Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 401 - 425 of 505
The Lady Bobcats downed Neligh-Oakdale, Monday, during the second round of the Niobrara Valley Conference volleyball tournament. Summerland swept the Lady Warriors, 25-16, 25-10 and 25-14, in a contest played in Ewing. The Lady Warriors were pushed to five sets by West Holt, earlier in the evening. Five Lady Cats landed ace serves in the match, including four from libero Avery Cheatum. Coach Rachael Cheatum said, "They executed the offense, played great defense and were effective at the net."...
Antelope County may need to weed out candidates depending on how many applications it receives from people wanting to replace a longtime employee. The board of commissioners received a letter of resignation from county weed superintendent Bruce Ofe during its meeting Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Neligh. The Oakdale man plans to retire from the full-time position Dec. 31 after more than 40 years of working for the county. "I'd be willing to stay that long so that if you get somebody hired, I could help...
The Lady Bobcats volleyball team enters the Class D1-5 subdistrict as the top seed. Summerland will meet the winner of the Neligh-Oakdale versus West Holt game, at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 26, in Orchard. The Lady Warriors and Lady Huskies match is set to begin at 4:30. At 6 p.m., third-seeded Elkhorn Valley will meet Elgin Public/Pope John, who enter post-season play as the second seed. If Summerland wins Monday's match, they will meet the EV vs. EPPJ winner, Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m., in...
Bruce Ofe is planning to retire from the position of Antelope County weed superintendent. The Oakdale man turned in his letter of resignation to the board of commissioners during their meeting Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Neligh. Ofe informed the commissioners he will be retiring effective Dec. 31 of this year. "I have enjoyed my time here these last 40-plus years as part of Antelope County," according to his letter. While he is looking forward to his retirement, Ofe noted he will miss being a part of...
A South Carolina man who has been jailed in Nebraska since last December, was sentenced to serve not less than four, nor more than eight years in a facility under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Department of Corrections for a crime committed in Antelope County. Accompanied by public defender Melissa Figueroa of Norfolk, Robert Wagle was handed the sentence in the Antelope County district courtroom Sept. 30 by the Honorable Mark Johnson. In an allocution statement, Figueroa told Johnson her client thought the vehicle belonged to his employer,...
Summerland's Lady Bobcats move to 13-5 on the season following two wins last week. On Sept. 29, Summerland traveled to Spencer for a match with Boyd County. Behind strong hitting by Brenna Wagner and Hadley Cheatum, the Bobcats defeated the Spartans in four sets: 25-23, 25-19, 20-25 and 25-11. Cheatum finished with 20 successful swings and Wagner landed 17 hits in the win. The Bobcats found success from the serving line, also, as five players finished the match with ace serves. Thursday's match...
A two-quarter dry spell for Summerland’s offense resulted in lopsided loss, Sept. 25, as Neligh-Oakdale manhandled the home team, 68-14. The Bobcats struck first when Dalton Rotherham intercepted an Aiden Kuester pass and ran 30 yards for a quick six. Trevor Thomson scooted in for the PAT, giving Summerland an 8-0 lead. Kuester answered with a 20-yard run of his own, and when Conor Dempsey tiptoed into the end zone, the Warriors evened the score at eight apiece. Julien Hearn added a 50-yard p...
Memorial services for Donna Peterson, 80, of Neligh were Wednesday, Sept. 30, at the Antelope County Fair Building in Neligh. Burial was in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Neligh. Beyer Snider Memorial Funeral Home in Neligh handled arrangements. Donna died Sept. 21 at Antelope Memorial Hospital in Neligh, with her family by her side. Condolences may be directed to the family at www.beyersnidermemorialfh.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to the family in her name. ~~~ Donna Maurine (Damme)...
An Antelope County commissioner had several questions about an annual agenda item during the board’s meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8, in Neligh. Commissioner Dean Smith was curious about the 2020 inventories of county personal property, which had been presented to the board the previous week. However, due to the absence of the inventory of the county sheriff’s office at the time, the commissioners delayed acting on the agenda item. “How thoroughly have they been reviewed?” Smith asked about the inv...
Thiele picks up first win of the season Four Bobcat cross country runners earned medals, Friday, at the Boyd County meet, held at the Butte Golf Course. Eli Thiele was the best in the boys’ field, crossing the finish line in first place. In the girls’ division, Kaci Wickersham finished fourth; Aislyn Kester, seventh and Elllie Dougherty, 15th. On Monday, the cross country team competed in the Neligh-Oakdale Invite. Two girls brought home medals. Kaci Wickersham placed second and Aislyn Kes...
Dennis C. Statler, 50, of Neligh faced the Honorable Donna Taylor last Wednesday, Sept. 2, in the Antelope County courtroom for sentencing on a Class 1 misdemeanor count of domestic assault, cause body injury, committed March 31. He was sentenced to a 12-month term of probation, including related fees totaling $390 and $60 costs of prosecution. In addition to standard terms of probation, Statler was ordered to complete a co-occurring evaluation and to follow recommendations; complete an initial diagnostic interview for Batterer’s I...
Ronald E. Frazier, 48, of Neligh faced the Honorable Mark Johnson in the Antelope County district courtroom last Wednesday, Aug. 26, for arraignment on count of making terroristic threats. Frazier faces a possible penalty, if convicted of the Class 3A felony alleged July 6 at a Neligh bar, of up to three years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine, or both. Accompanied by public defender Patrick Carney of Norfolk, Frazier entered a not guilty plea. Pretrial hearing is set Sept. 30, with a jury trial scheduled for Jan. 19, 2021. Bond, in the...
Cancer cannot keep Barb Roland out of the classroom. The K-6 Title I teacher and literacy coordinator for Summerland Public School in Ewing has been battling various oral cancers for the past 11 years. However, that has not stopped the Oakdale woman from teaching and working with students, which is her passion. "I enjoy helping children grow and learn," Roland said. "My doctor told me to do what I love, and this is it. I am taking precautions with COVID, as we all are doing." Her battle with...
A dad, who had been remanded to the county sheriff’s custody to serve a jail sentence, drove away from the courthouse in a private vehicle last Wednesday, with his children as passengers. Shane Sleister did not go directly to jail. Instead of proceeding north toward the Antelope County Law Enforcement Center, Sleister’s vehicle headed west on 5th Street, followed by Antelope County deputy and courtroom bailiff, Lyle Juracek, The 46-year old Oakdale man faced Taylor for sentencing on a Class 3 misdemeanor count of disturbing the peace, a cha...
The selection of a jury for an upcoming trial in an Antelope County civil case will have to be moved from its usual location due to the COVID-19 pandemic. District court clerk Angela Mortensen and county attorney Joe Abler met with the board of commissioners Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the courthouse in Neligh regarding a change in venue for the jury selection. Mortensen requested the board’s permission to rent a facility for the jury selection, which will be scheduled to take one day on Oct. 5. ...
Antelope County has raised its annual financial contribution to the county library association for the first time in three years. The board of commissioners approved an increase for each of the county’s six public libraries during its meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the courthouse in Neligh.Board chair Charlie Henery, vice board chair Regina Krebs and commissioner Carolyn Pedersen voted in favor of the raise, while commissioner Dean Smith voted against it. Commissioner Eli Jacob was absent from the...
On the 100th anniversary of women earning the right to vote, I’ve been thinking about the long line of strong women in my family. I never had the opportunity to meet my paternal great-grandmothers. Great-grandma Larson died giving birth and Great-grandma Gropper died six years before I entered the world. I am a strong woman because a strong woman - Barbara Fields Larson - raised me. I imagine her strength came from role models - strong Oakdale women - she grew up watching: her mother, Neola; g...
Roger D. Stuckwisch, 78, of Tilden, was convicted of six crimes in a sexual assault case with victims as young as four years of age. Charged with 12 counts of sexual assault of a child, five first degree and seven third degree, Stuckwisch was adjudged guilty by the Honorable Mark Johnson in the Antelope County district court last week, after he pleaded no contest, pursuant to a plea deal, to subjecting six different children to sexual abuse between 2005 and 2016. He was convicted of Count I, as...
Last Wednesday was not a typical day in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh. The Honorable Donna Taylor heard from a man who requested a year in jail and a woman who cited religion as a reason not to appear. Billy Russell, 29, of Elgin had spent the previous 96 days in the county jail on charges of driving under the influence, third offense, and resisting arrest, as his case proceeded to the point of sentencing. He nearly begged Taylor to keep him there. Russell’s mother sent a letter to the judge, asking her to keep him “as long as you can...
Max Kerkman, 30, of Oakdale was sentenced to 24 months in prison, with three years of post-release supervision, for being an unlawful user in possession of a firearm. Kerkman was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge John M. Gerrard on July 10. The charge carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. There is no parole in the federal system. On June 20, 2018, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search...
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...
The Honorable Donna Taylor presided over an array of cases last Wednesday, stemming from fights, traffic crashes, driving while intoxicated or under suspension, to dog attacks. In a rare move, Taylor chose not to follow a sentencing recommendation county attorney Joseph Abler offered as part of a plea deal. Abler recommended a fine only for Smokie J. Pike, 24, of Kearney, in exchange for Pike's no contest plea to third-degree assault, fight by mutual consent, a Class 2 misdemeanor. After...
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...
Four individuals will vie for the title of Miss Clearwater Rodeo 2020 during Friday's opening evening of rodeo competition. The winner will reign over the 53rd annual event, scheduled for Friday through Sunday, July 10 to 12. Taylor Bolling, of Clearwater; Josey Booth, Neligh; Morgan Erhardt, Orchard and Brooke Lehr, of Columbus, will be judged in horsemanship, congeniality and appearance categories. Prior to Friday's 7:30 p.m. rodeo opening, awards for all categories will be announced, in...
Six of seven defendants who faced the Honorable Donna Taylor last Wednesday morning, July 1, when she presided from the bench in the Antelope County court, faced charges stemming from alleged fights. If convicted of their individual third-degree assault, fight by mutual consent charges, they each face a possible fine of up to $1,000, six months in jail, or both, for the Class 2 misdemeanor. Hugo Estrada, 28, and Smokie J. Pike, 24, who resided in Neligh for the past several months, were cited for a May 3 fight at their residence. Pike pleaded...
