As students prepare to attend the National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, IN, from November 1 – 4, we celebrate the dedication of all ages of students who are evolving as agriculture leaders through their FFA experience.

A memorial service for Dorothy A. Greening was held on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege, Nebraska with Reverend Dr. W. Kirwin Stewart, Jr. officiating.

Larrie E. Johnson passed away Thursday, October 19, 2023 at his home in Cozad at the age of 80. Larrie was born April 8, 1943 at Lexington, Nebraska to Raymond and Beverly (Arent) Johnson. He graduated from UNSA in Curtis with the class of 1960. He married Janice Rhinehart on June 18, 1963. Their union was blessed with 5 children, Brenda, Phyllis, Rick, Jennifer and Lacey. Larrie worked at Monroe Auto right out of high school and farmed for one year, before going to work at Paulsen, Inc. where he retired after 56 years of faithful employment. Larrie enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping with family.

Audre E. DeVries, age 96, of Cambridge Nebraska, formerly of Beaver City, passed away on Saturday, October 21, 2023, at the Cambridge Hospital. She was born October 14, 1927, in Upland, Nebraska to Henry and Marie (Howell) Butenschoen. Audre attended school in Upland until her family moved to Arapahoe, Nebraska in 1942. After graduating from high school in 1944 she began her 36-year teaching career. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Kearney State College in 1968, making her the first person in her family to graduate from both high school and college.

Ten area athletes competed in the Class D State Cross Country Championships last Friday in Kearney. The Lady Trojans placed seventeenth as a team and Kael Garrett of Medicine Valley placed sixteenth individually in the boys’ race.

ARAPAHOE - For a few moments, things got a bit uneasy in the first half of Arapahoe’s opening round playoff game against visiting Hemingford. The fourth-seeded Warriors had jumped on the 13th-seeded Bobcats 12-0, but Hemingford had countered with consecutive scores to lead 14-12 and were again on the move, threatening to take a two-score lead.

Three area teams have advanced to district finals on Saturday by virtue of winning Subdistrict championships Tuesday night. Southwest (28-3), hosting the D1-11, swept its way past Maywood-Hayes Center to claim the title and will battle 15th-seeded Plainview (19-14) Saturday in the district final for a State Tournament berth.

Southwest’s football team secured a first round home game in the Class D6 playoffs with a 50-35 win over Paxton last week. The Roughriders finished the regular season with a 6-2 record and were runners up in District 4.

We want to thank the city guys, especially Rich Carpenter for maintaining the south Nature Park of Oxford. It is a great place to walk and have family gatherings, and fishing and the ball field.

The heinous attack on Israel by Hamas this month sent shockwaves throughout the Middle East and across the world. War in one part of the world has a ripple effect — we all feel its impact. In this case, the United States is especially affected. Hamas killed American citizens in its assaults on innocent people across Israel. It is holding American citizens hostage underground in Gaza. Hamas has American blood on its hands.