STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemnn
Nebraska Extension Educator

     While most people were opening presents or eating Christmas dinner something else was going on that caught my attention. You and most other people would probably think this is a little crazy, but believe me these folks do not. I know you all have heard of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Mercy For Animals (MFA), Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM), Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), Animal Liberation Front (ALF), American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and Farm Sanctuary to name just a few of hundreds of organizations around the world dedicated to animal rights, animal welfare, and Vegan agendas. Believe me these groups don’t care about farmers, ranchers or our livelihood.
     We have lately heard of another group called SHARK whose acronym stands for SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness who have made themselves known particularly the Clay County area and are still stirring the water. This group is well known for their films, drones and their campaign against rodeos, “factory farms” and now with their continued interest in the Meat Animal Research Center and, from what I understand, peripheral livestock facilities. We could spend a lot of time talking about them or a lot of the other groups, and I have over the years. However, another group that I honestly had not heard much about before got my attention. This group is called “The Humane Party.” Now what do they have to do with Christmas you might ask?  It really is not about Christmas, but instead something that merits our attention.
     First a little background. The Humane Party, which launched in 2009, is the U.S.’s first fully abolitionist political party. With the racial unrest in today’s society it should not surprise you that this avenue is being used. Here is what they are after though. The Humane Party platform is actually calling for abolishing the property status of all animals throughout the United States of America. The Humane Party on Christmas day published the first full draft of the Abolition Amendment, a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. This draft will now be available for comments, criticisms, and editorial suggestions from the public for the next thirty days. After expiration of the initial public-comment period, the text of the Abolition Amendment will be revised, if necessary. The revised draft will then be subjected to another public-comment period of thirty days and then repeated as necessary until completion of a final draft has been achieved.
     The Abolition Amendment, upon ratification, will abolish slavery with respect to all animals, thereby putting an immediate end to the meat, dairy, egg, and other exploitation- and killing-based industries. In so doing, the Abolition Amendment represents the fruit of decades of labor by animal rights activists, environmentalists, and vegan advocates in the U.S. If you don’t think this is serious I suggest you go to the Humane Party’s main website at www.humaneparty.org   or its social media page at www.facebook.com/humaneparty
 You will see that they are dead serious about what they are doing.
     The Humane Party’s announcement comes approximately three weeks after its first annual celebration of American Abolition Day. American Abolition Day both commemorates ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and promotes emancipation of all other animals. The 13th Amendment abolished human slavery throughout the United States of America. The text of the 13th Amendment served as a model for the initial draft of the Abolition Amendment. Publication of the final draft of the Abolition Amendment is scheduled for American Abolition Day, December 6, 2016.
     I took the liberty to find the actual wording of the Amendment. I quote it here, not because I think it will be enacted, but because it illustrates the subversive belief system–the absolutist ideology–that drives “animal rights. -- ”Full Text of the Abolition Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude of any sentient being shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Section 2. Congress may, from time to time, refine the definition of 'sentient being' for the purposes of this article in accord with advances in science, except that in no event shall this definition be altered so as to exclude from this definition any species or individual organism that is, or would have been if existent, classified in the kingdom animalia as of the date of ratification of this article. Section 3. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”
     We may laugh at this, and some of the words may be a little strange to us, but please remember we live in a different world than what many of us started our lives with. Realize that even flies are sentient. Fish are sentient. Heck, even oysters are sentient, which is why they make a pearl out of an irritating grain of sand. That would mean no cattle ranching, fish farms, animal research, zoos, or pets. After all, our dogs and cats are owned by us. Animal rights isn’t about being nicer to animals it goes far beyond that. Lots of well-meaning folks buy into this and send hard earned dollars towards this agenda.
     For an eye-opening experience I encourage you to watch the following video entitled “A "Vegan Fox" Explains Animal Rights”, you might find it both amusing and a little troubling:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRIxk_KIuDY . As the “Vegan Fox” explains in the video, it is about elevating all fauna to equal legal and moral status with humans. It’s a frightening illustration of our dissipated times and unfortunately millions of people support this nihilism. They have lots of money, time and an agenda that is not conducive to how we live our lives and how we in the animal industry make a living. Hold on to your hat and your seat. We are just at the infancy of something like we have never seen before!

The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer, which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or Nebraska Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, Nebraska Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email: dlienemann2@unl.edu or on the web at: http://extension.unl.edu/statewide/webster 

Nebraska is Growing

By Governor Pete Ricketts
Growing Nebraska has been theme of the first year of my administration.  That’s why I was pleased to learn recently that Nebraska added over 13,000 people over the past year for our 28th consecutive year of growth.  From 2014-2015, our population grew by 0.7 percent, second only to Colorado among our neighboring states.  This is good news because it means more people than ever before are choosing to make Nebraska their home.
In 2015, my administration focused on policies and initiatives to grow our state.  These included providing tax relief, supporting good-paying jobs, expanding educational opportunities, and making government more customer-friendly.  Thanks to the hard work of many people, Nebraska continued to excel in each of these areas this year.
Working with the Legislature, we were able to provide $408 million in property tax relief over the next two years through the Property Tax Credit Relief Fund, an over 45 percent increase from previous budgets. This is significant, but there is still more work to be done and I remain committed to working with senators to provide additional property tax relief in the upcoming legislative session.
This tax relief was possible because the Legislature and I assembled a budget that cut the rate of growth in spending by approximately half of the previous rate from 6.5 percent to about 3.5 percent.  Additionally, my administration is always seeking new ways to save taxpayer dollars.  This fall, we announced $5 million in cost savings that will be gained from reducing IT-related expenses.  Future tax relief will be dependent on our continued ability to constrain spending and hold the line on the growth of government.
Nebraska has the second-lowest unemployment rate in the nation at 2.9 percent.  This November, Nebraska hit a new all-time high for non-farm employment at 1,018,252.  Between October and November this year, Nebraska saw its largest month-to-month increase in labor force employment since 1976 when it increased by 2,818 jobs.
My administration also transformed our state’s unemployment system into a reemployment system to help quickly connect Nebraska’s job seekers with good jobs.  Our new reemployment system requires benefit recipients to create a resume that is searchable by potential employers, as well as make five work search contacts a week instead of the two required under the old program.  Job seekers also must sit down with a job coach and develop a reemployment strategy.
One of the biggest drivers of Nebraska’s strong workforce is our great education system.  Nebraskans can be proud our high school graduation rate is the second highest in the nation, and our state has earned the highest ACT composite score average among states testing over 80% of their students.
We continue to expand education opportunities for young Nebraskans.  This summer, my administration launched the Developing Youth Talent Initiative to foster partnerships between private industry and public schools to connect young Nebraskans in 7th and 8th grade to careers in the manufacturing and technology sectors.
Making government more customer-friendly is critical to creating a pro-business climate in our state and ensuring our state efficiently provides services for our most vulnerable citizens.  To this end, my administration launched new online services, published key performance metrics, and reviewed existing management practices and processes.  For example, Nebraskans can sign up to receive email and text notifications for vehicle registration renewals and businesses can now apply for some environmental quality permits online.  Furthermore, the Department of Roads will return an additional $3 million annually to cities and counties for roads projects thanks to changes made in our federal funds swap program.
Measuring performance in government is key to creating a culture that values improvement because it focuses teams on delivering the right results.  Metrics helped the team at AccessNebraska set performance targets and set a process improvement strategy that led to significantly improved performance.  The average call wait time for SNAP applications in the past three months has fallen below a target of five minutes.  We were able to accomplish this while maintaining our denial accuracy rate which ranks in the top ten nationally.
These are just a few of the many ways my administration has been working to help grow Nebraska in our first year.  As we enter 2016, we will continue to focus on these priorities and look for new ways to grow our state to ensure Nebraska remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family.  As we enter this New Year, I hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me about how to grow our state by emailing pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or by calling 402-471-2244.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Frances Jeanette Hawkins May 9, 1926 to December 19 2015

Frances Jeanette Hawkins of Blue Hill, Nebraska passed away Saturday, December 19, 2015 at the age of 89. She was born May 9, 1926 to Ernest and Maude (Wright) Jones in Tipton County, Indiana. On July 7, 1945 she married Ralph Junior Hawkins, who preceded her in death in January 1995.
Frances was a graduate in the class of 1945 from Prairie High School in Tipton County. She worked in the Tipton Hospital and Mendelsen Clinic in KoKomo, Indiana as a lab technician.  She enjoyed spending time with her family and especially card games with her grandchildren. She moved from Indiana to Nebraska in 1993, and live in Red Cloud and Blue Hill.
Preceding her in death were her parents; five sisters: Inez Sharp, Irene Vandevender, Bonnie Lineback, Ruth Mraz and Rosemary Uitts Tidler; and three brothers, Joel Jones, Austin Jones and Gilbert Jones.
Frances is survived by two daughters, Cheri Schulenburg and husband Alan of Red cloud, and Becky Alber and husband Gerald of Blue Hill; six grandchildren: Gayle Wademan and husband Robert, Angii Kort and husband Barry, Michele Boutin and husband Shawn, Tim Alber and Keri Schunk, Natalie Schunk and husband Mike, and Marty Alber and wife Jessica.  Also surviving are 17 great grandchildren, Nicole, Danielle, Scott and Eric Wademan; Kerry, Kody, Kelsey, Kegan and Katie Kort; Shelisa (Jonny) Smith, Shyler and Sharina Boutin; Trey, Kristen and Karlie Schunk; Taylor and Macenzie Alber, other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held Monday, 10:30 a.m., December 28, 2015 at the Williams Funeral Home in Red Cloud with Chaplain Jay Towell officiating.  Interment will be at the Red Cloud Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Monday, 8:00 a.m. to service time.

​Williams Funeral Home
241 West 4th Avenue - Red Cloud, Nebraska  68970
402-746-2500

Webster County Sheriff's Department looking for Dispatcher

The Webster County Sheriff's Department posted a notice that they are looking for someone to fill Dispatch/corrections position. They stated that the person they would choose to fill this positions  must posses strong morals, computer/typing skills, ability to multi-task, must pay attention to detail and must\ be at least 19 years of age have a GED or equivalent.  The applicant must read, write and understand the English language.  Persons with  Felony or serious misdemeanor convictions will not be considered for the position.
The selected applicant must complete jail school within the first year of employment. The applicant must be willing to work 12 hour shifts including Days, Nights,... Holidays and Weekends.
This position has a full benefit package that includes, a competitive wage, retirement, medical insurance (family available at employee cost) family dental, paid holiday, vacation and sick leave time.
The starting salary for the position will be determined by the applicants work experience. 
For an application or questions please call 402-746-2722 or stop by our office 641 North Cedar Street Red Cloud, Nebraska. Open until filled. We are EEOC employer.

STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

[Field] 

Duane A. Lienemann
Nebraska Extension Educator

 

 

     Like a lot of extended families like mine, we have already had our family Christmas so that our children (adults now) can have their own. Now our grandkids are to the stage that they have the Santa Claus figured out and have likely ascertained that more likely Santa is really a female – at least in our case. But one thing that is nice, and most important in my mind, is that they know the reason for this season, and are well grounded in the traditional Christmas, even though they are growing up in an environment that is more “politically correct” as I eluded to in last week’s edition of this column. Even though I no longer wonder about their belief in a big jolly elf, they do love having Santa bringing those presents and at least pretend they do! However, I would venture to say that, if pressed, they may divulge that they at the very least even the youngest grandchild question Santa and probably the means by which Santa delivers the goodies – the remarkable reindeer!   

     I have been asked by several people to re-run an article I did several years ago on reindeer and since those that have email will get this before Christmas Eve, and for others who read this in local papers Santa and his reindeer will likely be on their way back to the North Pole, I think it appropriate to do just that. For you that are new to this, I hope you enjoy it and to those that remember this piece I encourage you to share it with others as I think it is pretty good…So here we go! 

     To give some background on the reindeer subject, we need to go back a few years ago when I read an article by Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Extension Cattle Reproduction Specialist (and former Nebraskan) on reindeer. I felt in light of the season and especially for my grandkids that it would be fun to revisit that article. The piece was named -”Just How Do Santa's Reindeer Get the Job Done?” I thank Dr. Selk for his work. The content is as follows:    

     “Have you ever wondered how Santa's reindeer can make that monumental journey on Christmas Eve?”  Let's look into some key facts about reindeer that may help us understand how they get Ole St. Nick on his appointed rounds over the world. First of all, historians report that reindeer have been domesticated by humans for over 5000 years.  Since Santa himself is no spring chicken, we can assume that they have worked together for quite a while. They should not have any trouble finding their way around.  There is no need to worry about them getting lost.   

     We do know that reindeer are ruminants. They are like cattle in this regard. They have four compartments to their stomach.  Of course Santa gets them full up with hay before he leaves the North Pole, so they should have plenty of feed stored in the four compartments to make it all around the globe.  Also, cattle nutritionists have known for years that hay digests more slowly than grain, therefore the big meal that the reindeer eat before the journey should last even longer.  Or just like your mom says "It'll stick to their ribs!".   

     As for drinking water that should be no problem whatsoever.  In their homeland the water is all frozen so they are used to getting the moisture they need by eating snow.  So as the sleigh is parked on snowy rooftops in cold weather cities, the reindeer can take on the moisture they need if they get thirsty.   

     How do they keep warm while flying around on Christmas Eve?  The fur that they have is very thick and can hold a lot of air.  The "blanket" of insulation combining fur and air helps keep them warm in even the coldest of climates.  Plus flying around Christmas night in many areas of the world that are warmer than they have at home should not be a problem.   

     How do they fly?  Well that’s a tougher question, and we really do not have that one completely answered.  However, let’s look at what we do know about them. Reindeer are amazingly fast runners on the ground.  A newborn baby reindeer at one day of age can out run the fastest person on earth.  By the time that they are fully grown it is hard to tell what speeds that they could reach.   

     Next remember those huge antlers.  Antlers of adult male reindeer can be as much as 4 feet long!  Just think about it.  Each reindeer has 2 sets; that’s 8 feet of antlers and with eight reindeer (or nine if we count Rudolph on foggy nights) that is 64 to 72 feet of total antler span. A typical small airplane only has about 20 - 30 feet of wingspan.  Certainly it seems feasible that those eight reindeer, running that fast, with all that antler span, could indeed get off the ground.   

      There are a couple of myths about reindeer that we should clear up.  You have probably heard the poem that says that they have tiny reindeer feet.  Actually they have a very wide large hoof that they use at home to dig through the snow to find grass and moss to eat.  You've got to think that those wide hooves would come in handy for sliding to rather sudden stops on the small landing sites that Santa has to work with on Christmas Eve.  And you've probably heard the song about “up on the house top click, click, click”. Well it is true that reindeer do make a clicking sound as they walk.  They have a tendon that snaps over a bone joint and makes a clicking sound on every step. These are just a few facts about Santa's Reindeer.  Maybe this will help us understand that age-old mystery that occurs every Christmas Eve.   

     Oh, did you know that it was 36 years ago this month that the song “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” came out?  Most kids still like to tease their grandmas with that song. Here is wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May you all keep your eyes to the sky watching for those reindeer, and please do remember the “Real Reason for this Season” with the same fervor as do the young people!  I think I see something coming in from the North!!  

 

[Field]The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or Nebraska Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, Nebraska Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the !website at: http://www.webster.unl.edu  

UPCOMING EVENTS:

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

 

Jan. 1:

Jan. 3: Webster Co. Junior Leaders Meeting, 4:30 pm, Exhibit Hall, Webster Co. Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE ckumke2@unl.edu

Jan. 5-7: Topeka Farm Show, Kansas Expo Center, Topeka, KS 800-949-3976

Jan. 6: So. Central Cattlemen Assoc. Annual Meeting, 6:30 pm American Legion Hall, Glenvil, NE hansburken@gmail.com

Jan. 7: Nebraska Extension Beef Production Systems & BQA Workshop, East Campus Union, IANR, Lincoln, NE

Jan. 8: IANR Beef Group Meeting, 8:30 am, A211 Animal Science Building, East Campus, UNL Lincoln NE

Jan. 8: Crop Production Clinic, Holthus Convention Center, York http://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc  

Jan. 9-24: National Western Livestock Show, Denver, NE http://nationalwestern.com/livestock-shows/

Jan. 10: Webster Co. 4-H Awards/Family Dinner, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, Exhibit Hall, Webster Co. Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE 

Jan. 11: Noble Foundation Tour in connection with the Southern Soil Health Conference https://greencoverseed.com/events/

Jan. 12-13: Southern Soil Health Conference, Ardmore, OK https://greencoverseed.com/events/

Jan. 13: Crop Production Clinic, Fairgrounds, Hastings http://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc  

Jan. 13-14: Northeast Nebraska Farm and Equipment Show, Pohlman Ag Complex, Norfolk, NE

Jan. 14: Crop Production Clinics, Younes Conference Center, Kearney http://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc  

Jan. 14: Webster County Fair Board Meeting, 7:00 pm, Exhibit Hall, Webster Co. Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE

Jan. 18: Martin Luther King Day

Jan. 19: Ranching For Profitability Meeting, Burwell, NE  TBA

Jan. 19: Ranching For Profitability Meeting, Broken Bow, NE  TBA

Jan. 20: Ranching For Profitability Meeting, Kearney, NE  TBA

Jan. 20: Partners in Progress - Cow/Calf College, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm, USDA MARC, Clay Center, NE  dlienemann2@unl.edu

Jan. 21:  Sorghum Profitability Conference, Reg. 9 am, MidTown Holiday Inn, Grand Island, NE  sorghum.board@nebraska.gov

Jan. 22: Kearney RV, Boat & Sport Show, Buffalo County Fairgrounds, Kearney, NE  http://rvboatshow.net/

Jan. 23: Republican Valley Trap Club Benefit, 5:30 pm, Lawrence American Legion Hall, Lawrence, NE

Jan. 24: Webster County Market Beef Weigh-in, 1:00-5:00 pm. Blue Hill Sale Barn, Blue Hill, NE dlienemann2@unl.edu 

Jan. 26-27: West Central Educators In-Service, West Central REC, North Platte, NE

Jan. 26-27: 2016 Winter No-Till on the Plains, Salina, KS http://notill.org/events/2016-winter-conference

Jan. 27-29: NCBA Cattle Industry Convention, San Diego, CA http://www.beefusa.org/abouttheconvention.aspx

Jan. 27-28: Iowa Pork Congress, Des Moines, Iowa  515-225-7675

Jan. 28: No-Till on the Plains AIM Conference, Salina KS www.notill.org/events/2015-winter-conference-aim-symposium

Jan. 30: South Central Cattlemen, Bull Bonanza, (Bulls on Main Street)  Lawrence, NE

Feb. 2: Groundhog Day

Feb. 2: Lemke Cattle Production Sale, 1:00 pm, 1757 Rd 2500, Lawrence, NE   rllemke@gtmc.net   http://lemkecattle.com

Feb. 2:  Holdrege Water Conference, Ag Center, Fairgrounds Holdrege, NE  todd.whitney@unl.edu    

Feb. 3: Webster County Youth Foundation, 7:00 pm, Webster County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall, Bladen, NE

Feb. 3-4: Buffalo Bill Farm and Ranch Expo, D & N Event Center, North Platte, NE  kathy@nparea.com

Feb. 8: Nebraska On-Farm Research Network Update, West Central R&E Center, North Platte, 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

Feb. 8: NACEB Annual Meeting and Senator Luncheon, Nebraska Club, 233 S. 13th Street, Lincoln, NE

Feb. 9: Nebraska On-Farm Research Network Update, College Park, Grand Island, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Feb. 9-11: Beef Feedlot Roundtable, Various Locations TBA

Feb. 11: Webster County Private Pesticide Applicator Training, 1:00-4:00 pm, Dick’s Place Bar & Grill, Lawrence, NE

Feb. 11: Webster County Fair Board Meeting, 7:00 pm, Exhibit Hall, Webster Co. Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE

Feb. 12: Nebraska On-Farm Research Network Update, ARDC near Mead, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Feb. 13: South Central Cattlemen and Cattlewomen Valentines Banquet TBA

Feb. 13-21: NE Cattlemen’s Classic, http://cattlemens.org Buffalo Co Fairgrounds, Kearney, NE  rkbush@frontiernet.net

Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day

Feb. 15: President’s Day

Feb. 15-16:  Precision Ag Workshops, Fairgrounds, Clay Center, jrees2@unl.edu

Feb. 18-21: Home and Garden Expo & Lawn Flower & Patio Show, CenturyLink Center, Omaha, NE www.showofficeonline.com  

Feb. 22:  SE Nebraska No-Till Conference, Hallam, NE  rpryor1@unl.edu

Feb. 22-29: National FFA Week

Feb. 24: TC Ranch Angus Production Sale, Franklin, NE http://www.tcranch.com/ TC Ranch - Dru Uden (308) 470-0740

Feb. 24: Youth Science Field Day, Buffalo Co. Fairgrounds, Kearney, NE slandon2@unl.edu

Feb. 25: Youth Science Field Day, Adams Co. Fairgrounds, Hastings, NE slandon2@unl.edu

Feb. 25-26: Women in Ag Conference, Kearney, NE http://wia.unl.edu

Feb. 25: Webster County Private Pesticide Applicator Training, 6:30-9:30 pm, Blue Hill Community Center, Blue Hill, NE

Mar. 1: Youth Science Field Day, Raising Nebraska Bldg, NE State Fair Park, Grand Island, NE  slandon2@unl.edu

Mar. 2: Webster Co. Private Pesticide Applicator Training, 9:00 am-12:00 pm, Webster Co. Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall, Bladen, NE

Mar. 4-5: Big Red Beef Show, State Fair Grounds, Fonner Park, Grand Island, NE www.showcattlepage.com/jnc/ 

Mar. 9: Webster County Private Pesticide Applicator Training, 1:00-4:00 pm, Webster Co. Museum Exhibit Hall, Red Cloud, NE

Mar. 9-10: 50^th Triumph of Ag Expo Farm & Ranch Machinery Show, CenturyLink Center, Omaha, NE www.showofficeonline.com

Mar. 10: Webster County Fair Board Meeting, 7:00 pm, Exhibit Hall, Webster Co. Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE

Mar. 10: Webster County Fair Youth Council, 7:30 pm, Exhibit Hall, Webster Co. Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE

Mar. 13: Daylight Savings Time – Turn your clock ahead one hour

Mar. 13: 4-M Angus & Burken Cattle Sale, 2:00 pm, 1459 Rd AA, Blue Hill, NE http://4mangusfarm.com   www.burkencattle.com

Mar. 13-19: National Agriculture Week

Mar. 14: “Overcoming Challenges with Succession Planning”, 5:30 pm, Dr. Ron Hanson, Stone Creek, McCool Junction, NE

Mar. 15-17: UNL Extension Eureka Conference, Innovation Campus, Lincoln, NE

Mar. 16: National Ag Day

Mar. 17: St. Patrick’s Day

Mar. 17-18: Webster County Barn Quilt Workshop, Exhibit Hall, Webster County Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE  ckumke2@unl.edu

Mar. 19: Mid-Nebraska Spring Beef Show, Buffalo County Fairgrounds, Kearney, NE  http://www.showcattlepage.com/jnc/

Mar. 19-21: 51st Annual Mid-America Farm Exposition, Salina Bicentennial Center, Salina, KS

Mar. 20: First Day of Spring – Spring or Vernal Equinox

Mar: 24-26: NCBA National Legislative Conference, Washington, DC

March 25: Good Friday

Mar. 27: Easter

Apr. 3: Webster County Speech Contest

Apr. 6-8: Nebraska State FFA Convention, Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, NE

Apr. 14: Webster County Fair Board Meeting, 8:00 pm, Exhibit Hall, Webster Co. Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE

Apr. 15: Tax Day

Apr. 21: Red Cloud FFA Banquet, 6:00 pm, Red Cloud Public Schools, Red Cloud, NE

Apr. 22: National Earth Day

Apr. 29: Arbor Day

Apr. 30: West Central District Speech Contest, West Central Extension Center, North Platte, NE

May 3: Silver Lake FFA Banquet, 6:00 pm, Silver Lake High School, Roseland, NE

May 6: Blue Hill FFA Banquet, 6:00 pm, Blue Hill Community Schools, Blue Hill, NE

May 7: Fort Kearny Outdoor Expo, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Fort Kearny, NE

May 8: Mother’s Day

May 20-21: Wine & Jazz Festival, Buffalo County Fairgrounds, Kearney, NE   www.wineandjazzfest.org/

May 26: West Central Animal Science Day, UNSTA, Curtis, NE

May 30: Memorial Day

June 3-4: Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska, Lienetics Ranch, Princeton, NE  http://cattlemensball.com/

June 6-9: Nebraska Career Education Conference (Ag Teachers), Younes Center, Kearney, NE

June 8: Culinary Challenge

June 9: Webster County Fair Board Meeting, 8:00 pm, Exhibit Hall, Webster Co. Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE

June 14: National Flag Day

June 15-16: Sandhills Ranch Expo, Rock County Fair Grounds, Bassett, NE www.sandhillsranchexpo.com/

June 18-25: National Junior Maine and Chianina Show, NE State Fairgrounds, Fonner Park, Grand Island, NE

June 19: Father’s Day

June 19: Rockin “G” Horse Show, Guide Rock, NE

June 20: First Day of Summer - Solstice

June 19-21: Premier Animal Science Events, UNL East Campus Ani Sci Bldg, Lincoln, NE

July 3-9: National Junior Angus Show, Nebraska State Fairgrounds, Fonner Park, Grand Island, NE

July 9-16: Webster County Fair, Webster Co. Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE

July 19: Webster County Post County Fair Improvement Meeting, 7:30 pm. Exhibit Hall, Webster Co. Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE

July 20-24: Kearney Cruise Night, Kearney, NE  http://www.cruisenite.org/

July 13-15: NCBA Summer Conference, Denver, CO

Aug. 12-13: Hot Air Balloon Festival & Nebraska Wine Showcase, Coventry Campus, 204th & Q St, Omaha, NE

Aug. 26-Sept. 5: Nebraska State Fair, Nebraska State Fairgrounds, Fonner Park, Grand Island, NE

Sept. 13-15: Husker Harvest Days, Husker Road, Alda, NE

Sept. 16-17: Nebraska Sheep Breeders Sale, Custer Co. Fairgrounds, Broken Bow, NE

Sept 22-25: Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Show, CenturyLink Center, Omaha, NE

Oct. 19-22: National FFA Convention, Indianapolis, Indiana

 

Irene Elizabeth Schriner September 24 1935 to December 19, 2015

Irene Elizabeth Schriner, the daughter of Elsie (Sidlo) and Johnnie Vaden Fair, was born September
24, 1935 northeast of Red Cloud, Nebraska. She departed this life on Saturday, December 19, 2015 at the Mary Lanning Hospital in Hastings, Nebraska at the age of 80 years, 2 months and 25 days.
A lifelong resident of Webster county, Irene received her formal education graduating from the Cowles High School with the class of 1953. She was united in marriage with Ronald Schriner on May 17, 1960 at Red Cloud.  Irene was employed for thirty-two years with the ASCS Office in Red Cloud. She then went to work for ten years with Bill Frost at Frost Flying Service in Red Cloud.
Irene, or "Ruby" as she was affectionately known by family and friends, possessed a number of interests and hobbies.  She was an accomplished bowler and participated in a number of tournaments throughout the Midwest. Her greatest love and enthusiasm in life was for her family and she especially cherished the time they spent together. Her personality was pervaded by her engaging demeanor and quick smile. She will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure to know her.
She was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church, the American Legion Auxiliary.  For several years she volunteered her time and talents as the secretary for the Village of Cowles.
Preceding her in death were her parents; a brother, Wayne Fair; daughter Vickie Peterson, and son-in-law, Clayton Kepler.
Left to treasure her memory are her husband, Ronald Schriner of Blue Hill, Nebraska; daughters, Virginia "Ginny" Kepler of Bassett, Nebraska and Jody Schriner of Red Cloud, Nebraska; a son, Steve Schriner and wife Dee of Kearney, Nebraska; 8 grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren; a sister, DeLoris Meyer of Lincoln, Nebraska; brother, Rodney Fair of Red Cloud; other relatives and a host of friends.
Funeral services were held Wednesday, 10:00 a.m., December 23, 2015 at the Zion Lutheran Church in Red Cloud with the Rev. Chad Boggs officiating. Interment was at the Red Cloud Cemetery.

 ​Williams Funeral Home
 ​241 West 4th Avenue
Red Cloud, Nebraska  68970
402-746-2500
williamsfuneralhomes@yahoo.com