Nebraska
Meet Miss Rodeo Nebraska Judges
North Platte, Neb. – The Miss Rodeo Nebraska Association is gearing up to kick off the 2024 Miss Rodeo Nebraska pageant which begins Sunday, May 9th and runs through Tuesday, May 12th. This year’s competition will feature three teens, three misses and three judges. This year Miss Rodeo Nebraska is JoSee Saults of Big Springs, Nebraska and Miss Teen Rodeo is Maci Cox of North Platte.
Follow along with the POST throughout the next couple of days to learn more about the competitors and judges. This year judges welcomes Kristina Sigaty of Aberdeen, South Dakota, Codi Miller from southwestern North Dakota and Joni Heinisch of Nebraska. Too learn more about this year’s judges, check out their bios below.
Kristina Sigaty
Kristina Sigaty is from Aberdeen, SD. She has been involved in the rodeo queen world since entering her first contest in 2003. Since then, she has been honored to represent South Dakota as the 2006 and 2007 SDHSRA Queen, Jr. Miss Rodeo South Dakota 2008, 2009 South Dakota 4-H Rodeo Ambassador, and Miss Rodeo South Dakota 2013, finishing in the Top 10 at Miss Rodeo America and earning the Wrangler Jacket Award and High Ticket Sales.
Serving as Miss Rodeo South Dakota had a massive impact on her life and career trajectory, and she has remained involved as a board member for Miss Rodeo South Dakota, Inc. to continue to offer those opportunities to today’s cowgirls. Growing up on a family farm, Kristina has also remained heavily involved with agriculture as the merchandising/origination manager at Frederick Farmers Elevator and market analyst with Fiebiger Consulting.
She also serves as a board member for the Bear Creek Roughriders Saddle Club, producing their barrel racing series and coordinating a variety of clinics and programs for club members. In her spare time, she enjoys trail riding, knitting, embroidering, crocheting, reading, and spending time on the lake with her husband Brandon and daughter Kimber.
Codi Miller
Codi Miller was born and raised on a small grain and cattle ranch in southwestern North Dakota. As a child, she attended a one-room schoolhouse and participated in 4-H for 10 years. Her pageant and modeling career started when she was 15 when she competed in the Bahamas at Miss Teen USA as the youngest contestant. She also competed in San Antonio, TX at Miss Collegiate America, plus 6 years in the Miss USA System.
In between beauty pageants, Codi followed in her mother’s footsteps in the rodeo and rodeo queen world. She was the ND High School Rodeo Queen, 2-time State Champion in Pole Bending, and is now the State Director of the high school queens’ contest. Codi was Miss Rodeo North Dakota 2014, and placed Top 10 at Miss Rodeo America. She is currently the National Director of Miss Rodeo North Dakota Pageant Organization, where she has founded a new scholarship program.
Codi enjoys spending her time helping young women in their personal and professional goals. She is a new homeowner and enjoys decorating and remodeling her little home, as well as owning and operating a western upholstery business. Codi believes her time in pageants and rodeo has helped her achieve career goals and building relationships all over the country. She hopes each woman her can see the benefits, win or lose!
Joni Heinisch
Joni, originally from Nebraska, and now making her home in Florida, and former Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2015. Her early years were spent on her family’s working ranch in the Sandhills of Ericson, Nebraska, where she played an active role in raising Angus cattle and American Quarter Horses. In her free time, she loved being outdoors, engaging in activities like 4H, hunting, fishing and traveling to rodeos & pageants.
Shortly after obtaining her nursing degree and working as a full-time nurse she met her husband, Ian Heinisch, a UCF Middleweight, and former All-American Wrestler. shortly after marriage, her life journey took her to the Sunshine State, Florida. Today, Joni co owns a functional medicine practice, treating patients all across the county. Her true passion lies in promoting health and wellness among individuals.
Even though she’s currently immersed in the south Florida lifestyle, Joni’s heart remains rooted in the charm of small-town agriculture, and the outdoor way of living, remaining as active as she can in her family’s ranch in Nebraska. Together with her husband, she cherishes the beauty of Florida’s outdoors, spending quality time exploring its natural wonders.
Joni’s genuine interests include agriculture, preserving the traditions of family ranches, rodeo queen pageants, and advocating for the conversation of the outdoors. Through their ministry, she and Ian share the gospel message on a global scale, a testament to the significant impact of faith in their lives.
Shes wishes good luck too all the contestants in the Miss Rodeo Nebraska pageant
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Nebraska
Hail, rain, snow move into eastern Nebraska, western Iowa
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – An active weather pattern is moving into the region starting tonight, bringing some snow into the region, according to KTIV’s forecast in Sioux City.
A First Alert 6 viewer sent footage of the storms while traveling on Interstate 80 near West Branch, Iowa.
TUESDAY NIGHT
In Siouxland, a batch of precipitation moves in after midnight. It could initially start as rain, but most of the precipitation will fall as snow. Snow showers will likely last through sunrise on Wednesday morning.
The snow will stay light with accumulations near an inch or less. This could create some slick spots on the Wednesday morning commute. Temperatures will probably fall a bit below the freezing mark.
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Nebraska
Shelter in place issued after suspicious object found in mailbox
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — UPDATE: Grand Island Police said around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday that the shelter in place order has been lifted .
GIPD said the item was retrieved by the Nebraska State Patrol Bomb Squad, who is investigating.
The area has also now been reopened.
ORIGINAL STORY:
The Grand Island Police Department has cordoned off a local block and is urging residents to shelter in place.
According to GIPD, officers responded to the 4300 block of Sherwood Road just before 2:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. A resident reported finding a suspicious cylindrical object wrapped in duct tape inside a home.
The Nebraska State Patrol Bomb Squad has been called to the scene to investigate the device.
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We will provide more information as it becomes available.
Nebraska
68 students chosen as Nebraska Young Artist Award winners
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts has announced the winners of the 29th annual Nebraska Young Artist Awards.
The awards recognize 11th-grade students from Nebraska for their talents in visual art, dance, music, theatre, and film and emerging media arts.
Sixty-eight students from more than 40 high schools across the state have been selected as award winners and will be invited to a day of activities on campus March 25.
“Our faculty always look forward to this event,” said Chris Watson, director of recruitment for the college and coordinator of the awards. “They love meeting enthusiastic young artists, working with them and celebrating their talent.”
Students applied for the recognition and submitted an example of their work. Applications were received from 92 students. Hixson-Lied College faculty chose the winners.
Award winners were also asked to nominate the teacher who provided them with the greatest amount of mentoring and support in the development of their special talents.
Each student will receive a certificate and an original piece of artwork commissioned for the event and created by a School of Art, Art History and Design student.
Following is a list of award winners by hometown, with their high school and specialty area(s).
Aurora:
- Calvin Miller, Aurora, music
Beaver City:
- Johnathan Eakin, Southern Valley, visual arts
Bellevue:
- Mami Lloyd, Bellevue West, music
Bennington:
- Liliana Martic, Bennington, music
Eagle:
- Jorie Goings, Waverly, dance
Firth:
- Petra Van Cleave, home school, music
Fremont:
- Xavier Herre, Bergan Catholic, theatre
Fullerton:
- Lylla Sabata, Fullerton, music
Gretna:
- Lillian Bock, Gretna, music
Harvard:
- Allee Jarzynka, Harvard, music
Hendley:
- Lily Jordan, Southern Valley, visual arts
Hooper:
- Leo Arellano, Logan View, visual arts
- Ellsie Meier, Logan View, visual arts
Kearney:
- Kruz Flamig, Kearney, visual arts
- Isaac Hooton, Kearney, visual arts
- Mariah Kaslon, Kearney, visual arts
- Landen Tilley, Kearney, visual arts
Lincoln:
- Alissa Brenning, Norris, dance
- Kali Brewer, Lincoln Southeast, visual arts
- Ava Engel, Lincoln Northeast, dance
- Emalie Fischer, Lincoln North Star, dance
- Adelyn Haden, Lincoln Standing Bear, dance and music
- Audrey Haugen, Lincoln Southwest, theatre
- Andrea Hu, Lincoln East, music
- Logan Lambrecht, Lincoln Southwest, music and theatre
- Mckinzey Lile, Lincoln North Star, dance
- Hayley Marshall, Lincoln Southwest, dance
- Riley Minster, Lincoln East, music
- Joslyn Morgan, Lincoln Southeast, music
- Ariadne Ottoson, home school, music
- Megan Plander, Lincoln Lutheran, theatre
- Lauren Ramey, LPS Arts and Humanities Focus Program, visual arts
- Blake Semrad, Lincoln Southwest, dance
- Emma Shaeffer, Lincoln Southwest, dance
- Taylor Sharpe, Lincoln Southwest, dance
- Hugh Skretta, Lincoln High, music
- Samuel Sulzle, Lincoln Northwest, music
- Brooks Xia, Lincoln East, music
Martell:
- Reese Thomas, home school, music
Norfolk:
- Noah Asbury, Norfolk, music
- Emily Henkel, Norfolk, music; Nathan Kaiser, Norfolk, music
- North Platte: Brett Pfeifer, North Platte, theatre
Omaha:
- Asher Abuhl, Trinity Classical Academy, music
- Adam Campagna, Omaha South, film and emerging media arts
- Liam Cowherd Richardson, Creighton Preparatory, music
- Regina Ho, Millard South, film and emerging media arts
- Connor Holmstedt, Fort Calhoun, music
- Kara Leininger, Duchesne Academy, music
- Jayden Li, Millard North, music; Violet Little, Omaha Central, dance
- Mrethi Magesh, Millard North, dance
- Venkatesan Marichamy, Millard North, dance
- Moyra Matthews, Duchesne Academy, dance and music
- Jackson Mu, Millard North, music
- Gauri Nair, Millard North, dance
- Angela Qi, Millard North, music
- Jackson Ramsey, Gretna East, music
- Tara Richardson, Creighton Prep, music
- Vandana Santhanam, Marian, music
- Caroline Soderlin, Millard North, music
- Akshara Venkatesan, Millard North, dance
- Caleigh Walkenhorst, Millard West, music
Osmond:
- Donovan Heiman, Osmond, theatre
Papillion:
- Emelia Weaver, Papillion-La Vista, music
Pierce:
- Spencer Sindt, Pierce, music
Randolph:
- Brecken Shearer, Randolph, visual arts
York:
- Allison Holmes, York, visual arts
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