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Aurora senior Graham Christenson addresses a large crowd during the state FBLA conference in Kearney.

Aurora senior Graham Christenson addresses a large crowd during the state FBLA conference in Kearney.

Christenson cherishes FBLA experience

Graham Christenson has a different perspective than most after this year’s state FBLA conference in Kearney.
Pictured from left at last week’s sign dedication honoring the late Dave Schwartz are his wife, Liz, and children Shelbi Bates and Matthew Schwartz.

Pictured from left at last week’s sign dedication honoring the late Dave Schwartz are his wife, Liz, and children Shelbi Bates and Matthew Schwartz.

Safety sign a solemn reminder

A new blue sign revealed last week near the Highway 34/Giltner spur intersection is designed to serve as both a reminder to drive safely and as a memorial to a Nebraska Department of Transportation worker who lost his life in a tragic accident on that site last fall.
Mike Feeken of First Five Nebraska shows a slide to point out that Nebraska families spend on average 13 percent of their income on child care. He said 7 percent of household income is considered affordable when it comes to daycare. Feeken’s presentation was part of two public meetings held in Hampton last Wednesday to discuss the impact of affordable and dependable child care on a community.

Mike Feeken of First Five Nebraska shows a slide to point out that Nebraska families spend on average 13 percent of their income on child care. He said 7 percent of household income is considered affordable when it comes to daycare. Feeken’s presentation was part of two public meetings held in Hampton last Wednesday to discuss the impact of affordable and dependable child care on a community.

Child care presented as economic development issue

The importance of available and affordable early child care was front and center last Wednesday at a pair of community meetings put on in Hampton by the organization First Five Nebraska. Mike Feeken of St. Paul was the presenter for the 7 a.m.
Lincoln Creek Landscaping & Design started construction for Wortman Park in the first week of April with the retaining wall being built to create an ADA accessible grade/incline.

Lincoln Creek Landscaping & Design started construction for Wortman Park in the first week of April with the retaining wall being built to create an ADA accessible grade/incline.

Construction beginning at Wortman Park

The Bremer Community Center is seeing a new change of scenery in its southeastern lot as construction for Wortman Park is underway. Hidden away below the slope, not visible from the street, a retaining wall is now being built.
Lorna and Larry Epp show two of the 80 quilts that they recently delivered to a museum in Hamilton, Mo. The Aurora woman is the co-founder of the Nimble Thimble Quilt Guild and has created more than 400 quilts in her lifetime.

Lorna and Larry Epp show two of the 80 quilts that they recently delivered to a museum in Hamilton, Mo. The Aurora woman is the co-founder of the Nimble Thimble Quilt Guild and has created more than 400 quilts in her lifetime.

Epp quilts journey from Hamilton to Hamilton

Quilting has been a big part of Aurora resident Lorna Epp's life for more than 40 years and in that time she has created more than 400 quilts of one kind or another.
his parcel of ground just south of Highway 34 by the Mars Petcare facility (seen in the background) is the location of the proposed Synergen ammonia plant.

his parcel of ground just south of Highway 34 by the Mars Petcare facility (seen in the background) is the location of the proposed Synergen ammonia plant.

Decision on hearing date for Synergen CUP delayed

It appears the conditional use zoning permit application for the proposed Synergen Green Energy ammonia production plant won’t come before the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners until possibly sometime in June at the earliest.
Receiving their certificates for completing their first year in Youth Engaged in Philanthropy are, from left, Keelan Phillips, Jake Cattau, Piper Oswald, Kash Majerus, Macy Miller, Bryce Joseph, Morgan Calkins, Parker Smith, Jasmine Hansen, Kennedy Kleinschmidt and Emma Ellis-Sack.

Receiving their certificates for completing their first year in Youth Engaged in Philanthropy are, from left, Keelan Phillips, Jake Cattau, Piper Oswald, Kash Majerus, Macy Miller, Bryce Joseph, Morgan Calkins, Parker Smith, Jasmine Hansen, Kennedy Kleinschmidt and Emma Ellis-Sack.

YEP celebrates first 2 grants to nonprofits

The students of Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) celebrated their first annual grant and capstone ceremony Sunday afternoon by presenting $5,000 grants to both the Banister Leadership Academy in Aurora and the Hampton Public School Foundation.
The Hawks Learning Center in Hampton will be the home of a new daycare center for the community.

The Hawks Learning Center in Hampton will be the home of a new daycare center for the community.

Hampton Day Care hires first director

In a major step forward for Hampton Day Care Center, Inc., leadership announced at last week’s community meetings that a director has been hired for the facility expected to open Aug. 1 and that an assistant director may be on board soon as well.
Receiving their certificates for completing their first year in Youth Engaged in Philanthropy are, from left, Keelan Phillips, Jake Cattau, Piper Oswald, Kash Majerus, Macy Miller, Bryce Joseph, Morgan Calkins, Parker Smith, Jasmine Hansen, Kennedy Kleinschmidt  and Emma Ellis-Sack.

Receiving their certificates for completing their first year in Youth Engaged in Philanthropy are, from left, Keelan Phillips, Jake Cattau, Piper Oswald, Kash Majerus, Macy Miller, Bryce Joseph, Morgan Calkins, Parker Smith, Jasmine Hansen, Kennedy Kleinschmidt and Emma Ellis-Sack.

This week's top stories

The first class of the Hamilton County Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) program culminated its inaugural year on Sunday afternoon by awarding grands of $5,000 each to the Banister Leadership Academy (located at the Hamilton County Youth Center) and the Hampton Public Schools Foundation.
This map provided to the Village of Hampton by its engineering firm, Miller and Associates, shows the route of a proposed pipeline linking Hampton to Aurora’s well field north of town. The line would run along County Road 14 which is located less than a block from Hampton’s water tower and runs by Aurora’s pump houses near the cemetery. The bottom graph shows the differences in elevation between the two towns.

This map provided to the Village of Hampton by its engineering firm, Miller and Associates, shows the route of a proposed pipeline linking Hampton to Aurora’s well field north of town. The line would run along County Road 14 which is located less than a block from Hampton’s water tower and runs by Aurora’s pump houses near the cemetery. The bottom graph shows the differences in elevation between the two towns.

Hampton board considers water pipeline to Aurora

After being presented by its engineer with several possible scenarios for solving its ongoing water issues, the Village of Hampton is investigating the installation of a pipeline and purchasing its municipal water supply from Aurora, six miles to the west.