Editor's note: Story has been updated with information that the suspect was taken to the hospital treatment.

North Platte, Neb. - After almost seven hours, the standoff situation at Burlington and McCabe ended with the suspect in custody.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The suspect exited from his house sometime before 8:00pm and reportedly had his weapon with him. After several commands, he put his weapon down and surrendered. The suspect was taken to Great Plains Health for treatment.&nbsp;

It's reported that the man was firing a weapon outside his home. Around 2:23 pm, the North Platte Police Department issued a RAVE alert telling citizens to avoid the area of the 1500 block of Burlington as law enforcement was on scene handling the situation. Police set up barricades around the area to keep the public out. No more information has been released at this time.

***This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714439924446.jpeg" alt="North Platte Police, Nebraska State Patrol and North Platte EMS on scene at the standoff situation in North Platte (Photo taken by Canon Rath/North Platte Post)" />
 <figcaption>North Platte Police, Nebraska State Patrol and North Platte EMS on scene at the standoff situation in North Platte (Photo taken by Canon Rath/North Platte Post)</figcaption>
 </figure>Editor's note: Story has been updated with information that the suspect was taken to the hospital treatment.North Platte Post&nbsp;North Platte, Neb. - After almost seven hours, the standoff situation at Burlington and McCabe ended with the suspect in custody.&nbsp;&nbsp;The suspect exited from his house sometime before 8:00pm and reportedly had his weapon with him. After several commands, he put his weapon down and surrendered. The suspect was taken to Great Plains Health for treatment.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714440595242.jpeg" alt="Nebraska State Patrol and North Platte EMS on scene at the standoff in North Platte. (Photo taken by Canon Rath/North Platte Post)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska State Patrol and North Platte EMS on scene at the standoff in North Platte. (Photo taken by Canon Rath/North Platte Post)</figcaption>
 </figure>It's reported that the man was firing a weapon outside his home. Around 2:23 pm, the North Platte Police Department issued a RAVE alert telling citizens to avoid the area of the 1500 block of Burlington as law enforcement was on scene handling the situation. Police set up barricades around the area to keep the public out. No more information has been released at this time.***This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.&nbsp;

North Platte standoff ends with suspect in police custody

April 29, 2024 (North Platte, Neb.) — Weather permitting, work will begin today, April 29, on US-26, from reference post 136.46 to reference post 144.83, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

Werner Construction of Hastings is the contractor for this project. Work includes milling, asphalt overlay, and earth shoulder construction. Traffic will be maintained with lane restrictions and a pilot car and flaggers. An 11-foot width restriction will be in effect. Anticipated completion is Sept. 2024.

The purpose of this project is to preserve the transportation asset, improve the reliability of the transportation system and perpetuate the mobility of the traveling public.

Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down.

April 29, 2024 (North Platte, Neb.) — Weather permitting, work will begin today, April 29, on US-26, from reference post 136.46 to reference post 144.83, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.Werner Construction of Hastings is the contractor for this project. Work includes milling, asphalt overlay, and earth shoulder construction. Traffic will be maintained with lane restrictions and a pilot car and flaggers. An 11-foot width restriction will be in effect. Anticipated completion is Sept. 2024.The purpose of this project is to preserve the transportation asset, improve the reliability of the transportation system and perpetuate the mobility of the traveling public.Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down.

Work Begins Today on US-26, West of Ogallala

Omaha, Neb. - Union Pacific Railroad today released its annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/up/aboutup/esg/building-america-report/index.htm">Building America Report</a>, highlighting progress on key goals, including safety and sustainability, as well as the development and testing of a new cutting-edge hybrid battery-electric locomotive.

“The Building America Report is a comprehensive reflection on our daily drive toward operational excellence, our ongoing commitment to providing the safe, reliable service we promised our customers and our goal to provide meaningful work with best-in-class benefits for employees,” said CEO Jim Vena.

A key highlight in the report was Union Pacific’s partnership with ZTR, a leading rail technology company, to design and build hybrid-electric locomotives. Union Pacific will test six of these new locomotives, with the first locomotive deployed for testing next month. This innovative locomotive will run similarly to a hybrid car and is one example of Union Pacific’s continued research and development efforts to build a more sustainable future.

Union Pacific also improved on key safety metrics in 2023, underscoring its comprehensive and enhanced approach to safety. The railroad reduced year-over-year serious injuries by 15% from 2022. The reportable derailment rate declined 6% compared with 2022, and over the past 10 years, track-related derailments declined 28%.

The railroad continued to make headway on its climate action goals and has reduced absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by 19.1% since 2018. Union Pacific also worked with the Science Based Targets Initiative to update its target to the SBTi’s revised, 1.5-degree ambition guidance, resulting in a commitment for the company to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 50.4% by 2030 from a 2018 base year. Union Pacific also committed to reduce Scope 3 absolute emissions from our purchased goods and services, capital goods and fuel- and energy-related activities 50.4% by 2030 from a 2018 base year.

On the corporate transparency front, Union Pacific earned high scores for its leadership on climate initiatives and data disclosures, receiving an A- from CDP and being named to the 2024 edition of the JUST 100, an annual ranking of companies based on their business practices and corporate responsibility.

With this year’s report, the Building America Report also includes information on topics formerly reported in the company’s Climate Action Plan and We Are One reports. Now fully comprehensive, the Building America Report will be released biennially, with a separate data supplement published annually.

Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and businesses use every day with safe, reliable and efficient service. Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union Pacific is available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.up.com/">www.up.com</a>.

Union PacificOmaha, Neb. - Union Pacific Railroad today released its annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/up/aboutup/esg/building-america-report/index.htm">Building America Report</a>, highlighting progress on key goals, including safety and sustainability, as well as the development and testing of a new cutting-edge hybrid battery-electric locomotive.“The Building America Report is a comprehensive reflection on our daily drive toward operational excellence, our ongoing commitment to providing the safe, reliable service we promised our customers and our goal to provide meaningful work with best-in-class benefits for employees,” said CEO Jim Vena.A key highlight in the report was Union Pacific’s partnership with ZTR, a leading rail technology company, to design and build hybrid-electric locomotives. Union Pacific will test six of these new locomotives, with the first locomotive deployed for testing next month. This innovative locomotive will run similarly to a hybrid car and is one example of Union Pacific’s continued research and development efforts to build a more sustainable future.Union Pacific also improved on key safety metrics in 2023, underscoring its comprehensive and enhanced approach to safety. The railroad reduced year-over-year serious injuries by 15% from 2022. The reportable derailment rate declined 6% compared with 2022, and over the past 10 years, track-related derailments declined 28%.The railroad continued to make headway on its climate action goals and has reduced absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by 19.1% since 2018. Union Pacific also worked with the Science Based Targets Initiative to update its target to the SBTi’s revised, 1.5-degree ambition guidance, resulting in a commitment for the company to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 50.4% by 2030 from a 2018 base year. Union Pacific also committed to reduce Scope 3 absolute emissions from our purchased goods and services, capital goods and fuel- and energy-related activities 50.4% by 2030 from a 2018 base year.On the corporate transparency front, Union Pacific earned high scores for its leadership on climate initiatives and data disclosures, receiving an A- from CDP and being named to the 2024 edition of the JUST 100, an annual ranking of companies based on their business practices and corporate responsibility.With this year’s report, the Building America Report also includes information on topics formerly reported in the company’s Climate Action Plan and We Are One reports. Now fully comprehensive, the Building America Report will be released biennially, with a separate data supplement published annually.<h2>About Union Pacific</h2>Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and businesses use every day with safe, reliable and efficient service. Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union Pacific is available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.up.com/">www.up.com</a>.

Union Pacific Highlights Commitment to Safety, Community and Sustainability in 2023 Building America Report

Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

(Nenzel, Neb.) April 21, 2024 — The Bessey Ranger District successfully conducted a 2,650- acre prescribed burn on Sunday, April 21st at the Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest near&nbsp;

Nenzel, NE. During burning operations, two areas burned outside control lines that totaled&nbsp;&nbsp;

approximately 20 acres. Though the burn was outside of control lines, all fire was kept on Forest&nbsp; Service lands and within the area future prescribed burning was planned.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While onsite resources were quick to begin suppression on the burn outside the control lines,&nbsp;&nbsp;

the decision was made to order contingency resources, which were local volunteer fire&nbsp;&nbsp;

departments including two engines from Kilgore, NE and one engine from Cody, NE.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The burns outside the control lines were contained prior to the arrival of contingency resources.&nbsp; Although the local volunteer fire departments could have traveled back to their home units, the&nbsp; engines graciously agreed to continue supporting fire operations. This help allowed successful&nbsp;&nbsp;

completion of ignition operations and ensured all control lines were secured.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The objectives of this prescribed burn were to reduce Eastern Red Cedar and other woody&nbsp;&nbsp;

encroachment within the unit as well as reduce thatch and ground litter to help improve grazing&nbsp; conditions. The reduction of fuel loading will also help with fire suppression in the event of a&nbsp;&nbsp;

wildfire. The objectives were met successfully according to fire staff.&nbsp;

Prescribed burns of this scale cannot often be implemented by just one agency or entity. It is the&nbsp; cooperation between interagency groups that allow for the accomplishment of fire management&nbsp; safety and the management of resources. Our cooperators for this project included Kilgore VFD,&nbsp; Cody VFD, Cherry County Emergency Management, Fort Pierre VFD, US Fish and Wildlife&nbsp;&nbsp;

Service, National Park Service, as well as the Bessey, Fort Pierre, Wall, Fall River, and Pine&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ridge Ranger Districts of the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands.&nbsp;

The Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands would like to thank everyone who supported not&nbsp; only the prescribed burn at Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest, but all completed prescribed&nbsp;&nbsp;

Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture(Nenzel, Neb.) April 21, 2024 — The Bessey Ranger District successfully conducted a 2,650- acre prescribed burn on Sunday, April 21st at the Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest near&nbsp;Nenzel, NE. During burning operations, two areas burned outside control lines that totaled&nbsp;&nbsp;approximately 20 acres. Though the burn was outside of control lines, all fire was kept on Forest&nbsp; Service lands and within the area future prescribed burning was planned.&nbsp;&nbsp;While onsite resources were quick to begin suppression on the burn outside the control lines,&nbsp;&nbsp;the decision was made to order contingency resources, which were local volunteer fire&nbsp;&nbsp;departments including two engines from Kilgore, NE and one engine from Cody, NE.&nbsp;&nbsp;The burns outside the control lines were contained prior to the arrival of contingency resources.&nbsp; Although the local volunteer fire departments could have traveled back to their home units, the&nbsp; engines graciously agreed to continue supporting fire operations. This help allowed successful&nbsp;&nbsp;completion of ignition operations and ensured all control lines were secured.&nbsp;&nbsp;The objectives of this prescribed burn were to reduce Eastern Red Cedar and other woody&nbsp;&nbsp;encroachment within the unit as well as reduce thatch and ground litter to help improve grazing&nbsp; conditions. The reduction of fuel loading will also help with fire suppression in the event of a&nbsp;&nbsp;wildfire. The objectives were met successfully according to fire staff.&nbsp;Prescribed burns of this scale cannot often be implemented by just one agency or entity. It is the&nbsp; cooperation between interagency groups that allow for the accomplishment of fire management&nbsp; safety and the management of resources. Our cooperators for this project included Kilgore VFD,&nbsp; Cody VFD, Cherry County Emergency Management, Fort Pierre VFD, US Fish and Wildlife&nbsp;&nbsp;Service, National Park Service, as well as the Bessey, Fort Pierre, Wall, Fall River, and Pine&nbsp;&nbsp;Ridge Ranger Districts of the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands.&nbsp;The Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands would like to thank everyone who supported not&nbsp; only the prescribed burn at Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest, but all completed prescribed&nbsp;&nbsp;burns this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Samuel R. McKelvie Prescribed Burn 

LINCOLN, Neb. (April 29, 2024)&nbsp;–&nbsp;As Mental Health Awareness month approaches, the<a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001YiiycpLccwNM7hnswpgiPN18wUxyEQLkj_ZiWDtIs_yF6tKPp9GWPB1r1HRV-RJV7h6mpK5gW-uZPemeAubCOCX39iDicxRwh82_Ppu21exYjrmeYs7J80Tz3ToGN2LMtKCW6ccfzr84osa6j9MrAiegIU1OLYpl&amp;c=GqJh7WDa3hCYBTpBpHsE7gXW7OSHSnvX3tfHtzInYv-MtTwJkE6l0Q==&amp;ch=JGfGMbn471s88EQF6hFkMRSwGwvG1Y04tTsgxt_rb5kJq18q6XN09A==" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001YiiycpLccwNM7hnswpgiPN18wUxyEQLkj_ZiWDtIs_yF6tKPp9GWPB1r1HRV-RJV7h6mpK5gW-uZPemeAubCOCX39iDicxRwh82_Ppu21exYjrmeYs7J80Tz3ToGN2LMtKCW6ccfzr84osa6j9MrAiegIU1OLYpl&amp;c=GqJh7WDa3hCYBTpBpHsE7gXW7OSHSnvX3tfHtzInYv-MtTwJkE6l0Q==&amp;ch=JGfGMbn471s88EQF6hFkMRSwGwvG1Y04tTsgxt_rb5kJq18q6XN09A==" target="_blank">WellPower Movement</a>&nbsp;encourages Nebraskans to focus on their mental health with the May Mental Wellbeing Challenge, which runs May 1-31.

Participants in the May Mental Wellbeing Challenge are rewarded with virtual badges and gift cards for engaging in various activities promoting mental health, including meditation, volunteering, reading, gratitude journaling, ensuring quality sleep, and group exercises.

The WellPower Movement, which has over 9,200 participants, is a free web-based activity-tracking platform that encourages individuals to adopt healthy habits through year-round wellbeing challenges. These challenges focus on both physical and mental health, rewarding participants with virtual badges and prizes for achieving and tracking significant milestones.

<a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001YiiycpLccwNM7hnswpgiPN18wUxyEQLkj_ZiWDtIs_yF6tKPp9GWPOBXDr7iV3-2Kmf18g_TBsWcKeqYk01vJO28Tm3uoiAm42Dt9wXgbMADZPC2Pok7r2g2g8MhTBFm1oVfCScqnHul9ETPGTUiba19yNnoDZe6&amp;c=GqJh7WDa3hCYBTpBpHsE7gXW7OSHSnvX3tfHtzInYv-MtTwJkE6l0Q==&amp;ch=JGfGMbn471s88EQF6hFkMRSwGwvG1Y04tTsgxt_rb5kJq18q6XN09A==" target="_blank">BlueCross and BlueShield of Nebraska</a>&nbsp;is the presenting partner of the May Mental Wellbeing Challenge. Other sponsors include: the Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association, CHI Health St. Elizabeth, the Nebraska Medical Association, Nebraska Orthopaedic Center, Black Hills Energy, Aquafina, Liberty First Credit Union, Scheels, Farmers Mutual of Nebraska, Sandhills Global, TELCOR&nbsp;and&nbsp;Unanimous.

WellPower Movement&nbsp;LINCOLN, Neb. (April 29, 2024)&nbsp;–&nbsp;As Mental Health Awareness month approaches, the<a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001YiiycpLccwNM7hnswpgiPN18wUxyEQLkj_ZiWDtIs_yF6tKPp9GWPB1r1HRV-RJV7h6mpK5gW-uZPemeAubCOCX39iDicxRwh82_Ppu21exYjrmeYs7J80Tz3ToGN2LMtKCW6ccfzr84osa6j9MrAiegIU1OLYpl&amp;c=GqJh7WDa3hCYBTpBpHsE7gXW7OSHSnvX3tfHtzInYv-MtTwJkE6l0Q==&amp;ch=JGfGMbn471s88EQF6hFkMRSwGwvG1Y04tTsgxt_rb5kJq18q6XN09A==" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001YiiycpLccwNM7hnswpgiPN18wUxyEQLkj_ZiWDtIs_yF6tKPp9GWPB1r1HRV-RJV7h6mpK5gW-uZPemeAubCOCX39iDicxRwh82_Ppu21exYjrmeYs7J80Tz3ToGN2LMtKCW6ccfzr84osa6j9MrAiegIU1OLYpl&amp;c=GqJh7WDa3hCYBTpBpHsE7gXW7OSHSnvX3tfHtzInYv-MtTwJkE6l0Q==&amp;ch=JGfGMbn471s88EQF6hFkMRSwGwvG1Y04tTsgxt_rb5kJq18q6XN09A==" target="_blank">WellPower Movement</a>&nbsp;encourages Nebraskans to focus on their mental health with the May Mental Wellbeing Challenge, which runs May 1-31.Participants in the May Mental Wellbeing Challenge are rewarded with virtual badges and gift cards for engaging in various activities promoting mental health, including meditation, volunteering, reading, gratitude journaling, ensuring quality sleep, and group exercises.The WellPower Movement, which has over 9,200 participants, is a free web-based activity-tracking platform that encourages individuals to adopt healthy habits through year-round wellbeing challenges. These challenges focus on both physical and mental health, rewarding participants with virtual badges and prizes for achieving and tracking significant milestones.<a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001YiiycpLccwNM7hnswpgiPN18wUxyEQLkj_ZiWDtIs_yF6tKPp9GWPOBXDr7iV3-2Kmf18g_TBsWcKeqYk01vJO28Tm3uoiAm42Dt9wXgbMADZPC2Pok7r2g2g8MhTBFm1oVfCScqnHul9ETPGTUiba19yNnoDZe6&amp;c=GqJh7WDa3hCYBTpBpHsE7gXW7OSHSnvX3tfHtzInYv-MtTwJkE6l0Q==&amp;ch=JGfGMbn471s88EQF6hFkMRSwGwvG1Y04tTsgxt_rb5kJq18q6XN09A==" target="_blank">BlueCross and BlueShield of Nebraska</a>&nbsp;is the presenting partner of the May Mental Wellbeing Challenge. Other sponsors include: the Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association, CHI Health St. Elizabeth, the Nebraska Medical Association, Nebraska Orthopaedic Center, Black Hills Energy, Aquafina, Liberty First Credit Union, Scheels, Farmers Mutual of Nebraska, Sandhills Global, TELCOR&nbsp;and&nbsp;Unanimous.

WellPower Movement Shifts Focus to Mental Wellbeing

North Platte, Neb. - The official kickoff to the NEBRASKAland DAYS season starts this Friday with Brochure Day and the first Dress Western Friday of the year. Members of the NEBRASKAland DAYS Board of Directors will board the North Platte Ambassador Fire Truck and distribute brochures up and down the Jeffers/Dewey Street Corridor beginning at approximately 1 pm on Friday. In addition, residents are encouraged to wear at least 3 articles of western attire.&nbsp;

“Dress Western Fridays are one of our oldest traditions,” said Executive Director David&nbsp; Fudge. “We can trace its roots back to the original Celebrations held in North Platte. These days&nbsp; kind of start our final countdown into the festival.”&nbsp;

Gone are the days of throwing those who dared to violate the western wear edict into&nbsp; horse tanks full of water. Other tactics have been used throughout the year to encourage&nbsp; participating, including everything from community service in jail attire to contests on social&nbsp; media. In anticipation of this year’s 60th anniversary Celebration, Fudge is hoping people have&nbsp; some fun with it. “All of our marketing is very retro this year. We pulled images out of some of&nbsp; our historic publications and used them again to mark this year’s anniversary. It’d be fun to see&nbsp; some retro western wear posted on social media,” said Fudge.&nbsp;

Dress Western Friday’s run every Friday from May 3 through the start of the festival on&nbsp; June 12th. Participants are encouraged to post photos of themselves and their organizations on&nbsp; their social media channels and tag NEBRASKAland DAYS.&nbsp;

This year’s 60th annual Celebration begins on June 12 and runs through the 22nd. Tickets&nbsp; and information are available at nebraskalanddays.com.

David FudgeNEBRASKAland DAYSNorth Platte, Neb. - The official kickoff to the NEBRASKAland DAYS season starts this Friday with Brochure Day and the first Dress Western Friday of the year. Members of the NEBRASKAland DAYS Board of Directors will board the North Platte Ambassador Fire Truck and distribute brochures up and down the Jeffers/Dewey Street Corridor beginning at approximately 1 pm on Friday. In addition, residents are encouraged to wear at least 3 articles of western attire.&nbsp;“Dress Western Fridays are one of our oldest traditions,” said Executive Director David&nbsp; Fudge. “We can trace its roots back to the original Celebrations held in North Platte. These days&nbsp; kind of start our final countdown into the festival.”&nbsp;Gone are the days of throwing those who dared to violate the western wear edict into&nbsp; horse tanks full of water. Other tactics have been used throughout the year to encourage&nbsp; participating, including everything from community service in jail attire to contests on social&nbsp; media. In anticipation of this year’s 60th anniversary Celebration, Fudge is hoping people have&nbsp; some fun with it. “All of our marketing is very retro this year. We pulled images out of some of&nbsp; our historic publications and used them again to mark this year’s anniversary. It’d be fun to see&nbsp; some retro western wear posted on social media,” said Fudge.&nbsp;Dress Western Friday’s run every Friday from May 3 through the start of the festival on&nbsp; June 12th. Participants are encouraged to post photos of themselves and their organizations on&nbsp; their social media channels and tag NEBRASKAland DAYS.&nbsp;This year’s 60th annual Celebration begins on June 12 and runs through the 22nd. Tickets&nbsp; and information are available at nebraskalanddays.com.

Official kickoff of Festival Season Friday with Brochure Day, Dress Western Friday 

(Cassie Condon joins Post News Director Canon Rath to chat about the BIG Changes coming to the Big Event!)

North Platte, NE- ( April 29, 2024)- The North Platte Young Professionals (NPYP) are proud to announce the return of their highly anticipated pitch competition for the fifth consecutive year. This year's competition promises to be even more exciting, offering aspiring entrepreneurs and young minds the opportunity to showcase their innovative ideas and compete for substantial prize money.

NPYP acknowledges the unwavering support of their sponsors who make this initiative possible. Eagle Communications, through the Schmidt Foundation has graciously stepped up again this year to donate prize money for the Community Category. Third Place will win $2,500. Second Place will win $5,000. First Place will win $10,000.

Mid Plains Community College demonstrates its commitment to fostering young talent by once again sponsoring the Youth Category for MPCC college scholarships, that can be used at any MPCC campus, or for summer courses. The prize awards for those entering under 18; Third Place will win a $1,000 scholarship. Second Place a $1,500 scholarship. First Place will win a $2,500 scholarship.

As the years have gone by, it was time for the program to grow and adapt to the community’s needs. “As a committee, we felt it was in the community’s best interest to adapt our program to what would work best for our landscape. In the beginning we build the program from others who had Big Idea framework, and now it is time to adjust,” stated Cassie Condon, North Platte Young Professional Advisory Team Member.

“Our sponsors, volunteers, and community have invested a lot of time to build this pitch competition into something unique in the state. We want to recognize that and allow it to grow from here. Each finalist that is selected to move forward will be required to meet with business coaches one on one to review their business plan or model prior to the Live Event. These sessions are a huge benefit to our finalist as they prepare for their Live speech and to move their idea forward,” Condon stated.

The NEW judging format for the idea pitch competition has also been adapted this year. As in years past, all entries will be judged based off of two criteria for the first two rounds: Originality and Creativity 50%, and Feasibility 50%. The third round will be determined by public voting and judge’s polling at the live event in October, with the contestant receiving the most votes securing the 1st place prize, the second most votes winning the 2nd place prize, and the third most votes obtaining the 3rd place prize.

The votes are weighted with public voting and judges combined.

This idea pitch competition is seeking application/ideas through September 16, 2024. We want to hear your ideas and with the top three ideas winning prize money and support to help bring their product, service, or enhancement to current business to fruition.

It's simple to turn in your idea… grab your phone, turn on your video and tell us what our BIG IDEA for North Platte is. Then upload that video to BigIdeaNorthPlatte.com. Finalists will be chosen, and we will help those applicants prepare and flush out their ideas for in an entertaining pitch performance on October 23rd, where in front of a focus group of North Platte residents you can see and hear support for your new idea, plus the chance to win BIG money and prizes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714401656627.png" alt="(Courtesy of NPYP)" />
 <figcaption>(Courtesy of NPYP)</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="(Audio) Big Idea North Platte 2024 BIG Announcement!!" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=98p4g-15fb416-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>(Cassie Condon joins Post News Director Canon Rath to chat about the BIG Changes coming to the Big Event!)North Platte, NE- ( April 29, 2024)- The North Platte Young Professionals (NPYP) are proud to announce the return of their highly anticipated pitch competition for the fifth consecutive year. This year's competition promises to be even more exciting, offering aspiring entrepreneurs and young minds the opportunity to showcase their innovative ideas and compete for substantial prize money.NPYP acknowledges the unwavering support of their sponsors who make this initiative possible. Eagle Communications, through the Schmidt Foundation has graciously stepped up again this year to donate prize money for the Community Category. Third Place will win $2,500. Second Place will win $5,000. First Place will win $10,000.Mid Plains Community College demonstrates its commitment to fostering young talent by once again sponsoring the Youth Category for MPCC college scholarships, that can be used at any MPCC campus, or for summer courses. The prize awards for those entering under 18; Third Place will win a $1,000 scholarship. Second Place a $1,500 scholarship. First Place will win a $2,500 scholarship.As the years have gone by, it was time for the program to grow and adapt to the community’s needs. “As a committee, we felt it was in the community’s best interest to adapt our program to what would work best for our landscape. In the beginning we build the program from others who had Big Idea framework, and now it is time to adjust,” stated Cassie Condon, North Platte Young Professional Advisory Team Member.“Our sponsors, volunteers, and community have invested a lot of time to build this pitch competition into something unique in the state. We want to recognize that and allow it to grow from here. Each finalist that is selected to move forward will be required to meet with business coaches one on one to review their business plan or model prior to the Live Event. These sessions are a huge benefit to our finalist as they prepare for their Live speech and to move their idea forward,” Condon stated.The NEW judging format for the idea pitch competition has also been adapted this year. As in years past, all entries will be judged based off of two criteria for the first two rounds: Originality and Creativity 50%, and Feasibility 50%. The third round will be determined by public voting and judge’s polling at the live event in October, with the contestant receiving the most votes securing the 1st place prize, the second most votes winning the 2nd place prize, and the third most votes obtaining the 3rd place prize.The votes are weighted with public voting and judges combined.This idea pitch competition is seeking application/ideas through September 16, 2024. We want to hear your ideas and with the top three ideas winning prize money and support to help bring their product, service, or enhancement to current business to fruition.It's simple to turn in your idea… grab your phone, turn on your video and tell us what our BIG IDEA for North Platte is. Then upload that video to BigIdeaNorthPlatte.com. Finalists will be chosen, and we will help those applicants prepare and flush out their ideas for in an entertaining pitch performance on October 23rd, where in front of a focus group of North Platte residents you can see and hear support for your new idea, plus the chance to win BIG money and prizes.

Year 5 of Big Idea Brings Changes to the Big Event

The Scottsbluff Police Department worked overtime on the weekend of April 19 to April 21 to participate in the Drug Impaired Driving High Visibility Enforcement. The overtime was funded by the Nebraska Department of Transportation-Highway Safety Office. The following enforcement contacts occurred as a result of the enforcement:

Possession of Less than One Ounce of Marijuana 1

There were 47 total traffic stops. There were 36 warnings issued. There were 3 felony arrest and 4 misdemeanor arrests.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Scottsbluff Police DepartmentThe Scottsbluff Police Department worked overtime on the weekend of April 19 to April 21 to participate in the Drug Impaired Driving High Visibility Enforcement. The overtime was funded by the Nebraska Department of Transportation-Highway Safety Office. The following enforcement contacts occurred as a result of the enforcement:Driving Under the Influence 1Resual of Chemical test 1Driving Under Suspension 1No Valid Registration 4No Insurance 1No Operator’s License 1Careless Driving 1Speeding 4Possession of Less than One Ounce of Marijuana 1No Seatbelt 1Violate Provisional Operators Permit 1Violate Learners Permit 1Failure to Yield Right of Way 1Texting While Driving 1Reckless Driving 1Possess Drug Paraphernalia 1Open Container of Alcohol 2Willful Reckless Driving 1Improper Stopping 1There were 47 total traffic stops. There were 36 warnings issued. There were 3 felony arrest and 4 misdemeanor arrests.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Scottsbluff Police participated in the Drug Impaired Drive High Visibility Campaign and releases statistics

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHdGjLPMx3O-wSu3T3aMWlg">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHdGjLPMx3O-wSu3T3aMWlg</a>

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners reserves the right to enter closed session at any time as necessary to discuss the agenda item currently before the board.

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners reserves the right to take agenda items out of order for the convenience of the involved parties.

Meeting of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners to be held on April 29, 2024, at the Lincoln County Courthouse in the Commissioners Room at 9:00 A.M.

Meeting of the Lincoln County Board of Equalization to be held on April 29, 2024, at the Lincoln County Courthouse in the Commissioners Room at 9:15 A.M.

Recess as the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners and convene as the Lincoln County Board of Equalization.

Adjourn or recess to time certain as the Lincoln County Board of Equalization and reconvene as the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners.

Discuss and consider approval for Brandon Myers, Region 51 Emergency Management Director to attend the IAEM national conference in Colorado Springs in November 2024

Closed session to discuss strategy with respect to pending or imminent litigation, real estate purchase, deployment of security personnel and devices or evaluation of job performance as to prevent needless injury to reputation (if necessary)

Hear concerns from Elected Officials, Department Heads, or their representative.

NOTICE OF HEARING AND AGENDAMonday, April 29, 2024<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHdGjLPMx3O-wSu3T3aMWlg">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHdGjLPMx3O-wSu3T3aMWlg</a>The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners reserves the right to enter closed session at any time as necessary to discuss the agenda item currently before the board.The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners reserves the right to take agenda items out of order for the convenience of the involved parties.Meeting of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners to be held on April 29, 2024, at the Lincoln County Courthouse in the Commissioners Room at 9:00 A.M.Meeting of the Lincoln County Board of Equalization to be held on April 29, 2024, at the Lincoln County Courthouse in the Commissioners Room at 9:15 A.M.<ol>
 <li>Open with prayer</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Approve minutes regarding the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners meeting		&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ol>held on April 22, 2024<ol>
 <li>Consider the following:</li>
 </ol><ul>
 <li>Claims &amp; Treasurer’s Receipts</li><li>Publication of the annual predator &amp; pest control notice</li><li>Authorizing the Chairman to sign pay application No. 08 for the Sutherland North Bridge Project</li>
 </ul>Recess as the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners and convene as the Lincoln County Board of Equalization.<ol>
 <li>9:15 A.M.	Discuss and consider the following:</li>
 </ol><ul>
 <li>Approve minutes regarding the Lincoln County Board of Equalization meeting</li>
 </ul>held on April 22, 2024<ul>
 <li>Certificates of correction and refund as submitted by the County Assessor</li><li>Motor vehicle tax exemption applications</li>
 </ul>Adjourn or recess to time certain as the Lincoln County Board of Equalization and reconvene as the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners.<ol>
 <li>9:20 A.M.	Discuss and consider approval for Brandon Myers, Region 51 Emergency Management Director to attend IAEM Region 7 meeting in Overland Park in August 2024</li>
 </ol>Discuss and consider approval for Brandon Myers, Region 51 Emergency Management Director to attend the IAEM national conference in Colorado Springs in November 2024<ol>
 <li>9:30 A.M.	Quarterly report of Brandon Myers, Region 51 Emergency Management Director</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>9:40 A.M. 	Severe Weather Awareness poster presentation and awards</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>9:55 A.M.	Discuss and consider setting a date to accept bids for a food service vendor for the Lincoln County Detention Center</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>10:00 A.M.	Discuss and consider surplus property (transport van) located at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>10:10 A.M.	Sheriff Kramer to swear in Tessa Brown and Shad Newton as Lincoln County Deputy Sheriff’s</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>10:15 A.M.	Discuss and consider laptop computer mini grant through NDOT for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>10:20 A.M.	Discuss and consider final recommendations on the UPRR railcar explosion incident which occurred on September 14, 2023</li>
 </ol>Closed session to discuss strategy with respect to pending or imminent litigation, real estate purchase, deployment of security personnel and devices or evaluation of job performance as to prevent needless injury to reputation (if necessary)Hear concerns from Elected Officials, Department Heads, or their representative.

Lincoln County Board of Commissioners 04-29 Agenda

Post Sports Director Paxton Gordon talked with Mid-Plains United Way Executive Director Haven Smith about what's going with the United Way. The two talked about campaign goal, recapped the Guardians of the Children event last weekend and more. To learn more, check out the podcast below.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure>North Platte Post&nbsp;Post Sports Director Paxton Gordon talked with Mid-Plains United Way Executive Director Haven Smith about what's going with the United Way. The two talked about campaign goal, recapped the Guardians of the Children event last weekend and more. To learn more, check out the podcast below.&nbsp;<div><iframe title="(Audio) Mid-Plains United Way gives us an update on the campaign season and more" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=82pr2-15f86bc-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

(Audio) Mid-Plains United Way gives us an update on the campaign season and more

LOGAN M. SULLIVAN, 21, NORTH PLATTE AND LYNDSAY ANN K RITCHIE, 19, NORTH PLATTE

THOMAS JOSEPH DEVENEY, 38, NORTH PLATTE AND TIFFANY COLEEN KOTIK, 28, NORTH PLATTE

ANTHONY DEDEITH WOOD, 48, NORTH PLATTE AND DEMETRIA KAY GONZALES, 46, NORTH PLATTE

LOGAN M. SULLIVAN, 21, NORTH PLATTE AND LYNDSAY ANN K RITCHIE, 19, NORTH PLATTETHOMAS JOSEPH DEVENEY, 38, NORTH PLATTE AND TIFFANY COLEEN KOTIK, 28, NORTH PLATTEANTHONY DEDEITH WOOD, 48, NORTH PLATTE AND DEMETRIA KAY GONZALES, 46, NORTH PLATTE

Marriage Licenses For Lincoln County (Week of April 22nd)

North Platte, Neb. - 4-H is America's largest youth development program across the United States that helps learn skills that will last a lifetime. The age requirement for 4-H is the ages of 8-18. There are many different categories that 4-H'ers can participate in during their time in the program including the home environment project.&nbsp;

Stefanie Sitourius, a local 4-H'r has been involved with 4-H for around 6 years. Last summer, she earned ribbons at the State Fair in Grand Island for her work on her sign and button flowers. Sitourius talks about how much time and work it takes to create her projects and how she can improve for this year's fair.&nbsp;

Post News Director Canon Rath talked with S4-H'r Stefanie Sitourius and 4-H Development Extension Educator Caitlyn Jacobson.&nbsp; If you would like to learn more in-depth on the home environment project and sitourius involvement with 4-H, check out the podcast above. To follow along on Facebook for more information about Lincoln, Logan or McPherson Counties 4-H, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LLM4h" target="_blank">click here</a>&nbsp;or for their website,&nbsp;<a href="https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/lincolnmcpherson/?fbclid=IwAR14YEAUI3fP9PwgydGtWvFLZyWMmc8p1vwQBk9gs8GkhzWK1THrQjZq3eI" target="_blank">click here.</a>&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure>North Platte PostNorth Platte, Neb. - 4-H is America's largest youth development program across the United States that helps learn skills that will last a lifetime. The age requirement for 4-H is the ages of 8-18. There are many different categories that 4-H'ers can participate in during their time in the program including the home environment project.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714163599522.jpeg" alt="Stefanie Sitorius poses with her projects, ribbons at the 2023 Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island (Courtesy Photo)" />
 <figcaption>Stefanie Sitorius poses with her projects, ribbons at the 2023 Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island (Courtesy Photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Stefanie Sitourius, a local 4-H'r has been involved with 4-H for around 6 years. Last summer, she earned ribbons at the State Fair in Grand Island for her work on her sign and button flowers. Sitourius talks about how much time and work it takes to create her projects and how she can improve for this year's fair.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714163659887.jpeg" alt="Stefanie Sitorius poses with her button flowers project at the 2023 Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island (Courtesy Photo)" />
 <figcaption>Stefanie Sitorius poses with her button flowers project at the 2023 Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island (Courtesy Photo)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714163696187.jpeg" alt="Stefanie Sitorius poses with her sign at the 2023 Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island (Courtesy Photo)" />
 <figcaption>Stefanie Sitorius poses with her sign at the 2023 Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island (Courtesy Photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Post News Director Canon Rath talked with S4-H'r Stefanie Sitourius and 4-H Development Extension Educator Caitlyn Jacobson.&nbsp; If you would like to learn more in-depth on the home environment project and sitourius involvement with 4-H, check out the podcast above. To follow along on Facebook for more information about Lincoln, Logan or McPherson Counties 4-H, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LLM4h" target="_blank">click here</a>&nbsp;or for their website,&nbsp;<a href="https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/lincolnmcpherson/?fbclid=IwAR14YEAUI3fP9PwgydGtWvFLZyWMmc8p1vwQBk9gs8GkhzWK1THrQjZq3eI" target="_blank">click here.</a>&nbsp;<div><iframe title="(Audio) 4-H'r Stefanie Sitorius talks about the home environment project!" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=nb6i9-15f8820-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

(Audio) 4-H'r Stefanie Sitorius talks about the home environment project!

North Platte, NE- On Friday, May 3, 2024 NebraskaLand Bank will be hosting its annual Community Shred Day at the Main Bank location on 1400 South Dewey Street from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The shredding service is open to the public, allowing for up to five standard-sized&nbsp; boxes per person. Items that can be shredded include scam mailings, bills, banking statements, and credit card offers. 

For convenience, community members may stay in their vehicles, drive thru, and drop off their shred in disposable bags and boxes. Volunteers from NebraskaLand Bank and the Lincoln County Law Enforcement Memorial Board will be available to assist in unloading shred.

A free will donation is encouraged to benefit the Lincoln County Law Enforcement Memorial.&nbsp; NebraskaLand Bank will match all funds raised up to $500.00.&nbsp;

With an increase in internet scams and fraudulent behavior, the importance of identity theft prevention and awareness has risen as well. Practicing prevention methods such as shredding bank statements and personal information helps to decrease fraud and theft. NebraskaLand Bank encourages the community to take the necessary precautions to protect their identities.

NebraskaLand BankNorth Platte, NE- On Friday, May 3, 2024 NebraskaLand Bank will be hosting its annual Community Shred Day at the Main Bank location on 1400 South Dewey Street from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The shredding service is open to the public, allowing for up to five standard-sized&nbsp; boxes per person. Items that can be shredded include scam mailings, bills, banking statements, and credit card offers. For convenience, community members may stay in their vehicles, drive thru, and drop off their shred in disposable bags and boxes. Volunteers from NebraskaLand Bank and the Lincoln County Law Enforcement Memorial Board will be available to assist in unloading shred.A free will donation is encouraged to benefit the Lincoln County Law Enforcement Memorial.&nbsp; NebraskaLand Bank will match all funds raised up to $500.00.&nbsp;With an increase in internet scams and fraudulent behavior, the importance of identity theft prevention and awareness has risen as well. Practicing prevention methods such as shredding bank statements and personal information helps to decrease fraud and theft. NebraskaLand Bank encourages the community to take the necessary precautions to protect their identities.

NebraskaLand Bank to Host Community Shred Day

As the summer months are quickly approaching, the Salvation Army in North Platte is preparing for their upcoming summer camp which this year is themed as "Spy Kids". The camp is popular amongst the youth. The Salvation Army is also looking for sponsors to help sponsor a kid for the upcoming camps.&nbsp;

Earlier this week, Post News Director Canon Rath chatted with Camon Landy and Vicki Collins from the Salvation Army about the upcoming camp and sponsorship program. To learn more, check out the podcast below.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure>North Platte Post&nbsp;As the summer months are quickly approaching, the Salvation Army in North Platte is preparing for their upcoming summer camp which this year is themed as "Spy Kids". The camp is popular amongst the youth. The Salvation Army is also looking for sponsors to help sponsor a kid for the upcoming camps.&nbsp;Earlier this week, Post News Director Canon Rath chatted with Camon Landy and Vicki Collins from the Salvation Army about the upcoming camp and sponsorship program. To learn more, check out the podcast below.<div><iframe title="(Audio) Salvation Army preparing for Summer Camp for the youth!" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=nwh7p-15f868d-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

(Audio) Salvation Army preparing for Summer Camp for the youth!

(North Platte, Nebraska) – Local event organizers continue to work hard to create fun and exciting events in North Platte that bring in visitors and contribute to the economic vitality of our community in addition to giving locals and visitors opportunities to attend unique activities.&nbsp;

Visit North Platte operates under an agreement with the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners to&nbsp; facilitate the Nebraska Visitors Development Act. Grant funds, marketing, and operating expenses for&nbsp; Visit North Platte are funded by lodging taxes collected and remitted by lodging properties from&nbsp; overnight stays in Lincoln County.&nbsp;

The Visit North Platte Board of Directors approved grant funding at the monthly meeting on April 24,&nbsp; 2024, for the following events which will be held in July, August, and September of 2024. The&nbsp; applications totaled $86,104 in requests and a total of $63,147 was awarded.&nbsp;

• Approved $500 in promotional funding for the Sutherland Rodeo. The Sutherland fourth of July&nbsp; celebration and rodeo starts on July 1st and runs through July 4th. It includes rodeo slack, an all girls roping competition, two rodeo performances, and a Jr. Rodeo Queen contest. Year after&nbsp; year the Sutherland Rodeo continues to provide family entertainment for locals and visitors&nbsp; alike.&nbsp;

• Approved $750 in incentive funding for the Lincoln County High School Rodeo. The Lincoln&nbsp; County High School Rodeo is held annually at the Wild West Arena. High school contestants&nbsp; from across the state compete in fourteen events to earn points that qualify them for State and&nbsp; National Finals Rodeos. Contestants and their families travel to North Platte from across the&nbsp; state of Nebraska with some even coming from Colorado and Wyoming. This year’s rodeo will&nbsp; be on September 15th.&nbsp;

• Approved $750 in promotional funding for Brady Days. The Village of Brady will hold their&nbsp; annual celebration August 2nd through the 4th. It will include a parade, BBQ, volleyball,&nbsp; basketball, softball, and cornhole tournaments, turtle races, a car show, and family night. Many&nbsp; alumni return with their families or bring friends to our area to enjoy the festivities.&nbsp;&nbsp;

• Approved $5,317 in promotional funding to the Lincoln County Historical Museum. The Lincoln&nbsp; County Historical Museum is truly a local treasure, proven by the fact that visitation has grown&nbsp; to approximately 21,000 visitors annually under the curatorship of Jim Griffin. Promoting the&nbsp;

museum is pivotal to its continued success. The museum will be open from May 1st to&nbsp; September 30th and will also host the annual Heritage Festival on June 8th and 9th, Buffalo&nbsp; Burger Feed on July 20th, Old Fashioned Corn Feed on August 3rd, Pancake Breakfast on&nbsp; September 28th, and Christmas Village during the month of December.&nbsp;

• Approved $2,500 in promotional funding to Pals Brewing Company for their Western&nbsp; Nebraska Craft Beer Festival. The 6th annual Western Nebraska Craft Beer Festival will be held&nbsp; at Pals Brewing Company on September 14th in conjunction with the National Avocado&nbsp; Launching Championship Presented by the U.S. Army. Attendees will sample beer, wine, and&nbsp; spirits from breweries around Nebraska. This event increases craft beer awareness in the&nbsp; western portion of the state, raises money for the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild, and brings&nbsp; visitors to North Platte for the weekend.&nbsp;

• Approved $4,000 in promotional funding to the Lincoln County Ag Society for their concert&nbsp; during the Lincoln County Fair. Michael Ray and Drew Phillips will be performing live at the&nbsp; Lincoln County Fairgrounds on July 26th. Ray is a country music singer and songwriter who is&nbsp; signed to Warner Music Nashville and Drew Philips is a local favorite. This show will be fun for&nbsp; music lovers of all ages and will bring more attendees to the county fair.&nbsp;

• Approved $9,830 in incentive and promotional funding for North Platte Pow Wow. The North&nbsp; Platte Pow Wow is a cultural dancing and singing celebration featuring Native American&nbsp; participants. Along with the Pow Wow, this event includes a PTSD Awareness Walk, a tipi raising,&nbsp; a tribute to our veterans, a Quilts of Valor presentation, a parade, a night of cornhole and sand&nbsp; volleyball at Pals Brewing, and a basketball tournament. This event will take place on July 18th&nbsp; through the 21st and will primarily take place at Buffalo Bill State Historical Park. Annually, 650- 1,000 attendees and participants come to the North Platte Pow Wow. 95% of the participants&nbsp; are from out of state and well over half of the spectators are from outside of North Platte.&nbsp; Attendees and participants have grown to enjoy the North Platte Pow Wow over the past four years and the numbers are expected to grow again for the fifth annual showcase.&nbsp;

• Approved $3,000 in incentive and promotional funding for Platte River Cruise Night. Platte&nbsp; River Cruise has grown from a single day event to a three-day celebration that offers not only a&nbsp; car show and cruise, but also a sound competition, loudest exhaust contest, burnout&nbsp; competition, rockabilly contest, sidewalk chalk contest, beer garden, dirt drags, street dance, car&nbsp; limbo, and appearances from celebrities like Ryan Evans from Counting Cars who will be&nbsp; attending the 2024 event. This year Platte River Cruise Night is scheduled for July 5th through&nbsp; the 7th. This event continues to bring car enthusiasts to our area while also providing a weekend&nbsp; of fun for locals.&nbsp;

• Approved $7,000 in incentive and promotional funding for Viva North Platte. Now in its second&nbsp; year, this Hispanic cultural celebration will again educate on the history and celebrate the&nbsp; traditions of the Hispanic culture. It features a variety of performances, workshops, and&nbsp; activities that showcase talent and diversity, including the crowning of a Latina Queen and king.&nbsp; This event will help welcome newcomers by providing a space where their traditions are&nbsp; celebrated as well as educating existing community members and bringing in visitors and guests.&nbsp; Viva North Platte will be held at the D&amp;N Event Center on September 14th.

• Approved $3,000 sports incentive funding for the Buffalo Bill Horseshoe Bash. The Buffalo Bill&nbsp; Horseshoe Bash is a regional/national horseshoe tournament that will be held July 19th through&nbsp; the 21st. The event will start off with a fun tournament on Friday with the larger competition&nbsp; being on Saturday and Sunday. Horseshoe pitches from across Nebraska, surrounding states,&nbsp; and across the nation will travel to participate in this tournament at Cody Park.&nbsp;

• Approved $2,650 in incentive and promotional funding for the North Platte Canteen Festival.&nbsp; The North Platte Canteen Festival celebrates and honors the North Platte World War II Canteen&nbsp; which served more than six million soldiers. Now in its fourth year, the Canteen Festival is&nbsp; becoming a local favorite, and it offers visitors a chance to learn about our rich history. The 2024 festival will include a Fall Vendor and Art Show in the downtown Canteen District on September&nbsp; 28th. There will also be performances by the Flatrock Irregulars as well as Jody Ingalls from&nbsp; Encore History, a car show, and a display of military vehicles. The North Platte Community&nbsp; Playhouse will also be presenting the world premiere of ‘The North Platte Canteen: A Musical&nbsp; Miracle on September 27th, 28th, 29th, and October 4th, 5th, 6th which overlaps with the&nbsp; festival.&nbsp;

• Approved $6,000 in sports incentive and promotional funding for the Buffalo Bill Brawl Boxing&nbsp; Tournament. This USA Boxing National Open Tournament has continued to grow each year that&nbsp; it has been held in North Platte. It is open to all ages and is expected to bring between 150 and&nbsp; 200 participants in 2024. This event is scheduled for July 26th-28th and will take place at the&nbsp; D&amp;N Event Center.&nbsp;

• Approved $1,950 in sports incentive and promotional funding for the upcoming disc golf&nbsp; tournament, the Cody Park Train Wreck 3. Cody Park Train Wreck is a recurring tournament&nbsp; that started three years ago and has been successfully growing each year. The event is run by&nbsp; North Platte Disc Golf Club and will occur on September 14th. They will also be making&nbsp; improvements to two holes on the existing course. As our disc golf courses continue to improve,&nbsp; drawing visitors to our area to experience these updates will help bring awareness to the disc&nbsp; golf opportunities in our community.&nbsp;&nbsp;

• Approved $9,900 in incentive funding for the North Platte Downtown Association to purchase&nbsp; location data software. As the downtown Canteen District continues to grow and improve,&nbsp; being able to gage the number of visitors to the area will not only help them when making&nbsp; decisions on upcoming improvements and project, but it will also allow them to explore more&nbsp; grant opportunities that require this information.&nbsp;

• Approved $6,000 in sports incentive funding to Prep Lacrosse for the upcoming high school&nbsp; lacrosse showcase. This event will be held at the North Platte Public High School on July 24th&nbsp; and 25th. Here, players will be able to showcase their talents to college coaches and recruiters&nbsp; from around the nation. It is anticipated that 400-500 lacrosse players as well as 50 coaches will travel to North Platte for this event. Matt Rambo, professional lacrosse player, conducts these&nbsp; showcases for the purpose of increasing the awareness of the growing sport of lacrosse.&nbsp;

The next round of funding is now open, with a July 1 deadline for events or projects occurring in&nbsp; October, November, and December of 2024. These applications will be considered at the regular&nbsp; monthly Board of Directors meeting scheduled for July 24, 2024. Anyone interested in submitting a&nbsp;

grant application is encouraged to contact the Visitors Bureau at 308-532-4729 and discuss their project&nbsp; with a staff member.&nbsp;

Grant funds, marketing, and operating expenses for Visit North Platte are funded solely through the&nbsp; lodging taxes that are collected and remitted for overnight stays by lodging properties in Lincoln County.&nbsp; It is thanks to the efforts of the lodging property partners located within the county that funds are&nbsp; available to attract more visitors, which have a significant impact on the economic well-being of our&nbsp; Lincoln County communities.&nbsp;

Visit North Platte(North Platte, Nebraska) – Local event organizers continue to work hard to create fun and exciting events in North Platte that bring in visitors and contribute to the economic vitality of our community in addition to giving locals and visitors opportunities to attend unique activities.&nbsp;Visit North Platte operates under an agreement with the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners to&nbsp; facilitate the Nebraska Visitors Development Act. Grant funds, marketing, and operating expenses for&nbsp; Visit North Platte are funded by lodging taxes collected and remitted by lodging properties from&nbsp; overnight stays in Lincoln County.&nbsp;The Visit North Platte Board of Directors approved grant funding at the monthly meeting on April 24,&nbsp; 2024, for the following events which will be held in July, August, and September of 2024. The&nbsp; applications totaled $86,104 in requests and a total of $63,147 was awarded.&nbsp;• Approved $500 in promotional funding for the Sutherland Rodeo. The Sutherland fourth of July&nbsp; celebration and rodeo starts on July 1st and runs through July 4th. It includes rodeo slack, an all girls roping competition, two rodeo performances, and a Jr. Rodeo Queen contest. Year after&nbsp; year the Sutherland Rodeo continues to provide family entertainment for locals and visitors&nbsp; alike.&nbsp;• Approved $750 in incentive funding for the Lincoln County High School Rodeo. The Lincoln&nbsp; County High School Rodeo is held annually at the Wild West Arena. High school contestants&nbsp; from across the state compete in fourteen events to earn points that qualify them for State and&nbsp; National Finals Rodeos. Contestants and their families travel to North Platte from across the&nbsp; state of Nebraska with some even coming from Colorado and Wyoming. This year’s rodeo will&nbsp; be on September 15th.&nbsp;• Approved $750 in promotional funding for Brady Days. The Village of Brady will hold their&nbsp; annual celebration August 2nd through the 4th. It will include a parade, BBQ, volleyball,&nbsp; basketball, softball, and cornhole tournaments, turtle races, a car show, and family night. Many&nbsp; alumni return with their families or bring friends to our area to enjoy the festivities.&nbsp;&nbsp;• Approved $5,317 in promotional funding to the Lincoln County Historical Museum. The Lincoln&nbsp; County Historical Museum is truly a local treasure, proven by the fact that visitation has grown&nbsp; to approximately 21,000 visitors annually under the curatorship of Jim Griffin. Promoting the&nbsp;museum is pivotal to its continued success. The museum will be open from May 1st to&nbsp; September 30th and will also host the annual Heritage Festival on June 8th and 9th, Buffalo&nbsp; Burger Feed on July 20th, Old Fashioned Corn Feed on August 3rd, Pancake Breakfast on&nbsp; September 28th, and Christmas Village during the month of December.&nbsp;• Approved $2,500 in promotional funding to Pals Brewing Company for their Western&nbsp; Nebraska Craft Beer Festival. The 6th annual Western Nebraska Craft Beer Festival will be held&nbsp; at Pals Brewing Company on September 14th in conjunction with the National Avocado&nbsp; Launching Championship Presented by the U.S. Army. Attendees will sample beer, wine, and&nbsp; spirits from breweries around Nebraska. This event increases craft beer awareness in the&nbsp; western portion of the state, raises money for the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild, and brings&nbsp; visitors to North Platte for the weekend.&nbsp;• Approved $4,000 in promotional funding to the Lincoln County Ag Society for their concert&nbsp; during the Lincoln County Fair. Michael Ray and Drew Phillips will be performing live at the&nbsp; Lincoln County Fairgrounds on July 26th. Ray is a country music singer and songwriter who is&nbsp; signed to Warner Music Nashville and Drew Philips is a local favorite. This show will be fun for&nbsp; music lovers of all ages and will bring more attendees to the county fair.&nbsp;• Approved $9,830 in incentive and promotional funding for North Platte Pow Wow. The North&nbsp; Platte Pow Wow is a cultural dancing and singing celebration featuring Native American&nbsp; participants. Along with the Pow Wow, this event includes a PTSD Awareness Walk, a tipi raising,&nbsp; a tribute to our veterans, a Quilts of Valor presentation, a parade, a night of cornhole and sand&nbsp; volleyball at Pals Brewing, and a basketball tournament. This event will take place on July 18th&nbsp; through the 21st and will primarily take place at Buffalo Bill State Historical Park. Annually, 650- 1,000 attendees and participants come to the North Platte Pow Wow. 95% of the participants&nbsp; are from out of state and well over half of the spectators are from outside of North Platte.&nbsp; Attendees and participants have grown to enjoy the North Platte Pow Wow over the past four years and the numbers are expected to grow again for the fifth annual showcase.&nbsp;• Approved $3,000 in incentive and promotional funding for Platte River Cruise Night. Platte&nbsp; River Cruise has grown from a single day event to a three-day celebration that offers not only a&nbsp; car show and cruise, but also a sound competition, loudest exhaust contest, burnout&nbsp; competition, rockabilly contest, sidewalk chalk contest, beer garden, dirt drags, street dance, car&nbsp; limbo, and appearances from celebrities like Ryan Evans from Counting Cars who will be&nbsp; attending the 2024 event. This year Platte River Cruise Night is scheduled for July 5th through&nbsp; the 7th. This event continues to bring car enthusiasts to our area while also providing a weekend&nbsp; of fun for locals.&nbsp;• Approved $7,000 in incentive and promotional funding for Viva North Platte. Now in its second&nbsp; year, this Hispanic cultural celebration will again educate on the history and celebrate the&nbsp; traditions of the Hispanic culture. It features a variety of performances, workshops, and&nbsp; activities that showcase talent and diversity, including the crowning of a Latina Queen and king.&nbsp; This event will help welcome newcomers by providing a space where their traditions are&nbsp; celebrated as well as educating existing community members and bringing in visitors and guests.&nbsp; Viva North Platte will be held at the D&amp;N Event Center on September 14th.• Approved $3,000 sports incentive funding for the Buffalo Bill Horseshoe Bash. The Buffalo Bill&nbsp; Horseshoe Bash is a regional/national horseshoe tournament that will be held July 19th through&nbsp; the 21st. The event will start off with a fun tournament on Friday with the larger competition&nbsp; being on Saturday and Sunday. Horseshoe pitches from across Nebraska, surrounding states,&nbsp; and across the nation will travel to participate in this tournament at Cody Park.&nbsp;• Approved $2,650 in incentive and promotional funding for the North Platte Canteen Festival.&nbsp; The North Platte Canteen Festival celebrates and honors the North Platte World War II Canteen&nbsp; which served more than six million soldiers. Now in its fourth year, the Canteen Festival is&nbsp; becoming a local favorite, and it offers visitors a chance to learn about our rich history. The 2024 festival will include a Fall Vendor and Art Show in the downtown Canteen District on September&nbsp; 28th. There will also be performances by the Flatrock Irregulars as well as Jody Ingalls from&nbsp; Encore History, a car show, and a display of military vehicles. The North Platte Community&nbsp; Playhouse will also be presenting the world premiere of ‘The North Platte Canteen: A Musical&nbsp; Miracle on September 27th, 28th, 29th, and October 4th, 5th, 6th which overlaps with the&nbsp; festival.&nbsp;• Approved $6,000 in sports incentive and promotional funding for the Buffalo Bill Brawl Boxing&nbsp; Tournament. This USA Boxing National Open Tournament has continued to grow each year that&nbsp; it has been held in North Platte. It is open to all ages and is expected to bring between 150 and&nbsp; 200 participants in 2024. This event is scheduled for July 26th-28th and will take place at the&nbsp; D&amp;N Event Center.&nbsp;• Approved $1,950 in sports incentive and promotional funding for the upcoming disc golf&nbsp; tournament, the Cody Park Train Wreck 3. Cody Park Train Wreck is a recurring tournament&nbsp; that started three years ago and has been successfully growing each year. The event is run by&nbsp; North Platte Disc Golf Club and will occur on September 14th. They will also be making&nbsp; improvements to two holes on the existing course. As our disc golf courses continue to improve,&nbsp; drawing visitors to our area to experience these updates will help bring awareness to the disc&nbsp; golf opportunities in our community.&nbsp;&nbsp;• Approved $9,900 in incentive funding for the North Platte Downtown Association to purchase&nbsp; location data software. As the downtown Canteen District continues to grow and improve,&nbsp; being able to gage the number of visitors to the area will not only help them when making&nbsp; decisions on upcoming improvements and project, but it will also allow them to explore more&nbsp; grant opportunities that require this information.&nbsp;• Approved $6,000 in sports incentive funding to Prep Lacrosse for the upcoming high school&nbsp; lacrosse showcase. This event will be held at the North Platte Public High School on July 24th&nbsp; and 25th. Here, players will be able to showcase their talents to college coaches and recruiters&nbsp; from around the nation. It is anticipated that 400-500 lacrosse players as well as 50 coaches will travel to North Platte for this event. Matt Rambo, professional lacrosse player, conducts these&nbsp; showcases for the purpose of increasing the awareness of the growing sport of lacrosse.&nbsp;The next round of funding is now open, with a July 1 deadline for events or projects occurring in&nbsp; October, November, and December of 2024. These applications will be considered at the regular&nbsp; monthly Board of Directors meeting scheduled for July 24, 2024. Anyone interested in submitting a&nbsp;grant application is encouraged to contact the Visitors Bureau at 308-532-4729 and discuss their project&nbsp; with a staff member.&nbsp;Grant funds, marketing, and operating expenses for Visit North Platte are funded solely through the&nbsp; lodging taxes that are collected and remitted for overnight stays by lodging properties in Lincoln County.&nbsp; It is thanks to the efforts of the lodging property partners located within the county that funds are&nbsp; available to attract more visitors, which have a significant impact on the economic well-being of our&nbsp; Lincoln County communities.&nbsp;

Visit North Platte Grant Awards

The North Platte Noon Rotary is once again will be making trips to local elementary schools to teach children about water safety and prevention from drowning with the Josh the Otter program.

North Platte Noon Rotary member Noah Harvey talked with Post News Director Canon Rath about the background of the program, how they educate the children and more. To learn more, check out the podcast below.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure>North Platte Post&nbsp;The North Platte Noon Rotary is once again will be making trips to local elementary schools to teach children about water safety and prevention from drowning with the Josh the Otter program.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714164181963.jpeg" alt="North Platte Noon Rotary attended McDaid Elementary last year to talk about Josh the Otter (Courtesy Photo)" />
 <figcaption>North Platte Noon Rotary attended McDaid Elementary last year to talk about Josh the Otter (Courtesy Photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>North Platte Noon Rotary member Noah Harvey talked with Post News Director Canon Rath about the background of the program, how they educate the children and more. To learn more, check out the podcast below.<div><iframe title="(Audio) North Platte Rotary club educates children on water safety with Josh the Otter" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=u56yp-15f866a-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714157895026.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

(Audio) North Platte Rotary club educates children on water safety with Josh the Otter

Nick McNew is one of three candidates running for city council ward 4 in the upcoming election in North Platte. McNew is a North Platte native. Post News Director Canon Rath chatted with McNew about why he is running, his vision if he's elected and more. To learn more about McNew, check out the podcast below.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714157483904.jpeg" alt="Nick McNew" />
 <figcaption>Nick McNew</figcaption>
 </figure>North Platte Post&nbsp;Nick McNew is one of three candidates running for city council ward 4 in the upcoming election in North Platte. McNew is a North Platte native. Post News Director Canon Rath chatted with McNew about why he is running, his vision if he's elected and more. To learn more about McNew, check out the podcast below.&nbsp;<div><iframe title="(Audio) Nick McNew - Candidate for City Council Ward 4" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=iijfc-15f864c-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

(Audio) Nick McNew - Candidate for City Council Ward 4

North Platte, Neb. -&nbsp;North Platte Giving Day is scheduled for Wednesday May 8th 2024. Families 1st Partnership will be participating and asking for donations to help prepare inmates for release as they seek a new way of life outside of crime and incarceration. This has been identified as a need by 14 different community partners who currently provide support to those incarcerated.

Inmates who do not have a plan or positive support network upon their release will often return to the same lifestyle that got them involved with crime in the first place. The inmates in the Lincoln County Detention Center could benefit from extra help to start work on a support system that will encourage taking steps to prepare for release. Often the inmates seek a trustworthy and caring individual that can help them navigate the community resources available for their needs. There are already several mentors and organizations available to provide encouragement and support, but they are now working together to take this one step farther and help the inmates with the necessary steps required to obtain an ID, birth certificate, training, education, job placement and spiritual guidance.

The group, Strengthening Purpose for Inmates, formed when community partners saw this as a gap in the community. There are several organizations and community advocates that come together each month to discuss the obstacles and barriers of inmates who will re-entry to our society after a jail sentence is complete. They’ve taken steps to work on a network of support and communication. The missing item is funds to support some of the basic things needed at release. Your donations are appreciated.

Families 1st PartnershipNorth Platte, Neb. -&nbsp;North Platte Giving Day is scheduled for Wednesday May 8th 2024. Families 1st Partnership will be participating and asking for donations to help prepare inmates for release as they seek a new way of life outside of crime and incarceration. This has been identified as a need by 14 different community partners who currently provide support to those incarcerated.Inmates who do not have a plan or positive support network upon their release will often return to the same lifestyle that got them involved with crime in the first place. The inmates in the Lincoln County Detention Center could benefit from extra help to start work on a support system that will encourage taking steps to prepare for release. Often the inmates seek a trustworthy and caring individual that can help them navigate the community resources available for their needs. There are already several mentors and organizations available to provide encouragement and support, but they are now working together to take this one step farther and help the inmates with the necessary steps required to obtain an ID, birth certificate, training, education, job placement and spiritual guidance.The group, Strengthening Purpose for Inmates, formed when community partners saw this as a gap in the community. There are several organizations and community advocates that come together each month to discuss the obstacles and barriers of inmates who will re-entry to our society after a jail sentence is complete. They’ve taken steps to work on a network of support and communication. The missing item is funds to support some of the basic things needed at release. Your donations are appreciated.

Families 1st Partnership to focus Giving Day donations toward inmate re-entry needs.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific's first-quarter profit crept 1% higher as the railroad tightened up on expenses — particularly its fuel bill — even though it delivered slightly less freight.

The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad said Thursday it made $1.64 billion, or $2.69 per share. That's more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-first-quarter-earnings-economy-bf63a5eeadb902e901b8aed4d8975ff9">last year's $1.63 billion</a>, or $.2.67 per share, even though last year's numbers were helped by a 14-cent gain on a real estate sale. Shipping volume was down 1% in the quarter.

The analysts surveyed by FactSet Research were expecting earnings of $2.51 per share.

“When I look at how we’re performing, I see improvement across the board,” CEO Jim Vena said. “The network is operating fluidly and efficiently, allowing us to meet the demand in the market. And that drove the financial success.”

The railroad's revenue was hurt by a drop in fuel surcharge revenue as fuel prices fell. Union Pacific said it generated $6.03 billion in revenue, down slightly from last year's $6.06 billion. But that was better than the $5.97 billion that analysts expected.

Union Pacific was able to hold down expenses 3% at $3.66 billion. That included a 14% drop in fuel expenses to $658 million in the quarter as diesel prices fell and the railroad improved its fuel efficiency a bit.

Vena&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-ceo-jim-vena-06b2fbdf515e7f5aa8d82c0b2cafbc88">became CEO</a>&nbsp;last summer after&nbsp;<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60ad6c502b44e43fe7a303b9/t/63fbc01f43115a3c065fa353/1677443103154/Soroban+-+Letter+to+Union+Pacific%27s+Board+of+Directors.pdf">investors pressured</a>&nbsp;Union Pacific to replace its last leader. Its improved performance showed up in the quarter in the form of slightly longer trains — reaching an average of 9287 feet (2,831 meters) in the quarter — a 4% increase in freight car velocity, 4,000 fewer times railcars needed to be switched between trains, and better performance on what shippers want.

Some UP customers want the railroad to deliver their shipments faster while some don't care as much about speed and are more concerned about getting consistent deliveries. But the railroad is working to improve on both fronts.

“You always try to optimize the network operationally and look for ways to be able to drive efficiencies in the network. But the base plan always is, what did we sell to customers? What did we tell the customers we’re going to deliver? And make sure that that’s the base plan. And from that you build it up,” Vena said.

Edward Jones analyst Jeff Windau said the results showed “solid improvement in operational and efficiency metrics.” That will give the railroad a strong foundation for future profits when the number of shipments increases.

Union Pacific said its quarterly results have it feeling more optimistic about profit growth this year even though it still expects volume growth to be muted after losing some international intermodal business and its expectation for lower coal shipments. So it plans to restart its stock repurchases in the second quarter.

But UP executives cautioned that the economy remains uncertain as businesses and consumers wait to see whether the Federal Reserve will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-rates-economy-federal-reserve-biden-f02b969d1b44a7ccb0385be03f766de0">start cutting interest rates</a>.

Investor pressure on the railroads is in the spotlight this spring because an activist investor is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/norfolk-southern-ancora-earnings-proxy-vote-shaw-f5383c8a2e2d87e215be48beb4e298b1">currently trying</a>&nbsp;to take control of Norfolk Southern and replace that railroad's management because its profits have lagged the rest of the industry. Vena said he doesn't shy away from that pressure because it's appropriate for shareholders to expect a return on their investment in the capitalist system.

“That’s the way business is,” Vena said. “The only reason an activist becomes involved somewhere is you’re just not performing to what you claim that you’ve been able to perform.”

UP is one of the nation’s largest railroads with more than 30000 miles (48,000 kilometers) of track crisscrossing 23 Western states.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714141645381.jpeg" alt=" A Union Pacific worker walks between two locomotives that are being serviced in a railyard in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Dec. 15, 2023. Union Pacific reports earnings on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Josh Funk)" />
 <figcaption> A Union Pacific worker walks between two locomotives that are being serviced in a railyard in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Dec. 15, 2023. Union Pacific reports earnings on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Josh Funk)</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific's first-quarter profit crept 1% higher as the railroad tightened up on expenses — particularly its fuel bill — even though it delivered slightly less freight.The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad said Thursday it made $1.64 billion, or $2.69 per share. That's more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-first-quarter-earnings-economy-bf63a5eeadb902e901b8aed4d8975ff9">last year's $1.63 billion</a>, or $.2.67 per share, even though last year's numbers were helped by a 14-cent gain on a real estate sale. Shipping volume was down 1% in the quarter.The analysts surveyed by FactSet Research were expecting earnings of $2.51 per share.“When I look at how we’re performing, I see improvement across the board,” CEO Jim Vena said. “The network is operating fluidly and efficiently, allowing us to meet the demand in the market. And that drove the financial success.”The railroad's revenue was hurt by a drop in fuel surcharge revenue as fuel prices fell. Union Pacific said it generated $6.03 billion in revenue, down slightly from last year's $6.06 billion. But that was better than the $5.97 billion that analysts expected.Union Pacific was able to hold down expenses 3% at $3.66 billion. That included a 14% drop in fuel expenses to $658 million in the quarter as diesel prices fell and the railroad improved its fuel efficiency a bit.Vena&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-ceo-jim-vena-06b2fbdf515e7f5aa8d82c0b2cafbc88">became CEO</a>&nbsp;last summer after&nbsp;<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60ad6c502b44e43fe7a303b9/t/63fbc01f43115a3c065fa353/1677443103154/Soroban+-+Letter+to+Union+Pacific%27s+Board+of+Directors.pdf">investors pressured</a>&nbsp;Union Pacific to replace its last leader. Its improved performance showed up in the quarter in the form of slightly longer trains — reaching an average of 9287 feet (2,831 meters) in the quarter — a 4% increase in freight car velocity, 4,000 fewer times railcars needed to be switched between trains, and better performance on what shippers want.Some UP customers want the railroad to deliver their shipments faster while some don't care as much about speed and are more concerned about getting consistent deliveries. But the railroad is working to improve on both fronts.“You always try to optimize the network operationally and look for ways to be able to drive efficiencies in the network. But the base plan always is, what did we sell to customers? What did we tell the customers we’re going to deliver? And make sure that that’s the base plan. And from that you build it up,” Vena said.Edward Jones analyst Jeff Windau said the results showed “solid improvement in operational and efficiency metrics.” That will give the railroad a strong foundation for future profits when the number of shipments increases.Union Pacific said its quarterly results have it feeling more optimistic about profit growth this year even though it still expects volume growth to be muted after losing some international intermodal business and its expectation for lower coal shipments. So it plans to restart its stock repurchases in the second quarter.But UP executives cautioned that the economy remains uncertain as businesses and consumers wait to see whether the Federal Reserve will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-rates-economy-federal-reserve-biden-f02b969d1b44a7ccb0385be03f766de0">start cutting interest rates</a>.Investor pressure on the railroads is in the spotlight this spring because an activist investor is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/norfolk-southern-ancora-earnings-proxy-vote-shaw-f5383c8a2e2d87e215be48beb4e298b1">currently trying</a>&nbsp;to take control of Norfolk Southern and replace that railroad's management because its profits have lagged the rest of the industry. Vena said he doesn't shy away from that pressure because it's appropriate for shareholders to expect a return on their investment in the capitalist system.“That’s the way business is,” Vena said. “The only reason an activist becomes involved somewhere is you’re just not performing to what you claim that you’ve been able to perform.”UP is one of the nation’s largest railroads with more than 30000 miles (48,000 kilometers) of track crisscrossing 23 Western states.

Union Pacific's first-quarter profit creeps up 1% as railroad limits expenses

North Platte - The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources has data collected from rainfall each day of the year. Below are totals from the POST area from the overnight period of April 25-April 26 at 7am local times.&nbsp;

The National Weather Service in North Platte says showers are likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 4pm on Friday, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 62. Breezy, with a northwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

North Platte - The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources has data collected from rainfall each day of the year. Below are totals from the POST area from the overnight period of April 25-April 26 at 7am local times.&nbsp;The National Weather Service in North Platte says showers are likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 4pm on Friday, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 62. Breezy, with a northwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.McCook (7 miles SSW) - 2.82Chappell (10 miles NNE) - 2.49McCook - 2.28Oshkosh (11 miles WSW) - 2.15Palisade (2.4 miles WSW) - 1.80Lodgepole - 1.83Hayes Center - 1.74Lewellen (11 miles SSW) - 1.62Broken Bow - 1.58Gothenburg (11 miles North) - 1.56Brady (6 miles NNE) - 1.43Curtis (8.8 miles South) - 1.30Wauneta - 1.30Callaway - 1.25North Platte (11 miles South) - 1.19North Platte - 1.11Maxwell - 1.10Ogallala (12.5 miles SSW) - 1.00Imperial - .93Big Springs (2.68 miles NE) - .92Maywood (10 miles South) - .91Arnold - .90Wellfleet (7.6 miles NNE) - .88Grant - .80Champion - .78Madrid (8 miles SW) - .59Paxton (2.86 miles West) - .52Hershey (6 miles NW) - .51

Overnight storms bring rain, more could come tonight (Rain Gauge Report 4/26/24)

****Editor's note: Reupload due to audio issues.

North Platte, Neb. - The FUR Animal Rescue is excited to be hosting the "Comedy to the Rescue" fundraiser event this Saturday at Venue 304 in North Platte. The doors open at 6:30pm with the show starting at 7:00pm. There will be a cash bar, snacks and more. Performing during the show is comedian Clay Foley.&nbsp;

Post News Director Canon Rath chatted with Jenn Milne about the upcoming event. To learn more, check out the podcast below. If you would like to purchase tickets,<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-to-the-rescue-fundraiser-for-fur-animal-rescue-tickets-876388350147?aff=ebdsshother&amp;utm_share_source=home-feed_android&amp;fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2G4HmSxAD-YV8maULmgBcrb4ion5F7GL-Ou-Rtk3F8N9ukWQAwcwRCf9M_aem_AZUSwkxY1OmEZZCUdZtJPUhRZ1Wbsx5VsvVWQ2MbIMJfn0xmOmzN-TkpGt57dwYzLKkugEqKVgynAzBlaW8_4p6H"> click here.</a>&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure>****Editor's note: Reupload due to audio issues.North Platte Post&nbsp;North Platte, Neb. - The FUR Animal Rescue is excited to be hosting the "Comedy to the Rescue" fundraiser event this Saturday at Venue 304 in North Platte. The doors open at 6:30pm with the show starting at 7:00pm. There will be a cash bar, snacks and more. Performing during the show is comedian Clay Foley.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714076448493.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Post News Director Canon Rath chatted with Jenn Milne about the upcoming event. To learn more, check out the podcast below. If you would like to purchase tickets,<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-to-the-rescue-fundraiser-for-fur-animal-rescue-tickets-876388350147?aff=ebdsshother&amp;utm_share_source=home-feed_android&amp;fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2G4HmSxAD-YV8maULmgBcrb4ion5F7GL-Ou-Rtk3F8N9ukWQAwcwRCf9M_aem_AZUSwkxY1OmEZZCUdZtJPUhRZ1Wbsx5VsvVWQ2MbIMJfn0xmOmzN-TkpGt57dwYzLKkugEqKVgynAzBlaW8_4p6H"> click here.</a>&nbsp;<div><iframe title="(Audio) Comedy to the Rescue Fundrasier event this weekend" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=4y699-15f7137-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

(Audio) Comedy to the Rescue Fundrasier event this weekend

North Platte, Neb. – Great Plains Health is proud to announce its participation in the upcoming Stop the Bleed training day, a statewide event aimed at empowering individuals with life-saving skills to intervene during emergency situations involving severe bleeding. This community event will take place at the North Platte Recreation Center, 1300 McDonald Rd. North Platte, Neb., on May 8, from 7 to 9 a.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Stop the Bleed is an initiative designed to educate communities on the immediate steps&nbsp; to take when faced with traumatic injuries. By teaching basic bleeding control&nbsp; techniques, the program equips participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to&nbsp; potentially save lives before professional help arrives.&nbsp;

"We are excited to be part of the Stop the Bleed training day," said Kellie Mahanes,&nbsp; Great Plains Health trauma coordinator. "Empowering our community with these skills&nbsp; can make a substantial difference in emergency situations.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

During the event, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from certified instructors&nbsp; proper bleeding control techniques, including how to apply pressure, use tourniquets&nbsp; effectively, and keep the injured person alert and calm until emergency responders&nbsp; arrive. Great Plains Health encourages members of the community to attend this&nbsp; important event and become equipped with the knowledge and skills to save lives. For&nbsp; more information about the Stop the Bleed training day and how to participate, please&nbsp; contact Kelly Mahanes at 308.568.8610 or mahanesk@gphealth.org&nbsp;

About Great Plains Health Based in North Platte, Nebraska, Great Plains Health is a&nbsp; fully accredited, 116-bed acute-care regional medical center serving western and&nbsp; central Nebraska, northern Kansas, and southern South Dakota. With 90 physicians&nbsp; representing nearly 30 medical specialties, the Great Plains Health system offers&nbsp; advanced health care, including heart and vascular, cancer, and orthopedic surgery&nbsp; services. Great Plains Health is a Level III trauma center, and all of its emergency&nbsp; department physicians are residency-trained and board-certified in emergency&nbsp; medicine. The system employs approximately 1,200 employees and serves a&nbsp; geographic area spanning approximately 16,000 square miles. The hospital is&nbsp;

accredited by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) and is home to an American College of Surgeons-accredited cancer center and Level II bariatric surgery program. For more information, visit gphealth.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714059611638.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>Emily TheilerGreat Plains HealthNorth Platte, Neb. – Great Plains Health is proud to announce its participation in the upcoming Stop the Bleed training day, a statewide event aimed at empowering individuals with life-saving skills to intervene during emergency situations involving severe bleeding. This community event will take place at the North Platte Recreation Center, 1300 McDonald Rd. North Platte, Neb., on May 8, from 7 to 9 a.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;Stop the Bleed is an initiative designed to educate communities on the immediate steps&nbsp; to take when faced with traumatic injuries. By teaching basic bleeding control&nbsp; techniques, the program equips participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to&nbsp; potentially save lives before professional help arrives.&nbsp;"We are excited to be part of the Stop the Bleed training day," said Kellie Mahanes,&nbsp; Great Plains Health trauma coordinator. "Empowering our community with these skills&nbsp; can make a substantial difference in emergency situations.”&nbsp;&nbsp;During the event, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from certified instructors&nbsp; proper bleeding control techniques, including how to apply pressure, use tourniquets&nbsp; effectively, and keep the injured person alert and calm until emergency responders&nbsp; arrive. Great Plains Health encourages members of the community to attend this&nbsp; important event and become equipped with the knowledge and skills to save lives. For&nbsp; more information about the Stop the Bleed training day and how to participate, please&nbsp; contact Kelly Mahanes at 308.568.8610 or mahanesk@gphealth.org&nbsp;About Great Plains Health Based in North Platte, Nebraska, Great Plains Health is a&nbsp; fully accredited, 116-bed acute-care regional medical center serving western and&nbsp; central Nebraska, northern Kansas, and southern South Dakota. With 90 physicians&nbsp; representing nearly 30 medical specialties, the Great Plains Health system offers&nbsp; advanced health care, including heart and vascular, cancer, and orthopedic surgery&nbsp; services. Great Plains Health is a Level III trauma center, and all of its emergency&nbsp; department physicians are residency-trained and board-certified in emergency&nbsp; medicine. The system employs approximately 1,200 employees and serves a&nbsp; geographic area spanning approximately 16,000 square miles. The hospital is&nbsp;accredited by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) and is home to an American College of Surgeons-accredited cancer center and Level II bariatric surgery program. For more information, visit gphealth.org.

Great Plains Health announces its participation in the Stop the Bleed training day

The&nbsp;Nebraska Library Commission&nbsp;recently awarded&nbsp;Nebraska Library Internship Grants&nbsp;totaling $21,000 to eighteen Nebraska public libraries. These internship grants will support public library interns who will contribute to the scope and value of the diverse programs and activities in Nebraska’s public libraries.

“The internships are a great opportunity for students to get involved in library work. Beyond earning money and gaining valuable work experience, the student is exposed to the broad range of library services and programming. Internships provide an opportunity for the student to view the library as a viable and satisfying career choice. In addition, interns bring a fresh perspective and their own unique talents to the library,” said Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner.

Student interns will learn about library work as they shadow staff, assist with day-to-day library operations, and implement special projects. Some of the activities that students will participate in include:

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Summer Reading Programs for youth, teens, and adults

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Help plan and conduct makerspace classes, STEAM activities, story time, computer classes, and Pioneer Days events

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Assist with library outreach at the Farmer's Market

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Partner with local historian to work in the Heritage Room

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Field trips to visit other public libraries

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Partnerships with the Community Club, Library Foundation, 4-H, FFA, and County Extension

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Basic library duties: circulation, shelving, weeding, attending library board and city/village council meetings, processing acquisitions

The following 18 Nebraska public libraries were awarded 2024 internship grant funding:

Loren Corey Eiseley Branch Library, Charles H. Gere Branch Library, Bennett Martin Public Library, Youth Services Outreach, Bess Dodson Walt Branch Library, Northeast Service Unit - Victor E. Anderson &amp; Bethany Branch Libraries

Nancy Fawcett Memorial Library, Lodgepole

Funding for the project is supported and administered by the Nebraska Library Commission, in partnership with the Nebraska Library Systems.

As the state library agency, the&nbsp;Nebraska Library Commission&nbsp;is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”

Nebraska’s Regional Library Systems&nbsp;consist of four non-profit corporations governed by boards representative of libraries and citizens in the region. The four systems were established to provide access to improved library services through the cooperation of all types of libraries and media centers within the counties included in each System area.

Nebraska Library CommissionThe&nbsp;Nebraska Library Commission&nbsp;recently awarded&nbsp;Nebraska Library Internship Grants&nbsp;totaling $21,000 to eighteen Nebraska public libraries. These internship grants will support public library interns who will contribute to the scope and value of the diverse programs and activities in Nebraska’s public libraries.“The internships are a great opportunity for students to get involved in library work. Beyond earning money and gaining valuable work experience, the student is exposed to the broad range of library services and programming. Internships provide an opportunity for the student to view the library as a viable and satisfying career choice. In addition, interns bring a fresh perspective and their own unique talents to the library,” said Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner.Student interns will learn about library work as they shadow staff, assist with day-to-day library operations, and implement special projects. Some of the activities that students will participate in include:•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Summer Reading Programs for youth, teens, and adults•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Help plan and conduct makerspace classes, STEAM activities, story time, computer classes, and Pioneer Days events•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Assist with library outreach at the Farmer's Market•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Partner with local historian to work in the Heritage Room•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Field trips to visit other public libraries•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Partnerships with the Community Club, Library Foundation, 4-H, FFA, and County Extension•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Basic library duties: circulation, shelving, weeding, attending library board and city/village council meetings, processing acquisitionsThe following 18 Nebraska public libraries were awarded 2024 internship grant funding:Atkinson Public LibraryAxtell Public LibraryRock County Public Library, BassettBayard Public LibraryGarfield County Library, BurwellCentral City Public LibraryCeresco Community LibraryClearwater Public LibraryGrand Island Public LibraryHowells Public LibraryLincoln City Libraries –Loren Corey Eiseley Branch Library, Charles H. Gere Branch Library, Bennett Martin Public Library, Youth Services Outreach, Bess Dodson Walt Branch Library, Northeast Service Unit - Victor E. Anderson &amp; Bethany Branch LibrariesNancy Fawcett Memorial Library, LodgepoleOrchard Public LibraryOsmond Public LibraryPalisade Public LibraryPapillion Public LibraryStromsburg Public LibraryValley Public LibraryFunding for the project is supported and administered by the Nebraska Library Commission, in partnership with the Nebraska Library Systems.As the state library agency, the&nbsp;Nebraska Library Commission&nbsp;is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”Nebraska’s Regional Library Systems&nbsp;consist of four non-profit corporations governed by boards representative of libraries and citizens in the region. The four systems were established to provide access to improved library services through the cooperation of all types of libraries and media centers within the counties included in each System area.

$21,000 in Internship Grants Awarded to Nebraska Public Libraries

Omaha, Neb. - Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) today reported 2024 first quarter net income of $1.6 billion, or $2.69 per diluted share. This compares to 2023 first quarter net income of $1.6 billion, or $2.67 per diluted share.

“Our team delivered strong financial results in the first quarter as we navigated a challenging freight market and normal winter conditions,” said Jim Vena, Union Pacific Chief Executive Officer. “These results build on the momentum we established as we exited 2023 and provide further proof of what’s possible as we strive to be the best in safety, service, and operational excellence. This is a great start to the year, but we understand there’s work to be done to achieve our goals and meet our stakeholders’ expectations.”

Financial Results: Improved Operational Efficiency and Core Pricing Gains Drive Increase in Operating Income; First Quarter Records for Operating Income and Net Income

Operating Performance: Improvement Across Safety, Service, and Operational Excellence; First Quarter Record for Fuel Consumption Rate

First Quarter 2024 Earnings Conference Call

Union Pacific will webcast its first quarter 2024 earnings release presentation live at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/up/investor/index.htm">www.up.com/investor</a>&nbsp;and via teleconference on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at 8:45 a.m. Eastern Time. Participants may join the conference call by dialing 877-407-8293 (or for international participants, 201-689-8349).

Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and businesses use every day with safe, reliable, and efficient service. Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union Pacific is available at www.up.com.

Union PacificOmaha, Neb. - Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) today reported 2024 first quarter net income of $1.6 billion, or $2.69 per diluted share. This compares to 2023 first quarter net income of $1.6 billion, or $2.67 per diluted share.“Our team delivered strong financial results in the first quarter as we navigated a challenging freight market and normal winter conditions,” said Jim Vena, Union Pacific Chief Executive Officer. “These results build on the momentum we established as we exited 2023 and provide further proof of what’s possible as we strive to be the best in safety, service, and operational excellence. This is a great start to the year, but we understand there’s work to be done to achieve our goals and meet our stakeholders’ expectations.”<h2>First Quarter Summary: 2024 vs. 2023</h2><h2>Financial Results: Improved Operational Efficiency and Core Pricing Gains Drive Increase in Operating Income; First Quarter Records for Operating Income and Net Income</h2><ul>
 <li>Operating revenue of $6.0 billion was flat driven by core pricing gains and business mix offset by reduced fuel surcharge revenue and lower volume.</li><li>Freight revenue excluding fuel surcharge revenue grew 4% as revenue carloads declined 1%.</li><li>Operating ratio was 60.7%, an improvement of 140 basis points. Lower fuel prices during the quarter negatively impacted the operating ratio 60 basis points.</li><li>Operating income of $2.4 billion was up 3%.</li>
 </ul><h2>Operating Performance: Improvement Across Safety, Service, and Operational Excellence; First Quarter Record for Fuel Consumption Rate</h2><ul>
 <li>Union Pacific’s reportable personal injury and reportable derailment rates both improved.</li><li>Quarterly freight car velocity was 203 daily miles per car, a 4% improvement.</li><li>Quarterly locomotive productivity was 135 gross ton-miles (GTMs) per horsepower day, a 10% improvement.</li><li>Average maximum train length was 9,287 feet, a 1% increase.</li><li>Quarterly workforce productivity improved 1% to 1,000 car miles per employee.</li><li>Fuel consumption rate of 1.115, measured in gallons of fuel per thousand GTMs, improved 1%.</li>
 </ul><h2>2024 Outlook</h2><h2>Updated</h2><ul>
 <li>Profitability outlook gaining momentum with strong service product, improving network efficiency, and solid pricing</li><li>Restarting share repurchases in second quarter</li>
 </ul><h2>Affirmed</h2><ul>
 <li>Volume outlook muted by international intermodal business loss, lower coal demand, and soft economic conditions</li><li>Pricing dollars in excess of inflation dollars</li><li>No change to long-term capital allocation strategyCapital plan of $3.4 billion</li><li>Capital plan of $3.4 billion</li>
 </ul><h2>First Quarter 2024 Earnings Conference Call</h2>Union Pacific will webcast its first quarter 2024 earnings release presentation live at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/up/investor/index.htm">www.up.com/investor</a>&nbsp;and via teleconference on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at 8:45 a.m. Eastern Time. Participants may join the conference call by dialing 877-407-8293 (or for international participants, 201-689-8349).<h2>About Union Pacific</h2>Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and businesses use every day with safe, reliable, and efficient service. Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union Pacific is available at www.up.com.Union Pacific Investor contact:&nbsp;Brad Stock at 402-544-4227 or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/messages?address=bkstock">bkstock@up.com</a><ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.up.com/cs/groups/public/@uprr/@investor/documents/investordocuments/pdf_unp_1q24_er_newsrelease.pdf">Supplemental financial information is attached</a></li>
 </ul>