News

Niobrara Valley Vineyards (NVV) held their inaugural grape stomping event on September 13 at the Event Center at Nenzel, NE. Grape stomping origins trace back to ancient wine making practices, and it has been famously immortalized in a classic episode of I Love Lucy.

It can’t go any higher? Valentine Livestock says not so fast! Just when you thought it couldn’t go any higher, Valentine Livestock Auction in Valentine, NE delivered a seismic shock to the cattle market on Thursday, September 4, 2025—setting the industry ablaze with what may go down as one of the greatest feeder cattle sales in U.S. history.

At the annual Team Supper and Pep Rally, Cherry Hills Estates Assisted Living and Modern Woodmen of America honored Jerry and Mary Henderson as this year’s Hometown Hero. Hometown Hero is sponsored by Modern Woodmen of America, in appreciation of the Community Service the heroes have given.

Valentine, NE – The Sandhills Area Foundation will host its annual fund raiser on Saturday, November 15, 2025, in Valentine, NE. This year’s event will expand its traditional program by including a live performance from Nashville recording artist BJ Jamison. A special thanks to Danielski Farms for donating the venue – the old ShopKo building – for this year’s event.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will accept submissions for the 2025 Nebraskaland Magazine photo contest starting October 1. Submissions should be made at Magazine.OutdoorNebraska.gov.

You are invited to the Valentine Volunteer Fire Department’s Benefit Reverse Raffle Drawing on Saturday, October 11, 2025. Social hour will begin at 5:00 p.m., with food trucks on site for your convenience. We will begin drawing at 6:00 p.m., and will draw until the last ticket is drawn!

Adley Swanson, Fashion Show Beyond the Needle, Purple. Sarah Burge, Fashion Show Constructed STEAM 2, Purple.

4-H Static Exhibits Results Best of Show Awards by Department: Horticulture – Maysa Jones; Photography – Mahaya Jones; Food & Nutrition – Cash Jenkins; Family Consumer Science – Laramie Foster; Visual Arts – Tate Ward; STEM/ Ag – Eli Ormesher. State Fair Qualifiers Textiles – Emeran Tenhouse, Kayleigh Harms, Shyanne Dawson, Ella Brennemann, Cadence Swanson, Case Larson, Adley Swanson, Charlene Metcalf, Laramie Foster.

Madysyn Bopp shared what she wanted to be the very first day of second grade, and it was a Rodeo Queen. Fast forward several years, and her dream has come true when she wa s crowned Teen Miss at the 2026 RCA/Nordeon Rodeo Royalt, August 16, 2025.

Aleena Wagner, 2025 Cherry County Rodeo Queen Aleena resides in Bridgeport, NE on her family ranch. Aleena has completed her Associates Degree of Animal Science from Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture and plans to continue her pursuit toward a veterinarian degree.