News

Clay County was one of several Nebraska counties hit by a severe thunderstorm in the early morning hours Aug. 7.

At 2:46 a.m., the National Weather Service in Hastings issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning, and by about 3:30 a.m., the warning was continued until 4:15 a.m.

Different reports came in about wind gusts and speeds in Clay County, ranging from 80-90 mph, according to the NWS, while a couple of local weather monitors estimated speeds between 103 and 108 mph.

Straight line winds, mixed with heavy rain and hail, caused damage to areas throughout Fairfield, Glenvil, and Harvard, as well as surrounding farm ground.

Power was reported out in Fairfield, Glenvil, and parts of Clay Center early Wednesday morning, according to Clay County Emergency Manager Tim Lewis. Downed trees and tree limbs snapped powerline poles and fell onto lines, causing some of them to break or pull power away from buildings.

Larry T. Nuss made a return to the Sutton City Council Monday, Aug. 12, as Nuss replaces Dave Plettner, who during the July council meeting, stepped down from his Ward 1 seat, after serving the council for nearly 21 years.

Nuss, who held one of the two Ward 2 seats on the council until moving out of the south ward in Sutton, returns to serve the council for the remainder of Plettner’s term. Nuss, who was serving as council president before, having to step down from his original Ward 2 seat, was also re-elected to the post as council president.

Council members also voted to move forward with the downtown revitalization plans with JEO Consulting. The plan will begin to help support streetscape projects, including sidewalks, lighting, and curb ramps, in addition to help assist with exterior building improvements, help to create business incubator space in the downtown area and to explore a potential childcare center in the downtown area.

Harvard is one of four schools to receive funds from the reVISION grant, which “provides Nebraska schools with the opportunity to analyze and transform their current career education systems in order to improve their ability to educate a qualified workforce that meets industry needs within an ever-changing economy,” according to the NE Department of Education website.

Originally, nine schools in ESU 9 came together to apply for the grant as a unit; however, five of those schools decided to write their own grants, leaving Harvard, Kenesaw, Adams Central, and Doniphan-Trumbull, HPS Principal Neil Riley said.

During the reVISION grant process, HPS’s Advisory Board, consisting of Riley, Scott Trimble, Chuck Conway, Kristen Berns, Michaela Bourn, and Cliff Gallant joining later, hosted a community engagement time, meeting with local businesses and those in the area students would be working with.

According to the 2017 census, Harvard has a little more than 960 residents, many of whom have resided in the community their entire lives, a fact Harvard Police Chief Wayne Alley sees as a town strength.

“The people who have grown up here, they love this town and don’t want to leave or move away, so there’s hometown loyalty,” Alley said.

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