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A Syracuse Boy Scout, Will Simon, recently reeled in a 21.5 inch Large Mouth Bass. The fish qualifies for a Master Angler award for length. A weight was not recorded. Simon will get a certificate from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Simon was in the process of earning his Fly Fishing Merit Badge when he reeled the fish in using a basic rod and lure as bait. The fish was caught at Camp Cornhusker outside of DeBois. One of the requirements for completing the merit badge is cleaning a fish. Since Simon had already met the requirement, others cleaned the Large Mouth Bass to help meet the requirement of the badge.

Governor Pete Ricketts held a July 7 press conference at the headquarters of the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) to highlight NSP’s innovative drone program. NSP drone operators performed a live demo at the conclusion of the event.

University of Nebraska at Kearney students won a school-record 14 awards at the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) National Leadership Conference. Hosted June 24-27 in Chicago, the annual conference gives FBLA and PBL members from colleges and universities across the country an opportunity to network, attend leadership workshops and compete in events testing their business knowledge and skills.

Otoe County has 974 miles of roads: of those, 775 miles are rock, 170 miles are dirt, and 29 miles are paved. The Nebraska City Rotary Club had an introduction to the Otoe County Roads Department during the club's July 6 meeting, thanks to a presentation by County Roads Superintendent Jon Brinkman.

The N.V. Helping Hands 4-H club met recently at a picnic shelter in Indian Cave State Park. Members were reminded that all 4-H entries for the Otoe County Fair needed to be done online. Dates for Zoom workshops on how to complete online entries were provided. Following the business meeting, 4-H leader Monty Lovelace discussed and showed pictures of Nebraska birds, their feet, skulls, and calls using materials from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The members dissected owl pellets and then took a hike in the park looking and listening for birds.

Avid readers know that a good book can be a great escape. In addition to being a go-to hobby on rainy days and a great way to get away from the daily grind, reading can have a profound impact on mental health.