Welcome home: 1057th soldiers reunited with families, friends after 10-month deployment
Staff Sgt. Levi Loomis shares a hug with his wife, Chelsey, and his children, Lauren, 2 months old, and Scott, 2. The couple’s children Kinley, 6, and Bailey, 4, are also hugging dad after he returned from a 10-month deployment with the 1057th Military Police Company. The couple learned that Chelsey was pregnant with Lauren on the day that Levi deployed in October 2021 so it was the first time Levi had seen Lauren in person.
MAUNETTE LOEKS, Gering Courier
Fifty men and women serving in the 1057th Military Police Company reunited with families and friends Saturday after a deployment to the Middle East. The Nebraska National Guard soldiers left in October, serving much of the next 10 months in Kuwait.
“I’d wait forever, but 10 months is long enough,” read one sign held up by a family member of one of the soldiers. Other signs read similar sentiments as the soldiers hugged and cried with joy as they were welcomed back.
Sgt. Micah Schroeder holds his son Hayden, 9 months old, after returning from deployment to the Middle East with the 1057th Military Police Company Saturday, Aug. 20.
SPC Alondra Escobar grabs one of her daughter’s for a big kiss after a tearful reunion Saturday. Her father, Jose Ciplian, watches. Escobar, who was a stay-at-home mom before being deployed, said it was the first time she’d been away from her daughters Leilani, 4, and Luxeli, 3. Her husband cared for the girls while she was deployed for 10 months with the 1057th Military Police Unit, with the help of his mother and her mother-in-law.
Lt. Gov. Mike Foley speaks to the soldiers of the 1057th Military Police Company during ceremonies Saturday. The soldiers returned from a 10-month deployment to the Middle East.
PHOTOS: 1057TH Military Police Company welcomed back
SPC Alondra Escobar grabs one of her daughter's for a big kiss after a tearful reunion Saturday. Her father, Jose Ciplian, watches. Escobar, who was a stay-at-home mom before being deployed, said it was the first time she'd been away from her daughters Leilani, 4, and Luxeli, 3. Her husband cared for the girls while she was deployed for 10 months with the 1057th Military Police Unit, with the help of his mother and her mother-in-law.
MAUNETTE LOEKS/Star-Herald
Staff Sgt. Levi Loomis shares a hug with his wife, Chelsey, and his children, Lauren, 2 months old, and Scott, 2. The couple's children Kinley, 6, and Bailey, 4, are also hugging dad after he returned from a 10-month deployment with the 1057th Military Police Company. The couple learned that Chelsey was pregnant with Lauren on the day that Levi deployed in October 2021 so it was the first time Levi had seen Lauren in person.
MAUNETTE LOEKS/Star-Herald
New kids in school: Preschool class making children at home at Geil
Experts explain how parents can help their child make friends post the big pandemic pause. Trinity Chavez has the details.
The sounds of children at play filled the room at Geil Elementary’s new preschool classroom on Tuesday, Aug. 23.
After three years of planning, the preschool finally has its first class of preschoolers – 18 of them in total.
Kyleigh Haugen plays with magnets at Geil Elementary on Tuesday, Aug. 23.
Roger Hill uses found metal to make something more ‘graceful, beautiful’
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., has returned 16 antiquities valued at over $4 million to Egypt. In a ceremony in New York, Bragg said 9 of the pieces were recovered after an investigation into Michael Steinhardt, one of the world's largest ancient art collectors. Bragg said the Steinhardt investigation resulted in a lifetime collecting ban being placed on Steinhardt, a "first of its kind punishment." Rick Patel, Deputy Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, said that despite the success of this investigation trafficking art antiquities remains a " mulit-billion dollar criminal enterprise." The Consul General of the Arab Republic of Egypt in New York was also at the ceremony and joked that these type of repatriation ceremonies are becoming a yearly event for the government of Egypt. "Its safe to say that we can open an entire museum solely based on the artifacts repatriated via the support of the district attorney of New York, " said Howayda Issam Abdel Rahman.
Roger Hill has always loved art and he’s been around it his whole life.
“I always loved art classes in high school and junior high and always liked artistic things. My mother was very artistic. And my father was a fabricator,” Hill said.
Roger Hill helps put his sculpture in place at the Community Ever Green House on July 11. It is one of three sculptures that was commissioned as part of the refurbishing of the greenhouse.
Roger Hill's metal sculpture is installed at the Community Ever Green House on July 11. It is one of three sculptures that was commissioned as part of the refurbishing of the greenhouse.
Gavin Wheeler (l to r), Ryan Blake, Jordan Schlager, Taylor Vance and Roger Hill install Hill's sculpture at the Community Ever Green House in Gering on Monday, July 11.
Gering High School's Harmony approaches 50th anniversary
Harmony seniors, from left to right: Wyatt Soule, Hannah Boyd, Natalie Laws, Emily Hutton, Maddie Seiler, Haylee Harder, Kaitlyn Peterson, Destiny Gonzales, Aspen Elsen, Maddux Janecek. Director Andrew Tritt said the seniors have been instrumental in Harmony's success this year.
Photo courtesy Andrea Tritt
Gering High School’s show choir, Harmony, is approaching its 50th anniversary under new leadership.
Andrea Tritt took the reins of Harmony from Shelly Muggli at the start of the group’s 49th season, becoming only the third director to lead the choir since its founding in 1973 by Duane Stukesbery, who ran the show for over 30 years.
Harmony members during a recent performance. Back row, from left to right: Sam Martindale, John Coakley, Destiny Gonzales, Natalia Reinmuth. Middle row, from left to right: Noah Sentelle, Aspen Elsen. Front row, from left to right: Maddie Seiler, Aiden Bell, Jaleigh Kumm.
Sisters receive surprise visit from big brothers in Marine Corps on Veterans Day
Northfield Elementary held a Veterans Day program Friday, Nov. 11, where students could invite friends and family members who served in the U.S. Armed Forces to the school for breakfast and recognition at the assembly. Three sisters would also receive a special surprise as older brothers Kameron and Kaleb Taylor returned home from basic training.
National Park ranger, Justin Cawiezel (second from left), explains to a group of Pakistani English teachers that the Scotts Bluff National Monument is his classroom. Cawiezel and other rangers helped 22 teachers while they explored the trails and found many opportunities for photos on Sept. 24.
NICOLE HELDT, Gering Courier
The tourism season started early this year at Scotts Bluff National Monument, something Scotts Bluff National Monument Superintendent Dan Morford said has helped the monument see above average visitation so far this year.
“At Scotts Bluff it was busy and to date, we’re still seeing about 7% above our five-year average for visitation,” Morford told the Gering Courier. “We’ve had good business, but probably not as many foreigners as normal of course because of COVID. We did get a few, but not as many as we normally do.”
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Countries are asking the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to change the rules and move to a one-pilot model in commercial flights, instead of two. Veuer’s Maria Mercedes Galuppo has the story.
2022’s fires fit into newly conserved Kiowa Creek Ranch’s historic lore
You’ve seen part of Platte River Basin Environments Inc.’s newest ranchland if you’ve driven west through Robidoux Pass and south and east through now fire-charred Carter Canyon.
It’s where motorists normally turn left from Summit Ranch Road onto Carter Canyon Road, next to the home place of Kiowa Creek Ranch that includes most of the canyon about 10 miles southwest of Gering.
PHOTOS: 2022’s fires fit into newly conserved Kiowa Creek Ranch’s historic lore
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Nebraska officially names Matt Rhule as new coach.
Midwest Theater names Gering native as new executive director
A Gering native has been named the next executive director of the Midwest Theater in Scottsbluff. After two months of searching and interviews, The Friends of the Midwest Theater announced Tina Worthman as the new executive director, with her first day on Jan. 3, 2023.
Gering City Council swears in new mayor, council member
The City of Gering saw its newly elected mayor and council sworn in at the regular council meeting on Monday, Dec. 12.
Mayor Kent Ewing was administered the oath of office following his victory in November’s general election. He follows Mayor Tony Kaufman, who served in the role for eight years.
Foreign exchange student from Belgium enjoying his year at GHS
Gabriel Duthilleul is a foreign exchange student attending Gering High School this year. Originally from Belgium, he has been enjoying plenty of American experiences, especially sports like football and basketball.
FLETCHER HALFAKER/Gering Courier
One Gering High School student is experiencing his first holiday season in the United States this year.
Gabriel Duthilleul is a foreign exchange student from Belgium who is now at the halfway point of his yearlong stay in Gering. He said that although things in America are very different from what he’s used to, he had at least some idea of what to expect from watching movies set in the U.S.
Barb Jensen and Carl Thorpe load debris onto a pickup on the Ewing property during Calvary Lutheran Church’s Gods Work, Our Hands project on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Choreographing on Broadway: Schadwinkel choreographs number for Arts for Autism fundraiser
Kayleigh Schadwinkel-Hickman started her own dance company while in college and will celebrate her 10-year graduation reunion from Gering High School this summer. She can also add another accomplishment to her list – making her Broadway debut.
SkyWest Airlines announced Thursday, March 24, its intent to stop Essential Air Service (EAS) from 29 airports, including the Western Nebraska Regional Airport in Scottsbluff.
This will mean the Utah-based carrier’s twice-daily flights from Scottsbluff to Denver would cease by 2023 at the latest. The airport will have to find a new carrier.
Riverside Discovery Center (RDC) in Scottsbluff experienced a record number of visitors in 2021, according to an annual report released Monday. The report relayed that 58,538 people visited RDC last year, a 30% increase over the 2019 record of 45,041 visitors.
“I think it’s a combination of a couple things that led to our high visitor numbers. One part of it was this was the first full year the bear exhibit opened,” RDC executive director Anthony Mason said.
