News from Neighbors
New sand hills book by veteran Nebraska author
CHAPPELL REGISTER, Nov. 29 — “North of the Platte, South of the Niobrara: A Little Further into the Nebraska Sand Hills” by Bryan L. Jones has been released by Stephen F. Austin State University Press.
The product of 70,000 miles and 370 interviews, “North of the Platte” traces the histories of legendary sand hills ranches belonging to the Sandoz and McMurtrey families and reviews the accomplishments of University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers who’ve spent their careers solving the mysteries of the sand hills.
Jones also provides a rare inside look at Ted Turner’s bison operation, visits a one-room school and tracks holistic cattle management practices bringing change to the sand hills.
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Is homelessness in Sterling an issue?
Community agencies say yes
STERLING JOURNAL-ADVOCATE, Dec. 1 — A meeting to discuss homelessness in Sterling Thursday afternoon started with a simple question: Is homelessness a problem in the community?
The answer was a resounding yes.
Over three dozen people from a variety of community agencies and organizations, as well as private individuals interested in the topic, attended the meeting at Family Resource Center.
Shelly Greenwood, director of Cooperating Ministry of Logan County, said she works with homeless people on a daily basis. They fall in different categories, she said, including chronic homeless who have been homeless for a period of time and do not have the “resources or capacity to see themselves through that.”
“The solutions for them look different than people who come in who might be in a ... crisis, couch surfing or living in a vehicle, but have means to sustain themselves once they can get started,” she said.
She said her agency helps address those varying needs in collaboration with other organizations in the community. “It takes everybody at the table here to discuss this,” she said.
Jeff Weskamp, who volunteers with Under the Umbrella, said his group, which serves free meals two nights a week at Prince of Peace Episcopal Church, is aware of people living in cars or couch surfing. They are working to establish a monthly fund through donations that can provide temporary or emergency housing, as well as a warming center that could provide short-term shelter in cold weather.
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Family locates Civil War veteran’s gravesite
IMPERIAL REPUBLICAN, Nov. 22 — George W. Poor was born in Madison County, Indiana, in 1845 and was a soldier in the Civil War.
Poor’s great-great-granddaughter, Cindy Lafferty, lives in Kansas City, Missouri.
“We have always passed stories down through generations about our ancestors. My parents passed away, but the story about George was incomplete. No one knew where he was buried,” Lafferty said.
She made up her mind to find out where he was, no matter how long it took.
The search led her to Chase County, Nebraska.
Lafferty found out he was discharged from the Army in 1866 and lived in Indiana until 1880. “George and family, his brother and other family members then traveled by covered wagon to Nebraska,” she said.
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