.

A prescribed fire that broke containment Monday west of Johnstown has claimed between 12,000 and 14,000 acres and, as of Tuesday morning, was approximately 30 percent contained. Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala said the fire began as a prescribed burn by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission on the Jack King Ranch.

Work resumed Monday, April 21, on Nebraska Highway 11 (N-11), from reference post 181.82 to reference post 189.06, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation. Knife River Midwest, of Sioux City, Iowa, is the prime contractor for this project.

Enjoy a Saturday of fishing or state park activities without the need to purchase a fishing or park entry permit for the day. Free Fishing and Park Entry Day, held annually in Nebraska on the Saturday preceding Memorial Day weekend, means anyone can explore outdoor opportunities at any Nebraska state park, state recreation area or state historical park.

Spring clean-up has been scheduled for Saturday, April 26th, at 9 a.m. Please bring work gloves, rakes, brooms, and shovels to help with clean-up. The golf course’s annual Spring meeting will follow clean-up day.

We will resume our discussion about heaven next week, but for now I want to focus on holy week. It’s the season when the followers of Christ are focused on how He suffered and died on the cross and after three days He arose from the grave. As the elements of the sacrament symbolize, this week is not really a jovial time, but rather calls for serious meditation on the price Jesus paid and being grateful for His gift of eternal salvation. It’s bittersweet since it’s never pleasant to imagine a person being brutally tortured (especially when they are innocent), but the fact that Jesus miraculously came back to life, is a demonstration of His infinite power and authority as the King of kings and why we should be filled with humility and joy. He did not just talk about love, He demonstrated His compassion by willingly surrendering His life so that we could live.