Bison are once again roaming the Refuge along the entrance road near the visitor center. Each spring, bison are moved from the Wilderness Area north of the Niobrara River back into the south side of the refuge. Bison will spend the spring and summer on the south side of the refuge. Within the next week, most of the herd (around 350) will be in the area around the visitor center. Cows will soon be giving birth to calves, and by early May, little red bison will be scattered among the herd. It will be a great time to view bison but please stay in your vehicle as bison can be dangerous, particularly when cows are looking after their calves. After more than two years, the

Change can be good, sometimes it’s even great. And sometimes it’s really best for all involved. With that, Cherry County Hospital and Clinic, and Valentine Medical Clinic have made the decision to merge. They anticipate the change sometime in May.

Illegal drugs are a serious business. Their purpose is to make the cartels and drug manufacturers rich. The cartels and drugs themselves are not concerned at all about your health, your bank account, your home life, your children - unless they’re users; friends, unless they’re users. To them a person using drugs is simply a customer and cash cow.

With dry weather, gusty winds, and no snow cover, the area fire departments have been busy. Monday, March 21, 2022, was a red flag warning day with winds gusting up to 51 mph, a high of 53 degrees, and a low relative humidity that resulted in a fire that occurred on the Winner Cut Across Road.

Raelee VanWinkle, a native of Valentine, and the daughter of Myki and Jim VanWinkle recently graduated from the FBI National Academy at Quantico, VA. The FBI National Academy is recognized around the world as the most prestigious law enforcement management course for the United States and international law enforcement managers.

Colby Cady of Cody-Kilgore was named Honorable Mention for Mid Nebraska Activities Conference All Conference Girls Basketball and Peyton Sterkel was named Honorable Mention for Mid Nebraska Activities Conference All Conference Boys Basketball.