Farmers & Merchants Bank Opens Location in Ericson

   Farmers & Merchants Bank is pleased to announce it will be opening its 12th location in the former Ericson State Bank building at 427 Central Ave in Ericson, NE. The bank already has plans in place to create a seamless transition for the community.        

   “We’re a small-town bank and the needs of our customers and communities are always our top priority,” said Gerry Dunlap, President and CEO of Farmers & Merchants Bank. “We have very high standards when it comes to customer service. Above and beyond is what we do every day.”

   It is a positive turn of events for the town of Ericson. Ericson State Bank employees will be retained, so customers will continue to see familiar faces when they walk in the door. In addition, Farmers & Merchants Bank has assumed all of the deposits of Ericson State Bank, which means all insured deposits are safe.

   The new ownership will bring excellent customer service, helpful financial products and advice, plus online banking and advanced mobile technology to the community. Farmers & Merchants Bank offerings will include 20-year fixed-rate real estate loans and competitive checking account options. Our easy-to-use Mobile Banking App allows customers to deposit checks with a smartphone, transfer money from debit card to debit card or to an account at another bank, and to “turn off” a debit card for security reasons. All in all, the acquisition is a win-win for Ericson!

   “If you have any questions or concerns, we’re here for you. I’m here for you,” Gerry emphasized. “We are proud to be a part of Ericson and already feel welcomed.”

   Farmers & Merchants Bank is a family-owned, chartered institution with a rich history going back to the M.W. Dunlap family in 1921. Rooted in Nebraska, it is a financial cornerstone of many of our state’s fine communities.

Chants Qualify Five For State Wrestling

courtesy photo

By Johnny Ference

   The Chants went to Hershey, NE for the C-4 District wrestling tournament. It was a good weekend for the Chants qualifying five wrestlers to compete at Omaha this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The C-4 District was clearly the toughest district in the state with five of the top 10 teams in the state battling it out. Ord had two champions, Garret Kluthe at 152 lbs. and Ethan Gabriel at 195 lbs. These two had a great weekend dominating their brackets to become district champions.

   We also had two second place finishers, Colton Rowse at 132 lbs. and CJ Hoevet at 285 lbs. These two seniors did a great job during the tournament, but their last matches were against the number one ranked wrestlers in their weight. There is a silver lining with CJ and Colton, now we have seen what those wrestlers can do if we see them in the state tournament, we know what to expect and have a game plan for our next match up! Kelen Meyer was the last qualifier for the Chants with a third place finish. His last win was over the fourth ranked wrestler in the state! This was a big match for our team this weekend. He went out and dominated the match, which gained momentum for our team in Omaha.

   We are excited about the team going into this week, but we have to stay focused and push ourselves to be the aggressor. We start wrestling at 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning, and you can follow us on trackwrestling.com and/or our Ord Chanticleer Wrestling page on Facebook.