The holiday season is often touted as the most wonderful time of year, but it also presents an increased risk of home fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), December is a leading month for U.S. home fires, with Christmas Day and Christmas Eve representing the secondand third-leading days of the year for home cooking fires, respectively, in 2024.

MAYWOOD – The school board held their last meeting of the year on Monday, December 8, 2025. The board settled negotiations with the Maywood Education Association (MEA) and set the base teacher’s pay at $40,200 for 2026-2027.

Nebraska’s ongoing efforts to meet its Republican River Compact obligations are once again creating operational challenges for the surfacewater irrigation system. By order of the State of Nebraska, the Bureau of Reclamation has begun releasing water from reservoirs under contract to the Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation District (FCID) so the Middle Republican NRD (MRNRD) can meet its requirement to provide 3,450 acre-feet toward Nebraska’s Compact compliance. This obligation exists because of excess depletions to the river caused by groundwater pumping within the MRNRD.

On Saturday, December 13, area residents will have the opportunity to honor our veterans by attending the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony in local communities. Wreaths Across America is a national, and international, program committed to teaching all generations about the value of American freedoms and the importance of honoring those who sacrifi ced so much to protect those freedoms.

The Nebraska Music Education Association (NMEA) announced that Karlie (Sines) Bruce has been selected as the 2025 NMEA Novice Music Educator of the Year, an honor recognizing exceptional achievement, leadership, and promise among Nebraska’s early-career music educators.

Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) is encouraging residents to take proactive steps to protect their mental well-being this holiday season, a time when emotional strain, stress, and crisis situations often become more frequent. While the holidays can bring joy and celebration, they can also magnify feelings of grief, financial pressure, loneliness, and family conflict. This can create moments when people feel overwhelmed, making early awareness and support especially critical.

Well, they’ve done it again. The holidays have snuck up on me, seemingly out of nowhere. As we enter the season of giving, I think children are great examples. Yes, children get excited about Christmas because of presents and Santa. But, at their core, I think they make great givers, too. They give with generosity, joy and without embarrassment.

By Bridget Diamond-Welch, Ph.D When someone escapes domestic violence, their journey to healing has only just begun. As physicians, you are often the first professionals to recognize signs of abuse and can play a pivotal role in connecting survivors to lifesaving resources.

Kyle Rote (Lisco, NE). By NCTA News Find the full story with information about the four out-of-state students on the website: https://ncta.unl.edu/ news/american-ffa-degreespresented- national-ffa-convention/ The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture congratulates seven students and alumni who earned the American FFA Degree at the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, IN.

November 14-15 saw about 40 sheep and goat producers and other interested persons from all-around Nebraska attend the Annual NSGP Association Conference held at Wunderlich’s Barley Room in Columbus, Nebraska. The conference began with tours of the Shepard Hills Sheep and the Went Show Goat operations north of Columbus on Friday afternoon. These exciting tours were followed by the annual business meeting and a terrific evening meal prepared by Wunderlich’s.