Sports

Sixty-five young golfers enjoyed perfect weather as they participated in the annual Ainsworth Junior Golf Tournament Wednesday, July 12, 2023. The kindergarten through second grade boys division had 18 young golfers from Ainsworth, Valentine, O’Neill, Stuart, and Winner, SD.

At the 60th annual Circle C Day’s, held May 27-28, 2023, Little Mr. and Little Miss Circle C were selected, Mr. Cooper Luthy, son of Cody and Darrian Luthy and Miss Paxtyn Miller, daughter of Landon and Danielle Miller.

The Valentine 8U baseball team participated in the 15th annual Bob Haley Memorial Rookie tournament June 24-25 in Winner, SD. The team was victorious on Saturday, winning games against Burke and Gregory 1, advancing them to the championship.

Two Nebraska efforts aimed at grassland and wildlife conservation through conservation assistance for farmers, ranchers and tribes will benefit from a financial boost recently announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

JUNE 30, 2023, NORFOLK — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol are teaming up with troopers from many other states for a campaign focused on patrolling U.S. Highway 20.

LINCOLN – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court released its ruling in Biden v. Nebraska. The decision overturned President Biden’s student loan cancelation scheme, which would transfer up to $20,000 in student loan debt per borrower onto taxpayers, costing an estimated $400 billion. “The Supreme Court delivered a victory for common sense. The millions of hard-working Americans who paid their debts or did not go to college shouldn’t be forced to bear the burden of others’ debt.

Valentine – Join the Niobrara National Scenic River, the Friends of the Niobrara, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, for a fishing clinic at Keller Park State Recreation Area. The third clinic this summer will be on July 15 at Keller Park SRA, near Long Pine, NE. The clinic will start at 9:00 a.m. central time and run until 12:00 p.m. Registration for children under 12 is required as they will receive a free fishing pole thanks to Friends of the Niobrara River and the National Park Foundation. Please contact the Niobrara National Scenic River Visitor Center either by phone 402-376-1901 or email niobrara_nsr@nps.gov to ask questions and register.

On June 9-11, 2023, Mike Huggins and Josh Krueger of Valentine, competed in the second annual Two Paddles Canoe and Kayak Race from Brainerd to Coon Rapids, MN, just north of Minneapolis. Races range from five to 150 miles, and is divided into men’s, women’s, mixed, tandem, solo, 3+, and stand up paddleboard (SUP) categories.

The Rodeo was sponsored in part by Reece Weber of Young’s Western Wear in Valentine; and a $1,400 Rope-Off for 68 and Over was sponsored by Jay Belden, DVM of Bayard, where the winner of each rodeo received an additional $100, plus those four roped for $1,000. The winner of the thousand dollars was Curt Johnston of Kersey, CO.

The Lick Tub Challenge at the Sandhills Ranch Expo in Bassett has given out top awards. This event is hosted by the NC RC&D and is the second year for the event at the Expo. The creativity is appreciated by the crowd and the judges. The rules? Find a new purpose for a used lick tub. No issue finding empty lick tubs and apparently not a shortage of creative ideas either.