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The Niobrara Council met March 19, 2026 in the meeting room of the Cherry County South Building located at 202 North Main Street, in Valentine. The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m. with the following in attendance: Dallas Dodson, Les Hall, Wade Hollenbeck, Mary Mercure, Mike Murphy, Nina Nelson, Don Painter, Matt Sprenger, Andrew Steinhauser, Scott Wessel.

This story is made possible through a partnership between Flatwater Free Press and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. Mike Wintz was nearly 4 miles away and in the thick of fighting the Morrill Fire when he heard over the radio that the flames were headed for his home.

The morning began with warm rolls, fresh coffee, and friendly conversation at the Vets Club on Main Street as Valentine hosted the 95th District 1 Convention. This annual gathering brought together members of the American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, Sons of the Legion, and Legion Riders for a joint session on Saturday, March 28, beginning at 8:00 a.m.

Third quarter VMS High Honor Roll Fifth grade - Ryan Adams, Claire Arganbright, Lincoln Arnold, Spencer Beebout, Trey Benson, Ishita Chaudhari, Zane Christiansen, DukeDaugherty,ZaccaryDriving Hawk-Hodder, Bryan Fischer, Margaret Fischer, Laramie Foster, OakleiHawthorne,HenryJohnson, Camille King, Lauralee Krueger, Sadie Lurz, Orion Markley, Darien Marshall, Evan Moosman, Scott Moser, Blake O’Kief, Lilly Oakes, Harper Osnes, Elizaveta Plaksina, Etson Qualley, Kaylee Reikofski, Adley Swanson, Cameron Wackler. Sixth grade - Kase Arganbright, Lilly Bailey, Robert Burdick, Sarah Burge, Chloe Christiansen, Charlotte Coleman, Cooper Connot, Gunnar Fernau, Kyra Garwood, Ryker Liddy, Kaylee Luthy, Brooke Nelson, Samuel Osburn, Luke Osnes, Kyleigh Parkhurst, Briggs Patterson, Collier Reagle, Henry Schadel, Maverick Thornton, Taylor Two Strike, Shayla Ward, Tate Ward.

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Nebraska Extension and two federal partner agencies will hold informational meetings on wildfire recovery April 8-10 in western Nebraska to help farmers and ranchers learn about available resources and address local needs. The program will include information on wildfire disaster relief programs and technical assistance, grazing and cropping options, recovery resources, mental health support and next steps.

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen has issued a new series of documents to address ongoing weather conditions and areas that have been impacted by multiple wildfires across the state. Four of the largest fires have collectively burned more than 800,000 acres of land.

OMAHA, NE — March 30, 2026 - Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica) announced it is contributing $250,000 to support wildfire relief and recovery efforts across Nebraska, reinforcing the cooperative’s longstanding commitment to agriculture and rural communities.

(Chadron, NE., March 27, 2026) —The Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands has issued a forest- wide fire ban due to ongoing drought conditions and an elevated risk of wildfire. The ban applies to the NebraskaNational Forest’s Pine Ridge and Bessey Ranger Districts and Samuel R. McKelvie National Forests, as well as the Buffalo Gap and Oglala National Grasslands.

Lincoln, NE, March 25, 2026 – Agricultural operations in Nebraska were significantly impacted by recent wildfires. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from adverse natural disaster events. Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages.