Spring classes at Chadron State College started Monday, but at least one group started celebrating early. Chadron police cited 11 individuals between the ages of 18 and 22 Saturday night following a noise complaint for a loud party

Cited for maintaining a disorderly house were the 3 renters of the residence…22-year old Alex Johnson, 20-year old Xavier Kvistad, and 19-year old Derek Isom.

Those individuals were: Kirstine Bond, Michael Rotherham, Ashley Gibbons, and Dustin Bell…all 20 years old… Jonathon Wohlers, Kindrea Abbott, and Brieanna Miller…all 19…and 18-year old Mikela Gunwall.

 

The Chadron Police Department is asking the public for help in solving the theft of tools in a January 2nd burglary at the Bomgaar’s store.

Officers responding to a burglary call about 1:33 a-m determined that a single individual had entered the Bomgaar’s lot on foot and forced open the store’s front door. The person apparently targeted the tool aisle and focused on sockets.

Investigators believe the individual left the Bomgaar’s lot on foot, but have have had an accomplice in a waiting automobile some distance to the south…possibly on or near Highway 385 and 10th Street.

Anyone with any information on this burglary or any other crime is urged to call the Chadron Police Department at 308-432-0510 or the Dawes County Crimestoppers Hotline at 308-432-0519. Calls may be made anonymously, with those to Crimestoppers eligible for rewards up to $1,000.

The public may also follow the Chadron Police Department online at www.facebook.com/chadronpolice or Twitter @chadronpolice.

January 2013 Veterans Information Column

2012 Year-end review — By Pete Mortaro

2012 for the Box Butte County Veterans Service Office has been rewarding and gratifying in serving the Veterans of our county. I’m thankful to all the Veterans for their support and friendship which has made my job enjoyable. If for not the Veterans, none of us would be experiencing the freedoms we have presently.

I’ve implemented VetraSpec which is a secure, online, Veteran claims management software solution built for Veteran service officers and state departments, plus the ability to unify the data statewide. Our county along with one other county in Nebraska were test counties for the implementation of the Package Claim feature which allows us to send the claim electronically eliminating postage. Our county was instrumental in implementing the compensation feature that allows us to actually track money our Veterans receive.

My office has filed over 400 forms ranging from claims for compensation, health care to records requests, and many more, too numerous to mention. We were able to introduce many Veterans into the VA Black Hills Health care system who have been denied in the past. We are continuing  to see results of claims we have processed with many of our Veterans receiving compensation  for the first time for their injuries or illnesses sustained during military service.

The most gratifying for me is to witness a Veteran that has been denied compensation in the past, return to try again, and ultimately receive those benefits he or she deserves. The Veterans Service Office has secured approximately $109,200.00 on claims filed on behalf of our county Veterans in 2012. This figure will rise in 2013 as it doesn’t represent a full benefit year.

Our office is very pleased with this accomplishment as this is our number one goal.  I have been accredited by the National Association of County Veteran’s Service Officers (NACVSO) which requires continued yearly educational credits each year much like continued legal education (CLE’s) an attorney has to complete.

I completed TRIP training which allows me cross accreditation with AMVETS (American Veterans), DAV (Disabled American Veterans),  VVA (Vietnam Veterans of America), TREA (The Retired Enlisted Association), MOPH  (Military Order of the Purple Heart) and VFW (Veterans of Foreign War). This important cross accreditation will allow me direct access into the VA computer system to track claims for the Veterans filed instead of relying on the state department for the information.

I’m a life member of AMVETS and a member of both American Legions and the VFW and elected as their service officer. Continued education due to the ever changing VA rules and regulations is extremely important and will ensure our Veterans better representation, translating into more compensation.

We’ve averaged transporting 40 Veterans per month to the VA Black Hills Health Care System  for their medical care. This is a door to door service we provide. This could not have been done without our driver Larry Forsstrom. Larry has always been there, no matter what the weather is  like and has transported our Veterans to their appointments on time.

We have assisted approximately 96 Veterans per month that have come to our office asking for  assistance.

We have received many compliments not only from the Veterans, but from citizens of Box Butte County letting us know how much they appreciate reading the Veterans Information Column.

Information is valuable and the more Veterans know, the better their lives can be.

We are almost at 100% securing hearing aids for our Veterans.

We brought in the first Veterans Day Parade to our county, although I’ve been told many years ago they had a parade. Hopefully in 2013 the weather will cooperate and we can try again for a fly-over. This parade could not have been done without the many volunteers that came forward.

We partnered with the Box Butte County Soldiers Support group for the first PAC event. I was impressed how well our Veterans were honored.

Box Butte County held the first Hiring our Heroes event and coordinated through the Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Development, American Legion and our office. Nine Veterans were offered jobs.

Although my secretary, Cheryl McDuffie has retired, she made my job that much easier especially where the budget was concerned. I appreciate the way she treated all our Veterans, especially the older ones and the Veterans that had hearing problems and needed a bit more attention. She always went above and beyond the call of duty.

Our new secretary Beth Mullendore comes highly recommended. Her background in business  and especially working as a book-keeper and her knowledge of computers will increase output therefore, equating to more compensation for our Veterans. I look forward to working with Beth.

When I first started, I made one simple rule, “Help the Veterans and their dependents”.  Our office does not make a determination if a Veteran will received compensation or not for a claim.  Our job is to file that claim on behalf of the Veteran and not to judge their claim unless it’s a  frivolous claim. I’m confident we’ve been able to do this.

I look forward to the New Year helping our Veterans and assisting our younger Veterans returning home. Our door is always open to Veterans and their dependents. If you filed a claim through this office in the past and have been denied, please come back so we may do another file review. We are having great success in service connecting our Veterans for hearing loss and tinnitus.

Simply put “if the VA told you “NO” before, there’s a chance we can change that to “YES”.

Thank you to all the Veterans I have come in contact with. I look forward to assisting you and your dependents in 2013.

The 2013 Nebraska Dry Edible Bean Day….sponsored by the Nebraska Dry Bean Growers Association…is Tuesday at the Gering Civic Center.

The program and trade show run till about 3:00 with practical advice for producers, reports on cutting-edge research, and updates on marketing and ag policy.

Registration and the trade show begin at 9 a.m., and the program begins at 9:30 with welcomes by Bean Growers president Jeff Nichols and Linda Boeckner, director of the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center.

Nichols says weather will be a hot topic with two special speakers:  Nebraska State Climatologist Al Dutcher and Bureau of Reclamation Wyoming Area manager Coleman Smith.

Dutcher will give the latest outlook on this year’s weather in Nebraska while Smith will focus on the snowpack and irrigation status in the North Platte River drainage.

Also speaking will be U-S Dry Bean Council Executive Director Jeanne Worton, who will talk about federal legislation and the recently extended Farm Bill. A number of Nebraska-Lincoln specialists will also make presentations in the morning and afternoon.

Bean Day also features a report from the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission and the annual meeting of the Nebraska Dry Bean Growers Association.

Nichols says the association has board openings in District 3 – which covers the Banner, Kimball, Morrill, Cheyenne, Garden, and Deuel Counties – and District 4, all of the counties east of the Panhandle.

Nebraska ranked 3rd in the country in dry edible bean production last year at nearly 3.2-million pounds with numbers from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service showing the state increased both acres and overall production over 2011 despite the drought.

Average yield in Nebraska was 2,400-pounds per acre…second in the nation behind Oregon…while the 133,000-acres harvested was the 4th-largest in the country. North Dakota remains the top state for dry bean aces and overall production, followed by Michigan.

A complete schedule of the day’s events:
9 a.m.—Registration and display area opens
9:30 a.m.—Welcome, Craig Henkel, President, NDBGA, and Linda Boeckner, Director, Panhandle Research & Extension Center
9:45 a.m.—Update on alternative harvest systems used in western Nebraska; 9:45 a.m.—Results from alternative harvest demonstrations in 2008—John Smith, UNL; 10 a.m.—Use of stripper header in dry edible beans—Daniel Morris, Shelbourne Reynolds; 10:15 a.m.—Use of Pickett Double Master combine in dry edible beans—Steve Pickett, Pickett Equipment Co.
10:30 a.m.— Producing dry edible beans for seed; 10:30 a.m.—Factors to consider growing bean seed in Nebraska—Bob Harveson, UNL; 10:45 a.m.—What do you have to do to produce bean seed?—Randy Mattson, Treasure Valley Seed Co.
11 a.m.—Break for trade show — Industry booths and equipment displays. Break sponsored by Gowan Company
11:30 a.m.—Nebraska Dry Bean Growers Association annual meeting; Association Update; Election of directors
11:45 a.m.—Nebraska Dry Bean Commission update
Noon—Lunch—Sponsored by Northern Feed and Bean, the Farm Credit Services of America and Pepsi
12:30 p.m.—U.S. Dry Bean Council update—Jeane Wharton, U.S. Dry Bean Council
1 p.m.—Wind energy development in Nebraska—Graham Christensen, Nebraska Farmers Union
1:30 p.m.—Progress on development of new dry bean varieties, including ‘Coyne’—Carlos Urrea, UNL
1:45 p.m.—Opportunities to reduce dry bean production costs; 1:45 p.m.— Breakeven prices for regional crops—Paul Burgener, UNL; 2 p.m.—Ways to reduce fertilizer costs—Gary Hergert, UNL; 2:15 p.m.—Using deficit irrigation to reduce production costs—Dean Yonts, UNL
2:30 p.m.—Trade show and sixth annual cookoff sponsored by Nebraska Dry Bean Commission

The first baby born in 2013 at Box Butte General Hospital arrived Saturday, January 5.

The baby boy, Jaden Salathiel, son of Zayra Acosta, 21, and Alfonso Eśtevane, 24, both of Alliance, was born at 3:36 p.m. Little Jaden weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz., and was 21.25 inches long upon arrival.

Maternal grandparents are Jose M. Acosta and Maria M. Acosta.

Paternal grandparent is Hortencia Cabrales.

Jaden’s father is visiting family in Mexico.

Jaden and Zayra are shown above with delivering physician Terri Meyers, MD, of Alliance Family Medicine, with Dr. Meyers holding a  few of the presents given to Ms. Acosta from Box Butte General Hospital.