Friday, March 22

Posted

SCC seeks input from community

Southeast Community College wants to hear from the public for its strategic plan.

SCC President Dr. Paul Illich will travel throughout SCC's 15-county region to share the vision of the college, including upcoming growth and the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan.

“The College seeks to gather input from all of its stakeholders, including employers, students and community members in both urban and rural areas that Southeast Community College serves,” Illich said.

The community forums start on March 21 in Hebron and will run through April 23, wrapping up in Lincoln. In addition to the Strategic Plan, Dr. Illich also will touch on upcoming facilities projects and the quarter-to-semester schedule conversion.

To learn more about the event, click here.

Flood relief efforts underway: how to help locally

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and Nebraska Preparedness Partnership are managing resources for Nebraska flood relief in an effort to consolidate donations and get them to all affected parts of the state instead of to just a few areas.

To donate items or money, or to request resources, go to www.nebraska.gov/nebraska-strong.

Register hours

Volunteers helping to clean up after recent flooding across the state are encouraged to register with the Crisis Clean-Up Hotline at 833-556-2476 to help relief efforts spread to all areas where they are needed.

If Nebraska receives an emergency declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the state will be required to contribute, and volunteer hours could count.

Volunteers should record their hours and submit them to a volunteer reception center with a list of names, times worked, where and what they did.

Organized groups can register with the Crisis Clean-Up Hotline and will be connected to work tickets where additional help is needed.

Resources

• Farmers in need of hay, feed, fencing materials, volunteer help and equipment should call the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 1-800-831-0550.

• Businesses can call the U.S. Chamber’s Disaster Help Desk for Business at 1-888-692-4943.

• The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency has set up a hotline for general questions from the public. It may be reached at (402) 817-1551.

• If you have an emergency, dial 911.

• For all other needs for assistance, call 211.

• Additional resources are available at www.nema.nebraska.gov and wwwq.nda.nebraska.gov/resources.

• University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension has information available for cleaning up after a flood. Go to https://flood.unl.edu and click on the tabs for families and individuals, homeowners, businesses and communities or agriculture.

Give locally

Seward, Milford and Centennial public schools are collecting items and funding to distribute to those in affected areas.

• Seward is collecting cleaning supplies like disinfectant spray, wipes, bleach and garbage bags, toiletries, diapers, bottled water, sports drinks and nonperishable food items.

Donations may be dropped off Thursday and Friday, March 21-22, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to noon and Sunday, March 24, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Take donations to the northwest side of the high school by the green house or to any school office. Items will be taken to northeast Nebraska on Monday, March 25. Checks should be made out to Verdigre Disaster Relief Fund.

• In Milford, the Student Council is collecting similar items—paper towels, mops, diapers, wipes, buckets, water and other supplies.

Donations may be dropped off at the elementary or high school office by Friday, March 22.

• Centennial is collecting monetary donations with a goal of raising $1,000 for flood victims. Donations may be taken to the school office.

Clean-up locally

• Seward County 4-H clubs and others are volunteering to help clean the fairgrounds in Seward, which sustained flood damage to buildings and the grounds.

Contact the Seward County Extension Office for dates and times, as the weather and number of people available may affect their clean-up schedule.

The office may be reached at (402) 643-2981.

• The Seward VFW Buddy Check invites the community to help clean up the fairgrounds this Saturday, March 23, beginning at 10 a.m.

“The community has helped the veterans, and now we’re calling on the veterans to help the community,” Nick Werman, a Buddy Check organizer said.

The group has reached out to Concordia University and Seward High School to recruit volunteers, and the general public is also encouraged to help out.

“We might as well get people down there. If we get 20 people or 200 people, we can put them to work,” Werman said.

If enough people show up, crews may be sent to the ballfields or other areas in the city to help with clean-up.

Wear boots, gloves, long pants and sleeves. Bring shovels, rakes, rags or other cleaning materials.

Sandwiches will be provided for lunch, but donations are welcome to help cover the cost of food.

For more information, contact Werman at (402) 641-7200 or Jeff Baker at (402) 643-4105. RSVPs to the Facebook event below are encouraged, but not required.

Additional ways to help will be posted as information becomes available.

Today

Eat fish in Beaver Crossing
The Beaver Crossing Sons of the American Legion will host a fish fry Friday, March 22, at the Legion Hall in Beaver Crossing. The bar opens at 5 p.m., with fish served from 6 to 8 p.m. Proceeds will support the 2019 Nebraska Purple Heart Flight, which will be May 24.

Fish fry planned in Utica
St. Patrick’s social hall in Utica will be the site of a fish fry Friday, March 22, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The menu includes Alaskan pollock, cheesy potatoes, coleslaw, rye bread and beverages. The cost is $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 5 to 12. Children 4 and under may eat for free. Dessert is an extra $1. Proceeds go to a new steeple and bell for the church.

CU theater presents ‘Harvey’
Concordia University’s theater department will present “Harvey” by Mary Chase Friday, March 22, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, March 23, and Sunday, March 24, at 2 p.m., at Olde Glory Theatre located at 348 Jackson Ave. in Seward. The doors open 30 minutes before each performance. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for Concordia students, staff and faculty and are available for purchase at the Concordia Bookstore located in Janzow Campus Center or at the door.

This weekend

Concordia schedules art classes
Area elementary and middle school students are invited to attend art classes from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday mornings from March 23 to April 27 in the Brommer Art Center, Room 123, on Concordia’s campus. There are 25 seats available per session and each student is required to pay a fee of $5 for registration and supplies. Children should be dressed in clothes that can get messy. For more information, contact Kay Rohren at (402) 643-7202 or email kay.rohren@cune.edu. This is especially important if a child has allergies. Registration is available online at go.cune.edu/saturdayart.

Annual spring boutique and craft show set
More than 25 vendors will be at Tower Hall in Malcolm Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the fourth annual Spring Boutique/Craft Show. Vendors include home- based businesses and homemade crafts.

Breakfast planned in Garland
The Garland American Legion will serve breakfast Sunday, March 24, from 8 a.m. to noon. Menu items include scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage and biscuits and gravy. Call (402) 588-2246 for more information.

Jazz Choir schedules concert
Concordia University’s Vocal Jazz Choir is set to perform its annual spring concert Sunday, March 24, at 7 p.m. at Neutral Grounds located on Seward’s downtown square. The program includes pieces such as Jerome Kern’s famous ballad “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” the Toto classic “Rosanna,” several Broadway musical numbers including “The Song of Purple Summer” from Spring Awakening and “Singin’ in the Rain” from the musical of the same name, and other well-known hits spanning nearly eight decades.

Coming up...

Hit the ground running

Registration is open to participate in the 9th annual Bee Buzz Run, which will take place Sunday, April 14. Entry fees are $25 for adults, $20 for 17 and under. Register online at www.getmeregistered.com/beebuzzrun or by mail. Entry forms are available at www.villageofbee.com/buzz-run. Deadline to register is April 7 for event t-shirt, or April 12 at the latest.

A freewill donation buffet breakfast will be available from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on race day. Races start at 8:05 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on April 14.