Omaha, NE – April 24, 2023 – Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural “Heartland Hero Award” from Rural Media Group. This distinguished recognition honors Dr. Gold’s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to serving rural communities.

Alliance, NE – The City Council of Alliance, Nebraska, has officially declared Friday, April 26, 2024, as Arbor Day, reaffirming its commitment to environmental conservation and tree planting initiatives in the community. Arbor Day holds significant importance as a day dedicated to the planting and preservation of trees. It...

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — BNSF will become the second major freight railroad to allow some of its employees to report safety concerns anonymously through a federal system without fear of discipline. The Federal Railroad Administration announced Thursday that the railroad owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway had agreed to...

Nothing extraordinary. A car stopped outside the Keep Alliance Beautiful Recycling Center several months ago, we toted the load inside. The woman looked familiar though the face I could not quite place. She was Flor Acosta (now Sheridan), one of many high-achieving AHS students that showed up in our APS coverage just over a decade ago when I worked for the paper. Turns out the Alliance native had moved back with her husband Fletcher and they were interested in recycling services for their new downtown business.Skip ahead to mid-April 2024. Anyone curious about the wood-smoked fare at Golden Hour Barbecue has likely stopped in and met the couple between the butcher block and cash register, or at least heard that Flor and Fletcher bought the historic Newberry Building. KAB provided a white tote in the alley weeks before the official opening on St. Patrick’s Day. Personally, I have missed Pigaro’s and looked forward to the incoming barbecue joint. My first trip came later rather than sooner on an afternoon date. I was glad to see a successful handoff from Newberry’s Common Grounds, also avid recyclers. The building itself has a presence and personality – one of a handful of my Box Butte Ave. rooftop photography vantage points over the years – with plenty of space and potential.Flor and Fletcher shared their story on a recent morning as the gray diffuse light of spring fell on a table at the restaurant. They met junior year while attending UNK “randomly walking on the Kearney bricks that night,” Fletcher reminisced. As to how they ended up business owners in Alliance, the path went right through the heart of barbecue country in Texas where Fletcher worked his way up in the business and Flor taught mathematics in a public charter school district. Our journey in life just clicked, this is why (we’ve) had to go through these experiences . . . We took the leap to do it, they explained. “Couldn’t have picked a better place to do it, it was meant to be,” Fletcher said.Everyone’s journey begins with the proverbial first step. Fletcher, who grew up just north of Austin, TX, coached tennis while living in Kearney. He graduated before Flor with a GIS degree working in Texas before moving back to be with her. After she earned a teaching degree they decided to settle in Houston. “Had fun while we were there,” she said. “Was a point in our journey where we were getting very settled and figured if we didn’t move in a year or two we’d be there (longterm).”The Sheridans spent five years in his home state as “(I) learned from the best BBQ’ers,” Fletcher said. Their trip back for Flor’s sister’s Quinceneria (at the Newberry) dropped a fork in the road this past June. They loved the setting and found out the property was for sale then “sat on it for a month” before returning during Heritage Days. “(We) got to see the building in full action,” Flor commented. “Downtown is so cute, classic – a place you would go and visit when you’re traveling.”Soon after that they put in an offer and found the pit (or smoker) could not be located in the desired spot – and the property lacked space outdoors. Fletcher said their real estate agent spoke to the owners of the lot to the north, Jerry Reynolds and Cindy Kusek. The west end of that property now hosts the pit (a metal roof over two smokers). “They came around and are super supportive,” Fletcher said. They closed the sale and Flor’s parents flew down to drive a massive U-Haul, pit in tow.Golden Hour BBQ joins dozens of Alliance businesses who take advantage of KAB’s free pick up service. Their bin, just north of West Fourth Street, contains mostly cardboard (corrugated and paperboard) on average in addition to plastic and glass containers and a few miscellaneous items indicative of the business.“Why not (recycle)? It doesn’t take much time from our day and it’s the right thing to do,” Flor said. Fletcher said it keeps things out of the landfill as they have also repurposed other things. “With two types of meat (packaged in) heavy cardboard it’s awesome to have a recycling bin . . .”The BBQ is considering engaging customers with a bin where they can deposit used and opened plastic flatware. Convenience impressed Flor. “I was amazed by how easy it (recycling) was to do here,” she said. “I would have to drive to find dropoffs in Houston. . . . Even at the schools’ recycling bins were thrown into the trash.”Flor and Fletcher are also adamant about reducing food waste.“I have worked in restaurants for 10 years and have seen how much waste there is,” he said. “We take what we can to Community Table. We don’t serve anything but fresh food. The goal is not to have anything left – goes back into Community Table, back into beans or to our table (at home).”

LINCOLN — A Nebraska mother whose daughter was sexually assaulted while in the care of Lincoln Public Schools said Thursday a veto of legislation meant for more accountability came as “a gut punch.”. For five years, Loree Woods has advocated on behalf of her daughter Taylor, who is...

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The sixth quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL draft was No. 1 in the Denver Broncos' eyes. The Broncos bypassed a bevy of blue-chip defenders to draft former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with the 12th pick Thursday night. “He stood out in a lot of...

KANSAS CITY (AP) —United Methodist delegates have overwhelmingly endorsed a constitutional amendment seen by advocates as a way of defusing debates over the role of LGBTQ people in the church by giving rule-making autonomy to each region of the international church. Delegates voted 586-164 on Thursday for the “regionalization”...

JERUSALEM (AP) — A ship traveling in the Gulf of Aden came under attack Thursday, officials said, the latest assault carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over Israel’s ongoing war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The attack comes after the U.S. military said early Thursday an...

(AP) The Denver Broncos drafted former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with the 12th pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, bypassing a bevy of blue-chip defenders to grab a signal-caller they believe could be their first one since Peyton Manning to establish a foothold at the position. The Broncos...

CHADRON, Neb. -- The Chadron State College softball team suffered two low scoring defeats against the Black Hills State Yellow Jackets in Chadron Thursday afternoon, losing in game one 2-0 before being defeated 2-1 in game two. The losses drop CSC to 11-37 overall and 11-27 in Rocky Mountain Athletic...

DENVER (AP) — Elias Díaz capped Colorado's six-run eighth inning with a tiebreaking RBI double, and the Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 10-9 on Thursday. Elehuris Montero and Hunter Goodman homered for Colorado, which earned a split of the four-game series. Brenton Doyle and Brendan Rodgers each had three of the Rockies' 14 hits.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday appeared likely to reject former President Donald Trump’s claim of absolute immunity from prosecution over election interference, but several justices signaled reservations about the charges that could cause a lengthy delay, possibly beyond November’s election. A majority of the...

LINCOLN — The University of Nebraska Board of Regents is set Friday to vote on confirmation of Dr. Jeffrey Gold as NU’s ninth president, effective July 1. Under an updated agenda item with “key contractual terms,” Gold would enter an initial five-year contract at a base salary of $1,062,573 — a boost of about $31,000 of Gold’s current salary. Gold would also be eligible for up to 15% of his base salary (nearly $160,000) and include other benefits such as vacation, disability leave, retirement contribution and health insurance.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed this week to its highest level since late November, another setback for home shoppers in what's traditionally the housing market's busiest time of the year. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose to 7.17% from 7.1% last...

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen has announced the appointment of Brynne Holsten Puhl of Lincoln to Nebraska’s Workers’ Compensation Court. The primary location of the vacancy is Lincoln, Lancaster County. Judges appointed to the court have statewide jurisdiction. Since 2015, Puhl has been an attorney with...

The Nebraska Library Commission recently awarded Nebraska Library Internship Grants totaling $21,000 to eighteen Nebraska public libraries. These internship grants will support public library interns who will contribute to the scope and value of the diverse programs and activities in Nebraska’s public libraries. “The internships are a great opportunity...

APRIL 25, 2024 (LINCOLN, NEB.) — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol SWAT Team arrested a Milford man following a standoff overnight. At approximately 11:15 p.m. Wednesday, NSP was notified by the Milford Police Department of a situation involving an armed subject who had barricaded himself inside his home. The situation began after the subject reportedly pointed a firearm at officers while they conducted a welfare check at the 700 block of 5th Street in Milford. NSP Crisis Negotiators responded and the NSP SWAT Team was activated.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The FCC on Thursday restored “net neutrality” rules that prevent broadband internet providers such as Comcast and AT&T from favoring some sites and apps over others. The move effectively reinstates a net neutrality order the commission first issued in 2015 during the Obama...

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen has signed 10 bills into law and announced his veto of a bill he says would harm Nebraska taxpayers. Legislative Bill 25 would make taxpayers financially liable for lawsuits filed against towns, cities, school districts, public power districts and other local government units. Taxpayers would also be liable for broad claims of abuse committed by employees and non-employees of those public entities.

The Dawes County Ag Committee is launching a new award recognizing the value of being a good neighbor. The first awards will be presented during this year’s Dawes County Fair, in conjunction with the Dawes County Ag Hall of Fame awards. Ak-sar-ben has traditionally solicited nominations for a Good...