News

Many hallmarks of the holiday season, including Christmas trees, holiday decorations, cooking and baking, present potential fire hazards that contribute to an annual increase in U.S. home fires during the winter months. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are among the leading days of the year for home fires (topped only by Thanksgiving Day).

Stop trimming your lawn once it freezes. Trim your grass to the height recommended for your lawn variety before it freezes. Cutting your grass too short can leave it dry and exposes it to the elements, not to mention insects and disease.

Scottsbluff, (AP)-Riverside Discovery Center's puma cub now has a friend after acquiring a second puma cub that was found abandoned in Montana. The species coordinator who helped the zoo get the first cub was notified of a second puma cub that needed a new home.

After your lawn gets its last cut before winter, it will be time to put away spring and summer outdoor power equipment, like lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and trimmers. What’s next? Snow throwers, generators and other small engine equipment need to be readied for winter use. How and when you prepare your equipment for seasonal changes can save you time and money later, says the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI).

OMAHA-The demand for “quarantine puppies” and other pets increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing with it a spike in scams that has persisted even as virus-related lockdowns have abated. Online pet scams—in which an online search ends with a would-be pet owner paying hundreds of dollars or more to adopt a pet that ultimately doesn’t exist— are especially pervasive during the holiday season, when families may be looking to add a furry family member as a gift. Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises extreme caution if shopping for a pet online.

LINCOLN-More than 217,000 children are treated in emergency rooms annually for toy-related injuries, either because of the toy itself or due to the mishandling of it. As part of an effort to reduce that number of mostly preventable injuries, Prevent Blindness America has declared December National Safe Toys and Gifts Month.

Kearney-December 1 – The Nebraska Brand Committee is implementing a research fee for every new brand application that is submitted starting January 1, 2022. This fee will be a non-refundable $50 research fee in addition to the current $100 application fee that will then be returned if the requested brand(s) are not available.

Central Valley Ag (CVA) offers 20 $1,000 college scholarship opportunities to students pursuing higher education in an agriculturally related field. This scholarship program enables youth to continue their education on a collegiate level.

The Christmas meeting was called to order by President, Joyce Wolfenden at 2:00 p.m. CT November 18, 2021, at the First Baptist Church in Valentine.