Hunters may begin purchasing 2026 spring turkey season permits from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission beginning at 1 p.m. Central time Jan. 12.

Nebraska faces a severe child care shortage with 11 counties lacking even a single licensed child care facility. In Valentine, local leaders have been working to fill the gap for years, and they’re kicking off the New Year with some positive news.

Governor Jim Pillen has reappointed Doug Zingula, of Crawford, formerly of Sidney, to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

From destructive storms and wildfires to court cases that drew national attention, 2025 was a year that left a lasting mark on the Nebraska Sandhills.

Marked by both transition and achievement, 2025 was a year that showcased Chadron State College’s commitment to leadership, learning, and service.

Cherry County elected officials, excluding county commissioners, will receive an 18 percent pay increase beginning in 2027.

For just the second time ever, Miss Nebraska has been crowned Miss USA, and over the holidays, Audrey Eckert brought her national title back to one of the places she calls home.

The Niobrara Council could see a reduction in state funding following the loss of federal support, according to information shared during the council’s December meeting.

A proposed wind farm near Kilgore will be back in court as Cherry County officials ask a judge to dismiss a lawsuit tied to the project.

A 36-year-old homeless man has been sentenced to nine to 18 years in prison for threatening another man with a gun at a Valentine bar.

A 43-year-old transient man who stole several guns, swords and hunting and fishing equipment in Valentine has been sentenced to five to 10 years in prison.

One of the oldest buildings in Valentine is getting new life. Brian Magiera, an American Family Insurance agent, has purchased the historic building on the southwest corner of Main Street and 2nd Street.

Chadron State College has announced the undergraduate students on the Fall 2025 President’s and Dean’s Lists.

Nebraska Game and Parks estimates about 34 mountain lions live in the Niobrara Unit as the state prepares for the January mountain lion hunting season.

Over the past year, Nebraska has witnessed a deeply troubling rise in domestic violence.

A tree removal project beginning at Merritt Reservoir aims to restore prairie habitat in areas choked by undesirable trees.

Bird enthusiasts across the country are taking part in one of the longest-running community science projects in the world, and Valentine is once again part of the effort.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, about one in five crashes is a secondary crash, meaning it happens because of an earlier accident. 

A bystander rescued a person from a burning vehicle after a crash sparked both a vehicle and grass fire five miles east of Mission on Tuesday, according to preliminary information from the Mission Volunteer Fire and Rescue.

Nebraska is officially the first state in America to sign on to the Trump Administration's Medicaid work requirement rules. 

One hundred and seventy Chadron State College undergraduate and graduate candidates for graduation were honored Friday during Winter Commencement in the Chicoine Center.

The Sandhills Prairie Refuge Association invites birders and nature enthusiasts to take part in the nation’s longest-running community science survey this week.

Valentine’s police chief is urging drivers to use extra caution after six vehicle crashes were reported in the city within a single week.

In single-digit temperatures Saturday, volunteers gathered at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Valentine to honor those who served, placing hundreds of wreaths on veterans’ graves as part of the national Wreaths Across America.

A house south-west of Valentine is a total loss after a fire started in an attached garage Saturday afternoon, spread to the house, and then reignited early Sunday morning.

The top baby names have been released from Avera for 2025.

At Thursday night’s city council meeting, members approved a 9.1 percent increase for water and a 35 percent increase for sewer.

Students from Bluffs Middle School and Crawford Elementary were named winners in NDOT’s 2025 Name-a-Snowplow contest, with their snowplow names now displayed across the state.

Chadron State College alum Cherokee Rotherham received this year’s Nebraska State College System Counseling Excellence Award for her dedication and commitment to students at Scottsbluff High School.

Volunteers in Valentine will help honor veterans Saturday by placing hundreds of wreaths on their graves as part of the national Wreaths Across America campaign.

homeschool students, sports, extracurricular activities, Valentine School Board, Dave Murman, Home School Legal Defense Association, Darren Jones

A Gordon woman is charged with felony child abuse after a Gordon man was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a teenager, along with making and possessing child sexual abuse material.

The City of Valentine will temporarily shut off water service on Monday, December 8, from 2 to 6 p.m. while crews replace valves at 2nd and Wood streets.

A Kyle man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for causing a deadly crash while driving drunk.

A Rosebud man has been sentenced to just over a year in federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender.

Chadron State College’s Winter Commencement Speaker will be Dr. Hortensia Soto.

A 25-year-old Hay Springs man is facing a first-degree assault charge after a man was found unconscious and seriously injured in the street.

A Pine Ridge man has been charged in Sheridan County with failing to update his information on the Nebraska Sex Offender Registry.

As online shopping reaches record highs, a Valentine business owner is trying a new approach to get residents off their screens and back into local stores.

Over 1.5 million bags of shredded cheese from major retailers are being recalled nationwide.

A Valentine teenager has earned a world championship title at the Official Strongman Games Junior World Finals.

A local politician is holding ten listening sessions across the state before officially deciding if she is running for governor. 

A Rapid City man has been sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine on the Pine Ridge Reservation and in Rapid City.

Disabled veterans in Nebraska will be able to receive an exception for their vehicle taxes and fees.

A Kyle man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for two separate assaults that left a woman with serious injuries.

In small towns, even one new business can make a noticeable difference. In Gordon, eight of them have opened on Main Street in the past year — a change city leaders say is helping breathe new life into the community.

Libraries across the country are bracing for reductions after a loss of federal funding, and the Valentine Public Library is among those feeling the effects.

The Nebraska Court of Appeals has upheld the prison sentence of a Lincoln man convicted of manslaughter in Rushville.

A 35-year-old Rosebud man has been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender.

The Valentine Chamber of Commerce has launched a new storefront decorating contest aimed at encouraging residents to shop local — and perhaps attracting visitors from outside the area.

Even with paper still covering the windows, people have been slipping into Huskerland Hardware and Appliance in Valentine ahead of opening day.

The City of Valentine plans to take additional water samples this week to determine whether it can end temporary chlorination of the community’s water system.

A Mission man has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison for assaulting a federal officer during a disturbance call earlier this year.

All Hay Springs electric customers will be without power due to required maintenance.

A 44-year-old Gordon man is facing charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a teenager, along with making and possessing child sexual abuse material.

A Texas man has been arrested in connection with a 2023 armed robbery at the Chadron Federal Credit Union

High school sophomores from across the Sandhills stepped into adulthood for a day during “An Intro to Life,” a budgeting and life-skills simulation held in Valentine.

Chadron State College students Gretchen Kallemeyn of Denver, and Josiah Heger of Hermosa, South Dakota, took different paths during the summer of 2025, but both returned with a deeper understanding of their academic fields and a renewed sense of purpose. 

Hundreds of veterans from across the state are now sharing their experiences—some for the first time—through the Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Project “Share Your Story.”

Three Chadron State College Army ROTC cadets recently participated in the Ranger Challenge and Field Training Exercise (FTX), two programs designed to forge well-rounded leaders.

During the week of November 9th to November 15th, Valentine police made two arrests and responded to more than 40 calls for service.

One person was arrested after reports of shots fired in Kilgore Saturday night.

Valentine city leaders and developers are laying the groundwork for new growth.

Electric rates in Valentine are going up. The city council approved the increase Thursday night after Valentine’s wholesale power provider substantially increased its rates.