BEATRICE – A local business has been honored by the Beatrice Public Schools for its generous help while the new prekindergarten to fifth grade project was being constructed.


Mead Lumber Company was honored Monday night as the District 15 Business Friend of the Month.


"Oftentimes, it takes a lot of big equipment to build a building, as we all know...and a lot of times we have shipments show up on truck trailers or whatever it might be...and we at the school didn't have the right equipment to get that big piece of whatever it is, off the trailer and where it needed to be. I don't know how many times for sure, but I know it was a lot...Rhonda would call and say, Eric, Chad...can you guys help us....and instantly they would drop everything, come out to the school with whatever the piece of equipment we needed, whether it was a forklift or whatever, and help us unload."


Superintendent Jason Alexander says the help provided goes beyond financial contributions to the district and demonstrates the true meaning of community support. He said Mead Lumber has been a consistent supporter of the school district and its students.


The district also recognized as it’s employee-of-the-month, Karen Dittbrenner…the Media Specialist at the Beatrice Middle School. She helped with a project where a special device and three-D printing assists a disabled student during school lunch and breakfast time, who has difficulty using her arms. Dittbrenner demonstrated the process.


"She can bite a little plate specifically designed for her...come over to a wall, put it in a bowl and set it back on here...and she can use her fingers well enough to spin it, and take a bite off. We have spoons and forks, and she kind of has taken off with it. It freed up the preschool teachers to reach more kids and not sit with her all the time... and it made sure she's independent and can be here...so, it's pretty exciting." Dittbrenner said the idea was the brainchild of Jenny Montag..a teacher at the preschool.


Dittbrenner also helps eighth graders having difficulties with their coursework, checking in with students to ensure they keep up with progress on their assignments.