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Paul Johnson shows off a Random Acts of Excellence card in the Zen Room at the Hamilton County Youth Center. The cards are awarded to middle and high school students for good behavior allowing youths to get free treats and gift cards.

Paul Johnson shows off a Random Acts of Excellence card in the Zen Room at the Hamilton County Youth Center. The cards are awarded to middle and high school students for good behavior allowing youths to get free treats and gift cards.

Youth Center rewards ‘Random Acts of Excellence’

Jacob Courtney
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Paul Johnson of the Hamilton County Youth Center is helping teenagers get a reward for good behavior via Random Acts of Excellence cards with the support of community members and local businesses as announced on Youth Center Facebook Feb. 3.
A suspect fleeing Nebraska State Patrol on Friday near the Giltner Spur led to two school lockouts and a day-long search for the suspect. 

A suspect fleeing Nebraska State Patrol on Friday near the Giltner Spur led to two school lockouts and a day-long search for the suspect. 

Fleeing suspect leads to school lockouts, arrest

Jacob Courtney
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
A suspect fleeing Nebraska State Patrol on Friday near the Giltner Spur led to two school lockouts and a day-long search for the suspect.  Around 10:30 a.m.
A champion for regenerative agriculture, Dr. David Meyer is seen here in a field of millet, intercropped with mung beans.

A champion for regenerative agriculture, Dr. David Meyer is seen here in a field of millet, intercropped with mung beans.

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News Staff
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Local expert breaks through layers of regenerative ag  Agriculture, like the soil it stands on, has many layers. Effectively the soil itself stands as a timeline and report card for history and humanities use of all it provides.
Gathering together to give back, the Hamilton Community Foundation’s Women in Philanthropy group currently consists of, front row from left: Connie Cranston, Barb Bonifas, Virginia Koepke, Myra Higgins, Dawn Shaw, Deb Nelson, Roberta Cool and April Mason. Back row, from left: Laura Reeson, Jaime Kreutz, Tammy Morris, Lori Thiele, Maggie Preissler, Juanita Regier, Angie Coufal, Melanie Klute, Jill DeMers and Tonya Papineau. Not pictured: Bonnie Jones.

Gathering together to give back, the Hamilton Community Foundation’s Women in Philanthropy group currently consists of, front row from left: Connie Cranston, Barb Bonifas, Virginia Koepke, Myra Higgins, Dawn Shaw, Deb Nelson, Roberta Cool and April Mason. Back row, from left: Laura Reeson, Jaime Kreutz, Tammy Morris, Lori Thiele, Maggie Preissler, Juanita Regier, Angie Coufal, Melanie Klute, Jill DeMers and Tonya Papineau. Not pictured: Bonnie Jones.

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Women in Philanthropy set to give back across county

Cheyenne Rowe
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
A select group of like-minded women across Hamilton County have come together to form Women in Philanthropy, a special program hosted by the Hamilton Community Foundation in Aurora.
Village Square members, from left, Dorothy Balaban and Loretta Jost stand in front of the former location of Cottonwood Gallery. The retail cooperative will be moving from its location to the previous gallery space at the end of February. Moving members Joyce Dose, Becky Freelend and Janet Alberts are not pictured.

Village Square members, from left, Dorothy Balaban and Loretta Jost stand in front of the former location of Cottonwood Gallery. The retail cooperative will be moving from its location to the previous gallery space at the end of February. Moving members Joyce Dose, Becky Freelend and Janet Alberts are not pictured.

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Village Square moving soon across square to former Cottonwood Gallery location

Jacob Courtney
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
The Village Square retail cooperative is moving out of its current location on the east side of the downtown square in the coming weeks to the former Cottonwood Gallery & Arts location on the south side of the plaza due to a change in building ownership. After Clint Mickey, co-owner of Cornwell Inc.
“In 2020 deputies had 114 traffic stops for the year,” Hamilton County Sheriff Jeromy McCoy announced during Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting.

“In 2020 deputies had 114 traffic stops for the year,” Hamilton County Sheriff Jeromy McCoy announced during Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting.

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Sheriff McCoy offers overview

Cheyenne Rowe
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
“In 2020 deputies had 114 traffic stops for the year,” Hamilton County Sheriff Jeromy McCoy announced during Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting. “For 2021 that went up to 588. And in 2022 (there were) 1,836 with 554 tickets.
Despite that pesky old groundhog seeing its shadow, other signs have been pointing to a quickly approaching warmer season in Hamilton County.

Despite that pesky old groundhog seeing its shadow, other signs have been pointing to a quickly approaching warmer season in Hamilton County.

A’ROR’N Days courthouse use approved by county

Cheyenne Rowe
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Despite that pesky old groundhog seeing its shadow, other signs have been pointing to a quickly approaching warmer season in Hamilton County.
This railroad crossing on N Road, located on the west side of the Aurora ethanol plant, is one of three sites where accidents within the past two years have prompted railroad and NDOT officials to propose installing automated crossing signals later this year.

This railroad crossing on N Road, located on the west side of the Aurora ethanol plant, is one of three sites where accidents within the past two years have prompted railroad and NDOT officials to propose installing automated crossing signals later this year.

This week's top stories

News Staff
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Accidents prompt 3 railroad crossings County commissioners learned Monday that Burlington Northern Railroad and the Nebraska Department of Roads are making plans to install three new railroad crossings in Hamilton County within the next year, based on reports of recent accidents at those locations.
Award winners recognized at Thursday’s Aurora Chamber of Commerce banquet included, from left: Cellie Holliday, Teresa and Todd Vettel with Scooter’s Coffee (Large Business of the Year); Bridgett Svoboda (Community Leader of the Year); Georgia Berthelsen and Megan Newman with Hello Gorgeous (Small Business of the Year); Paul and Brooke Johnson with the Hamilton County Youth Center (Civic Business Award). Not pictured is Loren Berthelsen with Grape Frog (Rising Star Award).

Award winners recognized at Thursday’s Aurora Chamber of Commerce banquet included, from left: Cellie Holliday, Teresa and Todd Vettel with Scooter’s Coffee (Large Business of the Year); Bridgett Svoboda (Community Leader of the Year); Georgia Berthelsen and Megan Newman with Hello Gorgeous (Small Business of the Year); Paul and Brooke Johnson with the Hamilton County Youth Center (Civic Business Award). Not pictured is Loren Berthelsen with Grape Frog (Rising Star Award).

Chamber banquet back with awards, celebration

Kurt Johnson
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
The Aurora Chamber of Commerce celebrated a year of local business growth and success with its first in-person annual awards banquet in several years Thursday.
Giltner graduate Lance McKay now offers mowing, yard service, power washing and auto detailing through his new buisness, McKay HP, which stands for high performance.

Giltner graduate Lance McKay now offers mowing, yard service, power washing and auto detailing through his new buisness, McKay HP, which stands for high performance.

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McKay launches new lawn care business

Jacob Courtney
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Lance McKay began mowing lawns as a way to make some extra money while attending high school in 2018 and turned that and other skills into a business as of April 2022.