SATURDAY/SUNDAY: The City of Kearney announces that multiple street lanes will be closed on Aug 8 and 9 from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. due to the Nebraska Senior Games. The following streets will be closed:
- north lane of East 1st St.
- Ave. M from East 1st St. to East 11th St.
- south lane of East 11th St.
- west southbound lane of Kearney East
UPDATE: Tri City Schools are all focusing on safety in the school buildings and on the buses. They will all provide social distancing and implement new cleaning policies on the buses. Students will be given sanitizer as they get onboard, buses will be wiped down between uses and many will even have a seating chart. Paraprofessionals will also be on the buses to help with the changes.
Mary Lanning Healthcare and the state of Nebraska have partnered to provide free COVID-19 testing to eligible residents beginning August 17 at MLH. Residents will need to take an online assessment through the TestNebraska portal to see if they are eligible for the free testing, the healthcare department said.
NEBRASKA GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE GOOD LIFE:
UPDATE: The YWCA of Adams County is offering free daily meals to anyone under the age of 18 to help those in need during this time. People do not need to sign up or explain why they need the food. They can pick them up curbside Monday through Friday 4:30-5:30 p.m. The YWCA also offers an after school homework help program “The Zone” aimed at middle school students who may need to meet with a tutor for different subjects. The YWCA understands there may be some gaps in education after the virtual change last year and they want to help students get up to speed. Applications can be found here.
UPDATE: Applications are now available for hunters who would like to enter a lottery to gain deer hunting access to Platte River Recreation Access (PRRA) lands in the central Platte River Valley Applications will be accepted through Aug. 31 at 5 p.m. For more information, call 308-865-5338 or e-mailing ngpc.platteaccess@nebraska.gov.
UPDATE: The Puppy Plunge hosted by the Kearney Park and Recreation is accepting registration for the event to be held on Aug. 13 at Centennial Pool. Registration is accepted at the Kearney Park & Recreation office at 2005 1st Ave. or call 237-4644.
UPDATE: A petition drive is underway aimed at encouraging the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission to consider including Grover Cleveland Alexander, a right-handed pitcher from Elba, who played 20 seasons for three Major League teams from 1911-1930. Alexander, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938, died in 1950 at age 63 in St. Paul, Nebraska.
UPDATE: The Buffalo County Community Response Team was created back in March to fill housing, food, transportation, internet and overall health needs in the area. Each week, about 1,500 Buffalo County residents are served food boxes through 35 local food pantries. The rest of the money went toward housing and mental health needs like teletherapy for those that are uninsured or underinsured. Funds also provided laptops for Goodwill Industries of Greater Nebraska, which are being used for their developmental disabilities services. They work with about 15 local agencies to figure out areas of need, some of which are even more prevalent during the pandemic. The Community Response Team was recently awarded a little more than $400,000 through the Cares Act.
UPDATE: Grand Island Public Schools announced Whitney Flower is now the elementary principal of the GIPS Virtual School. There are currently about 670 students signed up for Virtual School in grades K-5. With the number of students from all over the district, the position will come with challenges for parents and staff alike.
UPDATE: Starting this month, Walmart begins transforming its parking lots into drive-in cinemas. From Aug. 14 through Oct. 21, there will be 320 showings of popular movies at 160 stores across the country. Bellevue is the only location in Nebraska. Find out more at TheWalmartDriveIn.com.
UPDATE: The Kensington in Hastings has been receiving gifts from the students in the area through this pandemic and wanted to find a way to say thank you. They are doing that by holding a school supply drive for area students who will be returning to school later this month.The drive is looking to bring in items such as folders, pencils, and notebooks. Anyone who would like to donate can visit The Kensington in person and enter through the East entrance where there is a donation bin.
Kearney will have been around for 150 years in 2023, and the Buffalo County Historical Society needs your help. The BCHS is in the beginning phases of assembling The Buffalo County Sesquicentennia book that will feature family histories. They are in need of your submissions, descriptions short or long are welcome, along with up to two photos. You can find more information on the Sesquicentennial and guidelines on how to write your family history here.
The Alzheimer’s Association , “Walk to end Alzheimer’s” will look different than in years past but will remain scheduled in the Fall on their specific dates and consist of three aspects which people can choose to participate in or opt out of.. A “Walk to end Alzheimer’s” app will feature information, services and a platform with videos to engage participants and people interested in the events. Hastings’ Walk is scheduled for Oct. 4, Grand Island’s for Sept. 13 and Kearney’s for Sept. 20. More information can be found on alz.org/walk.
A Veteran’s Memorial 5K will be held in Holdrege at the YMCA on Sept. 19th in conjunction with the first annual Veteran’s Memorial Fundraiser in Holdrege’s South Park. The registration deadline is September 9th. Register here. Contact the Holdrege YMCA for more.
The Archway in Kearney has reopened to visitors. The hours will be 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of The Archway.
Keep yourself safe in these times, show your Husker spirit, AND help Nebraska Food Banks. Husker Face Masks are on sale right now at the shop at NRG sister property huskermax.com. The masks are handmade, available in four styles! GO HERE: http://www.shophuskermax.com/houndsmax-huskers-ma
Kearney Cinema 8 has reopened! For movie listings go to www.kearneycinema.com