The newly elected Chairman of the Red Willow County GOP is Brenden Funk. Other officers include Deb Breinig, Pam Frecks, and Beth Siegfried.

Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) encourages residents to know if they are vaccinated for pertussis, also called whooping cough. With outbreaks happening in both Europe and the United States, now is the time to check with your healthcare provider to be sure you and your family are up to date and protected from this vaccine-preventable disease.

April! Already we are in the second quarter of the year! With April comes April Fools Day and my North Dakota elementary librarian daughter was lamenting that because of the loss of a snow day, her school was back in session on Monday, April 1. April Fools’ Day isn’t a favorite for elementary teachers. By day’s end, they are a bit tired of the jokes.

The Cambridge City Council met on Monday, April 1, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Council Member Mike Harris was absent from the meeting. After the Pledge of Allegiance and the Open Meeting Law announcement, the Council approved the Consent Agenda, including the minutes of the March 18, 2024, City Council Meeting, the approval of the Claims Report, and the Minutes from the March 20, 2024 Museum Board Meeting.

The rule of law is foundational to our Republic. Enforcing the law and public safety is one of government’s main purposes.

Three area high school quiz bowl teams excelled at their respective Educational Service Unite competitions and qualified for the State Meet. Medicine Valley went undefeated and captured the ESU 15 Title at Southwest last week, winning all seven matches.

Kathy Wilmot is immersed in reading. She was elected to the six-year term on the University Board of Regents in 2022, representing District 7, that encompasses 45 of Nebraska’s 93 counties.

Each year since 2006, the Nebraska School Activities Association and the Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association recognize students who have been nominated by their schools, based on their individual academic excellence, leadership, and significant contributions made to their NSAA activity.

ESU #11 sponsored the Annual Elementary Quiz Bowl at the Nebraska Prairie Museum in Holdrege on Wednesday, March 20th. Teams attending were Alma, Arapahoe, Axtell, Bertrand, Cambridge, Elwood, Eustis-Farnam, Holdrege, Legacy Christian, Loomis, Minden, Southern Valley, and Wilcox-Hildreth. Results were as follows: 1st – Cambridge: Jason Sawyer, Coach Halle Downer, Rachel McGowen, Dakota Deterding, Asher Gerlach, John McGowen, Jessie Mowry, Will Nickerson, Gage Rauch, Peyton Soucie 2nd - Arapahoe: Katie Helms, Coach, Kinley Christensen, Elsie Strand, Boede Soncksen, Lilly Helms, Elizabeth Magorian, Eve Fisher, Dax Hillman, Easton Strand.

SWNPHD, in collaboration with the Nebraska Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, is pleased to announce the installation of a new air quality sensor in our communities, called a PurpleAir sensor. Installed in McCook, Ogallala, Benkelman, and Imperial this sensor will help support air monitoring efforts in our state to help our residents make informed decisions for their health.