The Post Podcast

North Platte City Council Recap with Mayor Brandon Kelliher (April 16, 2025)

Podcast with Derek Beck, sponsored by North Platte Kubota.

 

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — The North Platte City Council approved several infrastructure improvements during its regular meeting Tuesday night, including the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to pave an expanded portion of West 15th Street.

Mayor Brandon Kelliher said the city was able to stretch its grant dollars further than anticipated after initial bids came in under budget.

“When the original bid came in, it was about $90,000 lower than the actual grant amount,” Kelliher said. “So, we went back to the state and asked if we could pave one more block with the extra funds, and they approved it.”

The council approved a $402,228 contract with Level, LLC of North Platte to pave West 15th Street from North Hayes Avenue to North Custer Avenue. Kelliher said the additional paving will eliminate remaining gravel patches and help modernize the north side of the city, although future improvements will depend on further grant funding.

“In areas where you’re putting in water, sewer and pavement, the cost is approaching $1,000 a foot,” he said.

The council also approved a second bid with Level, LLC for paving sidewalks and parking areas at Cody Park in the amount of $124,864.75. The improvements are part of ongoing renovations at the park, including new tennis and pickleball courts.

Kelliher announced the courts will be temporarily closed for approximately three weeks starting at the end of April for painting and finishing work.

“The company is coming back to finish the tennis and pickleball courts. It’s a very precise and time-consuming process,” he said. “It will cost about $130,000 to paint the courts, so we need people to stay off them while the work is done.”

The mayor added the courts will be locked and clearly marked as closed, and the city plans to host grand opening events once the project is complete.

In other business, the council held first readings and took action on three ordinances related to paving projects on Francis Street. Ordinances No. 4204, 4205 and 4206 would create paving districts extending from Tabor Avenue to Newberry Access.

The council also approved second readings to annex the Otter First and Second Subdivisions, Majors 3 Brothers Administrative Subdivisions, and Glennfields 3rd Subdivision into city limits. Kelliher said construction on the Francis Street paving could begin as early as this summer, supporting further development in the area.

Lake Mac Report | April 11, 2025

Ogallala, NE - This report is sponsored by Sphans Marine in Big Springs & Buzz Marine in Kearney.

Inflows to Lake McConaughy are at 851 cubic meter feet per second, that’s down about 70 from last week and down almost 200 cubic meter feet per second from a year ago this week. DOCKS are in at Divers Bay, Martin Bay low water, and Lake Ogallala north and south ramps. Lemoyne is expected to go in soon. (Note: if the wind is forecasted to be greater than 20 mph, docks will be pulled half to all the way out, depending on wind direction.) 

WATER LEVEL is at 1,062,600ac-ft (61% capacity) 

Water temperatures earlier this week near Kingsley Damm in the morning were around 44 degrees... Daytime anglers continue to have some pre-spawn success at Lake McConaughy. The walleye spawn is just around the corner.  

Upcoming events, Try your luck at the Catfish Classic fishing tournament Saturday, May 3 at Lake Mac. Call Chad Vogl at (308) 355-2321 for more information. 

(Audio) Prairie Arts Center announces upcoming fundraisers, raffle ticket prizes, upcoming classes and more!

North Platte Post

North Platte, Neb. - The Prairie Arts Center in North Platte has announced that their will be some fun upcoming fundraisers the PAC will be hosting. Also raffle tickets will be sold for some painted chairs with cool designs. More and more classes are being added to the website and if you have a youth, you still have time to sign up for summer classes.

POST news director Canon Rath chatted with Holly Carlini from the PAC about all the news things going on. The Prairie Arts Center is open Tuesday - Saturday from 11am - 4pm. To view the PAC website, click here. to learn more, check out the podcast below.

(Audio) Sign up for the Kevin Kennedy 5K Run and Kids Fun Run!

North Platte Post 

North Platte, Neb. - The Lincoln County CASA is hosting its yearly Kevin Kennedy 5K Run and Kids Fun Run this Saturday at Iron Park. The 5K race is set to kickoff at 5:00pm with the Kids Fun Race scheduled for 5:45pm. Following the race, hot dogs will be served. The theme is superhero's so runners are encouraged to wear their best superhero costume.  

Also, if anyone is interested in wearing a villain costume, the Lincoln County CASA is looking for individuals to wear villain costumes. You can register for the run online by clicking here or sign up in person at the North Platte Rec Center.  

POST news director Canon Rath chatted with Janet Vath about the upcoming race. To learn more, check out the podcast below. 

100 Women Who Care Keith County preparing for next meeting on Monday

Ogallala, Ne - The next 100 Women Who Care Keith County will meet this Monday, April 14 at Front Street Steakhouse. Every quarter women from Keith County meet and bring $100 with them that they will eventually donate that evening to a local organization. The meeting begins at 6pm sharp (Mountain Time). This quarter the women will be hearing from "Teammates", "Outy Obsession" and "The Ogallala Tree Board"

After each of these organizations presents, the women in the room will vote on who will recieve that quarters financial donation of $100 from each woman/business in attendance. Of course that's $10,000 or more. Since its inception in 2020, the group has donated $202,225 locally.

Kerry Anderson joined Derek Beck on Sandhills Spotlight on Z93.5 Country  Thursday morning to talk about this Monday's meeting and the group.

 

 

Ogallala City Council Recognizes Service, Plans First-Ever Drone Show for July 4th

Podcast with Ogallala City Manager Kevin Wilkins on Sandhills Spotlight, originally heard on Z93.5 Country on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 with Derek Beck.

 

OGALLALA, Neb.  — The Ogallala City Council held its regular bi-monthly meeting Tuesday evening, recognizing longtime city employees, proclaiming National Library Week, April 6–12. Mayor Steven Krajewski recognized Jason Curtis & Tracy Hood for 25 years of service to the City of Ogallala in the Street Department.   

The city is also preparing for the city’s first-ever drone show this Fourth of July weekend. 

In light of anticipated fire restrictions this summer, the city has opted to replace its traditional Fourth of July fireworks display with a drone show. City Administrator Kevin Wilkins said there is an estimated 95% chance a fire ban will be in place by early July, based on consultations with local fire officials. 

“We needed to make a decision,” Wilkins said. “We’re also about $7,000 short in fundraising for a fireworks show, and the council is prepared to underwrite that if needed.” 

Instead, the city has contracted Fantasy Drone Shows of Norfolk for a performance on Saturday, July 5. The company is scheduled to perform a show in Colorado the night before and will return through Ogallala, reducing the cost of the typically $80,000 production to $25,000. The show will take place near the Soap Box Derby Track and the Western Diamond Baseball/Softball Complex. 

In other business, the council reviewed a funding request from the Keith County Area Housing Development Corporation regarding the former Ogallala Middle School building, and Auditorium. Vacant for several years, the property is slated for redevelopment into a 44-unit apartment complex through an adaptive reuse project. 

The corporation is seeking $460,000 in Local Option Municipal Economic Development Act (LB840) funds to address environmental issues, including asbestos, and to begin demolition work. Wilkins said once the building is abated and cleared, it will be transferred to a private developer for construction. 

“We’re hoping to start demolition by late summer and move toward acquisition by midwinter,” Wilkins said, adding that the projected construction timeline is about 12 months. 

The city and housing development corporation are also pursuing historic district designation for the site as part of the revitalization effort. 

(Audio) Visit North Platte recaps board of directors meeting

North Platte Post

Back on Monday, March 24, Lisa Burke the Executive Director of Visit North Platte attended the Lincoln County Commissioners Board of Directors meeting to recap the 2024 year for tourism for North Platte and Lincoln County. POST news director Canon Rath met with Burke as Burke recapped the meeting. To learn more, check out the podcast below.

(Audio) North Platte City Council Meeting, April 1st recap

North Platte Post

North Platte, Neb. - The North Platte city council held a regular meeting on April 1st and different agendas were discussed amongst the council. Topics this session included the purchase of a new Chevy truck for the fire department, new auxiliary equipment for the fire department and more.

On Wednesday, Post Canon Rath chatted with North Platte Mayor Brandon Kelliher about the different topics from the council meeting. If you would like to learn more in-depth of what went on during the April 1st, North Platte City Council meeting check out the podcast below or check out the video below the podcast.

(PODCAST) "Craig Baxter's Kenya Dream with Rotary" - Kim Baxter

North Platte, Neb. - Kim Baxter is an optometrist who has been doing mission trips to provide eye care in developing countries for many years, including to Kenya.  

About 13 years ago, Kim went on a trip to Kenya with his son Craig, and they were deeply impacted by the poverty and lack of access to healthcare, especially for newborns and expectant mothers.   

 After Craig's tragic passing a few years later, Kim worked with his local Rotary club to secure a large global grant from Rotary International to provide medical equipment and training to a hospital in Kenya.  

"Lots of this has to do with Craig, so his spirit is very much enthralled and a big part of it,” said Kim Baxter.  

After Craig's passing, Kim made a promise to continue the work in Kenya in his son's memory, which led to a major global grant project through Rotary to improve the maternity ward and neonatal care at a hospital in western Kenya. This project was highly successful, reducing infant mortality at the hospital by 60% and leading to significant improvements in the hospital's facilities and equipment.   

Baxter and his Rotary club have continued to go on annual eye care missions to Kenya, providing eye exams and glasses to thousands of people who have never had access to such care.  

The Rotary Club is working to build and equip a medical clinic called the "Craig Memorial Dispensary" in Kenya, named after a Kim’s son Craig.  There was initial setback when the local village leader reneged on a promise to donate land for the clinic, but they found an abandoned clinic that they will renovate instead.   

The club is working on a $250,000 global grant from Rotary International to provide medical equipment and other infrastructure for the clinic. This project has attracted partnerships with the Kenyan government, a local university, and other Rotary clubs that are providing additional funding and resources.  

 The clinic will provide medical services and training opportunities for local students, helping to address a shortage of healthcare access in the region. 

 This project has involved many volunteers and donors from the local community and Rotary network and has been described as a story of "divine intervention" and people coming together to do good.  

 "For anybody out there that thinks they can't make a difference in the world, particularly, I'm thankful to be a Rotarian because it's linked me up with many other Rotarians. It's given us access to the Rotary Foundation funds for these big projects, these big global grant projects that without that kind of funding behind us, we wouldn't be able to ever get off the ground with the magnitude of the projects that we've been involved in is tremendous,” said Baxter. 

Hershey Volunteer Fire Department Annual Spaghetti Dinner

North Platte, Neb. - The Hershey Volunteer Fire Department is back again for its annual Free will donation Spaghetti Dinner at the Hershey School Cafeteria. The event is taking place from 11Am to 2 PM with all you can eat spaghetti with meat sauce, Homemade buns and deserts all with a free will donation.