Category Archives: Local News

State news (VIDEO): Governor, NSP Colonel Survey Tornado Damage via NSP Helicopter

APRIL 29, 2024 (ELKHORN, NEB.)  — Governor Jim Pillen and Colonel John Bolduc flew with the Nebraska State Patrol Aviation Support Unit today to survey damage caused by tornadoes Friday in eastern Nebraska.

During today’s helicopter flight, Governor Pillen was able to view some of the same areas of damage he saw from the ground on Saturday. Several hundred homes suffered significant damage or were destroyed during the storms, which dropped multiple tornadoes in several Nebraska counties. Only minor injuries have been reported in Nebraska as a result of these storms.

Video footage from today’s flight can be viewed here: YouTube.

Photos from today’s flight are posted on Nebraska State Patrol social media pages: Facebook, Instagram, X.

NSP pilots were also able to provide Douglas County officials with an aerial view of damage in western Douglas County during separate flights Monday afternoon.

Troopers continue to provide additional patrols in the Elkhorn area in partnership with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Omaha Police Department. Anyone seeking to volunteer in recovery efforts should reach out to Omaha Rapid Response to find out the most effective way to help.

Area FBLA students bring home SLC awards

Area students have success at FBLA State Leadership Conference

Students from across the KCNI/KBBN listening area participated at the FBLA State Leadership Conference in mid-April in Kearney. The event holds competitive events, state officer elections, and informative leadership workshops for both students and advisers.

Below are the placements of area participants. The top 3 in each event automatically qualify to compete at the national level. However, students are only allowed to compete in one team event or individual event. Students marked with a (Y) will compete at nationals or are alternates according to provided results.

MIDDLE SCHOOL
Madalyn Beavers – Broken Bow – Business Ethics 1st place (Y)
Madalyn Beavers – Broken Bow – Business Etiquette 1st place
Madalyn Beavers – Broken Bow – Career Exploration 4th place
Madalyn Beavers – Broken Bow – Digital Citizenship 1st place
Chase Johnson – Broken Bow – Digital Citizenship 6th place
Chase Johnson – Broken Bow – Exploring Technology Honorable Mention
Chase Johnson – Broken Bow – Multimedia/Web Design 1st place (Y)

Alli Smith – Sargent – Career Exploration 1st place
Alli Smith – Sargent – Career Research 1st place (Y)
Alli Smith – Sargent – Exploring Economics 4th place
Alli Smith – Sargent – Marketing Mix Challenge 2nd place
Alli Smith – Sargent – Multimedia/Web Design 2nd place
Kinley Keefe – Sargent – Career Research 2nd place (Y)
Kinley Keefe – Sargent – Elevator Speech 6th place
Corbin Bye – Sargent – Digital Citizenship 4th place
Corbin Bye – Sargent – Exploring Computer Science 1st place
Corbin Bye – Sargent – Exploring Technology 1st place
Corbin Bye – Sargent – Marketing Mix Challenge 1st place (Y)

Dylan Rademacher – Loup City – Elevator Speech 2nd place (Y)
Blake Day – Loup City – Financial Literacy Honorable Mention

HIGH SCHOOL
Keelyn Shea – Broken Bow – Accounting I 3rd place

Keelyn Shea – Broken Bow – Agribusiness Honorable mention
Keelyn Shea – Broken Bow – Business Communication 4th place
Brynn Custer – Broken Bow – Business Communication Honorable Mention
Brynn Custer – Broken Bow – Organizational Leadership Honorable Mention
Brynn Custer – Broken Bow – Public Speaking 5th place
Austin Fox – Broken Bow – Accounting I Honorable mention (Y)
Austin Fox – Broken Bow – Business Calculations Honorable mention (Y)
Austin Fox – Broken Bow – Personal Finance Honorable Mention (Y)
Jackson Hansen – Broken Bow – Banking & Financial Systems (Y)
Michael Forster – Broken Bow – Business Law Honorable Mention
Michael Forster – Broken Bow – Client Service 1st place (Y)
Michael Forster – Broken Bow – Supply Chain Management Honorable Mention
Molly Custer – Broken Bow – Electronic Career Portfolio 7th place
Molly Custer – Broken Bow – Insurance & Risk Management Honorable Mention
Emmett Palmer, Avery Svoboda, Keelyn Shea – Broken Bow – Business Management Honorable Mention
Ali Morris, Brock Oeltjen, Bailey Ridder – B. Bow – Digital Animation 4th place (Y)
Austin Fox, Michael Forster, William Moninger – B. Bow- Entrepreneurship 5th place (Y)
Emmett Palmer – Broken Bow – Future Business Educator 1st place (Y)
Lia Sittler – Broken Bow – Intro. To Business Concepts 8th place
Lia Sittler – Broken Bow – Intro. To Marketing Concepts 3rd place (Y)
Ashlyn Schauda – Broken Bow – Intro. To Business Concepts Honorable Mention
Ashlyn Schauda – Broken Bow – Intro. To Business Procedures 7th place
Emersyn Palmer – Broken Bow – Intro. To FBLA Honorable Mention (Y)
Maggie Peterson – Broken Bow – Intro. To Public Speaking 2nd place (Y)
Ali Morris – Broken Bow – Job Interview Honorable Mention
Ali Morris – Broken Bow – Organizational Leadership 1st place (Y)
Brynn Custer, Elizabeth Holcomb, William Moninger, Keelyn Shea, Avery Svoboda – Broken Bow – Parliamentary Procedure 2nd place
Brielle Hamel-Evans, Ruby Russell, Izabelle Tibbs – Broken Bow – Public Service Announcement 2nd place (Y)
Evan Cyboron, Ethan Wenquist – Broken Bow – Sales Presentation 1st place (Y)

Caydence Feldman, Ava Paitz – Litchfield – American Enterprise Project 5th place (Y)

Caydence Feldman, Ava Paitz – Litchfield – Business Ethics 3rd place (Y)
Caydence Feldman – Litchfield – Public Service Announcement 6th place
Caydence Feldman – Litchfield – Website Design 4th place
Malynn Boyles, James Fletcher – Litchfield – Intro. To Event Planning 1st place (Y)
Malynn Boyles – Litchfield – Intro. To FBLA Honorable Mention
Malynn Boyles – Litchfield – UX Design Honorable Mention
James Fletcher – Litchfield – Intro. To Parliamentary Procedure 1st place

Kooper Keefe, Hayden Nelson, Carsen Vincent – Sargent – Business Ethics 2nd place
Arin Smith – Sargent – Business Plan 7th place (Y)
LoReena Schauda – Sargent – Client Service 4th place (Y)
LoReena Schauda – Sargent – Intro. To Marketing Concepts 7th place
Hayden Nelson, LoReena Schauda – Sargent – Data Analysis 7th place (Y)
Hayden Nelson – Sargent – Economics Honorable Mention
Hayden Nelson – Sargent – Intro. To Business Concepts 1st place
Cassidy Grint – Sargent – Electronic Career Portfolio 4th place (Y)
Cassidy Grint – Sargent – Job Interview Honorable Mention
Melissa Slagle – Sargent – Job Interview Honorable Mention
Miranda Olson, Marisa Richardson, Arin Smith – Sargent – Graphic Design Honorable Mention (Y)
Kooper Keefe, Hayden Nelson, Carsen Vincent – Sargent – Intro. To Business Presentation 3rd place (Y)
Carsen Vincent – Sargent – Intro. To Business Procedures Honorable Mention
Carsen Vincent – Sargent – Intro. To FBLA 6th place
Kooper Keefe, Carsen Vincent – Sargent – Local Chapter Annual Business Report 6th place
Cassidy Grint, Melissa Slagle – Sargent – Partnership with Business Project 3rd place (Y)

Custer County Supervisors to meet Tuesday morning

The Custer County Board of Supervisors will meet in regular session on Tuesday, April 30,
2024 at 9:00 a.m., in the Supervisors room on the top floor of the Courthouse.

AGENDA:
9:00 a.m.
Disc/dec – Minutes, Mail, Committee Reports
Disc/dec – End of month-April claims
Disc/dec – BOE – Res. #10-2024- Subst. of Securities -First National Bank, Sargent
Disc/dec – BOE – MV Exemption Appl(s)-VSL Broken Bow LLC
Disc/dec – M. Rempe, Communications 911-Advisory Comm. update
Disc/dec – Appl(s) to cross co r-o-w
Disc/dec – K. Flynn, Quarterly Recycling report
Disc/dec – Length of Lease on Pamida Lot, Lot 3A, BB
Disc/dec – Zelle HR contract renewal

BREAK

10:45 a.m.
Disc/dec – Public Hearing for Input on Termination of Corner Township Board
Disc/dec – BOE – tax list corrections, over, under, omitted valuations
Disc/dec – BOE – Permissive Exemption appl(s)

Agenda is kept continuously current and open for public inspection in the office of the County Clerk. The Board of Supervisors may go into Executive Session on any issue if the need arises.

Cozad High School Honored with Award

Cozad High School honored with American College Application Campaign Award at EducationQuest Symposium.

(Lincoln, Neb.) EducationQuest Foundation presented Cozad High School with the American College Application Campaign’s (ACAC) Nebraska School of Excellence Award at its recent biennial Symposium in Lincoln.

EducationQuest is the coordinator of ACAC in Nebraska, which is called Apply2College.

EducationQuest’s Omaha College Planning Director Joan Jurek, who leads Nebraska’s Apply2College effort, said, “This prestigious recognition reflects Cozad High School’s commitment to breaking down barriers and creating a supportive environment where all students are encouraged to pursue their dreams. The award is a powerful affirmation of our shared mission to empower every student to reach their full potential through education.”

The ACAC is a national effort to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from low-income families who want to pursue a higher education credential or college degree. For the fourth year, the national organization has recognized and selected Schools of Excellence based on their demonstrated commitment to student success and for serving as a model for their state’s college application campaign.

In 2023, 125 Nebraska high schools hosted an Apply2College event. Nearly 3,100 students participated, and more than 6,500 college applications were submitted.

EducationQuest Foundation is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve access to higher education in Nebraska. Headquartered in Lincoln, EducationQuest provides free college planning services, need-based scholarship programs, college access grants for high schools, college access resources for middle schools, and outreach services for community agencies. For more information, visit EducationQuest.org<http://www.educationquest.org

Step Forward Award nominations open through June 1

Nominations are being taken for the 2024 Step Forward Awards, which sees honorees chosen by Nebraska’s Governor based on their commitment to volunteerism and impact in their community. Each nominee receives a certificate in recognition of their service.

Volunteers across the state give of their time, resources and expertise to keep Nebraska communities going every day of the year, and for over 30 years citizens have nominated volunteers from their life to thank them for all they do.

Those wishing to nominate someone can access the nomination portal by going to www.serve.nebraska.gov. The site also holds links that show evaluation criteria for each type of nomination. Nominations need to be submitted by June 1, 2024.

Award categories include adult volunteer, mentorship award, youth volunteer leadership, volunteer group, corporate community volunteer, national service, veteran volunteer, disaster volunteer, senior volunteer, and lifetime achievement.

Nominee eligibility:
– Live in Nebraska (except National Service)
– Must have completed volunteer service in Nebraska
– Individuals must meet the requirements of the category in which they are submitted
– Posthumous nominations are limited to within 2 years of the nominee’s passing

Award Categories

Adult Volunteer: An individual, who, age 19 or over, has demonstrated outstanding volunteer service

Mentorship Award: An individual who has demonstrated outstanding youth mentorship by dedicating their time, knowledge and energy to guide, nurture, and support one or more mentees. This individual must have served as a mentor for at least one full calendar year and be affiliated with an official mentoring program in Nebraska.

Youth Volunteer Leadership: An individual, who, aged 18 or under, has demonstrated outstanding volunteer service. This individual may hold leadership roles in student organizations, student councils, or student service clubs where they have demonstrated exemplary leadership skills.

Volunteer Group: A group of volunteers who have served together on a common project that has impacted their community. The nominees in this category strive to make communities better places to live through a variety of activities or by focusing on one issue of primary importance in their community.

Corporate Community Volunteer: Corporations and businesses that excel in community involvement and demonstrated excellent corporate citizenship by giving back to their community in a variety of ways. Equal consideration will be given to both large and small businesses, top nominees will be selected.

National Service: An individual or group currently serving in a National Service program in Nebraska. This individual or group demonstrates outstanding effort to increase the quality of life in one or more communities in our state. Nominees may be serving through AmeriCorps, VISTA, AmeriCorps Seniors (Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions and RSVP), or NCCC.

Veteran Volunteer: An individual who served honorably on active duty in the armed forces of the United States and has demonstrated outstanding volunteer service during and after active duty.

Disaster Volunteer: An individual or group that has demonstrated exceptional commitment to volunteerism by helping with a special project or ongoing activities, in preparation for or during times of disaster. Many Nebraskans have served in this capacity this year. Several top nominees will be recognized.

Senior Volunteer: Individuals 65 or older who are taking action to make their community a better place. These individuals share their many years of experience and are role models for others to serve and volunteer.

Lifetime Achievement: This award is the most prestigious state-level honor volunteers can receive; the people selected are those who have forever changed their community, the state, the nation, or the world with their volunteer service and action. Nominees should be over the age of 65.

April is National Donate Life Month

April is recognized as National Donate Life Month.  This observance has been celebrated every year since 2003 when it was established by Donate Life America and its partnering organizations.  National Donate Life Month (NDLM) aims to spread awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation and honor those who have given the gift of life.  Kara Cordell serves as Marketing and PR Manager for “Live On Nebraska” based in Omaha.  She shared with KCNI/KBBN news the mission behind the organization.

“Live on Nebraska is an organ procurement organization which is a fancy term to say that we are the organization in Nebraska that facilitates deceased organ and tissue donations so if someone passes away it’s our job to evaluate that individual to see if  they have the potential to help others through tissue and organ donation and then, something that we take very seriously, is also being a resource for the donor’s family and helping them through that difficult time in their lives.  As well as educating the public about organ and tissue donation and encouraging donor resgistration.

Cordell said the impact that one person can have as an organ / tissue donor may surprise you.

“I think that’s something a lot of us don’t even realize.  With organs (heart, liver, kidneys, things like that) one person could save eight lives and then what people don’t often know about is tissue donation.  Tissue are things like bones, skin, tendons and with those tissues one person could potentially help 100 different people.  Those gifts are not always life saving but they do improve the quality of life for people.  So someone that had an ACL repair that could get them back on the field or just back to having a pain free life.  Giving someone that gift of sight again.  Skin helps people heal from burns.  It’s just really incredible the amount of people that can be helped with one person’s donation.”

Nebraska Law allows all permit, license or State ID card holders over the age of 16 to participate in organ and tissue donation declaration through the Department of Motor Vehicles.  If a person says yes to organ and/or tissue donation, a heart donor symbol will be placed on the lower right hand corner of the permit, license or State ID Card. The symbol and “Donor” will only appear when an individual elects to be an organ and tissue donor.  The symbol even appears on the cards of minors (between 16 and 18 years old) who support the cause, but a minor’s final decision is still governed by the consent of their parents or legal adult guardians to actually become an organ and tissue donor. The symbol will appear on the lower left hand corner of a minor’s permit, license or State ID Card. This donation must be renewed each time the permit, license or State ID Card is reissued. The donor status may be changed at anytime by applying for a replacement permit, license or State ID Card.  You may also change your organ donor status by contacting the Donor Registry of Nebraska at https://liveonnebraska.org/register/ or by calling 1-877-633-1800.

Listen to our full conversation with Kara Cordell of “Live On Nebraska”

Elks Lodge awards scholarships at annual reception

The Broken Bow Elks Lodge 1688 hosted their annual scholarship reception this past Sunday (April 21).

Fifteen area high school seniors and three sixth graders were honored and recognized with over $6,000 in awards and scholarships. Money from the Broken Bow Lodge was made available from dues, fundraisers, and donations. Eight communities/schools were represented.

Sixth grade Americanism winners were Isannah Woods from Burwell (1st place), Brody Daw from Burwell (2nd place), and Lane Bye from Sargent (3rd place). Pictured with the winners is presenter Dave Patterson.

Most valuable students were Gracie Neth from Arnold, Lyndsie McAuliff from Litchfield, Jazlynn Bechtold from Callaway, Joslyn Reiff from Callaway, and Ethan Chandler from Anselmo-Merna. Not present were Rio Remund from Arnold and Delaney Rogers from Arnold.

Receiving the Past Exalted Ruler scholarships were Maggie Birkel from Callaway and Lily Jonas from Broken Bow.

Elks/DOES service scholarships were received by Owen Wright from Anselmo-Merna, Emma Taylor from Broken Bow, Evan Cyboron from Broken Bow. Maggie smith of Broken Bow is not pictured. Presenter Stan Sedlacek is pictured with the scholarship recipients.

Neuman and Mildred E. Harris scholarships were received by Charlsie Teahon from Sandhills and Max Denson from Broken Bow.

Army combat vehicle named to honor Callaway WWII hero

The legacy of Robert D. Booker, a hero from Callaway, Nebraska, was recently honored in a special ceremony in Aberdeen, Maryland on April 18, 2024.

The event brought together fifteen of Booker’s relatives, including his only surviving sibling, Rose Hirsch, 91, of Broken Bow, all the way from Nebraska to pay tribute to his bravery.

Pvt. Robert Booker, a World War II veteran who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, now has a new honor in his name. The U.S. Army introduced their latest combat vehicle, the M10 Booker, named after him.

According to the U.S. Army website, the M10 Booker represents a new, modernized capability for the Army, allowing light maneuver forces to overmatch adversaries. It has a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour and is equipped with a 105mm M35 Primary Weapon, a 7.62 Coax weapon, a 0.50 M2 commander’s weapon, and the Abrams primary weapon sight. The 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Liberty will be the first unit to initially operate and test the M10 Booker.

The vehicle was christened with a bottle of champagne by Mike Booker of Broken Bow, a nephew of Robert. The U.S. Army’s new vehicle honors both Pvt. Robert D. Booker and Staff Sgt. Stevon Booker, two soldiers who fought and died for their country in different wars.

Staff Sgt. Stevon Booker, of Pennsylvania, is another decorated soldier who died in combat from injuries sustained in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“It was quite the honor for my family and I,” said Mike Booker, reflecting on the ceremony. “We were treated like royalty throughout the trip. It was quite the deal for our family.”

The M10 Booker, while resembling a tank, holds a special significance as a tribute to the courage and dedication of both Pvt. Robert D. Booker and Staff Sgt. Stevon Booker.

Their names will forever be honored through the legacy of this combat vehicle, symbolizing the enduring heroism of these two soldiers who bravely fought and made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Legislature, County Supervisor candidates participate in Media Candidates Forum

The Custer County Candidate Forum was held on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 6:30 in the Municipal Building. About 80 people showed up to hear from the candidates.

The forum featured Custer County Supervisor Tammy Kleeb and Corey Clay from District 2, and James Markham, Maureen Hunsberger and Janet Dobesh from District 4. Ray Hunt, District 4, was unable to attend due to prior commitments. Each candidate had 90 seconds to answer various questions.

The candidates shared their backgrounds and motivations for running, as well as their thoughts on important topics. They addressed a variety of issues, including taxes, roads and changes, annual salaries, local government accessibility, and other key issues affecting Custer County.

In addition, Tony Tangwall and Tanya Storer from Legislative District 43 also participated in the forum. They discussed their backgrounds, views on school funding, the EPIC tax option, threats to farmers and other key issues affecting the state.

In their closing remarks, Tangwall emphasized the importance of liberty, life, law, livelihood and legacy. “If we don’t get the first four correct, we will not have an opportunity at the fifth,” Tangwall said.

Storer highlighted the pillars of family, freedom and the future. She emphasized family being the core unit of civilized society, as well as our government protecting our rights. As for the future, she added a realistic goal of hers being to stop government growth.

In case you missed the live broadcast of the Custer County Candidate Forum, we encourage you to check out the livestream video to hear directly from the candidates as they discuss important issues and share their visions for the future of Custer County and District 43.

Full replay of the Media Candidates Forum

Saturday poker run to benefit Broken Bow, Ord Legion Baseball teams

The rumble of motorcycles will be heard this Saturday (April 27) as the Central Sandhills American Legion Riders host a baseball poker run to benefit the Broken Bow and Ord Legion baseball teams.

Dave Downey, a member of the non-profit charitable organization told KCNI/KBBN that the event will start and end at the Veteran’s Memorial building in Broken Bow, and everyone is welcome to participate whether they have a motorcycle, vehicle, or no vehicle at all.

“I’ve done this before. I’ve got my big red bus. I, or if I can find a driver for it, somebody will be driving it to take anybody that would like to go along with us or riders or whatever. The only thing that we ask is that you buy a ten dollar hand,” said Downey.

Registration starts at 11 am and poker hands are $10. A free will offering lunch is being provided before the first bike hits the road at 12:30 pm. Stops on the poker run include Sargent, Burwell, Ord, and Loup City.

Downey added, “We will also be having a 50/50 drawing and we’ll be selling tickets throughout the whole day at each stop.”

Cash payouts will be determined by participation, with high and low hands being rewarded.

The American Legion Riders have a very busy spring and summer ahead, and Downey said anybody who is a veteran Legion member, a Sons of the American Legion member, or Legion Auxiliary member is eligible to join.

“We have a very active group. You know, yes we’re getting into the busy season because all you gotta do is pick a weekend and you can ride somewhere or be involved in something.”

Any American Legion Rider can be contacted about interest in joining.