I’m back! Sorry for letting news days get by without sending in my column. There have been activities going on in the area! One thing that hasn’t been very exciting is the weather. And that’s not a bad thing. For the end of November, we have had some really nice days. There’ve been a few cold snaps but they have been short lived. There has been one constant – no precipitation! The good side of that is that it has allowed the farmers to get their crops in. Most combines in the area are now cleaned up and in the shed for the winter. Not all yields were good, but all reports I’ve heard was that they were all better than expected, with some coming in as exceptional. We’ll take that!

The Tri Valley Health System monthly diabetes support group will be held on Monday, December 6 at 5:00 p.m. in the Meadowlark Meeting Room, which can be accessed through the Wellness Center entrance or the main entrance. A Dexcom representative will be discussing continuous glucose monitoring. Tri Valley Health System invites anyone with the diagnosis of diabetes as well as a support person to join the free support group and there’s no need to pre-register. For more information please call Tri Valley Health System Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Tonya Koeppen at 308-697- 1153.

This Christmas season Fairview Cemetery in Cambridge will once again join the national Wreaths Across America mission. Wreaths Across America was started in 1992 by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester, who began to place wreaths at veterans’ stones in Arlington National Cemetery.

REPUBLICAN PLAINS AC- TIVITIES CONFERENCE EAST DIVISION PLAY PRODUCTION RESULTS NOVEMBER 20, 2021 SOUTHERN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL SCHOOL PLACE Cambridge 1st Bertrand 2nd Alma 3rd Maxwell 4th Southern Valley 5th Arapahoe 6th CONFERENCE CHAMPION - Cambridge CONFERENCE RUNNER UP- Bertrand BEST ACTOR - James Dubbs as Charles Wallace Alma BEST ACTRESS – Grace Brown as June Muldoon Cambridge ACTRESSES AND ACTORS HONORABLE MENTION NOVEMBER 20, 2021 ALMA – Linden Biskup, James Dubbs, Delaney Seyler, Jonah Felix, Carter Brandyberry, Gage Thulin, Lili Brown, Elizabeth Dubbs, Carlee Stuhmer, Miley Whitney, Emmett Torrey ARAPAHOE – Hilary Downey, Titus Goshert, Hope Koller, Alese Williams, Tracy Roskop, Hannah Whitson BERTRAND – Johanna Ford, Owen Kaps, Chonsey Bieker, Myles Boggs, Kayne Gonzalez, Dashiell Alexander CAMBRIDGE – Grace Brown, Jacey Kent, Austin Harris, Ali Webb, Brodie Mitchell, Kamryn McArthur MAXWELL- Carley Jackson, Lisselle Lucas, Christina Smith, Cole Vencill, Tyler Neill, Jett Simpson SOUTHERN VALLEY – Kolby Hunt, Brianna Jorgenson, Elizabeth Meyers, Brianna Russell, Kamden Bose, Laurel Stalder, Kyleah Branham LAST YEAR’S (2020) CHAM- PION – ALMA LAST YEAR’S (2020) RUN- NER UP - CAMBRIDGE.

West Central Nebraska Development District has funds remaining for the Regional owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program. Homeowners must live in the home, have $25,000 of equity in the home, obtain homeowners insurance, be income qualified and be in the municipal limits of Bartley. Gross income for a family of 4 cannot be greater than $84,360. Applications will be received on a first-come, first-served basis. The maximum allowable funding per home rehab is $25,000; given in the form of a forgivable loan. Applications may be picked up at the Village Office at 101 West Walnut Street, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The application period opens December 2, 2021 and closes December 15, 2021. For questions on the program, please contact grant administrator WCNDD at 308-284-6077.

CAMBRIDGE - At Monday’s District Play Production competition in Cambridge, the Southern Valley One Act team came out on top in an incredibly-close judges’ decision, clinching a trip to the Class C2 State competition next week in Norfolk.

Annually, the Cambridge Lions Club leads a food and toy drive for those who are in need. The effort reaches over 60 households to nine different communities in our area. This project is possible through the generous donations of many individuals, organizations, churches, and groups.

On November 5, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) mandated that all health care workers (employees, volunteers, and contractors) at facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs receive the first COVID-19 vaccination by December 5.

10 years ago Arapahoe Public School’s afternoon pre-school class took their first field trip as they visited the Roskop Dairy south of Arapahoe with their instructor LeAndre Monie. Thanksgiving carries a lot of traditions according to the National Turkey Foundation in 2010 consumption of turkey was 16,4 pounds per person - 31 percent of that is eaten at Thanksgiving.

10 years ago Jim Jackson and his son-in-law Ross Ebbers began a new boat storage business. The business consists of 100 foot by 32 foot steel building with eight separated 31 foot by 12 foot stalls and a concrete floor at the Harry Strunk Lake about 10 miles northwest of Cambridge.