News

Cornerstone Bank is thrilled to announce the 2025 Travel Club lineup, offering well-planned travel opportunities for our communities and customers across Nebraska. Open to all ages, this program is perfect for those who love to explore new destinations without the hassle of planning.

More Than Moves: The Heart and Hustle of The Emeralds Dance Team Under the bright lights of the gymnasium, with the crowd cheering and music blaring, the Emeralds Dance Team takes the floor, ready to showcase months of hard work in just a few short minutes. This season was one of growth and unforgettable moments, as the dancers pushed their limits and left their mark on the Central City community.

The Trustees of the Sixpence Early Learning Fund are offering five family engagement grants (home visitation) to support Birth-to-Three services in new or expanding family engagement programs. School districts or district cooperatives can apply in partnership with community-based early childhood programs. Each partnership can apply for up to $85,000 (with additional start-up funding available for new programs) to expand access to quality early learning for Nebraska’s infants and toddlers, helping close the achievement gap before kindergarten. The application will go live at www.singasongofsixpence. org on February 24, 2025.

Hospitals and nursing homes in rural Nebraska are facing financial and operational challenges as federal funding concerns and staffing shortages put essential services at risk. As policymakers debate Medicaid funding and new regulations for long-term care facilities, rural healthcare providers are working to sustain access to critical services despite mounting difficulties.

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy has sent invitations to schools across the state, seeking students’ entries for the 2026 “Nebraska: Don’t Waste It!” environmental calendar. The contest is open to all Nebraska students from grades K through 12, and the submission deadline is May 1, 2025.

As the 2025 crop production season begins, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact producers nationwide to determine their plans for the upcoming growing season.

““Nebraska Farm Bureau thanks newly confirmed USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins for releasing the first portion of payments to farmers and ranchers who had previously signed Infl ation Reduction Act (IRA) contracts for a number of programs including the Environmental Quality Incentive Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. We applaud the work of President Trump and Secretary Rollins to weed out wasteful government spending in all parts of the federal government. At the same time, Nebraska farmers and ranchers signed contracts with the federal government for these standard USDA programs, and those funds should be released. We’d also like to thank Nebraska’s congressional delegation for their work and support in helping to unfreeze these and other funds which have been caught up in the ‘pause’. Nebraska’s farm and ranch families look forward to continuing to work with Secretary Rollins and her team as they continue to review IRA programs and hope the contracts will soon be paid in full.”

Local meetings open to individuals interested in se_ng natural resources goals for Nebraska A Local Working Group that provides advice on the priorities for many U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs will meet March 5, 2025 at 9:30am – 12:00pm at the Central Platte NRD Board Room at 215 Kaufman Ave, Grand Island, NE 68803.

The University of Nebraska’s High Plains Regional Climate Center in Lincoln is working with weather experts in nearby states to collect and use climate data to predict the weather and potentially save lives. And it’s the collaboration that allows the forecasters to provide critical information.