News

The Clay County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a workshop to learn about short- and long-term effects of allowing an industrial solar farm in the Spring Ranch area.

The public is encouraged to sit in on the informational session at 1 p.m., Jan. 21, at the courthouse in Clay Center.

“We’re not against anything,” county board member L. Wayne Johnson, of Clay Center, said, “just want to make sure we know the facts.”

The workshop will give the board the opportunity to gain unbiased perspectives on both sides of the issue and allow in-depth discussion on the pros and cons of the project.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Clay%20County%20NewsID530/

The system set up at the Clay County Giving Tree appears smooth and steady.

Gifts are already in boxes for volunteers to wrap, a line of men are ready to scan each tag, and more volunteers are waiting patiently to organize those gifts into a line of their respective towns.

Everything is organized, but it doesn’t come without hard work and months of planning ahead.

Before the annual wrapping party begins, forms are sent out to churches, schools, and certain businesses around Clay County, where names, ages, and present options are written down and returned.

From there, each person and their information, including their present(s) of choice, are typed into a program by Ed Barnes.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Clay%20County%20NewsID530/

The 35th annual Giving Tree, an event which continually brings in volunteers of all ages, hosted its wrapping party Wednesday, Dec. 18, where more than 300 gifts were boxed, wrapped, and delivered throughout Clay County. LEFT: Karisa Troester, left, and Katie Johnson share a laugh while wrapping some boxes. 

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Clay%20County%20NewsID530/

Five of the county’s 11 communities have projects or events that will receive a portion of 2019’s county-wide lodging tax.

The Clay County Board of Supervisors heard recommendations from the County Visitors and Promotion Committee during the board’s regular meeting on Dec. 17, at the courthouse in Clay Center.

Committee member Pam Maynard of Sutton reported that the overall balance of the county lodging tax fund is approximately $2,200 less than it was one year ago, likely due to less lodging tax being collected by local hotels.

State law requires hotels and RV parks to collect a 1 percent lodging tax on their customers, according to the Nebraska Department of Revenue, which goes toward Nebraska tourism. In addition, counties may impose an additional lodging tax—not to exceed 4 percent—to benefit local tourism.

Dr. Dale Grotelueschen has received a fitting retirement gift—in the form of a top honor from the Nebraska Cattlemen.

Grotelueschen retired in July from the directorship of the Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center (GPVEC) located on the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center campus situated between Clay Center and Glenvil. He had held that position since 2003 and had helped spearhead projects to benefit the beef cattle industry, particularly cow-calf producers.

“We work in close association with the livestock industry,” Grotelueschen said of GPVEC’s focus.

The Nebraska Cattlemen bestowed Grotelueschen with the 2019 Industry Service Award during its annual convention on Dec. 5, in Kearney. This honor recognizes an individual who has helped to shape the beef industry.

Giving birth is a huge moment in a woman’s life, so choosing where and how to give birth is essential to the process.

In 2019, there are several options for women when it comes to giving birth, and at Memorial Health Care in Aurora, those options are evident in their newest upgrades.

The birth suites renovations, which debuted Nov. 19, now include a full bathtub complete with a warming seat, jets, and even bluetooth speakers. This newest feature has already been used since its debut, and was noted by the mother that it “really helped with relaxation and pain,” Jessica Griffin, MCH OB supervisor, said.

MCH offers a number of birthing options for expecting mothers, all centered around the idea of being in a safe medical environment.

The birthing suite also offers nitrous oxide gas, which can be used instead of an epidural.

Sandy Creek’s buses will be getting security cameras.

This was among two purchases approved last week during the South Central Unified School District #5 Board of Education’s regular meeting on Dec. 11 on the Sandy Creek campus near Fairfield.

The board unanimously approved a motion to spend up to $28,000 on installation of interior bus security cameras on approximately 11 buses between Sandy Creek and Lawrence-Nelson schools that transport mixed ages of students. Seven of those buses would be from Sandy Creek.

“Some of you may have trouble understanding that we’ve come to this point that we need these on our buses,” Heather Wharton, SCUD’s transportation coordinator said, “but this would really help us out.”

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Clay%20County%20NewsID530/

Santa visits abound in Clay County

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Clay%20County%20NewsID530/

The Clay County Board of Supervisors is seeking a more in-depth look at the potential for an industrial solar farm to go in the Spring Ranch area.

The board’s concern is how to get unbiased information from those parties on both sides of the issue in order to best weigh the pros and cons of giving its blessing, or not, to the project.

“Each one is going to slant the facts their way,” Co Board member Dick Shaw of Edgar said, during the board’s regular meeting on Dec. 17, at the courthouse in Clay Center.

“That’s the thing,” agreed County Board member L. Wayne Johnson of Clay Center. “You don’t know what you don’t know.”

Virginia-based APEX Clean Energy has proposed a 305-megawatt solar farm to be placed on approximately 3,000 acres in the southwest corner of Clay County, under the Pauline-Moore transmission line.

With the announcement made last week that the Sutton Community Home Foundation and the Sutton Community Home Board of Directors will be embarking on a six month capital campaign to expand the assisted living services, with a new addition to the existing assisted living facility, members of the SCH Foundation are planning to host an area town hall meeting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 28.

The event will take place at the Sutton Community Center, located at 200 South Saunders in Sutton.

The campaign goal will be announced, with many other details that are still being worked on, during the January community meeting.

The Steier Group, as announced last week, will be helping the two organizations to set up the plan for the capital campaign.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Clay%20County%20NewsID530/