Archive - Apr 2011 - News Article
April 28th
By
Deborah McCaslin, Publisher
Broken Bow High School graduate, National Guard soldier, PFC Brad Wardyn currently calls Mosul, Iraq, home. Heâs a medic with the 2-135th GSAB stationed out of Lincoln.
âIt is my job to render the needed aid while an injured soldier is transported to a hospital,â said Wardyn. He was back in Broken Bow this week visiting family for âmid tourâ break.
In 2008, as a high school senior he enlisted for the money, he hates now to admit. He wanted the funds to help pay for college. He says things have changed, now he says he intends to stay for the mission.
April 27th
By
Deborah McCaslin, Publisher
A massive grass fire broke out eight miles west of Thedford Friday, and with visions of 1999 still looming on his mind, Thedford Fire Chief Russ Riser didnât mess around. He called in reinforcements.
By the time the fire was over, 28 fire departments had answered the call, two firemen were hurt and at least two ranchers took refuge in a stock tank while the fire burned over the top of them.
Comments from area ranchers ranged from âfreakyâ to âjust plain awful.â
By
Ellen Mortensen, Chief Editor
R. Paul Robison of Broken Bow, known to his Army Air Corp buddies as "Roby", was serving as a top turret gunner aboard the plane The Passionate Witch, when it was shot down Jan. 11, 1944, over Brunswick, Germany. It was the eighth mission for the crew.
All 10 crew members got out of the plane, however the pilot's parachute did not open and he was killed. The rest were taken prisoner. The POWs were eventually taken to a camp, Stalag 17B, just outside of Krems, Austria. They would spend more than a year there before finally being liberated, May 3, 1945.
By
Deborah McCaslin, Publisher
Custer County may have to find a new home. The Census numbers are in, and it looks like rural Nebraska will be down one when it comes to the number of Legislative Districts it houses for the next election cycle, and Custer County is smack dab in the middle of the discussion.
Redistricting was one of the key topics discussed Monday at a âListening Sessionâ with Senator Deb Fischer of the 43rd Legislative District, Custer Countyâs current home.
To understand the discussion, one has to first look at the process.
April 22nd
By
Deborah McCaslin, Publisher
Come August, get ready to have a calendar handy, Custer Countyâs Fair events wonât be in their usual places. Brought on by a variety of reasons, the conversation on the street is producing mixed opinions. Change doesnât come easy.
Some are brought on by finances, others by the challenge of gathering volunteers.
The Ag Society was faced with a year that ended with the organization having to make serious adjustments on their budget, reducing expenses and relooking at how to bring in additional revenue.
By
Sunshine Hammond, Chief Reporter
Itâs not always an honor to win the âugliestâ of anything. However, in the case of the âUgliest Fridge Contest,â put on by Custer Public Power and Nebraska Public Power District, having the ugliest fridge was precisely the goal.
Mike and Rachelle Ryan of Berwyn entered their 27 year-old fridge into the contest and are now the proud owners of a new energy efficient, Energy Star refrigerator.
âThey asked me not to tell anyone until it was announced on the radio the next morning.â Rachelle explains, âIt was almost too good of news to keep to myself.â
April 21st
By
Ellen Mortensen, Chief Editor
Hunters, look no further - the Custer County Chief Easter egg has been found! Sisters Rachel Simmons, age 4 (left) and Elissa Simmons, age 6, followed the clues in the April 21 Custer County Chief which led them to the hidden egg, located at the Custer County Courthouse.
The girls are the daughters of Russ and Michelle Simmons. The family relocated to Broken Bow about a year ago, and therefore were not familiar with the history of the area which was referred to in some of the clues.
By
Ellen Mortensen, Chief Editor
All voters in the Broken Bow School District have an opinion, and the school board and administrators would like to hear them.
Starting next week, all registered voters within School District 25 will begin receiving telephone survey calls. According to Broken Bow Superintendent Dr. Virginia Moon, the main goal of this survey is to find out what is important to the community in terms of the schools.
âThis is to help us know the hopes and wishes of the community as we move forward,â Dr. Moon explained.
By
Ellen Mortensen, Chief Editor
With a unanimous vote by the Board of Education, the Broken Bow School district will benefit from the addition of a new administrator beginning next fall.
A 210-contract was approved at the April 18 meeting for Kirk Crawley as Assistant Elementary Principal, with a salary of $65,500. Crawley has served the district as elementary teacher for more than 30 years.
The Custer County Chief is standing tall. The newspaper walked away with 12 awards from this yearâs NPA (Nebraska Press Association) âBetter Newspaper Contest.â
The Chief was honored Saturday with two first place finishes, six seconds, and four thirds at the stateâs annual Nebraska Press Convention in Lincoln.
âI am so proud of the staff, and of what they are able to accomplish,â said Publisher Deb McCaslin. âTo even be mentioned in the General Excellence division is tough, much less come home with second place honors in that department.â
