This week's featured stories

  • Cooper Kremer stands in front of the new home of UAM Systems, located at the Aurora airport.
    Cooper Kremer stands in front of the new home of UAM Systems, located at the Aurora airport.
  • New Aurora Chamber of Commerce Director Tamar Jimenez stands in front of the Bremer Center where her office is located. Having been stationed in Aurora in 2021 and ‘22 with XPO, Jimenez decided to move back to Nebraska last year because she found a home here.
    New Aurora Chamber of Commerce Director Tamar Jimenez stands in front of the Bremer Center where her office is located. Having been stationed in Aurora in 2021 and ‘22 with XPO, Jimenez decided to move back to Nebraska last year because she found a home here.
  • Josh Arias, who leads a nonprofit called Impact Art, works with Addi Aschenbrener, left, and Daylynn Egger, two of several youth who volunteered to help paint the lower portion of a mural at the Hamilton County Youth Center.
    Josh Arias, who leads a nonprofit called Impact Art, works with Addi Aschenbrener, left, and Daylynn Egger, two of several youth who volunteered to help paint the lower portion of a mural at the Hamilton County Youth Center.
  • Members of Brotherhood of the Platte visited Giltner Daze for the first time to give a medieval demonstration to visitors. Clashing blades in medieval armor during the demonstration were Ben Springer (left) and his brother Joel.
    Members of Brotherhood of the Platte visited Giltner Daze for the first time to give a medieval demonstration to visitors. Clashing blades in medieval armor during the demonstration were Ben Springer (left) and his brother Joel.
  • The Hamilton County Food Pantry completed its 20th year of participating in Channel 10/11’s annual Can Care-a-Van event. After collecting food and monetary donations from the community last Tuesday, the food pantry had received 19,315 pounds worth of food and other items. During the event, 10/11 TV anchors Taryn and Jon Vanderford remotely broadcasted their daily show, “Pure Nebraska.”
    The Hamilton County Food Pantry completed its 20th year of participating in Channel 10/11’s annual Can Care-a-Van event. After collecting food and monetary donations from the community last Tuesday, the food pantry had received 19,315 pounds worth of food and other items. During the event, 10/11 TV anchors Taryn and Jon Vanderford remotely broadcasted their daily show, “Pure Nebraska.”
  • Demolition of 1st Street from Mark Street to Parklane, delayed by rain, was scheduled to begin Tuesday.
    Demolition of 1st Street from Mark Street to Parklane, delayed by rain, was scheduled to begin Tuesday.

    Cooper Kremer got his first mill at 14. Now, at 20, he’s launching UAM Systems, his own manufacturing business based at the Aurora Municipal Airport. UAM Systems, short for United Ag and Manufacturing, will specialize in subcontract manufacturing, offering destructive and non-destructive testing, analytical work and research and development. Kremer developed an interest in manufacturing early on while he was home schooled by his parents, Greg and Sue, graduating in 2023. Read the entire account of Kremer's entrepreneurial enterprise in this week's Business Page, B12.

    The new executive director of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce is on the job and is making herself known around the community. The Chamber announced last week that Tamar Jimenez, a native of Israel and a U.S. Navy veteran, had been hired to lead the organization. Jimenez, a native of Israel and a former employee of XPO's Aurora facility, said she returned to Nebraska a year ago after being reassigned to Ohio and Pennsylvania because she feels at home here.

    Local youth broke out the spray paint Saturday to lend their energy and creativity to a mural project at the Hamilton County Youth Center. The north wall of the facility just off the downtown square will be getting a two-phase update, with kids invited to help paint the bottom half on Saturday with the help of Lincoln-based artist Josh Arias, who helped the center previously with an indoor mural.

    This year's edition of Giltner Daze, the popular annual festival in the Village of Giltner, was bigger and better than ever. Organizers were pleased with the turnout which included a number of families who were first time attendees. Nearly 180 cars were registered for the third annual Giltner Daze Car Show as well.

    Support for the Hamilton County Food Pantry continues to grow as it completed its 20th year in the annual Can Care-a-Van on Tuesday. After spending seven hours gathering food from donors and organizing it for the shelves, the food pantry amassed nearly 19,315 pounds of food, almost reaching its 20,000-pound goal.

    Construction and utility crews working on Aurora’s 1st Street renovation project met Monday to review progress reports and detailed work schedules going forward, all with an eye on the goal of completing road work on the south end of the project before school starts in August. Heavy rains have caused delays in recent weeks, prompting the Aurora School Board to create an advisory committee last week to begin discussing alternative route plans in case road work near the school is not completed on time. 

    For these stories and more plus our first-ever "Road to Everywhere" edition focusing on the local trucking industry, see the print or e-edition of this week's ANR.