Charlotte Palm, Newspaper Features Editor
• May 12, 2026
Wildfires raged across western Nebraska in March, leaving residents and communities left in the ashes and aftermath.
The wildfires, which have become known collectively as the Morrill Wildfire, were ignited on March 12 in the early afternoon. The fire was a result of a downed powerline in Morrill...
Victoria Bogatz, Newspaper Co-Editor in Chief
• May 12, 2026
The Nebraska Secretary of State shared data of registered voters with the federal Department of Justice on February 12, 2026 in order to assist with citizenship checks.
The data shared includes the names, addresses, dates of birth, and the last 4 digits of the Social Security Number of all registered...
Bellevue East’s new fishing club had their first tournament on April 19th with a turnout of about 16 students who all competed.
Bellevue East’s newest club, the fishing club, was announced in early April. The idea for the club came from instructor Logan Patras and was supported by some students...
Bellevue East’s music department will hire two new teachers for the 2026-2027 school year.
“We are excited to welcome both teachers,” Principal Jeffrey Wagner said. “They both hold the things we are looking for when it comes to the position they are filling.”
Vocal music is currently...
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Eppley Airfield faced difficulties regarding staff payment following the partial government shutdown initiated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on February 14, 2026.
According to an article published by Kiewit Television and written by investigative...
Maya Valenti, Newspaper Co-Entertainment Editor
• May 12, 2026
Bellevue East students took the ACT in April, and qualified for raffle tickets and prizes from the school based on the scores that they received.
In order to encourage students to do well on the ACT, East staff worked together to create incentives, such as a free activity card, fifty dollars, or...
Brianna Yang, Newspaper Managing Editor
• April 6, 2026
On February 6, U.S. President Trump and Argentinian President Javier Milei signed an agreement that would ease restrictions on goods imported and exported out of the countries.
This was done in an effort by Trump to ease food prices, particularly for beef, for American citizens. Currently, federal...
The new food pyramid and nutrition guidelines that were released by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) on January 7 may affect what exactly is on the lunch menu at East in the coming months.
BPS is a part of the National School Lunch Program, NSLP, which is a USDA program that ensures...
Influenza, also known as the flu, is a virus, an infection. Flu can affect your lungs, throat, and nose. Influenza can be mistaken as just a common fever, but it is not. According to Mayo Clinic, more often than not, influenza is hidden.
“Influenza is a contagious viral respiratory illness that...
Victoria Bogatz, Newspaper Co-Editor In Chief
• April 6, 2026
On February 10, 2026, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen announced an initiative to create Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapters in all state high schools in order to promote political discussion.
TPUSA is a conservative student nonprofit that was founded by Charlie Kirk in 2012. The Governor said his goal...
As the days drew closer to the standardized test, many juniors sought out any opportunities to help them prepare for the upcoming test. On February 21, Bellevue Public School juniors were able to attend ACT preparatory sessions on the weekends at Bellevue East and Bellevue West high schools.
When...
Savannah Stultz, Newspaper Opinion Editor
• February 13, 2026
To preserve student safety, school was cancelled at East due to a water main break that occurred on Thursday, Feb. 12.
According to principal Dr. Jeffery Wagner, the water main break initially happened around midnight. However, Wagner himself wasn’t made aware of the situation until about 5:45 in...
![Ruins. The damage of an old schoolhouse rests near Bridgeport, Nebraska on March 15. The schoolhouse was one of the first structures that burned down in the wildfires, and Bridgeport resident Naomi Loomis’s husband, Cody Loomis, attended the school when he was younger. “We're still, maybe in the mourning [phase],” Naomi Loomis said. “So, rebuilding is just every day, just trying to make plans, trying to meet with bankers and people that would help us rebuild our corrals or stuff like that.”](https://beaststudentmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/charp.1.jpg)
![Register. On the whiteboard in the front of her classroom, instructor Rebekah Sidzyik keeps a voter registration form for eligible students. The federal Department of Justice requested data on registered Nebraska voters such as names, dates of birth, and the last 4 digits of Social Security numbers with the federal Department of Justice. “The [Nebraska] Attorney General advised that this was a lawful request that we ought to honor,” Secretary of State Robert Evnen said.](https://beaststudentmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/voterregistrationcmyk-906x1200.png)
![Reel it in. At the Fishing Club’s first competition, which was held at Schwer park, freshman Tristan Krewson catches the first fish of the outing. At the meet students caught blue gill and small bass fish. “[I caught] a blue gale and one baby bass,” Krewson said.](https://beaststudentmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IMG_1897-1200x1069.jpg)
![Loud and clear. The East high singers preform at the District Music Contest on April 24, 2026. East will have two new choir teachers next year, Christopher Work and Barbara Jones. “I’m super happy and proud of us [East High Singers] this year,” junior Gwen Tyner said.](https://beaststudentmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/sing-1200x800.jpg)
![An adaptable airport. Amidst the partial government shutdown, Eppley Airfield remains open and functioning as Transportation Security Administration employees screen passengers at TSA PreCheck. Kiewit Television reported that the shutdown did not cause significant absences among Omaha TSA staff when compared to nationwide rates. “I know the [TSA] staff isn’t getting paid and the line to get through security should take longer,” former East student Kira Mabry said. “I didn’t notice the lines though, probably because I was very early.”](https://beaststudentmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/sav-p.2.jpg)
