This week's featured stories

  • XPO celebrated the team achievement of driving 1 million combined miles without an accident, either on the road or at the Aurora service center.
    XPO celebrated the team achievement of driving 1 million combined miles without an accident, either on the road or at the Aurora service center.
  • Hampton grad Brad Jacobsen (front left) is an associate superintendent of civic engagement for Lincoln Public Schools and previously worked as the principal of Ashland-Greendwood for 16 years. Pictured above is Jacobsen’s family, front from left: son Tate, wife Staci. Back row: Tyler’s fiance Makenna, sons Tyler, Dane and Cale.
    Hampton grad Brad Jacobsen (front left) is an associate superintendent of civic engagement for Lincoln Public Schools and previously worked as the principal of Ashland-Greendwood for 16 years. Pictured above is Jacobsen’s family, front from left: son Tate, wife Staci. Back row: Tyler’s fiance Makenna, sons Tyler, Dane and Cale.
  • Pastor Mike Brill, pictured here with his wife, Cindy, is starting New Hope Community Church which meets Sunday mornings at 10 at the Ivy on K Street in Aurora.
    Pastor Mike Brill, pictured here with his wife, Cindy, is starting New Hope Community Church which meets Sunday mornings at 10 at the Ivy on K Street in Aurora.
  • Beck’s Hybrids President Scott Beck (center) prepares to cut the ribbon on the company’s newest seed corn facility, the former Syngenta plant near Phillips, on Friday. With him are his father, Sonny, the company’s CEO, as well as other Beck’s officials and representatives of various community organizations.
    Beck’s Hybrids President Scott Beck (center) prepares to cut the ribbon on the company’s newest seed corn facility, the former Syngenta plant near Phillips, on Friday. With him are his father, Sonny, the company’s CEO, as well as other Beck’s officials and representatives of various community organizations.
  • The townspeople unite as they seek to take out the noble families before one of their daughters marries the evil Prince Thanatos.
    The townspeople unite as they seek to take out the noble families before one of their daughters marries the evil Prince Thanatos.

    The XPO service center in Aurora added a sixth banner above the front door this week, celebrating another million miles with no accidents for any of its drivers. Safety is part of the built-in culture at the less-than-truckload (LTL) facility located just off Highway 14 near the I-80 intersection, so when its team of drivers logs a combined 1 million miles without a mishap out on the interstate, as well as along less-traveled rural routes and within its own facility, it’s a very big deal, according to local manager Mike Drew. Read the story of this million milestone on this week's Business Page (B12).

    When he stepped into his latest role as associate superintendent for civic engagement for Lincoln Public Schools (LPS), Hampton grad Brad Jacobsen was determined to continue his mission of advocating for public school education. As associate superintendent, Jacobsen oversees programs such as the TeamMates mentoring program, which involves several thousand students, mentors and mentees. He also directs the Community Learning Centers, a federally-funded before and after school program. Jacobsen is the subject of one of two Where Are They Now? feature stories this week's edition.

    The Ivy performance and event venue at the corner of K and 11th streets in Aurora began its life as the home of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, but continues to function as a house of worship even today. And over the past two Sunday mornings Pastor Mike Brill has led worship services there for a new congregation to be called New Hope Community Church. The first service had an attendance of 17.

    Beck’s Hybrids, a family-owned Indiana seed company, celebrated its acquisition of the former Syngenta seed corn plant near Phillips with a luncheon and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday. In attendance were five generations of the Beck family, as well as numerous local officials, media and employees of the company. Read the what went on at the historic event on this week's Ag Life pages (B5-6) and see what Co-publisher Kurt Johnson had to say about the acquisition on the Opinion Page (B2).

    The Aurora one act team has returned to the stage with another student-written play by student director Scott Bennett. The team, consisting of 53 cast and crew members, came together last Tuesday evening for the dress rehearsal of the drama “As the Crown Fell.” “It is fascinating and beautiful to watch people that I’ve known, some people I’ve known for my entire life, just absorb all these themes and portray these complex characters wonderfully,” Bennett said. The one act team will present a public performance on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at the Aurora Middle School Theater at 7 p.m.

    Get all the details on these stories and much more in this week's print or e-editions of the Aurora News-Register.