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Council places Sales Tax renewal on ballot At the August 12 meeting of the Wakefield City Council, the council, with information from at least two public comment meetings and primarily online survey results from 110 Wakefield Community members, agreed to add to the General Election ballot a question to voters to continue the 1% sales tax for the collection of funds toward economic development and infrastructure in the Wakefield Community through 2037. The full story can be found in the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Wakefield takes delivery of new ambulance After several years of waiting, the Wakefield Rescue Squad took ownership of a new ambulance last week. The new vehicle was a plan in the making for several years now and it's ready to serve the community with all of the new bells and whistles. To read all about the new ambulance, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Council approves funding to contribute to grant increases The Wakefield City Council hosted a couple of public hearings to determine whether the city would contribute dollars to qualify for grants, which would at least double the city's money. To read details on the grants, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Wakefield School reopening plan working By Mike Moody, Superintendent at Wakefield Community Schools Going back to school this year was unlike any I have ever experienced. The COVID-19 pandemic did indeed force us into a "new normal" setting-at least at the school. With that being said, I am pleased to announce that the first week of school has been stressful, eventful, challenging, and (above all) very successful. To read Superintendent Moody's full report, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Benson Racing turns 51 Mike Benson decided over 50 years ago to give his driver's license a break and take his "lead-foot" to a dirt oval to have some fun. What transpired over the next 50-plus years was a lot of fun, friendship, and racing. The full story can be found on the front page of this week's Wakefield Republican.

The family of Dick and Beverly Kai would like to announce the 70th wedding anniversary of their parents, who were wed on August 27, 1950. Dick and Beverly Kai are the parents of Muriel, Cindy, and Mark.

Fan rules for fall sports Wakefield Community Schools superintendent, Mike Moody, recently released some fan rules for viewing sports in Wakefield. The fan rules can be found on the front page of this week's Wakefield Republican.

Experienced Allen Eagle squad looking to improve on 6-3 finish in 2020 season The 2020 edition of Allen Eagle football will be in search of returning to the playoff picture for a fifth consecutive year. The Eagles return five starters on both sides of the football, along with several others, who played significant minutes in 2019, and all will be called upon to show leadership. The full story can be found in the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Emerson-Hubbard Pirates return seven seniors Emerson-Hubbard returns seven seniors for a 2020 season. Seven seniors is a good number for an 8-man squad, but many things need to fall into place to secure a successful season. To read what Pirate head coach Joe Kvidera had to say about the upcoming season, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Wakefield Softball finishes another successful season The Wakefield 14 and under and 18 and under softball teams ended their respective seasons at a state tournament in Hastings at the Smith Softball Complex. To read what coach Mike Mogus had to say about the season, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Trojans ready for 2020 gridiron campaign Wakefield returns plenty of skill position talent from the 2019 team that completed a very competitive schedule with a stellar 7-1 record. To read what head football coach Mike Hassler said about the team, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Eaton clan successful at any level of ball Paul and Janelle Eaton have been fairly successful in their endeavors for the past 50 years or so. The Eaton's granddaughter, Laini Michaelis recently won the 12 and under state championship in the USSSA Nebraska State Softball tournament. The full story can be found on the back page of the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Sidelines to host another 'Cruise In' Sidelines Bar and Grille will host the final 'Cruise In' on August 26. "These are a lot of fun to get out and show off the cars," said Randy Krueger. "Especially now when we can't get out like we like." To find out what else Krueger has to say about 'Cruise In' and when the event begins, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Henderson trial postponed After jury selection earlier this month and some testimony was given and it was discovered, one of the prospective jurors was infected with the COVID-19 virus causing a mistrial. To find out when the trial is set to begin again, including what Henderson is being charged with, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Lady Trojan volleyball begins solo campaign For the first time in a few years, two to be exact, the Wakefield Lady Trojans will embark on a season without Allen. They will be without the neighbors to the north, but they will also drop in classification and reap the benefits of a coach from the Cheryl Greve camp. The full story can be found in the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Wolfpack Volleyball set to begin first season For the first time ever, the Northeast Nebraska Woflpack will take to the volleyball court and compete as a D-1 high school cooperative. To read what longtime volleyball coach Cheryl Greve has to say about the cooperative, find this story on the back page of the Wakefield Republican.

Wakefield Ponies have successful season The Wakefield Pony League started the 2020 campaign with a win. Unfortunately, they lost the next four games before gathering momentum to end up in the league championship game at Craig later in the season. To read more, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Wakefield Fire Department keeping residents safe The Wakefield Volunteer Fire Department keeps Wakefield and the surrounding area safe-at times when the area doesn't know it. FireCatt was in town testing over 7,000 feet of hose on the Wakefield Volunteer Fire Department's trucks to assure the hoses are fit to do what they are intended to do. The full story can be found in the latest edition of the Wakefield Repubican.

This past weekend, the Little Red Hen theatre stretched its wings for some outdoor theatre. "Love Letters," by A. R. Gurney was presented by the Little Red Hen Theatre in collaboration with faculty from Wayne State College. To read more on the outdoor performance, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Results from the 2020 Dixon County Fair Although it was a somewhat abbreviated version of the Dixon County Fair, the fair was held recently with winners announced and some moving on with projects to the Nebraska State Fair. To see the full list of winners who qualified for the Nebraska State Fair, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Rising over Wakefield... This large crane was working at Michael Foods installing a new air unit on Tuesday, August 4. The air unit is used to maintain room pressure in the facility.

Internship evolves to friendship Wakefield Senior Center manager, Sherry Oswald, applied for an intern from Wayne State College last spring. Ariana Martinez came on as an intern from Wayne State College and has fit right in at the Senior Center and with the people she has met over the summer. To read more on this evolved friendship, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Work to begin on Hwy 9/35 near Wakefield Weather permitting, armor coating will begin August 10 on Highway 9 north, near Wakefield, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation. State maintenance forces will be performing armor coating on Highway 9/ Highway 35 junction to the Highway 9/US Highway 20 junction north of Allen. Traffic will be maintained with a pilot car and flaggers. Anticipated completion is August 19. Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and put phones down.

Gardner Foundation donation finalizes funding at Humpty Dumpty The Humpty Dumpty Daycare has competed fundraising for its new addition to the existing building in Wakefield. To read what the new addition will add to the daycare, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Post 81 crushes Ponca in final game of season Wakefield Post 81 finished an abbreviated season with a decisive win over Ponca at Eaton Field in Graves Park on July 30. To read how the final game of the season went, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Meyer has successful 4-H showing at Wayne Co. Fair Megan Meyer from Emerson had a very successful showing at the Wayne County Fair as a 4-H member in several different categories. To read Meyer's accomplishments at this year's abbreviated fair in Wayne, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Levee work begins Levee work along Logan Creek on the north edge of Wakefield has begun. According to the Army Corps of Engineers work on the repair from the flood of 2019 should be completed around the middle of October. The walking path along the levee will be unavailable in a couple of spots near the bridge crossing Highway 35 on Wakefield's northern edge of town. The path is accessible at the south entrance and available at Graves Park on the north end. The Graves' Park accessibility will be limited by the closure as far as distance on the path, but the path is accessible.

Ashley Rewinkel Promoted to Branch Manager at SNB State Nebraska Bank & Trust has promoted Ashley Rewinkel to Branch Manager and Personal Banker at its new Campus Branch, set to open in the SNBuilding at 10th and Main Street in Wayne this August. To read more on Rewinkel's promotion and her background, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Wakefield residents dominate 'Dam Race' Zach Dolen and Ross Hansen "dominated" the 3rd Annual Crofton Dam Race on Saturday, July 25 at the Weigand State Recreation Area and campground north of Crofton. To read the full story, including what the guys thought of the race, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Wakefield Health Care Center provides a COVID update By Traci Haglund, Administrator/ Wakefield Health Care Center The Wakefield Health Care Center has been working diligently to keep COVID-19 out of the facility. Be sure to pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican to read some of the precautions the staff are doing to keep the residents and their co-workers safe.

Wakefield Troop 172 completes service project Troop 172 completed a service project for St. John's Lutheran church on Wednesday, July 8th. The troop repainted the yellow parking lines and yellow lines on the sidewalk edges around the south and west sides of the church. "We appreciate the community's support and are happy to give back to the community by doing service projects such as this," Boy Scout Troop Leader, Ed Haglund said. "It's what the Boy Scouts are designed to do and it is what we do."

Uldrich tabbed Teacher of the Year by American Legion The Nebraska American Legion Teacher of the Year program serves to recognize dedicated and devoted individuals who, on a constant basis, give so much of themselves on behalf of the youth of Nebraska. One of this year's Teacher of the Year recipients was Allen Consolidated Schools junior high school history teacher, Dave Uldrich. To read the criteria needed to be considered for the award, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

New Website and Mobile App coming! The website may take a new look for some of you this week as we launch our new website and mobile app. It will likely cause some disruption for a few days - so email or call if you have any issues. Look to the paper next week for an update!

From the Nebraska State Activities Association: The NSAA Membership voted 31 to 20 FOR adding Bowling as a sanctioned NSAA activity. The NSAA Membership voted 28 to 23 AGAINST adding Girls Wrestling as a sanctioned NSAA activity. The NSAA Board of Directors voted 7 to 1 to add Girls Wrestling as an EMERGING sport. Complete results from the 2020 NSAA Representative Assembly are available on the NSAA website at https://nsaa-static.s3.amazonaws.com/textfile/leg/repmin.pdf.

Wakefield Graduation Parade 2020 https://youtu.be/CjuC8eqcqCE

Five New Cases of COVID-19 in NNPHD Health District Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department (NNPHD) received five positive case reports of confirmed COVID-19 within the health district today. Today’s patients are residents of Cedar (2), Dixon (2) and Thurston (1) Counties. They include 4 males, age range 20-64 years and 1 female in her 50’s. Public health investigations are in process, close contacts are being identified and contacted to ensure quarantine and isolation measures are being taken. One case appears to be community spread meaning the source of that person’s exposure cannot be identified (no travel, no close contact of a positive case). As of Wednesday evening, 04.29.2020, there have been 246 COVID-19 tests reported for people living in the NNPHD Health District of Cedar, Dixon, Thurston and Wayne Counties. The results of these tests includes 19 positive cases (Cedar - 4, Dixon - 9, Thurston - 4, and Wayne County - 2), 200 negatives, and 27 tests currently pending results. You can stay up to date with the Coronavirus situation on the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/. Nebraska DHHS has a COVID-19 call in line where you can get your questions answered about the virus. The phone line operates from 8 am to 8 pm, seven days per week, 402-552-6645. Follow NNPHD on Facebook to get the latest local testing numbers and results or visit our website for local updates www.nnphd.org .

Wakefield Youngster has 'epic' birthday Imagine the excitement of your 10th birthday. House full of friends, presents, cake, games, and ice cream. Enter COVID-19 and a promising birthday bash turned into a family gathering for Oliver Sievers. To read about Oliver's epic birthday, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Enel Green Power donates to local groups The Enel Group's US-based company, Enel North America, which operates through renewable energy company Enel Green Power North America and the advanced energy services company Enel X North America, announced that it will provide 1.3 million USD to support more than 75 local organizations across 17 US states, as they respond to COVID-19. To read the full story, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Haven House closed but ready to serve Although the doors to Haven House in Wayne are closed, the staff at the facility is on call and ready to help anyone in need. If someone is in need of assistance, Haven House has advocates available 24/7 and can be reached via the crisis line at 1-800-440-4463. To read the entire story, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Salem Lutheran Church sends crew to Houston Four members of the Salem Lutheran Church in Wakefield joined 18 other members from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Nebraska Synod in a mission to Houston, TX. To read more, find this story in the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

City Council tables civic center manager position The Wakefield City Council met in regular session at the council chambers. The council tabled a decision to hire a manager for the Wakefield Civic Center. Pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican to read the full story.

First cases of COVID-19 reported in Box Butte, Wayne and Pierce Counties Three counties reported new cases of COVID-19 to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). To read more on these cases, pick up the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

Sheriff Taylor pleased with public response to pandemic Dixon County sheriff, Don Taylor, is pleased with the response from the county regarding the recent Directed Public Health Measure for the entire state issued by Governor Pete Ricketts. Pick up the latest edition of the WAkefield Republican to read more.

MFI donates food to Wakefield Michael Foods, Incorporated has been busy donating boxes of food to area residents. MFI was on hand at Covenant Church in Wakefield distributing potatoes, eggs, and other goodies to residents. To read the full story, find this story in the latest edition of the Wakefield Republican.

The Wakefield Bear Hunt continues as more bears are popping up both in town and out. This Paddington bear was spotted out in the country south west of Wakefield.