Voters across Greeley County did not shy away from the ballot box during last week’s General Election. On Monday, Greeley County Election Commissioner Mindy Grossart reported that voter turnout in Greeley County hit 68.88 percent during last week’s vote.

At about 11:45 a.m. on Friday, November 11th, firefighters with the St. Paul Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to the 300 block of Sixth Street in St. Paul in response to a report of smoke inside a residence.

At the end of October, St. Paul FFA members traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana to attend the National FFA Convention at Lucas Oil Stadium. The twelve members who attended included Kailee Shreve, Gracie Ackles, Brendan Powell, Zach Hirschman, Natalia Matlock, Abby Hirschman, Kamden Sack, Carly Stepanek, Sidney Gawrych, Beau Paro, Sam Wells, and Cole Brus. They toured the NCAA Hall of Fame, saw the Indianapolis Speedway, and went to a haunted house in Indianapolis. They also attended the Proficiency Award session, which was the contest Madison Hirschman competed in. Madison made it into the top four nationally with her diversified livestock proficiency. She placed second in the nation overall, competing against tough competition. St. Paul FFA also had three members receive the highest degree, called the American Degree. Those three members were Jacob Wells, Tommy Wroblewski, and Tanner Mrkvicka.

While there may have been some major races across the Cornhusker State that drove voters to the polls during last week’s General Election, just as important to many who cast ballots were the down ticket races, including those for local boards of education.

A longstanding St. Paul business got a new name earlier this year when, in early August, Tabitha’s Pet Salon at 704 Howard Avenue became Pups n’ Suds Spa. The new name marked a change in ownership, as longtime owner Stephanie Webb stepped away from the business to pursue other interests. However, new owner Jordan Norman said Monday that dog owners throughout Howard County and beyond should expect to see the same quality of service.

Over a month after the St. Paul Planning and Zoning Commission denied a zoning permit requested by the Howard County Medical Center (HCMC) for the hospital’s new wellness and therapy center, last Wednesday evening, hospital leaders were able to celebrate after the St. Paul Board of Adjustment granted the medical center a zoning variance, which was necessary for the project to move forward.

The St. Paul Police Department is partnering with the National Child Safety Council in the Child Safety, Drug, and Crime Prevention Educational Program. Through this program, the local police department will be able to provide numerous educational materials for children in preschool and older, including materials on drug and crime prevention, identity theft, internet safety, and safety information for senior citizens. These materials have been designed exclusively by the National Child Safety Council, the largest and longest-serving not for-profit organization dedicated to child safety in the nation. In order to cover the cost of these materials, the St. Paul Police Department will be contacting business, professional, and civic leaders to help financially sponsor the program. Since the National Child Safety Council is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, all contributions are tax deductible. As acknowledgment of your support, all sponsors will be listed on the prestige page of all activity manuals and magazines. The St. Paul Police Department would like to thank you in advance for your concerned support, and we look forward to participating in this program.