Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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County court cases in Antelope County are routinely heard by the Honorable Donna Taylor, one of three county court judges presiding from benches in the Nebraska’s Seventh Judicial District. Last week, Taylor passed a case to one of her peers. The Honorable Ross Stoffer will travel to Neligh to hear a case involving a former Neligh police officer, Michael D. Wright. Wright is set for further arraignment May 1. Bond is continued at $5,000, 10% cash. Referring to previous work through Antelope County involving Wright as an officer, county p...
Joaquin S. Echeverria, 28, of Brenham, Texas, (in custody) appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh last week for preliminary hearing. Escheverria is accused of a Class 1C felony, possession of more than 28 grams of methamphetamine, with intent to deliver. Antelope County attorney Joe Smith called Nebraska State Patrol trooper Seth Miller to the stand. Miller testified that Escheverria possessed 74-76 grams of methamphetamine when he was stopped for speeding Feb. 19. Miller also testified that...
Sentencing on a 90-year-old Tilden man’s latest conviction of violating a harassment protection order was delayed last week after court officials discussed his felony charge in Pierce County. The Honorable Donna Taylor granted a defense request to delay sentencing for the third time, in Denis Kerkman’s current Antelope County case, after hearing that a felony charge of violating of the same protection order in Pierce County had been bound over to district court. Local sentencing was previously scheduled Feb. 7 and Feb. 21 and was continued eac...
An Elgin man, who had moved from Arizona last fall, has learned about icy road conditions and Nebraska law regarding vehicle and driver’s licenses. Tyler S. Zawacky, 30, of Elgin appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on March 6 for pretrial hearing on Count I, leaving scene of property-damage accident, a Class 2 misdemeanor; Count II, no proof of financial responsibility, a Class 2 misdemeanor; and Count III, fictitious plates, a Class 3 misdemeanor. Pursuant to a plea agreement with a...
Joaquin S. Echeverria, 28, of Brenham, Texas, (in custody) appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh last week for preliminary hearing. Escheverria is accused of a Class 1 C felony, possession of more than 28 grams of methamphetamine, with intent to deliver, alleged Feb. 19. Antelope County public defender Pat Carney requested continuance. Taylor continued the hearing to March 20. Escheverria was remanded back to the custody of Antelope County sheriff Bob Moore, pending posting $100,000, 10%...
Joaquin S. Echeverria, 28, of Brenham, Texas, (in custody) appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Feb. 21 for first hearing on a Class 1 C felony. Echeverria is charged with possession of more than 28 grams of methamphetamine, with intent to deliver, alleged Feb. 19. If convicted of the felony, Echeverria faces up to 50 years in prison, with a minimum of five years. Echeverria requested court-appointed counsel. Taylor appointed Antelope County public defender Pat Carney. Preliminary hearing...
Scarcely one square yard of a Neligh property was not covered by accumulated junk, trash, and debris, according to an Antelope County judge. The Honorable Donna Taylor, on Feb. 26, reached a verdict in a Neligh nuisance case. Kipp V. Polston, 46, of Neligh appeared in front of Taylor for a Feb.7 bench trial on a charge he violated Neligh’s nuisance ordinance. After hearing testimony and receiving evidence, Taylor took the case under advisement while she reviewed evidence and personally drove by the property, located just one block west of t...
Kristopher Dorrie, 39, of Albion appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh last Wednesday, Feb. 21, on a third-degree assault charge. Dorrie pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement with Antelope County prosecutor Joe Smith. In return, Smith recommended a fine only. Although Dorrie testified he didn’t think the victim, Cody Luscomb, was injured, he agreed to pay Luscomb’s restitution claim of $500. “I picked him up and we went to the ground, no punches,” Dorrie said. “(Luscomb) said he was (i...
Two separate jury trials have been set for an Oakdale man accused of driving during revocation/suspension and other crimes in September 2023 and in January. Shane Sleister, 49, of Oakdale (in custody), appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Feb. 21, in the two similar cases. Sleister’s attorney, public defender Pat Carney, asked Taylor to set separate trials in front of different juries. Antelope County attorney Joe Smith estimated one- to two-day trial in each case. Taylor set the t...
The Honorable Donna Taylor handed sentences down from the county court bench in Neligh last Wednesday, Feb.7. Joe Hurd served as prosecutor in the absence of Antelope County attorney Joe Smith. Kegan J. McAllister, 19, of Tilden faced Taylor for sentencing on a count of third-degree domestic assault, committed July 6, 2023. Antelope County public defender Pat Carney asked the judge to consider probation. He said the assault was not a “fist to cuffs type of thing.” Taylor noted a presentence report did not recommend probation because of sev...
A Petersburg man accused of passing a counterfeit $100 bill last fall doesn’t want a lawyer but wants his bond modified. Thomas R. Miller, 54, had waived his right to counsel at his first court appearance last month and was denied a request for a bail refund. Miller appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor last Wednesday, Feb. 7, for further arraignment on a Class 2 misdemeanor, second-degree forgery, alleged Oct. 11, when he is accused of passing the bill at Elgin One Stop. He again waived his right to counsel. He entered a not g...
The Honorable Donna Taylor presided over Antelope County court at the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Feb. 7. Handling prosecutor duties in the absence of Antelope County attorney Joe Smith was Joe Hurd, special deputy county attorney. Denis Kerkman, 90, of Tilden faced Taylor for sentencing on his latest conviction of violating a harassment protection order. Although Hurd indicated he had no evidence regarding sentencing, other than what was included in a presentence investigation report, he recommended probation with no jail time, a...
Rowdy L. Burke, 52, of Elgin faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh last Wednesday on a felony charge of driving under revocation, alleged Nov. 14, 2023, in Elgin. Represented by Martin Klein of Neligh, Burke waived his right to a preliminary hearing and Taylor bound the case over to the Antelope County district court. Burke is set for district court arraignment Jan. 31. Bond, in the amount of $10,000, 10% cash is continued. Burke was stopped Nov. 14, 2023, in Elgin by a Nebraska State Patrol officer on two...
Jeffrey A. Reinke, 35, of Omaha faced the Honorable Donna Taylor last Wednesday, Jan. 17, in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh, in a five-year-old case. He was charged with Count I, leave accident, fail to furnish information, a Class 2 misdemeanor, and Count II, no operator’s license, a Class 3 misdemeanor. Reinke’s attorney, Gregory Pivovar of Bellevue, had filed a motion to dismiss or discharge, on Jan. 14. He indicated, in the motion, that neither the complaint filed Feb. 26, 2018, nor a warrant issued in May 2018, were ever ser...
Shane Sleister of Oakdale appeared in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh last week, for trial on an Oakdale nuisance violation, alleged last February on his property at 606 Rath Street. Special village assistant attorney, Joe Smith, had previously offered a deal after some abatement work was completed by the defendant. Smith agreed to dismiss the charge if Sleister paid $50 court costs. Sleister did not comply and the case was set for trial. Sleister, who was self-represented, told the Honorable Donna Taylor that two vehicles that remain...
Denis F. Kerkman, 90, of Tilden appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Jan. 3, for pretrial conference on a charge of violating a protection order, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Kerkman pleaded guilty, pursuant to a plea agreement. In return, Antelope County attorney Joe Smith agreed to recommend probation, with no jail time. Taylor ordered a pretrial investigation and set sentencing Feb. 7. Bond is continued, in the amount of $20,000, 10%, with an order for no contact, neither direct nor...
Since we're writers, we, at SAM love lists. Trust us, we keep and use them every single day. But, how does one determine which articles should be at the top of the yearly list? In the past, we've based it by reader count from our website. This year, we're still relying on reader count, featuring the top-read article by month. We wrote nearly 2,000 articles in 2023 and, while some of our favorites don't appear on the list, we're sure these are a newsworthy representation of the Summerland region....
The Honorable Donna Taylor handled several arraignments when she presided from the bench in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Dec. 6. Jeremy J. Warnke, 49, of Neligh appeared for arraignment on a charge of third-degree assault. Conviction of the Class 1 misdemeanor would have resulted in up to $1,000 fine and/or up to one-year incarceration. The charge was reduced to a Class 2 misdemeanor, assault by mutual consent, pursuant to a plea agreement with Antelope County attorney Joe Smith. The Class 2 misdemeanor carried the same potential...
Three defendants, charged with Neligh city and Oakdale village ordinance violations had their day in county court last week. Appearing in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor at the courthouse in Neligh on Dec. 6, Linda Mack of Elgin appeared for sentencing and an abatement order on an offense of maintaining a dangerous building on the west half of lots 10, 11 and 12, Block 197, in Neligh. Prosecutor, Neligh city attorney James McNally, indicated Mack had recently contacted the Neligh Volunteer Fire Department about burning the house as a...
Kegan J. McAllister, 19, of Tilden faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Dec. 6 for pretrial hearing on a Class 1 misdemeanor. A plea agreement was announced. McAllister pleaded guilty, as charged, to a count of third-degree domestic assault committed July 6. In return, Antelope County attorney Joe Smith agreed to file no additional charges related to the incident and will make no recommendation at sentencing. Carney informed the judge that McAllister is set for sentencing in Madison County district cour...
Richard C. Jelich Jr., 28, of Norfolk appeared in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Nov. 15, alongside Antelope County public defender Pat Carney, for sentencing on a count of third-degree assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor committed June 14 at a Neligh residence. Carney told the Honorable Donna Taylor that Jelich has motivation to succeed at probation. “He has a decent handle on where he is and where he wants to go,” the attorney said. Jelich apologized for his behavior, saying he accepted full responsibility. Taylor showed some ske...
The Honorable Donna Taylor, presiding from the Antelope County court bench in Neligh on Nov. 15, continued arraignment or further arraignment procedures for several defendants. Denis F. Kerkman, 90, of Tilden appeared for further arraignment on a charge of violating a protection order, a Class 1 misdemeanor alleged Oct. 13. Kerkman, who had been granted a continuance Nov. 1, so he could hire an attorney, appeared without one. He requested court-appointed counsel. After questioning him about his income, Taylor appointed Antelope County public...
Austin Bertschinger, 30, of Omaha appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Nov. 15, to explain why he hadn’t paid a fine and costs ordered Aug. 2, for a December 2022 crime. He said he had lost his job. A time-payment warrant had been issued Nov. 8, after he failed to appear in court on Nov. 1. He was arrested Nov. 14 in Lancaster County and transported to Neligh. He posted 10% of a $1,500 bond. Taylor amended the bond to a $150 cash bond and applied it to his unpaid balance. She gave him u...
A charge against a Clearwater man was dismissed by Antelope County Attorney Joe Smith on Oct. 25. Zane Herley, 23, of Clearwater, was set for pretrial hearing Nov. 1 and trial Nov. 17 in the Antelope County court, on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor (allegedly provided a Jell-O alcohol shot to 18-year-old minor), a Class 1 misdemeanor alleged June 24 in Clearwater. According to a document filed by Smith, the reason for dismissal was that law enforcement did not preserve the evidence. Smith also dismissed a minor in...
A Neligh couple, whose June 29 argument became physical, were each sentenced to seven days in jail for counts of third-degree assault, by mutual consent. Plea agreements had been negotiated with Antelope County attorney Joe Smith by the respective court-appointed attorneys for Melissa A. Murberger, 48, represented by Martin Klein of Neligh, and Ronald E. Murberger, 48, represented by public defender Pat Carney of Norfolk. The agreement included staggered jail sentences so one of them would be available to care for their children and Smith’s a...
