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Valeriy, Kyril, Tatiana and Danial lay out their quilts and prayer shawls received from Aurora United Methodist Church. The family moved to Nebraska in mid-July as refugees from Odessa, Ukraine. -
After a 27-year head coaching career, including the last 16 at Aurora, Lois Hixson is retiring from varsity coaching, but will continue to teach at AHS. -
Hampton coach Diane Torson celebrates a point during her final state tournament run in 2016. The longtime Hawk coach is retiring from the varsity sideline after 36 seasons, but will continue to teach in the coming years. -
Trumpets Ellie Brown (left), Gentri Rasmussen and Emi Huls, among others, were all-in for beach day during Friday band camp. The band will be showcasing an impressive Pirates of the Caribbean themed performance this year. -
Owner Jeff Munoz (right) and heating and air employee Jason Dieckmann stand by their van for Taurus Plumbing at their office on J Street.
Ukrainian family receives welcome from Aurora church
On Feb. 24, Valeriy is out in the cool waters of the Black Sea as part of an international shipping company based in Ukraine. Within 24 hours, life for him and his family will be turned upside down.
Russia had launched an invasion of Ukraine via the Donbas, Crimea and Belarus, upending the lives of an entire nation. Ukrainians had a choice, stay to fight or weather the storm or get themselves and family to safety. Up to six million have chosen the latter, according to the United Nations.
This is one story of how a local community opened its heart to help people 5,000 miles away.
“The whole community has pitched in and wants to help,” said Patti Kell, a member of the United Aurora Methodist Church.
Pair of long-time volleyball coaches welcome retirement
Lois Hixson retires from Aurora volleyball
Lois Hixson has always had a calculated approach to her coaching style. She was given the keys to a powerful vehicle and wanted to make sure when she moved on, it was in the same vein.
Following a 32-year coaching career, including 27 as a head coach and the last 16 at Aurora, Hixson is stepping away as a varsity volleyball coach.
Torson retires after 36 seasons
More often than not, Diane Torson could get her point across with just a look. Way more often than not, a simple look led to winning seasons and state championships for the Hampton volleyball team.
After 36 years and almost 700 victories, Torson is stepping away from the coach’s seat for the Lady Hawk program she helped build into a powerhouse brand among the smaller Class D crowd.
Free 80s movie weekend feature coming to 12th Street Cinema
Something about seeing a movie on the big screen has always drawn in a crowd. Box-office record breakers, excitement, popcorn, fountain soda -- the whole experience stands out in memories.
And now citizens in Aurora and the surrounding areas can do so, alongside a trio of classic 80s favorites, Aug. 19-21, starting at 7 p.m., at 12th Street Cinema in Aurora.
Another plus is that each showing is free, thanks to community sponsors.
“Paul (Johnson) and I have kind of been collaborating,” said 12th Street Cinema/Hamilton County Youth Center board member Mitchell Lyon. “Paul has obviously been doing all the heavy lifting on the Youth Center (side), but the Youth Center was the first big focus of the board. Once that got done and opened, we’ve kind of shifted our attention to the movie theater.”
Husky Band to set sail for 2022
“What is a pirate’s favorite letter?” asked Aurora band director Dan Sodomka.
After a pair of equally entertaining guesses from the beach-clad band, he gave his crew the punchline.
“The C (sea)!” he said with a laugh.
The Huskies groaned, but celebrated none the less when he gave the next directions and the band was eventually allowed to run through the opening to its 2022 show -- Pirates of the Caribbean -- and finish out a week-long band camp in style.
“I’m very optimistic,” Sodomka said about the upcoming season. “I was extremely proud of the way the kids handled the heat and the hard hours out in that heat. I told them at the beginning of band camp that I was very excited about this year’s band with the musicianship and the quality of people we have in the band, but that one of our biggest obstacles this year is going to be just our overall balance.”
Taurus Plumbing growing in Aurora
Business owner Jeff Munoz has been busy since he brought his 25 years of experience in plumbing to his two-year-old business, Taurus Plumbing in Aurora.
“It’s been non-stop since day one,” he said. “I am busy as I could work seven days a week if I wanted. I usually work six and day seven is in the office.”
Munoz has been around the block once or twice, starting with learning the ropes in Lincoln before moving to Phoenix, Ariz.
“I did a lot of more multimillion-dollar custom homes, and then a lot of commercial work,” he described his work in the Grand Canyon State.
Then it was back to Nebraska to work for 13 years with Master’s ANK in Grand Island, though he kept mostly to the Aurora area.
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