On Friday, October 8, Cambridge Public School crowned their 2021 homecoming court. L to R back row: Shane Horwart and Chloe Besler, last year’s king and queen, Dahlton Wood, Paige Sickels, Wyatt Ervin, Ali Webb, Zach McArthur, Autumn Deterding, Cole Fiene, Paige Klumpe, Julien Grindle, Grace Brown, Will Taylor, Breelle Miller . Front row crown bearers: Hadley Gerlach, Cayson Kulwicki, Mason Hager, Kenzyngton Benson

The last 18 months have been a roller coaster for the entire world. While many places have struggled, even in America, Nebraskans have come together to power through the pandemic. Our healthcare professionals have worked with compassion and skill to care for Nebraskans. Communities have supported their local businesses throughout the pandemic. Employers have overcome market disruptions to preserve and create jobs. Parents and schools worked to get kids back in the classroom. Our ag producers once again showed that they can be counted on to feed the nation and world. None of this has been easy, but Nebraskans have been up to the challenge.

In the last couple years, I have developed a renewed awe and appreciation of our scientists around the world who work for entire careers to advance science and medicine in their laboratories and beyond. One such scientist is Dr. Barry Marshall. Marshall is an Australian physician scientist, who in the early 1980’s along with his cohort Dr. Robin Warren, initiated a paradigm shift in the world’s understanding of gastrointestinal disease when they discovered the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Prior to that, peptic ulcer disease was thought to be due entirely to lifestyle factors and stress. Marshall and Warren were ultimately able to show that H. pylori played a major role in maybe 80 percent of ulcers worldwide at that time. H. pylori is an unusual bacterium in that it can grow and thrive in a highly acidic environment like the stomach, and for that reason it was difficult to grow in culture. It was found to be widespread around the world, partly due to poor water sanitation systems. The bacteria can invade the surface of the stomach and duodenum, causing inflammation of the stomach or gastritis, ulcers, and rarely, stomach cancer. We now know that if H. pylori is a causative factor in a patient’s stomach ulcers, eradication of the bacteria is an essential part of curing the patient’s disease.

BERTRAND - It was a battle between 6-0 Arapahoe and 5-1 Bertrand on Friday night for the D1-9 District Title and it was the Warriors coming away with a 32-12 win. The Warriors started the game with a bang, as Tristian White took the opening kickoff 47 yards to the house and converted the two-point conversion making it 8-0. Later in the period, White scored again this time on a 31-yard run pushing the lead to 16-0 heading in the second quarter.

CAMBRIDGE - Both teams enjoyed 14-point leads, then both teams lost those leads. The final play of regulation left both teams thinking they had a chance to win it right there.

BERTRAND - Eighteen individuals medaled and the Cambridge girls and Alma/Southern Valley boys cross country teams each finished runner-up at the Republican Plains Activities Conference Meet in Bertrand Thursday.

COLUMBUS - With a first round Monday of 91 and a second round Tuesday of 95, Cambrigde’s Macy Jones finished just outside the medals at the Class C State Golf Tournament in Columbus. Jones finished in a twoway tie for 17th place with Laurel-Concord-Coleridge’s Sarah Karnes with a final score of 186 for the tournament.

BENKELMAN - The Southern Valley football team dropped a 50-8 decision at Dundy County-Stratton Thursday night as the Eagles season winds to a close. The Tigers rushed for 324 yards and the Eagles struggled to gain much traction offensively as DCS built a 20-0 lead after a quarter and scored twice more in the second to lead 34-8 at halftime.

PAXTON - With a 26-point fourth quarter, the Southwest football team grabbed its first win of the season with 42-34 triumph at Paxton Friday. A touchdown run from Hunter Cunningham put Southwest up on the first play of the fourth quarter, 24-20, and Jacob Kerns added two rushing scores in the fourth to help the Roughriders build a 36-27 advantage with four minutes left.

The Arapahoe junior varsity football team traveled to Southern Valley on Monday, October 11th to take on the Eagles. The game started out with both teams trading possessions until the second quarter when the Eagles scored on a 14 yard completion to take the lead 8-0. The Warriors answered right back when Austin Warburton broke a 54 yard touchdown run up the sideline. Trenton Roskop added the conversion to tie the game 8-8 going into halftime. The Eagles came out in the second half and scored on their first two possessions to go up 22-8. The Warriors answered when Warburton got free on another long run, this time from 38 yards out. Warburton also added the conversion to cut the lead to 22-16. The Warrior defense toughened up and Alex Diaz intercepted an Eagle pass to give the Warriors the ball back with a chance to take the lead. The Warriors got the ball down to the 5 yard line before stalling out. The defense forced another punt by the Eagles, but the offense failed to get into the endzone. The Eagles were able to run out the clock and seal the 22-16 victory. Leading tacklers for the Warriors were: Grayson Koller-8, Kyle Elliot-7, Titus Goshert-6, Roskop-6, Warburton-4, Diaz-3, Eli Shafer-3, and Taylor Jones-1. The Warriors finished their junior varsity season with an 0-6 record.