ARAPAHOE - The annual Prairie Pioneer Days celebration will take place Wednesday, July 3 through Saturday, July 6. This year's event starts with a free hamburger and hotdog feed Wednesday at 5:30 PM in the city park.

The Beaver City Fire Department responded to a fire just before 8 pm on Monday, June 24. The fire just north of town burned two uncut wheat fields. Fire Chief Kale Shafer reported they had two fires, one immediately after the other due to lightning strikes. The first fire burned about five acres and the second burned less than three. The fire got about a half mile from town. Shafer says it was just across the road. Shafer reports they were on scene about 30-40 minutes for each fire. They were back in service before 11 pm. Responding as mutual aid were Oxford and HEA, which included Arapahoe and Edison.

Nebraska voters have been inundated with opportunities to sign petitions on sidewalks and storefronts throughout the state. According to the Secretary of State’s office, there are 11 initiative petitions currently in circulation for the general election this year.

The lure of free land through the Homestead Act of 1862 brought many settlers to Nebraska in the late 1800s through the early 1900s. The Homestead Act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. It promised up to 160 acres of surveyed public land to anyone who was over the age of 21 or a head of household and who was a U.S. citizen or legally declared their intent to become a U.S. citizen. Anyone who fought against or aided enemies of the United States was not eligible to claim land under this law.

ARAPAHOE - Arapahoe High School's Deja Blue Choir won $25,000 through the Let Music Fill My World Challenge. An organization called Music Matters puts on the challenge and offers a reward to any music program that wants to compete.

Phelps & Gosper Counties were well represented at the Nebraska 4-H Premier Animal Science Event (PASE)! This event is hosted on East Campus in Lincoln and welcomes 4-H youth from across the state to test their animal science knowledge. This year’s team consisted of Abby & Lilly Helms of Holbrook, Kahlia Killough of Holdrege, and Brodie Heying of Bertrand. Youth competed in Livestock Quiz Bowl and Livestock Judging. High success was earned by this group as they took Reserve Champion in the intermediate quiz bowl contest.

All trucks start service at 5:00 p.m. on 1st streeet between the bank and city building.

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McCook, NE — Community Hospital, in partnership with the Health Foundation, proudly announces the recipients of the 2024 Career Discovery Days Scholarships. These scholarships, generously funded by the Community Hospital Health Foundation, are each valued at $500 and recognize exceptional high school seniors who exhibit a passion for pursuing a college education in healthcare.

[Kansas City, MO] — As the nation celebrates Independence Day, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Region 7, which includes Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, reminds all drivers that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. In 2022, a person was killed every 39 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation’s roads, even though it is illegal to drive while impaired by alcohol.