The Heartland Singers bring a festive celebration with their annual seasonal concert Sunday, December 10. They have been entertaining audiences since 1987.&nbsp;

The concert begins at 2:00 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church, 305 West 5th Street, North Platte.&nbsp; Admission is free, but donations are accepted to help pay for music and other expenses for the group. Handicap accessible venue with elevator available.&nbsp;

Chrysanne Bailey, who has directed the choir since 2016, led the board in their selection of music for the concert. Concert theme is “It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas”, and is the first musical selection to open the Sunday concert.&nbsp;

Thank you for supporting Heartland Singers by attending their concert December 10. Their final musical gift to the audience will be “A Holiday Wish”!&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701206685529.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Julia JacobsonThe Heartland Singers bring a festive celebration with their annual seasonal concert Sunday, December 10. They have been entertaining audiences since 1987.&nbsp;The concert begins at 2:00 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church, 305 West 5th Street, North Platte.&nbsp; Admission is free, but donations are accepted to help pay for music and other expenses for the group. Handicap accessible venue with elevator available.&nbsp;Chrysanne Bailey, who has directed the choir since 2016, led the board in their selection of music for the concert. Concert theme is “It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas”, and is the first musical selection to open the Sunday concert.&nbsp;Thank you for supporting Heartland Singers by attending their concert December 10. Their final musical gift to the audience will be “A Holiday Wish”!&nbsp;

Heartland Singers to perform their annual seasonal concert on December 10th

NOVEMBER 28, 2023 (SCOTTSBLUFF, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol and local partners conducted alcohol compliance checks in Scotts Bluff and Keith counties earlier this month.

On Friday, November 17, NSP investigators conducted compliance checks at 12 businesses in Keith County. One of those businesses sold alcohol to a minor for a non-compliance rate of 8%. All of the businesses checked the minor’s ID.

This operation was supported by grant #93.959 under the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Region II Human Services, and the Nebraska DHHS Division of Behavioral Health.

On Saturday, November 18,&nbsp;NSP investigators worked with the Gering Police Department, Scottsbluff Police Department, and Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office to conduct compliance checks at 77 businesses. Nine businesses sold alcohol to a minor for a non-compliance rate of 12%.

This operation was supported by grant funding from the NDOT Highway Safety Office, SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Region I Behavioral Health Authority, and Nebraska DHHS.

The businesses that failed the inspections were:

Ogallala Watering Hole – Ogallala&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Arthur’s Pizza – Scottsbluff

Kwik Stop 17 – Mitchell&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Powerhouse Social – Scottsbluff

The Marketplace Coffee – Mitchell&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Stagecoach Stop – Gering

Fairfield Inn – Scottsbluff&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fresh Foods – Gering

Elks Lodge 1367 – Scottsbluff&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Panhandle Cooperative – Scottsbluff

Businesses that sell alcohol to a minor are referred to the Nebraska Liquor Commission. Clerks who sell alcohol to a minor are cited for procuring alcohol for a minor. The businesses included restaurants, grocery stores, liquor stores, convenience stores, bars, and hotels.

Cody ThomasNOVEMBER 28, 2023 (SCOTTSBLUFF, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol and local partners conducted alcohol compliance checks in Scotts Bluff and Keith counties earlier this month.On Friday, November 17, NSP investigators conducted compliance checks at 12 businesses in Keith County. One of those businesses sold alcohol to a minor for a non-compliance rate of 8%. All of the businesses checked the minor’s ID.This operation was supported by grant #93.959 under the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Region II Human Services, and the Nebraska DHHS Division of Behavioral Health.On Saturday, November 18,&nbsp;NSP investigators worked with the Gering Police Department, Scottsbluff Police Department, and Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office to conduct compliance checks at 77 businesses. Nine businesses sold alcohol to a minor for a non-compliance rate of 12%.This operation was supported by grant funding from the NDOT Highway Safety Office, SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Region I Behavioral Health Authority, and Nebraska DHHS.The businesses that failed the inspections were:Ogallala Watering Hole – Ogallala&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Arthur’s Pizza – ScottsbluffKwik Stop 17 – Mitchell&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Powerhouse Social – ScottsbluffThe Marketplace Coffee – Mitchell&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Stagecoach Stop – GeringFairfield Inn – Scottsbluff&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fresh Foods – GeringElks Lodge 1367 – Scottsbluff&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Panhandle Cooperative – ScottsbluffBusinesses that sell alcohol to a minor are referred to the Nebraska Liquor Commission. Clerks who sell alcohol to a minor are cited for procuring alcohol for a minor. The businesses included restaurants, grocery stores, liquor stores, convenience stores, bars, and hotels.

Alcohol Compliance Checks Conducted in Keith, Scotts Bluff Counties

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/28/nebraska-hearing-on-mandates-facing-k-12-schools-targets-teacher-training-student-behavior/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraska’s K-12 schools face mandates at the state and federal levels that cost local property taxpayers money and cost teachers time in class, a legislative committee was told Tuesday.

The discussion during an interim study hearing focused mostly on state mandates, including two hours of transportation training and a rule that school libraries subscribe to at least 25 periodicals.

But state lawmakers also heard about another costly problem plaguing teachers and schools:&nbsp; student behavior.

Riverside Public Schools Superintendent Stephanie Kaczor told Education Committee members she and teachers in her north-central Nebraska district have seen a sea change in how kids behave.

More students, especially the youngest, are more likely to hit, bite or lash out against adults and other kids than in her previous two decades of teaching, Kaczor said.

She said all classroom teachers, in addition to those in special education, see more children who are struggling to regulate themselves and need to learn how to interact with others reasonably.

Where once the district’s two schools might have had a single student pulled out of class on a given day, she said, they sometimes have three out at once. That requires staff time.

The committee chairman, State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, asked what is contributing. She said it might be lost socialization during the pandemic, busier parents and stimulation from screen time.

“When they don’t have that constant stimulation, that’s why we’re seeing behaviors,” Kaczor said.&nbsp;

The rise in aggressiveness with staff and other students leaves teachers forced to address the outbursts of a single student, often at the expense of teaching time for others, she said.

She explained that this, combined with a new state law banning suspensions for kindergarten through second-grade students, has left schools scrambling while they are short of staff.

“There are some points when someone needs to be removed from the room,” Kaczor said. “I don’t care what age you are. Where do those kids go and who looks after them? You don’t have the people or the place.”

She said her district receives requests from teachers for more training on behaviors but often has to juggle the time that takes with other state and federally mandated training.

She said teachers in Nebraska attend about 23 hours of mandated training a year, including about state and federal mandates. While some training occurs on days when children aren’t in school. Other sessions require teachers to miss class time.&nbsp;

Costs quickly rise when districts have to find substitute teachers and are already short on paraeducators, said Steve Koch, a farmer and cattle feeder on the Hershey, Neb., school board.

Koch estimated that every hour of staff training costs his rural district in west-central Nebraska about $3,900. And every eight-hour training session costs about $31,200.

The cost of mandated training days balloons in larger districts to about $158,000 a day in Bennington, $329,000 a day in Kearney and $367,000 a day in Millard, school officials testified.

“While important, those are dollars we now need to pull from some other pot or pull from our taxpayers, which we do not like doing,” Koch said.

Koch and Kaczor said schools need more flexibility on training requirements to respond more capably and cost-effectively to changes in the student population and local needs.

As an example, Koch pointed to the broadly supported but unfunded state mandate that schools provide education in financial literacy, which he said costs his district $13,000 a year.

His business teacher now needs to teach two class periods of financial literacy per day instead of one. He said lawmakers need to consider the impacts of “one-size-fits-all approaches.”

Millard Education Association President Tim Royers, a longtime high school history teacher, said the state might need to step in to help fund some federal mandates.

His example was “504 services,” which are education plans for individual students who don’t meet the requirements to access special education services or funds but need specific help.

Students qualify if they have a physical or mental impairment that limits them from engaging in “major life activities,” including academic performance, and schools are using 504 services more frequently, Royers said.

But while schools cannot use special education funds to help with such services, he said, they can lose access to special ed funds if they fail to meet the requirements of those 504 plans.

“My biggest recommendation would be this: Please do not place an added requirement on our schools without putting the money in to pay for it,” Royers said.

State Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont sought the hearing on unfunded mandates in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Intro/LR166.pdf">Legislative Resolution 166</a>. She said she wants school employees to recommend requirements the state can cut.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Walz said she hopes the Legislature will consider giving the schools more flexibility in meeting training requirements and eliminating mandates that matter less.

“The thing that struck me the most was when I heard one of the testifiers say our teachers know what they need for training in their classroom,” Walz said. “They’re begging for those things.”

State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston asked those testifying whether Educational Service Units were placing mandates on school districts regarding social and emotional learning.

School officials told her that ESUs had no authority to mandate such things and that districts adopting such approaches were doing so by exercising their own local decision-making.

After the hearing, Murman said the testimony from educators about the impact of the state law banning suspensions for the youngest students has left him with some “second thoughts.” He supported the broader education package that included the change.

He said most teachers and administrators consider suspensions a “last resort.” He said suspensions sometimes force parents and students to communicate about the need for a child to behave.

Legislative advocates for the law have said they wanted to keep young struggling students, many of whom are coping with outside problems, from missing too much school time and falling farther behind academically.

“Leaving it up to the local district, that is probably a good thing to do,” Murman said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701206364616.jpeg" alt="Riverside Public Schools Superintendent Stephanie Kaczor told Education Committee members about the costs of unfunded mandates in education. She also discussed changing student behaviors. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Riverside Public Schools Superintendent Stephanie Kaczor told Education Committee members about the costs of unfunded mandates in education. She also discussed changing student behaviors. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/28/nebraska-hearing-on-mandates-facing-k-12-schools-targets-teacher-training-student-behavior/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraska’s K-12 schools face mandates at the state and federal levels that cost local property taxpayers money and cost teachers time in class, a legislative committee was told Tuesday.The discussion during an interim study hearing focused mostly on state mandates, including two hours of transportation training and a rule that school libraries subscribe to at least 25 periodicals.But state lawmakers also heard about another costly problem plaguing teachers and schools:&nbsp; student behavior.Riverside Public Schools Superintendent Stephanie Kaczor told Education Committee members she and teachers in her north-central Nebraska district have seen a sea change in how kids behave.<h2>Lashing out</h2>More students, especially the youngest, are more likely to hit, bite or lash out against adults and other kids than in her previous two decades of teaching, Kaczor said.She said all classroom teachers, in addition to those in special education, see more children who are struggling to regulate themselves and need to learn how to interact with others reasonably.Where once the district’s two schools might have had a single student pulled out of class on a given day, she said, they sometimes have three out at once. That requires staff time.The committee chairman, State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, asked what is contributing. She said it might be lost socialization during the pandemic, busier parents and stimulation from screen time.“When they don’t have that constant stimulation, that’s why we’re seeing behaviors,” Kaczor said.&nbsp;The rise in aggressiveness with staff and other students leaves teachers forced to address the outbursts of a single student, often at the expense of teaching time for others, she said.She explained that this, combined with a new state law banning suspensions for kindergarten through second-grade students, has left schools scrambling while they are short of staff.“There are some points when someone needs to be removed from the room,” Kaczor said. “I don’t care what age you are. Where do those kids go and who looks after them? You don’t have the people or the place.”<h2>Training questions</h2>She said her district receives requests from teachers for more training on behaviors but often has to juggle the time that takes with other state and federally mandated training.She said teachers in Nebraska attend about 23 hours of mandated training a year, including about state and federal mandates. While some training occurs on days when children aren’t in school. Other sessions require teachers to miss class time.&nbsp;Costs quickly rise when districts have to find substitute teachers and are already short on paraeducators, said Steve Koch, a farmer and cattle feeder on the Hershey, Neb., school board.Koch estimated that every hour of staff training costs his rural district in west-central Nebraska about $3,900. And every eight-hour training session costs about $31,200.The cost of mandated training days balloons in larger districts to about $158,000 a day in Bennington, $329,000 a day in Kearney and $367,000 a day in Millard, school officials testified.“While important, those are dollars we now need to pull from some other pot or pull from our taxpayers, which we do not like doing,” Koch said.<h2>Flexibility sought</h2>Koch and Kaczor said schools need more flexibility on training requirements to respond more capably and cost-effectively to changes in the student population and local needs.As an example, Koch pointed to the broadly supported but unfunded state mandate that schools provide education in financial literacy, which he said costs his district $13,000 a year.His business teacher now needs to teach two class periods of financial literacy per day instead of one. He said lawmakers need to consider the impacts of “one-size-fits-all approaches.”Millard Education Association President Tim Royers, a longtime high school history teacher, said the state might need to step in to help fund some federal mandates.His example was “504 services,” which are education plans for individual students who don’t meet the requirements to access special education services or funds but need specific help.Students qualify if they have a physical or mental impairment that limits them from engaging in “major life activities,” including academic performance, and schools are using 504 services more frequently, Royers said.But while schools cannot use special education funds to help with such services, he said, they can lose access to special ed funds if they fail to meet the requirements of those 504 plans.“My biggest recommendation would be this: Please do not place an added requirement on our schools without putting the money in to pay for it,” Royers said.<h2>Suggestions welcome</h2>State Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont sought the hearing on unfunded mandates in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Intro/LR166.pdf">Legislative Resolution 166</a>. She said she wants school employees to recommend requirements the state can cut.&nbsp;&nbsp;Walz said she hopes the Legislature will consider giving the schools more flexibility in meeting training requirements and eliminating mandates that matter less.“The thing that struck me the most was when I heard one of the testifiers say our teachers know what they need for training in their classroom,” Walz said. “They’re begging for those things.”State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston asked those testifying whether Educational Service Units were placing mandates on school districts regarding social and emotional learning.School officials told her that ESUs had no authority to mandate such things and that districts adopting such approaches were doing so by exercising their own local decision-making.After the hearing, Murman said the testimony from educators about the impact of the state law banning suspensions for the youngest students has left him with some “second thoughts.” He supported the broader education package that included the change.He said most teachers and administrators consider suspensions a “last resort.” He said suspensions sometimes force parents and students to communicate about the need for a child to behave.Legislative advocates for the law have said they wanted to keep young struggling students, many of whom are coping with outside problems, from missing too much school time and falling farther behind academically.“Leaving it up to the local district, that is probably a good thing to do,” Murman said.

Nebraska hearing on mandates facing K-12 schools targets teacher training, student behavior

Paxton Consolidated Schools announced that the Paxton One-Act team are the D1-5 District Champions. The one-act team went up against schools from Shelton, Silver Lake, Loomis, Cambridge, Red Cloud and Bertrand. Paxton students also took home awards. Students won Outstanding tech crew, 5 outstanding acting awards and Best actor (John Fricke) and best Actress (Miah Fox).&nbsp;

Sandhills PostPaxton Consolidated Schools announced that the Paxton One-Act team are the D1-5 District Champions. The one-act team went up against schools from Shelton, Silver Lake, Loomis, Cambridge, Red Cloud and Bertrand. Paxton students also took home awards. Students won Outstanding tech crew, 5 outstanding acting awards and Best actor (John Fricke) and best Actress (Miah Fox).&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid02twPLNnvuqSgF9U8kxbW7HgVMoFz9fXM282jx8dP6qWcxLsjEPUK5UdzQGevCSKjol%26id%3D100063530835087&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="664" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid02twPLNnvuqSgF9U8kxbW7HgVMoFz9fXM282jx8dP6qWcxLsjEPUK5UdzQGevCSKjol%26id%3D100063530835087&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="664" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Paxton One-Act crowned D1-5 District Champions

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. -&nbsp;The Western Community College Area (WCCA) Board of Governors is pleased to announce that the At-Large vacancy has been filled by former Nebraska state senator John Stinner.

Stinner was sworn in at the November Board of Governor's meeting via Zoom. Stinner will serve the remaining term of former At-Large member Dr. Thomas Perkins, who resigned earlier this year.

“We are pleased to welcome John to the board,” said Lynne Klemke, WCCA board&nbsp;chair. “John's experience in community service and the in legislature is incredibly valuable to our board. He was a tireless advocate for education as a state senator, and I have no doubt he’ll continue that as a member of our board."

Stinner is one of the original founding members of Gering State Bank and has resided in Scotts Bluff County for more than 30 years. Stinner has dedicated his time to more than 20 civic organizations, including serving on the Gering Public School Board, YMCA, Twin Cities Development, and WNCC Foundation, among others. In 2013, John served as Chairman of the Nebraska Bankers Association.&nbsp;

“One of the reasons I wanted to join the board is because I care deeply about western Nebraska, and WNCC is a significant institution in the Panhandle,” said Stinner. “There are always ideas and changes to way education is funded, and with my background in finance and experience on the Appropriations [Legislative] Committee, I feel I may be of some help to the Board in that arena.”

In 2015, John began his first term with the Nebraska State Legislature. He was a member of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee since taking office, and was elected Chair of the Committee in 2017. Not only did he serve on the Appropriations Committee, but he also served on the Nebraska Retirement, Executive Board, Building and Maintenance, Legislative Performance Audit, and Planning Committees. John was also a fellow in the Council of State Government’s BILLD Program.

During and following his time serving the State of Nebraska and District 48, he has garnered many various awards, including: the Golden Torch Award from the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; 2021 Nebraska Community College Association Friend of Community Colleges; 2022 WNCC Friend of the College; the 2023 Distinguished NEBRASKAlander Award, and more.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701192238206.jpeg" alt="John Stinner" />
 <figcaption>John Stinner</figcaption>
 </figure>Western Nebraska Community College&nbsp;SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. -&nbsp;The Western Community College Area (WCCA) Board of Governors is pleased to announce that the At-Large vacancy has been filled by former Nebraska state senator John Stinner.Stinner was sworn in at the November Board of Governor's meeting via Zoom. Stinner will serve the remaining term of former At-Large member Dr. Thomas Perkins, who resigned earlier this year.“We are pleased to welcome John to the board,” said Lynne Klemke, WCCA board&nbsp;chair. “John's experience in community service and the in legislature is incredibly valuable to our board. He was a tireless advocate for education as a state senator, and I have no doubt he’ll continue that as a member of our board."Stinner is one of the original founding members of Gering State Bank and has resided in Scotts Bluff County for more than 30 years. Stinner has dedicated his time to more than 20 civic organizations, including serving on the Gering Public School Board, YMCA, Twin Cities Development, and WNCC Foundation, among others. In 2013, John served as Chairman of the Nebraska Bankers Association.&nbsp;“One of the reasons I wanted to join the board is because I care deeply about western Nebraska, and WNCC is a significant institution in the Panhandle,” said Stinner. “There are always ideas and changes to way education is funded, and with my background in finance and experience on the Appropriations [Legislative] Committee, I feel I may be of some help to the Board in that arena.”In 2015, John began his first term with the Nebraska State Legislature. He was a member of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee since taking office, and was elected Chair of the Committee in 2017. Not only did he serve on the Appropriations Committee, but he also served on the Nebraska Retirement, Executive Board, Building and Maintenance, Legislative Performance Audit, and Planning Committees. John was also a fellow in the Council of State Government’s BILLD Program.During and following his time serving the State of Nebraska and District 48, he has garnered many various awards, including: the Golden Torch Award from the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; 2021 Nebraska Community College Association Friend of Community Colleges; 2022 WNCC Friend of the College; the 2023 Distinguished NEBRASKAlander Award, and more.

Western Community College Area announces Former Nebraska Senator to Board of Governors

A successful calving season does not begin at calving, rather it begins much earlier, with the management of the cow herd months prior.&nbsp; University of Nebraska Extension will be hosting “Cow Clinics” during the months of December and January to review some of the basic management factors that can lead to a successful calving and breeding season.&nbsp;The cost to register is $20 per person.&nbsp; The first 20 producers who register at each location will receive instructions on how to receive a free forage test.&nbsp; To register for the “Cow Clinics” please contact the local UNL Extension office:

Contact Randy Saner, at 308-532-2683 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:randy.saner@unl.edu">randy.saner@unl.edu</a>

Contact Ryan Benjamin, at 402-376-1850 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:ryan.benjamin@unl.edu">ryan.benjamin@unl.edu</a>&nbsp;

Contact Steve Niemeyer, at 308-346-4200,&nbsp;402-336-2760&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:smiemeyer1@unl.edu">smiemeyer1@unl.edu</a>

Contact Wayde Pickinpaugh, at 402-335-3669 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:wayde.pickinpaugh@unl.edu">wayde.pickinpaugh@unl.edu</a>

The “Cow Clinics” will begin at 10:00 a.m. with registration and conclude at 2:00 p.m.&nbsp; The clinics will cover the how, when, and why of body condition scoring, teat and udder scoring, and forage sampling. Understanding a forage analysis and developing diets for the last trimester will also be a part of the program.&nbsp; A team of Extension Educators and Specialist will lead the discussion and hands-on demonstrations.

The “Cow Clinics” are sponsored in part by Security First Banks in Valentine and Beatrice and First Interstate Banks in North Platte and Atkinson.

Randy SanerA successful calving season does not begin at calving, rather it begins much earlier, with the management of the cow herd months prior.&nbsp; University of Nebraska Extension will be hosting “Cow Clinics” during the months of December and January to review some of the basic management factors that can lead to a successful calving and breeding season.&nbsp;The cost to register is $20 per person.&nbsp; The first 20 producers who register at each location will receive instructions on how to receive a free forage test.&nbsp; To register for the “Cow Clinics” please contact the local UNL Extension office:<ul>
 <li>January 10, 2024 – North Platte Stockyards, North Platte, NE</li>
 </ul>Contact Randy Saner, at 308-532-2683 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:randy.saner@unl.edu">randy.saner@unl.edu</a><ul>
 <li>December 19, 2023 – Valentine Livestock Auction, Valentine, NE</li>
 </ul>Contact Ryan Benjamin, at 402-376-1850 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:ryan.benjamin@unl.edu">ryan.benjamin@unl.edu</a>&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>December 20, 2023 – Atkinson Livestock Market, Atkinson, NE</li>
 </ul>Contact Steve Niemeyer, at 308-346-4200,&nbsp;402-336-2760&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:smiemeyer1@unl.edu">smiemeyer1@unl.edu</a><ul>
 <li>January 9, 2024 – Beatrice 77 Livestock Sales, Beatrice, NE</li>
 </ul>Contact Wayde Pickinpaugh, at 402-335-3669 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:wayde.pickinpaugh@unl.edu">wayde.pickinpaugh@unl.edu</a>The “Cow Clinics” will begin at 10:00 a.m. with registration and conclude at 2:00 p.m.&nbsp; The clinics will cover the how, when, and why of body condition scoring, teat and udder scoring, and forage sampling. Understanding a forage analysis and developing diets for the last trimester will also be a part of the program.&nbsp; A team of Extension Educators and Specialist will lead the discussion and hands-on demonstrations.The “Cow Clinics” are sponsored in part by Security First Banks in Valentine and Beatrice and First Interstate Banks in North Platte and Atkinson.

Nebraska Extension to Host “Cow Clinics”

Ogallala, Neb - Eagle Media(Z93.5 Country/Flatrock 100.7) is giving away a brand new Kawasaki Mule from Eichners Sales &amp; Service on December 12. Today 4 qualifier names will be drawn from a registration box inside Ogallala Ag Supply at&nbsp;1210 NE-61 Scenic, north of&nbsp; Ogallala. Z 93.5 Country and Flatrock 100.7 will be on-location today from 4:30-6:30pm Mountain time broadcasting live ahead of the drawing. Stop in today before 6:20pm and register to win the Kawasaki Mule.

Ogallala, Neb - Eagle Media(Z93.5 Country/Flatrock 100.7) is giving away a brand new Kawasaki Mule from Eichners Sales &amp; Service on December 12. Today 4 qualifier names will be drawn from a registration box inside Ogallala Ag Supply at&nbsp;1210 NE-61 Scenic, north of&nbsp; Ogallala. Z 93.5 Country and Flatrock 100.7 will be on-location today from 4:30-6:30pm Mountain time broadcasting live ahead of the drawing. Stop in today before 6:20pm and register to win the Kawasaki Mule.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694804176938.jpeg" alt="Brand New Kawaski Mule will be given away on December 12 at Eichners Sales &amp; Service" />
 <figcaption>Brand New Kawaski Mule will be given away on December 12 at Eichners Sales &amp; Service</figcaption>
 </figure>

Next Chance to Qualify to win Kawasaki Mule today at Ogallala Ag Supply 4:30-6:30pm

&nbsp;The Sidney City Council is hosting their meeting tonight, November 28th. Below is tonight's agenda for the meeting.

Sandhills Post&nbsp;The Sidney City Council is hosting their meeting tonight, November 28th. Below is tonight's agenda for the meeting.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701115195209.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

11/28 Sidney City Council Meeting Agenda

Kimberly Bishop (Airport, Park &amp; Rec, Planning/Zoning)

Tierney Petersen (Cemetery, City Hall, Economic Development)

<ol>
 <li>Roll Call </li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Call to Order</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Open Meetings Act Announcement</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Review and Action of Agenda</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Review and Action of Prior Meeting Minutes – November 14, 2023</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Communications (Upcoming Meetings, Etc.)</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Standing Committee Reports</li>
 </ol>Andrea Brueggeman (Library, Tree Board)Kimberly Bishop (Airport, Park &amp; Rec, Planning/Zoning)Tierney Petersen (Cemetery, City Hall, Economic Development)Sam Sims (Public Works, CRA)<ol>
 <li>Financials</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Public Comment</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Unfinished Business</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Action and Discussion on Ordinance No. 23-10-01, an Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of Grant, Perkins County, Nebraska, Amending Section 5-201 – Registration; Issuance of Permit of Article 2 – Peddlers and Solicitors of Chapter 5 – Business Regulations of the City of Grant Revised Municipal Code – Adding Language Concerning Food Trucks; and Providing When This Ordinance is in Full Force and Effect.&nbsp; (Third Reading)</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>New Business</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Action and Discussion Acceptance of Playground Donation by Casey and Nicole Tjaden</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Action and Discussion on Resolution 23-11-02 Resolution for the Signing of the Year-End Certification of City Street Superintendent 2023</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Action and Discussion on 2023 Nebraska Department of Transportation Maintenance Agreement Renewal</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Action and Discussion on Resolution No. 00-96-25, a Resolution for Snow Removal by The City of Grant</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Action on Bills and Claims</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Adjournment</li>
 </ol><ul>
 <li>The City of Grant abides by the Nebraska Open Meetings Act in conducting business.&nbsp; A copy of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act is on display in this meeting room as required by Nebraska State Law.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>The Mayor and City Council reserve the right to enter into a Closed Session at any time during the meeting, in accordance with the Nebraska Open Meetings Act, even though the Closed Session may not be indicated on the agenda.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>It is the intention of the Mayor and City Council to take up the items on the agenda in the order they are presented above.&nbsp; However, the Mayor and City Council reserve the right to take up matters in a different order to accommodate the schedules of the City Council Members, person(s) having items on the agenda, and the public.&nbsp; The City of Grant further reserves the right to adjust the order of items on this agenda.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Anyone wishing to speak during public comment may be limited to three (3) minutes per person, with a limit of two (2) individuals speaking per topic position. &nbsp;Please come to the podium and clearly state your name and address for the record and the agenda topic you wish to speak upon in a professional manner.</li>
 </ul>

11/28 Grant City Council Meeting Agenda

&nbsp;OGALLALA - The Ogallala City Council is hosting their meeting tonight, November 28th. Below is tonight's agenda for the meeting.

Sandhills Post&nbsp;OGALLALA - The Ogallala City Council is hosting their meeting tonight, November 28th. Below is tonight's agenda for the meeting.<figure>
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11/28 Ogallala City Council Meeting Agenda

Post News Director Canon Rath chatted with Lauren Coleman, MPCC Assistant Director of Multicultural Leadership and Engagement about the upcoming Native American dancer/storyteller who will be in North Platte this Thursday but also chatted about Santa's Workshop that's going on next week.&nbsp;

NORTH PLATTE - Mid-Plains Community College Student Life Department will be hosting a free event this Thursday when they welcome Native American dancer/storyteller Garan Coons to the McCook and North Platte campuses. Coons travels all around the world to educate the public about negative Native American stereotypes by using his personal experiences. He will be performing in McCook at 11:00am at the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center and will be in North Platte at 2:00pm at the McDonald-Belton Theatre on NPCC's south campus.&nbsp;

Also going on December 5th is Santa's Workshop at the activity center and cafeteria on NPCC's south campus. The festivals are planned to run from 5:00-7:30 with lots of fun activities for families to enjoy. Children must be accompanied by an adult. If you would like to learn more in-depth about these two events, check out the podcast above.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure>North Platte Post&nbsp;Post News Director Canon Rath chatted with Lauren Coleman, MPCC Assistant Director of Multicultural Leadership and Engagement about the upcoming Native American dancer/storyteller who will be in North Platte this Thursday but also chatted about Santa's Workshop that's going on next week.&nbsp;<div><iframe title="(Audio) MPCC to host Native American dancer/storyteller this Thursday, Santa’s Workshop Dec. 5th" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=5h7vv-150db65-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>NORTH PLATTE - Mid-Plains Community College Student Life Department will be hosting a free event this Thursday when they welcome Native American dancer/storyteller Garan Coons to the McCook and North Platte campuses. Coons travels all around the world to educate the public about negative Native American stereotypes by using his personal experiences. He will be performing in McCook at 11:00am at the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center and will be in North Platte at 2:00pm at the McDonald-Belton Theatre on NPCC's south campus.&nbsp;Also going on December 5th is Santa's Workshop at the activity center and cafeteria on NPCC's south campus. The festivals are planned to run from 5:00-7:30 with lots of fun activities for families to enjoy. Children must be accompanied by an adult. If you would like to learn more in-depth about these two events, check out the podcast above.&nbsp;

(Audio) MPCC to host Native American dancer/storyteller this Thursday, Santa's Workshop Dec. 5th

We are excited to announce that OHS Senior Caden Rezac, has decided to further his academic &amp; athletic career at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Ne. Caden will be a member of the Northeast Community College baseball team.

Ogallala Public SchoolsWe are excited to announce that OHS Senior Caden Rezac, has decided to further his academic &amp; athletic career at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Ne. Caden will be a member of the Northeast Community College baseball team.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FOgallalaSchools%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0Kf6aU9yEpGpNtcndahkHeY5xQd3dqXnCJZBeaqCCqbNZ1ip847epZbVhAaQsjjCfl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="703" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Ogallala Senior Caden Rezac commits to Northeastern Community College for baseball

West Central Nebraska Development District, Inc. (WCNDD) has received a $1 million grant from Nebraska’s Rural Workforce Housing Fund with a match of $500,000.00 from the City of Imperial. WCNDD is looking for contractors or developers that have the capacity to build home(s) that are ready for occupancy within 12 months from the start of construction.

Beginning November 27, 2023, applications for a low rate, short term construction loan may be picked up from the City of Imperial office, WCNDD office, or via email. All applications must be submitted with the required documentation by January 3, 2024, to be considered. Please join WCNDD at the City of Imperial office, 740 Court Street, Imperial, Nebraska on December 6, 2023 at 2 p.m. for an open house to discuss the program or answer any questions.

City of ImperialWest Central Nebraska Development District, Inc. (WCNDD) has received a $1 million grant from Nebraska’s Rural Workforce Housing Fund with a match of $500,000.00 from the City of Imperial. WCNDD is looking for contractors or developers that have the capacity to build home(s) that are ready for occupancy within 12 months from the start of construction.Beginning November 27, 2023, applications for a low rate, short term construction loan may be picked up from the City of Imperial office, WCNDD office, or via email. All applications must be submitted with the required documentation by January 3, 2024, to be considered. Please join WCNDD at the City of Imperial office, 740 Court Street, Imperial, Nebraska on December 6, 2023 at 2 p.m. for an open house to discuss the program or answer any questions.<figure>
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City of Imperial has announced that WCNDD has received a $1 million grant, City of Imperial with a $500,000 match

It is with great sadness we announce the death of well-known entertainer and singer- songwriter Jim Salestrom. Jim passed away on Wednesday, November 22 surrounded by loved ones at his home in Arvada, CO after a decade-long battle with cancer. He was 67 years old.

James Kevin Salestrom impacted countless lives throughout his long and successful musical career. To his family he was a loving husband, father, grandfather, son, and brother. He was born February 20, 1956 in Omaha, NE to Virgil and Janice Salestrom. He is survived by his wife Pamela Dailer Salestrom, his daughter Casey, son-in-law Brandon Freeman and son James Salestrom Jr. of Nashville, TN. The true joy of his life was his grandson - Casey and Brandon’s son, Thomas James. Jim also dearly loved his brothers Chuck and Tom Salestrom and their families.

To his fans Jim was a joy to listen to, a world class singer-songwriter and an Emmy winning performer. His love of music started at the early age of 7 when he got his first guitar. As he got older, he started writing songs, and formed several groups in Nebraska with his brother Chuck. The most notable of these was Timberline, which further launched his career.&nbsp;

He played guitar and sang in Dolly Parton’s band over the course of decades. Her shows took him all over the world. Jim also had a close relationship with John Denver and performed with him throughout the years. He shared his love of life and positive spirit through his music. He worked with countless wonderful musicians and performed for 5 U.S. Presidents, and numerous members of the U.S. Supreme Court.

He treated everyone with love and respect. Jim was known for his humor, infectious smile, positive outlook on life and a gift to make everyone feel special. He sang like an angel, and luckily his music will endure long past his lifetime.&nbsp;In one of his final notes Jim said, “I am eternally grateful for all of you, and it’s not “goodbye”, it’s just “see you later”. Plans for memorial services will be announced on Jim Salestrom’s social media and website.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701101756101.jpeg" alt="Jim Salestrom" />
 <figcaption>Jim Salestrom</figcaption>
 </figure>Chuck SalestromIt is with great sadness we announce the death of well-known entertainer and singer- songwriter Jim Salestrom. Jim passed away on Wednesday, November 22 surrounded by loved ones at his home in Arvada, CO after a decade-long battle with cancer. He was 67 years old.James Kevin Salestrom impacted countless lives throughout his long and successful musical career. To his family he was a loving husband, father, grandfather, son, and brother. He was born February 20, 1956 in Omaha, NE to Virgil and Janice Salestrom. He is survived by his wife Pamela Dailer Salestrom, his daughter Casey, son-in-law Brandon Freeman and son James Salestrom Jr. of Nashville, TN. The true joy of his life was his grandson - Casey and Brandon’s son, Thomas James. Jim also dearly loved his brothers Chuck and Tom Salestrom and their families.To his fans Jim was a joy to listen to, a world class singer-songwriter and an Emmy winning performer. His love of music started at the early age of 7 when he got his first guitar. As he got older, he started writing songs, and formed several groups in Nebraska with his brother Chuck. The most notable of these was Timberline, which further launched his career.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701101838792.jpeg" alt="Jim Salestrom &amp; Dolly Parton" />
 <figcaption>Jim Salestrom &amp; Dolly Parton</figcaption>
 </figure>He played guitar and sang in Dolly Parton’s band over the course of decades. Her shows took him all over the world. Jim also had a close relationship with John Denver and performed with him throughout the years. He shared his love of life and positive spirit through his music. He worked with countless wonderful musicians and performed for 5 U.S. Presidents, and numerous members of the U.S. Supreme Court.He treated everyone with love and respect. Jim was known for his humor, infectious smile, positive outlook on life and a gift to make everyone feel special. He sang like an angel, and luckily his music will endure long past his lifetime.&nbsp;In one of his final notes Jim said, “I am eternally grateful for all of you, and it’s not “goodbye”, it’s just “see you later”. Plans for memorial services will be announced on Jim Salestrom’s social media and website.&nbsp;

Entertainer and singer Jim Salestrom passes away at the age of 67

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with 2023 Motorcycle Cannonball winner Todd Cameron.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LGqQhSwz_Ag?si=_bHSPpRELuqeGxjv" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with 2023 Motorcycle Cannonball winner Todd Cameron.

🎤 Forward Ever: 2023 Motorcycle Cannonball winner Todd Cameron

&nbsp; On Saturday, November 25th, 2023 at approximately 7:47 PM, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068922951021&amp;__cft__[0]=AZXefCThD5zsbIwMRben4Bt3fY3mbjkgAS9NGqpALbianBefgANTEtA-kIXCo2PB-3MxkV2EOZlWqdvfI89yX8BgxKOM5GPUAhX1VnA2ncpfVTb8Emajbuy5LqnGL1UROLyEJDnnLudnNxhav2jl0VhcpHKzsiaTIFvCSjrsSFi7YL6xSrNj4SMFeES8TSd-at8&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Scottsbluff Police Department</a> responded to a report of a single vehicle rollover accident in Scottsbluff on Hwy 26 approximately 450 feet east of the Hwy 26 and East 27th Street intersection. The investigation revealed that Logan Gomez, age 18 of Minatare, was westbound on Hwy 26 approaching the intersection with East 27th Street, driving a Red 1990 Mazda pickup. The vehicle lost control and left the roadway rolling onto its passenger side ending up in the median of Hwy 26.

A female passenger of similar age was also present in the vehicle. Both driver and passenger were wearing their seatbelts and no injuries were reported. Icy road conditions were a contributing factor. Traffic on Hwy 26 was diverted for approximately 45 minutes. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068922951021&amp;__cft__[0]=AZXefCThD5zsbIwMRben4Bt3fY3mbjkgAS9NGqpALbianBefgANTEtA-kIXCo2PB-3MxkV2EOZlWqdvfI89yX8BgxKOM5GPUAhX1VnA2ncpfVTb8Emajbuy5LqnGL1UROLyEJDnnLudnNxhav2jl0VhcpHKzsiaTIFvCSjrsSFi7YL6xSrNj4SMFeES8TSd-at8&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Scottsbluff Police Department</a> was assisted on scene by Scottsbluff Fire Dept, Valley Ambulance Service, and Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Deputies.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Scottsbluff Police Department&nbsp; On Saturday, November 25th, 2023 at approximately 7:47 PM, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068922951021&amp;__cft__[0]=AZXefCThD5zsbIwMRben4Bt3fY3mbjkgAS9NGqpALbianBefgANTEtA-kIXCo2PB-3MxkV2EOZlWqdvfI89yX8BgxKOM5GPUAhX1VnA2ncpfVTb8Emajbuy5LqnGL1UROLyEJDnnLudnNxhav2jl0VhcpHKzsiaTIFvCSjrsSFi7YL6xSrNj4SMFeES8TSd-at8&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Scottsbluff Police Department</a> responded to a report of a single vehicle rollover accident in Scottsbluff on Hwy 26 approximately 450 feet east of the Hwy 26 and East 27th Street intersection. The investigation revealed that Logan Gomez, age 18 of Minatare, was westbound on Hwy 26 approaching the intersection with East 27th Street, driving a Red 1990 Mazda pickup. The vehicle lost control and left the roadway rolling onto its passenger side ending up in the median of Hwy 26. A female passenger of similar age was also present in the vehicle. Both driver and passenger were wearing their seatbelts and no injuries were reported. Icy road conditions were a contributing factor. Traffic on Hwy 26 was diverted for approximately 45 minutes. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068922951021&amp;__cft__[0]=AZXefCThD5zsbIwMRben4Bt3fY3mbjkgAS9NGqpALbianBefgANTEtA-kIXCo2PB-3MxkV2EOZlWqdvfI89yX8BgxKOM5GPUAhX1VnA2ncpfVTb8Emajbuy5LqnGL1UROLyEJDnnLudnNxhav2jl0VhcpHKzsiaTIFvCSjrsSFi7YL6xSrNj4SMFeES8TSd-at8&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Scottsbluff Police Department</a> was assisted on scene by Scottsbluff Fire Dept, Valley Ambulance Service, and Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Deputies.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid02r6ofcuGM745BXa3hWAMTxfemQpfrxLqg8HCP3xu4WPNF6spvkTGCxRPRJ82dv4j4l%26id%3D100068922951021&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="712" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Scottsbluff Police Department responds to rollover accident over the weekend

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/22/amish-finding-a-home-well-off-the-beaten-path-in-nebraskas-sandhills/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

KILGORE — Turn south onto the blacktop out of this Cherry County ranch town, and the Sandhills seem to roll on for an eternity.

“Wide-open spaces” aptly describes the endless prairie, where cowboys still work cattle on horseback and stargazers come to get away from city lights.

You’re lucky to encounter another vehicle on the lonely, one-lane road lined by yuccas and little bluestem.

But 15 miles down the narrow route, where the road descends into the Niobrara River valley, a group of Amish newcomers from Michigan and Kentucky are setting down roots.

This isn’t traditional Amish country – that’s the eastern U.S., home to&nbsp; smaller farms, dairies, lush green pastures and castle-like barns, not the dusty Sandhills dotted with black beef cattle.

The bishop of the small-but-growing settlement south of Kilgore says his band is getting used to the omnipresent cockleburs and deer flies, the sandier soil and the dearth of nearby “Amish taxi” drivers who can give his people a lift to stores in Valentine, a 40-mile drive away.

Reuben Miller, the 46-year-old bishop of the Kilgore Amish community, said their draft horses aren’t quite acclimated yet to the drier grasses of the Sandhills, but they’re getting there.&nbsp;

“I’ve had itchy feet for a long time, and I like the West,” Miller said. “I&nbsp; wanted to get away from people.”&nbsp;

Dressed in the traditional, homemade trousers, suspenders and straw hat favored by the Amish, Miller described how he and his brothers&nbsp;sold a 160-acre farm on a busy corner near Holton, Michigan, and moved earlier this year to a 5,038-acre ranch along the Niobrara River south of Kilgore.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The settlement, which includes Miller’s family of 13, may eventually grow to 15 to 20 families. That would be enough to rival the second-largest community in Cherry County: Cody, population 167.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Miller said he was seeking a place with plenty of water and a place that wasn’t flat. He joked that a related Amish settlement in Lewiston, Montana, is so flat “you can watch a dog run for two days, and if you stand up on a bucket, for another three days….”

He said his group has been “blessed and pleased” by the friendly reception they’ve gotten from the local community. In Montana, it wasn’t so pleasant, Miller said.

“That’s one of the concerns we had,” he said. “In a way, we’re interlopers – we’re bringing 15 to 20 families, and it’s going to change the landscape.”

Erik Wenser, who writes about Amish settlement and customs via the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://amishamerica.com/amish-nebraska/">Amish America.com</a>&nbsp;website, said such communities are spreading and expanding across the country, even into remote locations like Nebraska’s Sandhills.

The traditional Amish homelands in Pennsylvania and Ohio are becoming too crowded, Wenser said, and fatal accidents involving Amish horse-drawn buggies are becoming too commonplace.

Miller said an accident that injured one of his sons played a role in his group’s move.&nbsp;

Wenser said Amish settlements are now in 32 states, totaling an estimated 367,000 people.

At least six Amish groups are in Nebraska, he said, with settlements in Dawes and Frontier Counties among the newest, established in 2020.

Attempts by the Amish to make a home in the Cornhusker State date back to the 1880s, when a group settled near Bertrand in south-central Nebraska. But that community eventually was abandoned.

The Amish returned in 1977, establishing a community near Pawnee City, but that group also eventually left to avoid a court battle over its home schooling practices.&nbsp;

But since 2003, Amish groups have set down roots near Verdigre, again in Pawnee City and in the Ewing/Orchard areas. Signs alerting motorists to watch out for Amish buggies have gone up there, as well as along roads in Dawes County.

All told, Wenser estimates that nearly 450 Amish call Nebraska home. They vary in adhering to the old ways. Some conservative Amish avoid almost all modern conveniences and even taking rides in vehicles, while “new order” Amish are OK with using power tools and tractors.

“There are a lot of types and flavors of Amish that you put under this horse and buggy umbrella,” he said.&nbsp;

The new Kilgore settlement, Wenser said, is part of the “Michigan Amish Fellowship” or “Michigan Circle,” a “reformist” network of 33 settlements that has expanded across Michigan, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Montana and Wyoming.

Their practices include allowing a telephone in their homes. Some also worship in a community hall, while&nbsp;other Amish groups hold church services in their homes.&nbsp;

At the Kilgore settlement, tractors sit parked outside the bishop’s home — a former ranch headquarters a few yards from the Niobrara — along with a fat-tire bike that Miller uses to navigate the soft, sandy roads.

Miller said the tractors cannot be used to pull planters and other farm implements — that’s job for draft horses. The tractors are used for lifting heavy loads.

The bishop has a landline phone in his home, along with a fax machine that can translate faxes into emails. The settlement allows the use of power tools, but only if they are battery-powered. There’s also a solar panel on the barn near Miller’s home.

Nearby sits a hay baler (Miller says it’s the group’s only brand-new implement) and a rusty horse trailer that he says will earn a tidy profit once his group has it repaired and refurbished.

“We’re all about spending our money wisely,” he said.

The Amish eat food they grow and can from their own gardens and make their own clothes, which are washed by hand and dried on clotheslines.

There are no lavish vacations, Miller said.

“We don’t do stuff like going to the Bahamas — you’re not going to see us there,” he said.

“Same with that place in Nevada,” he added, referring to Las Vegas.

The group is not without money — they paid $9.65 million for the 5,038 acres of land they purchased along the Niobrara River, according to Cherry County records.

Wenser, who documents Amish life, said some Amish are quite wealthy, via regular saving and regular work. And the Kilgore group likely got a high price for its land in Michigan, where farmland prices average about $6,400 an acre.

Added Miller, “We go to work every day.”

The Kilgore Amish have established two businesses so far, one for saw sharpening and another for producing log-home kits. Brand-new sheds sit along the gravel road for one business, and on a high hill, workers prepare a log home for shipment.

Miller said his group has had to travel long distances for some jobs, but their ultimate goal is to provide jobs at the settlement, so they can be close to their families.

That is the ultimate goal for the Amish, according to Wesner — to be home, with their children.

“The Amish want their kids to have land and a farm,” he added.

That often translates, Wesner said, into purchases of land in scenic areas, like along the Niobrara, and in areas that provide good hunting.

Miller said that the Amish are opposed to “modernism” and that living a simple life is part of their culture.

There are no televisions at the settlement, and he finds radio — which he hears while catching rides from local drivers — “annoying.”

“The less I hear about (the outside world), the better off I am,” Miller said, though he added that the Amish “are not opposed to society.”

“We need them,” he said, holding a battery-operated drill as he spoke.

A century ago, Miller said the Amish and the rest of society used about the same technology, but when steam engines and other modern advancements arrived, the Amish stuck with traditional ways.

“Look what has happened to family, what has happened to integrity,” he said of modern conveniences.

Nearby residents said the Amish have been a welcome addition to the area, particularly due to their willingness and skill to do construction work.

They’ve poured concrete and built additions in an area that is short of such contractors, neighbors said. A local fencing crew recently hired an Amish worker, and the settlement recently got a job moving a barn in Stapleton, 140 miles away.

“They’ll do anything,” said George Johnson of Cody, one of a handful of local residents serving as drivers for Amish work crews.

“I like all of them that I’ve met. They’re good people,” said neighbor David Galloway.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700870621062.jpeg" alt="Traditional black trousers, made by hand and worn by Amish men, hang dry on a clothesline at the Kilgore settlement. Members asked that they not be pictured. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Traditional black trousers, made by hand and worn by Amish men, hang dry on a clothesline at the Kilgore settlement. Members asked that they not be pictured. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/22/amish-finding-a-home-well-off-the-beaten-path-in-nebraskas-sandhills/">Nebraska Examiner</a>KILGORE — Turn south onto the blacktop out of this Cherry County ranch town, and the Sandhills seem to roll on for an eternity.“Wide-open spaces” aptly describes the endless prairie, where cowboys still work cattle on horseback and stargazers come to get away from city lights.You’re lucky to encounter another vehicle on the lonely, one-lane road lined by yuccas and little bluestem.But 15 miles down the narrow route, where the road descends into the Niobrara River valley, a group of Amish newcomers from Michigan and Kentucky are setting down roots.<h2>“Itchy feet’</h2>This isn’t traditional Amish country – that’s the eastern U.S., home to&nbsp; smaller farms, dairies, lush green pastures and castle-like barns, not the dusty Sandhills dotted with black beef cattle.The bishop of the small-but-growing settlement south of Kilgore says his band is getting used to the omnipresent cockleburs and deer flies, the sandier soil and the dearth of nearby “Amish taxi” drivers who can give his people a lift to stores in Valentine, a 40-mile drive away.Reuben Miller, the 46-year-old bishop of the Kilgore Amish community, said their draft horses aren’t quite acclimated yet to the drier grasses of the Sandhills, but they’re getting there.&nbsp;“I’ve had itchy feet for a long time, and I like the West,” Miller said. “I&nbsp; wanted to get away from people.”&nbsp;Dressed in the traditional, homemade trousers, suspenders and straw hat favored by the Amish, Miller described how he and his brothers&nbsp;sold a 160-acre farm on a busy corner near Holton, Michigan, and moved earlier this year to a 5,038-acre ranch along the Niobrara River south of Kilgore.&nbsp;&nbsp;The settlement, which includes Miller’s family of 13, may eventually grow to 15 to 20 families. That would be enough to rival the second-largest community in Cherry County: Cody, population 167.&nbsp; &nbsp;Miller said he was seeking a place with plenty of water and a place that wasn’t flat. He joked that a related Amish settlement in Lewiston, Montana, is so flat “you can watch a dog run for two days, and if you stand up on a bucket, for another three days….”He said his group has been “blessed and pleased” by the friendly reception they’ve gotten from the local community. In Montana, it wasn’t so pleasant, Miller said.<h2>Concerned about being ‘interlopers’</h2>“That’s one of the concerns we had,” he said. “In a way, we’re interlopers – we’re bringing 15 to 20 families, and it’s going to change the landscape.”Erik Wenser, who writes about Amish settlement and customs via the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://amishamerica.com/amish-nebraska/">Amish America.com</a>&nbsp;website, said such communities are spreading and expanding across the country, even into remote locations like Nebraska’s Sandhills.The traditional Amish homelands in Pennsylvania and Ohio are becoming too crowded, Wenser said, and fatal accidents involving Amish horse-drawn buggies are becoming too commonplace.Miller said an accident that injured one of his sons played a role in his group’s move.&nbsp;Wenser said Amish settlements are now in 32 states, totaling an estimated 367,000 people.At least six Amish groups are in Nebraska, he said, with settlements in Dawes and Frontier Counties among the newest, established in 2020.Attempts by the Amish to make a home in the Cornhusker State date back to the 1880s, when a group settled near Bertrand in south-central Nebraska. But that community eventually was abandoned.The Amish returned in 1977, establishing a community near Pawnee City, but that group also eventually left to avoid a court battle over its home schooling practices.&nbsp;<h2>Pawnee City, Verdigre areas</h2>But since 2003, Amish groups have set down roots near Verdigre, again in Pawnee City and in the Ewing/Orchard areas. Signs alerting motorists to watch out for Amish buggies have gone up there, as well as along roads in Dawes County.All told, Wenser estimates that nearly 450 Amish call Nebraska home. They vary in adhering to the old ways. Some conservative Amish avoid almost all modern conveniences and even taking rides in vehicles, while “new order” Amish are OK with using power tools and tractors.“There are a lot of types and flavors of Amish that you put under this horse and buggy umbrella,” he said.&nbsp;The new Kilgore settlement, Wenser said, is part of the “Michigan Amish Fellowship” or “Michigan Circle,” a “reformist” network of 33 settlements that has expanded across Michigan, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Montana and Wyoming.Their practices include allowing a telephone in their homes. Some also worship in a community hall, while&nbsp;other Amish groups hold church services in their homes.&nbsp;At the Kilgore settlement, tractors sit parked outside the bishop’s home — a former ranch headquarters a few yards from the Niobrara — along with a fat-tire bike that Miller uses to navigate the soft, sandy roads.Miller said the tractors cannot be used to pull planters and other farm implements — that’s job for draft horses. The tractors are used for lifting heavy loads.The bishop has a landline phone in his home, along with a fax machine that can translate faxes into emails. The settlement allows the use of power tools, but only if they are battery-powered. There’s also a solar panel on the barn near Miller’s home.Nearby sits a hay baler (Miller says it’s the group’s only brand-new implement) and a rusty horse trailer that he says will earn a tidy profit once his group has it repaired and refurbished.“We’re all about spending our money wisely,” he said.<h2>No spending on vacations</h2>The Amish eat food they grow and can from their own gardens and make their own clothes, which are washed by hand and dried on clotheslines.There are no lavish vacations, Miller said.“We don’t do stuff like going to the Bahamas — you’re not going to see us there,” he said.“Same with that place in Nevada,” he added, referring to Las Vegas.The group is not without money — they paid $9.65 million for the 5,038 acres of land they purchased along the Niobrara River, according to Cherry County records.Wenser, who documents Amish life, said some Amish are quite wealthy, via regular saving and regular work. And the Kilgore group likely got a high price for its land in Michigan, where farmland prices average about $6,400 an acre.Added Miller, “We go to work every day.”The Kilgore Amish have established two businesses so far, one for saw sharpening and another for producing log-home kits. Brand-new sheds sit along the gravel road for one business, and on a high hill, workers prepare a log home for shipment.Miller said his group has had to travel long distances for some jobs, but their ultimate goal is to provide jobs at the settlement, so they can be close to their families.That is the ultimate goal for the Amish, according to Wesner — to be home, with their children.“The Amish want their kids to have land and a farm,” he added.That often translates, Wesner said, into purchases of land in scenic areas, like along the Niobrara, and in areas that provide good hunting.<h2>Radio chatter is ‘annoying’</h2>Miller said that the Amish are opposed to “modernism” and that living a simple life is part of their culture.There are no televisions at the settlement, and he finds radio — which he hears while catching rides from local drivers — “annoying.”“The less I hear about (the outside world), the better off I am,” Miller said, though he added that the Amish “are not opposed to society.”“We need them,” he said, holding a battery-operated drill as he spoke.A century ago, Miller said the Amish and the rest of society used about the same technology, but when steam engines and other modern advancements arrived, the Amish stuck with traditional ways.“Look what has happened to family, what has happened to integrity,” he said of modern conveniences.Nearby residents said the Amish have been a welcome addition to the area, particularly due to their willingness and skill to do construction work.They’ve poured concrete and built additions in an area that is short of such contractors, neighbors said. A local fencing crew recently hired an Amish worker, and the settlement recently got a job moving a barn in Stapleton, 140 miles away.“They’ll do anything,” said George Johnson of Cody, one of a handful of local residents serving as drivers for Amish work crews.“I like all of them that I’ve met. They’re good people,” said neighbor David Galloway.

Amish finding a home well off the beaten path in Nebraska’s Sandhills

North Platte, Neb. – Great Plains Health has joined the annual&nbsp; statewide effort organized by the Nebraska Cancer Coalition (NC2) to heighten&nbsp; awareness of lifesaving lung cancer screening during November, Lung Cancer&nbsp; Awareness month.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Many cases of lung cancer are not found until after the cancer has been growing for&nbsp; some time,” said Dr. Todd E. Hlavaty, medical director of radiation oncology at the&nbsp; Great Plains Health Callahan Cancer Center and board member of NC2. “That can&nbsp; make the cancer more difficult to treat. When doctors find cancer early, it is often a&nbsp; smoother journey for patients, which is why it is so important to talk to your primary care&nbsp; provider about the screenings you need.”&nbsp;

Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in Nebraska for both men and women. In 2023,&nbsp; the American Cancer Society estimates 1,340 new cases and 630 deaths from lung&nbsp; cancer in Nebraska. The stage of diagnosis strongly affects outcomes. The most recent&nbsp; Nebraska data indicates that the five-year relative survival rates for lung cancer are 61&nbsp; percent for early-stage diagnoses, while rates for later-stage cases fall to 34 percent for&nbsp; regional diagnoses and seven percent for distant diagnoses.&nbsp;

“It’s important for Nebraskans with a history of smoking to talk to their health care&nbsp; provider about screening as soon as possible, especially those who have postponed&nbsp; appointments because of the pandemic,” added NC2 President Dr. Alan Thorson.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Screening for lung cancer with a yearly low-dose CT scan for those at high risk can&nbsp; reduce the lung cancer death rate by up to 20 percent by detecting tumors at early&nbsp; stages when they are more likely to be curable according to the American Lung&nbsp; Association (ALA). Lung cancer screening is recommended by the CDC for people ages&nbsp; 50 to 80 years with a 20 or more pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or&nbsp; have quit within the past 15 years. In 2022, the ALA reported only six percent of&nbsp; Nebraskans at high risk for lung cancer were screened.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700870423997.jpeg" alt="Dr. Todd Hlavaty" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Todd Hlavaty</figcaption>
 </figure>Great Plains HealthNorth Platte, Neb. – Great Plains Health has joined the annual&nbsp; statewide effort organized by the Nebraska Cancer Coalition (NC2) to heighten&nbsp; awareness of lifesaving lung cancer screening during November, Lung Cancer&nbsp; Awareness month.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Many cases of lung cancer are not found until after the cancer has been growing for&nbsp; some time,” said Dr. Todd E. Hlavaty, medical director of radiation oncology at the&nbsp; Great Plains Health Callahan Cancer Center and board member of NC2. “That can&nbsp; make the cancer more difficult to treat. When doctors find cancer early, it is often a&nbsp; smoother journey for patients, which is why it is so important to talk to your primary care&nbsp; provider about the screenings you need.”&nbsp;Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in Nebraska for both men and women. In 2023,&nbsp; the American Cancer Society estimates 1,340 new cases and 630 deaths from lung&nbsp; cancer in Nebraska. The stage of diagnosis strongly affects outcomes. The most recent&nbsp; Nebraska data indicates that the five-year relative survival rates for lung cancer are 61&nbsp; percent for early-stage diagnoses, while rates for later-stage cases fall to 34 percent for&nbsp; regional diagnoses and seven percent for distant diagnoses.&nbsp;“It’s important for Nebraskans with a history of smoking to talk to their health care&nbsp; provider about screening as soon as possible, especially those who have postponed&nbsp; appointments because of the pandemic,” added NC2 President Dr. Alan Thorson.&nbsp;&nbsp;Screening for lung cancer with a yearly low-dose CT scan for those at high risk can&nbsp; reduce the lung cancer death rate by up to 20 percent by detecting tumors at early&nbsp; stages when they are more likely to be curable according to the American Lung&nbsp; Association (ALA). Lung cancer screening is recommended by the CDC for people ages&nbsp; 50 to 80 years with a 20 or more pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or&nbsp; have quit within the past 15 years. In 2022, the ALA reported only six percent of&nbsp; Nebraskans at high risk for lung cancer were screened.&nbsp;

Great Plains Health joins statewide effort to encourage lung cancer screenings 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal inspectors have twice found hundreds of defects in the locomotives and railcars Union Pacific uses at the world’s largest railyard in Nebraska, but none of those seem to explain why a shipping container filled with toxic acid exploded there this fall.

Investigators haven’t confirmed the cause of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-railyard-fire-hazardous-materials-9527651cde6c629f18bb947f95ab9f42">Sept. 14 blast</a>&nbsp;in a remote corner of the railroad's Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska, about 250 miles west of Omaha. The explosion didn't spread far, but investigators appear to be delving into the questionable decision to load dozens of plastic barrels of perchloric acid inside a shipping container with a wood floor and possibly atop wooden pallets, even though that acid is known to react with wood or any other organic material.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever read about perchloric acid, but when it comes in contact with organic material, it becomes highly volatile. So that car was doomed from the day it was loaded,” said Andy Foust, a Nebraska leader of the largest rail union that represents the workers who were switching those railcars just before the explosion.

The explosion highlighted not only potential problems at the sprawling railyard but also the national rail network's reliance on everyone involved in shipping hazardous materials taking proper precautions. As the Nebraska explosion made clear, there can be problems that are hard to spot before potentially disastrous accidents occur.

Some details about the explosion might never be known because the shipping container carrying the acid was destroyed. Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Warren Flatau said “the leaked acid reacted with the wooden floor of the intermodal container, and any other organic material within the container (i.e., pallets).”

The resulting explosion propelled shrapnel up to 600 feet away and prompted first responders to evacuate everyone within a mile outside the railyard. After the first container exploded, a second metal shipping container — believed to hold memory foam — fell down on top of it and caught fire, but no other cars ignited.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told a gathering of rail labor leaders in Nebraska the explosion could have been much worse and "grabbed national headlines had the wind been blowing a little bit different or had things gone just a little bit different in the yard that day” — much like Norfolk Southern’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">fiery derailment</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">eastern Ohio</a>&nbsp;did.

That February derailment — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-train-derailment-evacuation-ethanol-fire-73cc3e80f616070806f8f8b35191a616">others</a>&nbsp;that followed — put the focus on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-derailments-tank-car-ohio-minnesota-c60f33b64e9c7dc05768a78ae20f3ce5">railroad safety</a>&nbsp;and prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">Congress</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-accidents-transportation-pete-buttigieg-ohio-pennsylvania-f1cd9d79cdd66b1f45d1dcdf1e53ff58">regulators</a>&nbsp;to propose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-congress-6288cdfb0b4381de4c9bfb05199b8ba6">reforms</a>, which have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/east-palestine-train-derailment-safety-regulations-railroad-4db52c68daf68da05425b5b70363fb0a">largely stalled</a>.

Foust said Union Pacific never evacuated the railyard. Nearby workers left the area on their own, but most in the railyard continued working. Foust expects that to change because he said UP is revising its emergency response plan.

“There was a large part of that yard that had no idea what was going on, and they were told to continue doing their job,” said Foust, who has discussed the explosion with FRA inspectors, the railroad and first responders because of his role with the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division union.

Railroad officials said at the time that the wind blew smoke away from the facility, and because the railyard is up to eight miles (13 kilometers) wide, most UP workers were a safe distance away.

Despite the explosion, the method of loading 56 barrels of acid doesn't appear to violate any regulations, so such shipping methods could still be occurring. A Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration spokesman said that “as the regulations prohibit any leakage from a package, the regulations do not specify what materials the drums are loaded onto.”

Shippers are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-172/subpart-H/section-172.704">required</a>&nbsp;to take precautions when loading hazardous materials, including ensuring that plastic drums can’t tip over. The drums used to ship hazardous materials also must undergo extensive testing.

In this case, the FRA spokesman said investigators couldn’t determine what loading precautions were taken because the container was destroyed.

The perchloric acid, used in explosives and some industrial processes, was produced at a company in Ohio that hasn’t been publicly identified. Norfolk Southern transported the acid, then handed it off to Union Pacific. Both railroads declined to comment on the explosion, citing the ongoing investigation.

Given the timing of the explosion, the leak likely happened inside UP's railyard.

Railroads inspect railcars before they pick them up for mechanical problems or signs of tampering, but they assume shippers have properly packed them.

“We really rely on them to know best how to package and do it in a safe way, so it isn’t going to become an issue for us,” said North Platte Fire Chief Dennis Thompson, who led the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railyard-explosion-railroad-safety-3bdef4a60fef58836eb2773e370cf0bc">response to the explosion</a>.

Thompson said the emergency response went smoothly because the weather conditions and location were favorable, and the railroad let him know within 25 minutes exactly what they were dealing with.

Before the explosion, inspections at the railyard in July and August prompted the head of the FRA to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-safety-fra-defects-a3727942095fc3bd585b42d60c45fa6e">write a letter</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-ceo-jim-vena-06b2fbdf515e7f5aa8d82c0b2cafbc88">UP’s CEO</a>&nbsp;highlighting that the rate of defects was twice the national average. In September, the week after the explosion, inspectors returned to follow up and turned up more than 500 additional problems.

Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena said he understands and welcomes the agency's scrutiny.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700869565501.jpeg" alt=" Smoke emanates from a railroad car after an explosion at Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, Sept. 14, 2023, in North Platte, Neb. The explosion of a shipping container filled with toxic acid inside the world’s largest railyard, combined with hundreds of rules violations inspectors found there, raises questions about Union Pacific's safety and the effectiveness of the rules for shipping hazardous materials. The Sept. 14 blast fortunately happened in a remote corner of the railyard and the resulting fire did not spread widely. (Ryan Herzog/The Telegraph via AP, File)" />
 <figcaption> Smoke emanates from a railroad car after an explosion at Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, Sept. 14, 2023, in North Platte, Neb. The explosion of a shipping container filled with toxic acid inside the world’s largest railyard, combined with hundreds of rules violations inspectors found there, raises questions about Union Pacific's safety and the effectiveness of the rules for shipping hazardous materials. The Sept. 14 blast fortunately happened in a remote corner of the railyard and the resulting fire did not spread widely. (Ryan Herzog/The Telegraph via AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal inspectors have twice found hundreds of defects in the locomotives and railcars Union Pacific uses at the world’s largest railyard in Nebraska, but none of those seem to explain why a shipping container filled with toxic acid exploded there this fall.Investigators haven’t confirmed the cause of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-railyard-fire-hazardous-materials-9527651cde6c629f18bb947f95ab9f42">Sept. 14 blast</a>&nbsp;in a remote corner of the railroad's Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska, about 250 miles west of Omaha. The explosion didn't spread far, but investigators appear to be delving into the questionable decision to load dozens of plastic barrels of perchloric acid inside a shipping container with a wood floor and possibly atop wooden pallets, even though that acid is known to react with wood or any other organic material.“I don’t know if you’ve ever read about perchloric acid, but when it comes in contact with organic material, it becomes highly volatile. So that car was doomed from the day it was loaded,” said Andy Foust, a Nebraska leader of the largest rail union that represents the workers who were switching those railcars just before the explosion.The explosion highlighted not only potential problems at the sprawling railyard but also the national rail network's reliance on everyone involved in shipping hazardous materials taking proper precautions. As the Nebraska explosion made clear, there can be problems that are hard to spot before potentially disastrous accidents occur.Some details about the explosion might never be known because the shipping container carrying the acid was destroyed. Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Warren Flatau said “the leaked acid reacted with the wooden floor of the intermodal container, and any other organic material within the container (i.e., pallets).”The resulting explosion propelled shrapnel up to 600 feet away and prompted first responders to evacuate everyone within a mile outside the railyard. After the first container exploded, a second metal shipping container — believed to hold memory foam — fell down on top of it and caught fire, but no other cars ignited.U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told a gathering of rail labor leaders in Nebraska the explosion could have been much worse and "grabbed national headlines had the wind been blowing a little bit different or had things gone just a little bit different in the yard that day” — much like Norfolk Southern’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">fiery derailment</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">eastern Ohio</a>&nbsp;did.That February derailment — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-train-derailment-evacuation-ethanol-fire-73cc3e80f616070806f8f8b35191a616">others</a>&nbsp;that followed — put the focus on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-derailments-tank-car-ohio-minnesota-c60f33b64e9c7dc05768a78ae20f3ce5">railroad safety</a>&nbsp;and prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">Congress</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-accidents-transportation-pete-buttigieg-ohio-pennsylvania-f1cd9d79cdd66b1f45d1dcdf1e53ff58">regulators</a>&nbsp;to propose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-congress-6288cdfb0b4381de4c9bfb05199b8ba6">reforms</a>, which have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/east-palestine-train-derailment-safety-regulations-railroad-4db52c68daf68da05425b5b70363fb0a">largely stalled</a>.Foust said Union Pacific never evacuated the railyard. Nearby workers left the area on their own, but most in the railyard continued working. Foust expects that to change because he said UP is revising its emergency response plan.“There was a large part of that yard that had no idea what was going on, and they were told to continue doing their job,” said Foust, who has discussed the explosion with FRA inspectors, the railroad and first responders because of his role with the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division union.Railroad officials said at the time that the wind blew smoke away from the facility, and because the railyard is up to eight miles (13 kilometers) wide, most UP workers were a safe distance away.Despite the explosion, the method of loading 56 barrels of acid doesn't appear to violate any regulations, so such shipping methods could still be occurring. A Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration spokesman said that “as the regulations prohibit any leakage from a package, the regulations do not specify what materials the drums are loaded onto.”Shippers are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-172/subpart-H/section-172.704">required</a>&nbsp;to take precautions when loading hazardous materials, including ensuring that plastic drums can’t tip over. The drums used to ship hazardous materials also must undergo extensive testing.In this case, the FRA spokesman said investigators couldn’t determine what loading precautions were taken because the container was destroyed.The perchloric acid, used in explosives and some industrial processes, was produced at a company in Ohio that hasn’t been publicly identified. Norfolk Southern transported the acid, then handed it off to Union Pacific. Both railroads declined to comment on the explosion, citing the ongoing investigation.Given the timing of the explosion, the leak likely happened inside UP's railyard.Railroads inspect railcars before they pick them up for mechanical problems or signs of tampering, but they assume shippers have properly packed them.“We really rely on them to know best how to package and do it in a safe way, so it isn’t going to become an issue for us,” said North Platte Fire Chief Dennis Thompson, who led the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railyard-explosion-railroad-safety-3bdef4a60fef58836eb2773e370cf0bc">response to the explosion</a>.Thompson said the emergency response went smoothly because the weather conditions and location were favorable, and the railroad let him know within 25 minutes exactly what they were dealing with.Before the explosion, inspections at the railyard in July and August prompted the head of the FRA to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-safety-fra-defects-a3727942095fc3bd585b42d60c45fa6e">write a letter</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-ceo-jim-vena-06b2fbdf515e7f5aa8d82c0b2cafbc88">UP’s CEO</a>&nbsp;highlighting that the rate of defects was twice the national average. In September, the week after the explosion, inspectors returned to follow up and turned up more than 500 additional problems.Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena said he understands and welcomes the agency's scrutiny.Vena said Union Pacific and other major railroads have become safer over time. But there were still&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-territories-ohio-canada-business-accidents-d57651e17b2f9e0163c50298106950a3">more than 1,000 derailments</a>&nbsp;last year, and as the East Palestine derailment demonstrated, just one train crash can be disastrous if hazardous materials are involved.“Do we have more to do? Absolutely,” said Vena, who became CEO in August. “And that’s what I’m challenging the team with here at Union Pacific is we have to get better ... We’ll invest in it. We’ll spend money on technology. We’ll spend money on people.”FRA regulators who oversee the inspectors aren’t overly concerned, with the head of the agency’s Office of Railroad Infrastructure and Mechanical saying violations are common when he sends a team out.“We did not find any systematic issues that would indicate they are operating unsafe equipment that put the public at risk,” the FRA's Charlie King said.

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