The blacktop between Oakdale and Highway 14 is closed Saturday afternoon due to a gas leak about a mile west of town. The aroma of gas could be smelled a mile away from the leak.

Black Hills Energy employees are on scene, as are the Oakdale Fire Department, Neligh Rescue. Antelope Sheriff's Department and Nebraska State Patrol.

Officials said those living nearby are not in danger. 

Santa Claus paid a visit to the Oakdale village office on Sunday night. Besides hearing what each child wanted for Christmas, Santa handed out stuffed animals along with a goodie bag. 

The Lois Johnson Memorial Library in Oakdale will host an area author on Saturday, Sept. 22.

Author Nancy Summerer from Ewing will be at the library from 11 a.m. to noon to talk about her experiences and inspirations for her book, “Kasey’s Story,” a book about a 10-year-old boy who suffered with burns on 30 percent of his boys and spent three weeks in the burn unit.

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Twenty-six 4-Hers from Northeast Nebraska recently returned from the CWF (Citizenship Washington Focus) trip, including Trevin Hanson of Oakdale.

This is a capstone trip that youth attend during their high school career hosted at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, MD. During this experience, 4-Hers learned about citizenship and how they are a contributing member of society, as well as traveled to Washington, D.C. to see the U.S. government in action. In addition, the youth were able to learn about the past while visiting different sites. Some of these include traveling to New York City to visit the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the 9/11 Museum; traveling to Philadelphia to visit Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and other important historical sites; and finally traveling to Gettysburg to tour the historic battlefield.
 
One of the learning experiences at the National 4-H Center was to develop an action plan for a service learning project. The youth have prepared plans to complete the project over the next couple of months. 
Here are the five steps used to implement a service learning project:

Learning about service learning, citizenship and leadership is inherent with 4-H activities. Youth might serve as an officer of a club to learn about parliamentary procedure, join a committee to plan out an event for the club, or be a part of the service learning project. For more information about 4-H and Youth Development, please contact the University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension Office in your local county or visit the website at http://4h.unl.edu/.

It was a fun afternoon, especially with the kiddie tractor pull during the annual Antelope Days in Oakdale. Check out these photos!

Dozens of youth from the area were in Oakdale this afternoon to enjoy games, water slides, bouncy houses, snow cones and much more during Antelope Days. Click the link for lots of photos. 

Fireworks and fun activities are ahead at the Oakdale Antelope Days this weekend.

On Friday, Aug. 17, a free outside movie on Main Street will kick off the events for Family Night. The movie will begin at dark and a concession stand will be available. Attendees are asked to bring lawn chairs or blankets. A colorful fireworks show will follow the movie.

Saturday boasts a full list of activities for the whole family, beginning with a poker run. 

The poker run will begin with registration from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Oakdale Community Center. All vehicles are welcome to participate. The cost is $20 per hand and all proceeds go to the Oakdale Fire Department.

At 1 p.m., the space walk, kids games and jail and bail begin. The kids tractor pull, car show and horseshoe tournament will begin at 2 p.m., followed by the cornhole tournament at 3 p.m. A cake walk and freewill BBQ will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. A scavenger hunt is planned from 7 to 9 p.m. Oakdale's Antelope Days will conclude with a street dance from 9 p.m. to midnight with music by Nita and the Pipe Smokin' Charlies. A beer garden will be available from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the community center.

A medical fund has been set up for an Oakdale man who sustained a traumatic brain injury last weekend.

Matt Wright is currently in a medically-induced coma after he fell out of the back of a pickup on Saturday, July 7, according to his GoFundMe page.

Wright is being treated at the University of Nebraska Medical Center – Neurological ICU at Clarkson Tower. A team of neurologists, nurses and respiratory therapists are caring for him "around the clock," the page states.

"Their current and primary focus is preventing secondary damage to his brain, by keeping his cranial pressures down. Brain injuries are complex and unpredictable, therefore; we will not know the full scope of his injuries for some time," the site administrator wrote. "What we are asking, first and foremost, is for prayers for a quick and complete recovery for Matt. And prayers for strength and love for his family, in this difficult time."

Friends and family have set up donation opportunities to help with the expenses.

"Any of you who know Matt and Donnelle, know how extremely hard they work for their children," the page states. "They both work full time plus, to support their family. And any of you who know Donnelle, also know, how incredibly much she loves Matt, and that there is absolutely no way she is leaving his side, any time soon. Another truth we all know, is those bills don't care about any of this. Those bills are just going to keep right on coming, and their kids are still going to need to be supported. Any little bit helps, and will be greatly appreciated! Every dollar counts!"

Donations can also be made at the Tilden Bank. Please make checks payable to Donnelle Weed.

Other non-monetary ideas include (but are not limited to):
*Diapers, size 5
*Pull-ups, 4t/5t
*Diaper wipes
*Non-perishable foods--cereals would top that list
*Fruit juices
*Healthy snacks
*Help with their yard care
*Basic school supplies (school kids range from pre-school to freshman) 

In addition, there will be a dinner drive organized for when they return home.