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About a year ago, Burt County was reminded just how quickly modern life can grind to a halt.
The March 2025 blizzard didn’t just bring snow. It brought ice, wind and a kind of destruction that …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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3/20/26
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“It’s all over but the waiting.”
How many times have you said—or heard—those words? When something exciting is just around the corner, the waiting is often the hardest part.
As a …
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Pastor Curt Hineline
First Baptist Church, Oakland
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3/20/26
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As I look at this square bit of technology sitting in my living room—the television—I would have to say it is the most challenging man‑made device that truly tests one’s faith. I am led to …
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Chaplain Bill Hall
American Legion
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3/14/26
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It’s often said that the higher our expectations, the greater the disappointment can be. In other words: Don’t set your hopes too high.
Others would argue the opposite. Dream big. …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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3/14/26
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As a pastor, I have spent a good portion of my life in the sanctuary, hospital rooms, funeral homes, and around kitchen tables. As a newspaper editor, I’ve also spent plenty of time in gymnasiums, …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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3/7/26
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Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its …
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Pastor Curt Hineline
First Baptist Church, Oakland
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2/26/26
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Music has always done more than entertain. It shapes the way we think, the way we feel, and sometimes even the way we treat each other. Long before talk radio or social media, people sang their …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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2/26/26
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“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
- James 1:17
We all know how …
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Pastor Curt Hineline
First Baptist Church, Oakland
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2/20/26
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When I was very young, I remember standing inside our house, peering out through the bottom of a screen door. Across the street, people were gathered in a neighbor’s yard. I can still recall the …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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2/20/26
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My father used to get a kick out of shopping with my mom and her parents. Years later—after my mother went home to be with the Lord eight years ago—he found himself laughing about those memories …
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Pastor Curt Hineline
First Baptist Church
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2/12/26
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I’ll admit it up front: as a conservative Gen-Xer, I’m not exactly the target demographic for a Bad Bunny halftime show. I didn’t understand most of the lyrics. That alone is enough for some …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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2/12/26
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There is a witty axiom often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, supposedly uttered at the signing of the Declaration of Independence: “We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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2/5/26
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Pastor Curt Hineline First Baptist Church, Oakland
On our first trip to an all-inclusive resort, my wife and I followed our travel companions out of the …
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1/29/26
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There was a time—not all that long ago—when Sunday felt different.
Growing up, Sunday was church day. Stores were closed. Schedules were lighter. Life slowed down. We went to church, shared …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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1/29/26
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There is an old joke with different punchlines depending on the company in which it is told. It involves an individual who has died and is being shown around heaven. He notices the unity among the …
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Pastor Curt Hineline
First Baptist Church, Oakland
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1/22/26
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In a small town, the measure of community isn’t found in population figures or property lines. It’s found in who shows up when something goes …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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1/22/26
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Some might argue that the Old Testament book Ecclesiastes is discouraging. After all, like a melodic theme woven throughout a classical masterpiece, King Solomon lays out his observations about …
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Pastor Curt Hineline
First Baptist Church, Oakland
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1/15/26
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It was with great pride that I read the news release concerning Nebraska’s ACT scores among high school juniors. Anxiously awaiting feedback from area principals, I began preparing the front-page …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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1/15/26
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Quiet.
Kids are back in school. Family celebrations and get-togethers with friends have come to an end. Once-filled tables of delicious food now sit as empty as the January calendar. The …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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1/9/26
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In the historical narrative of man following creation, a significant event is often overlooked as we travel from the timeline from the great flood to the calling of Abraham. It’s a simple …
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Pastor Curt Hineline
First Baptist Church, Oakland
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1/1/26
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“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find you get what you need.” — Mick Jagger, The Rolling Stones
While not a huge fan of the Stones, there is a lot …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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1/1/26
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Ted Japp has announced plans to run for the state’s Legislative District 16 seat, which includes Washington, Burt and Cuming counties and part of Stanton County.
The seat is currently …
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STAFF REPORT
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12/18/25
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The turkeys have been cooked, the potatoes have been mashed, and the shopping has been kicked off. As if on cue, Mother Nature switched us from Thanksgiving to the Christmas holidays by dumping our …
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Jason Redding-Geu
Burt County Emergency Management
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12/4/25
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Growing up around farms, you learn quickly that not all animals carry the same weight when it comes to what they offer. Take the turkey, for example. A fine bird in its own right, but let’s be …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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11/28/25
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Our youngest son—he’s sixteen and always cooking up something creative—popped into my office the other day, eyes glowing, iPhone in hand. He couldn’t wait to show me his …
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Curt Hineline
editorcurt@gmail.com
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11/20/25
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