Photo courtesy of Josh Salmon/The Grand Island Independent // Brandon McDonough shares his inspirational story of tragedy, despair and triumph during the Heartland United Way kickoff luncheon Thursday in Grand Island.

The High Plains Striv crew has a built-in spot high above the football field at Clarks, pictured here broadcasting the BDS game earlier this season.

Dr. Steve Alberts joined the Aurora Veterinary Clinic in 1971 and ended his career last week, announcing plans to retire after 50 years.

Participants on the ethanol plant tour pass around a sample of corn oil, one of several by-products produced at the Aurora facility.

This archive photo, which hangs in the Hamilton Telecommunications corporate office, was taken while D.E. McGregor, one of the founding fathers of NCTC, was visiting the Hamilton office in Aurora on Sept. 22, 1921.

The statue “Waiting for the Bus” and flag pole were given in memory of Cletus Kothe by his family. Kothe drove bus for the Giltner school for 52 years and passed away in 2020.

Julie Wetherington helps explain the floor plans for the Temple Craft Restoration Project, which were revealed Saturday evening.

Hampton Public School staff members donned purple shirts for Friday’s event and volunteered to serve up free barbecue for a crowd estimated at more than 500 people.

A former Sands family barn moved to the site in 2007 has been built into the edge of the Gjerloff Prairie and converted into the Charles L. Whitney Education Center.

A photo taken last week at the High Plains high school building in Polk shows a portion of the $3.85 million project.