Dale L. Stanley, age 86, passed away at Community Hospital in McCook, Nebraska, on May 16, 2021. Dale was born October 20, 1934, in Lincoln, Nebraska, and adopted at nine days of age by Eldon and Margaret (Lomax) Stanley. Dale was raised and spent most of his life on the family homestead southeast of Wilsonville. Dale graduated from Wilsonville High School in 1952.

Mitchell “Mitch” James Soucek age 63 of McCook passed away with his wife and mother by his side on May 27, 2021, at the CHI Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. He was born in Hastings, NE on August 25, 1957, to James and Joan (Wratten) Soucek. Mitch attended and graduated from Bladen High School in 1976.

Robert “Bob” Gerald Newcomb passed away Sunday, May 30th, 2021, at the age of 93 at the Bertrand Nursing Home, Bertrand, Nebraska. He was born July 12, 1927 at the family homestead north of Cambridge, Nebraska in Frontier County to Edward and Grace (Baker) Newcomb. He was the fourth of five children for Edward and Grace.

If you care about sustainability, I have good news: There are proven ways to make traditional energy better for the environment. Gasoline mixed with ethanol has been shown to burn cleaner than normal gas, and corn-based ethanol lowers gasoline’s greenhouse gas emissions by 46%.

Last week, the Legislature wrapped up one of its most productive sessions in history. With almost 700 bills under consideration, Senators and I successfully worked together to control spending growth, deliver tax relief, invest in broadband infrastructure, and expand educational opportunities among several other key priorities. Here are a few of the highlights from an historic legislative session that helped move our state forward the Nebraska way.

My last conversation with Grandpa was over the phone. He was sick and dying. I was 1,200 miles away in residency, learning how to be a family physician. I was not going to make it home in time to see him one last time.

Memorial Day services were held at cemeteries throughout the area Monday as local service veterans, legion auxiliary members and others participated in ceremonies to honor our nation’s fallen. Pictured above is a gun salute performed by members of the American Legion Post 290 to honor the dead at a ceremony in Elwood. Pictured below are members of the American Legion Post 199 from Cambridge at a ceremony held there.

On Saturday, May 29 at approximately 12:23 a.m., the Arapahoe Volunteer Fire Department, along with mutual aid from Cambridge, Edison and Holbrook, responded to a fire at 602 Vine Street in Arapahoe. Departments were on scene for approximately 4.5 hours. Renters had just moved in recently and the house is owned by Tom Heinen. Two adults and a teenager were safely removed from the home.

The Elwood Nebraska Chamber of Commerce recently honored some outstanding citizens in the community. The 2020 ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award went to the wonderful group that selflessly unloads the grocery truck for the Elwood Hometown Market in the wee hours every Thursday morning.

The Bartley Young Guns will host the annual Bartley Days this Friday and Saturday. This year, the Young Guns crafted the theme "Ballin' in Bartley 2021" to shape the Bartley Days experience.