By RONDA GRAFF LINCOLN - The McCook High School swim and dive team wrapped up the 20242025 season with numerous school records, The Nebraska High School Swim and Dive Championships wrapped up over the weekend with the swimmers racing in preliminary events Friday and the consolation and finals heats on Saturday at the Devaney Center in Lincoln.

HOMER - After a frantic, high-scoring and action-packed first half, the Maywood-Hayes Center girls basketball team weathered an early storm and put themselves in position to spring an upset and clinch a State Tournament berth at Friday’s district final in Homer.

CURTIS - With a strong second half, the Medicine Valley boys basketball team held home court and took down Southwest for a third time in Thursday’s subdistrict final, clinching a berth in the district finals and moving within one victory of the State Tournament.

The NCTA Ag Mechanics Club shared a farm toy display at the Aurora Farm Toy Show on February 23. The display was awarded the Best of Show. The Club has been invited to show their display at the Kearney and Aurora Farm Toy Shows in February 2026. The display was constructed by NCTA Club members Tristan Martin, Sierra Kingsbury, Tera Horky, Alex Wenzbauer, Jacob Martinson, and Wyatt Ozenbaugh. The display featured a dairy barn, chicken coop, a sheep barn, grain bins, a farrowing house, a swine finishing building, a center pivot, and a flood irrigation field. Over 100 guests attended the show of displays and farm toy vendors. The unique aspect of the NCTA exhibit was that the only purchased toys were the animals and the toy machinery. The buildings, fences, feed bunks, bins, center pivot, etc. were built by the members. The swine and dairy buildings also included screened windows and 9-volt exhaust fans. The windmill wheel was powered by a 9-volt battery as was the pump at the reuse irrigation pit/hog lagoon for the flood irrigation field.

Nebraska Examiner LINCOLN — One of Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s priorities advanced to the second round of debate with a vote on Monday, as a statewide cell phone ban in schools inched closer to becoming law.

LINCOLN – VIsit Nebraska is excited to announce the stops included in the 2025 Nebraska Passport program. The Passport inspires Nebraskans and tourists to travel throughout the state collecting stamps to earn prizes while also supporting Nebraska’s tourism destinations and local businesses.

SOUTHERN VALLEY - Following 28 years at the district and 16 as an administrator, Mark Grove formally announced his retirement as Southern Valley elementary principal in January. In February, Southern Valley announced his replacement.