News
Top Story Spotlight
Six people on Tyson's departure, their upended lives and a changing town
Joel Lemus, Lexington High School counselor and boys soccer coach, sits on a bench with the soccer net backdrop at the high school football field Feb. 26.
Editor’s note: These interviews have been edited for length, clarity and grammar.
When the Tyson Foods plant in Lexington laid off more than 3,000 employees in January, it wiped out jobs for nearly half the town’s workforce and left no aspect of life untouched.
Already, the loss of the plant has forced families to leave town in search of work elsewhere. Dozens of students have left the school system. Businesses have watched sales plummet.
The plant’s 35-year presence transformed Lexington, driven by the immigrants from Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Cuba, Somalia, Sudan and elsewhere who moved there for job opportunities.
Today, nearly two out of three residents are Hispanic and more than 40% are foreign-born.
Officials have said they are working to find a new company to fill the plant and replace the area’s economic backbone.
But it’s unclear what might come, how many workers it might employ and when it might arrive.
Flatwater Free Press reporters talked to six Dawson County residents who explained, in their own words, how they are processing Tyson’s closure and how it has affected their lives.
'This is where my tranquility is.'
Blanca Vazquez, 58, grew up in a small village in Mexico. When she was about 20 years old, she and her husband moved to Houston, Texas. They moved to Lexington in 1993 for the promise of jobs at IBP. She became a U.S. citizen.
For 25 years, Vazquez worked cutting slabs of brisket at the plant. Her last day was Jan. 16. She owns a home in Lexington, and her six children attended school in town.
Her first language is Spanish, and she spoke with a Flatwater Free Press reporter through an interpreter.
As told to Sara Gentzler:
When I was young, I used to help my parents by planting cilantro, tomatoes, onions, chilis, cucumbers, corn, watermelon, cantaloupes. Then we used to bring them to other cities nearby and sell them to be able to buy other things that we needed for our home.
It wasn’t a big crop. It was just very, very little, back-of-the-yard farming. But that helped us to survive.
Seeing the struggles my parents had and the sacrifices they made, I always had the idea of supporting them and helping them. And that’s why I decided that, one day, I was going to come to the United States to provide for them.
That dream became a reality. When they were alive, I was able to provide for them.
When I first moved (to Lexington), I was like, ‘This is so little.’ But it made me feel so happy, because I felt like I was home again. It was little, just like my home.
My husband got a job right away (at IBP). It took a while for me to get a job.
I had to grab brisket with a hook, turn it around, then cut it to make it a small piece.
Twenty-five years. Since I started, I did the same job the whole time. I became a master in those briskets.
When I left Mexico, I imagined other things. Not that I was going to have a job that was going to be so difficult on my body.
But every day, I prayed to God, and I always asked for strength to continue to do that job. And not only for me, but for the people who I was surrounded by, because they were great people. And I know that job was hard for all of us.
The big difference is that, when I left Mexico, it was my decision. I made that choice to help my parents. And I left Houston for here, because I knew there was a job opportunity waiting for me, and I still wanted to help my parents. Now it’s like the decision was made for me.
My biggest worry right now is finding a new job.
I’m going to start school for English today, because I need to know more English for a job. Everywhere I go, they want you to know English.
I have applied to different positions. I keep applying. But what’s also hard for me is that they’re far away, and when it’s snowy or icy, it’s a little bit more complicated.
It’s devastating, because I used to have something so close to home. If my car didn’t work in the morning, I would just walk.
I need to work, but at the same time, I also feel tired.
I don’t like to be without doing something. When I come home from work, the first thing I do is go straight to the garden. I don’t go inside.
My mom, when I was little, planted tall flowers. This area, when it’s in bloom, it makes me think of my old house when I was little. The seeds for the tomato, it’s a special one I bought in Kearney. I wanted a special variety that reminded me of when I was little.
That’s the reason I really like it here. I feel at home, but also like I am living in Mexico because I have that garden.
This is where my tranquility is. This is where I have my calm, my peacefulness. The children who were born in Houston we took here to Lexington, and they continued to grow. That’s why I don’t want to leave this place.
When the closing came, I was so devastated.
But at the same time, I thank God, because I had a job very close to home, I was able to buy a house and I was able to stay in a home with my kids after my divorce. I’m still paying (for) the house. I have to find another way to pay. But for all these years, it gave me that opportunity.
'These are my kids, man.'
Joel Lemus, 39, is a counselor and the boys soccer coach at Lexington High School. A native of Mexico, he grew up in Schuyler. He and his family moved to Lexington in 2018.
For years, the boys soccer team has come up short of a state title. Lemus has students desperate to play another year. But in the months since Tyson announced its departure, he has watched dozens of students leave after their families found work opportunities elsewhere.
As told to Andrew Wegley:
When it’s their last day, we give them instructions, and say, "You’ll get a green sheet." They have to go class by class, get their teachers’ signatures and record their grade. And it’s been hard to see kids, a little bit at a time, walking around with those green sheets.
Kids with the green sheets, sitting with their friends. You see them at lunch. They’re talking and they’re hugging each other.
There’s a boy that has been here just a little bit over a year. He had come from Cuba. I remember him when he first enrolled, how nervous he was being in a new country, being in a different educational system, and the progress that he made over that year and a few months.
He came out of a shell. He was walking the halls like he was a native-born Lex kid, like he’d been there his whole life. To see that progression from him, going from a scared young man into somebody who was very confident. And then on his last day, almost reverting back to his first day — very nervous, very anxious, very scared. The unknown, you know?
We’re gearing up for the season. We have players whose parents were Tyson workers and are trying to make it work where they can. I just talked to a parent last night who was saying, "We’re gonna have to move to Kansas, but my kid wants to play soccer for you guys."
He’s just a freshman, but a very good player. He was born and raised in Lexington. He told me, "I’ve always wanted to play here." He’s staying with an older sister who’s gonna stay back, because he’s so gung-ho on "We’re gonna win state this year, and I want to be here for it."
I thought about that, and I hesitate, because these are kids, man.
They already put enough pressure on themselves. Not that pressure is a bad thing. I think that can build character. But these are kids.
I don’t want them to feel like, "Now I’ve got the weight of my community," right? In Lexington, soccer is the sport. Boys soccer is the sport. And now we’ve got this weight of our community to win a state championship? At some level, I think that’s not fair to do.
Winning a state title isn’t going to solve the problems that we have in Lexington.
Kids have told me, "For that hour and 30 minutes that I’m on the field, I can stop thinking about things. Just temporarily, I am equal to everybody else on that field.
"And if for that hour and 30, I don’t have to think about where we are going to sleep tonight, or what’s for dinner, or what’s going to happen now that Tyson is closed. It doesn’t make things go away, but it helps me."
Yes, I’m competitive, and I want to win a state title. But to me, it’s bigger for them to have confidence in themselves. Like the boy I had mentioned earlier, how he had blossomed.
Can you do that through being a good soccer team? Sure. But to me, this is bigger than just soccer.
'These days we’ve been so slow I’ve wanted to cry.'
Edith Avalos, 39, moved to Lexington from California in 1991. Her parents worked at IBP for about a decade before opening a taco truck. They then opened Roos Taqueria across the street from the now-shuttered Tyson plant.
Avalos worked at Tyson for 11 years. She took over the family restaurant four years ago.
As told to Andrew Wegley:
I am afraid. I am.
People that come in here who own other little, small businesses, they’re like, "Oh, don’t worry about it. You’ll be fine." No, I worry. What if we have to move? What if I have to close this place down because we’re not selling enough? This is what I live off of.
Tyson does affect everything. People make money there. That money goes to the small towns. Here, Overton, Elwood, Broken Bow. That’s where the money comes from — Tyson.
When they first announced the closure, I think my sales dropped at least 30% that weekend. It killed my business pretty good. And right now, we are seeing a 50% loss on sales.
Yeah, 50.
At least 25 people have stopped by to say goodbye. There was a (Somali man) here in town. He would come in during his lunch break or before he went into work. He would order a burrito or a torta.
He knew everybody that worked here, not by name, but by face. Everybody knew what he liked. He didn’t like the cold drinks from the fridge. So when he would come in, we would have his drink nice and warm for him.
He was one of the first people that moved. He packed his stuff, and he came and he said his goodbye to us right before he left. He’s been coming here almost daily for the last five years. It was kind of heartbreaking to see him leave.
The girl that was helping me here in the afternoon, (she and her husband) relocated to Kansas. The other employees don’t speak English, and nobody else knows how to run the cash register, so I’m stuck here all day. And to be honest, I don’t think I can afford hiring anybody else right now.
I get here at 10 in the morning and I leave at 10 at night. I used to go home at 2 o’clock. I used to be here from 9 or 8 in the morning to 2 o’clock.
I have a kindergartner, a fourth grader, and I have a 17-year-old.
She is the one that helps me run the little kids around. One has dance, the other one has boxing. She’s the one that takes them everywhere. They need something, she’s the one who has to go get it.
So it’s a little hard. I spend all my time here. But it’s OK. I’ll be OK.
These days we’ve been so slow, I’ve wanted to cry. What’s going to happen? Not only to this restaurant. Not only to me. What’s going to happen to our town?
It’s like a building we had built up, and all of a sudden, a wrecking ball just knocked it down.
Everybody’s afraid. We’re just sitting in limbo waiting to see what happens.
We’re gonna stay open as much as we can. We’re gonna try.
But you know, can you call me back? Somebody else is calling me that wants to make an order.
'Somebody's got to represent these people.'
Jason Douglas has been the CEO of Lexington Regional Health Center since March 2025. In December, Douglas penned an open letter to Tyson executives, accusing them of choosing “shareholder returns and executive compensation over the community that helped make those profits possible for 35 years.”
As told to Andrew Wegley:
I think I sat on the letter for a month. You look at it every night. It’s something you think carefully over, the wording. But somebody’s got to represent these people and what they’re going through with a decision like this, and the devastation something like this can create.
That’s the thing that saddens me most. Business is business, but there are people behind this.
Pick one of another 50 communities out of Nebraska. This can happen to any one of them. There’s got to be some responsibility at a corporate level.
I’ve always had a passion for great care. I started off in more of a nontraditional path than most administrators in that I have a clinical background. I was a respiratory therapist, actually, working here in Nebraska. I always just loved the idea of caring for folks, seeing them get better.
I think it highlights the difference between maybe what corporate America looks at for success and what we as a mission-driven organization represent. Granted, I operate a small community hospital, but I think leadership’s leadership. I think doing things in the right way makes a difference.
We’re going to care for folks at all costs, and that’s going to continue to remain our focus. Our decisions are not solely based upon a bottom line. It’s, "How do we meet a community good? How do we continue to serve in the best way possible?"
We’re the population that’s left with having to figure out what the path forward looks like for a decision made in a boardroom. We’re navigating it day by day, week by week.
We’re trying to monitor things within the community that give us an indication of people moving or staying. It’s home sales. It’s looking at the number of “For Sale” signs. That’s been the most significant work that we’ve been doing, and assisting with (health insurance) coverage.
I think that’s our primary goal right now: making sure that there is some stopgap coverage so people don’t feel reluctant to come in and get care.
I think the toughest part is just seeing families try to navigate how to move forward. And realizing, too, how important it is for us as a hospital to continue to be successful.
In a small community, you’re gonna have a lot of overlap with employees or families that might be connected to both Tyson and the hospital. If we are that link for a family to want to remain in the community, we have to work super hard to figure out what the best path forward is to help preserve employment. Us and the school are the one and two (largest employers left) in the community, I would say.
I was amazed when I first came to interview here and I got to visit the school and see 40 flags hanging from the ceilings, and just how proud people were of that. We remain hopeful, you know? That maybe some corporation may see the benefit of that and want to relocate here and try to salvage some of those jobs and maintain some of those families within the community.
This is a community that, over 30 years, has built really a new identity, a new personality. And it’s one that I think a lot of America could learn from.
'A lot of people are moving ... we don't have a choice.'
Hawa Mohamed, 29, was born in Kenya and moved to Colorado with her family as a teenager. She had friends in Lexington and joined them there, then her family followed.
She and her mother both worked at Tyson. After spending a couple of years out of state, Hawa came back and worked at Tyson six more years, trimming meat.
She now lives in an apartment with her two kids and sister. Her mother and two more siblings live in an apartment nearby. Somali is her first language. She talked to a reporter for this story in English, her second language.
Mohamed observes Ramadan, which began Feb. 17, ending with a celebration in March.
As told to Sara Gentzler:
We feel home in Lexington.
I have my family here, I have my kids. Before, I had a job. We had a community here. It’s a small place, and it’s very peaceful in Lexington.
My mom is shocked. Right now, she said, "I’m not going anywhere." She’s waiting. Everybody is kind of shocked. And sad. It’s really hard.
The thing is, here, all the people around the world know each other. Mexican, white, African, Somali. Everybody knows each other. It’s like family and neighbors.
As a Muslim, you know, we pray five times a day. Even when I was working at Tyson, in the morning and afternoon, they gave us 10 minutes to pray.
A lot of my friends, they moved already. South Sioux City has a Tyson, maybe 60 or 80 people moved over there.
That’s the hard part, for this coming Ramadan: You’re not going to see your friends or the people you’ve been working with.
Ramadan, it’s always special. But it’s not like before.
After Ramadan, we have a kind of holiday. A lot of people come together. People used to come to the mosque and pray together. And people give gifts or money. It’s kind of like Christmas when we finish Ramadan.
Oh my God, last year was fun. It was a lot of people, a lot of kids, a lot of families. I think more than a hundred. Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan — a lot of people are Muslim here.
A lot of people are moving. So it’s gonna be small. It feels kind of sad, but we don’t have a choice. If the people don’t have a job, they don’t have an option.
I applied to three jobs, but they didn’t call me yet. One in Kearney, two in North Platte.
For sure, I’m going to move. My sister likes Omaha, so we’d maybe move to Omaha.
Omaha, when I go, I feel like I cannot drive — I’m scared to drive, because it’s a big town.
One of my cousins lives in Omaha. So she called us when she heard the company’s closing, and she said we can move there, there’s a lot of jobs. We don’t like it, but we don’t have the option, you know? That’s what it is.
I think (I’ll leave in) May, when my sister graduates.
'A downright disaster in our territory.'
Larry Allen, 78, has lived in Cozad his whole life, aside from a stint in the U.S. Navy that had him stationed in Antarctica at 17 years old. He started commuting to Lexington to work at the Sperry-New Holland combine plant when it opened in 1975. The plant shut down in 1985, slicing 900-plus jobs from a community of only 7,000.
Iowa Beef Packers bought the empty plant and started operating in 1990. Lexington boomed, growing by more than 50% through the 1990s and passing 10,000 residents. Tyson acquired IBP in 2001.
Allen went on to work for Tenneco-Monroe in Cozad until that plant also shut down in 2011 and laid off 500 employees.
Today, he teaches tae kwon do in Lexington three days a week.
As told to Sara Gentzler:
When New Holland opened up, they took a lot of people from all the communities — Cozad, all the way around us. When they told us they were closing down, it was just like walking into a brick wall. I just had no way to go, which way to turn or anything.
They gathered everybody, day shift and night shift, and they put us all in one auditorium and they told us it was happening. And it was a pretty choking day. I thought I had a future there, forever. And when they said they were closing down, it just drained everything out of me, along with everybody else.
It devastated the whole community of Lexington and the surrounding towns. Everybody was so used to making good money. And when that happened, they weren’t bringing in that paycheck. People were building homes and they were getting new cars and boats and everything else, and when they closed down, they had to get rid of their houses and boats.
A lot of people moved, and the rest of us just hung out there and rode the waves. But back then, there were all kinds of factories in this area, and they absorbed just about 100% of us.
When I had my last day, I went out looking for a job and I went from $16 an hour down to looking for a job at $4.50. I checked everywhere, I was hungry for a job.
If I would’ve left earlier, I could have found a job with the state or the county or the city or some of the other factories. But by the time I left, all the jobs were absorbed.
Then IBP bought the place and changed it around. Nobody was sure of what a packinghouse was. They brought in a lot of people. Then Tyson bought it and they just kept producing and building bigger.
Lexington went from 6,500 up to 10,000-plus. It’s a huge growth and a large, large loss.
New Holland was devastating for this area. But not half as much as Tyson is right now. You can’t compare 1,000 people to 3,200. It’s just not comparable.
Tyson is a downright disaster in our territory. The city of Cozad is only 3,400. It’s like taking everybody in Cozad and just saying: Get out.
Most of these people that work at Tyson, that’s the only job they really know. When they closed down, they had companies coming in and saying, "We’ll hire you here and here and here." Then they gotta move from Lexington to wherever, and some of those factories are clear down in Missouri, Kansas. But they’re not gonna absorb 3,200 people.
I have a rental, and he and his wife both worked at Tyson. They’re not sure what they’re gonna do yet.
I’m going to probably lose eight or nine students. It’ll take half of my class. For some, the fathers are moving and the mothers are staying here, working until school’s out.
In Lexington, they were building houses; they were building apartments. A lot of them just stopped building, because no sense building something like that if no one’s going to live there.
For the next couple of years, it’s going to be a tough ride for Dawson County.
News
Top Story Spotlight
Dawson County commissioners approve counsel for drug court
LEXINGTON — The Dawson County commissioners approved a salary request for Gothenburg lawyer Radley Shaw to be defense counsel for the Mid-Nebraska Problem Solving Court, also known as drug court.
Shaw is an associate attorney at Shaw Law LLC in Gothenburg.
The request at Friday's commissioners meeting was presented by Judge Michael E. Piccolo with Lonnie Folchert and Jennifer Howerter present.
"So what we are asking you to do is not to have this individual be a part of the police department's office, but to have a separate individual," Piccolo said. "The defense counsel for our team is a person who will work with the participants in about every legal issue we need."
Piccolo added, "The defense counsel meets twice a month to talk about each participant in drug court, and we go through any problems or issues needed to be discussed. This is all so we can try to keep these people in the treatment program."
The board went into an executive session to discuss the salary for the drug court counsel at the request of County Attorney Darlene Shafer.
After the executive session, the board voted 4-0, with Joe Richeson absent, to approve the request for the $7,000 annual salary for the drug court counsel and to authorize Shafer to draft the contract to be prorated until June 30.
The board also voted 4-0 to authorize the public defender policy board to screen and interview qualified applicants for the Dawson County public defender vacancy, and to report back to the board with their recommendations.
During the committee report, the board heard courthouse updates from Brian Woldt:
- All the walls that needed to be painted are done.
- Cabinets have been installed at the front counter of the DMV.
- Ceiling is not completed yet in the DMV.
- Electrical work will follow after ceiling work is complete.
Also, during the committee report, Commissioner Bill Stewart requested to have a meeting with the board and elected officials to figure out starting wages for people with or without experience.
"I think we need to go over that again to figure it out," he said.
Prior the commissioner's meeting, the board approved the following:
- Request for vehicle tax exemption to the American Red Cross for a 2008 United enclosed trailer
- Approved a tax list corrections to KCI, c/o Ryan LLC; Thomas M. Lauby; and Tammie Zediker
The board was presented reaffirmation statements for review by assessor Nic VanCura then opened a public hearing.
With no comments, Chairman PJ Jacobson closed the public hearing and the board voted 4-0, with Joe Richeson absent, to approve or deny the forms per the recommendation of VanCura.
Around Town
The Around Town section of the Clipper-Herald is to notify the public of upcoming events and to publicize pertinent information from individuals, groups or service organizations.
LEXINGTON HAPPENINGS
Mobile Food Pantry at the Dawson County Fairgrounds Thursday, March 5 at 3 p.m.
Vendors are needed for the Healthy Kids Day at the YMCA April 17 from 6-9 p.m. Contact the YMCA before April 6.
Mommy and Me Group Tuesday, March 17 at 6 p.m. at Lexington Regional Health Center Rehab building.
Lexington Lions Club Pancake Feed Saturday, March 21 at the Dawson County Fairgrounds 4-H building. Tickets are $7, and sold at the door.
Plum Creek Community Players are hosting auditions Monday, March 16 from 4-6 p.m. at the Lexington Middle School cafeteria/auditorium for "Hansel and Gretel" production. For ages: kindergarten to 12th grade. Practices will be held Monday-Friday 4-6 p.m. for the first session and 6:15-8:15 p.m. for session two.
The Missoula Children's Theater Production of "Hansel and Gretel" will be Saturday, March 21 at 2 p.m. at the Lexington Middle School Auditorium. Doors open at 1:30 p.m.
Lenten Lunches sponsored by Lexington Ministerial Association with from noon to 12:20 p.m. with service from 12:20 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. Thursday, March 5 at St. Ann's Catholic Church Parish Center; Thursday, March 12 at Calvary Assembly of God; Thursday, March 19 at First Presbyterian Church; and Thursday, March 26 at Grace Lutheran Church.
Central Community College - Lexington is offering basic construction and safety classes March 13-14, 20-21 and 27, Fridays and Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.$3,280 per person. To sign up, contact: danielgettinger@cccneb.edu or by phone: 308-338-4011. GAP funding is available for recently laid-off or displaced workers.
Bonneville Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution will be presenting awards Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Lexington.
Orthman Community YMCA Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 4 at 10:30 a.m. at Kirkpatrick Memorial Park.
GriefShare meets every Thursday through April 30 at 6:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church.
Cropping at the Museum: Rescuing the Past April 10-13 at the Dawson County Historical Museum. All proceeds benefit the museum
.Parkview Baptist Church holds a food pantry every third Saturday of the month at the Refuge Building (1105 Park St.) in Lexington.
The Dawson County History Museum is hosting “Coffee with Carol” the first Wednesday of the month from 10 a.m. to noon.
The Lexington Lions Club meets at 7 p.m. every fourth Monday of the month at the Lexington Grand Generation Center.
Lexington Rotary Club meets the first and third Tuesday of the month at Dawson County Annex Building at noon. For more information or to join call 308-325-7006.
The Dawson County Democrats meet at 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at the Los Jalapeños Restaurant.
American Legion in Lexington meets the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles.
WIC Clinic Sites, Dawson County: Lexington – Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska Building, 931 W. Seventh St., Tuesday through Thursday the first 4 full weeks for each month.
RYDE Transit — Public Transportation is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To schedule a ride in Dawson County or Lexington call 308-324-3670. Public Transportation is easy to ride and open to everyone.
COZAD HAPPENINGS
Cozad City Wide Clean Up March 2-6. Tags must be picked up for items before 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 at the City Office. Items accepted are appliances such as washers, dryers, dishwashers, stoves, freezers, air conditioners, tires, computer monitors, furniture that is too big for the tan dumpster.
Dine In Ham Ball Dinner Sunday, March 8 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Cozad Grand Generation Center.
Monthly Coffee Chat Thursday, March 19 at 9:30 a.m. with Central Plains Home Health and Hospice at the Cozad Grand Generation Center.
The Cozad Chamber and Cozad Development annual meeting is Thursday, March 19 from 5-9 p.m. at the Cozad Elks Club.
Revitalize and Thrive is hosting a free indoor mini-golf tournament for Cozad middle school and high schoolers Friday, March 20 with middle schoolers starting at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and high schoolers from 8:30-10:30 p.m. at the Cozad High School in "The Barn."
Cozad Community Foundation is accepting items, services or an experience for their upcoming Red Day fundraiser auction. Red Day will be held Saturday, March 21 at 7 p.m. at Cozad Elks Club. Contact Robyn Geiser at 308-325-2450 or by email at ccf@cozadtel.net.
Drive Thru free grocery Thursday, March 12 from 5-7 p.m. at the Cozad Grand Generation Center.
Nebraska Scams and Fraud Education program at the Cozad Grand Generation Center Tuesday, April 28 at 1 p.m. and at 5:30 p.m. at the Wilson Public Library.
Bands, Brews and BBQs will be held Saturday, July 11 with the Lemon Fresh Day band headlining the night and opener by Heather Wellman. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. More information on ticket sales will be provided at a later date.
Blood Pressure Clinic at the Cozad Grand Generation Center the third Tuesday of every month at 11 a.m.
The Cozad Grand Generation Center has Home Delivered Meals to the Community Monday — Friday. If you would like to receive Home Delivered Meals or would like to pick up a Curbside Meal at 410 W. Ninth St. from 11:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m., please call us at 308-784-2747 by 9:30 a.m. that morning, so we can arrange everything for your convenience.
The Cozad Grand Generation Center Bus is available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. To schedule a ride in Cozad call 308-784-2747.
MILLER HAPPENINGS
Miller Volunteer Fire Department pancake and sausage feed Sunday, March 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Miller Community Hall.
GOTHENBURG HAPPENINGS
Father-Daughter Dance Saturday, March 14 from 4-9 p.m. at the YMCA at Gothenburg Health. $60 per couple and $15 for each additional daughter. Must register by March 8.
Women's Pickleball tournament at the Gothenburg YMCA Saturday, March 14 at 9 a.m. for ages 16 and up with a $50 fee per team. Must register by March 13.
AREA HAPPENINGS
Potato Bar Fundraiser for the Furnas-Gosper Museum Sunday, March 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ella Missing Center in Arapahoe.
Fuel the Family - free cooking class Thursday, March 19 in North Platte (1221 W. 17th St.) making tacos with protien.
Save the Date: Dancing With the Stars Saturday, March 21.
ON THE BIG SCREEN
LEXINGTON
Majestic Theatre, 615 N. Washington St.
Ticket Pricing: Adult $5, Students/Senior Citizens/Child $4
SHOWTIMES:
"Goat" (PG) - March 4; Wednesday at 7 p.m.
"Hoppers" (PG) - March 6-8, 11 and 13-15; Fridays/Saturdays at 7 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. and Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Coming soon: "I Can Only Imagine 2"
COZAD
Fox Theater, 100 E. Eighth St.
Ticket Pricing: Adult $9, Student/Seniors/Military $8, 5 and under $6.50, Matinee (all ages) $6.50
SHOWTIMES:
"Scream 7" (R) - March 3-5; Tuesday-Thursday at 7 p.m.
"Goat" (PG) - March 3-5; Tuesday-Thursday at 7:20 p.m.
"I Can Only Imagine 2" (PG) - March 3-5; Tuesday-Thursday at 7:10 p.m.
GOTHENBURG
Sun Theatre, 404 10th St.
Ticket Pricing: Adult $5, Child (12 and under) $3, Senior Citizen $4
SHOWTIMES:
"Hoppers" (PG) - March 6-8, 13-15; Friday/Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m.
PUBLIC LIBRARIES
The Lexington Public Library hours are: Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m. — 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. — 5 p.m., Sunday: Closed. Watch for lots of fun programs and activities this summer. Also, we are continuing curbside services; call the library at 308-324-2151 for information.
Novel Stitchers meets on Tuesdays from 3-5 p.m. in the Board Room of the Library.
Storytime meets at the Library on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.
The Wilson Public Library normal hours are: Monday-Thursday: 10 a.m. — 7 p.m., Friday: 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. and Saturday: 10 a.m. — 1 p.m. Public and private meetings have resumed, with 24-hour notice appreciated. Limits to how many attendees based upon room need, what equipment is available and other restrictions can be found by calling us at 308-784-2019 or stopping at the front desk. Normal policies about room rental can be found under Policies at wilsonpubliclibrary.org.
LEXINGTON GRAND GENERATION CENTER
The exercise room is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
MONDAY
10 a.m. - Frog
12:45 p.m. - I've Got It
TUESDAY
Noon - Pershing Choir
12:45 p.m. - Pool
1 p.m. - Bunco
1 p.m. - Bridge
WEDNESDAY
8 a.m. - Miracle Ear
12:45 p.m. - Cards
1 p.m. - Frog
THURSDAY
12:45 p.m. - Farkle
12:45 p.m. - Pool
1 p.m. - Bridge
FRIDAY
12:45 p.m. - Cards
1 p.m. - Frog
LEXINGTON GRAND GENERATION CENTER MENU
Homemade bread every day. Choice of skim, 2% or chocolate milk. No reservations are needed except for large groups. Serving time: 11:30 a.m. Please call 308-324-2498 by 10 a.m. for delivery or carryout meals.
MONDAY
Cook's Choice Soup, Cheese Cubes, Pickled Beets, Potato Salad, Applesauce
TUESDAY
Lemon Peppered Chicken, Cali Blend Veggies, Rice with Veggies, Mixed Fruit
WEDNESDAY
Italian Chicken, Fresh Yams, Peas and Carrots, Pears
THURSDAY
Polish Dog with Bun, Sauerkraut, Cold Veggie Salad, Pineapple
FRIDAY
Taco Bar, Meat Sauce, Tri Potato, Beans, Apricots, Tortilla, Dessert
COZAD GRAND GENERATION CENTER
When Cozad schools are closed due to inclement weather, the center will also be closed. Check KRVN or the TV for weather related closings.
MONDAY
10 a.m. - Free Groceries
1 p.m. - Pitch
5:30 p.m. - ESL Class
TUESDAY
Noon- Rotary
1 p.m. - Bridge
1 p.m. - Dominos
1:15 p.m. - Foot Clinic
WEDNESDAY
10 a.m. - Free Groceries
5:30 p.m. - ESL Class
COZAD GRAND GENERATION CENTER MENU
Salad Bar is available daily with meals served from 11:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m.
MONDAY
Beef Tips over Noodles, Peas, Mixed Fruit, Cake
TUESDAY
Ham, Sweet Potatoes, Mixed Veggies, Applesauce, Ice Cream
WEDNESDAY
BBQ Chicken, Baked Beans, Macaroni Salad, Frog Eyed Salad, Ice Cream
THURSDAY
Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Peaches, Ice Cream
FRIDAY
Hamburger Bake, Corn, Petite Pear Salad, Cookies
FARNAM SENIOR CENTER
When Eustis-Farnam Schools are closed due to the weather, the Senior Center will also be closed. Call ahead by 9:30 a.m. to get a meal 308-569-2359.
MONDAY
Beef Stroganoff, Green Beans, Coleslaw, Pears, Dinner Roll
TUESDAY
Oven Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots, Fruit Cocktail, Dinner Roll
WEDNESDAY
Pork Loin, Baked Potato, Mixed Veggies, Peaches, Dinner Roll
THURSDAY
Chicken Taco, Lettuce Salad, Peas, Pineapple
FRIDAY
Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Applesauce, Dinner Roll
GOSPER COUNTY SENIOR CENTER
All meals are served with vegetables, fruit and a sweet item. Please call before 10 a.m. for your reservation 308-785-2500. Menu is subject to change without notice.
MONDAY
Taco Burgers
TUESDAY
Pork Chops
WEDNESDAY
Liver and Onions
THURSDAY
Meatloaf
FRIDAY
Soup and Sandwich
ORGANIZATIONS
Full of Grace: Meetings at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Nazarene Church at 919 H St. in Cozad.
Southview Group: Meetings at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays at 1804 Papio Lane in Cozad.
Westside Group: AA/NA: open meeting on Friday nights at 7 p.m. Meetings are held at Grace Lutheran Church, 105 E. 17th St., Lexington, use the south door.
Celebrate Recovery: Meetings at 7 p.m. on Fridays at Parkview Baptist Church’s Refuge Building (1105 Park St., Lexington) Contact: 308-324-4410.
Four Roads Group AA: meetings are held on Tuesdays at noon, Fridays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m. at 1801 W. 18th St. in Lexington.
It Works Group: AA meetings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at noon at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 303 E. 6th St. in Lexington.
SMART Recovery meets at St. Peter’s in the Valley Episcopal Church, 905 East 13th St., Tuesdays and Thursdays 7-8:30 p.m., Saturdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Grupo Lexington AA (Spanish Speaking): open meetings on Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 11 a.m., at 114 W. 6th St. in Lexington.
Sumner AA Group: meets Tuesdays at 8 p.m. at the United Church of Sumner, 504 Main St., Sumner. For more information call 308-325-5827.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings: Meetings at 8 p.m. on Thursdays at Hope Lutheran Church, 74094 Road 436 in Smithfield. Call 308-785-3567 or 308-472-3376.
Pony Express Group AA: meetings are held at 7:30 p.m. on Mondays at the Gothenburg Evangelical Free Church (515 18th St) in Gothenburg.
Thirsty Thursday by the Cemetery: Meetings held on Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church (2002 27th St.) in Gothenburg.
Parkinson’s Disease Support Group meetings are held the second Thursday each month at 2 p.m. at Lexington Regional Health Center (1201 N. Erie St., Lexington). For more information contact Dixie Menke at 308-325-5350.
Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska Immunization Clinic, first and third Mondays every month: Open 10 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. by appointment at 931 W. Seventh St., Lexington. Previous vaccination records required. Contact 308-325-3436 or 308-325-3169.
Dawson/Gosper County CASA: seeking Volunteers. CASA Volunteers are everyday people from all walks of life, who advocate through the court system in the interests of children. Contact 308-324-7364.
