Edgar celebrated Christmas in their own way on Tuesday, Dec. 20, beginning with a dance recital. Following the recital, a large crowd filled the Edgar Community Center to taste several crockpots of soup.

For the past 30 years, without fail, numerous volunteers have come together to help give back to their neighbors, even if those neighbors are from another town.

The 2016 Clay County Giving Tree was no different. Hundreds of presents were stacked high on one side of the activities building at the fairgrounds, while on another side, volunteers wrapped presents and sorted them in neat lines.

While busy hands folded and wrapped presents of all sizes, sounds of scissors cutting wrapping paper, small talk, and laughter filled the room. Every age gathered to help with the annual event, either wrapping presents or sorting them.

A trio of Sutton wrestlers would help lead the Mustangs to the top of the heap on Tuesday, Dec. 20, in action at home, during the annual Sutton Duals tournament. The Mustangs went 5-0 in duals to win the 2016 tournament.

Sophomore Lee Carlson, junior Chandler Stone and senior Tanner Peterson, all went unbeaten in the tournament that featured five dual challenges.

Carlson, the top ranked Class C wrestler in the 113-pound class this week, received three forfeit wins and earned a pair of wins on the mat, beating Ryan Bond of Wood River by way of a 2:52 pin. Carlson also pinned Centennial’s Gaven Schernikau, doing so in 1:12.

Stone earned one win in the 145-pound class and gained four wins in the 152- pound class for the Mustangs.

Four go unbeaten, led by Rademacher’s 5-0 run at Fillmore Central

Getting mat time for the South Central Red Raiders has been a hard thing as of late, thanks to Mother Nature.

South Central was to take part in the two-day Valentine Invitational Dec. 16 and 17, but winter weather cancelled the Red Raiders trip to Valentine. This prompted South Central to add the Johnson County Central Invite to their schedule in quick fashion. The same weather system that cancelled the Valentine Invite, also cancelled the Red Raiders trip to Cook, NE, for the Thunderbird Invite Dec. 17, leaving the Red Raiders with just two meets under their belts.

For the second time during the 2016-17 basketball season, a trip to Wood River would prove tough on the Sandy Creek girls basketball team. The Wood River Lady Eagles earned a 41-26 win over the Lady Cougars during the first round of the Central City Holiday Tournament, played in Wood River, Thursday, Dec. 22.

The Lady Eagles held a 21- 14 halftime lead, outscoring Sandy Creek 12-6 in the first quarter and 9-8 in the second period.

Wood River then outscored Sandy Creek 20-12 in the second half, to gain the 15- point win.

Wood River claimed a season opening win over Sandy Creek on Dec. 1, 47-39.

Addison Kuta had 13 points in the loss, while Kenzie Turman added five and Lauren Shackelford, four.

By Ashley Swanson

With Christmas over and another year just around the corner, there’s just enough time to take a breather before school begins again and events take hold of the week.

While basketball and wrestling continues in the sports section, and while meetings and town events continue in the news section, another season of events is approaching, one I’m most excited for.

Speech meets will soon claim almost every Saturday from January to March, with the first meets beginning on Jan. 7, with Harvard and Sutton traveling the 30 or so miles to Adams Central. Sandy Creek joins the mix on Jan. 14, at the Grand Island Senior High (GISH) meet.

This year is sure to feature new and old talent, with several veteran speechletes preparing their final events of their high school careers. With several meets set up for this season, there are two close to home for those who don’t want to travel too far.

By Tory Dunc

WOW!!! I ran across a story recently that about made this guy cringe....to say the least.

Evidently this has been taking place since at least August, if not sooner.

A Texas high school will reportedly be spending, or should I say IS spending... YES, at least $70 million dollars on a new football stadium, making it what is to be believed THEE most expensive athletic complex/football stadium in the United States.

Hummmmmmm.....something just hit me wrong with this...in a BIG way!!

I realize that Texas high school football is big, very big, with football budgets alone reaching into the multi-million dollar range in some school districts.

Training dates are set for Nebraska’s commercial and noncommercial pesticide applicators seeking first-time certification or recertification of their license to buy or use restricted-use pesticides in 2017. The statewide training is coordinated through the Nebraska Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP).

Again this year, the training is offered at a variety of locations from January through April. Commercial and noncommercial applicators whose certifications expire in April, are to be mailed a schedule booklet showing certification information and dates. The booklet also is available at local extension offices; by phoning PSEP at 800-627-7216 or 402-472-1632; or by visiting http://pested.unl. edu/commercialschedule.

In 2017, approximately 3,700 commercial and noncommercial applicators will need to be recertified. They include fumigators, ornamental and turf applicators, exterminators and others.

Following the release of the annual NeSA scores, administrators at each school noted areas of strength, but also, if and how NeSA scores reflect how well students perform in school. At Sutton, high school and elementary principals Brandy Thompson and Travis Lockyer, as well as Superintendent Dana Wiseman agreed their students perform well in all areas, with math and science their strongest subjects.

Four contested races, those being the Sutton School Board, Edgar City Council, Glenvil Village Board and Sutton City Council, will highlight this year’s election ballot. Combined between the races, 18 different people will run for an office on one of the boards. SIX RUN FOR THREE OPEN SEATS ON SUTTON SCHOOL BOARD A total of five residents within the Sutton School District, along with one write-in candidate, will vie for three open spots on the Sutton School Board.