LAUREL — The wait is over — Coleridge will have a Middle School next fall.
After months of speculation, meetings, planning, research and differences of opinions, the Laurel-Concord School Board members voted 4-1 to approve moving students in grades 5-8 to a Middle School in Coleridge for the 2010-11 school year. John Wolfgram was the only Board member to vote against the plan.
Coleridge High School students will attend classes at Laurel-Concord and the two schools will be involved in a football co-op.
Coleridge is currently bussing pre-school through fourth grade students to Laurel.
Before the vote was taken, Supt. Rich Patton was asked to give his recommendation on the middle school.

HARTINGTON — County residents will get to see the finished product when the Cedar County Courthouse hosts a grand-opening ceremony Friday.
The final touches are now being put in place for the nearly $2.9 million renovation project at the Cedar County Courthouse.
Gov. Dave Heineman will be on hand for a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for the Cedar County Courthouse on Friday, Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. The event will also help kick off Hartington’s Candlelight Christmas celebration.
The guaranteed maximum price or GMP for the Courthouse Complex, which included a new annex and renovating the two existing buildings, was originally set at $2,609,000, according to Cedar County Clerk Dave Dowling.

COLERIDGE — The main focus for Coleridge Christians Caring is helping those in need.
Representatives from all four churches in Coleridge came together in 1986 to discuss what they could do to offer a helping hand to others.
A decision was made at the meeting to ask each of the Coleridge churches to appoint two or three people to serve with the pastors on a steering committee which became known as the Christians Caring Committee.
Over the last 23 years the good deeds done by Christians Caring range from reaching out with a bag of groceries to helping send books to Afghanistan.

COLERIDGE — Richard L. Collins, 80, Coleridge, died Nov. 8, 2009, at his residence in Coleridge.
Visitation and a prayer service were Nov. 10, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Coleridge, and continued one hour prior to services at the church.
Funeral services were Nov. 11 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Andreas Stein officiating.
Burial was at the Lawn Ridge Cemetery, Coleridge.

COLERIDGE — John “Jack” Dendinger, 80, Coleridge, died Nov. 9, 2009, peacefully with his family at his side.
Visitation and a Vigil Service were Nov. 12 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Coleridge, and continued Friday at the church.
Mass of Christian Burial was Nov. 13 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church with Bishop William Dendinger and Rev. Jeffery Loseke officiating.
Burial was in St. Michael’s Cemetery, Coleridge, with military honors provided by the Coleridge American Legion Post 114.

COLERIDGE — The Coleridge School hallways were full Monday.
Over 160 people showed up to gather information, ask questions and voice opinions on whether a Middle School for Laurel and Coleridge students should be located in Coleridge.
The Middle School Information Meeting included a tour of the school building, along with information on having students from Coleridge and Laurel-Concord Schools merge if a middle school is created.
Supt. Rich Patton said a middle school at Coleridge would give the students their own space and activities.
This idea is not new as Coleridge, Laurel-Concord, Newcastle and Wynot schools have a history of sharing.

WAKEFIELD — Board members from four schools in northeast Nebraska held a strategic planning workshop at the Education Service Unit in Wakefield on Sept 30.
Close to 40 school board members, administrators and patrons from the Coleridge, Laurel-Concord, Newcastle and Wynot School districts discussed the future of the inter-local agreement for sharing that the schools have been involved in.
Burma Kroger, Director of Board Development for the Nebraska Association of School Boards chaired the workshop.
The hot topic of the evening was football and the possibility of developing a middle school for the Coleridge and Laurel-Concord Schools.

HARTINGTON — A Coleridge man is expected to be in court today on weapons and terroristic threat charges.
Nebraska State Patrol Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and a police dog were used to apprehend Myron “Mike” Dirks, 49, who lives three miles east of Coleridge.
Dirks was arrested after a more than five-hour standoff with authorities following a domestic disturbance.
Dirks is being held in the Cedar County Jail in Hartington after being arrested for 1st degree Domestic Assault, 1st degree Assault, Terroristic Threats and use of a Fire Arm to Commit a Felony.

HARTINGTON — The last steps of the Courthouse renovation and addition are moving ahead as scheduled.
The Courthouse building, which was constructed in 1897, has been emptied of desks, files and equipment and work has begun on up-dating the building.
The Courthouse, which is close to 115 years old, will be ready for offices to move back in before the end of the year.
“The work should be done by the end of November,” said Cedar County Clerk Dave Dowling.

OMAHA — Marcella Anderson Hefner, 86, Omaha, formerly of Coleridge, died Aug. 11, 2009, at her residence after a long illness.
Visitation and a vigil service were Aug. 13 at Wintz Funeral Home, Hartington, and continued at the church Friday one hour prior to services.
Mass of Christian Burial was Aug. 14 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Hartington, with the Rev. Jeff Loseke officiating.
Burial was at St. Michael’s Cemetery, Coleridge.
Pallbearers were Mike Nanfito, Josh Nanfito, Kevin Foreman, Chris McConnell, Duane Wuebben and Galen Hoffart.
Honorary pallbearers were the Coleridge Christian Mothers, Wilma Hochstein, Pat Gleason, LaDonna Burbach, Mary Ann Brandl, Marie Koch, Elsie Lauer and Jackie Domina, and also the VFW Ladies Auxiliary, Shirley Arens and Doris Orwig.