Here’s to another week of picking up sticks; Cruise Night is Aug. 14

Hello again from the community of Hampton. I hope life has been treating everyone well since our last visit. I know into everyone’s life some rain must fall, and hopefully not all at once. In my own life, it has been more like twigs - or sticks.

Having a ‘small-town summer’ despite COVID

It continues to surprise me how oddly time passes during the summer. Some days seem to be hours longer than others, but then you look at the calendar and it’s only a month until school starts.

What I saw while in South Korea

Editor’s note: This article, which first appeared in the Player’s Tribune, was written by Merete Lutz, the granddaughter of former Aurora resident Norma Gertsch. Walking to school in the morning past security guards shoveling dead birds off the playground. That’s an image I’ll never forget.

Wilkins joins medical clinic staff

60 Years Ago – 1960 M. H. VanBerg of Columbus was top Nebraska owner in the distribution of purses at the Ak-Sar-Ben race meeting, it was announced this week. His horses earned $95,381.20, the most money won by any owner in Ak-Sar-Ben history. Paul Kemling of Phillips was fourth with $16,335.

Out with the old ...

“Take out order” took on a whole different meaning Friday at the Runza restaurant in Aurora. Construction crews were busy taking out the ceiling, walls and anything that once stood vertical, clearing the site as the first step in a project that will end with a newly built restaurant.

SBA releases info on PPP loans

The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department, released detailed loan-level data last week regarding the loans made under the Paycheck Protection Program covering each of the 4.9 million PPP loans that have been made.

Unemployment claims decline

The Nebraska Department of Labor announced Thursday that continued unemployment claims declined last week compared to the prior week, but new claims increased. There were 53,673 continued weeks of regular unemployment claimed last week, a decrease of 4.

Three new houses boost June building permits

Three new single-family dwellings and a house addition were the driving force in a surge of building permits which boosted the June total to well over $700,000.

Storm causes tree damage

Storm damage swept through the county during a late night thunderstorm July 8. Pictured at left, the strong weather conditions tore down a large portion of a tree on N Street in Aurora. At right, a tree branch came to rest on top of a parked vehicle also located on N Street in Aurora.

Go Big Give surpasses $1 million in donations

Twenty-four hours, 137 nonprofits and “a million gifts for the world we want to make.