News

Following a week of warmer temperatures, Clay County felt the seasons’ first thunderstorm, as well as several inches of rain, resulting in flooding and colder temperatures.

NeRain reported 2.6 inches of rain fell onto the county Saturday, March 13. A downpour Saturday evening gave way to flooded areas, overflowing creeks and ponds, overcoming ditches, and causing excessively muddy roadways.

One such area, the southeast portion of Road X between Highway 74 and Road 311, was closed by the county road department Monday due to this issue.

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Sandy Creek’s paraeducators, cafeteria workers, janitors, and other support staff will be getting a raise this next school year.

The South Central Nebraska Unified School District #5 Board of Education approved a 2 percent salary increase last week for all classified personnel at Sandy Creek, whose main campus is located near Fairfield, and Lawrence-Nelson public schools. This boost is effective during the 2021-22 school year.

The vote took place during the board’s regular monthly meeting March 9 at Lawrence-Nelson High School in Nelson.

About this time last year, the announcement of schools shutting down for a week or two was announced, postponing several school activities.

Then, the announcement came from the state that schools were to switch to online learning for the remainder of the school year, and all extracurricular activities were canceled, including the 2020 Harvard musical.

This year, at the conclusion of a dress rehearsal Sunday, March 14, one student asked if there was going to be another announcement like last year that school would be closed.

Thankfully, that’s not the case, and Harvard’s musical, “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” will be performed for in-person audiences beginning Friday.

A dream is a wish your heart makes and this musical is full of wishes coming true.

Harvard Volunteer Firefighters and Clay County Emergency Management responded to a grass fire just west of Highway 14 North, near the train tracks Thursday, March 11. The cause of the fire was undetermined as of Monday. Here, Harvard crews begin hosing down the flames.

ASHLEY D. SWANSON | CLAY COUNTY NEWS

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A barn quilt, painted with a blue stripe in the center of the flag, was presented to the Sutton Volunteer Fire Department, EMTs, and Police as a thank you from the Nebraska Daughters of the American Revolution—Niobrara Butler-Johnson Chapter, during the VFD banquet Saturday. Pictured in back from left: Jason Ekeler, Mitch Meyer, Trayson Landenberger, Tracey Landenberger, Austin Reinsch, Rex Kreutzer, and Brandon Kreutzer. In front from left: Tim Anderson, Brett Gibson, John Schurman, Patricia Ochsner with the Butler-Johnson Chapter, Jaden Nuss, Larry T. Nuss, and Alex DeLarm. Not pictured: South Central Chiropractic was honored as Business of the Year. 

LEFT: Brett Gibson received the Firefighter of the Year honor during this year’s Sutton Volunteer Fire Department Banquet. RIGHT: Mitch Meyer earned Rookie of the Year during the banquet Saturday. Standing with Gibson and Meyer are Sutton VFD Chief John Schurman, left, and VFD Assistant Chief Tracey Landenberger.

Nine students will be heading to the state speech competition on March 18, in five different events.

Sutton and Sandy Creek competed at the Fillmore Central District Speech Competition March 6, with Sutton’s Shelby Dietz earning the district champion title and punching her ticket to state in Serious Prose.

Also heading to state from Sutton are Leif Andersen, second in Extemporaneous Speaking; Melanie Minchow, third in Informative Speaking; and Kylie Schroetlin, third in Entertainment Speaking.

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Just one month after failing to get a second to move forward with a downtown sidewalk and curb and gutter project, modifications made to bump-out areas of the potential upgrades to the south downtown business districts sidewalks has new life.

Sutton Council members put their blessing behind some key changes after a lengthy discussion to revive the project and save the loss of several hundred’s of thousands of dollars in grant funding to support much of the improvements that would go into the area along Saunders Avenue between Forrest and Grove Streets.

Councilman Mike Newman, who moved to approve the project during the council’s February meeting, which failed to gain a second, also moved to approve the project again Monday night, after some adjustments were offered to the bump-out areas within the project.

In mid-June of 2020, the process of creating a new 911 communication center began.

After purchasing the former South Central Power District’s building—located at 212 W. Fairfield St. in Clay Center— for $26,000, the crew got to work refurbishing the inside.

With the help of staff and dispatchers and training officer Casey Brown’s husband, the interior work didn’t cost the county anything.

Old panels were ripped down, new 911 communication systems were installed, and a fresh coat of paint covered the walls, Brown explained. Brown served as Clay County Emergency Manager Tim Lewis’ 911 adjunct in establishing the new center.

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During the 31st annual Pheasants Forever Banquet Saturday, Feb. 27, several items were auctioned off, including guns, paintings, and other decor. Here, Auctioneer Colt Pope, upper left, scans the crowd for bidders of a hand gun, held by Emily Overturf.

ASHLEY D. SWANSON | CLAY COUNTY NEWS

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The Nebraska Department of Revenue released gaming figures for the calendar year of 2020, and as expected with the many shutdowns of gaming outlets through the state, gaming funds statewide and locally in Clay County took a sharp hit compared to 2019.

Locally, compared to the that of 2019, Sutton took an overall loss of 72,047 in gaming funds, while Harvard was down just over $151,000.

In 2019, Sutton’s total gaming activity brought in $329,106, while Harvard gaming brought in $438,104 in 2019. In contrast, 2020 gaming activity in Sutton ended with $257,059, while Harvard dropped to $287,010.

SECOND QUARTER SHOWS SHARPEST HIT

The sharpest hit for both communities came during the second quarter of 2020, as COVID-19 related shutdowns to establishments statewide, and locally, by way of mandates directed by the State of Nebraska and Governor Pete Ricketts occurred during the second quarter last year.