Back pain can be disabling, not only in terms of employment but also in terms of social connections. This point was never more clear to me than when I saw Maria, a 56-year-old experiencing severe low back pain for nearly five years. The pain prevented her from standing or walking for more than five minutes at a time and had cost her the job she loved. Maria shared with me her one heart-wrenching goal; she wanted to hold her first grandchild, a six-month-old baby boy. Doing so had caused pain so intense it put her in bed for a full day afterwards.

May is a good month for fans of galaxies, since the constellation Virgo is up after sun set and for most of the night, following Leo across the night sky. Featured in some ancient societies as a goddess of agriculture and fertility, Virgo offers a bounty of galaxies as its celestial harvest for curious stargazers and professional astronomers alike.

The University of Nebraska at Kearney announced students who earned a place on the dean’s list for the spring 2021 semester. Students who are on the dean’s list must have completed 12 credit hours or more of classes with a 3.5 grade-point average or better on a 4.0 scale.

The Class C District Competition was held at the Court House and Jail Rock Golf Course in Bridgeport on Monday, May 17th. Three AHS golfers competed: Cash Reynolds, Ethan Fernau, and Landon Holloway.

The Brown County Board of Commissioners held their regular meeting Tuesday, May 18th at 5:15 p.m. at the Brown County Courthouse.

The Nebraska Medal of Honor Foundation hosted a motorcycle ride on Saturday, May 22nd to honor the 74 Medal of Honor recipients from Nebraska. The Nebraska American Legion Medal of Honor Ride was on Medal of Honor Highway 20 from Van Tassell, WY to Siouxland Freedom Park south of Sioux City, NE.