COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA

'Columbus' is a city in Platte County, Nebraska, 90 miles (148 km) west by north of Omaha on the Loup River, a short distance above the confluence with the Platte. In 1900, 3,522 people lived in Columbus, Nebraska; in 1910, 5,014; and in 1940, 7,632. The population was 20,971 at the 2000 census and 21,414 by the 2006 estimate. It is the county seat of Platte County.

Contents
Geography
Demographics
Economy
Schools
Local Media
Trivia
External links
References

Geography


Location of Columbus, Nebraska
Columbus is located at (41.432785, -97.358530).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.8 km² (9.2 mi²). 23.2 km² (9.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (2.07%) is water.

Demographics


As of the census of 2000, there were 20,971 people, 8,302 households, and 5,562 families residing in the city. The population density was 902.7/km² (2,337.3/mi²). There were 8,818 housing units at an average density of 379.6/km² (982.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.19% White, 1.45% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.49% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.65% of the population.Its Hispanic population has grown rapidly the last 10 years.
There were 8,302 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,874, and the median income for a family was $48,669. Males had a median income of $30,980 versus $22,063 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,345. About 4.5% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy


Columbus bills itself as a "City of Power and Progress" and features an economy based on agriculture and manufacturing, with many industrial companies attracted by cheap, plentiful hydroelectric power. Among the major employers are Archer Daniels Midland, which runs a corn milling plant; Appleton Electric; Central Confinement Service; Vishay (formerly Dale Electronics); Becton Dickinson, a medical equipment company; Behlen Manufacturing, a maker of steel buildings, grain bins, and the Behlen Country line of agricultural equipment (whose Chairman, Tony Raimondo, was a 2003 candidate for the then new federal post of assistant secretary for manufacturing in the Commerce Department before his nomination was withdrawn)[1][2]; and the Nebraska Public Power District, which is headquartered in Columbus.

Schools


Columbus has three high schools:

Columbus High School is the largest with 1,100 students. CHS's mascot is the Discoverers.

Lakeview High School is the high school for the rural community. Its location is in front of Loup Power District's Lake Babcock. Lakeview's mascot is the Vikings.

Scotus Central Catholic Jr.-Sr. High School is a Catholic school named after John Duns Scotus, serving grades 7-12. SCC's mascot is the Shamrocks.
Central Community College-Columbus, which is located four miles northwest of Columbus. CCC's mascot is the Raiders.

Local Media


Columbus has 6 radio stations.

KTLX-FM 91.9 (Religious)

KKOT-FM 93.5 (Classic Hits)

KZEN-FM 100.3 (Country) -- Studios in Columbus, Station licensed in Central City.

KLIR-FM 101.1 (Adult Contemporary)

KJSK-AM 900 (News Talk)

KTTT-AM 1510 (Talk)
Columbus has one low power tv station.

KCAZ-LP 57 (Spanish Ind.) -- Available over the air, not on cable
Columbus has one newspaper

★ Columbus Telegram [1]

Trivia



★ Major bodies of water: Platte River, Loup River, Lake North, Lake Babcock, Loup Power Canal.

★ Birthplace of Andrew Jackson Higgins, creator/designer of the Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP), or Higgins boat used during World War II. There is a memorial in his honor at Pawnee Park. The Andrew Jackson Higgins National Memorial features a life-sized replica of an Higgins Boat with bronze statues of soldiers exiting into the sand. The memorial features sand samples from 58 D-Day beaches of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. It is also home to the Freedom Memorial which features steel from the remains of the World Trade Center that was destoyed on September 11, 2001. The remains are the only left from the World Trade Center.

★ Agricultural Park is home to the Columbus Races every year from the end of July to early September. Post times are 6:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:00 PM on Sundays and Labor Day. Live racing in 2007 on the 5/8 mile dirt track is from July 27th to September 9th. Admission is free. Horse racing fans can also enjoy year round simulcasting from numerous tracks across the country from Thursday to Sunday in the air-conditioned clubroom. The Columbus Races are simulcast at Horsemen's Park in Omaha, State Fair Park in Lincoln, Fonner Park in Grand Island, Atokad Park in South Sioux City, Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, as well as Canterbury Park in Minnesota, and The Woodlands in Kansas.

★ There are 2 stock car race tracks in the area, Rising City Motorplex and the U.S 30 Speedway.

★ It is located 62 miles from Grand Island, 45 miles from Norfolk and Fremont, 80 miles from Omaha, and 75 miles from Lincoln.

★ Columbus is home to the oldest tavern in the west, called Glur's Tavern. Buffalo Bill Cody would often come here when he was in the area.

★ The city is served by The Columbus Municipal Airport which has two paved runways.

★ Famous one-time residents of Columbus include U. S. Senator Chuck Hagel, Johnny Carson's parents, actor Brad William Henke, former pro baseball player Saul Soltero, former pro boxer Leon Spinks, and NFL football players Cory Schlesinger and Chad Mustard.

Buffalo Bill frequently visited the city and it was the site for the first full dress rehearsal of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show which formally opened a couple days later in Omaha.

★ Columbus is commonly called "C-Town","C-Bus", or "C-Baby".

★ Columbus has a very thriving local music scene.

★ Columbus is home of the "Black Bridge" located at the loup river and the union pacific railroad tracks.

External links



Columbus, Nebraska, official website

Columbus Telegram newspaper website

Columbus, Nebraska Myspace

Platte County Agricultural Park

References



1. CNN http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/03/18/raimondo/index.html
2. http://www.columbustelegram.com/articles/2004/03/12/news/news1.txt



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