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BOX BUTTE GENERAL HONORED FOR EMPLOYEE WELLNESS

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The Wellness Council of the Midlands (WELCOM) located in Omaha, Nebraska is pleased to announce that Box Butte General Hospital recently received the prestigious “Well Workplace Gold Award” from the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA).  WELCOM, the first and largest Wellness Council in the United States, was created to promote healthy lifestyles for everyone in the community, primarily through worksite health promotion activities.

So far in 2012 there have only been 33 organizations throughout the nation to receive a Well Workplace Award.

Box Butte General Hospital was the only organization to receive this award at the 10th Annual Safety and Wellness Conference held Tuesday, October 9, at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney,  NE

Daniel Newhoff, Wellness Coordinator for Box Butte General Hospital, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.

“The Well Workplace initiative provides an organized, systematic, business approach to planning health promotion at the worksite,” said Rebecca Vinton Dorn, WELCOM executive director. “Each standard within the program becomes an objective for a company to achieve.” She also added that WELCOM members currently make up more than 50 of the Healthiest Companies in America. Vinton Dorn also noted that, “Organizations that have followed the seven benchmarks in the Well Workplace model are focusing their wellness initiatives on results-driven outcomes and no longer simply do ‘activities of the month’. They strive for outcomes and use our business approach around creating a supportive culture to achieve these outcomes.”

The award falls into four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The Bronze Well Workplace Award sets the foundation of wellness at the company. The Silver level company displays active senior management support and participation in the wellness program. The Gold level company incorporates wellness into the overall mission of the company and Platinum level organizations are able to demonstrate outcomes as a result of their employee wellness initiatives.

The application process for the award is very thorough and robust. WELCOA evaluates seven different areas of each wellness program that applies for the award.  WELCOA refers to these areas as the 7 C’s to success. Included in the 7 C’s to success are: Capturing CEO Support, Creating Cohesive Wellness Teams, Collecting Data to Drive Health Efforts, Crafting an Operating Plan, Choosing Appropriate Interventions, Creating a Supportive Environment, and Consistently Evaluating Outcomes. Each one of these areas is scored separately and a total score is compiled to designate what level of award received. BBGH scored a 177.1 out of a possible 180, earning it the “Gold Award” status.

“To me this Award supports the direction that BBGH Wellness is headed,” Mr. Newhoff said.  “Although I think we have room for improvement, it is comforting to know we are headed in the right direction. WELCOA has provided us with a tool that we have been able to apply and implement in a way that has shown results. I am thrilled with the changes that we have seen in our employees. We have shown improvements in several of our objective areas as well as seen changes in the culture throughout the hospital. I am excited to be able to have the opportunity to actively improve the well-being of our employees and organization. I think it says a lot when your employer invests in something as important as the health of its employees, and for that I am thankful.”

Hospital CEO Dan Griess explained why BBGH is focused on improving the health and well-being of its workforce. “Our employees are our greatest asset,” he stated. “Investing time, education resources and money into our greatest asset provides a significant return in pursuit of our vision ‘to be the greatest place to receive care, the greatest place to work and the greatest place to practice medicine!’  As we continue to promote community wellness, which is part of the mission of BBGH, it is important we be the leader in the region.  The patients deserve our very best and we can now state with confidence we are leading by example.”

UPPER NIOBRARA WHITE NRD OFFERING FIRE RECOVERY HELP

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The Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District is offering a helping hand to landowners in Dawes, Sioux, Sheridan, and Box Butte Counties whose lands were burned during this summer’s fires.

NRD manager Lyndon Vogt says the NRD board is offering a discount for reforestation projects in the burned areas,  with a 50% discount up to $500 per individual landowner on projects using either seedlings or seeds.

That’s enough for 1,000 bare root seedling or 500 potted seedlings. Details on seeds are still being worked, including what species will be available, but the cost is expected to run from $25-to-60 dollars a pound.

Vogt says landowners can reduce their share of reforestation costs down to just 25% if they’re willing to follow the planting specifications of the Wild Nebraska program…administered jointly by the NRD and Nebraska Game and Parks. He says the rules are relatively simple and are intended to increase the survival chances of the trees.

Landowners who have to replace shelter belts can also get a 50% cost share from the UNWNRD…not only on trees, but also on fabric, planting, and installation regardless of the age of the damaged shelter belt and with a maximum of $5,000 per individual instead of $500.

Vogt says the NRD board is also  looking at other possible fire recovery cost-shares, but has made no decisions at this time…recommending that those who lost pasture contact the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Vogt says anyone wanting to sign up for any of the cost-share programs simply needs to contact the Upper Niobrara White NRD offices in Chadron or one of the NRCS offices in the NRD. Applications must be in by January 15th so seedlings can be available for spring planting.

In a related story, Game and Parks is contacting landowners to coordinate replacement of fences lost to the fires on agency lands. Deputy Director Tim McCoy says it follows Nebraska fencing law and works with neighboring landowners to replace and repair damaged fences.

He says agency staffers will contacting neighboring landowners to identify priority fences on pastures they hope to graze early next year, and promises flexibility on the use of contractors, work agreements and other tools on such projects.

McCoy says Game and Parks also is exploring additional measures that can be taken to assist wildlife and local areas in recovery efforts.

Listen:

Vogt fire cost-share-1

Vogt fire cost-share-2

Vogt fire cost-share-3

Vogt fire cost-share-4

MISS CHADRON/MISS NORTHWEST PAGEANT THIS SUNDAY

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Miss Nebraska Mariah Cook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 22nd annual Miss Chadron/Miss Northwest Scholarship Pageant is this Sunday afternoon at 2:00 in the Chadron High auditorium, the first time it hasn’t been held on a Saturday night.

Co-director Marleta Hastings says the change should be more convenient for contestants, judges, and audience members alike…just one reason she’s excited about the event, which has the theme Glitz and Glam as well as having Miss Nebraska Mariah Cook as co-MC

Hastings’ co-director is Renae Noble, who says this year’s pageant…their second…has even more of a family feel for her and Hastings because their daughters are the choreographers for the dance numbers featuring the contestants.

The winners of the two titles…Miss Chadron and Miss Northwest…not only advance to the Miss Nebraska Pageant and a possible shot at becoming Miss America, they receive one-year tuition waiver scholarships to Chadron State College. Contestant Chelsea Riggs of Bridgeport says that’s the primary reason she entered.

Allison Hooper, a CSC junior, is an example of another major reason for entering the pageant…getting encouraged to do so, in her case by a former contestant. Hooper says she tried the same tactic this year to get some of her friends to enter, but got a good-natured turn down from them.

The most successful of this year’s Miss Chadron and Miss Northwest contestants is Megan Dimmitt of Alliance, who already has two titles under her belt and is a former Box Butte County Fair Queen.

Again, the Miss Chadron/Miss Northwest Pageant moves this year to Sunday afternoon at 2:00, still at the Chadron High School Auditorium. Tickets are still $5 and will be available at the door.

Listen:

Marleta Hastings 12 pageant-1

Renae Noble 12 pageant-2

Chelsae Riggs 12 pageant-1

Allison Hooper 12 pageant-1

Allison Hooper 12 pageant-2

Megan Dimmitt 12 pageant

 

EAGLE FOOTBALL TEAM TO BATTLE N.M. HIGHLANDS

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CHADRON – There’s a new challenger for supremacy in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference this fall.  It’s New Mexico Highlands, the team the Chadron State Eagles will play in Las Vegas on Saturday. Kickoff will be at 1 p.m.After more than a decade of not being competitive in the RMAC, the Cowboys are riding high this fall.  They have a 6-1 overall record, losing only to Division I-AA Southern Utah 45-23 on Sept. 15, and racking up a 5-0 conference mark.

Highlands and Colorado State-Pueblo, the nation’s No. 1 ranked Division II team this week after previous leader Pittsburg State was knocked off Saturday, lead the RMAC with their perfect records in the conference.

Chadron State, which is 5-2 overall, is next with a 4-1 conference record.

Highlands opened the season by downing arch-rival Eastern New Mexico 42-14 and has defeated Fort Lewis 50-0, Colorado Mines 42-37, Colorado Mesa 40-36, Western State 31-17 and Adams State 34-20 in conference clashes.

“They’re very talented and very athletic,” CSC head coach Jay Long told the Eagles Booster Club on Monday. “They’re a very good football team.  We’ll need to play very well to beat them.”

The Cowboys definitely have a high-powered offense, led by quarterback Emmanuel Lewis.  A 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior from Bakersfield, Calif., Lewis is averaging 406.8 yards a game to lead Division II in total offense.

He’s completed 164 of 283 passes for 2,306 yards and 19 touchdowns.  He’s thrown just four interceptions. He’s also run for 130 yards, despite losing 116 yards while being sacked.

“When he gets his feet set, he can throw darts,” said CSC defensive coordinator Jeff Larson.  “He’s dangerous. We’ll give him some different looks and try to mix up our defenses against him, but he’ll give us some trouble, I’m sure.”

Like many RMAC teams, the Cowboys largely depend on the pass for their offense. Larson said Lewis spreads the ball around to several receivers and all of them appear to have excellent speed.

“We’ll have to do well with our coverages and do a good job of making tackles in the open field,” Larson added.

The top receiver is Darius Davis, who has 41 catches for 725 yards and eight touchdowns.  Another major threat is Kevon Williams, who has 42 receptions for 574 yards and four TDs.

The leading rusher through seven games is Lavelle Peterson, who has 54 carries for 219 yards. He shares playing time with Wayne Jacobs, who has 46 totes for 131 yards.

The Cowboys have some kingpins on defense, too.  Among them is senior linebacker Jordan Campbell, who was the RMAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and received this week’s RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honor after making 17 tackles, including 3.5 for lost yardage, against Adams State last Saturday.

Another standout is cornerback Abdul Kanneh, who leads the RMAC with six pass interceptions.

Highlands got off to a fast start last fall, winning its first four games. However, injuries wiped out three quarterbacks and the Cowboys lost their last seven games.  Lewis led them to their first two victories and his successors were at the controls during victories the next two weeks.

But, by the time Highlands came to Chadron to play the Eagles on Oct. 15, Clint Barnard, a converted linebacker, was calling the signals.  The Cowboys had eight turnovers in the game, including five fumbles that the Eagles recovered in the first quarter, when CSC built a 24-0 lead en route to a 42-12 triumph.

The Eagles have won 17 of the 20 games in the series. Highlands’ last win over CSC was in 1998 by a 31-28 score on a late field goal.

Williams, the wide receiver, and Toni Cognasi, a guard, are the only returning starters on the Highlands’ offense from a year ago when the Cowboys came to Chadron.  Besides Campbell and Kanneh, just two others who start this year were in the starting defensive lineup a year ago against the Eagles.

Saturday’s game has some major implications for both teams. The winner has a good shot at making the Division II playoffs, particularly if it can win the remaining three games. However, the loser on Saturday could have a rough time reaching the postseason.

Left on the Eagles’ schedule after Saturday are Western New Mexico, Fort Lewis and Colorado Mines.  The Cowboys will still have to play Black Hills State, CSU-Pueblo and Western New Mexico.

KCOW HONORED BY U OF NEBRASKA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

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KCOW’s Kevin Horn (2nd from left) accepts the 2012 Nebraska Cooperative Extension Association Media of the Year award in Grand Island. Presenting Horn with the award were (l-r): Chuck Hibberd, UNL Extension Dean; Jeanne Murray, Extension Educator in Box Butte County; Jim Crandall, Extension Educator in Phelps County (Crandall was Horn’s FFA Advisor at Raymond Central High School from 1974 to 1977), and Ann Fenton, NCEA President.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KCOW Radio and the station’s news director, Kevin Horn, were honored by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension Association with the Nebraska Media of the Year award.

Extension Educator Jeanne Murray of the Box Butte County office in Alliance submitted the nomination, with extension educators from across the state voting KCOW and Horn as their top choice.

During the awards ceremony Wednesday night in Grand Island, Saunders County Extension Educator Karna Daum, who served as the event’s awards chairman, told the large crowd that KCOW was honored for several reasons.

“Not only has Horn aired several extension news releases, but he also has conducted numerous interviews and broadcast live from the 4-H building during the Box Butte County Fair.”

It was also noted that former KCOW Manager Mike Garwood served on the local extension board for six years, and Horn currently serves on the 4-H Council.

The station and Horn received a large plaque as a thank you gift from the state extension association.

 

Horn with U of N Extension Dean Chuck Hibberd and NCEA President Ann Fenton

 

 

 

 

CITY OF ALLIANCE ACTIVITY REPORT

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Welcome to the City of Alliance Activity Report

The City of Alliance will be accepting applications for the position of Part Time Customer Service Clerk I until Monday, October 22nd. For a complete job description, please contact Workforce Development or access the City of Alliance website at www.cityofalliance.net.

To regulate traffic flow and make snow removal more efficient, the parking or storing of any bus, semi, truck, tractor cab unit, trailer, utility trailer, recreational vehicle, camper, travel trailer, boat, personal water craft, trailered barbeques and all other similar items intended for attachment to a vehicle is prohibited between November 1st of each year through May 1st of the following year. If not removed from City streets, these items may be towed at the owner’s expense and a citation may be issued.

Don’t miss the second annual Follow the Rails Art Trail today through Sunday, October 21st at 18 sites in 11 host communities from Grand Island to Alliance! The self-guided art tour will feature over 100 artists who will display their work along the 272 mile route known as the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway. Special events will take place at several of the venues and a Palette Program will be available as an incentive to visit all of the sites. If your card is signed at every location, you will be eligible for a grand prize drawing. In Alliance, you may visit the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center as well as the Carnegie Arts Center. For more information, please visit www.sandhillsjourney.com.

The Alliance Public Library is having a spooky book reading contest for Preschool to 4th grade children! Kids need to read a spooky, creepy or scary book and fill out a pumpkin entry form! Winners of the contest will be drawn on Monday, October 29th at 5:30 p.m.

Make plans to attend the next presentation sponsored by the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center Heritage Seekers group. Ken Messersmith and Becky Herian will present a program on the Potash Ghost Town known as “Hoffland” on Thursday, October 25th at 6:30 p.m. at the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center.

The Alliance Public Library is sponsoring a Pumpkin Decorating Contest! Pumpkins will be accepted and displayed Friday, October 26th through Halloween. Winners will be selected October 31st in four age groups: Kindergarten through 3rd grade; 4th through 6th grade; 7th through 12th grade and adults!

The City of Alliance will continue collecting yard waste through Wednesday, November 21st. If your yard waste container is full prior to regular refuse collection days, you may take your yard waste to the landfill at no charge. Leaves should be placed in the yard waste containers and not raked into the street. Please contact the Streets and Sanitation Department at 762-1907 for more information.

The City of Alliance would like to invite you to serve your community by serving on one of our many boards. There are currently vacancies on the Board of Adjustment, A-1 and A-2 Downtown Improvement Boards, the Economic Development Plan Citizen Advisory Board, Golf Course Advisory Board, Housing Authority, Park and Tree Board and school representative on the Police Advisory Board. Anyone interested in serving on these Boards should contact the City Clerk’s Office. Information on all of the City Boards is also available on our web site at www.cityofalliance.net.

HOSPICE FUNDRAISER IN ALLIANCE SATURDAY

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Beth Bourn of Alliance during a 2011 visit to Tanzania.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, October 20, from 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M., at the Alliance Performing Arts Center, Prairie Haven Hospice is hosting a special fund raiser for their partner hospice in Bunda, Tanzania. There will be a free presentation of the film Okuyamba (which means to help) and slides of Prairie Haven Hospice staff members’ visit to Bunda. The film presentations will run continually and can be seen any time from 2:00 to 6:00 P.M. A silent auction will be held in conjunction with the film presentations, with all proceeds going to Bunda Hospice/Palliative Care.

Prairie Haven Hospice has been in partnership with Bunda Hospice/Palliative Care for four years to help sustain its service to the impoverished people in the area. It is a daily financial struggle for Bunda Hospice/Palliative Care to meet the needs of their 500 plus patients and the many children who are left orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Supplies and medicines are extremely limited with one small 5-shelf bookcase holding everything they have to serve their patients.

Bunda Hospice/Palliative Care operates with a very limited part-time staff of two RNs, one chaplain and two social workers. They depend greatly on their volunteers who sometimes transport patients on their bicycles for as many as 20 miles round trip. They are in dire need of replacing these bicycles. In addition to transporting patients, volunteers are doing wound care, training family members to give care and numerous other tasks — all for an extremely small monthly stipend.

Any amount is welcome in raising funds for supplies, medication, food, clothing and for tuition for the orphans. They are lucky if they have the equivalent of Tylenol to give patients suffering from severe cancer pain.

Prairie Haven Hospice appreciates the support of the panhandle community and welcomes everyone to come to this important fundraiser for Bunda Hospice/ Palliative Care. If anyone would like to donate a silent auction item for October 20, please call Beth at 762-6500. Cash donations are also accepted and appreciated.

ALLIANCE AT SIDNEY VOLLEYBALL GAMES CALLED OFF

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Due to the high winds, the Alliance at Sidney volleyball games scheduled for today in Sidney have been called off.

Rescheduling of the games, which included freshman, JV, and varsity is pending.

The Alliance bus was scheduled to leave at 2 p.m., but law enforcement is advising against high profile vehicles traveling today due to winds that have been clocked in Box Butte County at 77 mph.

The high wind warning remains in effect until 7 p.m.

CELEBRATE “LIGHTS ON AFTERSCHOOL”

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A million people are expected to be taking part in Lights On Afterschool events around the country this week. This is the 13th year for the program of the Afterschool Alliance…which works to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs.

The Chadron Public Schools has afterschool programs…Just For Kids at Chadron Primary, CIA – Chadron Intermediate Afterschool and Chadron Middle School After School.

School district After School Program Director Lorna Eliason says the Primary and Middle schools are celebrating Lights On Afterschool today, while the Intermediate School got a jump on things last Thursday with an afternoon of family engineering activities.

Eliason says those activities included building a cantilever structure at the Domino Diving Board, designing shoes for specific activities and conditions at Happy Feet, and Mining for Chocolate, where students designed a process for mining chocolate chip cookies to get the most chocolate chips out while causing the least amount of damage to the cookie.

Eliason says afterschool programs are intended to not only keep kids safe and help working families, but also to inspire academic success by giving children the opportunity to discover hidden talents as they grow academically and socially.

Eliason also says that while afterschool programs in virtually all districts need financial support…especially in the face cuts in government funding…they also need people, with parents, older students, and anyone with time and a commitment to helping children succeed all invited to lend a hand.

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