The Southern Valley board of education heard a presentation from Apptegy during their regular meeting on Monday, August 9, 2021. This is a website hosting service that includes an app for the school. Superintendent Bryce Jorgenson said this can help the school put out a positive image and go away from twitter and facebook a little bit. The board was shown the app and its abilities and the website designs. There was a lot of good feedback and some questions about ease of use with what they are already doing and have already done. The app has a live feed that looks much like facebook, but without the ability to comment or share. It also keeps schedules and menus that are easy to get to as well as announcements that people can set up notifications for. This could take the place of remind. The service will cost $6,000 per year; they currently pay about $2500. Jorgenson feels that value this adds is worth it, but it is not the right time. They could look at this more after Christmas. He also wants to talk with Jared, the school tech advisor.

BARTLEY - Following a trio of hearings to receive public comment on different policies, the Southwest Board of Education held a brief meeting Monday to approve those policies as well as to discuss proposed health standards from the Nebraska Department of Education, ESSERS III grant allocations and the Return to School Plan.

Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) received additional COVID vaccine from the state to meet the demand from their partners and individuals wanting to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination rates across the health district have reached 42%. This number includes fully vaccinated as well as partially vaccinated individuals.

The neighborhood just can’t get moisture. There have been some showers nearby, but they have been quite spotted. Tuesday morning found nineteen hundredths in the rain gauge. Monday morning found the neighborhood corn fields still looking pretty fair, but Sunday’s and Monday’s temps are sure to be taking their toll. Not only were the temps in the triple digits, the wind made it like opening an oven door.

During the Furnas County Fair, the sale committee, along with Darren and Amy Warner, held an auction for donations to benefit the newly established AJ Weatherwax Memorial. AJ was a lifelong 4-H participant.

In the fall of 2020, a national reporting analysis conducted by McKinsey & Company showed significant learning loss in the areas of Math and Reading during the COVID-19 lockdown. When Congress passed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) in March of this year, the act provided the unprecedented amount of $122 billion in ESSER III (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund) funding wrapped in red tape.

“I want the parents and community to know this will not be a wasted year.” This is the heartfelt sentiment from Arapahoe Holbrook Public Schools Interim Superintendent Brian Gegg. Gegg said he sees his role is to make sure everything is in place for the new administrator when they come on board.

ARAPAHOE – Following months of preparation that included community engagement activities and individual meetings with local businesses, the Arapahoe community is invited to attend the concept presentation for the Downtown Revitalization Project. This presentation gathering will be held in the Arapahoe City Park on Tuesday August 17 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. This is another opportunity for the Arapahoe community to see and weigh in on the design concepts for the downtown project.

Furnas County 4-H’ers exhibited their journey to success at the 2021 Furnas County Fair July 12 th – July 17 th . The Fashion and Talent Show showcased projects that exhibited the hard work and skills learned and earned by our Furnas County 4-Hers.

100 Years Ago August 8, 1921 The municipal water supply at Orleans has been declared unfit for domestic use unless first being boiled. The Village Board is having a concrete crossing built across Ogden Avenue on the north side of Railway Street.