News

This is an election year, which means before long, we will likely be inundated with campaign ads. While we do not elect a president in 2026, there are a large number of seats and important issues on the national, state, and local levels that voters will be casting ballots for. That will begin with the primary election on May 12.

CPS Blood Drive is Tomorrow Callaway Public Schools will host its annual Scholarship Blood Drive on Friday, Feb. 27, from 11 a.m.

50 YEARS AGO: George Wright of Callaway Public Schools received notification that Callaway had been designated a Bicentennial Community by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration. The community received a certificate and bicentennial flag in conjunction with that designation. There were 73 pints of blood collected at the regular Bloodmobile visit to Callaway on Feb. 18. There were 10 first-time donors and two deferrals. Elmo Witthuhn of Callaway was awarded a four-gallon pin.

Callaway Public Schools students have waited all winter for a snow day, and last week they finally got it. As forecasts rolled in throughout the week of several inches of snow accompanied by strong winds for the area, CPS administration made the call to cancel classes for Thursday. That notification went out shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

There are a lot of behind-the-scenes decisions that go into providing a quality education and learning environment for students that go beyond just selecting curriculum. At Callaway Public Schools, the administration works closely with the school board to enact policies and procedures, give direction on building layout and design, and develop a schedule, all of which will accomplish those desired goals.

The annual Callaway Community Foundation Fund Gala is a fun event featuring a social hour, supper, silent auction, and live auction designed to raise money for various community projects. The theme of the 2026 Gala, held on Valentine’s Day, was “Heart of the Seven Valleys” as the sold-out crowd of nearly 200 people from Callaway and beyond came together for a great evening of food and entertainment.

This week marked progress on key legislation that will help not only citizens of the 43rd district but Nebraskans as a whole. Rural Nebraska is facing a nursing home crisis, and with the aging baby boomer population, this is only expected to get worse.

Most people love nature. It is in our “nature” to do so. It apparently is also in our “nature” to want to bring nature inside with us. Think about it…dogs, cats, etc. - all those animals that we think of as pets.

With dry conditions persisting across much of Nebraska, forestry professionals are encouraging residents to prioritize watering trees to reduce stress and prevent long-term damage to community landscapes.

The Callaway American Legion Auxiliary’s monthly meeting started at 6:30 p.m. at the Callaway Legion Hall on Feb. 9, 2026. President Cora Belew called the meeting to order. Chaplin Joyce Brestel started the meeting with a prayer. We then followed our President in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, singing the Star Spangled Banner and saying the Auxiliary Preamble. The minutes of our last meeting were read by the secretary. There were two corrections to the minutes. First there was a date wrong: the meeting was held Jan. 12, 2026, not 1926, just a small change. Then I thanked the wrong person for helping with Christmas Wreaths for Veterans - the person we wanted to thank is Ivan Phelps. Thank you Ivan for your help. A motion to approve the minutes with the changes was made by Mary Ann Boldt, seconded by Joyce Brestel, and was approved unanimously. Mary Ann then followed with the financial report. We still have several delinquent dues that need to be collected, but we are doing good financially.