Gary and Joyce Ruse watched from the audience in Reno, Nevada, as their granddaughter achieved what she’d dreamed of since childhood.

A proposal to help fund a new Valentine Wellness Center remains in limbo after the Nebraska Sports Arena Facility Financing Assistance Board chose not to take action during its Friday meeting.

Welding is a vital trade in rural Nebraska, but like much of the nation, the industry is struggling to find enough skilled workers.

The Nebraska State College System (NSCS) announced today that Nebraska SMART, its free virtual tutoring program, is expanding statewide, giving every K–12 student in Nebraska access to one-on-one academic support from trained college tutors.

According to Activities Director Darren Probst, updated student enrollment numbers will be presented at the next school board meeting.

From drug cases to assault and disturbing the peace, the Cherry County Courthouse in Valentine saw a busy Monday docket.

Bassett native Nick Lyman will be memorialized when the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission renames the Twin Lakes R.C. Wildlife Management Area in his honor.

A Winner man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for child sex trafficking and producing child pornography.

Northwest Community Action Partnership (NCAP) has announced the appointment of Jennifer Henry as the new Head Start Director, effective immediately.

Those surveys showed this spring that the Panhandle and Southwest regions supported relatively high pheasant densities, and the Central, Northeast and Sandhills regions all saw increases in densities compared to 2024.

Hathshire Berkaway has filed a lawsuit against the Brown County Board of Commissioners over an access road dispute involving property near Long Lake.

Friends of the Niobrara is proud to share it has received a $50,000 grant from the National Park Foundation (NPF), the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service.

Nebraska is facing a growing nursing home shortage — a crisis hitting especially hard in rural areas like the Sandhills. According to the Nebraska Health Care Association, 16 nursing homes have closed across the state in the past four years.

For Chadron State College sophomore Kimo Tuivaiti, leaving the tropical shores of American Samoa for the Nebraska plains was both an act of courage and faith.

Governor Pillen announced the upcoming opening of the McCook ICE facility, repurposed from a former minimum-security prison

Cherry County Hospital is marking 50 years at its current location — and for many who work there, it’s more than just a job.

A 47-year-old South Dakota woman was arrested for possession of a controlled substance after Valentine Police responded to a welfare check at the Valentine City Park on Oct. 18 around 4 p.m.

Paramedics now use a new scale system with an accompanying app to get instant, precise patient weights and calculate medication doses.

Professional artist and instructor Yelena Khanevskaya, who grew up in Russia and now lives in Scottsbluff, led a hands-on still life workshop last weekend hosted by the Sand Painters Art Club in Valentine.

Plans for a Cherry County Convention Center are moving closer to reality, with about $2.25 million raised so far, including pledges.

With a shortage of childcare options continuing to affect many small Nebraska towns, including Valentine, Cherry County commissioners received an update this week on a long-anticipated community day care project.

A new convenience store is holding a soft opening in Gordon as it prepares to expand its products and services.

The Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges voted Monday to appoint Dr. Jodi Kupper as the next President of Chadron State College.

The Valentine Lady Badgers are competing at the state golf tournament, but this year’s trip means far more than a shot at a title

Construction is wrapping up on a new apron at Miller Field, the paved area where aircraft are parked, loaded, unloaded, refueled, and maintained.

Activists and city officials are speaking out after hate-filled signs linked to a white nationalist group were found hanging from a Grand Island bridge near the heart of the Hispanic business district.

Humanities Nebraska scholar Nancy Johnson recently brought her presentation, “Myths of Women’s Madness on the Plains,” to Valentine, sharing her research into how mental illness was viewed and treated during pioneer days.

A public hearing date has been set for an application seeking state funding for a proposed wellness center in Valentine.

Zoning fees could be increasing in Cherry County. On Tuesday, county commissioners discussed increasing the fees, which haven’t been adjusted in years.

Nearly 900 students from 32 high schools around the region will gather at Chadron State College on Wednesday, Oct. 15, for the annual Scholastic Contest, a tradition that recognizes the academic talents of high school students from around the area.

A key document that will help guide Cherry County’s future development, land use, and growth is nearing completion. On Tuesday morning, county commissioners spent several hours reviewing the proposed new Cherry County Comprehensive Plan.

“He’s covering a lot of ground over the course of less than two weeks,” said Luke Meduna, big game program manager with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Chadron State College’s annual Family Day Weekend returns on Friday, Oct. 10 and concludes Sunday, Oct. 12.

A 36-year-old homeless man is facing multiple felony charges after law enforcement say he threatened another man with a gun at a Valentine bar.

Senator Tanya Storer's dad passed away recently at the age of 86.

In early September, Medical Nutrition was added as the 12th option in Chadron State College’s Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

The Koelling Family Farm is opening their sunflower fields to the public this Saturday for their annual Simply Sunflower Field Day, offering tours, photo opportunities and bottles of cold-pressed sunflower oil.

A 51-year-old Gordon man has been sentenced to two to three years in prison for possessing drugs with the intent to distribute them.

Some Valentine residents will be without water for part of the day Friday as city crews work to repair a valve at Second and Wood streets.

Concordia University, Nebraska’s Family Heritage Award is given to a family that has had at least three generations attend Concordia Nebraska and that supports the university through contributions of time, talent and treasure.

A Utah woman with a history of assaulting law enforcement is facing new charges in Brown County after a bizarre traffic stop in Ainsworth.

Leaders of two South Dakota tribes are condemning the federal government’s decision to allow Medals of Honor awarded to soldiers who carried out the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre to remain in place.

The Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges announced Wednesday that it will consider removing the “interim” designation from Dr. Jodi Kupper’s title and formally appoint her as president of Chadron State College at a special meeting on Oct. 13.

Alligator on the menu? That’s not something you see every day in Nebraska, but one food truck is bringing a taste of the South to small towns across the state.

Some residents in Valentine will experience a temporary water disruption Wednesday afternoon while city crews make repairs.

Cherry County Hospital is marking 50 years at its Green Street location in Valentine with a celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 15.

Coffee with a Conservation Officer is set for Saturday, Oct. 4, from 8 to 10 a.m. at Tooth and Whisker Outdoors in Valentine.

Cherry County has hired the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association (NIRMA) to help represent it in a lawsuit over a proposed wind farm near Kilgore

Brown and Rock counties in north-central Nebraska will receive nearly $25 million in federal grants aimed at preventing wildfires.

King, nominated by The Nest, was Cort Rummel of Gurley.

Chadron State College’s specialty license plate design featuring the iconic C-Hill location is in development.

A 19-year-old man from Orange, California is facing multiple charges after authorities say he led law enforcement on a high-speed chase through Sheridan County.

Downtown Valentine is buzzing with change as several vacant buildings find new life and new owners.

Contractors at Fort Robinson State Park near Crawford have started demolition of the swimming pool complex to make way for a new aquatic facility.

The National Park Service is searching for a new superintendent to lead the Niobrara National Scenic River in Valentine

Springview tripled its population Wednesday as around 500 students, plus staff and organizers, gathered for the FFA State Range Judging contest.

For the seventh time in 2025, the overall regional economic index sank below growth neutral.

A major road construction project along West 4th Street in Valentine is now in its final phase.

A 49-year-old Kyle man has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in Pine Ridge and Rapid City.

An Alliance man has been arrested on multiple counts of child sexual assault after a joint investigation by Alliance Police and DHHS.

A 32-year-old Pine Ridge woman has been sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for her leading role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in Pine Ridge and Rapid City.

A horse in the Panhandle has tested positive for West Nile virus. Officials urge vaccination for horses and prevention steps for residents as mosquito activity continues.

For years, the only way to read old newspaper articles in Cherry County was by scrolling through rolls of microfilm. But that technology is fragile, and local librarians worried history was literally breaking apart.

A memorial along Highway 20 in Gordon is now honoring hundreds of Nebraska veterans.