There has been a long-running joke in my family that, when I was little, I was so bad a hunting Easter eggs, my parents would hide them for me in the morning, and then later have to find them for me in the afternoon.

The City of St. Paul will soon have a new electrical commissioner.

Reminder: Mass will be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Elba this Saturday, April 15th at 6:30 p.m.

As of Sunday afternoon, the South Loup River has a flow of 278 cubic feet per second (cfs), down from 311 (cfs) last week, and the flow at St. Paul is at 1,670 cubic feet per second, up from last week’s reading of 1,650 (cfs). This feels a bit off from where we are, as it appears the river is down quite a bit here. We see a lot more sand than last week.

Compiled from the files of The Phonograph-Herald Ten Years Ago, 2013 Blake Schwartz, owner of Hometown Market in St. Paul, has been recognized as a “Success Story” by the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) at the University of Nebraska at Kearney for its commitment to excellence following a business transition. The NBDC “Success Story” award recognizes a small business that has been successful and serves to contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life in Nebraska… Schwartz and his team know the difference great service can make in customer loyalty. “We’ve always carried groceries out for people, and we’re never going to get rid of that,” Schwartz said. “You have to take good care of your customers. It’s important everywhere, but I think it’s especially important in a small community, where it’s more noticeable.” Schwartz began his journey in grocery stores at a young age, when he started as a bagger and gained experience in every department, eventually becoming department manager of a Grand Island grocery store. Schwartz joined Hometown Market in 2005 as a partial owner and store manager. In June 2012, he received an opportunity to buy out the other three investors of Hometown Market and attain full ownership.

While officials with the St. Paul Development Corporation continue to work to put the finishing touches on the City of St. Paul’s new welcome sign on the south side of town, progress is also underway when it comes to establishing an identical sign on the north side of the municipality.