Beatrice, NE

[Coyote]

Beatrice residents dealing with storm aftermath, suffer heavy damage to vehicles

[Coyote]

The Beatrice Nebraska Hail storm



Silverline Chasing

On June 11th 2022 a massive hail storm formed and then sat over Beatrice Nebraska dropping very large hail. Hail of 3.75" & 5.00" were reported with this storm. Larger hail than 5.00" likely fell in parts of Beatrice.

[Cermak]

Excellent video, those are some large hail stones. I would imagine the damage is extensive in Beatrice. A lot of insurance claims for sure.

It seems like once the hail stone gets to be about the size of a golf ball it really starts to do some damage.

[Coyote]

Hail damage keeping body shops, insurance agents busy in Beatrice

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State funding sought to help revitalize rural main streets,
historic urban business district

LINCOLN — A Nebraska program that helps revitalize small-town main streets and big-town historic districts pales in size compared to efforts in nearby states. The nonprofit Nebraska Main Street Network runs on less than $40,000 a year from memberships and grants and has one part-time employee who works with 17 communities across the state. By comparison, Missouri’s Main Street program gets $500,000 a year from the state and has a staff of nine that works with 163 towns. Programs in Iowa and Wyoming also benefit from annual state funding of $1 million and $500,000, respectively. Meanwhile, Nebraska’s Main Street program hasn’t gotten state funds in six years. “Right now, we’re kind of running on fumes,” said Elizabeth Chase, the executive director of the Nebraska program.

‘Mom-and-pop’ shops

On Wednesday, advocates for revitalizing historic shopping areas testified in favor of providing $250,000 a year to a grant program that might help the Nebraska Main Street program. Such funding would allow the program here to help more communities with technical advice on efforts such as historic restoration of buildings, marketing main street businesses and helping entrepreneurs turn ideas into enterprises.



The Main Street Beatrice program not only helps entrepreneurs open businesses and building owners restore historic structures but also promotes shopping at such stores, like the Gorgeous Hanger, a clothing boutique for women and children. (Courtesy of Michael Sothan)

“We have programs for big businesses. But what about the mom-and-pop shops? There’s not as much,” said Michael Sothan, executive director of Main Street Beatrice. The Beatrice program is an anomaly in Nebraska — it gets $150,000 a year from fundraisers, businesses and grants and has a staff of two, the largest program in the state. It has also produced results, inspiring the opening of 30 new businesses in the downtown business district since 2016, Sothan told members of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee. A brewery, pottery shop, boutique, speakeasy and freeze-dried food business are among the recent additions in downtown Beatrice.

Provides grants

State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams, who represents the Beatrice area, said he’s seen the improvements that have come to the community of 12,300 residents. State funding, contained in Dorn’s Legislative Bill 563, would allow more communities to launch programs and work on reenergizing their historic districts, the senator said. Under the bill, which was introduced on behalf of the Nebraska Main Street Network, $250,000 a year would be given to History Nebraska to distribute as grants to organizations that provide education and technical expertise about main street revitalization, business growth and historic preservation. Chase said if her office got funding, it would allow more “one-on-one” help to communities across the state. “It’s economic development through historic restoration,” she said. No one testified against LB 563 on Wednesday, and the bill received more than a dozen letters of support. The Appropriations Committee took no action following the hearing but will craft its proposed budget later in the 2023 session.

[Coyote]

Dairy Queen owners retire after 38 years of serving Beatrice



BEATRICE, Neb. (KOLN) - The Dairy Queen at 901 Court Street opens at 11 a.m. each day, but this week is bittersweet for the store owners. After 38 years and countless hours, they are retiring and passing the business to the owners of the second Dairy Queen location in Beatrice. “We enjoy all the employees- that’s probably what we’ll miss the most,” said Lavern Engelman, co-owner. “We’ve good employees and that’s what it takes to run a good business.” “And the customers,” added Kim Fugett, also a co-owner. “We’ll miss some of them terribly.” To celebrate with Beatrice on their last day, the owners sold everything for 38% off in honor of their 38 years of operation.

[Coyote]

Grant programs look to revitalize small towns



The distinct downtowns of Nebraska is one of the things that makes it special, but as many small towns dry up, some of those historic areas are decaying too.

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Homestead National Historical Park
to host annual Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival



BEATRICE, Neb. – Homestead National Historical Park invites you to join us on May 27, 2023, to share your talent and compete in our annual Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival. We look forward to hosting this yearly event that honors the musical traditions of the Homestead Era. There will be over $3,000 in prize money provided by the Leigh F., Jane M., and Leigh M. Coffin Foundation. There are three main divisions of competition. The Junior Division is for people who have played the fiddle for less than five years. The Senior Division is for people who have played for five years or longer, and the Legends Division is for people who have previously won 1st in the Senior Division.Registration for the May 27, competition begins at 9 a.m. and the competition begins at noon in the Junior Division, followed by the Senior Division, and ending with the Legends Division.

[Coyote]

Bee Bum stays busy keeping bees,
making products near Beatrice



BEATRICE, Neb. (KOLN) - Honeybees have a unique, but very specific, way of communicating with the rest of the colony. One way is by fanning across the hive’s landing board with their stingers pointed up to spread pheromones. “On hot days, the honeybees all have their bums in the air,” said Kevin Monfelt. “And one day, I was like, ‘Wow, look at all of those bee bums.’” That’s where Kevin and Julie Monfelt got the name for their beekeeping operation: Bee Bum. They started keeping bees in 2014 when they lived in the small town of Adams. “He called me one day, and said, ‘Hey, I bought a bee hive,’” laughed Julie. “And I said, ‘We live in town. Can we do that?’”

Bee Bum also holds classes to teach the younger generations what the Monfelts mostly taught themselves. One of Kevin’s mentees is a 13-year-old named Joel Cronk. His mother had him research beekeeping before he took one of Bee Bum’s classes. After his first year of managing hives, Cronk’s honey won a blue ribbon at the Nebraska State Fair. “It mostly felt pretty exciting,” Cronk said while displaying a drone honeybee. “I know I would not be there without Kevin. The owners of Bee Bum want to teach beekeeping to others. Dates for their monthly classes are posted on the Bee Bum Facebook page. People can also order Bee Bum Honey, hot honey, lip balms and lotion bars on their website or stop by their Bee Bum booth at markets across Nebraska. They do not mail creamed honey during the summer, but customers can also shop at their acreage at 6696 US Hwy 136 near Beatrice.

[Coyote]

Grace McDonald tries Bee Bum's creamed, infused honeys



Bee Bum harvest from 300 honeybee colonies to make creamed honey, infused honey, lotion bars and lip balms. You can order these products at Bee Bum Honey