As the calendar rolls over into a new year, 2020 can be remembered for one more thing - another drought. All of Frontier, Furnas, Gosper and Red Willow counties are now in extreme drought as well as large portions of Harlan and Phelps counties.

Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) is working with state public health officials and local hospitals to implement plans for the recently approved COVID-19 vaccines. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is distributing the vaccines in phases, following federal guidelines for each phase. At this time, the vaccine is not widely available. Healthcare facilities are reporting being overwhelmed with calls from the public seeking the vaccine. We are asking the public to stop calling healthcare facilities and the health department in search of the vaccine. Instead, wait patiently while the vaccine is distributed utilizing the federal guidelines.

Cambridge Lions, in partnership with Bartley and Holbrook Lions and the Knights of Columbus from Indianola, met on Saturday, 12/19/20, to deliver boxes of food, gift cards, and toys to 50 families in our communities. This annual project has been going on for over 50 years and the community support and contributions were amazing. Toys were collected at multiple locations around Cambridge and sorted and bagged for each family last week and included in the food delivery on Saturday. This is truly a community effort and could not happen without your continued support. Thank you all!

What a beautiful day we had for Christmas. COVID-19 has prevented lots of gatherings, but at least the weather made safe outdoor visits possible. Mid-50’s temps on Christmas Day were awesome. But, Covid did still curtail the usual big family gatherings.

RIVER VALLEY EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH - Nathan Goshert, Pastor; 1201 Elm St., Arapahoe, Ph. 962-7730.

Open Tuesdays and Fridays 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 210 7th Street, Arapahoe, NE 308.962.7296. To observe social distancing during the COVID 19 pandemic, call the number posted outside the building and wait for the volunteer staff to bring out your box of groceries. They will put together Christmas food boxes on December 9th. They are CLOSED the month of December.

LINCOLN, Neb. — Catching fish through the ice can be a fun way to spend a winter day. Winter days are shorter, so any time spent outdoors is a bonus. But with ice-fishing, safety always should come first.

LINCOLN, Neb. — In 2021, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is celebrating 100 years of inspiring outdoor adventures at our state park system, which began when Chadron State Park was established in 1921.