July/August 2025 NL

• Spade Ranch Store This historic Ellsworth general store has weathered outlaws, blizzards, and boom times to remain a steadfast landmark. story and photographs by Nicole Louden
• Stays in Time Five one-of-a-kind getaways transport guests to the past – stay in trains, wagons, boats, and bins. by Ariella Nardizzi
• Stories of the Sandhills With his lens and a deep reserve of trust, Alan Bartels reveals the quiet grit of Nebraska’s Sandhillers. story by Ariella Nardizzi, photographs by Alan Bartels
• Bright Eyes A courtroom plea for freedom launches Susette La Flesche’s lifelong fight for Native American justice. by Ron Soodalter

On the Cover First light warms the Sandhills as cattle graze beneath a windmill in Loup County – a quiet moment from Nebraska’s ranch country. photograph by Alan J. Bartels