Murray Newsletter - November 19, 2025
Author unknown
A CAUTIONARY THANKSGIVING FORECAST
(From an old cookbook, author unknown and with a few amendments. PZ)
ALERT!
On the fourth Thursday of November, turkeys will thaw by morning, then warm in a 350* oven by afternoon. Kitchens will become hot and humid and, if you bother the cook, there may be a squall, so tread lightly.
Cranberry sauce will definitely create a few slippery spots in one region, while mashed potatoes will likely drift across other major areas. During the same time frame, butter will also spread onto some random sections, causing even more slick spots. Also, gravy will pour onto the mixture here and there, creating many puddles. Mashed potato dams might not hold.
After a lull in activity for a couple of hours, and later into the evening, the clean-up operations will start in full force. The turkey will diminish into sandwiches, with the remainder becoming colder during the night in seasonable, 40-degree temps in the fridge.
Over the weekend, the turkey will taper off and end as leftovers. In some sections, there will be another warming trend, as soup develops and brings in a little more humidity and comfort.
This has been predictable of late November in this country for four centuries. Let's hope that it continues for countless millennia.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Here's a beautiful song, not just for the holidays, but for the whole year through. The lyrics are included here, too, so you can follow along with Josh Groban singing, "Thankful".
Somedays, we forget to look around us
Somedays, we can't see the joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give
So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us, to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for
Look beyond ourselves
There's so much sorrow
It's way too late to say, I'll cry tomorrow
Each of us must find our truth
We're so long overdue
So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And everyday, we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us, to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for
Even with our differences
There is a place we're all connected
Each of us can find each others light
So for tonight, we pray for
What we know can be
And on this day, we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us, to be the change
And even though this world needs so much more
There's so much to be thankful for
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Carole Bayer Sager / David W Foster / Richard James Page
Thankful lyrics © Bethel Music Publishing, BMG
https://youtu.be/_TEqgU4LpnA?si=ylxzCdrfJ_OCPOEf
If you Manage a Business or Know Someone that Does - Read This!
Since Covid, our Business Directory (Click Here) has been out of Date. Great News! We are updating our Business directory so that it is attractive & useful for the Holiday Season
Starting w/ Black Friday 11/28
We Need You - Please Click Here to add your current info FREE for the Business Directory (Click Here).
If you Know Someone who is a Small Business forward this Newsletter to them. The updated directory will offer easy links to your On Line Shopping, your appointment calendar, FaceBook and your Text Mobile Number to help everyone to Buy Local This is a core mission of NCWP.org and we are excited! Questions? leave us a VM at 402-968-0821
Need a Website or High Quality Cass Area Advertising Help?
Call 402-968-0821 LMVM
The SEASON of GIVING REALLY is YEAR-ROUND
(Now you can feel like Santa for as long as you like!)
Many people are struggling to make ends meet. If you can go out to dinner, shop online, attend special events or buy concert tickets, surely you can donate a little extra to help those less fortunate. You can be helping many with their heating and cooling bills when it's most needed.
Pennies for Power Energy Assistance Program has helped disadvantaged families pay for their electric energy-related expenses. Pennies for Power is administered by the Dollar Energy Fund who screens applicants and determines program eligibility. Funds for the program come from donations from NPPD customers and NPPD employees. Of the funds collected, 90 percent are dispersed to eligible participants.
Go to your Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) account and click on 'BILLING'. On the left side you'll see a menu of options including "PENNIES for POWER". Click here and you may enter any amount that you would like to donate.
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The Black Hills Cares program through Black Hills Energy also supports our neighbors who are struggling to pay their gas energy bills. Because if we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that we all need a little extra help now and then. In the past 16 years, Black Hills Cares provided more than $9.1 million in customer, employee and company donations to assist those in need.
There are several ways to give. You can make a one-time donation, set up a monthly set amount or round-up your bill payment each month. If you pay your bill electronically, sign up through your online account to make a recurring monthly donation by clicking the 'Donate' button on your dashboard. (There are a few days during the billing cycle when this option isn’t available from your dashboard.) At any time, the online donation form is available to make a one-time donation. Or you can mail your donation to P.O. Box 6006, Rapid City, SD 57709.
If you donate through round-up or a recurring monthly amount, we’ll add that amount to your utility bill until you let us know when, or if, you want to discontinue your donations. At any time, you can change or stop your donation online or you can call us at 888-890-5554.
Black Hills Cares is a program of the Black Hills Corp. Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All contributions to the Foundation are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
The Antidote: A Novel Chosen as 2026 One Book One Nebraska
People across Nebraska are encouraged to read the work set in Nebraska—and then talk about it with their friends and neighbors. The Antidote: A Novel (Knopf, 2025) by Karen Russell is the 2026 One Book One Nebraska selection.
The Antidote is a historical fiction novel during the dust bowl, set in a fictional town in rural Nebraska.
Karen Russell’s The Antidote is a haunting Dust Bowl epic that blends historical fiction with magical realism. Set in 1930s Nebraska, the novel follows Antonina Rossi—known as “the Antidote,” a prairie witch who stores memories—and the Oletsky family as they endure the devastation of Black Sunday’s dust storm and the catastrophic flooding of the Republican River. Through interwoven narratives, Russell explores themes of memory, resilience, and survival amid environmental collapse, crafting a lyrical meditation on how communities confront trauma and corruption while clinging to hope.
Karen Russell is the author of six books of fiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Swamplandia! and Vampires in the Lemon Grove. She is a MacArthur Fellow, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She has received two National Magazine Awards for Fiction, the Shirley Jackson Award, the 2023 Bottari Lattes Grinzane Prize, and the 2024 Mary McCarthy Prize. The Antidote is a finalist for the National Book Award and a national bestseller. She serves on the board of Street Books, a mobile library for people living outdoors. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, she lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, son, and daughter.
Libraries across Nebraska will join other literary and cultural organizations in planning book discussions, activities, and events that will encourage Nebraskans to read and discuss this book. Support materials to assist with local reading/discussion activities will be available after January 1, 2026 at http://onebook.nebraska.gov. Updates and activity listings will be posted on the One Book One Nebraska Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/onebookonenebraska.
2026 will mark the twenty-second year of the One Book One Nebraska reading program, sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book. It encourages Nebraskans across the state to read and discuss one book, chosen from books written by Nebraska authors or that have a Nebraska theme or setting. The Nebraska Center for the Book invites recommendations for One Book One Nebraska book selection year-round at http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/obon-nomination.asp.
One Book One Nebraska is sponsored by Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and Nebraska Library Commission. The Nebraska Center for the Book brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at and supported by the Nebraska Library Commission.
As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”
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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.
HUNTERS in CASS COUNTY MAY DONATE DEER
to
HELPING the HUNGRY PROGRAM
Donations of whole, field-dressed deer are being accepted at Meat Garden Butchery in Plattsmouth and Elmwood Meat Plant in Elmwood. Hunters pay no processing costs when donating through the statewide program. The ground venison meat is distributed by charitable organizations to families in need.
More information and guidelines can be found at OutdoorNebraska.gov and search 'HHH' or contact the program coordinator Jordyn Riha, 402-471-5431.
Read more about it in the 11-7-'25 edition of the Cassgram. https://cassgram.com/cassgram/cassgram.php?id=7820
DO YOU NEED HELP with FOOD, HOUSING or OTHER EMERGENCY SERVICES?
SENCA (Southeast Nebraska Community Action) is HERE to HELP YOU!
To drop off donations or pick up food at the local food pantry, you need to make an appointment.
Monday - Friday
8am - 4:30 pm
Call or text for appointment, 402-297-7418
SENCA Cass County Outreach
First Presbyterian Church, lower level
701 Chicago Ave.
Plattsmouth, NE 68048
(Please enter at the lower level on the north side of the church at the driveway directly across from Oakmont Drive, off of Chicago Avenue.)
Nebraska SHIP/SMP is gearing up for the 2025 Medicare Annual Open Enrollment season. This is your once a year opportunity to evaluate Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage Plans for the following year. Comparing different plans for your medications to the one you currently have can really pay off! Last year, Nebraska SHIP helped Nebraskans save money on their prescription costs just by comparing plans!
Mary Ann Holland will again be available for in-person appointments in Nebraska City at the Southeast Community College Learning Center, 1406 Central Ave, on select days between October 15 and December 7th, Open Enrollment. Whether you prefer to speak to a SHIP counselor over the phone, or in person with Mary Ann, please contact Nebraska SHIP at 1-402-471-2841 to schedule an appointment.
You could potentially save lots of money by comparing prescription plans!
SOMEWHERE, SOMEONE NEEDS YOUR BLOOD!
Grab some friends and schedule your blood, platelet or AB Elite plasma donation today.
Critical Need for Blood Donors!
Confirm days and times and
learn more HERE or call 1-800-733-2767.
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Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Town Hall
623 House St
Avoca, NE
NOON - 5 PM
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Plattsmouth High School
1916 E Highway 34
Plattsmouth, NE
8 AM - 2 PM
Monday, December 8, 2025
VFW Post 2543 Plattsmouth
510 1st Avenue
Plattsmouth, NE
11:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday, December 26, 2025
Louisville Civic Center
423 Elm St
Louisville, NE
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
4107 Wavery Road
Murray, NE 68409
Just by adding a few of the items listed below to your shopping list and picking them up, you'll be helping someone in a big way. Keep in mind that some of the children are very young and are possibly 'preparing' their own meals, so easy-to-open containers are a good option for little hands.
Granola bars
Fruit snacks
Dry pasta
Spaghetti sauce
Dry soup mixes
Canned meat (chicken, tuna)
Boxed prepared meal kits (Hamburger Helper, Rice-a-Roni)
Peanut butter
Jelly
Canned fruit and vegetables
Elmwood, Nebraska's Community Center is open to all ages Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Lunch meals are served at noon for $6 and may be dine-in or carry-out, or $7 for delivery (to local addresses).
Please call, (402) 994-2145, at any time to make arrangements for lunch NO LATER THAN 9:30 on the day of your meal.
The facility is available for rental to the public. "Like" our Facebook page to keep up with all of our events!
Elmwood, NE Community Center Phone & Address:
144 N 4th St, Elmwood, NE 68349
(402) 994-2145
211 Main Street
Louisville, NE
$7 at the door; Kids 12 & under, FREE!
UPCOMING SHOWS:
New Bow Old Strings
Sunday, November 23rd, 2025
2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
JAM SESSIONS:
Second Sundays – Electric Jam Session (1:00 – 4:00 PM)
Fourth Sundays – Acoustic Only Jam Session (1:00 – 4:00 PM)
Bring your instruments and enjoy an afternoon of great music and good company!
Click the theater flyer above or HERE to read the latest CCMT news.
Call 402-949-0668 with any questions.
Check out new website at www.happypawsplattsmouth.org
And download foster application!
Happy Paws Plattsmouth is a volunteer-powered 501(c)(3) charitable organization serving Cass, Sarpy, and Douglas Counties
with one mission: to transform the lives of animals in need while enriching the families who welcome them home.
PLATTSMOUTH AMATEUR RADIO CLUB (P.A.R.C.)
KB0SMX
P.A.R.C. members get together Tuesday evenings at Plattsmouth's Burger King at 6 pm.
Monthly meetings the last Saturday of most months at Mom's Cafe in Plattsmouth, 8 am.
(NO December monthly meeting.)
Click HERE or on the radio antenna logo above to read the latest newsletter and calendar.
For more info, contact Roger Behrns, rb55930@windstream.net or call 402-234-6775.
(LOUISVILLE CARE CENTER)
has new job positions!!!
We have OPEN Positions!
Click HERE to Apply Online
FT/PT/Casual CNA/CMA-Click Here to see Job Description
FT/PT/Casual LPN/RN-Click Here to see Job Description
FT/PT/Casual C.M.A or Medication Aid with C.N.A-Click Here to see Job Description
PT Transport Driver-Click Here to see Job Description
HERE IS WHAT MAKES US A GREAT PLACE TO WORK!
LCC offers free healthcare premiums for ALL our full time employees. Click Here to see Our Benefit Summary
Evening, night and weekend shift differentials.
Competative Wages! Inquire within for wage ranges.
Hire on bonus for C.N.A's, C.M.A's, RN's, LPN's and Personal Care Assistants. Click Here to see Hire on Bonus Policy
New Baylor Pay position for Certified Nursing Assistants.Click Here for Baylor Pay Policy
For Inquiries please call or email H.R. at ktrauernicht@lccne.com E.O.E
For more information about child abuse and neglect reporting in Nebraska, visit the DHHS website at https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Child-Abuse.aspx.
Read more about it HERE.
(Credit the Nebraska Examiner, July 5, 2024)
In-person and phone meetings are held weekly,
Mondays and Wednesdays, at noon, and Fridays at 5pm.
Hosanna Lutheran Church
700 S 18th St
Plattsmouth, NE
Come in person or attend by phone, call ing 605-562-8401, and enter access code 1239518#.
Dear Readers,
We want to build an online history about Murray.
Please submit any information you might know about our town to start creating this project.
If you own a business, let us know when you started and any informaton about the building and/or business located there before yours. Do you know the little gray building, CJ's Hair Salon, on Main Street used to be an ice cream shop? Do you also know that the Murray Christian Church used to be located just east of the Murray Repair Shop? In the early 1900's Murray's Main Street was devastated by a fire. Have you heard any information about that time that's been passed down from your ancestors?
You can also send information about your house - when it was built and any background about it. Was it one of the first homes in town? Is it haunted? What do you know about it? There's a little house in town that used to be the old railroad depot! Do you know where it is now, or that the old Murray Elementary School's mascot name was the Mustangs?
Any information would be helpful. Please send photos, too, if available! Photos should contain people's names and location and any other helpful information. This should become a fun, educational and informative piece of history that will continue to grow, and one that we're all building together! Thanks for your help!
Email your information to:
Editor@MurrayNebraska.com
LET'S GO 'THRIFTING' in OUR CASS COUNTY THRIFT STORES!
Save Money! Recycle! Help Your Cass County Communities!
HAVE FUN!
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BE THE LIGHT THRIFT & GIFT
202 West H St
Weeping Water, NE
PROCEEDS TOWARD SUICIDE PREVENTION
SUNDAY: CLOSED
MONDAY: CLOSED
TUESDAY: 5 ~ 7
WEDNESDAY: 2 ~ 7
THURSDAY: CLOSED
FRIDAY: CLOSED
SATURDAY: 9 ~ 4
*CLOSED ALL OF JANUARY & FEBRUARY
https://www.bethelight402.org/thrift-and-gift
https://www.facebook.com/Bethelightbethevoice/
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BITS & PIECES
158 N 4th
Elmwood, NE
SUNDAY: CLOSED
MONDAY: CLOSED
TUESDAY: 9 ~ 4
WEDNESDAY: 9 ~ Noon
THURSDAY: 9 ~ 4
FRIDAY: 9 ~ 5
SATURDAY: 9 ~ 4
402-994-5755
https://www.facebook.com/p/Bits-and-Pieces-and-More-Thrift-Store-100057192261002/
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HOPE'S CLOSET
109 Main St.
Louisville, NE 68037
SUNDAY: CLOSED
MONDAY: CLOSED
TUESDAY: Noon ~ 4
WEDNESDAY: Noon ~ 4
THURSDAY: 10 ~ 4
FRIDAY: 10 ~ 4
SATURDAY: 10 ~ 4
402) 234-1444
https://www.facebook.com/hopesclosetlouisville/
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UNDER HIS WINGS
511 Main St.
Plattsmouth, NE
SUNDAY: CLOSED
MONDAY: CLOSED
TUESDAY: 10 ~ 5
WEDNESDAY: 10 ~ 5
THURSDAY: 10 ~ 5
FRIDAY: 10 ~ 5
SATURDAY: 10 ~ 2
(402) 802-7115
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054505718837
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MY NEIGHBOR'S CLOSET
(South end of parking lot at Church of the Holy Spirit)
500 S 18th St.
Plattsmouth, NE
SUNDAY: CLOSED
MONDAY: CLOSED
TUESDAY: CLOSED
WEDNESDAY: CLOSED
*THURSDAY: 10 ~ 2
*FRIDAY: 10 ~ 2
*SATURDAY: 10 ~ 2
*No air conditioning, so we'll be open if not too hot!
402-296-3139
https://holyspiritplattsmouth.com/my-neighbors-closet/
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FOR the LOVE of JUNK
317 4th St
Murdock, NE 68407
OPEN: Usually Saturdays, 9 am ~ 4 pm, or by appointment only
402-297-1360
Elmwood Library Hours
Monday: 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Tuesday: 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Wednesday: 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Thursday: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
We welcome all who love to read, whether you're from Elmwood, Murdock, or beyond!
Come join us!
Easy Library Links
Online Card Catalog https://elmwoodpubliclibrary.follettdestiny.com/
DO YOU KNOW...
The Newsletter you're reading now is only one of several weekly online Cass County Newsletters? Here are some others you might be interested in subscribing to:
www.AlvoNebraska.com
www.CedarCreekNebraska.com
www.EagleNebraska.com
www.ElmwoodNebraska.com
www.GreenwoodNebraska.com
www.LouisvilleNebraska.com
www.NehawkaNebraska.com
www.ManleyNebraska.com
www.MurrayNebraska.com
www.MurdockNebraska.com
www.PlattsmouthNebraska.com
www.SpringfieldNebraska.com
www.UnionNebraska.com
www.UnadillaNebraska.com
www.WeepingWaterNebraska.com
Community Newsletters are FREE - you can subscribe for 1, or 2, or 3 ... or ALL of them!
Be informed, know what is going on in your community and your surrounding neighborhoods.
ATTENTION, VETERANS!
Do you need assistance? We're here to help!
Contact Cass County Veteran Service Officer
Email: ccvso@cassne.org
Admin Assistant: Jacie Victor
Email: ccvsoadmin@cassne.org
Call for appointment! 402-296-9368
ARE YOU 55+
and
LOOKING FOR PART-TIME WORK?
The following is an employment opportunity available to older adults in Cass County.
Experience Works is a national, non-profit organization funded by the US Dept of Labor to administer the Senior Community Service Employment Program, which assists people 55 and older in getting updated training to assist in returning to the workforce. This is a federally funded program and offers a no-cost employment service to older adults who qualify.
Once accepted into the program, individuals are placed in a training site in or near their community, where they gain on the job experience while working 20-21 hours/week at $8/hour.
We also help with skill assessments, computer training, resumes, cover letters, job search, etc.
The goal is that through the training and job search assistance we gain help older adults gain good jobs in or around their communities.
Stephanie MahonyEmployment and Training CoordinatorExperience Works, Inc.
1111 "O" Street Ste 205
American Job CenterLincoln, NE 68508
Phone: 402-441-1654Fax: 402-441-6038
stephanie_mahony@experienceworks.org<;/a>
Nebraska Toll-free Number: 1-877-314-7526
https://www.keepcasscountybeautiful.com/index.php
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR NEWS TO THIS NEWSLETTER...
Below is a list of categories that we are happy to post, (at NO COST to you!), in the weekly Murray online newsletter:
Weddings
Engagements
Anniversary
Births
Letters to the Editor
Birthday Greeting
Upcoming Events
Cards of Thanks
Lost and Found
Obituaries
Recipes
Photos
and So Much More!
That's right! These are all items that can appear FREE of CHARGE in each Wednesday's Murray Newsletter and/or Calendar! All YOU have to do is send the information to us - it's that simple!
DEADLINE for submissions to each week's Wednesday Newsletter is NOON on the preceding MONDAY.
There are 3 ways you can submit your articles:
1) You may call your information to 402-235-2926 and leave a voice mail with your name and phone number.
2) Email your story with your name, contact info and story, in plain text to:
Send photos in .jpg or png format, no larger than 595 pixels wide or photos and fliers in a .pdf, to the e-address above with your story in plain text.
3) Send items via the U.S. postal service to:
Be sure to allow enough time to be received by Monday! Also, when mailing items you'd like to get back, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Remember to include 'who, what, when, where and why', along with any other helpful details, such as a contact person and phone.
Again, you must have your name and contact information included with the information.
Thanks for helping to keep YOUR Murray Newsletter fresh and up-to-date!
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