Area News
Semi Load of Piglets Rescued after Accident
The only casualties in a semi-truck trailer and car accident near Benkelman late Tuesday afternoon, were some baby pigs. But, a large rescue effort with the help of Dundy County Stratton High School students, emergency responders, some local ag producers with livestock trailers, and staff from the Twin Forks Vet clinic,…
Read MoreBig Changes for the Food Pantry
The Dundy County Commissioners met last week for a walk through of the new County building on the corner of Chief Street. County employees along with Dale Shilke from Engineering International as well as representatives from the Ministerial Alliance and food pantry enjoyed a nice tour. The building will serve several purposes for the county.…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Cases and Vaccinations Increasing in Southwest Nebraska
Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) and their partners are seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases and in the number of people wanting to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination rates across the health district have reached 40%. This number includes fully vaccinated as well as partially vaccinated individuals. A partially vaccinated person is someone who…
Read MoreSchool Meals at No Charge for All Students
Effective for School Year 2021-22, Hitchcock County Schools will serve meals at no charge to enrolled students. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved use of the Seamless Summer Option (SSO), which allows local school districts to provide no-cost meals to all enrolled students for the duration of the 2021-22 school year. The new…
Read MoreBenkelman Bricks Begins Next Phase of Project
Maybe you remember the big brick building on the corner of Main Street as Irelands, or Atens or the Napa building, the building has come under lots of scrutiny in recent years and sitting on the city’s nuisance list right now, is greatly in need of repairs. Last year, a group of community citizens came…
Read MoreWeather Doesn’t Dampen Spirit at Big Timber Gathering
With a chuckwagon, campfire, and beautiful scenery right out of the Old West, you could almost see and hear the history of “The Big Timber” property located about halfway between Benkelman and Bird City last weekend. Tana and Darren Dale purchased the historical Cheyenne County land about a year ago. You drive about 10-miles south…
Read MoreDundy County Commissioners Approve Resolution Stating Opposition to 30×30 Program
The Dundy County Commissioners have joined a growing list of Nebraska Counties formally opposing President Joseph Biden’s 30 x 30 program. The commissioners voted 3-0 to approve the resolution during their regular meeting on Monday. Dundy County’s resolution is based on similar resolutions passed by other Nebraska Counties, specifically Keith County. The Dundy County resolution…
Read MoreThe Memory of “Dudes” McDonald Inspires at Miracle on 34 Fundraiser
As part of the Miracle on 34 Emergency Responders fundraiser held in Benkelman on Saturday, March 20, 2021, the family of the late Kenny “Dudes” McDonald’s, a longtime Benkelman firemen, donated his fire fighter helmet to the live auction. The special helmet, that was presented to Dudes on his retirement from the department, raised…
Read MoreEl Dorado Manor Turns 50
The staff and residents of the El Dorado Manor Nursing Home and Assisted Living Center are celebrating the facilitie’s 50th Anniversary. El Dorado Manor became a reality in 1970, through the perseverance of business people and private citizens who petitioned the Village Board of Trustees to approve bonds for the construction of a nursing home.…
Read MoreGive Back to the Fire Departments and Emergency Responders Who Helped Save Benkelman
You can still smell smoke and see the scar of the wildfire on the west edge of Benkelman. The memory of the wildfire that came so close to spreading into Benkelman if not for the efforts of the Benkelman Rural Fire Department and 13 other departments answering the mutual aid call after midnight on January…
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