Good morning, Grand Island.

Steve White, the KRVN farm director and a trusted ag voice, was honored with the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute's Award of Merit at a luncheon at UNL East Campus Union—recognizing his support for youth and agriculture.

Scholarships of $600 were also awarded to Baylor Behrens and Will Vyhnalek from Friend to further opportunities in farming education.

A 24-hour ideathon gave YWCA GI fresh marketing ideas to support its goals this year—local participants provided creative strategies to help the organization plan upcoming projects.

The event was held recently to boost their community outreach efforts.

A storm that hit Thursday night forced Alexa Horak and her husband to rush their children to the basement when a grain bin struck their Grand Island home (they first thought it was a kiddie pool) and the winds moved a propane tank nearly five feet (fortunately, everyone was safe) as the family began cleaning up.

Grand Island Public Schools saw more students enjoying free meals after joining the CEP program, serving an extra 270 lunches and 222 breakfasts daily—nearly 80,000 more meals overall than last year.

The district plans to offer CEP in all schools for the 2025-26 school year to support student nutrition.

The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act was passed by both the House and Senate and will give immediate tax relief and support to Nebraska farmers and ranchers for the 2025 crop year — including better crop insurance, higher equipment expensing limits, and improved disaster programs.

Senator Deb Fischer said the legislation also offers death tax relief and permanent tax benefits to help family farms and small businesses in our state.

Today, the Nebraska State Patrol began training 23 new recruits at its Grand Island academy + Col. Bryan Waugh said the training will prepare them for roles in the state patrol.

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office announced on Friday that Nebraska is eligible to receive over $3 million from a $720 million national settlement with eight drug makers—local governments now have a sign-on period to choose cash payments or free pharmaceutical products.

CHI Health St. Francis Foundation welcomed three new board members—Randy Arens, Chris Stinson, and Phil Wieck—who began their three-year terms on July 1 to help support local health care and community wellness programs.

They join a board that manages contributions to provide quality medical services to Grand Island residents.

Angie Kriz and the PolkaToons Concert

7-9 p.m. — Stuhr Museum — Free entry — Dance the night away to lively Czech polkas and waltzes performed by Angie Kriz and the PolkaToons.

Trailer Races

6-9 p.m. — Hall County Fair — Admission: ONE CANNED GOOD — Experience the thrill of destruction as trailers race in a night of fun and live music.

2025 Nebraska Small Business Conference

1-7 p.m. — College Park, Grand Island — Free admission — Discover tools and strategies to grow your small business and network with other entrepreneurs.