Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 50
A one-mile stretch of 841 Road, between 510 and 511 avenues, located in the southwest part of the county, has been officially closed. A resolution for the road closure was finalized during the Antelope County Commissioners' March 9 meeting, during follow-up discussion after a March 2 public hearing. The stretch of road sits east of the Antelope County - Wheeler County line, within Invenergy's Thunderhead wind project and allows access to driveways for two wind towers and a powerline, in...
Antelope County has decided not to permanently close a one-mile stretch of a rural road – for now. The board of commissioners held a public hearing Tuesday, Dec. 1, in Neligh, on Invenergy's request to have 841 Road abandoned between 510 and 511 avenues in the southwest part of the county. That stretch of road is located just east of the Antelope County-Wheeler County border within the renewable energy company's Thunderhead wind project. Before voting 5-0 in favor of not closing the road, the c...
Antelope County has put a stop to an issue involving "Engine Brakes Prohibited" signs near Orchard. The board of commissioners on Tuesday, Nov. 10, in Neligh, unanimously approved an updated resolution regarding engine braking on a roughly one-mile stretch of 513 Avenue, which also is known as the Orchard Road. The segment of 513 Avenue covered by the resolution runs by the property of Terry and Patricia Hemenway, who live about a mile south of Orchard near 862 Road. The resolution stems back...
Invenergy has requested the permanent closure of a stretch of road near its Thunderhead wind project in southwest Antelope County. County highway superintendent Brian McDonald spoke to the board of commissioners Tuesday, Oct. 6, in Neligh about the renewable energy company's request to close 841 Road between 510 and 511 avenues. "There are two wind tower driveways at the very west end of this," McDonald said. "I think they're probably on the Wheeler side of the county line. "There's also an...
Fred Thiele wants to make sure part of a gravel road located near Clearwater is not forgotten by Antelope County. The rural Clearwater resident was the only member of the public to speak up on the county’s one-year and six-year road improvement plan during the commissioners’ meeting Tuesday, Sept. 1, in Neligh. Before Thiele gave his input, county highway superintendent Brian McDonald spoke to the commissioners about the road improvement plan and its corresponding map of projects. “This is pa...
A rural Orchard couple have submitted a complaint to Antelope County about an “Engine Braking Prohibited” sign located near their property. The board of commissioners discussed a letter Tuesday, Sept. 1, in Neligh from the Galyen Boettcher Baier PC law firm on behalf of Terry and Patricia Hemenway. According to the letter, dated Aug. 21 and filed Aug. 25 with the county clerk’s office, “It has come to our attention that the Antelope County Road Superintendent is threatening the removal of an ...
Antelope County Commissioners will look at potential road projects, Sept. 1, during the one- and six-year road plan hearing, scheduled for 9:30 a.m., in the commissioners’ meeting room. Antelope County road boss Aaron Boggs said he is “not 100% sure” which projects will be approve. Boggs and highway superintendent Brian McDonald, will share a list of current projects and future upgrades. “Basically, we submit a wish list,” Boggs said. Commissioners will determine which projects get the green...
Fred Thiele wants to make sure part of a gravel road located near Clearwater is not forgotten by Antelope County. The rural Clearwater resident was the only member of the public to speak up on the county’s one-year and six-year road improvement plan during the commissioners’ meeting Tuesday, Sept. 1, in Neligh. Before Thiele gave his input, county highway superintendent Brian McDonald spoke to the commissioners about the road improvement plan and its corresponding map of projects. “This is pa...
The Antelope County commissioners voted, last week, to issue $3 million in bonds to repair county roads. All five commissioners voted aye to a motion made by commissioner Carolyn Pedersen, seconded by commissioner Eli Jacob, late in an eight-hour meeting at the courthouse in Neligh on July 14. Proceeds from bonds will allow county employees to complete projects totaling more than $2.5 million yet this calendar year, road superintendent Aaron Boggs told the Advocate-Messenger. "Big-money" overlay...
Antelope County commissioners worked a little closer to resolving a plethora of road issues last week, although no decision was reached for bonding more work. The bulk of the July 7 meeting at the courthouse in Neligh was dedicated to county roads, in one form or another. After clearing the agenda of other business and more than an hour of discussion with road superintendent Aaron Boggs, an unofficial agreement was reached, giving Boggs direction to move forward with work on four heavily...
Antelope County commissioners approved an upgrade to security technology at the Antelope County Jail when they met at the courthouse in Neligh last week. After hearing some security-sensitive information during an executive session called on the advice of county attorney Joe Abler, the board heard a presentation by Rick Scheer with Control Masters, an Omaha technology company. Scheer said Control Masters is one of just a few companies in the country that provide corrections’ electronic services and he was asked to resolve some security e...
Antelope County’s rural residents, who hoped for answers to deteriorating paved roads at a special meeting of the county commissioners last week, will have to wait a while longer. After spending nearly four hours of dialog with road superintendent Aaron Boggs, part-time foreman and former superintendent Casey Dittrich and engineer Brian McDonald, the five commissioners tabled action to borrow funds for repairs. The May 22 meeting at the courthouse in Neligh was transmitted via Zoom to the basement meeting room to accommodate an excess of 10 a...
Antelope County commissioners met March 3 in their meeting room at the courthouse in Neligh, with consideration of six driveway permits for the new Summerland school included on the meeting agenda. Steve Thiele of Clearwater was present, representing both the school district and the builder, Hausmann Construction. The county leaders gave unanimous approval for two of the applications, as temporary construction driveways and passed a motion to require a traffic study as part of the requirement for consideration of permanent permits. A 30-foot...
The Antelope County commissioners were faced with issues arising from two recent road decisions when they met last Tuesday, Feb. 11, at the courthouse in Neligh. Working through the agenda, commissioners examined and approved payroll and vendor claims, all with an eye on the clock, completing their work before noon. A quorum for the afternoon was at risk, due to two commissioners indicating afternoon obligations elsewhere and commissioner Regina Krebs' absence. Casey Dittrich, who has served as Antelope County road boss for the last four...
Darrel Timm of Neligh and Julie Krause of Brunswick were appointed to the Antelope County Extension Board by the county commissioners, when the county leaders met last week at the Neligh courthouse. Local extension educator Brittany Spieker proposed the appointments of Timm and Krause to replace Gayle Wortman and Derek Zuhlke, who had each completed two terms on the board. The new board members were affirmed on 4-0 votes of the commissioners. Commissioner Eli Jacob was absent. Spieker also presented the annual extension office report. She...
Bobbi Riser, Region 11 emergency manager, addressed the Antelope County commissioners at their Jan. 14 meeting. She said the Region 11 board had voted at their Dec. 12 meeting to cover the insurance cost for the NRIN equipment, leaving electricity to the tower being the only expense to the county. NRIN is a statewide communication system for law enforcement agencies, with cost of equipment and installation covered by the state. Riser also told the commissioners the county had been awarded a $1,000 grant through Emergency Preparedness program....
Charlie Henery was elected as chair of the Antelope County commissioners for 2020, when they met last week. Henery takes the gavel from Dean Smith, who took on the chairman duties when the former chair was removed from office. Regina Krebs, who was appointed to the board in October 2019, was elected vice chair. Henery and Krebs were each the only nominee for their positions, nominated by commissioners Eli Jacob and Carolyn Pedersen, respectively. Reorganization of the board was delayed until...
An old problem returned to the Antelope County commissioners’ table when the leaders gathered for the first 2020 meeting at the courthouse in Neligh last week. Judy Wilcox, accompanied by her husband, Dave Wilcox, was there to discuss wind turbine “ice sling policy.” County zoning administrator Liz Doerr also addressed the leaders regarding a Christmas Day icing event. Doerr described procedures followed, after she received notice from Commission chair Dean Smith and Wilcox. She referenced a text message from Smith, indicating numerous turbi...
The Antelope County commissioners postponed action on an agenda item requested by Andy Frey, Elm Township road closures follow-up, sending a half-dozen county residents away without resolution. The commissioners held public hearings Sept. 3 on proposals to close two segments of county road. Both closure requests, one mile of 848 Road, from one-half mile east of 529 Avenue to one-half mile east of 530; and one-half mile of 847 Road, were petitioned by Frey. Brian McDonald, county engineer,...
Antelope County Commissioners adopted a new snow removal policy when they met last Tuesday at the courthouse in Neligh. Casey Dittrich, road superintendent, presented the policy that he and road foreman Aaron Boggs have been drafting over the past few weeks, with input from Tim Baxter from the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Agency, the county’s liability-insurance carrier. Input also came from road crew members and, according to Dittrich, has the “blessing” of county attorney Joe Abler. The policy establishes protocol for the order...
Dean Smith of Brunswick presided over his first meeting as chairman of the Antelope County commissioners last Tuesday, moving to the position from vice chairman after the former chair was removed from office. Two new commissioners had not yet been appointed, leaving Smith, Charlie Henery and Eli Jacob as seated board members to take care of business. The board addressed issues related to a road included in the Thunderhead wind farm road-use agreement. Listed on the agenda under the road...
The condition of an Antelope County road that connects U.S. Highway 275 and U.S. Highway 20 - a road that will see an increase in traffic if Tuesday's Summerland school bond is approved - was a discussion point during recent informational community meetings. It's a topic that has also been discussed at the school board level and during subcommittee meetings throughout the process, according to Dale Martin, superintendent of Nebraska Unified District #1. "Roads haven't been ignored. The focus...
The Antelope County Commissioners worked through their agenda in short order Oct. 8, at the Neligh courthouse, authorizing claims and payroll before hearing Casey Dittrich's road report and a complaint that had been posted on social media. "We had some complaints about south of Clearwater, grinding up the road," Dittrich said. "I reached out to some of the people who started a post on Facebook that's gained a lot of attraction," he said. The road in question is 846 Road, from the bridge...
County leaders spent about an hour mulling six “options” for managing Antelope County’s finances in the coming year, when they met last week at the courthouse in Neligh. Lisa Payne, county clerk, presented the commissioners with six scenarios for the annual budget, ranging from what she called the “golden egg” with its seven-cent levy increase, to one that called for no change in the county’s slice of a taxpayer’s pie. She cautioned that the figures were “very preliminary,” intended to give the commissioners a picture to work from. The high en...
The Antelope County commissioners approved preliminary levy allocation requests from political subdivisions, when they met at the courthouse in Neligh on Aug. 6. Regina Krebs addressed the commissioners regarding annual levy allocations for the subdivisions, including rural fire districts, the Antelope County Ag Society and the Antelope County Airport Authority. In past years, the board had sometimes denied the subdivision levy requests, in order to allow the county general budget to levy the...
