He will be welcomed home by two broth- cal Center Mental Health; Providence
& M Bank; Susan Wells - Hands with Heart Massage College; The Max; Godfather’s; Flowers and Wine; Maers.
Medical Center Surgery and Anesthesia;
See FIRST BABY, Page 4A
Therapy; Wayne Greenhouse; Pac N Save; Rustic Trea- jestic Theatre
sures; Piece Maker’s/Quilting Guild; Wayne Public LiLaurel businesses: Missa Sue’s Salon & Spa; Secubrary; Final Touch; U-Save Pharmacy; Swan’s Apparel; rity Bank and Main Street Apothecary.
Wayne Mercy Medical Clinic; State Nebraska InsurWakefield business: Iowa-Nebraska State Bank.
Family at root of State Nebraska Bank
Job Seekers
By KATIE KASL
Of The Herald
Com
tion
day
C
ev
For Wes Blecke, executive ing in Wayne," Blecke said. "They're
From Page 1A
In unemployment
a second-floor rate,
conference
room director
at StateofNebraska
BankEconomic second to none."
Wayne Area
ty's
its popuand
Trust,
there
hangs
a
row
of
pictures.
Depicting
a
father-sonThough the results point to
lation growth in regards to those Development, the NerdWallet study
grandson
trio,
the were
images
areenough
a nod to only
the history
of the bank
and
helps reinforce
what
he already good opportunities in Wayne, he
individuals
who
old
Wa
a
just
how important
family
has to
been
itsof122-year
admitted his thoughts on the area
knows
be in
true
the city.
toreminder
work andofits
affordability
based
Wa
existence.
"I think Wayne is a great place to wouldn't be any different even if
on median household income and
a par
To
get
an
idea
of
the
kind
of
background
behind
SNB&T,
live," he said. "I'm just fortunate to they didn't.
monthly homeowner costs.
val, a
you'd
have
travel backhad
to the
earlybe1880s,
Henry
"I don't read that much into these
able towhen
both live
andLey,
work in this
After
theto numbers
been
comp
Sr.
came toNerdWallet
Wayne and posted
started the
The great community."
statistics," Blecke said. "If Wayne
crunched,
in W
German
Store,
a
general
store
on
the
According to Blecke, Great Dane County would have been ranked Sabrina Osborn, Dave
results on its website – and the
Th
corner
of
Third
and
Main
Streets.
In
findings, as it turns out, hit close to Trailers, Wayne State College, in the middle of the 93 counties in duced her at a recent
is
sp
1892,
Medical
Center Nebraska, my opinion would not ness' history in Wayne
home.he and a group of investors got Providence
10
a
together
formby
The
State County,
Bank of and Heritage Homes/Heritage change about it being a great place
Toppedtoonly
Colfax
to p
Wayne,
located
at
122
Main
Street,
Cedar and Wayne counties ranked Industries are the county's top to live and work. However, it is
for t
where
the third,
bank respectively.
operated until
an employers. Combined with the nice to see Wayne County ranked
second and
They
teur
early
destroyed
at draw of the college, activity cen- this high – as well other northwere morning
followed fire
by Holt
and it
Red
folk
the
beginning
of
1986.
(Eventually,
Willow to round out the top five, ter, trail system, summer sports east Nebraska counties – when you
2014
SNB&T's
downtown
was complex and dog park – not to compare it to the metro- and microwhile Sarpy
was the location
lone memthrou
rebuilt,
and its services
comple- mention the upstanding residents politan counties."
ber of Nebraska's
three are
most-popTh
(Photo by Katie Kasl)
mented
today
by
a
drive-in
location
that
was
constructed
near
To see all that NerdWallet had to
ulous counties to make it on the who already live here – it all makes
A number of incumbents
be he
Wayne
State
College
in
1974.)
David
(left)
and
Matt
Ley
are
the
fourth
and
fifth
list, where it clocked in at No. 7. Wayne that much more enticing for say about Wayne County – plus the County have filed for re-ele
will
Over the
years, the
has been
known
as The State
generations,
respectively,
torankrun State
other counties
that made the
potential
job-seekers.
Overall,
Raghavan
said bank
Nebraska
Filing Nebraska
for re-election ter
to th
in
Nebraska
Bank,
National
and
Company
and,
Bankings
and–Trust.
Thewww.nerdwallet.
business first opened
itsMichael
doors Pieper
check out
"TheTrust
people
make the
community
presented a
lot ofState
twos and
threesBank
–
ty Attorney
third
as
of
Jan.
1,
2014,
State
Nebraska
Bank
and
Trust,
a
name
com/blog/2013/best-places-nebrasanddowntown
and only a few fours – when it came wherever one lives and works, in
Wayne in 1892 and has
remained
McDonald
andfamCountySatu
Cle
ka-job-seekers/.
you can't
beat
the
type
of
people
livto unemployment rates.
have
filed
as
Republicans.
ily-owned
in
the
years
since
then.
nity’
See BANK, Page 4A
Third District County C
has also filed for re-electio
Republican. Democratic Co
who served out the remaind
From Page 1A
continuity to its running, allowing tural communities – have allowed it tirement of Joyce Reeg, filed
change spurred by the switch from the bank to further develop its rela- to grow to a size where it can take
Also filing as an incumbe
a national charter to a state one. It's tionship with customers. Though care of the credit and deposit needs County Commissioner Rand
been run by Henry's son Rollie, his the way a loan or checking account of those it serves.
a full term after serving ou
grandson Henry, his great-grand- is handled isn't going to vary a
"We have customers who have term of recalled commission
son David (who currently serves as whole lot from one bank to anoth- been with us since we started," he Jeryl Nelson, who is the firs
the bank's Chairman of the Board) er, Matt said SNB&T manages to added, explaining that these same of the Wayne Board of Educ
and his great-great-grandson Matt, differentiate itself from others by clients include farm families who election.
who was appointed CEO of SNB&T offering two things: good customer have been around as long as the
service and an exceptional employ- bank.
in 2010
If you're keeping track, that's ee base with plenty of experience.
In fact, Matt cited one gentleman
(Contr
There's Brittney, a customer rela- who met all five generations of the
four different names and five gentions representative who's been Ley family, banking with all but one
erations of Leys.
"It's been in the same spot, in with State Nebraska Bank & Trust of them during his time as a client.
the same corner, since 1892," David for a year now, and Matt himself,
"A bank is only as strong as its
said. "It's went through many who supplements his leadership at
clients,"
he said.
remodelings and many size increas- SNB&T with the 15 years of bankWith
its name change in full
es as it's absorbed other business- ing experience he gained in Seattle
effect – you'll see it in the letterand Portland.
es."
And then there's David, who's ing over the bank's main entrance
Though SNB&T (open Monday
to Saturday and accessible any- worked full-time for the bank since and on the front of its newly-issued
Rotarian Darrell M
time, anywhere via its online and 1970 and part-time before that – debit cards – Matt said SNB&T
Wayne Rotary club
mobile banking services) is not the that is, if you consider sweeping plans "to continue to serve and be
Dan Rose display a
a
locally-owned
and
operated
bank
longest-running bank in Wayne, it off sidewalks as a 10-year-old partresenting funds coll
and
to
help
Wayne
grow
and
stay
is the longest-running family-oper- time work.
the Omaha Northw
"We have a ton of experience," healthy."
ated bank in the city; and, accordClub and other Ro
ing to Matt, less than one percent Matt said. "We have over 500 years
It's a challenging task, especially
the Omaha and Li
of banks have managed to stay of experience between the 20 of us." in rural communities, but the bank
family-run for as long as the Leys'
After 122 years in business, is doing just fine and proving that
for the Wayne Torn
business has.
David said the support of the bank's it is possible to get by with a little
Fund.
The passing of the institution clients – a group that includes peo- help from friends – and, of course,
from generation to generation lends ple in the local college and agricul- family.
Chamber C
Incumbe
as count
Bank
Neighbors
helping
neighbors