NORRIS: AN ADMINISTRATION IN CRISIS

The Norris School District administration should understand something important: public criticism of its decisions did not begin with Trimm Photo. Long before our disagreement with Superintendent Dr. Derrick Joel and Dr. Mitchell Stine, residents, taxpayers, and parents were publicly questioning how the district was being managed.

Dr. Derrick Joel ($207,183) and Dr. Mitchell Stine ($116,479) yearly 

A $34.8 MILLION BOND REJECTED BY VOTERS

In May 2026, voters rejected the district's proposed $34.8 million bond issue by a substantial margin.

That should have sent a clear message that the district needed to listen carefully to its taxpayers.

Instead, the district subsequently proposed increasing its property tax levy, generating additional controversy and bringing residents before the Board of Education to voice their objections.

RESIDENTS SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATION'S FINANCIAL DECISIONS

At the September 9, 2026, public hearing, Justin Drahota raised concerns about families struggling to afford rising property taxes. He described residents potentially having to make household cuts simply to remain in their homes.

Diane Mulder questioned the district's approach to increasing revenue rather than reducing expenses. Speaking about the proposed tax increase, she asked:

"Where do you think this money is going to come from?"

Another resident, Shellyn Sands, reminded the administration that taxpayers had already rejected bond proposals in both 2017 and 2026. Her position was straightforward: those elections should matter.

These were not anonymous Facebook commentators. These were identified community members publicly expressing concerns before their elected school board.

SOURCE: 10/11 NOW — Norris School District looks to increase tax levy after failed bond issue.

MORE TAXPAYERS QUESTION DISTRICT SPENDING

In late September 2026, 10/11 NOW reported additional criticism from residents.

David Schwaninger, a fourth-generation farmer near Hallam, questioned how schools are funded and called for alternative approaches to generating revenue.

Travis Buel, a Hickman landlord, explained how increasing property taxes affect both property owners and tenants. As he put it:

"Local property tax demands are simply rising faster than the family's paychecks."

The district has offered explanations for its financial decisions, including a reduction in state aid, rising operational costs, and aging facilities that need repairs.

Those concerns deserve consideration. So do the objections raised by the taxpayers expected to finance those decisions.

SOURCE: 10/11 NOW — Proposed Norris School District tax levy draws mixed reactions.

EARLIER QUESTIONS ABOUT ADMINISTRATIVE ACCOUNTABILITY

And this is not the first time questions about administrative accountability have become public.

In June 2023, following the arrest of a Norris teacher over allegations involving an inappropriate relationship with a student, parents questioned the district's earlier handling of information about the situation.

Norris parent Eric Pillard publicly called for an investigation and further action. Board member Gary Kubicek also expressed concern about the situation.

Other individuals defended the administration's response, including district employees who believed officials had acted appropriately based on the information available to them.

That controversy occurred under earlier district leadership, and it would be unfair to attribute those decisions to Dr. Joel simply because he is superintendent today.

Nevertheless, it illustrates that public disagreements over administrative decisions and accountability have occurred at Norris before.

SOURCE: 10/11 NOW — Norris administrators outline initial next steps following student-teacher relationship.

AND NOW THERE IS TRIMM PHOTO

Now, in October 2026, Trimm Photo has its own serious concerns about how the current administration has handled our independent athletic coverage.

After more than ten years of covering high school athletics, we have publicly questioned the restrictions placed upon us and the administration's failure, in the correspondence we have received, to identify a specific written district policy supporting those restrictions.

Trimm Photo has generated more than 3.7 million views over the past 90 days. Those are total page views, not the number of individuals who have followed this particular dispute. Nevertheless, our publication gives these concerns a substantial public platform.

In my opinion, the Norris administration has given its own school a black eye through the way it has handled this controversy.

The students, athletes, teachers, and families of Norris deserve better than having their school associated with continuing disputes over transparency, communication, and administrative decisions.

The administration may disagree with our opinions. It may disagree with residents who question district spending. It may believe its decisions are entirely justified.

But disagreement does not eliminate the responsibility to provide clear explanations.

PUBLIC CONFIDENCE CANNOT BE DEMANDED. IT MUST BE EARNED.

And when members of the community repeatedly raise questions, the people responsible for running the district should be prepared to answer them.

Keith Trimm
Trimm Photo

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ADDITIONAL PUBLIC RECORDS AND SOURCES

Norris Board of Education — September 9, 2026 Final Tax Request Hearing Minutes

KLKN — May 2026 Norris Bond Election Coverage

Norris School District — Official 2026–2027 Budget Update

THREE THINGS THE NORRIS ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND.

I...

1. HAVE NOT ACCEPTED the administration's decision to restrict my coverage of Norris athletics.
2. HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN how I was treated or the questions that remain unanswered.
3. HAVE NOT RULED OUT returning to Norris High School to cover athletic events.

And that brings me to Saturday, October 31, 2026.

Norris is scheduled to host a Class B district volleyball final at 10 a.m., provided the Titans advance from Thursday's semifinal.

On October 26, Norris Superintendent Dr. Derrick Joel wrote:

"Given our ongoing concerns, we will need to meet with you before you may attend future events or be on campus."

Yet despite my repeated written requests, Dr. Joel has:

1. FAILED TO identify the specific written district policy authorizing the restrictions placed on Trimm Photo.
2. FAILED TO identify the specific conduct or photographs that allegedly justified restricting my access.
3. FAILED TO explain precisely what disruptions Trimm Photo caused that warranted these restrictions.
4. FAILED TO clarify whether the same restrictions and mandatory meetings apply to other independent media organizations.
5. FAILED TO explain why an in-person meeting is mandatory when these questions could be answered through written correspondence.

And then there is Dr. Mitchell Stine.

Throughout this controversy, Dr. Stine has:

1. FAILED TO provide the written summary of his telephone conversation with Cheryl, despite promising to send it.
2. FAILED TO explain why Cheryl understood that advance notification was sufficient, only to be told later that advance permission was required.
3. FAILED TO answer Cheryl's direct question about whether other media organizations must obtain the same advance approval.
4. FAILED TO identify the specific disruptions caused by Trimm Photo that justified directing us to cover other schools.
5. FAILED TO clarify whether the original restriction was temporary or permanent and what conditions would allow my coverage to resume.

My position remains that these are reasonable questions deserving specific written answers.

I recognize the district's responsibility to maintain safety and order at school events. However, I also believe restrictions placed on independent media should be explained clearly and applied fairly.

Many people have reached out privately to express their support. Some have longstanding relationships with Norris, and I respect their decision not to become publicly involved.

Their encouragement has strengthened my determination to continue seeking a fair and proper resolution.

My concerns have never been about the student athletes. I enjoyed photographing them and recognizing their accomplishments.

My concerns are with the administrative decisions surrounding my coverage and the questions that remain unanswered.

I HAVE NOT ACCEPTED.

I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN.

AND I HAVE NOT RULED OUT RETURNING.

AND Norris School needs to fix its leaky roof and broken air conditioners.

Keith Trimm
Trimm Photo

In my opinion, the Norris administration has given its own school a black eye. Through its handling of this controversy, it has brought unnecessary embarrassment and negative attention to a school that deserves better. 

Trimm Photo has generated more than 3.7 million views over the past 90 days, and although those views are not all related to Norris, the administration should understand that its decisions are being questioned before a substantial public audience. 

The students, athletes, teachers, and families of Norris did not deserve to be caught up in this controversy. They are not responsible for the decisions made by their administration. That responsibility belongs squarely with the people in charge.

Trimm Photo hits over 750,000 views in 1 month on the official Trimm Photo Facebook Page

Trimm Photo Facebook page 

https://www.facebook.com/trimmphoto/ 

is the official page of Trimm Photo 

 

Fairbury-I (Keith) have wondered why the local or regional media haven’t picked us up as a story. This isn’t me being vain, it’s that my last check we had 765,780 page views in the previous month, which means our work isn’t just local, our content on Facebook is national.

We run into media outlets all the time at the games we cover and see the same faces wearing the same NSAA media passes we do, but nothing comes of it?

Do they consider us competition? Realistically, Trimm Photo is a mom-and-pop hobby that exploded over the last 10 years with a lot of time, travel, and hard work.

The paid media may think we can write our own story and promote ourselves, and we do, but we are the elephant in the room with 12,000 followers that no one in the media wants to talk about.

Once again, thanks for supporting us. Maybe we can hit a million views soon. Our record was 1.5 million a few years back, and we seem to be heading that way again.

 Long time Fairbury resident, former mayor of Fairbury, Lawyer and author Ron Schwab sits down with Keith Trimm of Trimm Photo to talk about his writing in this first of two videos where we discuss Fairbury history.  If you enjoy this video please share as Trimm Photo brings local history to life through the words of those who lived it. 

Ron Schwab is the author of the popular Western series, The Law Wranglers, The Coyote Saga, and The Lockes, as well as several standalone novels, including Grit, a winner of the Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award for Best Western Novel, and Cut Nose, a finalist for the Western Writers of America Best Western Historical Novel. He is a member of the Western Writers of America, Western Fictioneers, and Mystery Writers of America.

Ron and his wife, Bev, divide their time between their home in Fairbury, Nebraska and their cabin in the Kansas Flint Hills.

Darin Garfield elected to the NSWCA Hall of Fame

 An honor such as a son's election to the NSWCA Hall of Fame is surreal. It's hard to wrap my mind around. My mind goes back to when Darin and Derek began to wrestle. Little sister Danae would get upset when she saw other wrestlers trying to hurt her brothers. A time of innocence for all of us, really.

Jane and I didn't know much about wrestling , and

were brought into it by the boys. There was a lot of sacrifice for trying to find a spot in the Aurora, Nebraska line-up. Cutting twenty pounds, when really there wasn't anything to lose. That's how important wrestling was to them. As young children, Darin and Derek had stuffed animals they pretended to coach. I bring Derek into the mix because that's the way it was. Always together.

After high school, college and then the first coaching job. Wrestling was/is a perfect fit. Darin was blessed along the way and he took advantage of the opportunities. I reflect on many people who made the journey with us. The wrestling community! To imagine it would all end up at the Hall of Fame? It's not thought of along the way.

Way too busy. Not very many sports go all day Saturdays and Sundays with the youth. Weight room supervision too. Late nights and early mornings.

Seeing it payoff off, is the payoff. It's been said people want to be a coach but they don't want to do what a coach has to do. Very proud of Darin and very thankful for all who were on the journey with him!

Wrestling, Pro vs Con

 You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it come to your wrestling tournament, or duel, or Triangular, or Quad. What am I getting at? When I was on the high school paper back in 84 I never went to a wrestling meet, I went to every other sport at FHS and actually got out of school to go to Lincoln to take photos of our volleyball team who made the playoffs. 

I didn’t really get into wrestling until around 2017 when Trimm Photo started and I didn’t know squat about the rules or how a duel or tournament worked. I recalled that wrestlers had to make weight and they were big boys but that was about it. So I asked a lot of questions and got up to speed with most of how it works and am a huge fan. But not everyone is a fan and I can understand why. 

Prior to high school wrestling Cheryl and I did attend a WWE event at Pershing and I think Rick Flair and Kevin Nash were there. Fun times but not at all what I’m used to now. 

I don’t know of any other sport that has a thing called, “blood time.” Blood time is when a wrestler gets a bloody nose or a cut somewhere on the body and the match stops while somebody uses a disinfectant and wipes blood off the mat. Seems a bit Spartan (300) if you are not used to it. Then there was this one time when I was taking photos by the edge of the mat and heard a wrestler’s leg crack. They took him off the mat with two others holding him up. 

Don’t get me wrong, I remember a Fairbury football player tearing his ACL during a playoff game and another during the regular season. I even recall being at a Wilber Clatonia game where 4 players were on crutches on the sidelines. I took a photo of them posing. 

I even recall a girl at a basketball game at Lincoln Christian falling on her nose and the game stopped while they cleaned the puddle of blood off the nice shiny wood floor. All sports can have injuries, that’s why they park the ambulance next to the football field. (Never seen an ambulance parked outside a wrestling meet though.)

So I am going to make a top 3 pro and con list for what I think wresting is. 

Pro

1. Wrestling is about culture and community. I’ve been on a few wrestling decks over the years and that’s where you see the team spirit. Since on the competition level it’s a 1 on 1 verses the other school you don’t see the others who are backing that kid. Sometimes surrounding the score table, you will see the other team mates but you have to be there during practice to see what is really going on. 

2. Wrestling meets are like going to a Metallica concert that lasts eight hours. The place is packed, the announcers are telling everyone to get down so people can see, it’s loud, action packed and a fun environment. Before the tournament begins the wrestlers are warming up and the mats are filled with kids from end to end rolling each other, banging into each other and getting ready. 

3. It’s art, if you have ever gone to a meet where they use the spotlight from above and shine it down on the action it’s like going to a movie. It’s very Greek art style and shows off another reason why wrestling is not like anything other sport you will see. 

Con

1. I’ve heard people say it’s distasteful to watch two kids try to beat the crap out of each other. I don’t think these people have ever been to a meet, although I did see two young men try to get into a very real pushing match that had to be stopped by a ref. 

2. The meets can take way too long. 10 or more teams with around15 wresters and consolations can take a while. Good to have a well-stocked concession stand. 

3. Getting off the mat after sitting taking photos and video can be difficult when you are my age. I need a full body lift and if you ever see me try to get up come over and give me a hand. I take pain meds before I go and my hips still kill me. 

Derek Garfield 

Wrestling is the greatest sport in the planet. I think the thing that sets it aside from any other sport is the courage it takes to step inside the circle and put your toe on the line and being willing to engage in 1 on 1 combat against an opponent. While teammates can help you in the practice room in wrestling winning and losing is 100 percent on you! You will get out of the sport what you put into it.

 The other great thing about wrestling is the fact that a person can weigh 106 pounds or 285 pounds and still find success if you’re willing to work. Wrestling is the purest form of of sport and there is nothing else that compares to it!

 

Exeter Nebraska-Exeter Milligan Friend football coach Cory Kahlandt. “We lost to Sandy Creek 62 to 64 in triple overtime week three. I think we will have a good game and will probably be a short game as both of us run the ball and establish the line of scrimmage. If we play our style of football both physical and aggressive on both sides of the ball we should be ok.

As long as we play on our toes on defense like we have been we shouldn’t need to stress or anything or try to hard as it is another football game for our guys and don’t make it bigger than it is. We are playing Stanton and they are undefeated.

Playing at Memorial Stadiums is a great opportunity and we need to enjoy it and I still say it’s just a football game but we do need to enjoy the experience out there, it’s a big stage with an awesome atmosphere and I’m excited for our guys making it this far and they deserve it, they worked hard during the off season all back with weights.

We started this back in August 7^th which doesn’t seem like all that long ago along with co head coach Jim Pfeiffer."

 “Dear Big Ten Conference,

I’ve waited a day & I still feel that you REALLY need to address the level of your officiating. To be clear, Nebraska played like *** yesterday, but college athletes & their fans clearly deserve better.

Thanks,

A Concerned Football Fan” (Adam Carriker)

I read a lot of the responses to Adam’s post and most of them were what I expected, blame the refs because they are blind and all that sorts of rhetoric. But I think a lot of people miss the point. 

If you are an arm chair quarterback with a high-definition big screen with a view from above you will see more than a ref twenty feet away. People perceive life, and motion differently from where they are and what they are doing. 

My response posted in response to Adam’s Facebook post was, “Not all officiating can be that bad, there must be another underlying problem that we don't understand and needs to be studied. I can't and won't believe we hire an entire class of buffoons who wear black and white uniforms who can't do their jobs. There must be another answer,” and I stand behind that. 

I don’t claim to know anything about sports, I’m a journalist and a sports photographer and a science nut and I know there is more to this that most people get. Blaming the refs is not the answer. 

If you hold the teams to the same standard of perfection that you hold the refs the score would never reach over 0/0 because a perfect defense would never allow a single point to be scored. 

If you want perfect officiating you will need to install AI computers with cameras located all over the field so you get the perfect call every time. With the use of replay cameras, you have already slowed the game down to the point it is not fun to watch anymore and have taken the human element out and watching a ref stare at a television screen during a review does not make for compelling football. 

Players and coaches make mistakes all the time but to hold refs to the inhuman standard of a robot is not fair. Let the refs make mistakes, that is what makes a game a game. If you were to rank the calls of most refs on a bell curve you would probably find that most calls fall within normal limits with a few on the edges but it is those calls that everyone gets mad about. 

You can’t have it both ways and blaming the refs is wrong. You either need to respect them or get rid of them and let football become a computer sport. What's more likely? A group of incompetent referees or an angry fan who's team lost looking for an excuse?