“Rural Nebraska is in a struggle for its very survival,” Path said.

Norfolk broadcaster
James “Jim” Curry
was recently honored
as one of the
Nebraska Community
College Association’s
(NCCA) Distinguished
Alumni.
Curry was honored
Jim Curry
for outstanding career
achievement. The award is given annually
to one alumnus from each of the state’s
six community colleges.
A graduate of Norfolk Catholic High
School, he has lived most of his life in Norfolk.
He earned an associate of arts degree
in 1981 from Northeast Community College,
then Northeast Technical Community
College. Before earning his degree, he be-
4
In Memory
Doug Brown of Norfolk died Oct. 22, 2010. He
served as Athletic Director for NECC from July
2006 to Mar. 2010.
Marlin Meisinger of Norfolk died Nov. 5, 2010.
He was the president and owner of Crafts, Inc.
He served on the NECC Board of Governors
from Jan. 2007 to Dec. 2008.
Shirley (Kimball) Graff (’45) of Luverne,
Minn., died Aug. 18, 2010, after a battle with
MDS, a form of bone marrow cancer.
Doris (Lee) Carey (’48) of Norfolk died Jan. 5,
2011. She taught elementary school for several
years and was an accomplished pianist.
Her brother Art Lee (’55) is also a graduate
of NECC.
Bruce Otto (’54) of Lincoln died Oct. 26, 2010.
He was an avid sports fan who participated on
many levels. He had been inducted into the Nebraska
Softball Hall of Fame and the Nebraska
Wesleyan Alumni Hall of Fame. He announced
women’s softball and basketball games for the
University of Nebraska and Nebraska Wesleyan.
Alton Siecke (’55) of Vermillion, S.D., died
Aug. 9, 2010, after a brief battle with cancer. He
had worked as a funeral director and was an
owner of funeral homes.
Terry Preister (’57) of Vicksburg, Miss., died
Sept. 3, 2010. He was an instructor for AT&T for
33 years. His daughters Kim Machacek (’82)
and Suzie Leffers (’07) and his son Gary (’90)
are graduates of NECC.
Norfolk broadcaster named NCCA Distinguished Alumnus
gan working at local radio stations, WJAG/
KEXL, as a part-time disc jockey in 1980 and
began full-time employment there in 1982.
In 1989, he was promoted to news director
of the two stations. He went on to
earn a bachelor’s degree from Wayne State
College in 1998.
As news director of WJAG/KEXL/KQKX
(News Talk WJAG, Lite Rock 97.5, and 106
KIX Country), Curry has built an awardwinning
news department that has earned
recognition among radio stations in Nebraska
and several Upper Midwest states.
Under his direction, hundreds of
awards have been presented to the WJAG/
KEXL/KQKX news department from the
Nebraska Associated Press Broadcasters Association,
the Nebraska Broadcasters Association,
and the Northwest Broadcast News
Association. An Edward R. Murrow Award
from the Radio, Television News Directors
Association is among Curry’s highest honors.
He serves on the Board of Directors of
the Northwest Broadcast News Association
as of one of two Nebraska representatives.
He is also involved in community service.
“I enjoyed my time as a student at
Northeast,” Curry said. “In fact, I’m still
using the lessons I learned there 30 years
ago every day as part of my job. I continue
to marvel at the opportunities Northeast
Community College provides its students
and the communities of north central and
northeast Nebraska.”
He and his wife, Julie, have a daughter,
Gillian, an eighth grader at Norfolk Junior
High School.
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