News

VALENTINE, Neb. – The 2026 Light Up the Falls celebration at Smith Falls State Park shone brighter than ever this year, welcoming nearly 750 visitors to an evening of patriotic color, outdoor adventure, and community partnership.

People planning to launch boats in Nebraska this summer should be aware of low-water conditions affecting many reservoirs across the state. Water elevations and ramp conditions can vary significantly from one reservoir to another and may change from week to week.

There was a total of 13 participants in the Cherry County 4-H Cupcake War and Special Foods Contest that was held June 9, 2026, with Shalee Arendt and Hannah Beel as the judges. Youths between the ages five through 18 participating in cupcake decorating, complete with a creatively designed tablescape.

Washington, D.C. – June 12, 2026 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the distribution of a comprehensive directive to all U.S. Forest Service employees from the Office of the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment (NRE). These actions advance implementation of the Advancing Grazing on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the USDA–Department of the Interior Grazing Action Plan, delivering on the Trump Administration’s commitment to strengthen American ranching, restore multiple-use management on federal lands, and combat regulatory lawfare against producers.

With limited water availability this summer for irrigators dependent on canal water, summer annual forages may provide an opportunity to grow cover crops on prevent-plant acres that will likely have significant value as a forage resource due to drought conditions.

For many cow-calf operations in central and western Nebraska, significant culling may be required to match cow numbers to the forage available, not only for 2026, but also for the next few years. For operations that have spent generations building the type of cow they want, there is a strong commitment to retain a core of foundation females from which to rebuild the herd when it rains again.

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen has issued several emergency declarations to provide state resources in areas that have experienced destructive weather events. The most current situation involves a wildfire in Sioux County between Crawford and Harrison. The South Fork Fire has burned nearly 9,000 acres since it was detected yesterday afternoon.

Washington, D.C. - June 16, 2026 – Nominations are now being accepted for farmers and ranchers to serve on local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees. These committees make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2026 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 3, 2026.

North Central District Health Department (NCDHD) in coordination with Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has confirmed the first human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) in Nebraska for the 2026 season. The case was identified within the NCDHD jurisdiction.

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