub-divisions

County Assessor Elise Taylor came before the board regarding her department’s copier machine, stating that it is starting to show signs of failing. The current copier has been in use since around 2017 or 2018 and is owned, however repairs had become more frequent with parts being harder to find.

Taylor said options of a $143 per month lease or purchase over $7,000 were available. Following a discussion about what budget the copier would have to come from and the fact that budgets were just passed and the copiers health was not a concern presented, discussions about its replacement fizzled out.

A contract between Central Plains Valuations and the county’s assessor’s office was approved, capped at $8,000. The contract was stated to be the same as it had been since 2021. Supervisor Anne Gibbons was the lone vote of no.

With no applications to cross right-of-way received, the meeting was adjourned at 9:52 AM.

Broken Bow City Council to discuss merging of Deputy Clerk and Treasurer positions, creation of City Planner position

Broken Bow City Council will meet tonight starting at 6 PM at the Broken Bow Municipal Building on South 10th Avenue.

New business items will begin with continued discussions on a possible ordinance regarding livestock and poultry in town, followed by a possible waiving of the three ordinance readings and approval consideration.

Some shuffling of positions and titles could be spurred at tonight’s meeting. Ordinance 1325 would combine the offices of Deputy Clerk and City Treasurer and create the appointive office of City Planner. The City Planner would be Zoning Administrator and Floodplain Administrator.

A public hearing will be held ahead of possible waiving of three readings and consideration of ordinance 1326, which is the 2026-2027 wage ordinance. The ordinance would set wages for the city, including the raises approved for the Mayor, City Council President, and council members last month.

If the deputy clerk and treasurer changes are approved by council, a subsequent appointment of LeeAnn Morgan to the position will be considered by council in addition to consideration of appointing Jacob Holcomb as Broken Bow City Planner.

To round out new business items tonight, council will consider a resolution that would authorize a master lease-purchase agreement totaling at a principal amount of $118,368.52 for a robotic crawler pipe inspection camera system.

Comment periods for the public, mayor, and council will finish up the meeting before adjournment.

View the full City Council packet for tonight here: 2026.10.13-Council-Packet

Supervisors to consider adoption of data center regulations during Tuesday morning meeting

The Custer County Board of Supervisors will meet in regular session on Tuesday morning starting at 9 AM in the supervisors room on the top floor of the courthouse.

The agenda appears below as it did when originally received by KCNI/KBBN. It is kept continuously current and open for public inspection in the office of the Custer County Clerk.

Call to order
Pledge of Allegiance

AGENDA:
9:00 a.m.
Disc/dec Minutes, Mail, Committee Reports
Disc/dec Fee reports
Disc/dec Middle of month claims
Disc/dec Co. Attorney quarterly report St Stat. 23-1201(2)
Disc/dec Approve Res. 77Z-26 adopting Data Center Regulations
Disc/dec Approve Res. 78Z-26 adopting Temporary Moratorium on Battery Energy Storage Systems
Disc/dec BOE tax list corrections, over, under, omitted evaluations, permissive exemptions
Disc/dec Motor vehicle exemption for Custer Care
Disc/dec Res. #35-2026-Appr all Subdivisions Levy Allocation Requests for FY2026-2027
Disc/dec Assessor copier/Eakes bids
Disc/dec Assessor Commercial Contract
Disc/dec Application(s) to cross county r-o-w

Public Comment

Custer County offices to be closed Monday

The Custer County Clerk has informed KCNI/KBBN that County offices will be closed on Monday, October 12th, for Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

All offices are scheduled to reopen on Tuesday the 13th with normal hours.

No serious injuries in Thursday accident East of Berwyn

The Custer County Sheriff’s Office says that no serious injuries were sustained by parties involved in a two vehicle accident on Highway 2 just east of Berwyn on Thursday.

Madison Hulse of Ansley was traveling eastbound in a 2011 Chevrolet Impala when she reportedly fell asleep and crossed the center line, striking a westbound 2021 Chevrolet pickup driven by Travis Klanecky of Ord. The pickup was pulling a fuel trailer.

Hulse sustained a minor cut on her cheek. Her infant daughter who was properly secured in a car seat was not injured. Klanecky was also uninjured.

The Impala was towed from the scene by Hunter’s Towing with extensive damage, while the pickup sustained about $7,500 in damage but was driven from the scene.

Both drivers were wearing seatbelts.

Ansley Rescue responded to the scene and evaluated all those involved.

Champions selected in 2026 Red Barn pie contest

The 2026 Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway pie baking competition was held on Thursday in Broken Bow at the ‘Red Barn’ visitor center. Judges scored 25 pies that were then made available to the public to enjoy for a free will donation.

When the forks settled, two baking teams from Broken Bow Public Schools placed first and second with their banana pecan pies. Third place was a tie between a coconut cream pie from Tracy Kriss and a caramel pumpkin pie from De Loehr.

Pies entered spanned a wide variety including apple, peach, sweet potato pumpkin, kiwi rhubarb, Bing cherry, apricot, strawberry rhubarb, sour cream raisin, apple butter, raspberry, impossible, peach raspberry, and more.

Fair Board Elections Announced for Next Meeting at Thursday Ag Society Session

A smaller-than-normal group met for the Custer County Ag Society’s regular meeting Thursday evening, October 8. Members Mark Cardoza, Desirei Cook, and Andy Gibbons were all absent when the Fair Board meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM in the Shooting Sports Building on the Custer County Fairgrounds.

Annual Meeting and Board Elections Scheduled for November 12 Meeting

Fair Board President Brian Palmer noted during Thursday’s meeting that the November 12 meeting of the Custer County Ag Society will be the group’s Annual Meeting, at which elections will be held for three Fair Board positions. While Board Members Jake Rosentreader and Shelby Spanel are likely to run to retain their positions, there is likely to be at least one open seat available for a new member for a three-year term.

Nominations are made the night of the meeting; voting for Fair Board members happens at the meeting at the Shooting Sports Building. All interested Custer County residents registered to vote are invited to the meeting to help select Board Members.

Financial and GM Reports Wrap Up Summer Events

Palmer provided a brief overview of the Society’s financial report, noting that Fair bills were essentially all settled at this point, leading to a balance in the Fair account that was low, but expected to increase through the year leading up to next year’s event.

General Manager Clay Hayes reported the High School Rodeo event held in September brought in $12,000 in revenue for the grounds, as well as additional sales for merchants throughout Broken Bow. Hayes noted he was pleased with how the competitors cleaned up after themselves, stating he was only able to fill a small shopping bag with trash after the event.

The more recently wrapped Junk Jaunt event received mixed reviews, with weather dampening sales for merchants set up in outdoor locations. Sellers with their wares laid out in the buildings around the Fairgrounds reported better sales, however, with decent Jaunter attendance and fewer merchants set up this year overall.

Hayes stated the plan is to continue placing vendors in the lower area of the Fairgrounds in future years, allowing for more parking inside the grounds, and no parking allowed along Memorial Drive for safety reasons.

Starting in November, look for a barrel racing series in the Indoor Arena. Sponsored by the Nebraska 4D Barrel Racing Association, the series is expected to host one or two events a month through March. More information will be posted on the Ag Society’s Facebook page, as well as the NE4D website as the events approach.

Other Committee Reports

Board Member Scotti Ross reported for both the Bylaws Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee. Updated bylaws and articles of incorporation that had not seen updates in decades are now with the Custer County Attorney for review. Ross plans to have a draft of the new bylaws available for the Ag Society’s Annual Meeting.

The Strategic Planning Committee is planning on bringing in an outside consultant to assist with community surveys to discover both what the area ag community is looking for from the Society, as well as where financial support is available.

Ross noted state and federal grants are difficult to obtain for fairgrounds improvements, given the Fair’s location well within the Mud Creek flood plain. This makes community support critical for ongoing improvements and any potential new construction.

4-H Committee Chair Rosentreader reported on the recent meeting of the Custer County 4-H Council. Also wrapping up fair-time activities, the Council disucssed moving up the livestock sale by an hour next year to help finish the event earlier. Restrooms on the fairgrounds are an ongoing concern for many groups using the facilities.

Rosentreader told the Board that the annual 4-H Recognition Program is scheduled for Sunday, November 12 at 2:00 PM. Awards to outstanding 4-Hers will be handed out in the 4-H Building on the Custer County Fairgrounds.

To wrap up the meeting, the Board began discussion of the Ag Society Winter Ball, scheduled for January 23. A committee for the Ball will be formally established after the November 15 Fair Board elections. The group discussed continuing to hold a gun raffle as a fund raiser, as well as other options for raffle prizes.

With no further business to address, the Custer County Ag Society adjourned at 7:43 PM. As noted, the next meeting of the Custer County Ag Society is the Annual Meeting and Fair Board Elections, scheduled for Thursday, November 12 at 7:00 PM in the Shooting Sports Building on the Custer County Fairgrounds.

Local students compete in land judging contest hosted by Lower Loup NRD

High school students across a good portion of Nebraska competed in the 2026 North Central Land Judging Contest on Wednesday at the Lower Loup Natural Resource District’s (LLNRD) Aagaard Farm near Ord.

Land judging teams from Ansley, Ord, Boone Central, Twin River, St. Edward, Arcadia, Broken Bow, and the Nebraska Ag Academy took part in the contest hosted by LLNRD and NRCS.

During land judging, students gain a better understanding of soil structure and land evaluation by teaching them how to recognize the physical features of the soil, determine land capability for crop production, and evaluate management practices necessary for proper stewardship.

In individual competition, Broken Bow’s Madden Kleeb placed first, followed by Bethany Preister and Kailyn Choat of Boone Central in second and third respectively. Miles Hulinsky of Ord placed fourth.

Winning teams from Ansley, Ord, and Boone Central all qualified for the state land judging contest that will take place near Beatrice on October 14. This area competition that happened on Wednesday is hosted every two years by LLNRD.

“We were fortunate to have a great day in terms of the weather this time around,” said Information and Education Coordinator Alan Bartels. “On top of that, all of the 107 students we had on site were well behaved, respectful, and focused on the event. I enjoyed seeing scenic Aagaard Farm abuzz with all of those energetic young people, and appreciate their teachers’ dedication in educating them.”

LLNRD wished congratulations to the winners and thanked all contestants as well as Lower Loup NRD and NRCS staff who made the day possible.

Ag Society to meet on Custer County Fairgrounds tonight

The Custer County Ag Society will meet for a regular meeting tonight starting at 7 PM at the shooting sports building on the west end of the fairgrounds in Broken Bow.

Following the Pledge of Allegiance, minutes, financial report, and committee reports the board will get into discussion and decision topics.

No ‘old business’ items appear on the agenda received by KCNI/KBBN, but a lone ‘new business’ item regarding the January 23 Winter Ball raffle is on the agenda.

Portion of Memorial Drive closed Thursday morning in Broken Bow

The City of Broken Bow has announced that a portion of Memorial Drive will be closed on Thursday, October 8 from 7 AM until noon for repairs.

The closed stretch of road is from 5th Avenue to the entrance of the Custer County Fairgrounds. Those wishing to access the hospital will be able to do so from 5th Avenue from the west.

The city thanked citizens for their patience during the construction.