News

The Ainsworth City Council met for its monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 8. Members present were Kent Taylor and Dustin Barthel.

The Brown County Commissioners on Tuesday approved having the county be the applicant for a potential energy grant for the Sandhills Care Center. North Central Development Center Executive Director Kristin Olson said an energy efficiency grant opportunity was potentially available through the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment.

A Strong Finish to the 2026 Legislative Session The 109th legislative session is nearing adjournment. We were all hopeful that would happen last Friday, April 10th, but with several unexpected bumps in the road, primarily the struggle to pass the budget, we will sine die this Friday, April 17th.

Political Craziness Now Includes Supposed ‘Plants’ Running for U.S. Senate Spring is planting time in Nebraska.

This story is made possible through a partnership between Flatwater Free Press and Grist, a nonprofit environmental me‑dia organization. Mike Wintz was nearly 4 miles away and in the thick of fighting the Morrill Fire when he heard over the radio that the flames were headed for his home.

I had the pleasure of visiting Grand Island for an exciting oc‑casion: the ribbon-cutting cere‑mony for the Central Nebraska Regional Airport’s new Snow Removal Equipment Building. My team was proud to advo‑cate for Hall County to receive this funding.

Farms and ranches are the foundation of the Good Life in Nebraska. Nebraskans feed the country and fuel the world. Our farmers and ranchers keep America healthy and safe with a secure, reliable food supply. But China can threaten this.

Prairie View Gospel Barn in‑vites you to join them for an afternoon with Mark Trammell Quartet and humorist and con‑ference speaker Jamey Ragel on Sunday, April 12. Throughout this program, you will be challenged and inspired, laugh a lot, and hear some ex‑ceptional Gospel Music.

A Wednesday evening fire destroyed a home north of Ainsworth and prompted the response of four area fire de‑partments. According to Ainsworth Vol‑unteer Fire Department As‑sistant Chief Devin Painter, firefighters received a call at ap‑proximately 7:55 p.m.

Senator Barry DeKay’s Leg‑islative Bill 1187, known as the “brand bill,” advanced suc‑cessfully through first-round debate on the floor of the Ne‑braska Legislature yesterday after a compromise amend‑ment preserved the integrity of the state’s livestock brand inspection system.