News

Grafton and Sutton Volunteer Fire Departments responded to a grass fire Thursday, Jan. 14, northwest of Grafton. Crews were able to get the fire under control despite the almost-60 mph winds gusting that day. ASHLEY D. SWANSON | CLAY COUNTY NEWS

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The first session of the 107th Nebraska Unicameral Legislature has begun, and the Clay County Board of Supervisors has eyes on one proposal in particular.

LB310, introduced by Sen. Robert Clements (District 2) of Omaha, would alter inheritance tax rates and exemption amounts.

WHAT IS THE INHERITANCE TAX?

Nebraska is among six states that impose a state inheritance tax. Unlike an estate tax, in which the tax would be paid through a deceased person's estate, inheritance tax is paid by the beneficiary of the property. Nebraska does not have an estate tax.

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*EDITOR’S NOTE: The CCN chose the teachers and staff of Clay County schools as the CCN Persons of the Year for 2020 for their continued dedication to their students and school. From the moment schools were closed for the remainder of the school year, to the preparation discussions on how the 2020-21 school year would look like, our county schools worked to maintain a level of education for all students through virtual learning, as well as continued with school lunches, found a way to give seniors a graduation ceremony, and figured out a system to make sure they could open for another year of education and activities.*

On March 15, 2020, Harvard was the first Clay County school to close. Then, on March 16, Sandy Creek (South Central Unified), Sutton and Sutton Christian followed suit.

Residents and staff members of the Sutton Community Home and Hillcrest View Assisted Living took the first steps toward building up an immunity to the COVID-19 virus last week, as the Sutton facility received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Thursday, Jan. 7.

According to administrator Jeff Harvey, “it was an exciting day for our staff and residents in the home and the assisted living center.”

Harvey added, “those that chose to get the vaccine will also receive the second vaccine three weeks from the day our first one was administered.”

The Sutton home had a contract with Walgreens, who ultimately set up the vaccine clinic in the main dining area to administer the Pfizer vaccine.

Harvey also reported that the two facilities have now gone two weeks without any new COVID-19 cases, and that it has enabled both facilities to lessen restrictions somewhat.

The Clay County Board of Supervisors elected new leadership Tuesday morning.

L. Wayne Johnson, of Clay Center, won the bid for board chairman with a vote of 6-1 against James Pavelka of Glenvil. Pavelka was voted in as vice-chairman.

Johnson served as vice-chair in 2020.

Former long-time chairman Ivan Fintel, of Sutton, remains on the board. He previously voiced his decision not to run for an officer role in 2021.

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Members of the Sutton City Council gave its unanimous approval for the hiring of a third police officer to the Sutton Police Department during the monthly meeting, Monday, Jan. 11.

Officer David Maathuis was approved to become a member of the city’s police department at an annual base salary of $37,440. Maathuis’ addition to the local force officially began this past Monday, pending the final approval of his hiring.

In addition, council members also approved the purchase of an additional police cruiser at a base cost of $38,377 from Friesen Chevrolet in Sutton. To add lights and other necessary equipment to the cruiser, with the vehicle and added equipment, the cost to the city will be $43,493.

Councilmember Jarrod Aspegren announced his resignation through a letter to the council, after the Aspegren family moved out of the city limits, thus making him unable to serve the community on the council.

Senator Dave Murman of rural Glenvil will be heading into his third session of the Nebraska Legislature this week, as the first session of the 107th Legislature was set to begin at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 6.

Murman, along with 48 other senators from 49 total legislative districts in the state, will begin it’s 90-day session and according to reports, the new session could very well be scaled back due to COVID-19 restrictions. Two hot topic items, among many issues that will be taken up by the new session will include the redistricting process, which was last held in 2011, as well as a proposed $280 million prison in an effort to reduce far reaching overcrowding in Nebraska’s current prison facilities.

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Circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic are constantly changing and vary from community to community. Difficult decisions will have to be made from week to week or even day to day.

The health and safety of students, staff, and local communities remain the priority of the NSAA as they provide opportunities to participate in the winter sports season.

Each school has the authority to determine if it will continue to participate in the 2020-21 winter season. During the season it will be the responsibility of the host school to provide administrative oversight and compliance with established COVID-19 guidelines in accordance with their local health departments and facilities.

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On Jan. 4, South Heartland District Health Department (SHDHD) officials reported 157 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in the past seven days (Dec. 29–Jan. 4), averaging 22.4 new cases per day and bringing the cumulative number of cases in the four-county health district to 3,826.

The new confirmed cases for the seven-day period include: 112 in Adams, 36 in Clay, four in Nuckolls and five in Webster. By county, the new cumulative totals are: 2,514 cases in Adams, 618 cases in Clay, 391 cases in Nuckolls, and 303 cases in Webster.

SHDHD executive director Michele Bever reported the district’s weekly positivity (percent COVID-19-positive tests out of all tests conducted in the week) had increased for the second week in a row after a low of 9.3 percent on Dec. 19. By county, the positivity was 18.8 percent in Adams, 12.8 percent in Clay, 2.7 percent in Nuckolls, and 7.3 percent in Webster.

Driving a tractor spurs thoughts of a more challenging career for Edgar’s Scott Hild. It was just that, while helping his father Jim Hild, that the 2013 Sandy Creek graduate decided that he was looking for something that challenged him more.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to farm for my career, but I just craved something that challenged me physically and mentally in other ways than farming challenges people,” Hild said.

Hild, who along with his wife Paige, made the decision that it was time, to seek some form of a challenge that allowed him to help people, while at the same time, gave him that day-to-day feeling that he was in a career that he’d looked at before, in the area of maybe a military career would bring him.

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