FFA Officer Feature | Aniston Meints, Vice President

Aniston Meints, a junior,  serves as a vice president of the EMF FFA Chapter, where she helps lead and support members throughout the year. As an officer, Meints takes on the responsibility of being a leader, role model, and helper for all chapter members. She also works with the officer team to plan chapter meetings, organize events, and design activities for members to participate in.

Meints chose to become an FFA officer because of her passion for involvement and leadership. “I wanted to become an officer to be a leader in our FFA chapter. I enjoy participating in our events and competitions, and being an officer for our chapter would further involve me in these events,” she said. She also credits past chapter leaders for inspiring her to step into the role and hopes to be a source of support and encouragement for other members.

What Meints loves most about FFA is the strong sense of community it provides. “Within our chapter and through connecting with other chapters at events and competitions, I have met many new people,” she shared. Meints also values the communication and leadership skills she has gained through FFA, skills she plans to carry with her throughout her life.

Kaydence Haase to Continue Volleyball Career at Midland University

Kaydence Haase, a senior at EMF, will be continuing her academic and athletic career at Midland University playing volleyball.

EMF Girls v. Pawnee City

 Photos courtesy of Leesa Bartu.

EMF Boys v. Pawnee City

 Photos courtesy of Leesa Bartu.

FFA Officer Feature | Selah Petersen, Vice President

Selah Petersen, a senior, serves as a vice president of the EMF FFA Chapter and plays an active role in planning and encouraging participation within the organization. Her responsibilities include planning chapter meetings alongside fellow officers, writing reports for meetings, and motivating members to take part in various FFA activities.

Petersen became an FFA officer to serve as a role model and leader for younger members. “I wanted to be a leader to the kids who participate in FFA. There are many opportunities to reach out to younger members and help them learn how to become leaders through this organization,” she said.

What Petersen loves most about FFA is seeing members discover and grow in their individual interests. “I love seeing what everyone has become the most interested in through different FFA activities. Everyone has their own views and interests and watching them excel in these areas has been fun to see,” Petersen shared. Her leadership helps foster growth, confidence, and enthusiasm throughout the EMF FFA Chapter.

Death Notice: Tim Thomsen

A Memorial Service will be Friday, February 27, 2026 at 2:00pm at Fairview Manor in Fairmont, Nebraska. Pasting Michele Kanzaki will preside over the Memorial Service.

A book signing and visitation will be Thursday, February 26, 2026 from 4:00-8:00pm at Farmer Funeral Home in Exeter, Nebraska.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial donations to be made to: Church on the Rock, Texarkana, Texas; Fairview Manor Lighted Cross Fund, Fairmont, Nebraska; or University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletic Fund/Men's Basketball. 

Tim's service will be live-streamed to Farmer & Son Funeral Home's YouTube page.

https://www.youtube.com/@FarmerSonFuneralHome

Happy Valentines Day

 

FFA Officer Feature | Jacob Spohn, Vice President

Jacob Spohn, a junior, serves as a vice president of the EMF FFA Chapter, helping support chapter leadership and member involvement. In his role, Spohn is responsible for being on time to meetings, participating in Leadership Development Events (LDEs), and assisting with other responsibilities as needed to help the chapter operate smoothly.

Spohn chose to become an FFA officer to both educate others and grow as a leader. “I wanted to help people learn about agriculture and to learn about being a leader,” he said.

What Spohn enjoys most about FFA is the trust and teamwork it builds among members. “Being with people I can trust and working together with other leadership groups,” Spohn shared. Through his involvement, he continues to develop leadership skills while contributing positively to the EMF FFA community. 

FFA Officer Feature | Caleb Black, Treasurer and Vice President

Caleb Black, a senior, serves as both treasurer and vice president of the EMF FFA Chapter, taking on important leadership and financial responsibilities. As treasurer, Black keeps track of the chapter’s account balance and oversees financial records. In his role as vice president, he also helps fund and support chapter meetings, activities, and other FFA events, ensuring the chapter’s programs are run smoothly.

Black decided to become an FFA officer because of the positive impact he hoped to make. “I mainly wanted to become an FFA officer because of the positive influence I could have on my peers and community,” he said.

What Black appreciates most about FFA is the strong sense of unity within the organization. “The thing I love most about being in FFA is how much of a family-life bond we have together. We learn together, support together, and compete together. It’s such a wonderful community to be part of to advance our leadership abilities and teamwork,” Black shared. Through his leadership roles, he continues to help strengthen the EMF FFA Chapter while growing alongside his fellow members.

What's New on the Library Shelves? | Mystery and Thriller Edition

The Girl from Devil's Lake by J.A. Vance

Sheriff Joanna Brady is looking forward to the holidays with her busy family, and to celebrating her daughter Jenny’s graduation from the police academy. But the family is interrupted when a body is discovered beneath a flooded bridge in the Arizona desert, and Joanna is called onto the case. A young boy was murdered, and the details of the crime scene tell Joanna two This was not the killer’s first murder. And it’s only a matter of time before he kills again.

As Joanna digs deeper into the case, she begins to understand this murder is just one piece of a much, much bigger puzzle. She uncovers unlikely connections between cases of mysterious deaths and missing persons, having long since gone cold, that extend far beyond the confines of her small town and include the discovery of a body near Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. To get justice for the victims and to save the town of Bisbee from a predator, Joanna must chase down every dangerous lead.

Meanwhile, as a dogged journalist is circling the case and privileged information is leaked, Joanna can’t be sure who to trust. Could a prolific killer be hiding in plain sight? And how far will that person go to keep his many crimes hidden?

Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon

Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan ... until it wasn’t.

Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion.

Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is ... Gone Before Goodbye

The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware

When the invitation to attend the press opening of a luxury Swiss hotel—owned by reclusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann—arrives, it’s like the answer to a prayer. Three years after the birth of her youngest child, Lo Blacklock is ready to reestablish her journalism career, but post-pandemic travel journalism is a very different landscape from the one she left ten years ago.

The chateau on the shores of Lake Geneva is everything Lo’s ever dreamed of, and she hopes she can snag an interview with Marcus. Unfortunately, he proves to be even more difficult to pin down than his reputation suggests. When Lo gets a late-night call asking her to come to Marcus’s hotel room, she agrees despite her own misgivings. She’s greeted, however, by a woman claiming to be Marcus’s mistress—and in life-or-death jeopardy.

What follows is a thrilling cat-and-mouse pursuit across Europe, forcing Lo to ask herself just how much she’s willing to sacrifice to save this woman…and if she can even trust her? 

Return of the Spider by James Patterson

The suspense classic Along Came a Spider introduced an unsurpassed Detective Alex the “human superhero” (New York Times) versus Gary the "most deliciously wicked character since Hannibal Lecter” (Lexington Herald-Leader). But that wasn’t their first meeting...At a desolate cabin in the woods, police discover a hidden journal titled “Profiles in Homicidal Genius.” Evidence points to it being a murder book kept by Soneji. As Alex studies the clues, he’s enmeshed in a web of evil Soneji designed to ensnare him all along. Plunging into the past, Alex must now retrace the steps of a long-ago investigation and face…the Return of the Spider.