– The City of Holdrege is notifying residents that Nebraska Game and Parks has recommended removing all domesticated ducks from North Park Lake to help avoid the potential spread of Avian Flu to the birds that already inhabit the area naturally The Holdrege City Office had a request from an individual looking to bring their domestic ducks to the lake When city officials checked with Nebraska Game and Parks North Park Lake is home to a variety of birds including swans There are also many other species of waterfowl that migrate through the area Though there have not been any reported cases in Phelps County there have been four confirmed cases of Avian Flu in Nebraska in 2025 Among those are two positive cases found in backyard poultry flocks in Dawson and Kearney Counties The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) lists Avian Flu or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) as a highly contagious virus that spreads easily among birds through nasal and eye secretions and manure are other ways that HPAI can spread including by wild birds during migratory season The NDA also says while wild birds can carry the virus without showing symptoms domesticated birds can become very sick and die There are no plans to remove any other type of birds or other wildlife from North Park This recommendation from Nebraska Game and Parks is for the domesticated ducks only Holdrege city officials would like to remind the public that they are not allowed to bring domestic ducks or other birds to North Park Lake © 2025 Nebraska Rural Radio Association. All rights reserved. Republishing, rebroadcasting, rewriting, redistributing prohibited. Copyright Information Website ©2025 Nebraska Rural Radio Association | All rights reserved. | Website developed by Hollman Media you will be automatically redirected here whenever you go to https://ruralradio.com you can click the "Clear home" link in the footer of the site The Nebraska State Patrol SWAT Team arrested the suspect of a domestic violence investigation early this morning in Holdrege the Holdrege Police Department and Phelps County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a domestic assault that had occurred in Holdrege officers identified a suspect and learned that he had barricaded himself in an apartment in the 300 block of Nobes Street in Holdrege Officers obtained an arrest warrant and requested the NSP SWAT Team to assist just after 12:30 a.m The SWAT Team and NSP Crisis Negotiators made numerous attempts to communicate with the suspect After hours of the suspect’s refusal to exit the SWAT Team deployed tear gas into the apartment which lead to the suspect voluntarily exiting the residence at approximately 5:20 a.m was remanded to the custody of Holdrege PD and the Phelps County Jail for assault by strangulation and third-degree domestic assault Holdrege PD is the lead investigating agency — Hundreds of community members gathered at a town hall in Holdrege Tuesday evening to hear details about a proposed $5,000,000,000 plant Many remain curious about some of the finer details The proposed plant was announced in August for Phelps County says it will produce sustainable aviation fuel out of corn stover CEO Mike Darcy says they've put a lot of resources into the project so far a lot of time to make sure this works," said Darcy The technology we're doing is a proven technology it's not a technology risk issue." where they decide whether or not to go ahead with the project won't happen until around the second quarter of 2026 crucial details are still being worked out such as how they will get water for the project One solution would see them bring water in by rail from out of state "We decided to do what we're doing with rail simply because that's a thing we could do to make sure we had as minimal an impact as possible," said Darcy "We'll work with the state to make sure any kinds of water impacts are completely minimized." During the question and answer part of the evening community members showed up to ask questions about housing for workers and how farmers would deliver their stover According to the representatives at the meeting they say that DG Fuels has been working with local community colleges and hospitals to begin to figure out a long term and sustainable worker pipeline They also claim that while not a zero emissions facility the high carbon conversion rate means that environmental impacts will be mostly negligible says the NPPD is working with the plant and that there are projects to add more megawatts into the power supply a Cambridge farmer and chair of the Nebraska Ethanol Board was curious about where the project would get its power "I was interested in the electrical situation Nebraska has always been a public power state There's a lot of challenges with new developments and how to power them," said tenBensel tenBensel was also very interested in the uses of stover DG Fuels says they'll need 1.5 million tons of dry product and can make $100,000,000 on farm revenue from premiums he says there is still a lot he doesn't know it's still in the developmental stages of course," said tenBensel DG Fuels says they will hold additional town halls as the project moves along The plant hopes to open in late 2029 or 2030 -- A young man struck by an SUV on Highway 30 was life-flighted to Good Sam Hospital in Kearney Buffalo County and Kearney emergency personnel responded to the call at around 4:30 this afternoon near the intersection of Highway 30 and Daykin Road around 9 miles west of Kearney and two miles west of Odessa Early indications were the 20-year-old had a broken bone near his left eye road rash and bleeding from his head and face He was reportedly alert and able to answer some commands although his health is not known beyond those remarks A preliminary investigation shows a vehicle with a trailer was broken down on the side of the highway when another vehicle stopped to help The 20-year-old was one of the people helping when a 64-year-old Elm Creek woman heading west hit the man according to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Office The crash is still under investigation as more details become available Check out the scene as a Hastings boy was reunited with the team that helped save his life more than a year ago The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a car–pedestrian vehicle crash that resulted in injuries to a 20-year-old man on U.S a vehicle with a trailer was broken down on the side of the highway An occupant of the vehicle that stopped to help was struck by a another vehicle driven by a 64-year-old Elm Creek woman All vehicles involved were on the westbound portion of the roadway The injured pedestrian was transported from the scene by LifeNet helicopter to CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney Deputies at the scene were assisted by members of the Kearney/Buffalo County Accident Investigation Team (FAIT) Kearney Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department LifeNet Helicopter and the Nebraska State Department of Transportation Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Broken Bow hosted its home golf invite on Friday with Holdrege taking first in rainy conditions TEAM SCORESHoldrege 322Broken Bow 332Cozad 346Broken Bow JV 359Minden 390Gothenburg 399Arcadia-Loup City 420 © 2025 Nebraska Rural Radio Association. All rights reserved. Republishing, rebroadcasting, rewriting, redistributing prohibited. Copyright Information — A Holdrege man has been arrested following an hours long standoff that began early Monday morning was arrested for assault by strangulation and third-degree domestic assault The Nebraska State Patrol said that on Sunday night NSP said officers obtained an arrest warrant and requested the NSP SWAT Team to assist just after 12:30 a.m leading barrow to exit the residence just before 5:30 a.m NE — 4-27-25 — The Holdrege Rotary Club has been honored with the prestigious Large Club of the Year award and commitment to the Rotary ideal of Service Above Self celebrates the club’s significant strides in membership growth the club was praised for its purposeful leadership and dedication to making a difference locally and beyond “This recognition reflects the collective heart and energy of our entire club,” said Dan Janssen “We’re deeply honored and proud of what we’ve accomplished together From service projects to social initiatives every member has played a role in building a stronger District Governor Lore Beckius commended the Holdrege club for its passion and leadership “Your club has shown incredible growth and continues to demonstrate the true value of Rotary to your community and beyond We especially love your engaging social media posts—they’re a great way to keep your audience informed and inspired by the work you’re doing.” The Holdrege Rotary Club has long been a champion of service projects that address local needs its members remain committed to sustaining this momentum and continuing to serve with purpose and integrity To learn more about the Holdrege Rotary Club and how to get involved visit https://www.facebook.com/HoldregeRotary — The city of Holdrege is contemplating the redevelopment of the Plains Motel on Highway 6 into transitional housing a project initiated over a year ago by a local church leader Calvary Lutheran Church in Holdrege has been advocating for the project inspired by his interactions with individuals facing difficult circumstances "I do a Bible study each week at the local jail and I found so many wonderful people that they struggle And so many of them are so ready to have a new beginning in their lives," said Pastor Birtell He emphasized the challenges faced by those trying to rebuild their lives often hindered by a lack of housing options "I've had numerous situations where they've gotten into treatment and there's no place for them to live other than to go back to their old friends and that easily leads them to their own way of life," he said Nebraska is grappling with a shortage of over 40,000 affordable rental units according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition Pastor Birtell noted that many individuals dealing with trauma or health issues struggle to find safe housing due to a lack of shelter This led him to collaborate with Crossroads Mission Avenue an organization that provides transitional housing and other support for homeless individuals It's something that's designed to benefit the community," said Daniel Buller executive director of Crossroads Mission Avenue He clarified that the proposed project is not a homeless shelter but a facility aimed at addressing the root causes of homelessness Buller expressed hope that the transitional housing could provide much-needed resources in smaller communities And hopefully that's what this would accomplish is having resources in place for somebody who One of their greatest obstacles may be affordable housing," he said While the project still requires several steps before it can proceed Pastor Birtell remains optimistic about community support "And so I see this as a wonderful blessing for our community to partner with the Crossroads and really be the hands and feet of Jesus," he said The public is invited to participate in town hall meetings to ask questions and provide feedback on Friday at the South Central Area Recovery Offices at 307 East Ave born to Richard and Marilyn (Stueben) Traill He received his education from Holdrege Public School and graduated from Holdrege High School with the class of 1968 He pursued higher education and attended Hastings College but returned home when his mother became ill James was united in marriage to Pat Dore at the Circus Circus Chapel in Las Vegas and together they shared three daughters: Stacia Jim was an outstanding athlete playing multiple sports in high school and was inducted into the Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame He enjoyed golfing and took time to teach his children and grandchildren He was preceded in death by his parents; one daughter Pat Traill of Holdrege; two daughters: Stacia Milius and her husband Mike of Holdrege; six grandchildren: Courtney Zech and her husband Connor; Benjamin Milius; Thomas Milius; Matthew Durnal and his wife Alli; Bailey Johnson; and Derek Johnson; one great-grandson: Elijah Zech; one brother Greg Traill; two brothers-in-law: Ron Dore; Dave Dore and his wife Valerie; one sisters-in-law: Jan Noble and her husband There will be no visitation or memorial book signing The family is honoring James’s wish for cremation A memorial has been established in James’s honor and kindly suggested to the family for later designation Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements A Funeral Service for Linda Davey will be held on Tuesday at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege Interment will follow at the Prairie Home Cemetery at Holdrege at Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege the eldest of three children born to Alvin and Ermal (Peterson) Davey She received her education from Rockwell City Public Schools She pursued higher education from Morning Side College attaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Library Sciences she began working as a school Librarian in Taylor Linda enjoyed being involved with the Drama clubs while in education Linda then began working at the Holdrege Area Public Library in 1989 where she oversaw the front desk staff and especially enjoyed being active with the summer reading program a creative side and also had a knack for creating and performing skits Cindy would then act out the skits for area schools Linda found great joy in volunteering at Holdrege Elementary School She was social and enjoyed spending time with her friends and attending musicals of her elementary students or professionals She attended Trinity Evangelical Free Church in Holdrege and helped teach Sunday school and helped in the church nursery Linda enjoyed keeping in touch with her nieces and nephews via phone calls and photos She was grateful of the local family she became part too The Cindy Gitt family and Mike Gitt family have many fond memories of “Aunt Linda” Linda was preceded in death by her parents Iowa; nieces and nephews: Jill Rhodes and husband Nick; Jennifer Hamrick; Jason Hamrick and wife Brandie; and Thomas Davey; and great-nieces A memorial has been established in Linda’s honor and kindly suggested to Holdrege Area Public Library Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements – The Hastings Tigers (10-10) took advantage of an outstanding performance from starting pitcher Ben Wibbels to win 6-0 over Holdrege Wibbels struck out 12 and was four outs away from a no-hitter The Dusters were unable to get their bats going on Tuesday night and senior Kegan Steinke was the only player to get a hit He also drew a walk along with freshmen Robert Remmenga On the mound for the Dusters was sophomore Chance Bailey He put together a solid game by going the distance and giving up just five hits and two earned runs The Holdrege fielders were fairly steady despite the six errors The Dusters didn’t allow a single extra-base hit in the contest The loss dropped Holdrege to 5-10 and stretched their streak to three-straight losses The Dusters have two regular season games remaining and prepare for Centennial on Thursday It will be the fourth and final game of their current road trip The game will be played in York with first pitch scheduled for 4:30 pm – The Dusters took advantage of a big first inning to win their regular season finale 6-3 against York Starting pitcher Nick Weides had another solid outing on the mound to keep the Dukes at bay and help Holdrege end on a high note The Dusters jumped out to an early lead in the first after scoring four runs off three walks and a two-run shot to center field off of Chance Bailey’s bat Hudson Otto was also able to steal home to score the fourth run The Dukes were forced to change pitchers in the inning and York kept Holdrege from adding to their lead over the next three innings Holdrege added some insurance in the fifth inning York scored two in the seventh but couldn’t close the gap Lyndon Rodewald and Chance Bailey each had two hits Bailey’s two-run home run was his second of the season The 7-10 Dusters ended the regular season with two-straight wins and head into sub districts with some momentum They will face 13-10 Auburn in the first round of the C-5 Subdistrict Interment will follow at the Long Island Cemetery in Long Island Kansas with Military Honors provided by the Long Island American Legion Roy C Goodrich Post 304 in conjunction with the United States Army Funeral Honors Team at Christian Homes Care Community in Holdrege John’s dad came from an Amish Settlement in Stugart German was John’s first language until he was eight years old when his mom made them change to English He received his education from Long Island Public School and graduated from Long Island High School in Long Island He pursued higher education at Chartage Community College in Kenosha John was united in marriage to Delores and together they had one daughter John worked for the Kansas State Penal System John was united in marriage to Ursula Kulle in Kenosha John enlisted in the United States Army and served his country until June of 1970 when he was hit by a grenade and had to be worked on in the back of a plane on his way back to the United States he worked as a mechanic and later in maintenance for the city of Kenosha John retired from Tripe Motor Company in Alma John was united in marriage to Pearl McConnell at Mt The couple were together since 1991 and together they would fix up condemned homes and resell them John was a talker and would strike up a conversation with anyone he made several friends at the nursing home this way He was a member of Chapter 15 DAV Adjutant in Holdrege and was on the Holdrege Airport Board John was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Robert Kaiser; two brothers: Franklin Kaiser; Dr Pearl Kaiser of Holdrege; one daughter-in-law Nebraska; four grandchildren: Hailey and her husband Gary; Cassidy; Caleb; and Molly; one great-grandchild Kansas; three sisters-in-law: Lois Kaiser of Harding South Dakota; Pauline Kaiser of Long Island; Bonnie Shepherd and her husband Richard; and a host of nieces and nephews with family greeting friends from 6:00 p.m A memorial has been established in John’s honor – A two-vehicle injury accident occurred on Monday morning According to an accident report provided by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jamie Tilson investigated the accident at the 730 Road intersection on US Highway 183 around 7:37 am The accident report states that a south bound vehicle slowed down to make a left turn onto 730 Road and had to wait for oncoming traffic to pass was also traveling south on 183 but failed to slow down He came up behind the first vehicle and struck the rear pushing it into the west ditch The second vehicle instantly veered into the west ditch as well The Wilcox man in the second vehicle was not wearing a seatbelt and was pinned in his car seat Holdrege Volunteer Fire Department and Emergency personnel were able to remove him from the vehicle and he was taken by helicopter to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney The driver of the first vehicle was transported by ambulance to Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege a third vehicle driven by a Mullen resident and check out the statistics for boys basketball this season You'll see Garret Johnson's name at the top both in the state and on the record board at school "We've had a lot of good players in the history of Holdrege," Johnson said "It means a lot to be up with those guys." When it comes to "those guys" in Nebraska leads all classes in scoring at 26.1 points per game This isn't your one year wonder type of player who has been Johnson's boss all four years "He's been waking up since 5 a.m to go shoot at the Y [Don Sjorgen Community YMCA in Holdrege] since a fifth grader," Runge said "I hope every kid from kindergarten through eighth grade gets to see him but also see him at the Y to see how much work it takes." including becoming Holdrege's all time leading scorer at the start of the season Up next is Concordia to play college basketball with the Bulldogs and that's leading his Dusters to the State Championship in Lincoln just keep doing what I'm doing and leading my team to State The goals have certainly motivated Johnson and company Hershey awaits in Holdrege for the regular season finale next Friday night — The Central Community College approved a $1.9 million plan to relocate its Holdrege Center The center will move into the former Great Western Bank building a change school officials hope will give students a chance to stay more connected with the community SOT Diane “I think being in the middle of the vibrant downtown is a benefit for the students as well as for the college and bringing more people to the downtown area who might not otherwise come here,” Diana Watson “Having it in the center of your town shows that it’s very important and it’s strong,” Lori Larson The center used to be housed in the Phelps County Agricultural Center the move downtown will draw more people to the area while also expanding students learning opportunities and programs in a change that's win-win for both sides “It’s going to put more traffic so that’s just on the surface great for retailers that are in that area but the services that they’re going to provide it’s my understanding that CCC plans to expand their offerings,” Larson said “We’re going to have more accessibility for more students and more opportunities for some programming that again for people without transportation it makes it easier or after school Middle school students for example it’s not as far to walk to downtown so we could expand some after school programming too,” Watson said The building will feature an over 11,000 square-foot facility with live video rooms The school and the Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce believe this move will offer higher promotional value for them and attract more young people "We have just celebrated our one-year anniversary as a certified arts district We believe the arts bring younger people and investment into the community and now we have higher education bringing investment into the community in a very bold and visible way and I think both of those things combined just show that Holdrege is thriving," Larson said The college has had a presence in the area since the 1980’s and went full time in 1995 the school moved out to the ag center in 1998 where it's stayed we outgrew and we able to move out to the ag center in 1998 and we’ve been there ever since,” Watson said The school says they are grateful for the opportunities and are excited to begin this new chapter at Trinity Evangelical Free Church in Holdrege Nebraska with Pastor Murray Jones officiating Inurnment will follow at the Prairie Home Cemetery in Holdrege was called home to be with her Heavenly Father 2025 at Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege in Denver Colorado to Gwen (Rhoades) Denning and was adopted at 18 months to Harold and Berniece (Eckels) Hough She attended Quinter Consolidated Public Schools she was united in marriage to Lyle “Dean” Richards in Studley Kansas and to this union three daughters were born: twin daughters They also adopted a daughter of their heart They resided on the family farm until 1984 Vicki was employed at Gove County Advocate and at 7-Eleven the Phelps County Library and Priced Right Auto But being a homemaker and a devoted wife and mother were her most important callings Vicki selflessly cared for Dean when his health began to fail and on April 24 and playing BINGO with her fellow friends and residents at Christian Homes Care Community She was a faithful member of the Trinity Evangelical Free Church in Holdrege for many years participated in many Bible studies and the Junior Bible Quiz at North Park Vicki was also an advocate for Breast Cancer Awareness and the Alzheimer’s Association Vicki left a tremendous legacy of love to her family Lyle Dean Richards in 2012; her biological mother Harold and Berniece Hough; three sisters: Leila Harrell in infancy; Gayle Hough; and RoxAnna Burkhart; brother Harold Richards; and John Pierson; two sisters-in-law: Alta Gaede and her husband Gordon; and Dorothy Richards; and grandson Vicki leaves to celebrate her life; her three daughters: Gail Michael and her husband adopted daughter of the heart; Christie Walker and her husband Kansas; 13 grandchildren: April Tate and her husband Kansas; Joshua Johnston of Holdrege; Mikell Johnston and his fiancée Kaylee of Kearney; Blake Johnston and wife Riquella of Holdrege; Beka Michael and fiancé Tyler of Kearney; Christina Adkinson of Grand Island Kansas; great-grandchildren: Reika and Stevie Grace Tate; Hadley Smelser; Max Hunter and Avery DuBois; Jamison and Julian DuBois; Hope and Noveyleigh Johnston; Swayzee Johnston; Addison Easterday; Christopher Adkinson; Joseph and Gracelyn Nixon; and DaVaughn Harvey; a sister-in-law nephews and a host of other relatives and friends A Memorial Book Signing will be held on Friday with the family greeting friends from 6:00 p.m Memorial’s in Vicki’s memory are kindly suggested to Alzheimer’s Association or the Breast Cancer Association Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLINCOLN (KOLN) - Lincoln Police have identified the driver who died in a single-vehicle crash Tuesday night near 45th and Holdrege Streets was speeding with his headlights off in westbound lane on Holdrege Street shortly after 9:15 p.m LPD said Eisa lost control of his Acura MDX after hitting a curb hit a fire hydrant and ultimately crashed into the base of an apartment building Eisa was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene The crash caused significant damage to the apartment building and a nearby fire hydrant Eight residents from the affected northeast section of the building were temporarily relocated with assistance from the Red Cross Lincoln Fire and Rescue responded to the scene along with officials from the city’s Building & Safety and Water Departments who worked to assess and address the structural damage Police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash or has video footage to contact them at 402-441-6000 or Lincoln Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600 Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox COZAD- Holdrege was able to ride a hot three-point shooting night from both the girl’s and boys teams to sweep the Haymakers in Cozad Holdrege was able to come out on top in the Girls game 49-23 with the game starting with a barrage from the three-point line as Holdrege and Cozad Combined for 5 first quarter threes leaving the scoreboard to read 15-12 Holdrege held onto a slim lead The second quarter was a different story as Holdrege turned up the pressure defensively and went to a full-court press holding the Haymakers to 3 points in the second frame of play while scoring 9 of their own to go up 24-15 at half Coming out of the locker rooms junior Emily Stutzman took over offensively for the Dusters scoring 11 of her 23 points in the 3rd quarter giving Holdrege the cushion they needed to coast to the 26-point win and advance to 11-9 and dropping Cozad to 5-15 Holdrege will take the court against GICC next February 11 Cozad will look to bounce back against Minden on February 7th The rematch of the Southwestern Conference semifinal game lived up to the hype as Holdrege downed Cozad 82-73 to bring both teams to a 17-3 record The first quarter was an offensive display for both teams as teams traded buckets ending the first quarter 17-14 in favor of Holdrege Both team’s senior stars were on display as both Noah Shoemaker and Garret Johnson led their respective teams in points after quarter one As the 2nd quarter continued the hot hand moved from Noah Shoemaker to Chayden Hoffmaster who had a 13-point explosion to keep Cozad in it and only be down 3 going into the locker rooms 36-33 The second half saw Holdrege continue to push the pace and not allow Cozad to dictate the speed of the game as they did in the semifinal and outscored Cozad 28-22 in the third and wouldn’t look back from there winning 82-73 Garret Johnson would lead the way with 33 points including 10/10 from the free throw line in the 4th quarter For Cozad Chayden Hoffmaster would lead with 18 points at the final buzzer Cozad is back in action on February 7 when they head to Minden Holdrege will next hit the court on Valentine’s Day when they head to St — The Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership is helping address a big issue in the community "A childcare facility had been located in a space here in town that was no longer available and so that created this kind of panic moment where it was a larger facility that had more than 50 kids and all of a sudden they didn't have anywhere to go," Holly Rahmann Phelps Memorial Health Center Director of Marketing and Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce Board Member the current gap between the potential need for childcare and actual capacity is more than 17,000 spots This aligns with how rural Nebraskans feel across the state 61% of them saying there is a shortage of affordable childcare according to a 2023 Nebraska Rural Poll survey "We first identified the issue when that childcare was having to relocate so that's kind of when our Community for Kids started meeting," McKenna Fahrenbruch Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership Executive Director with the help and partnership of the Phelps Memorial Health Center and Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce the town formed the Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership we found that our highest need was the infant spots as well as those extended hours,” Fahrenbruch said the nonprofit supported 4 childcare centers for over 150 children and 30 infants and recently raised over $50k in a fundraising campaign Multiple agencies responded to a two-vehicle accident near Holdrege Wednesday around 7:50am It happened at the intersection of US Hwy 6 & 34 and Brewster Road or about 1.5 miles East of Holdrege The Phelps County Sheriff’s Office says a vehicle driven by Elizabeth Lyon of Wilcox stopped at the stop sign facing north on Brewster Road As the driver attempted to cross US Hwy 6 & 34 a second vehicle that was driven by Theresa Vaughn of Minden was traveling westbound on US Hwy 6 & 34 As the Lyon vehicle crossed the traffic lanes the vehicle hit the eastbound Vaughn vehicle with its front-end into the Vaughn driver’s side front fender and door The Lyon vehicle spun around coming to rest facing south The Vaughn vehicle preceded into the north ditch and came to rest facing north up against some iron pipes at Sargent Irrigation Elizabeth Lyon and front seat passenger Nathaleigh Lyon were transported to Phelps Memorial Health Center by Holdrege Emergency Unit The driver and five passengers in the Lyon vehicle had minor injuries Theresa Vaughn was transported by the Phelps Memorial Emergency Unit to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney Both vehicles had major front-end damage and were towed from the scene Assisting the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office were Holdrege Police Department Holdrege, Neb. – The Holdrege Dusters hosted Grand Island Northwest and Hastings in a triangular on Monday, April 14. Northwest finished with the highest team score for boys and girls. Full results can be found HERE. KEARNEY – The Cozad defense stood up to the test Friday evening and slowed one of the more potent offenses in the state beating Holdrege 69-58 in the Southwest Conference Tournament semifinals It was an explosive start to the game for both offenses with both teams red hot shooting it seemed neither team could miss and both teams hit a combined eight three pointers in the first half Cozad would begin the third quarter with a small run and build their lead to six but Holdrege answered and went on an 8-0 run to eventually retake the lead However it would be short lived as the Haymakers began to clamp down on the Duster offense and eventually regained the lead to end the third quarter 50-47 The strong Cozad defense would continue in the third and the balanced offense thrived off the stops to eventually see the Haymakers grab several double digit leads in the final quarter that they would never give up Cozad would outscore Holdrege 35-24 in the second half Cozad saw four different players score in double figures led by Chayden Hoffmaster’s 16 points Kellen Shoemaker finished with 12 and Gage Strauss added 11 points Garret Johnson led Holdrege with 24 points Landon Hartzog added 11 points while Baron Medina finished with 10 points Cozad improved to 16-2 and improved their winning streak to seven games Holdrege saw their nine game wining streak snapped and fell to 15-3 Up next: Cozad will play Ogallala for the SWC crown at 4:30 p.m Listen to the game on 880AM KRVN and krvn.com Both games will be played at Kearney High School (KOLN) - Lincoln Police are investigating a deadly single-vehicle crash that occurred Tuesday night near 45th and Holdrege Streets was speeding with his headlights off westbound on Holdrege Street shortly after 9:15 p.m LPD said the driver lost control of his Acura MDX after hitting a curb and ultimately crashing into the base of an apartment building The driver was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene Eight residents from the affected northeast section of the building have been temporarily relocated with assistance from the Red Cross Holdrege Street was closed between 43rd and 48th streets for several hours while investigators worked the scene – Minden High School hosted a triangular on Tuesday with Holdrege and Kearney High JV competing Twenty-six Holdrege FFA members represented the Chapter at the 97th Nebraska State FFA Convention April 2nd-4th Events and State Contests were held at Pinnacle Bank Arena and University of Nebraska – Lincoln The State FFA Association developed a program of keynote speakers Several honors and awards were presented to the Holdrege Chapter and members Holdrege FFA submitted its application for judging of the Chapter’s Program of Activities in the National Chapter Awards The Chapter was awarded a Premier Chapter Rating Award The award was presented to the Top 20 chapters across the state out of 212 chapters The application will now move to the national level for evaluation This is the 17th time in 18 years that the Holdrege application has been named a Premier Chapter Amelia Ptacnik and Keeley Vaughn each earned the State FFA Degrees The State Degree is the highest degree that members can earn through the State Association Since 1940 one hundred seventy Holdrege FFA Members have earned the State FFA Degree Holdrege was represented by three State Proficiency finalists Junior Derrek Marquardt was third place in Ag Services Jett Johnson also a junior received third place in Diversified Crop Production 2024 graduate Jaren Moore was the state winner in the Landscape Management area His application will be forwarded to the National level for evaluation the Parliamentary Procedure team of Claire and Clay Maloley Jacob Moon and Jessie Bronson received a Silver Rating out of 36 teams Jessie & Katelyn Weekley Applied for and were accepted to attend the Ag Issue Academy which included speakers on current events state ag policy updates and a state capitol visit to meet with lawmakers and learn about policy process The Farm Business Management team of Claire Maloley Nick Taylor and Clay Maloley earned 2nd place Blue ranking out of 96 other schools Juniors Clay Maloley and Derrek Marquart led the group Claire and Nick earned blue rankings to help the team to a runner-up finish Competing in Agriscience was the group of Marcus May The team submitted Agriculture Career Research projects took individual tests covering general agriculture knowledge The team completed a hands-on practicum involving dissection and identification of perch and fetal pigs The Natural Resources team of Mitchell May Katelyn Weekley and Marcus May competed in a contest involving identifying wildlife species a general knowledge exam along with a team activity centered on soil and water management practices and Sam Holen competed against fifty-seven other teams in Ag Technology and Mechanics They were tested on their knowledge of electrical components of wiring Tad and Christophe both earned white ribbon placings Curtis Eschen and Cooper Lindstrom competed in the Senior Livestock Evaluation They were given ten classes of animals to judge and three sets of reasons to give Derrek Marquardt and Nick Taylor competed in the Ag Biotechnology They were tested on a group activity involving Punnett squares animal and plant breeding processes and a written test on agricultural biotechnology trends and knowledge Derrek earned a blue ranking and Claire earned a white placing Aurora Tidyman and Amelia Ptacnik competed in Floriculture They were asked to make corsages and boutonnieres plant and pest identification and general knowledge exam junior Jett Johnson competed in MIG Welding Cooper Lindstrom competed in Arc Welding and JJ Bell competed in the Oxy Fuel Welding section Clay earned a red ribbon in TIG and JJ Bell brought home a white ribbon in Oxy Fuel welding Holdrege FFA Chapter members will be concluding major activities for the school year with the 89th Annual FFA Banquet on Sunday The Chapter will also be conducting their annual Plant Sales starting May 2nd at the high school – Holdrege’s biggest event of the year will have a slightly different name beginning in 2025 Swedish Days will be named Midsummer Festival (a Swedish Days Tradition) the Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce (HACC) announced the name change through their social media page The post drew a wide range of responses from those who commented The chamber offered a clearer explanation as to their intentions with the coveted event HACC communications and event coordinator Adam Hernandez wants everyone to know that despite the name change those familiar with Swedish Days will find the same traditions as they’ve known in the past Hernandez says this decision did not come without plenty of discussion and feedback among those who have been directly involved with Swedish Days Another fresh development with the upcoming Midsummer Festival (a Swedish Days Tradition) is the weekend change As was the case when Swedish Days was originally created the Midsummer Festival will fall on the third Friday of June This mirrors the traditional summer event in Sweden simply named Midsummer along with area business owners and the Tre Kronor Scandinavian Society is trying to get even closer to the roots of Swedish tradition He says this step forward will “bring a fresh change to Swedish Days while still maintaining what’s important about Swedish Days.” The more recent past has seen Swedish Days fall on the same weekend of Father’s Day Hernandez said he had a number of people in Holdrege let him know they were not able to make it due to Father’s Day 2024 saw a minor changes to the events with the addition of a pickleball tournament and more live music from local and regional talent The street dance was renamed the Summer Sunset Outdoor Concert and was modified to include a live band a cover band from Omaha that has been performing since 1998 Hernandez said he was thrilled with the response and attendance from the Friday night event A major goal for the date change is to better parallel the Swedish tradition of Midsummer which is always celebrated on a Friday between June 19 and June 25 Swedes use Midsummer celebrations as a way to welcome summertime and the season of fertility as it coincides with the longest day of the year Hernandez says they will look for ways to continue to connect with Sweden and bring even more authenticity and tradition to the beloved Holdrege festival “With construction, renovation, repair, and upgrade projects at stations across the country, station accessibility is a priority we’re actively pursuing with funding from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said Dr To provide smoother pathways for passengers with disabilities Amtrak constructed platforms and crossings for boarding from both BNSF Railway Co tracks in Holdrege and installed a new 860-foot boarding platform at Hastings heated shelter is on the platform in Holdrege as part of the $5 million improvement Amtrak renovated the passenger waiting area in the privately owned 122-year-old Spanish Colonial Revival Style depot in a $4.7 million total investment Much of the work in both communities was done by local sub-contractors public right-of-way access with sloped accessible walkways and safety barriers energy efficient LED light fixtures providing full-coverage lighting along the pathways and at the platform a new wheelchair lift with secure enclosure and new signage “I appreciate Amtrak’s investments in both Holdrege and Hastings. These upgrades will improve rail access and allow both stations to better serve the public,” said Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. “These updates will make the Holdrege station more accessible to everyone. I would like to thank Amtrak for the efforts. The City of Holdrege looks forward to continue to work with Amtrak,” said Mayor James Liffrig. “Whether you are visiting Hastings or embarking on a new journey on the California Zephyr, the updates at the Hastings station are a welcome addition. I would like to thank Amtrak and the local subcontractors who put these accessibility improvements in place and I look forward to this enhanced experience for our citizens and visitors,” said Mayor Corey Stutte Amtrak Advisory | Servicer Temporarily Disrupted in and out of New York Penn Station Book your train and bus tickets today by choosing from over 30 U.S train routes and 500 destinations in North America Service Adjustment Update: As of 5:56 PM ET Acela 2163 is canceled between New York (NYP) and Washington (WAS) Customers will be accommodated on the next available service We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused Major Projects Media members should contact the Media Relations Office for their region (see the map and listings here) A representative is available by phone 24 hours a day 7 days a week to provide information regarding railroad operating matters Phone calls are preferred if the request is urgent If you have a FOIA request, please click here A Holdrege man serving time in prison for a sex offender violation has died The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services says 64-year-old James Gavin died Friday at the Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln While the cause of death has not been determined he was being treated for a medical condition Gavin was serving a 370-400 day sentence for Violation of the Sex Offender Registration Act out of Phelps County Gavin was required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life after his conviction of Aggravated Criminal Sodomy.  Court records say the crime happened in 1995 involving a then 3-year-old An arrest affidavit says Gavin was required to check into the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office to verify his information is current every three months As is the case whenever an inmate dies in the custody of the NDCS a grand jury will conduct an investigation at the Long Island Cemetery in Long Island Town Talk episode featured Holdrege mayor Jim Liffrig He discussed a variety of topics including some of the upcoming projects that Holdrege residents could see in the future One of those projects involves the Holdrege City Auditorium Mayor Liffrig expanded on this following his appearance on Town Talk Liffrig said they have completed a grant application that would allow a consultant to inspect the current structure and offer advice on what kind of improvements it will need Liffrig says at this point its just speculation but they’re looking into installing a new HVAC system while improving and updating the bathrooms The mayor knows there’s a strong possibility that more areas could also need improving This consultation will not only identify what would need to be improved upon cosmetically but it will let city officials know how structurally sound the building is “How far we will go will depend on dollars and cents.” The idea behind an improved and more modernized City Auditorium is to ensure that the venue can remain as a viable option for many types of events Liffrig wants people to understand that this project is not intended to directly make money He says the goal is to get events in town to bring a boost to the town’s economy as a whole Liffrig believes this will open the door for people to come to town for an event “This is not going to be a profit center for the city it’s a quality of life (decision),” the mayor said really valuable to the community,” he continued Even though plans are still in their infancy city officials have been able to look at the option of building something completely new Liffrig says due to the costs of developing a new structure and the difficulty in finding a place for a building that would be the same size make the option to renovate more realistic the initial grant that would go to hire a consultant would lead to more opportunities to receive other grants that would financially help any projects they pursue with the building He is optimistic that grant will be approved stating someone from the State of Nebraska had urged him to apply in the first place The mayor also mentioned the possibility of some type of historical designation that could also lead to more financial opportunities but they haven’t had the chance to explore that One option the mayor is trying to avoid is putting a bond issue on the ballot Liffrig says he doesn’t want property taxes to be used to fund these improvements They are still awaiting the grant approval and many other factors will still need to be dealt with as they come The plan is to improve a major part of Holdrege’s history and to make sure the City Auditorium can continue to be a benefit to the community Liffrig wants Holdrege residents to know that whenever a project will start He says each project will have all of the needed funds secured and available and no project will be delayed due to the lack of preparation (KLKN) – An arson investigation is underway after flames destroyed a vacant home west of Lincoln on Thursday at an abandoned home near Northwest 56th and West Holdrege streets The home was fully engulfed in flames and its considered a total loss The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office is working with the State Fire Marshall to investigate the suspected arson There’s no word yet on what caused the fire The home had been unoccupied for some time and there were reports of damage at the home before the fire started The homeowner estimates the total damage at $350,000 — Walk into the Duster Dome - maybe bring some ear plugs by the way - and you will find yourself in one of the most hostile environments in the state That is how deafening Holdrege boys basketball's home court is you could tell this team was going to be special," senior forward Landon Hartzog said "We've turned it around this season Hartzog and company knew it would be a special season putting up a class leading - and second state best - 27.1 points per game along with a team high 4.7 assists per game when the Dusters took care of business against a 2024 State Tournament team "I had a feeling before," the guard said "But that Doniphan-Trumbull game [on Dec we can do something special this year.'" The big reason why almost all of it has come to fruition this year "This year is the first year we've got full buy-in "That's one thing we talked about last year It's been a 100% effort to put together some record breaking feats Holdrege's 14-2 record is the best start in over a decade; it now boasts the all-time leading scorer in Johnson who officially stood alone in the season opener against Centura; and the Dusters have dusted their opponents by an average margin of 27.1 points in their 14 wins The records and insane stats are special - they should be But knowing the buy-in is completely there is why the Dusters are looking for something greater down the road "Winning is what this group wants," Runge said and they play a lot of really good team basketball." and a Southwest Conference Tournament that gets going on Tuesday night Johnson and Hartzog knows what it will take to bring in hardware including the most important trophy of them all in Lincoln keep bringing people up," Johnson said "We just got to keep working," Hartzog said which is Minden in the first round of the Southwest Conference Tournament on Tuesday night NEB — The Lincoln Police Department (LPD) is investigating a fatal crash that took one person's life officers responded to a single-vehicle crash at North 45th and Holdrege Streets One person was inside the vehicle reported LPD LPD says the impact caused the driver to be ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene LPD says the victim's name will be released pending next of kin The damages to the apartment complex building wall and fire hydrant are estimated at $2,500 in total reported LPD another Holdrege Invitational in the books with Gothenburg coming out on top in 2025's rendition Full results can be found by clicking here – The Holdrege FFA Chapter has had a busy week of fundraising and giving back to the community despite the snowy weather As they join chapters from across the country to participate in National FFA Week the Holdrege Chapter was able to hit the ground running this weekend members of Holdrege FFA were on-site at the two grocery stores in Holdrege to collect food for their annual food drive The students were placed at the entries of each store equipped with lists of some of the most-needed items that customers could donate The lists not only included non-perishable food items but welcomed other useful items such as paper towels and bathroom tissue Once customers purchased the donated items they would give them to an FFA member before leaving the store Everything was collected at noon and taken to the Phelps Community Food Pantry Students were at the stores for approximately three hours and collected over 600 lbs FFA Week continued on Sunday with the public invited to the Phelps County Ag Center for the Holdrege FFA Labor Auction Those in attendance were treated to a free meal while the Holdrege FFA Chapter auctioned off individual members or groups to the highest bidder the public was able to hire those members for a variety of purposes The students were able to raise approximately $11,000 from 25 buyers members of Holdrege FFA will participate in Official Dress Day FFA members come to school wearing their signature FFA blue corduroy jackets with dress pants and dress shoes They use the day as an opportunity to bring awareness to FFA and discuss the organization and its benefits the Holdrege FFA wraps up the week on Thursday with their Teachers Breakfast Just over 30 high school teachers will be treated to breakfast made by the chapter and a breakfast casserole are delivered to each teacher as a display of the FFA members’ appreciation With the winter weather forcing the school district to close on Tuesday one scheduled activity had to be moved to next week Ag in the Classroom is an event that sends FFA members to the fourth-grade classes at Holdrege Elementary School Holdrege FFA members spend about 40 minutes teaching the young students about agriculture Those lessons are also enhanced by activities to help make it fun for the kids KUVR and the Rural Radio Association have been also joined in celebrating students in FFA with daily highlights Listeners can hear the FFA Reports each weekday at 10:20 am and 2:20 pm on KUVR 96.9 FM and 1380 AM The reports discuss the various competitions and the ways each chapter gives back to their communities – The City of Holdrege has a new city attorney in Corey O’Brien After spending the past 21 years as an assistant attorney general for the state of Nebraska O’Brien took over the Holdrege position vacated by Natalie Nelsen-Pacey She was appointed to the county court judge in Nebraska’s 10th Judicial District by Governor Jim Pillen this past November O’Brien assumed his new role on January 1 Louis and received his political science degree from the University of Missouri He later attended the Creighton University School of Law where he earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree O’Brien was selected from a field of five potential attorneys Jim Liffrig says he stood out due to his “extensive background” and a strong recommendation from Nelsen-Pacey Liffrig also noted O’Brien’s experience with legislative issues from his time in the attorney general’s office a skill that Liffrig says will “come into play” during his tenure as city attorney O’Brien will also fill the remaining term as county attorney for Phelps County effective January 9 Natalie Nelsen-Pacey has resigned from that position as well due to her county court judge appointment the Phelps County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve O’Brien as the new county attorney Hit & Run” event at the Holdrege North Ball Fields The event is open to boys & girls between the ages of 7 and 14 Registration begins at 1:30 with the competition starting at 2pm  Participation is free and winners can advance to the state competition in Lincoln on May 16th For more information on this year’s “Pitch Holdrege residents have approached Crossroads Mission Avenue with a desire to bring supportive housing to Phelps County With the support of the Phelps County Ministerial Association Pastor Kenton Birtell of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church approached Daniel Buller Executive Director of Crossroads Mission Avenue seeking guidance on how to better meet the needs of struggling community members As discussions began and focus groups ensued a Provisionally Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (PLADC) “The vision that has been placed in our minds and on our hearts is to better serve support and assist the members of our Holdrege community who may be struggling – to provide a helping hand and accountability to our neighbors who otherwise do not have access to services or adequate supportive housing.” Ensuing discussions have led Crossroads to consider the Plains Motel at 619 W US Highway 6 as the possible site for a Transitional Living Facility Transitional housing can be a vital resource for individuals and families in crisis providing a safe and stable environment to help them transition toward permanent housing and self-sufficiency “This facility is not intended to be a homeless shelter but a supportive housing solution designed to help local men and families who are struggling through poverty or are in need of supportive housing and programming Participants will be required to complete an evaluation of their needs to determine if the facility is a fit for them and participants will have an opportunity to complete our 4-Phase Personal Resilience Program which addresses the underlying issues of homelessness and poverty through the lens of God’s Word referring people to many area agencies that are specialists in meeting a variety of specific needs Crossroads interest in this project is a response to community members who have approached us sharing that there is a need and asking us to consider partnering to meet that need.” Crossroads Mission Avenue has been serving Central Nebraska for over 40 years as well as providing indigent services for those who are needy and one-on-one case management that helps their guests gain employment which equips individuals for successful living after their time at the Mission and leads to homelessness prevention As the largest provider of homeless services in Central Nebraska Crossroads served more than 1,300 individuals with over 76,000 nights of stay throughout 2024 Crossroads’ Transitional housing program helps meet the need for affordable housing as individuals enter the job market and manage the demands of living within their community while still receiving guidance and accountability through Crossroads’ services This provides support as their guests move on to more independence and self-sufficiency The public is invited to attend a Town Hall Meeting regarding this potential project and the needs of the Holdrege community There will be two sessions available on Friday at 3:30 and 5:30 pm at the South Central Area Recovery questions from the public will be addressed Crossroads has been serving the homeless in Central Nebraska for over 40 years They have grown to include campuses in Hastings Each location provides services that include emergency shelter and personalized case management that helps their guests gain employment Crossroads Mission Avenue’s mission is to bring glory to God through the helping of people Crossroads Mission Avenue is Central Nebraska’s Rescue Mission