HARTINGTON — Mayor Bill Yates is being challenged for his seat by Brad Peitz. Yates is seeking a second four-year term in office.

Cody Christensen has filed against incumbent Gerald Thoene for the Hartington City Council in the North Ward.

Joe Hish is the only contender for the seat on the City Council in the south ward. Present South Ward Councilman Gary Kruse has decided not to run for another term on the Council.

Hartington —  NPPD is taking steps to ensure the safe, reliable delivery of electric energy to consumers in the Hartington area.

A four-mile project comes with an estimated price tag of $2.1 million.

Nebraska Public Power District project manager Steven Merrill and Todd Klein, who is the land management supervisor, met with Cedar County Commissioners on Feb 23.

Cedar-Knox Public Power District General Manager Dan Leise said the project is good for the Hartington area.

HARTINGTON  — Christmas Day plans went awry for several Cedar County residents.

Megan and Holly Kneifl spent close to two hours on Christmas Day sitting in a vehicle on Hwy. 81 waiting for help to arrive.

Megan and Holly were with their father, Kelly Kneifl when their vehicle hit the back of a white cargo van that was setting on Hwy 81 about 4 miles north of the 81/84 Hwy jct.

“We were coming back from Yankton. There was a truck, an SUV and a huge van that had all crashed – we ran into the back of the van,” said Megan. “We had a full tank of gas so we knew we could stay warm – but we were worried about the exhaust getting plugged with snow.”

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HARTINGTON — America’s first black president took office and the country collectively held its breath as the economy teetered on the edge of economic collapse in 2009.

Despite all the national challenges, Hartington area residents pulled together to get through  2009,  although it was definitely a year to remember.

Locally, the biggest story of the year mirrored the national news with the economy taking top billing.

Layoffs hit the area in late 2008 and continued here through 2009, hitting local residents when Hydraulics Components laid off 27 workers in February, making the economy the top local story of 2009.

Several Yankton, Norfolk and Sioux City industries also had layoffs, which impacted local residents and businesses.

The construction of a new addition to the 117 year-old Cedar County Courthouse was the year’s second-biggest Cedar County News story of 2009.

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HARTINGTON —  Cedar County Commissioners boosted the pay scale for themselves and other elected county officials during the Nov. 24 Commission meeting.

The base pay for elected county officials will go from $45,200 up to $48,700, which is almost an eight percent increase.

The salary for each of the three commissioners will jump from $26,892 to $28,643.

Benefits for county employees also include health and life insurance.

The new salary amounts go into effect in Jan. of 2011.

Newspaper will be on the way

Cedar County News

HARTINGTON — Hartington City Council members took a long, hard look at what can be done to fix the football field at the Community Complex – and also where the money would come from.

“It is not in the budget – we would have to borrow the money,” said Mayor Bill Yates.

Gary Kuehn, Supt. of the Hartington Golf and Country Club, had been asked to give his viewpoint of what could be done.

“There are problems out there,” said Gary. “There is no root system and you have to find a way to get rid of the water. Drainage tiles are needed.”

Kuehn suggested taking the sod off the top of the field and putting in some drain tile.

The next step would be adding a layer of pea gravel on top of the base, covering it with top soil and bringing it to a crown.

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HARTINGTON — Hartington City Council members adopted an ordinance that will allow ATVs to be driven within the city limits.

The new ordinance says All-terrain vehicles can only be operated within the corporate limits of the city between the hours of sunrise and sunset.

“The number one reason for passing the ordinance on ATVs was for safety,” said Mayor Bill Yates. “With the ordinance we can legally control the use of ATVs on our city streets.”

Yates said the ordinance will not allow golf carts to be driven on city streets.

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HARTINGTON — The Hartington City Council reviewed plans for a new housing subdivision Monday.

Dan Kathol, representing Hartington’s New Housing Subdivision Planning Committee, presented an initial street and lot design for the proposed residential housing subdivision being planned on 19 acres just east of the Community Complex.

The preliminary design recommended by the Planning Committee was one of three designs developed by Eisenbraun & Associates of Yankton, which is the firm hired by the Hartington Community Economic Development Corp.

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HARTINGTON — Law enforcement officers are still investigating two area break-ins.
A theft at Steffen Drug, Hartington, took place some time around 3 a.m., Oct 14.
A 911 call came into the Cedar County Sheriff’s office at 6:40 a,m. Wednesday reporting the front door at Lonnie’s Bar and Grill, Coleridge, was broken.
Law enforcement officials are not saying if the break-ins are related, but in both cases, entrance was gained by throwing an object through the front door of the establishments.
Cash, checks, controlled substances and Sudafed were taken from the local drug store, said co-owner Brenda Steffen. Family members spent much of Wednesday doing inventory to determine exactly what was stolen.
“They knew what they were looking for – they went to the back and took controlled substances,” said Steffen. “All of the Sudafed is gone.”
It appeared the robbers had tried to get through the back door first and then went to the front of the building and threw a brick through the door.
Cash and cigarettes were missing from Lonnie’s. No other details on that break-in were known at press time.
Law enforcement officials refused comment, saying the case is still under investigation.

HARTINGTON — Hart-ington School Board members took a long look Monday at the Attendance Policy currently in place at the school.
The policy could cause problems because of the high incidence of flu this year, Board members were told.
Dr. Connie Micek from the Avera Sacred Heart Medical Clinic had visited with school administration about the school’s Attendance Policy.
Dr. Micek is concerned the school’s policy may encourage sick kids to attend school, according to Principal Russ Flamig.
“We have been hit by the flu – we have had 20 or more kids gone from school,” said Flamig. “People are being told it could take seven days to get over the H1Ni flu. A change in the policy should be long term – not just this year with the H1Ni flu.”
Board member Doug Miller wants to look at changing the policy.
“If they are sick for a number of days we should not punish them for staying home when they are sick,” said Miller.
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