Danielle Forster of Smithfield was crowned Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2025 last Wednesday. Forster is the 5th generation of her family’s farm outside Smithfield.

The Valley Voice is inviting you to join us on a journey into our collective past during the next year as we explore Southwest Nebraska’s history, primarily in the latter part of the 19 th century. Congress passed the Kansas- Nebraska Act on May 30, 1854, but the southwest region of the state was predominantly settled after Nebraska became the 37 th state admitted to the Union in 1867.

BARTLEY – The Bartley Village Board of Trustees held their regular meeting on June 11, 2024, and conducted their business in under one hour. The board passed a special events ordinance that sets parameters for events.

June 17, 2024 (WAYNE, Neb.) – Wayne State College included 1,154 students on the dean’s list for exemplary academic achievement during the Spring 2024 semester. Students listed on the dean’s list are full-time undergraduate students who have achieved a GPA of 3.5 or above on a 4.0 scale for the semester. An asterisk (*) denotes a 4.0 GPA for the term. Those students from our area on the 4.0 GPA Dean’s List are: Cambridge, Paige Klumpe* Elwood, Kaydee Diefenbaugh* Oxford, Hannah Henry* Oxford, Matthew Henry*

BEAVER CITY – The Beaver City Council conducted their bi-monthly business in a record 16 minutes on June 17, 2024. The council approved Mayor Becky Robinson’s appointment of Fran Thooft to fill the vacancy left by Chris Joppa, who resigned earlier this month when he relocated to Kansas.

The Cambridge City Council met on Monday, June 17, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. After the Open Meeting Law announcement, the Council approved the Consent Agenda, including the June 3, 2024, City Council meeting minutes and the claims report.

June 15, 2024 We are pleased to recognize several of our dedicated NCTA faculty and staff members, as nominated by their peers, with annual awards. Stewart Family Faculty and Staff Award The Stewart Family Faculty and Staff Award, in its second year, sponsored by UNSTA Alumnus Jim Stewart and his family, comes with a $1,000 gift and was created to recognize one member of the faculty or staff who has had an extraordinary impact on the life of an NCTA student.

EUSTIS – During the regular meeting on June 10, 2024, the Eustis-Farnam school board approved a 5% increase for the breakfast and lunch program for the upcoming academic year. The cost of activity passes will stay the same for the 2024-25 school year.

Has anyone noticed that the wind has been blowing?? Monday, especially, wasn’t a nice day. And I was out in it most of the day on the mower. Just for the record, I’m caught up on my mowing. After about 10 hours in the saddle. It doesn’t usually take me that long but I had gotten behind, plus, with all the rain we’ve had this spring, everything was growing so fast. I’ve also spent quite a few hours on the four wheeler spraying weeds and noxious grass. The effects are showing!

“Never Give Up” and “The Burton Bunch”, both out of TJ’s Family Fun Center in McCook will advance to the American Poolplayers Association (APA) World Pool Championships in Las Vegas after winning the Western Nebraska APA World Qualifier Tournaments held at Eagles Club in North Platte.