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.

Big G’s Bait has opened for the season, offering a convenient stop for local anglers looking to stock up on live bait. 
Owner Gavin Guerra turned his love of fishing into a small business, setting up an honor system bait shop in the alley behind his family’s home.  The idea took shape after he found himself driving to another town just to buy bait.  

A large crowd filled the Cozad Haymaker Grand Generation Center on Tuesday, April 14, for a “Meet and Greet the Candidates” event hosted by Director Tamie Thurn. 
The event gave community members a chance to meet candidates, ask questions, and learn more about each person’s goals. 
School board candidates included Kylie Goff, Will Geiger, and Karen Berreckman.  

Mayor Marcus Kloepping received a proclamation request from Sheltering Hands, formerly the Parent-Child Center in Lexington, and officially proclaimed April 2026 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month on Friday, April 17. Kim Glaze and Melanie Gomez attended the signing. Sheltering Hands encourages communities to stand with survivors and promote awareness, prevention, and respect.

Cozad Community Health System continues to look out for its patients when they launched a new option to help patients better manage the cost of medical care through a partnership with AblePay Health at the beginning of the year. 

Area pool players received recognition for winning the Fall Session of the American Poolplayers Association 8-Ball and 9-Ball leagues. 
In Tuesday 8-Ball play, “211 Shooters” and “Bar W’s Best,” both based out of Bar W in Gothenburg, claimed titles. Team members of “211 Shooters” include Jeremy Feddersen, Junior Magana, Lance Bodfield, Matt Troy, John Bodfield, Dalcy Bodfield, Jake Barkmeier, and Jeremy Pearson.

Cozad Grand Generation Center Director Tamie Thurn appeared before the Cozad City Council the Monday, April 6 to provide an update on the status of the community center. 
“I feel like we are sinking like the Titanic without the good-looking guy onboard,” Thurn stated.  

Steve Pearson, a 1966 graduate of Cozad High School, has co-authored a crime and suspense novella set in the Cozad area during the 1980s. 
The book, titled Sundown, was published April 1, through Kindle Direct Publishing. It is available in both paperback and eBook formats on Amazon here https://a.co/d/01fHG4z9. 

A Cozad family says hope returned after a living donor liver transplant changed the course of Kyle Rimpley’s life. Following a medical journey that stretched from local hospitals to the care of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and into the national transplant system through UNOS. 

City leaders emphasized that no local tax dollars have been used for construction of the new sports complex. The estimated $5 million project has been funded through donations, grants, and community fundraising efforts.  

Discussion was held on the Cozad Sports Complex land note at the March 31 special meeting for the City Council and the Board of Public Works. 

As part of the community’s celebration of Week of the Young Child, the Cozad Early Education Center continues its focus on preparing young learners for school while supporting families during the early years.