Photo by Trevor Gill/fairburyjournalnews.comThe Jefferson County Commissioners moved their regularly scheduled meeting upstairs to the county courtroom to discuss school truancy. In attendance for the meeting was Judge Linda Bauer, representatives from the county schools, and several agencies working together to develop a program for school truancy and adult pretrial diver-sion.

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It was a busy afternoon in Jefferson Dis-trict Court on Thursday, March 1 with the honorable Judge Ricky Schreiner presiding over the cases. Craig A. Dorn was the first to go before

Judge Schreiner. Dorn appeared in the case number CR 15-43 for a violation of proba-tion. When asked what he had to say for himself, Dorn pled for the judge to be merci-ful. “I ask for a second chance,” he begged. Representing the state of Nebraska was

county attorney Jeff Goltz. He briefly went over Dorn's extensive record. The diverse na-ture of charges span to 1991 and continue all the way to the charge in 2015, which led to the probation violation. Dorn's council, Joseph Casson, appealed to

the judge that his client was not in the right mindset when he was originally sentenced to probation.“You are a criminal,” Judge Schreiner put

simply. Dorn was sentenced to jail sentence of a

minimum of 20 months and a maximum of 60 months.Douglas W. May Jr. had previously pled no

contest in the case of CR 17-29 and went before Judge Schreiner for sentencing on Thursday. Goltz noted to Judge Schreiner that May has a long history.After the tough judgement he had just

passed on the previous case, Judge Sch-reiner showed May tough mercy. May was sentenced to 24 months probation. “I know you can do better,” Judge Schrein-

er told May. He acknowledged that has young children

and ordered him to be an example for them. In his orders he told May to go back and get his GED. Judge Schreiner commented that this will not be easy, as it should be but told him to “set your mind to it.”Next on the court docket was the sentenc-

ing of Chad K. Street in the case of CR 17-53. Previously, Street had pled no contest. In this case, Street had been found guilty of operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and attempting to tamper with physical evidence, a class 4 felony. “I've had a lot of time to think about what I

did,” Street said.Goltz advised that probation in this case

would be worth a try. He also noted that Street's problems started post his honorable discharge from the military and is a result of a case of PTSD. Street had previously, made mention that if

he were released that he would like to move out of state to family who will support him in his recovery. Judge Schreiner sympathized with Street's situation and looked into the transferring of probation to the mentioned state but found that he could not moved to that particular state without complications. Judge Schreiner sentenced Street to 300

days to jail with a credit of 158 days. Misty D. Clauson appeared before Judge

Schreiner in the case of CR 17-59 for pretrial hearing. The proceedings were pushed to continue on April 5 at 1p.m.Lashay R. Sherman went before Judge

Schreiner for the case of CR 17-61 for her pretrial hearing. That proceeding was con-tinued to April 19 at 1p.m.

District Court

By Jim Phelps

Joe Kubicek fulfilled his dream by signing a letter of intent to play football next fall for Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Neb.The senior played

defensive end and was a tight end/ wing back on offense for the Wolverines foot-ball team this past season.Through hard work

in the off-season and hard work with his teammates in the weight room, Kubicek will have an opportu-nity to display his tal-ents at the collegiate level for the Warriors.Having the opportu-

nity to play football in college has been a dream of Joe's since he was small child.“To have the oppor-

tunity to play college football has always been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. My mom (Kathy) and I would always watch football games on television. The game of football made her so happy and I'm glad I can make her happy now,” Kubicek said.After the Friday

morning signing, Kubicek felt a weight exited off his shoul-ders.“There is definitely

a weight off of my shoulders with this signing completed. This has been a dream of mine ev-ery time I was in the weight room with my teammates. I have always had this image of today in my head. I'm very happy this day has arrived,” Ku-bicek replied.Having the process

of recruitment over, Kubicek feels relaxed with his chose of a school.“It comforts me

knowing I have great coaches and a great staff, knowing I have a great family behind me. I'm happy for I know where I'm going and I have my path in front of me and I'm ready to take that next step and get to work,” Kubicek com-mented.In the recruiting

process, a number of colleges and universi-ties showed interest in having Kubicek attend their school to play football.“Besides Midland

Lutheran, Waldorf

University, Doane University, Wayne State College, Con-cordia University, and several other NAIA schools in Nebraska had showed interest in me signing with their school,” Kubicek noted.Several aspects

stood out about Mid-land Lutheran College drew the eye of Joe.“I really liked their

campus that is in a big city like Fremont, and I loved the foot-ball coaching staff. I like their style of de-fense, as they are very physical, but humble about it,” Kubicek stated.Joe gives his credit

for his success to his mom.“I give all of my

credit to my mom. She raised I and my sister as a single par-ent. The coaches at Midland resemble my mom in many as-pects. The mentality that my mom gave me has lifted me to where I am today,” Kubicek said.Wilber-Clatonia Wol-

verines head football coach Lynn Jurgens is pleased for Joe that he will have an oppor-tunity to play football

in college.“It is always great for

our program to have players move on to the college level. Joe has worked extremely hard to get where he is as a player. He does so much train-ing on his own in the weightroom, and he was such a great leader for our football team this past sea-son. I'm glad to see Joe get rewarded and get an opportunity to move on and play football at the next level,” Jurgens re-marked.“Joe had a tremen-

dous work ethic as a player, and he was a superb leader being a team captain this past year. He has meant so much to our football team the last four years that it is great to see kids like that come through our program,” Jur-gens commented.Kubicek was a four-

year lettermen for the Wolverines in football.Midland Lutheran

College assistant football coach/defen-sive coordinator Tom Brinkman liked Joe's character.“First when we look

at perspective ath-letes it is their char-acter. Joe is definitely a high-charactered kid that is a hard worker and that really caught our eye. Joe's athleticism on the field is a huge bonus. We know he is the type of athlete that will work hard each and every day with a good personality and character to boot,” Brinkman noted.“Our goal at Midland

is to recruit Nebraska first. To have some-one such as Joe come to Midland is a big plus. We like local kids because they are already part of the culture and the style of football we like to play. So signing Joe was an excellent fit for us and him,” Brinkman stated.Kubicek will major

in either computer engineering or physi-cal therapy at Mid-land Lutheran Col-lege.

Bound For Midland—Wilber-Clatonia senior Joe Kubicek seated second from left is all smiles after signing a letter of intent to play football next fall for Midland Lutheran Col-lege in Fremont, Neb. Attending Friday's signing at Wilber-Clatonia High School were seated L-r) Joseph Kubicek, father, Joe Kubicek, Elizabeth Kubicek, sister, and Lynn Jurgens, Wilber-Clatonia Wolverines head football coach. Standing (l-r) Tom Brinkman, Midland Lutheran College defensive coordinator, Lucas Schawang, Midland Lutheran College safeties coach, Eamonn Feeney, Wilber-Clatonia Wolverines assistant football coach, and Tony Broithwait, Wilber-Clatonia Wolverines assistant football coach. Photo by Jim Phelps/fairburyjournalnews.com

Joe Kubicek Signs With Midland

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Timothy Linscott .................................................................. Owner/Publisher - timothylinscott1@gmail.comJennifer Lewis ..................Production Manager/Circulation/Design/Web- jennifer@fairburyjournalnews.comTrevor Gill ...............................CFO/Sports Editor/Social Media Editor - trevor.gill@fairburyjournalnews.comLena Garner ............................................................. Linscott Digital Media - lena@fairburyjournalnews.comJennifer Bartels ......................................................Sales Representative - sales@fairburyjournalnews.comMinette Tomasch .................................................................... Reporter - minette@fairburyjournalnews.comNathan Heuer ........................................................................... Reporter - nathan@fairburyjournalnews.comJim Phelps ............................................................................................. Sports Writer - fjnsports@gmail.comGordon Hopkins ....................................................................... Special Contributor - gordon.fjn@gmail.com

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Cautiously Optimistic

Page 2 The Fairbury Journal-News Editorial Friday, March 2, 2018

NEIGHBORS-37The failure of the U.S. Congress to get

much done for awhile save for talking a lot caused Nora Carver to relate the following story when the Koffee Klatch-ers held their morning gathering at Goat and Gloria’s Café recently.Some years ago old Ely Stubbs who

farmed south of town owned a prize bull named Eclipse renown through-out the Condon Springs area for two things: his power to help bring strong, lively calves into the world, and his stubborn insistence on doing exactly what he wished to do. Eclipse, while generally friendly, often made life difficult for his owner and for other farmers and ranchers who wanted to borrow him to patrol their pastures for a couple of weeks. His stubbornness was so unpredictable. It might settle now on one thing, now on another. For instance, one year Eclipse refused to eat first cutting alfalfa and about worried old Ely half to death that he was going to starve. Another time he took a spell where he wouldn’t let any-one on horseback into the pasture. He charged every horse that came within range, thereby causing a lot of equine stress.So it was that one day when Ely

Stubbs and Norm Suder were going to load Eclipse into a truck to take him over to Norm’s pasture, well, Eclipse decided to stay at home. He would not go up the chute into the truck, absolutely would not. He would lead easily enough until Ely tried to head him up into the chute. Why? Neither Ely nor Norm had any idea. (After the whole thing was over, and Ely told his wife Sadie about it, Sadie said, “Well, maybe he wanted to stay true to his home pasture cows.” Ely thought there might be some sort of a message in there somewhere.)Then Norm had an idea. A sling

used for lifting hay into the haymow was hanging limp on the outside of the barn wall. Put the sling around Eclipse and raise him up high enough to then lower him over the stock rack into the truck. “Good idea,” agreed Ely. “Hired

man’s right close with the horses. We’ll put Eclipse into the sling, lead the horses out, elevate Eclipse, and lower him from the top. That’ll work.”So Ely brought the hired man in

with the horses. The hired man got Eclipse into the sling and giddyuped the horses. Okay for about thirty feet, but then a field mouse ran out of the barn pursued closely by a black cat. The chased and the chaser ran right in front of the horses, causing them to bolt. When the horses ran Eclipse ascended like a Titan missile coming out of its silo. The sling was attached to an overhead track leading into the haymow, thus Eclipse found himself suddenly catapulted into the haymow to be ignobly and severely deposited when the sling broke.Well, now they had the bull in the

haymow. How were they going to get him out of the haymow? Ely looked at Norm. Norm looked at Ely. Neither had the least idea about how to get Eclipse out of the haymow. Ely looked at the hired man. “All right, how do we get him down?”The hired man who had thought the

bull in the sling idea was very dumb in the first place shrugged and said, “I don’t know. I done my job. I slung the bull.”Nora Carver finished the story and

said, “Sometimes I wonder if the folks in Washington think they’ve done their job when they sling the bull and do little else.”-Richard KimbroughAll proceeds from the book, “NEIGH-

BORS” will be given for cancer re-search. The book is available on Ama-zon.

Now, I know this is not a film col-umn and I share nothing with the late Roger Ebert except a waistline. Still, I saw a movie recently and I would like to share my thoughts about it with you. For once, it was a film that featured nei-ther a guy in a cape nor a CGI rodent. Instead, it starred actors.To the best of

my knowledge, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks have never appeared in a movie together. Surprising, I sup-pose, considering they are the upper echelon in a rapidly diminishing catego-ry of genuinely tal-ented, able actors. That is as opposed to movie stars. I am reminded of the scene in “My Favor-ite Year” where the character played by Peter O'Toole, an actor sadly no lon-ger with us, bellows dramatically, “I'm not an actor. I'm a movie star!”If you don't know

the difference, Tom Hanks is an actor. The Rock is a movie star. Get it?Maybe it shouldn't

be surprising that Streep and Hanks never worked to-gether before. As the top dogs in Hollywood, per-haps one might expect there to be a natural rivalry. Anyone hoping for another “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane,” with Bette Davis and Joan Crawford-like scen-ery chewing in the hopes of upstaging each other, was sorely disappointed with “The Post.”Well, I was not

disappointed. The

movie opens with a flashback to the Vietnam War, 1966. That lasts for about ten minutes and contains the only action in the film. The rest takes place in 1971 and focuses on the real life drama of the Pentagon Papers and the question of whether or not they should be published. Not a single laser shot was fired. Not a single guy fell out of a thirty story building and sur-vived by landing in a swimming pool or bouncing off an aw-ning. Yet more real tension was felt by the audience than those watching half a dozen Michael Bay monstrosities. And it manages this even when the audience knows how it ends. Not that anyone ever started watching a Michael Bay flick without instantly knowing what was coming next. The man telegraphs his punches like a third-rate boxer.Jodie Foster (an-

other actor) re-cently offended basement dwelling nerds everywhere by bashing the re-cent spate of super-hero movies. As a man who owns sev-eral hundred comic books, a dozen Bat-man t-shirts and a Green Lantern Pow-er Battery, my first reaction was the same as very other guy in a Batman t-shirt; I balled up my trembling fist and growled, “How dare she!” And yet, I can-not deny she is not entirely wrong. Superhero movies are like any other movie. Some are

great (a couple of the Batman mov-ies), some are okay (Thor: Ragnarok), some are bad (Green Lantern) and some are fit only as methods of “enhanced inter-rogation” at Guan-tanamo Bay (latest Fantastic Four). The problem is not the existence of superhero mov-ies. The problem is Hollywood’s de-pendence on them. The American film industry is at its lowest ebb ever, creatively speaking. Overall, superhero movies and CGI animation tend to be better than just about everything else being produced in Hollywood, most-ly due to the film-makers’ respect for the source materi-als. Everything else being churned out by the “dream fac-tory” are remakes, movies based on toys and unin-spired “vehicles” for movie stars like the Rock. Even on the rare occasions when Hollywood produces some-thing original (and I am using that term in its loosest pos-sible definition), it’s usually something “safe.” That’s why there seems to be a resurgence in World War II flicks.Of course, one of

the reasons this flick is so gripping is that, despite taking place in 1971, it is discon-certingly relevant to today, with its presentation of a

government try-ing to squash the press to cover up a scandal. It was events like these that made news-paper reporters into heroes in the seventies, rather akin to the cowboy of the 1800s or the private eye of the 1940s. When one thinks

of newspapers uncovering govern-ment scandals, especially in the seventies, of course one thinks of Wa-tergate. I think perhaps the best way to enjoy “The Post” is as a double feature with “All the President’s Men.” In some way “The Post” feels a bit like a prequel to the movie of Woodward and Bernstein’s coverage of the Watergate scandal. In fact, Bob Wood-ward went to work for The Washing-ton Post just three months after the Pentagon Papers story was printed.These days, of

course, the belea-guered news media is not nearly so well respected. It seems journalists are being attacked an all fronts. Well, I am glad to say this disdain for journal-ism is not univer-sal. Last Wednes-day, the Bonham Theatre held a special showing of “The Post.” In attendance were 29 Fairbury High School journalism students.It does give one hope for the future.

Thinking About Health Chelation TherapyPage 5 The Fairbury Journal-News Editorial Friday, March 2, 2018

By Gordon Hop-kins, Rural Health Network/Fairbury Journal-NewsAlmost exactly

20 years ago, Brit-ish doctor Andrew Wakefield caused a sensation with a now notorious article in a respect-able medical journal. The article claimed a link between child-hood autism and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The article was

eventually retracted, Wakefield’s license revoked and the con-tent widely discred-ited, but the dam-age was done. Two decades later, many parents still believe that vaccines can put their children at risk of autism. So they avoid getting their children vac-cinated, leading to a resurgence in ill-nesses once thought abolished, like measles. Furthermore, some

parents who have had their chil-dren vaccinated are frightened into seeking “alterna-tive” treatments based on Wakefield’s disproven theory. Believing that au-tism is caused by mercury included in vaccines, they turn to chelation therapy to remove it, according to a recent story in Time magazine February 28, 2018 issue //

time.com/5175704/andrew-wakefield-vaccine-autism. But the American Academy of Pediat-rics has stated there is no evidence that chelation therapy is an effective treat-ment for autism or its symptoms. Chelation therapy

is a treatment for heavy-metal poison-ing and is approved by the American Medical Association and the U.S. Food and Drug Adminis-tration for that pur-pose alone. https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/Buy-ingUsingMedicine-Safely/Medica-tionHealthFraud/ucm229313.htmIn chelation ther-

apy, the chemi-cal abbreviated as EDTA is injected into the bloodstream to remove heavy met-als or minerals from a person suffering from heavy-metal poisoning. Chelat-ing drugs are usu-ally administered intravenously. Once the drug has bound itself to the metals in a person’s blood-stream, the drugs and metals are re-moved from the body through urination.Chelation therapy

is safe when done properly and for the right reason – heavy-metal poison-ing – but it also has become a popular

treatment for other conditions. Unlike some “alternative” treatments, which are useless but harmless, inappro-priate use of EDTA can be dangerous. Any health care provider using chela-tion therapy to treat anything other than heavy-metal poison-ing is in violation of AMA rules and risks having his or her license revoked and worse.And, in fact, some

deaths have been attributed to chela-tion therapy, includ-ing among children being treated for autism, according to one NBC News story. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/11640868/ns/health-childrens_health/t/fda-links-child-deaths-che-lation-therapy/#.WpcwtedG3IU Chelation drugs

have also been used to treat Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease. Again, no evidence has shown this to be effective, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.Here is one other

thing to consider if your health care pro-vider suggests chela-tion therapy for an inappropriate condi-tion. Because the treatment is not ap-proved by the AMA, it will most likely not be covered by your

insurance plan. If a physician sends

a claim to an insur-ance company for chelation therapy with a diagnosis of autism, not only it will it not be paid but said physi-cian will probably be reported to the AMA or other regula-tory agency. Some get around this by billing the patient directly. Others, however, bill the insurance company claiming a diagno-sis of heavy metal poisoning. If caught, the physician can be charged with insurance fraud. If you willingly par-ticipate in this, you, too, may be guilty of fraud.You can find ad-

ditional information on the websites for the Journal of the American Medical Association, https://jamanetwork.com/, and the Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayo-clinic.org/.Gordon Hopkins,

an award-winning sports columnist and feature writer for The Fairbury Journal-News. Prior to that, he worked for several years in the health insurance industry. His latest book is “Nebraska at War: Dispatches from the Home Front and the Front Lines.” You can contact him at gordon.fjn@gmail.com.

February State Work Period in Nebraska

By U.S. Senator Deb FischerRecently the Senate had a state work

period, which meant I could travel across Nebraska and visit with fellow citizens to lis-ten to what’s on their minds. These conver-sations are what I take back to Washington, and they help me bring our state’s common sense to Congress.I started my week by stopping by the Ne-

braska City Public Schools Pioneer Career Academy. It was great visiting with students and seeing the fantastic work they are do-ing. The highlight of the tour came when the students presented me with two wooden plaques that they had made. It’s great to see these young people refining their skills to become successful and contribute to their community.While in Nebraska City, I hosted an ag

roundtable discussion with a good group of participants. Members from Nebraska Cat-tlemen, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Pork Producers, and more came out to talk and share their concerns. This is my fifth year to host ag roundtables, but receiving this feedback is especially important as we work on the upcoming farm bill in the Sen-ate Agriculture Committee. We discussed the importance of strong crop insurance and the need for access to broadband and technology.I was also able to visit with friends at the

Nebraska Chamber Public Affairs meeting and give an update on my work in the Sen-ate. During my remarks, I spoke about my committee assignments, the great results we’re seeing from tax reform, and my paid family leave bill, which was recently enacted by Congress.In Lincoln, I stopped and toured Hudl’s

new headquarters in the Haymarket. This company has grown enormously — original-ly they were only dealing with professional and college sports. Today, they cover high school and local sports teams around the country. I also made a visit to Nelnet’s headquar-

ters in Lincoln. We discussed tax reform and how their business is growing with the changes implemented in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. They have been able to issue bonuses to employees and reinvest in their company. Around Nebraska and the na-tion, people are keeping more of their hard earned money from their paychecks and that’s a good thing.I was also very excited to be able to travel

west to Kearney and tour Inter-Motion. It was fascinating to see the amazing work this business does rebuilding complex ma-chinery. The company restores and rebuilds machines that are sent in from all corners of the world. I appreciated the invitation to come and learn about such a successful business right here in Nebraska.In addition to hosting another ag round-

table in Kearney, I had the honor of partici-pating in a medal ceremony with Jeff Geisel-man and his wife Gloria. The Geiselman family contacted my office for assistance in gathering the medals his father, Clifford, earned during World War II. I presented them with the Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, and Europe/Africa/Middle East Campaign Medal, among others. It was an honor to be with the Geiselman family for this special occasion.On my final day, I held a roundtable in

Sarpy County, which focused on local busi-nesses and my recently-passed paid family leave program. It was a good conversation and provided me with a number of issues that my office will be looking into. These are the important discussions I enjoy having with Nebraskans. As I return to the Senate, I look forward to sharing your thoughts and concerns with my colleagues. I’m honored to serve as your senator, and I hope you will continue to keep me informed on the issues that matter to you.Thank you for participating in the demo-

cratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.

Rep. Adrian SmithFeb 23, 2018 Is-

sues: EducationEncouraging Ne-

braska students to engage with their government is impor-tant to the future of our state and coun-try. For young people in the Third District, my office has great opportunities for students of all ages and interests to get involved.Internships for

college students are available year-round in my Washington, D.C., Grand Island, and Scottsbluff of-fices. In these roles, interns work directly with full-time staff on policy and press is-sues, attend events, and assist with con-stituent services. It is a valuable way to experience the func-tions of a congres-sional office and the legislative process firsthand.My staff and I ap-

preciate the hard work and dedication of these young people who choose to spend their time serving

fellow Nebraskans. More information on applying for intern-ships is available on my website at Adri-anSmith.house.gov.The Third District

Youth Advisory Council is open to high school juniors and seniors who are interested in discuss-ing their opinions, thoughts, and con-cerns with me about local and federal issues. I welcome their insights and questions, as well as our conversations on how best to serve Nebraska’s commu-nities. Any rising ju-niors or seniors who would like to apply for the 2018-2019 council are invited to visit my website to learn more.Also for high school

students, the Con-gressional Art Com-petition is an op-portunity for young artists in the Third District to put their talents on display for visitors across the country and around the world. I look for-ward to showcasing

students’ work and sharing their depic-tions of the Good Life we enjoy in Nebras-ka.The winning art-

work from each con-gressional district is displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. Submissions for this year’s competi-tion will be accepted through Friday, March 9. More de-tails for interested students and teach-ers are available on my website.Each year, I have

the privilege of nomi-nating a select group of Third District stu-dents to attend the U.S. Service Acad-emies. My office’s annual Academy Day brings together academy representa-tives to speak with Third District high school students who are interested in serving our country. More details about this year’s event will be available soon. In the meantime, please visit my website or contact my Grand Island office at 308-

384-3900 for ad-ditional information on the nomination process.Spring is the high

season for school trips to Washing-ton, D.C., and my office is pleased to assist Third District student groups in arranging tours of historic sites such as the U.S. Capitol. I also always enjoy meeting with stu-dents and discuss-ing their thoughts on the issues facing our country. If you are planning a trip this year, please get in touch with my D.C. office so we can make arrangements to connect with you during your stay.Getting young

people involved in their government and communities must be a priority. I ask parents and teach-ers to please share the above informa-tion with your chil-dren and students, and I look forward to recognizing the great accomplishments of young Nebraskans.

Calling Third District Students

LETTERS POLICYThe Fairbury Journal-News welcomes

opinions in the form of responsible let-ters to the editor. The FJN will publish letters as space permits but reserves the right to edit any letter for style, punctua-tion, spelling or vulgarity. The paper and its staff also reserve the right to reject any letter at its discretion. Letters must be signed (email is OK) and include ei-ther an email address or phone number for verification. Authors are restricted to submitting a letter once within a 30-day period.

Page 4 The Fairbury Journal-News Friday, March 2, 2018

exclusiveFriday Sports

fjn VarsityLetters

Duane ArnttBy Jim Phelps

Fairbury Journal-News

When you ask any high

school student-athlete what their number one aspi-ration is in their career, the answer would most likely be win a state championship, either as a team or an individual.For Tri County

High School gradu-ate, Duane Arntt, his senior year was the reason he was looking forward to as a member of the Tri County Trojans wrestling team.Arntt competed at

the Nebraska State Wrestling Tourna-ment both as a sophomore and a junior, but did not medal in his respec-tive weight class.However, as a

senior grappler in 1978, everything just seemed to fall into place for him.In the Class C

state semifinals, Arntt received a break when He-bron's Mitch Gerdes lost in the semi-finals, as Arntt was winless in two matches during the season versus Gerdes.Arntt went to work

and decisioned Mark Lydick of Tekamah-Herman, 10-5 in his semifi-nal match to ad-vance to the title match.On Saturday at

the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln. Arntt achieved what he had worked so hard throughout his senior season for by winning the Class C State Champion-ship at 167 pounds by decision, 6-5 over Bob Miles of Sandy Creek.The individual

state championship by Arntt was the first state cham-pionship for Tri County, and the first individual state champion for head coach John Mc-Gary.The finals match

between Arntt and Miles was the fourth meeting on the season between the two competitors with Arntt winning all four matches by decision.In his senior sea-

son, Arntt had a

record of 24-2, and finished his career for Tri County with a record of 84-21.Winning the first

state wrestling championship was a moment Duane will always remem-ber.“Winning the state

championship meant a lot to me. I had worked so hard to obtain this goal. For me it was a great accomplish-ment. I look back on this feat with great fondness,” Arntt replied.For his stellar

1977-1978 season, Arntt was named the Most Outstand-ing Wrestler on the team.Duane's favorite

maneuver in wres-tling was the head-lock.Arntt was a three-

sport athlete in high school for Tri County partici-pating in football, wrestling, and track and field. He let-tered in football two years, and was a four-year letterman in both wrestling and track and field.In his four years of

athletics, Duane's head coach in foot-ball and track and field was Dan Tesar and his head coach for wrestling was John McGary.“I could not have

had any two bet-ter coaches in high school than coach Tesar and coach McGary. Both coaches were truly great individuals and great leaders for their respective sports. They worked us as athletes hard, but they were fair to each player. As coaches they pushed myself and my teammates to be the best athletes that we could be. I really enjoyed going out and competing hard in all three sports for them. Both coaches are great inspirators,” Arntt said.Several aspects

made athletics fun for Duane in high school.“Athletics was

something to keep you busy. It was something back in the late 70s that everyone in school did. What drove me in athletics was the overall competi-tion in any of my three sports. On the mats I didn't care who you were. All I knew was you were my opponent and I would do everything to out-work you to come out on top,” Arntt remarked.Of the three sports

that Arntt competed in during his high

school athletic ca-reer, wrestling was his favorite sport.I had a lot of suc-

cess in the sport and I liked the one-on-one compe-tition. My two older brothers, Dave and Doug, also com-peted in wrestling so I just followed in their footsteps,” Arntt commented.Duane feels that

there are several individuals that he hands out credit for his success he has received in sports both in high school and college.“My parents, Bev-

erly and Richard for they were every-thing to me. They both supported me in each of my sports by being at every football game, wrestling match, and track meet. Also my coaches Mr. Tesar and Mr. McGary, as they were true motiva-tors to me and my teammates,” Arntt noted.Competing in

sports, according to Arntt, can teach an athlete a lot about life itself.“Athletics most

certainly taught me a lot. You either win or you don't. Not every game or match may go your way. You have to out-work your op-ponent. Nothing is going to be given to you. It's up to you to give everything for the things you want. Go full force and don't let up. That can go for athletics or later on in your life in your job,” Arntt replied.Competing in

sports for Duane caught his eye at a young age.“I got started in

a wrestling pro-gram on Saturday mornings for four to five weeks at Tri County when I was in the third grade. As a fifth and sixth grader I wrestled for the Beatrice YMCA traveling team, and as an athlete in junior high since there wasn't many kids wrestling in ju-nior high the wres-tlers practiced with the high school team,” Arntt stated.As an athlete,

Duane learned a number of lessons that he felt makes an athlete a better all-around person.“Athletics teaches

you humility, pa-tience and the drive to work hard. You have to work hard to get what you want. It felt good to achieve a goal by putting forth all your best effort through hard work

and determination,” Arntt acknowl-edged.After graduation

from Tri County in 1978, Arntt took a few years off before he attended college.Duane attended

Southeast Commu-nity College for one year in Fairbury in the early 80s, and then transferred to Peru State College for 1983-84 school year. Arntt played two years of college football for the Bob-cats receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in 1987.Arntt continued

his college educa-tion at the Univer-sity of Nebraska-Kearney earning his Master's Degree in Administration in 1997.Duane has been

a principal for the past 21 years in schools in three midwestern states.His first principal

job was K-12 in Centralia, Kan, and then for six years as K-6 elementary principal at South-ern Elementary in Wymore, Neb., along with being the head wrestling coach at Southern High School for five years.Following his six

years at Southern, Arntt accepted the job as grades 9-12 principal at Burl-ington, Colo., which he held for two years.Duane returned

to Nebraska to take the reins of elemen-tary principal and head football coach at Silver Lake in 2007.The 2017-18

school year marks the 11th year for Arntt as the el-ementary principal at Silver Lake.Arntt has been

the Mustangs head coach for eight years with the team playing six-man football the past six seasons.He helped guide

Silver Lake to a six-man state football championship in 2013 defeating Hy-annis, 47-46.Duane's former

high school wres-tling coach John McGary remarked on what made Arntt the athlete that he became.“Duane was good

from his feet with upperbody throws. His techniques were headlocks, bodyl-ocks, and throws. He was a confi-dent wrestler on the mat,” McGary stated.According to coach

McGary, Duane having two older brothers that wres-

tled really helped him out.“He had two older

brothers, Dave and Doug, that wrestled for Tri County and they helped him get his feet wet. The sport of wrestling fit Duane so well personality-wise. He was a hard worker and was in good shape as he com-peted in wrestling. He was a confident wrestler and a good kid,” McGary com-mented.“Besides being a

superb wrestler, Duane was a very good football player. He was the type of football player that would tackle some-body and instead of just tackling them he would pull the ball out of their grasp and run the other direction. He was a very smart and a opportunistic guy. If there was a chance he would go for it,” McGary noted.One of the biggest

differences from wrestling in the late 70s to wrestling in 2018 are the num-ber of matches that wrestlers have dur-ing a given season.“At that time in

the late 70s, wres-tlers didn't have that many matches. You could have had a wrestler as a state champion with a mark of 30-0 and that seemed like a lot of matches back then. Now a days you have kids that wrestle 60 plus matches, so they have twice as many wins in a season than wrestlers did back in the 70s,” McGary said.When Duane won

Tri County's first state champion-ship in 1978 that was a very special moment for coach

McGary and the Trojan wrestling program.“That was very,

very special and that's why you don't ever forget it. He accomplished a goal of his and got to have that title of being Tri County's first state cham-pion. Duane was so into wrestling so were his parents. Couldn't be a better person to hold that title as being the school's first state wrestling cham-pion. His goal was not to have a shot at winning the title. His goal was to win it, and I was so very proud of him that day,” McGary re-marked.“After that historic

event at the state wrestling tourna-ment, my wife Ja-net and I along with Duane's parents, Beverly and Rich-ard, went out to eat at Misty's Restau-rant in Havelock in Lincoln to celebrate that special feat,” McGary noted.Arntt praises his

teammates for help-ing him become the state wrestling champion.“A lot of team-

mates helped me through the season earning this indi-vidual state wres-tling title. It was a total team effort. I truly thank them for their help and support,” Arntt said.Duane and his

wife, Debbie live in Campbell, Neb.The couples chil-

dren includes Samantha who lives in St. Joesph, Mo., Brittani who's residence is in Campbell, and step-son Jesse resides in Lincoln, Neb.

Stop by Fairbury Journal-News office at 510 C St

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Friday, March 2, 2018 Agriculture The Fairbury Journal-News Page 5

You’re Invited!

March 11 at 3 p.m.Stastny Center • Hebron

2018 Cattlemen’s

Ball Informational

RALLYJoin us to learn more!

Want to know more about the Cattlemen’s Ball?Join us for an informational meeting regarding all things Cattlemen’s Ball 2018! All Are Welcome!• Learn about what the Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska Inc. IS and DOES• Hear about the 2-day event program, activities and schedule• Sign up for volunteer opportunities and learn about when and where help is needed• GUEST SPEAKER, Kenneth Cowan, M.D., Ph.D, Director, Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center• Find out what kinds of simple things YOU can do to help make this event an amazing success! b

Real Estate Broker, Auctioneer & General Certified Appraiser 145 North 4th Street, Hebron, Neb. • 402-768-7270

View this auction on the web at www.eltingauction.com

Brad Elting & Co.Sale Conducted by

ABSOLUTE FARM MACHINERY AUCTION FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2018

STARTING PROMPTLY @ 10:30 A.M.4738 HWY 8, HARDY NE

Tractors, Combine, Heads, Grain Cart & Trailers, Trucks, Tillage & Farm Equipment, Primitives,

Miscellaneous Shop & Equipment Plus Much More! SELLERS: GLENN & JOAN KIRCHHOFF

February 20, 2018Valid 7 a.m. EST

(Released Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018)

http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

The Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scaleconditions. Local conditions may vary. Seeaccompanying text summary for forecaststatements.

Author:Deborah BathkeNational Drought Mitigation Center

U.S. Drought Monitor

Nebraska

D0 Abnormally Dry

D1 Moderate Drought

D2 Severe Drought

D3 Extreme Drought

D4 Exceptional Drought

Intensity:

February 20, 2018Valid 7 a.m. EST

(Released Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018)

http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

The Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scaleconditions. Local conditions may vary. Seeaccompanying text summary for forecaststatements.

Author:Deborah BathkeNational Drought Mitigation Center

U.S. Drought Monitor

Nebraska

D0 Abnormally Dry

D1 Moderate Drought

D2 Severe Drought

D3 Extreme Drought

D4 Exceptional Drought

Intensity:

Tri County FFA WeekFFA Healthy Heart Month promotion dur-

ing FFA WeekFFA cooperated with the SCC-Beatrice

nursing class in a blood pressure check.

Groundwater – it’s the water we drink and the water that grows our food. As the word suggests, it’s the water that’s hidden beneath our feet in the cracks and crevices in the rocks and sands beneath the Earth’s surface.Groundwater is

important to every-one and everything. During National Groundwater Aware-ness Week, March 11-17, 2018, The Groundwater Foun-dation urges every-one to learn more about groundwater resources and find ways to protect it in your home and com-munity.According to Na-

tional Groundwater Association (NGWA), sponsor of National Groundwater Aware-ness Week, the United States uses nearly 80 billion gal-lons of groundwater per day for pub-lic supply, private supply, irrigation, livestock, manufac-turing, mining, ther-moelectric power, and other purposes. Irrigation accounts for the largest use of groundwater in the United States, about

67.2 percent of all the groundwater pumped each day. Some 53.5 billion gallons of groundwa-ter are used daily for agricultural irriga-tion, helping feed the world. Around 45 percent of the U.S. population depends on groundwater for its drinking water supply, and more than 13.2 million households have their own well, rep-resenting 34 million people.Groundwater is

constantly threat-ened by overuse and contamination. You can be part of the solution by making small changes that cumulatively have a big impact:Conserve water

inside and outside your home by tak-ing short showers instead of baths, running full loads of

dishes and laundry, checking for and re-pairing leaky faucets and fixtures, water-ing outdoors only when necessary, and using native plants in your landscap-ing that require less water.Track your daily

water use to iden-tify where you can use less. Try the free 30by30 app and start tracking

today (www.ground-water.org/action/home/30by30.html)Always follow label

instructions for household chemi-cals, and look for ways to decrease or eliminate fertilizer and pesticide usage.Dispose of chemi-

cals properly by tak-ing them to recycling centers or household hazardous waste col-lections.

If you have a pri-vate well on your property, have the well inspected by a licensed water well contractor and the water tested once a year for coliform bacteria, nitrates, and any other con-taminants of local concern.Find out about

your community’s

drinking water source and mobilize to protect it. The Groundwater Guard-ian program (www.groundwater.org/groundwaterguard-ian) is a good place to get started.Teach others about

ways to protect and preserve groundwa-ter.

4-H Swine ClinicSaturday, April 28th at 10:00 amJefferson County Fairgrounds, Fairbury.Youth will learn about various topics

including:Pig selection, feeding, show prepa-ration, showmanship techniques and other topics based on questions from participants.Presenter: Kyle Baade. Register 402-729-

3487.

4-H Enrollment Due April 1stYouth who are 8 years of age before Janu-

ary 1, current year and do not exceed the upper age limit of 19 during the current calendar year are eligible to be traditional 4-H members and can participate in all 4-H events. We welcome all youth and encour-age you to invite your friends to join 4-H. 4-H Enrollment will be done online again this year. Please contact the office if you need the information about how to enroll your youth this year. Enrollment completion is due April 1st. Please contact the office 402-729-3487.

Diamond Clover Award Applications Due April 1st

The program is designed to encourage 4-H youth to engage in a variety of projects and activities that will enable members to acquire the life skills necessary to lead successful lives as competent, caring and contributing citizens. The goal is to provide 4-H members a rich and diverse learning experience. The program includes six levels and is designed for participants to progress at one level a year. Each level includes a set of goals that must be achieved before the 4-H’er can move on. Guidelines & forms: http://4h.unl.edu/diamondclover. Forms are due in the office on April 1st and then will be returned to the 4-H member to fill out during the 4-H year.

Basic Entomology WorkshopDo you love insects? Do you want to iden-

tify insects and learn how to collect them? Join us and Nicole Stoner on Monday, June 4th from 10:00 a.m. - Noon at the Jefferson County Extension Office. Nicole will teach youth all about the world of insects and the basics of making an insect collection box. Participants will each receive a bug display box. Please call the Extension Office to reg-ister by May 1st. Workshop will cost $15.

Dicamba Training Requirements for 2018

March 13, Fairbury, Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 4-H Building 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Contact Randy Pryor, Extension Edu-cator, Saline County, 402-821-2151. Pre-registration is NOT required. No fee

for the training.In October 2017, the Environmental

Protection Agency required that soybean and cotton dicamba products (currently XtendiMax™, FeXapan™, and Engenia™) be classified as Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs). This change requires anyone purchasing and using these products to be a licensed certified applicator whether for private, commercial, or non-commercial application. There was also a requirement by EPA for additional training on dicamba use for these three products. This is a special training which is different from the normal local, agronomy and restricted use pesticide certification meetings.

Upcoming Workshops, Contests & Events

Yeast Bread WorkshopYeast Bread WorkshopCome and learn how to make and bake

yeast breads at this fun workshop! The workshop will be held on Friday, March 30th from 9 am - 2 pm at the Grace Lu-theran Church. 4-H’ers must be 10 or older and space is limited so reserve your spot today. A list of supplies needed will be available at the office and there will be a small fee for the workshop as well. Pre-register by Friday, March 23rd.2018 4-H Public Speaking ContestDeveloping 4-H’ers self-confidence and

effective public speaking skills are two goals of the Nebraska 4-H public speak-ing contest. The local contest date has been set for Monday, April 2 at 7:00 p.m. You must pre-register for the contest by Wednesday, March 28th by calling the of-fice or sending an email to hayden.hemp-hill@unl.edu. Top three winners from each age division (except novice) will be selected to advance to the Regional Speech Con-test at UNL East Campus in Lincoln on May 17th. The top seniors in the Regional contests will advance to the State Con-test held during the State Fair to compete for a $500 U.S. Savings Bond and a col-lege scholarship. Resources to help you prepare for the Public Speaking Contest available at https://4h.unl.edu/public-speaking.

Take Action For Groundwater During Groundwater Awareness Week

Page 6 The Fairbury Journal-News Recipe Friday, March 2, 2018

Pico De Gallo

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients1 medium tomato, diced1 onion, finely chopped1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper,

seeded and chopped2 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely

chopped 1 green onion, finely chopped1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1/8 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon pepper

DirectionsIn a medium bowl, combine to-

mato, onion, jalapeno pepper (to taste,) cilantro and green onion. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until evenly distributed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Healthy Recipes with help of Ray’s Apple Market

Ingredients3 tablespoons soy sauce3 tablespoons brown sugar2 tablespoons sherry1 tablespoon sesame oil1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder8 skinless, boneless chicken

breast halves - cut into 2 inch pieces on sale at Ray’s1 (20 ounce) fresh or canned

pineapple chunks, drained, on sale at Ray’sskewersDirectionsIn a shallow glass dish, mix

the soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic powder. Stir the chicken pieces and pineapple into the marinade until well coated. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.Preheat grill to medium-high

heat.Lightly oil the grill grate.

Thread chicken and pineapple alternately onto skewers. Grill 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until chicken juices run clear.

Chili Chicken

Ingredients2 tablespoons honey5 tablespoons sweet chili

sauce 3 tablespoons soy sauce12 chicken drumsticks, skin

removedDirectionsIn a large bowl, mix together

the honey, sweet chili sauce and soy sauce. Set aside a small

dish of the marinade for bast-ing. Place chicken drumsticks into the bowl. Cover and refrig-erate at least 1 hour.Preheat an outdoor grill for

medium-high heat.Lightly oil the grill grate. Ar-

range drumsticks on the grill. Cook for 10 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. Baste fre-quently with the reserved sauce during the last 5 minutes.

Bacon Wrapped New Potatoes

Ingredients15 small new potatoes5 slices bacon, cut into thirds 1 (1 ounce) package ranch

dressing mix15 toothpicksDirectionsPreheat an outdoor grill for low

heat, and lightly oil the grate.Wrap each potato with a piece

of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Sprinkle the pota-toes with the powdered ranch dressing mix. Place the wrapped potatoes on the grill, turning the potatoes several times to allow the bacon to cook on all sides. The potatoes will be done when the bacon is nice and crispy, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Seared Scallops with Tropical Salsa

Ingredients1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple1/2 cup diced fresh mango1/2 cup peeled and diced cu-

cumber1/2 cup diced red bell pepper3 tablespoons chopped fresh

cilantro 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and

mincedsalt and pepper to taste1 pound sea scallops, rinsed

and drainedDirectionsCombine the pineapple, mango,

cucumber, bell pepper, bell pep-

per, cilantro, lime juice and ja-lapeno. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.Heat a large, nonstick fry pan

over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Sea-son the scallops with salt and pepper. Add half of the scallops to the pan; sear until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the scallops to a warmed plate; set aside. Repeat with the remaining scallops.Divide the scallops among four

warmed plates. Spoon the salsa over the scallops, and serve im-mediately.

Healthy Peanut Butter Fruit DipIngredients1 (5 ounce) container va-

nilla Greek-style yogurt2 tbl peanut butter2 tablespoons honey 1/8 tsp ground cinnamonDirectionsMix yogurt, peanut butter,

honey, and cinnamon in a bowl until well blended; fold in chia seeds.

Ingredients2 tablespoons olive oil3 cloves garlic, crushed1 tablespoon sesame seeds1/4 cup water 1 (10 ounce) bag chopped fresh

spinach2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo

beans, liquid reserved1 (12 ounce) jar marinated

artichoke hearts, drained and chopped1 (7 ounce) jar roasted red pep-

pers, drained and choppedDirectionsHeat olive oil in a small skillet

over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and sesame seeds; cook

and stir until garlic is tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Heat water in an-other skillet. Add spinach. Cook and stir until spinach is wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.Place the garbanzo beans into

a blender. Cover, and puree until smooth. Add the spinach, artichokes, and garlic mixture. Blend to desired consistency, pouring in reserved garbanzo bean liquid as needed. Spoon mixture into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Top with roasted red peppers before serv-ing.

Spinach Artichoke Hummus with Roasted Red Peppers

Page 7 The Fairbury Journal-News Comics Friday, March 2, 2018