News

Harvard Foodmart has officially been open for a year, after it reopened in October 2021 following the closure of the store more than a year beforehand. About 15 citizens gathered at the store Friday, Oct. 21, to help the owners/employees celebrate the year anniversary. Here, Jerry Schmidt, far left, and Harvard Mayor Keith Ljunggren present a plant to Davinder and Parm Singh Friday afternoon.

Those who grew up with the popular comic strip, “Peanuts,” and who tuned in for TV specials will enjoy Harvard’s Musical as they prepare to put on “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”

The musical announcement was made Wednesday, Oct. 5, to students in a fashionable way. Staff members donned possible options for the 2023 musical, including dressing up for The Sound of Music, Shrek, Cats, and finally revealing what musical they would actually be working on.

“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” is based on the characters from “Peanuts” and follows along as they explore life’s great questions.

This adventure includes baseball games, struggling with homework, singing songs, celebrating their friendships, and unrequited Valentines.

A full room of supporters filling the Sutton Council Chambers on Monday, Oct. 10, during the regular monthly meeting of the city fathers, warranted the setting up of a special meeting held by council members Monday night, Oct. 17.

The special meeting, according to councilman Jeff Schelkopf, was termed as a “situation that has a lot to soak in, with torches burning,” but in the end, council members unanimously approved a $126,000 grant to Michelle Gibson, the owner of the Kids R Us daycare center on a drawdown basis.

In the motion made by Schelkopf, the grant, which will come out of the City of Sutton’s LB840 program, will be structured on a drawdown basis, with a “no sunset” bearing on the grant. In addition, in the short term, at least, the city will also waive any payments required to pay by Gibson on her current $75,000 loan.

This was the result of two meetings that brought forth detailed discussions about a variety of funds that could be used.

South Central Nebraska Unified School District #5 will be seeking a new superintendent to guide Sandy Creek and Lawrence-Nelson public schools through the separation of their assets before the current unification agreement is allowed to expire in May 2024.

Julie Otero, who has served as the superintendent of the unified district since 2018, has submitted her letter of resignation. The SCNUSD Board of Education voted 10-0 to accept her resignation effective June 30, 2023. The action was taken during the board’s regular monthly meeting on Oct. 12 at the main Sandy Creek campus near Fairfield.

Board vice president Donita Furman, of Clay Center, wished Otero well on her retirement.

Jennifer Clifford, of the Exeter area, who was employed by the Sutton Community Home under the former management group, LTC Midwest, owned and operated by Randy Kozeal of Wilber, has been charged in the Clay County court system with six felony charges related to misused funds and fraudulent activity during her employment at the Sutton home.

According to the State of Nebraska’s multi-court case calendar website, Clifford’s arraignment hearing is tentatively set for 10 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 25, in Clay County Court.

THE CHARGES FILED

Clifford, who was hired by former administrator Jeff Harvey in late August 2021, has been charged with the following felonies:

• Theft by Unlawful Taking of $5,000 or more, a Class IIA felony;

• Forgery in the 2nd Degree, a Class IIA felony;

• Three counts of False Statements, each are a Class IV felony, and;

• Unauthorized use of a Financial Transaction Device, a Class IIA felony.

Glenvil’s newest business, Smidt Family Processing LLC, had a ribbon cutting ceremony and a hosted tour of the facilities Saturday, Oct. 8.

Lathan, Courtney and their kids Sawyer and Sterling welcomed several visitors to their newly-opened business after about seven months worth of work.

Lathan and Courtney grew up near Glenvil and in Ayr, respectively, and attended Adams Central.

Following their marriage, they lived in Fairfield briefly before moving to Glenvil about two years ago.

Courtney explained they wanted to open the business in a small town, and decided Glenvil was a good place for it.

Lathan has a background in meat processing, having worked at Custom Packing for about seven years, before working at Gentert Packing Company for a couple of years.

“He’s kind of always wanted to do something like this, but needed more experience,” she said. “And finally, we just decided we needed to pull the trigger and do it.”

The presumed body of a missing Columbus woman was found east of Harvard Wednesday, Oct. 5.

A person working in the area on Road 26, near Harvard’s lagoons, found a body of a woman presumed to be 25-year-old Jasmine Garnett, who has been missing since Sept. 16.

Clay County Sheriff’s officers were called to the scene; the Nebraska State Patrol has taken over the investigation per request by the sheriff’s department.

The case is being investigated as a homicide, and investigation is ongoing.

Democratic Nebraska Governor Candidate Carol Blood recently visited Edgar, sharing her vision and talking with local Clay County residents.

Blood explained she knew she wanted to become a state senator since her fourth-grade tour of the Nebraska State Capitol; however, the first thing she knew she had to do was raise her own family.

She and her husband have three adult children and 10 grandchildren.

After her children graduated from high school, she found it to be beneficial to run for city council.

“It would be really beneficial for me to run for city council because then I can learn better about what the connection is between state government and local government,” she said. “And do we serve it well?”

She ran At-Large against five Republicans and two Democrats, and eventually won her primary. Blood was elected on to the Bellevue City Council, a position she held for eight years.

In the health department’s weekly health update on Sept. 27, South Heartland District Health Department (SHDHD) executive director Michele Bever reported that influenza (flu) vaccines are becoming available at many locations across the health district beginning this week.

“To keep yourself and your family healthy, we encourage flu shots and staying up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations,” Bever said. “These are the best prevention steps so that you and your family members can continue—uninterrupted— with work, school and other activities this fall and winter.”

As of mid-September, health officials in Nebraska were already seeing a low level of positive flu tests reported.

“It takes about two weeks for protection to develop after vaccination, so now is the time to put ‘Get Flu Shot’ on your calendar,” she said.