When fair week arrives, visitors see the finished projects. They see livestock in the show ring, photographs hanging in the exhibit hall, baked goods carefully displayed and ribbons placed on the entries. For Dawson County 4-H members, the fair is more than a week-long event though. It's the culmination of experiences that teach responsibility, build confidence and create lasting friendships.
Thirteen 4-H’ers from Dawson County were among 253 contestants from 53 counties who competed in the 2026 Nebraska 4-H Premier Communications Event held Tuesday and Wednesday, June 16 and 17, in Lincoln. Youth participate in a variety of contests focused on communication, presentation, and public speaking.
The Dawson County Fair is more than livestock shows and exhibits. From live music and rodeo action to carnival rides and family-friendly activities, fairgoers will find plenty to see and do July 15-19 at the Dawson County Fairgrounds in Lexington.
More than two decades of service to youth athletics were recognized Wednesday, July 1, as the South Central Nebraska Baseball League honored Brian and Heidi Bazata during the league's All-Star Game in Lexington. The recognition celebrated the Bazatas' lasting impact on Cozad Little League, travel softball, and the development of youth baseball and softball throughout south central Nebraska.
Cozad High School senior Braedon Groteluschen was selected to attend and excelled at the U.S. Naval Academy's Summer Seminar, held June 13-18 in Annapolis, MD. The seminar offers a highly competitive six-day program that enables students to experience firsthand the life of a midshipman through academic challenges, leadership training, and military-style experiences.
Visitors to the Dawson County Fair can once again enjoy the homemade meals and friendly atmosphere that have made the 4-H Café a fair tradition for years. While guests will find all the same homemade goodness they've come to expect, there are a couple of new additions this year.
Routine county business on June 22 included road planning, budget adjustments and appointments to local boards as the Dawson County Board of Commissioners met in regular session at the Dawson County Courthouse.
EDITORS NOTE: As Cozad joins communities across the nation in commemorating America's 250th anniversary, it's easy to remember the Revolution's most famous moments—the Declaration of Independence, Washington crossing the Delaware, or the "shot heard 'round the world." But America's fight for independence was much more than a handful of historic events.
A jagged, raspy shriek tore through the morning fog, shattering the silence of 4:30 a.m., long before dawn. You sit on your straw mattress. You clasp your hands together and pray to a god you're not sure you believe in. You lie there until light filters through the windows covered with oil paper, since your family can’t afford glass. It could have been twenty minutes or four hours; there was no way to tell in that vacuum of a room.
Just two days prior to July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted in favor to declare independence for a budding set of colonies that had been deprived of choice for generations. With the American Revolution starting on April 19, 1775, the American people were not one to back down from a fight or from a pen– “Hold[ing] these truths to be self-evident”.
Community members consistently filled South Central Developmental Services in Cozad on Sunday, June 28, for a fundraiser benefiting the Cozad Volunteer Fire Department. Event organizer Alicia Thompson receives support from South Central, and that support extends far beyond daily services. Many employees and service recipients volunteered their time alongside dozens of local businesses to ensure the fundraiser ran smoothly.
The Cozad Community Leaders brought plenty of laughs and friendly competition to downtown Cozad on June 27 with their annual Minute to Win It Bar Crawl fundraiser.
The Cozad City Council agenda included several important items of new business in addition to a report from Interim City Administrator Mike Morgan during its regular meeting on June 22.
The June school board agenda was packed with discussion regarding future planning for the district, policy approvals, and facility improvements. The month’s Haymaker Highlight featured a recap of the Nebraska Cattlemen Midyear Meeting. The event focused on agriculture and cattle-related topics and drew more than 300 attendees on June 11.
The 2026 Pony Express Re-Ride made its way through central Nebraska on June 17, carrying mail east to west across the state as riders retraced the legendary route of the original Pony Express.
