This week's top stories

  • The City of Aurora has filed a notice of special assessment and lien for $323,805 against this lot, the former site of the Gambles building. The property is owned by Stan Valasek.
    The City of Aurora has filed a notice of special assessment and lien for $323,805 against this lot, the former site of the Gambles building. The property is owned by Stan Valasek.
  • Lining up to fill their plates at Thursday's Triple B feed in Phillips are, from left, MaryAnn Hubbard, Sara Anderson and Diana Hast.
    Lining up to fill their plates at Thursday's Triple B feed in Phillips are, from left, MaryAnn Hubbard, Sara Anderson and Diana Hast.
  • Hampton ag teacher Joel Miller stands next to one of the pens outside the school where the Hawk Herd is cared for by students. The herd presently has five cows ready to calve in the spring and two market calves that will be used for beef for the school’s lunch program.
    Hampton ag teacher Joel Miller stands next to one of the pens outside the school where the Hawk Herd is cared for by students. The herd presently has five cows ready to calve in the spring and two market calves that will be used for beef for the school’s lunch program.
  • Paul Friedrichsen
    Paul Friedrichsen
  • Ludvig Bjerring has enjoyed trying out new sports as a senior at Aurora High School, including football and wrestling.
    Ludvig Bjerring has enjoyed trying out new sports as a senior at Aurora High School, including football and wrestling.

    The Aurora City Council voted last week to file a notice of special assessment and lien for $323,805 against the property on the east side of the square owned by Stan Valasek where the Gambles building once stood. City Attorney Ross Luzum reported that costs paid by the city to demolish the building, which had been deemed an unsafe structure in July after bricks began falling to the ground, had gone unpaid by the owner. Pursuant to city code, he outlined a resolution for the special assessment and lien, explaining that the city is hoping to recoup some of those expenses.

    The Phillips Community Foundation hosted its 39th annual Triple B Feed Thursday night with 630 people lining up all around Phillips Memorial Hall ready to try some calf fries, beans, beer and more. Working over several days, more than 40 volunteers helped out with the feed.

    The success of Hampton High School’s animal lab, the Hawk Herd, has captured the attention of the York-Hamilton Cattlemen, earning ag teacher Joel Miller a trip to the association’s annual banquet next week to accept an award. Both Miller and Henderson area cattle feeder Alan Janzen will be presented with awards at the banquet set for Tuesday evening at the Holthus Convention Center in York.  “Joel Miller has really impressed the Cattlemen and parents with a beef cattle emphasis program he has developed in his classroom,” association secretary Gerald Peterson said. Read a profile on Miller and the Hawk Herd in this week's Ag Life pages (A10-A11).

    Paul Friedrichsen, 80, has built a lasting legacy for himself and his family, having raised 10 children and countless foster children into responsible, hard-working adults. During Christmas Day last year, Friedrichsen was delighted to have 20 people from his family celebrate the beloved holiday together for the first time at East Park Villa, which he now calls home. Amber Cecil, Friedrichsen’s daughter, recalled fondly the wonderful holidays that he and his wife, Marcia (who passed away in 2019), had given to her and her siblings.  Friedrichsen's story leads off our annual Prime Time edition in the B Section of this week's issue.

    Danish exchange student Ludvig Johan Bjerring has been having a ball during his first semester as a senior at Aurora High School.   in the United States after arriving from Denmark in late July. Bjerring talks about his American experience and some of the new things he has tried in his first semester as a senior at AHS in an article on Page A6 of this week's ANR.

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