News

Lincoln — Applications are now being accepted for Nebraska LEAD Class 43, which begins in the fall of 2024. Up to 30 highly motivated individuals with demonstrated leadership potential will be selected. The Nebraska LEAD Program is specifically designed for both men and women involved in production agriculture or agribusiness, who are intent on making a difference by providing quality leadership for the future of the industry of agriculture and the State of Nebraska.

North Platte — The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) is proud to unveil a new vehicle that will be utilized in several ways to keep Nebraska safe. The vehicle was donated to NSP by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Radiological Security (ORS). The new mobile command post will be stationed in North Platte.

Lenexa, KS– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved a work plan submitted to the Agency by Richard Minor of Gordon, and Cherry County, to mitigate damage to the Snake River resulting from an unauthorized drainage ditch excavated from Minor’s property to the river in 2020.

Pruning always seems to be a monumental task to take on, but with the right tools and some knowledge about the plant, it becomes easier. Best pruning practices require proper tools sized to the branches being removed.

Overcrowded, poor flowering, and floppy perennials can be invigorated with a shovel and a bit of your time and energy. Dividing perennials is an excellent way to improve their appearance and create new plants to use in other spaces in your landscape.

Olivia Beel, daughter of Adam and Jenny Beel, attended the 96th Nebraska State FFA Convention in Lincoln, April 2 - 5, 2024. She attended the convention with her FFA chapter, Nebraska Agriculture Academy. Thursday evening, during Session 5, Olivia was award third place for her Poultry Production Proficiency. Olivia’s poultry production includes 93 chickens and 27 ducks. Olivia sells chicken and duck eggs commercially. In April, Olivia will add more pullet chicks to her poultry production project.

The Nebraska Agriculture Academy FFA Chapter is the first Homeschool Chapter in Nebraska. The goal of the Nebraska Agriculture Academy FFA program is to make quality Agriculture Education and FFA accessible to students grades 7-12 covering the entire state of Nebraska. The Nebraska Agriculture Academy was established in 2022 by Breann Zimmer, Ann Dvorak, and Katie Shadbolt. This second year has been quite a busy and exciting adventure for members of the chapter. Members participated in Leadership Development Events (LDE), Career Development Events (CDE), and SAE proficiencies.

High school students will earn associate degrees from Mid-Plains Community College. The accomplishment comes after successfully completing enough qualifying classes through MPCC’s dual credit courses. Early entry courses allow high school students to take college-level classes and earn credits toward both a high school diploma and a college degree simultaneously.

The North Central District Health Department (NCDHD) encourages all dairy and poultry producers to be aware of the ongoing situation regarding Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) detections in neighboring states. Routine updates can be found on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website: https:// www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avianflu- summary.htm and the United States Department of Agriculture: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/ livestock-poultry-disease/avian/ avian-influenza/hpai-detections.

Vern and Marlys Walkling met Prairey and Jamie Brennan in Murdo on Friday to bring Norah and Nolan to Lakeview for the weekend. Prairey and Jamie went on to Sioux Falls where they met with cousin Jesse Logterman. On Saturday Jamie was awarded the Richard Wahlstrom Excellence in Scholarship Award in Brookings.