Kearney is celebrating its victory in the fi rst round of the Americas Best Communities competition, following selection from a pool of about 140 applicant teams by an independent group of expert judges. Th e community will now be awarded $50,000 to develop a comprehensive strategy to accelerate the revival of the local economy and improve quality of life. Frontier Communications, DISH Network, Th e Weather Channel, and CoBank are sponsoring the contest. Leading the planning team is Marion McDermott of the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce, with members Darren Robinson and Kelsey Hemmann, Buff alo County Economic Development; Mike Morgan, City of Kearney; Stan Clouse, Mayor; Todd Gottula, UNK Communications; Judi Sickler, Kearney Area Community Foundation; Meredith Collins, Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska; Lisa Reese Parish, United Way of the Kearney Area; Jonathan Nikkila, Kearney City Council; and Denise Zwiener and Holden Armstrong, Buff alo County Community Partners. Kearneys application set forth a community vision for growth and development and stated it is essential that inter-organizational collaboration continues and new solutions be innovative. Th e primary obstacle to business expansion and recruitment in Kearney is a skilled, available

labor pool and available workforce housing. When the Americas Best Communities competition was fi rst launched, I was confi dent that Kearney had a great chance to do very well maybe even win it all, said Shayne Zwiener, Frontier General Manager for Nebraska. Th is victory in the fi rst round of the

competition is proof that Kearney has what it takes to be Americas best. With continued hard work and ongoing support from neighbors, Im sure there are many more good things to come from this great community. We extend our congratulations and wish Kearney the best of luck in the quarterfi nals. Th e 50 quarterfi nalist communities have

six months to complete their comprehensive Community Revitalization Plans and compete for additional investment. In early 2016, 15 semifi nalists will be selected to attend the Americas Best Communities summit to present their strategies and eight fi nalists will be awarded another $100,000 to continue implementation of their plans. In April 2017, Americas Best Communities will name its three competition winners those communities best able to dream big and deliver on those dreams. Th e winning community will be awarded $3 million, with $2 million for second place and $1 million for third.

May 2015 Americas Best Communities YAB Graduates Campaign Announcement

Kearney Advances in Americas Best Communities Competition

Community members met with the planning team to learn about the next steps of the competition and show o Kearneys victory banner.

Bu alo County Community Partners Contact Information

Visit bcchp.org/board for complete board member listing or bcchp.org/contact for complete staff listing and contact form.

General Information308-865-2284 info@bcchp.org

Denise Zwiener, Executive Director 308-865-2280 dzwiener@bcchp.org

Nikki Gausman, Board Chair308-237-2599nikki@safecenter.org

Community Partners 2015 annual fund campaign is kicking off, and were excited to announce our first-ever campaign family: Bryan, Candy, Skylar, and Brady Kuntz! Community Partners is instrumental in promoting healthy families and providing children a community in which they can thrive, they said. As a family, we are honored to be a small part of this great organization. Keep your eyes peeled for the Kuntz family at our special events. They already had a blast at Healthy Kids Weekend! Check out the photos on facebook.com/activatebc. In addition to announcing our campaign family, were excited to announce our campaign goal for 2015. In 2014, we raised $125,588 of our $125,000 goal. This year, our goal is to raise $155,000. This increased goal will help us expand our efforts to build a healthier Buffalo

County through new and innovative approaches. Were also hosting more Community Building Block Parties across Buffalo County this summer. Come

see us at our kick-off event on June 28, from 3:30 to 5:30 at Harmon Park. Well have our D.I.Y. yard games, healthy snacks, representatives from our coalitions, and tons of other great activities and surprises! If you would like to make a donation to help us kick off our 2015 campaign, visit bcchp.org/donate or contact Denise Zwiener at dzwiener@bcchp.org or 308-865-2280. In addition, if you have any questions about our work, dont hesitate to contact a staff member.

You can find all of our contact information at bcchp.org/contact. We would love to talk with you about what we do.

Announcing Community Partners 2015 Campaign Family and Goal

After completing both winter and spring PhotoVoice sessions, Community Partners will be hosting a reception to showcase participants work at the Merryman Performing Arts Center in Kearney on June 15, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Community members are invited to see the participants work and ask questions about the photos, and they will have an opportunity to purchase a photo book containing images from the years classes. Youth Coordinator Mark Foradori, who oversees the PhotoVoice program, said, PhotoVoice uses the power of photography to help participants express themselves and share ideas with each other with each other. At the PhotoVoice reception, they share their

photographs and connect with the community. PhotoVoice participants met for eight sessions,

during which they had the opportunity to exchange ideas with each other and with local policy makers. In between meetings, the participants took photographs inspired by the discussion that reflected their own lives and their unique viewpoints. At the end of the program, each participant selected favorite works to be framed and displayed at the reception. Join us for food and fun as the PhotoVoice participants share their work and ideas with the

community. Learn more about the PhotoVoice program under the Our Work tab on bcchp.org.

PhotoVoice Reception to Showcase Participant Photos June 15

A photo from a 2015 winter PhotoVoice participant. A setback is not a failure.

Our 2015 campaign chairs: the Kuntz family.

Congratulations to Our Graduating YAB Members!

Beth Baxter & Kent MagnusonStan ClouseJoel & Jill JohnsonBryan & Candy KuntzRichard & Terry KrohnTyler & Andrea RabeScott & Crystal WinfieldDavid & Julie Weir

Thank You to Our Donors:

If you would like to partner with us through a financial donation, you may:

Contact Denise Zwiener at 308-865-2280 or dzwiener@bcchp.org

Donate on our website, bcchp.org, by clicking the Donate button.

The last Saturday in April and October has previously been the time for Prescription Drug Take-Backs to dispose of unwanted or unused medications. These events were nationally sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and locally powered by the Buffalo County Sheriff s Office, Buffalo County Community Partners, Two Rivers Public Health Department, CHI Health Good Samaritan, and Kearney/Holdrege Elks Lodge #984. As a result of new disposal and incinerator regulations, the DEA no longer has plans to nationally sponsor local Take-Back events, preventing partners from being able to offer this valuable service to their residents. You can still safely dispose of unwanted, unused, or expired medication at the following locations year-round: Hy-vee, Medicap Pharmacy, ABC Drugs, Valley Pharmacy, and Svanda Healthmart in Ravenna. For more information on how to properly dispose of unused or wanted medication, please visit Nebraskameds.org.

Nathan LeachKearney High School

Justine BauerElm Creek High School

Madi CasperKearney Catholic High School

Lani MartinPleasanton High School

Griffin MimsKearney High School

Jake SenffShelton High School

Sydney TaubenheimAmherst High School

McKenna ButlerKearney Catholic High School

Prescription Take-Back Update

PO Box 1466Kearney, NE 68848

We would like to thank CHI Health Good Samaritan for providing printing and mailing services for our newsletter.

Training in Intervention ProcedureS is a responsible beverage server training approved by the Nebraska

Liquor Control Commission. Contact positivepressure@bcchp.org to register.

Check bcchp.org/tips for future classes.

Coalition Connection

Interested in starting an employee wellness program at work? Contact Kate Hannon at srts@bcchp.org or 308-865-2287 to learn about our upcoming Well Workplace University.

Did you miss our May 1 Dementia Safety Workshop? Were having a smaller one May 29 for those who couldnt attend. For more information, contact supeterson@alz.org.

Keep your eyes peeled for the announcement of our new YAB members after interviews are conducted in July. New

members terms will begin in August and then theyll start diggin into their work on substance abuse prevention, bullying precention, and much more!

Have you shared your stories or asked questions on our new message board? Visit positivepressure.org/tips to get and share tips about dealing with underage substance abuse. Its all part of our Parents, Take a Stand campaign.

Have you submitted a photo to Picturing Peace yet? Share your

vision of peacefullness in Buff alo County through a photo and caption. Submit at bcchp.org/picturingpeace. Twenty photos will be featured at an exhibition on International Peace Day, September 21.

Upcoming Classes: 5/12, 6-10 p.m. - On-Premise Sales6/15, 6-10 p.m. - On-Premise Sales