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Niobrara Council minutes from the December 18, 2025 meeting. Chair Hollenbeck was absent for the meeting, so Vice Chair Appelt led the meeting which was called order at 1:01 p.m. The meeting was held at the Cherry County South Building Meeting Room, 202 North Main Street, in Valentine, Nebraska.

December 2025 Survey Results at-a-Glance: • Farm and Ranchland Prices: Highest in 20 Months • For only the second time in 2025, the overall Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) climbed above growth neutral 50.0. Half of bank CEOs identified the reduction of tariffs and trade restrictions as the most effective policy change needed to boost farm income.

Season’s greetings from the Nebraska Poison Center! The holidays bring changes in routine that can increase the risk of accidental poison exposures in the home. Keep these important safety tips in mind this season:

During the week of December 14 -20, the police department had no arrests to report, and responded to 28 calls for service, including: • 8 traffic stops • 6 animal complaints • 2 alarms • 1 non-injury accident.

There’s something especially moving about walking up to a loved one’s grave at Christmastime and seeing a wreath laid in their honor - a quiet reminder that their service and sacrifice are not forgotten. Mt.

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In 1952, two young men from the same Sandhills community boarded a bus headed for Omaha, much like countless others from small towns across America. They went for a physical. They came home drafted. Gilbert Witte and Richard “Dick” Steifel were soon wearing Army uniforms, bound together by fate, friendship, and a war half a world away.

Dec. 12, 2025 (Lincoln, Neb.) — For the fifth consecutive year, the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) hosted its Name-a-Snowplow contest, inviting K-6 students and classrooms across Nebraska to submit their most creative and clever snowplow names. Winning names are proudly displayed on one of more than 600 snowplows in NDOT’s fleet—each trackable in real time on Nebraska 511.

When Old Man Winter comes, calling, homeowners need to keep everyone in the family – including your pets—safe. Follow these wise winter weather tips from the Turf-Mutt Foundation.