Keiser 4-H Scholarship 
Two Dawson County 4-H’ers received the Donna and Daryl Keiser 4-H Scholarship. 
Abby Negley, daughter of Tim and Jeni Negley of Gothenburg and Carson Reiman, son of Mark and Miranda Reiman of Cozad were the recipients of $500 scholarships. 

The Cozad City Council met for a regular meeting on Monday, May 4. Consent agenda items approved included the minutes from the regular meeting on April 20 and the retreat meeting on April 27, as well as the April building permits report. Council members also approved the reimbursement payment to TRW, LLC of $36,170.75 for façade improvements and drawdown #3 for the same. 

Cooper Maddox Cole was born on May 4, 2026 at 3:55 p.m. to his parents Adam and Ainsley Cole of Gothenburg. Cooper was born weighing 8 pounds and was 19.5 inches in length. He is welcomed by grandparents Jack and Thea Cole of Cozad, and Luke and Julie Rickertsen of Jeffrey Lake. Great-grandparents John and Connie Cole of Lincoln, Melvin Carlson of Grand Island, Archie Rickertsen and Matt and Susan Williams of 
Gothenburg.

Mid State Aviation owner Allison Johnson has sold the company to Nebraskaland Aviation, a decision she said came after careful consideration and a desire to ensure the business remained in good hands moving forward. 

The CHS Fine Arts Night drew a large and appreciative audience on May 1. The event included an art show featuring works by grades 9–12 students of Trey Botts, including pieces by the 10 senior honors art students displayed in the hallways adjacent to the auditorium.  

The faith family at the Cozad United Methodist Church celebrated a special Sunday on May 3. The service included two baptisms, confirmation for 10 eighth-grade students, and recognition of 50-year and 50-plus-year members. Pastor Bellarmee Milosi presided, with music provided by Patty Fenstermacher and the CUMC Praise Band. Kaitlyn Hyatt provided the children’s sermon. 

In 2026, America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and Cozad LOCAL wants to hear how local writers would tell that story. 
Cozad LOCAL is inviting community members to participate in the Red, Write and Revolution Contest. If you can write, type, or text to speech, you are able to participate. There is no age limit!

UNL
Eight Cozad students were among the record number of graduates honored during the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s May 8-9 commencement ceremonies.
UNL conferred a record 3,885 degrees to 3,762 graduates representing 61 countries, 45 states and more than 230 Nebraska communities. Interim Chancellor Katherine S. Ankerson presided over the ceremonies at Pinnacle Bank Arena and the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Residents and travelers alike will have a new reason to stop in at Meridian Tap House in Cozad this summer, as it has been selected as one of the stops on the 2026 Nebraska Beef Passport.

Through the month of April, the Cozad LOCAL accepted many volunteer nominations and deeply enjoyed learning more about the many selfless individuals who serve the Cozad community. After careful consideration, the Cozad LOCAL selected Diana Toner as Volunteer of the Year. 

Cozad Fire and Rescue marked a major upgrade to its emergency response capabilities last week, placing a new ambulance into service on Tuesday, April 14, following its arrival. The unit was funded through a combination of grants and local support. 

Cozad High School Principal Corey Fisher opened April’s Haymaker Highlights by recognizing national qualifiers from the FCCLA and FFA chapters. “Our Career and Technical Education programs have had a strong year, highlighted by success at the spring state competitions.” 

Commissioners Rod Reynolds, Joe Richeson, Kevin Swanson, and PJ Jacobson attended. Commissioner Bill Stewart did not attend. 
Canda Montgomery was introduced to the Dawson County Board of Commissioners during their regular meeting on April 15 during the employee introductions after chairman PJ Jacobson called the meeting into order.  

The 2026 Cozad High School Honors Convocation took place on Wednesday, April 15, in the CHS auditorium. Local businesses, organizations, churches, and families awarded scholarships to recognize student achievement and support plans after graduation. 
Scholarship recipients included: 

Cozad LOCAL Earns Statewide Honors 
The Nebraska Press Association hosted its annual convention April 17–18, where the LOCAL had the honor of accepting awards.
But these don’t happen without you.
Every award is a reflection of this community. Because of you, we get to do this work. And because of you, we have something worth submitting and competing in Class A, based on circulation.