This week's top stories

Cletus Kothe honored after 52 years with Giltner Hornets
“As our school bus driver, you were always the first smiling adult our students saw each morning and the last before they went home. You always braved the weather to deliver our children safely where they needed to be and were a shining example as you did it.”
So reads a plaque on the statue “Waiting for the School Bus.” The piece, depicting two children and a bench, was installed this year in memory of Cletus Kothe, who passed away in 2020. 
His family, wife Carol and children Lisa Bell and Eric Kothe worked to place the memorial in celebration of his 52 years of driving a bus for Giltner Public Schools.

‘He’s always with us’
Giltner’s roster wasn’t quite complete when the Hornets walked onto home field Friday night. 
But, in a way, it was. 
Giltner senior Jacob Wiles was seriously injured in a car accident back on Aug. 10 and has spent every day since in the hospital, much of that time in Kearney before being transferred to Lincoln last week for long-term rehab. 
But, as the Hornets took the field for the first Friday night lights game last week, the presence of Wiles could be felt all around. 
Two Giltner seniors, Dakon Wilson and Connor Craig, led Giltner onto the field carrying a No. 34 jersey, the same one Wiles was to wear this season as part of the team. 

Kuehner earns bronze at Tornado Hill
Aurora senior Elena Kuehner emerged from a challenging season-opening race in Grand Island Friday with a third place finish, crossing the line behind two of the state’s top runners in their classes.
Coach Tony Sigler said he was pleased with Kuehner’s 2021 debut performance, even though his No. 1 runner was not.
“Elena was a little disappointed in the race, but I reminded her that the two girls she was running against were some of the best runners in all classes,” he said. “There are just a lot of positives to be taken away from that so I was really happy with how she ran.”
Friday’s Vince Zavala Invite was won by Alayna Vargas of Hastings St. Cecilia, who crossed the line in 16:38. Gabi Westfall of Omaha Skutt was second in 17:08, with Kuehner third in 17:17.

‘Tree bomb’ entry part of State Fair competition
A tree on the courthouse square came alive with colors Saturday and it had nothing whatsoever to do with an early change of fall plumage.
Instead, two local artists used one of the many tall oaks for a “tree bomb” project tied to a contest coordinated by the Nebraska State Fair. Jana Van Housen and Cindy McClellan were clearly enjoying their artistic endeavor Saturday morning, though neither had used this particular canvas, or format, before.
“If you go to the Nebraska State Fair website you’ll see a Tree Graffiti Contest, so we decided we were going to do a tree bomb using our Aurora Art Walk,” Van Housen explained. “This contest is on until Sept. 18, which is the Aurora Art Walk, so we’re just basically going to decorate the tree with themes of the artists who are coming to Art Walk.”

Ziegler medals at Seward
The Aurora girls teed off the golf season Friday in Seward, bringing home one individual medal and some valuable team experience.
Senior Grace Ziegler carded a 99 on a warm day in Seward to finish 15th, while the Lady Huskies finished eighth in a 12-team field. 
“I don’t think we played the best we can, but I do know that a lot of the girls were new or haven’t played varsity golf at all so they were pretty nervous,” said coach Rick Bell. “We’re pretty inexperienced and we have a lot to learn, but I was really pleased with their attitudes.”