Lots of laughs at ventriloquist show

A crowd of fair-goers roared with laughter on Wednesday night as ventriloquist Greg Claassen poked fun at everything from audience footwear to local law enforcement.

Claassen, who's touring Nebraska this summer on the fair circuit, grew up on a farm outside Wichita and was involved in 4-H himself as a kid. His introduction to ventriloquism occurred at a national pork producer's convention when he was in junior high school. A performer at the convention drew customers into his booth with his act.

"I saw the ventriloquist and that's all I did for the rest of the convention," Claassen said.

After...