Big, Beautiful Bill Would Deal Bad News for Rural Hospitals and Medicaid Recipients There’s some good news and plenty of bad news for Nebraska’s rural hospitals. Just recently, state officials cheered the announcement that the federal government had approved the state’s application to join a program, already involving 44 other states, that would provide an additional $1 billion to the state’s hospitals and nursing facilities.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation announced plans for 2026 highway construction projects. In the area, the NDOT plans to mill and resurface 7.78 miles of Highway 20 between Stuart and Atkinson. The estimated cost of the work is $4.08 million.

The Meadville Cultural and Historical Museum hosted a grand opening celebration on July 5. The museum is located south of the Meadville Store and east of Meadville Park in the building called the Red Barn, which sits north of the Niobrara River.

The Brown County Commissioners met in the Brown County Courthouse meeting room at 1:15 p.m. on July 1.

The Ainsworth Commercial Club along with the Ainsworth Chamber of Commerce and many other individuals, businesses, and organizations came together to hold the Bob Buckles Memorial Cruise Night on July 4.

Celebrating Independence Day is always a highlight of the summer season. It is truly a time of celebration as we are thankful for the decisions that were made by Congress and the courage and faith these men presented as they declared to the world the United States wanted the freedom to become a sovereign nation. When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, few colonists desired complete independence from Great Britain, and those who did were considered radical. By the middle of the following year, however, many more colonists had come to favor independence, thanks to growing hostility against Britain and the spread of revolutionary sentiments such as those expressed in the bestselling pamphlet “Common Sense” published by Thomas Paine in early 1776.