The Sand Painters Art Club recently hosted a captivating Open Art Show at the Cherry County Fair in Valentine, NE. The event drew a crowd of art enthusiasts eager to appreciate the diverse talent on display. This year's show featured 55 pieces of art from 21 different artists, showcasing a wide range of styles and mediums. The judging for the show was expertly handled by Valentine HighSchoolart teacher, Victoria Schwab, who faced the difficult task of selecting winners from the impressive collection.

Cody-Kilgore Board Members Bethany Swendener and Tim Nollette, both C-K alum, cut the ribbon to inaugurate the new combined Cody-Kilgore School during the Back-to-School Picnic and Open House on August 14, 2025. Nollette shares the project was five years in the making, and couldn’t have been done without the hard work and sacrifice of the GRIT committee and the entire community. The school sports state-of-the art technology tools, a redesigned lunchroom and is completing a new playground funded with community donations.

New Cody-Kilgore hires for the 2025-2026 school year are Ken McGinness, Riawna Reimers, and Trinity Szakacs. Let’s hear from these new teachers! Trinity Szakacs Trinity Szakacs will be a second grade teacher.

Valentine Community Schools has five new faculty members and a new nurse for the upcoming school year. Let’s meet them! Krista Schoonveld Krista Schoonveld will be teaching third grade.

This year’s Crazy Day lived up to its name—delivering wild sidewalk sales, a bustling receipt raffle, talented street artists, and the debut of the ultra-crazy Valentine Marathon. Winners of both the receipt raffle and the second annual Sidewalk Chalk Art Competition took home Chamber Bucks, redeemable at Valentine Chamber of Commerce member businesses.

NAPA’s Physician of the Year Award is awarded annually and the physician must be engaged in active practice. Dr.