News

The North Platte Deanery of the GIDCCW met at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in North Platte on Saturday, March 7, 2026. The attendees enjoyed presentational by Deanery President Cindy Dunbar titled, Mary’s Garden and Praying with Poetry, and GIDCCW President Sandy Eggert and Omaha Province Director Patricia Ferguson presenting Building a Spiritual Garden.

Contemporary Christian artist Phil Wickham is bringing a night of worship and music to the Nebraska State Fair, joined by special guest Jamie MacDonald on Sunday, August 30, inside the Heartland Events Center. The concert is part of the Nebraska Lottery Concert Series during the 2026 Nebraska State Fair.

March 23-27 is Nebraska Severe Weather Awareness Week. A tornado drill will be at 10:00 a.m., CST Wednesday, March 25, with a make-up date of Thursday, March 26, if needed. For the tornado drill, please practice your sheltering procedures at 10:0 a.m., however note that there will not be tone-alerting the EAS codes. The only way you will notice the drill is underway is if you listen to NOAA weather radio (NWR).

Cherry County Hospital and Clinic announces a strategic leadership transition within its nursing department, reinforcing its commitment to high-quality patient care and long-term organizational stability.

When the wind won’t quit and the land turns to tinder, a community is tested - and revealed. High winds and dry conditions continue to challenge containment of the Anderson Bridge Fire, active since March 12, 2026, near Kilgore.

Valentine, NE ~ March 17, 2026 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Cherry and Grant Countiesareacceptingapplications for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to address damages from the tornadoes on April 25, 2025. ECP provides cost-share and technical assistance to producers to restore farmland to pre-disaster conditions following a qualifying natural disaster. ECP signup begins on March 16, 2026, and ends on April 30, 2026.

Modern Ranching ~ From Windmills to Solar For early settlers, windmills were among their most valuable tools. These high - torque machines pumped water from wells sometimes more than 400 feet deep, making rotational grazing possible across large pastures.

Long before the Sandhills became one of the most respected cow - calf regions in the United States, early settlers arrived believing they could farm the prairie like the rich soils farther east. Instead, the land taught them a different lesson.

[HALSEY, Neb., March, 2026] — The Chokecherry prescribed fire on the Bessey Ranger District of the Nebraska National Forest was declared a wildfire at approximately 4:00 p.m. March 12, 2026. Although forecastedweatherconditionswere within parameters for the implementation of the prescribed fire, the wind event that took place 36 hours after ignitions ceased caused a spot fire that spread outside the project boundary.

When I headed home on Thursday afternoon, I thought that the focus of this week’ss column would be the budget battle taking place in Lincoln. That’s what I was prepared to write about. Somewhere between Broken Bow and Dunning late Thursday afternoon, the focus for not just myself but thousands of other Nebraskans changed. Fires began to break out across the state, the largest being in western Nebraska.