News

Harvard (above) and Sandy Creek’s (below) Marching Bands joined the more than 200 entries of the annual Harvest of Harmony parade Saturday, Oct. 1, in Grand Island.

At the age of 104, Vera Reichert had lived through 18 presidents, two world wars, the Great Depression, and numerous changes and advancements.

On Sept. 21, Reichert, a life-long resident of Sutton and the Sutton area, passed away at the age of 104 years, leaving behind a legacy well-remembered by friends and family.

Her grandson, Travis Reichert, said the legacy she left behind fell into the lines of always making time for others, taking pride in her work, and always wearing a smile.

“She definitely had love for everyone,” Travis and wife, Melissa, said. “She was family oriented and took time out to play games or talk.”

Vera was feisty, but in a loving way, determined and was well known for her sewing skills and homemade meals.

Growing up during the Great Depression, Travis said his grandmother always kept that era mindset, saving all types of containers, canning in the summer, having a wellkept garden, and serving home-cooked meals.

Field crop conditions for various areas show poor conditions, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Corn dented was 96 percent, nearly reaching last year’s dent of 97 percent, and equal to the five-year average.

Seventy-one percent of corn was mature, a little above last year’s 69 percent and ahead of the average 64 percent. As of the end of September, 13 percent of corn was harvested.

Soybeans dropping leaves was at 81 percent, nearing last year’s rate of 85 percent and equaling the average percentage. Thirteen percent had been harvested thus far, just two percent below last year’s harvest rate and one below the average of 14 percent.

As of Sept. 25, there were 5.4 suitable days for fieldwork.

Dry edible beans dropping leaves was at 82 percent, slightly behind 88 percent from last year. Thus far, 45 percent has been harvest, which is about 15 percent lower than last year’s 61 percent.

The Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) and Currency are proud to sponsor Believers & Achievers, a state-wide awards program that recognizes Nebraska’s future leaders.

Believers & Achievers was designed to reward high school students in Nebraska for their excellence in academics and participation in NSAA activities.

Those students who show a commitment to citizenship, school involvement and community projects will be honored in the Believers & Achievers program.

Local students that have been honored for the 2022-23 school year include, in Sutton: Greyson Stengel, Kylie Schroetlin and Nathan Baldwin.

Sandy Creek’s honored students include Teagan Jarosik, McKenzie Petr and Leiah Mueller.

Friday, Sept. 23, Sutton Elementary students had their annual Grandparent’s Day celebration. The morning event began with a special Grandparent’s Day Program, shown below, before grades split up for lunch with their grandparents/special friends. Above, Kristin Sorgen helps Paizley Kissinger get some fruit following the program.

Harvard Public Schools offers a variety of extracurricular activities for its students. There are the familiar ones, such as sports and fine arts, but for those who are not interested in those, or any clubs, there are a couple more opportunities for students to get involved with their school.

The Cardinal Corner Cart and the recently-developed Cardinal Coffee Casa allows students to help before and/ or after school in selling items, including snacks, water, and other small school items to students, as well as making and delivering coffee to staff members.

CARDINAL COFFEE CASA

Thanks to special education teacher Deb Zuelow, with the help of Heather Burbach and some students, HPS staff have the option of grabbing some coffee before school.

Zuelow said to start the coffee shop she presented a proposal for it, and then outlined how the shop would operate—at least for now.

Two years ago, Michael McBreen and Sheryl Herd began looking for an area they could have property, specifically in a place with a small-town feel and where God, town, and country were a strong focus.

The couple, originally from Washington, eventually found a bed and breakfast in Norfolk, which is how Nebraska got on their radar in the first place.

However, when the bed and breakfast went off the market, they began searching for other places in Nebraska— that’s how they found Clay Center.

A house for sale on Zillow eventually led to a virtual tour and by May, McBreen, Herd, and their kids were moving into Clay Center.

In August, the couple opened what is now known to many local citizens as Serendipity, a coffee-shop-based business located at 220 S Center St., just west of Highway 14 in Clay Center.

Having grown up in a small town in California, Herd frequented a local ice cream shop and had a dream of wanting to own one herself.

For the eighth straight year, Sutton’s Fox Hollow Golf Course hosted the Hunter H.D. Hogan scholarship golf tournament Saturday, Sept. 17 with over 100 golfers and supporters taking part in the event. ABOVE: Suttonite Mike Zoucha views the Global War on Terror Wall of Remembrance in the parking lot of the course. LEFT: Steve Hogan, the father of Hunter H.D. Hogan, who was killed in action in Afghanistan during his first deployment with the United States Marines, talks to the large gathering of golfers and supporters of the annual event. Pictured with Hogan is Danny Butler, center, a former guitarist with REO Speedwagon, and Nathan Lockhart, a former member of the Scooter Brown Band. The tournament was organized by the Hunter H.D.

As part of Sutton Public School’s strategic plan, SPS Board members and administration hosted an open space for the community to give feedback about SPS.

About 20 people, board members and administration included, attended the Sept. 14 meeting. Split into three groups, each table was asked the same question, which they discussed and then presented their answers to the others.

Kari Stephens, with NSAB, lead the forum, asking four questions throughout the evening. Responses came in the form of listing what each group came up with.

Q1: Identify points of pride, accomplishments, and achievements of the school district.

Responses: high graduation rate; the Career Pathways Program; academic and athletic successes; quality staff; pride between the community and school; several extracurricular activities available; and music boosters has increased participation.

Q2: Identify challenges facing the community and how this will affect the school district.

On Friday, Sept. 16, Sandy Creek Elementary students helped host a Patriots Day Remembrance and flag retirement ceremony. Several students gave remarks about 9/11, before a worn flag was retired from its post. Here, Sharon Radabaugh cuts each line of the flag into strips so that it can be put into a burn pile and be officially retired.

Holding the flag are fifth-grade members of the boy scouts group.