Southern Nebraska Register Articles & Photography
Leigh Calfee
Writer, Photographer, Advocate
United States
I am a writer, photographer and advocate for abused and neglected children in the foster care system.
United States
I am a writer, photographer and advocate for abused and neglected children in the foster care system.
Southern Nebraska Register Articles & Photography
Story by Leigh Calfee (SNR) - Pope Saint John Paul II instituted World Day for Consecrated Life in 1997 as a day of prayer for women and men who live consecrated lives. For consecrated religious in the Diocese of Lincoln, Feb. 2 is a time to reflect upon their vocation and their witness to the world.
Story by Leigh Calfee NEBRASKA CITY (SNR) - Libby Fulton never expected to be a full-time missionary serving in Taiwan. Although she had completed short-term mission trips, and she felt God calling her to a missionary lifestyle, Taiwan was never on Fulton's radar. Yet she will leave Jan.
Story by Leigh Calfee NEBRASKA CITY - St. Mary Church in Nebraska City hosted a community Advent recital Dec. 2, the 38th year for the event. Choirs from various local churches participated in the recital, with David Partsch of First United Methodist Church serving as master of ceremonies.
Story by Leigh Calfee NEBRASKA CITY (SNR) -The Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration at St. Benedict Parish in Nebraska City has been an annual event for many years. The 2018 celebration was filled with music, ceremonial dancing and traditional foods. It was also a time for members of the Spanish-speaking community to strengthen their faith in Jesus.
By Leigh Calfee NEBRASKA CITY (SNR) - Lisa Beardslee recently gathered her husband, Gene, and their four children to travel to St. Benedict Parish in Nebraska City for "Ablaze," an evening of praise, worship and adoration. Beardslee, who lives in Peru and attends St.
Story by Leigh Calfee (SNR) - Kay Wessel has been collecting diapers for mothers and babies in the Diocese of Lincoln for nine years. What began as a suggestion from a priest in the diocese has expanded into a program that has collected thousands of diapers for women in need, and their babies, over the past nine years.
Official website of the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln.
Official website of the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln.
By Leigh Calfee Nebraska City (SNR) - On Wednesday evenings during the fall, parishioners from the Nebraska City area stream into the convent of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother. A similar scene is repeated on Thursday mornings and again on Sunday nights.
By Leigh Calfee (SNR) - St. John Bosco, popularly known as "Don Bosco," dedicated his life to serving underprivileged children and juveniles with legal issues. Although Don Bosco lived in the 19th century, and was canonized a saint in 1934 by Pope Pius XI, his legacy lives on across the globe, including in the Diocese of Lincoln.
Story by Leigh Calfee LINCOLN (SNR) - Matt Simmons' enthusiasm for Jesus is infectious. As the director of evangelization for the new Office of Spiritual Formation in the Diocese of Lincoln, he is focused on sharing his enthusiasm for the living God with Catholics throughout the diocese.
Story by Leigh Calfee LINCOLN (SNR) - The fall semester of the Benedict XVI School of Catechesis begins Sept. 15. This will be the second of a two-year program consisting of 96 hours of catechetical formation. Those interested in participating do not need to have completed year one to register for the 2018-2019 sessions.
By Leigh Calfee (SNR) - Nine students and five chaperones from North American Martyrs Church in Lincoln completed a mission trip to Gallup, N.M. this summer, where they assisted the Missionaries of Charity with ministering to Gallup's homeless population.
Story by Leigh Calfee (SNR) - The Catholic Engaged Encounter (EE) national conference was held July 27-29 in Omaha, with attendees from both the United States and abroad. The conference was the culmination of a two-year planning process, and it provided couples leading Engaged Encounter weekends an opportunity to strengthen their own marriages and refresh their faith.
Story by Leigh Calfee NEBRASKA CITY (SNR) - Students who recently participated in Nebraska City's Totus Tuus program enjoyed a week packed with games, contests, vocation talks, Mass, Eucharistic adoration and more. They were led by a team of young adults trained by the Diocese of Lincoln to teach the faith and inspire the next generation of Catholics.
Story by Leigh Calfee NEBRASKA CITY (SNR) - Parishioners at St. Benedict in Nebraska City recently began meeting weekly for a six-week summer learning series. The "Encounter" group gathers each Wednesday evening to share a meal and watch a short video from Alpha International.
Nebraska City News-Press Four-Part Series on Otoe County, NE's 2018 Sheriff's Race
Sheriff Jim Gress has served as Otoe County's chief law enforcement official since1983. Whether he will run for sheriff again in 2018 is yet to be determined.If he does mount another campaign, he would like to see the election decided during next May's primary.
Otoe County Chief Deputy Mike Holland has announced plans to run for Otoe County Sheriff in 2018. A deputy with the department since 1996, he views transitioning from chief deputy to sheriff as the natural progression of a 13-year internship with the county's longest-serving sheriff.
Brian Briley announced in June that he is running for Otoe County Sheriff. Since then, Briley, a deputy with the county since 2003, has been working to build campaign momentum as the field of candidates continues to grow.Briley grew up in Percival, Iowa, and graduated from Sidney High School.
Editor's Note: This article is the first in a series featuring candidates for Otoe County Sheriff for 2018.Jeff Lant recently announced he is running again for Otoe County Sheriff in 2018. After a hard-fought campaign in 2014 against incumbent Sheriff Jim Gress, Lant lost by 302 out of 5,344 votes cast.
Nebraska City News-Press Articles & Photography
The fish pond at Arbor Lodge is operational once again. Closed recently for renovations, the pond now boasts a tranquil, immersive experience for visitors.The pond sits on ground formerly used as a flower garden at Arbor Lodge State Park. A koi pond was installed in 1993, and countless visitors have enjoyed it over the years.
Blake Armstrong, the new pastor at Cornerstone Church, is used to trusting God when it comes to big decisions. Earlier this year, Armstrong resigned from his job as pastor of Cozad's Living Hope Assembly of God. He had not yet secured a new position, but he knew God was telling him to go east.
Seven high school students from Nebraska City recently returned from the trip of a lifetime. The teens performed in seven countries in 16 days as part of the Nebraska Ambassadors of Music European Concert Tour.Six musicians from Lourdes Central Catholic Schools and one Nebraska City High School student participated in the tour, which includes orchestra, choir and band performances.
Despite challenges, changes and adversity, the well-known Crunk family of Nebraska City has persevered and remained positive. Mike Crunk, despite having to go through numerous operations to fix damage inflicted by an aortic aneurysm, has maintained his wry sense of humor.
Young historians taking part in last week's Chautauqua Camp at the Morton James Public Library learned the value of additional research.Camp participants spent the week researching prominent Nebraska City figures from the WWI era, writing a script, choosing a costume and performing a one-person show at last Friday's Nebraska City Chautauqua.
With the recent addition of two Little Free Libraries, Nebraska City joins a growing number of big cities and small towns across the globe in providing free, round-the-clock access to books of all kinds. The project was initiated by the Optimist Club of Nebraska City.