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The Hamilton County Board of Commissions poses for a picture with two local 4-H club members following their proclamation Monday of February as 4-H Month. Seat from left are commissioners Nicole Sabell and Jessie Merkel. Standing are commissioners Francis McDonald, Nancy Salmon, Rich Nelson and 4-H members Boaz and Gideon Ochsner.

The Hamilton County Board of Commissions poses for a picture with two local 4-H club members following their proclamation Monday of February as 4-H Month. Seat from left are commissioners Nicole Sabell and Jessie Merkel. Standing are commissioners Francis McDonald, Nancy Salmon, Rich Nelson and 4-H members Boaz and Gideon Ochsner.

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Commission declares February 4-H Month

News Staff
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
February has been officially declared as 4-H Month in Hamilton County thanks to action Monday morning by the County Commission. Extension 4-H coordinator Emily Soll was on hand for the regular meeting to introduce brothers Gideon and Boaz Ochsner who were there to represent 4-H youth in the county.
Unidentified man struck by vehicle near Phillips

Unidentified man struck by vehicle near Phillips

Information sought on injured pedestrian

News Staff
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office is seeking help from the public in identifying a man who was struck by a vehicle on Highway 34 near Phillips early this morning.
Dalton Hettle has transitioned his Hettle Dreamworkz Classic Sales into Aurora Auto Outlet. He will now sell and service vehicles as a Carfax Advantage Dealer. He and his wife Tristian recently celebrated the arrival of their twin girls, Paisley and Adeline.

Dalton Hettle has transitioned his Hettle Dreamworkz Classic Sales into Aurora Auto Outlet. He will now sell and service vehicles as a Carfax Advantage Dealer. He and his wife Tristian recently celebrated the arrival of their twin girls, Paisley and Adeline.

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Hettle shifts gears in automotive business

Elizabeth Hunter
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Just three years after opening Hettle Dreamworkz Classic Sales in Aurora, Dalton Hettle is moving into a whole new neighborhood of the automotive business.
Aurora Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tamar Jimenez, right, hosted a panel discussion Thursday with Lisa Tschauner, left, and Tom Field, both entrepreneurship professors at UNL.

Aurora Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tamar Jimenez, right, hosted a panel discussion Thursday with Lisa Tschauner, left, and Tom Field, both entrepreneurship professors at UNL.

Experts urge Aurora businesses to embrace change

Kurt Johnson
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
How a community and business can better anticipate and deal with change, the importance of first impressions, quality customer service and more were among the highlights of a “fireside chat” Thursday with two entrepreneurship experts featured at this year’s Aurora Chamber of Commerce annual awards...
Auctioneer Jamie Bergmark, left, calls for bids during Monday’s live auction at the Plainsman, while volunteers Greg Bonifas and Eric Lohrmeyer assist.

Auctioneer Jamie Bergmark, left, calls for bids during Monday’s live auction at the Plainsman, while volunteers Greg Bonifas and Eric Lohrmeyer assist.

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Plainsman marks 50th anniversary with fundraiser

Kurt Johnson
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
The Plainsman Museum, Hamilton County’s prized historical archive, celebrated its own 50 years of history Monday with a fundraiser dinner and auction which raised more than $25,000 for the cause.
Tiffany Cure

Tiffany Cure

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Tiffany Cure found not guilty on all charges

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
A Hamilton County jury of 10 women and four men has found Tiffany Cure of Marquette not guilty of all charges related to the death of infant Stormi Swartz in August of 2024. The jury deliberated for about 2-1/2 hours on Wednesday afternoon, Jan.
Hamilton County Board of Commissioners news

Hamilton County Board of Commissioners news

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Mid Air IT wins county computer maintenance contract

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
After hearing in recent weeks proposals from three local companies for providing cybersecurity and computer repair services for computers in all county offices, the board of commissioners decided Monday to enter into a one-year contract with Mid Air IT of Aurora.
A photo from the 2025 edition of the Healthy Living Health Fair

A photo from the 2025 edition of the Healthy Living Health Fair

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Live Healthy Health Fair coming Feb. 14

Elizabeth Hunter
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Twenty-five vendors are currently set to have booths at the Memorial Community Health’s Live Healthy Health Fair set for Feb. 14 at the Schaffert Commercial Building at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. The event is set to run from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Jeff Lash and his wife, Dottie, are both 1973 graduates of Aurora High School. After working in a variety of fields for 44 years, mostly in Lincoln, he is now retired and living in Ozark, Mo.

Jeff Lash and his wife, Dottie, are both 1973 graduates of Aurora High School. After working in a variety of fields for 44 years, mostly in Lincoln, he is now retired and living in Ozark, Mo.

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Lash: ‘If you say you can or can’t, you’re right’

Elizabeth Hunter
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Aurora native Jeff Lash is a living example of the old adage, “Choose a job that you enjoy and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Through his many years of working in Lincoln (mostly in sales) he found joy in what he did and rarely had to look for new job opportunities.
This temporary exhibit at the Alliance Heritage Center at New Jersey’s Stockton University features the contributions of many people who served during WWII in nearby Atlantic City.

This temporary exhibit at the Alliance Heritage Center at New Jersey’s Stockton University features the contributions of many people who served during WWII in nearby Atlantic City.

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Carol Robotham featured in New Jersey WWII exhibit

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Long time Marquette resident Carol Robotham, who passed away last year at the age of 102, is currently among those being honored in a WWII exhibit at the Alliance Heritage Center at Stockton University near Atlantic City,  N.J. where she served in the Women’s Army Corps.