25 Years Ago-July 18, 1996 Welcome to the Furnas County Fair, July 22- 27. Steve Harder, son of Jim and Suzie Harder of Beaver City and a 1996 graduate of Southern Valley High School, will participate on the South Team in the annual Shrine Bowl on July 27 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

100 Years Ago-July 21, 1921 Ruben Pettijohn threw three professional wrestlers who were taking on all corners at a sideshow. Weighing only 133 pounds, Pettijohn was A.E.F.

Anticipation and excitement is arising in Harlan County. Yes, it is that time of year again where the fairgrounds in Orleans will come alive.

BEAVER CITY – Mayor Leighton Schmidt presided over the regular City Council meeting on July 19, 2021, with all six council members—Quinn Barnas, Kevin Harper, Chris Joppa, Roger Powell, Russell Rickert, and Becky Robinson—present. Also in attendance were Teresa Youngquist (Clerk), Jackie Mayberry (Deputy Clerk), Grant Jorgensen (Utility Director), Margie Lambert (Private Citizen), and Guyla Mills (Valley Voice).

Furnas County Extension is proud to announce Haiden Garey’s achievement in the Next Chapter Program. She has completed Chapter 1 of Four Chapters offered by the program. Haiden attended the Next Chapter Statewide Celebration held at the University of Nebraska Lincoln Campus on Friday, June 25 , 2021. Haiden enjoyed a day on campus and a tour with the Associate Director of the Office of Admissions, Georgia Gleason. She was presented with the certificate of recognition from Associate Dean and 4-H Program Leader, Kathleen Lodl. She participated in a Next Chapter lesson, Study Skills. On an East Campus tour of UNL, Haiden took an in-depth tour of the textiles building, where she was able to look at the Textiles and Merchandising workspaces and even experienced the 360 camera which helps students take accurate and multiple measurements at once of any physical body they need to. Lunch was held at the newly renovated Student Union where Haiden enjoyed ice cream from the UNL Dairy Store.

Tri Valley Health System was a recipient of a $5,580 grant from the Nebraska Plains Healthcare Coalition (NPHCC) for the purchase of 20 handheld emergency radios. NPHCC is one of six coalitions across the state that assist healthcare entities with disaster planning and response. Nearly $37,500 was given to providers in the Nebraska Plains Healthcare Coalition region to update and improve preparedness capabilities. Tri Valley Health System CEO Jessica Fisher said, “We are extremely grateful for the grant funding from Nebraska Plains Healthcare Coalition to purchase these radios that will allow us to communicate in emergency or disaster situations. The radios are distributed throughout the organization and employees have been trained to respond to any situation.”

The Cambridge Board of Education met in regular session on Monday, July 12, 2021. Board Member Sally Farquhar was not preset for the meeting. Shortly after calling the meeting to order, the Board went into executive session to discuss personnel. After exiting executive session, the Board approved the General Fund and Building Fund claims.

BARTLEY - The Southwest Board of Education met Monday to approve the addition of a girls wrestling program as well as some policy updates as suggested by the school’s attorneys. The Board discussed the addition of a girls’ wrestling team.

Wellness McCook Initiative leaders are seeking information on physical activity improvement projects community members are currently planning. The Initiative members are from a variety of organizations working together to bundle physical activity capital improvement projects, in an effort to improve the overall health of McCook.

ARAPAHOE – The Arapahoe-Holbrook Board of Education meeting was held on July 12, 2021, with President Lisa Anderson presiding. In addition to Anderson, all five other board members were present: Chad Carpenter, Erick Lee, Brad Schutz, Dan Warner, and Rodney Whipple. Others in attendance were: