Randolph Times

WAYNE – Fifth graders from northeast Nebraska enjoyed learning about all aspects of water at the 30th anniversary of AquaFest held May 6 and 7.

HARTINGTON – A Laurel man wants to waive his personal appearance at trial where he is accused of four murders.

RANDOLPH – Bryson Eledge brought his “A” game in the latter half of his senior-year season to drive his way to the state golf tournament.

Colton Kastning

Candidate offers sincere thanks

LINCOLN – The University of Nebraska-Lincoln conferred 3,566 degrees during commencement exercises May 3, 17 and 18 The 3,484 graduates are from 64 countries; 46 U.S. states and Puerto Rico; and about 230 Nebraska communities including Randolph.

RANDOLPH – Ted Thelen may not be the next Randolph Public Schools Board member, but he feels any of the six candidates moving forward to the general election would serve the district well.

State Track and Field

Guess Who

HARTINGTON – Construction on a bridge replacement project near Hartington is coming close to a conclusion.

LAVISTA – Mark Linville, president and CEO of First State Bank in Randolph, was selected as the chair-elect of the Nebraska Bankers Association during the association’s annual convention in La Vista. He will assume the position of NBA Chair in May 2025.

RANDOLPH–ThelocalVFWand American Legion will be hosting the annual Memorial Day program.

School’s out for summer

End of the year recognition

Celebrating

WAYNE – Benjamin Benton has been named the new Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) center director for the Northeast region. Based at Wayne State College, Benton will provide no-cost business consulting services for small business owners and entrepreneurs wanting to start, grow, or transition their companies in 30 counties in the northeast portion of the state. His role is part of NBDC’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program which provides a range of no-cost services for entrepreneurs and business owners including business plan development, financial projections, market research, and more. “I like to bring people together and find solutions to problems,” Benton said. “You don’t need to go all the way to Omaha, Lincoln, and the I-80 corridor for opportunities. They’re all right here in northeast Nebraska.” There are really exciting things happening in the business ecosystem in northeast Nebraska, said Tony Schultz, state director of NBDC’s SBDC program. “Benjamin is going to be an incredible resource to the business community and will add to that momentum,” Schultz said. “He’s great at helping business owners tackle challenges, and I’m looking forward to seeing the impact he will have.”

Abbey Backer, Amy Graham, Brianna Jensen, Christina Junck and Peggy Leiting work on landscaping in front of the Lied Randolph Public Library Sunday night. Members of Randolph’s 4-H clubs helped as part of a community service project. Some plants were thinned, and new mulch and flowers were added. At right, Kody Dockhorn and Jackson Dockhorn survey progress.

HARTINGTON – With just under a week until election day, nearly 25 percent of Cedar County’s eligible voters have already cast ballots.