The exterior design of Valentine’s City Hall was completed in 2022. Daugherty Construction did the concrete work in front of the building in May of 2023. Mid-West Plastering & Construction was hired to work on the north wall in September of 2023 and he finished most of the work in April, 2024.

Governor Jim Pillen stopped at Mid Plains Community College June 27, 2024, to visit with attendees about a special session for the Legislature later this month to reduce property taxes. He asked those in attendance to engage every senator in the unicameral about attending; needing 33 votes for the Pillen Plan to succeed and help Nebraskans. He said, “it’s a living, breathing, plan,” and asked for feed back, and solid ideas. He’s serious about helping fix a broken tax system. His proposal includes taxing services that are not currently being taxed, along with taxing goods such as vaping products, cigarettes, fountain pop, and candy - to name a few - essentially, a broad based sales tax. The current budget receives $5.3 billion in property tax, $3.7 billion in income tax, and $2.3 billion in state tax. To encourage the Unicameral go to: https://nebraskalegislature. gov/senators/senator_list.php

Why? Summer is beginning, and it’s going to be warmish - hot even, and with the rain, humid; so why would a group of 400 people want to ride bikes through the Sandhills? There’s bugs, tall, steep hills, sharp burs that could puncture tires. Just why?

America will be celebrating her 248th birthday this coming July 4! There will be parades, remembrances, and fireworks! 10:00 a.m. The parade is sponsored by Liberty’s Fireworks, and there are prizes! Line up at First and Main, parade begins at 10:00 a.m.

Tyler Brown grew up in Valentine and has always been a fan of the outdoors. He spent his childhood hunting and fishing. “When we started our family, we spent time with our children outdoors whenever possible. He started his guide service nine years ago as an opportunity to share his outdoor experiences with other families too. As the opportunity to buy the bait shop became available, it was a natural fit to make outdoor sporting goods more readily available and promote time outdoors,” said Andrea Brown.

Late May and June are the months when we frequently see both native and non-native forbs begin to flower in range and pasture. This is a good time of the year to be on the alert and look out for these “pretty flowers” and for other plants that you may not recognize. Seeing something you haven’t seen before? Go check it out. Those “pretty flowers” or plants you don’t recognize may be a plant that is an invasive species. Early detection and rapid response are critical to helping to keep noxious weeds at bay. By identifying and dealing with invasive species when they are few, the cost and impact of their presence can be minimized.