Cedar County archers target success at State 4-H competition

GRAND ISLAND — 4-H youth throughout Nebraska gathered in Grand Island Jan. 25 to showcase their archery skills at the 2025 Nebraska State 4-H Indoor Archery Championships. Youth competed in three age divisions: Cub (ages 8-11), Youth (ages 12-14), or Young Adult (ages 15-17), and in one of four styles: Barebow (BB), Bowhunter Freestyle (BHFS), Freestyle (FS), or Freestyle Limited (FSL).

Five archers represented the Cedar County 4-H Sharp Shooters at the state archery competition.

Nate Eickhoff, son of John and Cheri Eickhoff, Fordyce, placed 12th out of 34 competitors in the Youth Bowhunter Freestyle division with a score of 254.

Out of 23 participants in the Cub Bowhunter Freestyle division, Kade Heimes, son of Grant and Liz Heimes, Hartington, placed 12th with a score of 248; and Oliver Lammers, son of Tucker and Katelyn Lammers, Hartington, placed 16th with a score of 229.

Liam and Bennett Potts, sons of Kurt and Casidy Potts, Fordyce, competed in the Cub Barebow division, finishing 22nd and 23rd out of 30 competitors with scores of 120 and 113, respectively.

Nitrates in Laurel water are over allowable limit

LAUREL – Laurel residents have been notified that its city drinking water tested above threshold limits for nitrates.

At a special meeting last week, City Administrator Dan Kuhlman said two consecutive water tests came in slightly above the allowable limits. As a result, city drinking water has been switched to an older well.

“As we get into the summer months, that may be harder to do as it doesn’t have the capacity,” he told council members. “All the water running through the pipes right now is from the old well and that gets tested annually. . . . It’s good water.”

Test drilling on a potential site for a new well continued on Friday.

Because of the increased nitrates, the city was placed on an administrative order by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. The city has already met the administrative order requirements by using engineering firm JEO, Norfolk, and having a plan developed to address the issue.