Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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An El Salvador citizen, who was convicted of driving with a totally obscured windshield, DUI, no license and possessing a fake ID for employment was sentenced last week. Pedro Vasquez Cruz, 66, of O’Neill faced the Honorable Mark Kozisec for sentencing in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill. Kozisec sentenced Vasquez Cruz to 30 days in the Holt County Jail, with credit for one day previously served, a $500 fine and one-year revocation of his driver’s license for driving under the influence of alcohol (greater than .15), a Class W mis...
Four defendants were arraigned by the Honorable James Kube in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh on felony charges Feb. 22. Michael J. Mueller, 26, of Clearwater appeared with his attorney, Martin Klein of Neligh, for arraignment on first-degree sexual assault charges, Class 2 felonies alleged in two separate cases involving separate minor victims, a 14-year-old girl on Dec. 26 and a 15-year-old girl on three occasions in 2022. Meuller entered not guilty pleas to the allegations in both cases. Pretrial hearings are set March 29,...
Ron Crumly, 74, Page, appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on March 1, for sentencing on a Class 4 misdemeanor committed a year earlier, on March 1, 2022. Taylor fined Crumly $250 and taxed him $50 costs for violating a statewide burn ban. Crumly was self-represented. Roland Hurtig, 61, of Orchard appeared for pretrial hearing on Count I, a Class W misdemeanor, driving under the influence of alcohol, second offense; and two infractions, Count II, possession of open alcohol container, and...
Three defendants waived their rights to preliminary hearings when they faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh last Wednesday, March 1, on felony charges. Taylor bound the cases over to the Antelope County district court, where they are set for arraignment March 29. Reva J. Talton, 44, Antelope County Jail, is charged with a Class 4 felony, possession of methamphetamine, alleged Feb. 14, in Oakdale. Bond is continued in the amount of $7,500, 10% cash. Talton was remanded back to Antelope County sheriff Bob...
Four defendants were each given six-month terms of probation and fines for DUI convictions when they appeared in front of the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill last week. Raymundo Popocatl Perez, 32, of O’Neill appeared for sentencing on three counts, Count I, driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class W misdemeanor; Count II, speeding (78 mph in 65 zone), an infraction; and Count III, no operator’s license, a Class 3 misdemeanor. Burdick sentenced Popocatl Perez to a six-month term of probation, a $500 fine...
Earleen F. Jensen, 81, Royal faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on March 1, charged with a Village of Orchard ordinance violation - maintaining a dangerous building, a Class 4 misdemeanor alleged in November 2022. Jensen entered a not guilty plea and asked for more time to hire an attorney. She told Taylor that she had communicated with attorney Ron Temple of Norfolk, who had advised her how to proceed on arraignment. Taylor set trial for May 3. The case is prosecuted by Orchard village attorney Joseph...
Koda K. Fernau, 18, of Clearwater faced the Honorable James Kube in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh on Feb. 22, alongside his court-appointed attorney, Ryan Stover of Norfolk. Fernau was scheduled for pretrial conference on a Class 3A felony count of making terroristic threats. Kube sustained an oral defense motion for continuance of the conference and a jury trial. The hearing is now set April 25 and the trial, June 20. Kube ruled on a motion filed by Stover on Feb. 14. The motion asked the judge to order a psychological...
Dennis J. Nekolite Jr., 33, of O’Neill appeared in front of the Honorable Mark Kozisec to be sentenced for his conviction of 13 crimes committed between May 26 and July 27, 2022, including five felonies, six misdemeanors and two infractions. Nekolite was sentenced to an institution under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, with the jail sentences imposed on counts I -III, V-IX and XI-XII to be served concurrently and the sentence on Count X to be served consecutively to the others. The sentences for counts I...
Michael Hansen, 36, of Stanton appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Feb. 16, for pretrial hearing on a charge of obstructing government operations, a Class 1 misdemeanor. In an unusual interpretation of the charge, Antelope County attorney Joe Smith amended the charge to second-degree trespassing, a Class 3 misdemeanor, and recommended a fine only at sentencing, in return for Hansen’s guilty plea. The charge had a potential penalty of up to a $500 fine and/or 90 days in jail. Taylor f...
A Colorado man and an area teenager were both sentenced to jail last Wednesday, Feb. 22, by the Honorable James Kube when he presided from the Antelope County district court bench at the courthouse in Neligh. Both men requested probation sentences so they could take advantage of treatment for substance addiction. Although Kube ruled neither was a candidate for probation, he told them he would give them an opportunity for the structure and treatment options afforded by post-release supervision by the probation office. Both were given 18 months...
The Honorable Donna Taylor bound five felony cases over to district court when she presided from the Antelope County court bench at the courthouse in Neligh on Feb. 15. Michael J. Mueller, 26, of Clearwater appeared in front of Taylor for a preliminary hearing on multiple first-degree sexual assault charges, Class 2 felonies alleged in two separate cases involving separate minor victims. Antelope County attorney Joe Smith requested the cases be combined. “They are related,” he said. There was no objection from Mueller’s attorneys. He is repre...
Barbara Youngblood, 42, O’Neill, appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh last week for a pretrial hearing on Count I, third-degree assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor, and Count II, disturbing the peace, a Class 3 misdemeanor, both alleged Set. 24, 2022. “I would like to go to trial,” Youngtree told the judge. Taylor set the case for jury trial March 27 and issued instructions to attorneys. A status report filed by Antelope County atorney Joe Smith in January estimates trial will last one to two d...
Morgan K. Anson, 24, Orchard waived her right to a preliminary hearing when she appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Feb. 1. Anson is charged with a Class 2A felony, theft by receiving stolen property and three Class 4 felonies, possession of methamphetamine, operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest and possession of burglar tools, all alleged Dec. 9, 2022. Taylor bound the case over to the Antelope County district court, where arraignment is set Feb. 22. The judge further ordered that...
Ron Crumly, 74, Page, appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Feb. 1, for arraignment on Class 4 misdemeanor alleged March 1, 2022, violation of statewide burn ban. Crumly waived his right to counsel and pleaded guilty. Taylor set sentencing for March 1. Sarah J. Ward, 46, of Oakdale faced Taylor on Class 4 felony, possession of controlled substance (methamphetamine) alleged Jan. 4. Ward requested court-appointed counsel. Taylor appointed Antelope County public defender Pat Carney and set...
A second felony sexual assault complaint has been filed by deputy Antelope County attorney Joe Smith against a Clearwater man. Michael J. Mueller, 26, of Clearwater appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Neligh courtroom Wednesday, Feb. 1 for a preliminary hearing on first-degree sexual assault, a Class 2 felony alleged Christmas night. An oral motion to continue by Mueller’s attorney, Martin Klein of Neligh, was granted by Taylor. Mueller also faced the judge for arraignment on another count of first-degree sexual assault, a...
A 25-year-old Norfolk man had his first court appearance last week on allegations of theft, criminal mischief and trespassing at a rural Clearwater location. Benjamin T. Smith faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courthouse in Neligh on Feb. 1, for arraignment on three counts alleged Jan. 6, about eight miles northeast of Clearwater, at 85824 519 Avenue. Smith’s charges include: Count I, theft, 0 - $500, a Class 2 misdemeanor; Count II, criminal mischief, 0 - $500, a Class 3 misdemeanor; and Count III, second-degree t...
The third juvenile involved in the Aug. 28, 2022, theft of an all-terrain vehicle from Big Red Motorsports in Neligh, was adjudicated by the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh last week. The female juvenile was ordered to serve a nine-month term of probation and pay $49 costs of prosecution. She was driving the ATV, lost control and hit a mailbox, resulting in one of the other youths being pinned under the ATV with non-life-threatening injuries. Another female juvenile was adjudicated Aug. 31, 2022, placed on 18 m...
The Honorable Mark Kozisec signed a bench warrant Feb. 3 for the arrest of a 31-year-old Stuart man, who failed to appear in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill. The warrant includes an order for a $10,000 cash bond. Joshua A. Boettcher was set for sentencing Jan. 30 in three cases, including an initial sentencing on six counts committed May 7, 2022, possession of methamphetamine, a Class 4 felony; operating motor vehicle during revocation, subsequent offense; no proof of financial responsibility and no valid registration, all m...
The case of a Clearwater teenager, who is accused of making terroristic threats last fall regarding a Summerland Public School bus, was arraigned in the Antelope County district court last week by the Honorable James Kube. Koda K. Fernau, 18, of Clearwater faced Kube on Jan. 25, alongside his court-appointed attorney, Ryan Stover of Norfolk. He entered a not guilty plea to a count of making terroristic threats and requested jury trial. If convicted of the Class 3A felony, Fernau faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison and/or a...
Two defendants were arraigned in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh recently, while, in the wake of a pending winter storm, many either had their appearances continued to February or just didn’t show up. One defendant had his case dismissed. Austin R. Bertschinger, 30, of Oakdale appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor on Jan. 18 for arraignment on a count of possession of tramadol, a Class 4 felony alleged Dec. 10. Bertschinger requested court-appointed counsel. After holding an indigency hearing, Taylor appointed Antelope C...
Haiden Sleister, 19, of Tilden appeared in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh last Wednesday, Jan. 25, to be sentenced for attempted possession of a stolen firearm, a crime committed March 19, 2022. Sleister, who arrived late to court, had not yet produced a specimen for pre-court drug/alcohol testing when the Honorable James Kube called his case. Kube advised Sleister that he would revoke bond and keep him incarcerated until he tested clean. The judge further advised that he only held court in Antelope County one time a month, wi...
A Clearwater man has been charged with sexual assault of a female juvenile shortly after midnight on Christmas. Michael J. Mueller, 26, of Clearwater faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Jan. 18, for arraignment on first-degree sexual assault. Mueller, who is represented by Martin Klein of Neligh, requested a preliminary hearing on the Class 2 felony charge. Taylor set the hearing Feb. 1. Bond posted Jan. 4, in the amount of $250,000, 10% cash, is continued. Bond includes a condition for no contact,...
A jury trial for a Neligh pharmacist accused of healthcare fraud has again been postponed, this time at the request of the prosecution, due to a witness who was subpoenaed to testify out of state. United States Magistrate Judge Michael Nelson signed an order Jan. 17, granting the unopposed prosecution motion to continue Danelle Charf’s jury trial in the US District Court of Nebraska, to 9 a.m., May 8, in Courtroom No. 4 in the Ronald L. Hruska United States Courthouse at 111 South 18th Plaza in Omaha. The case will be heard by Chief United S...
Jake R. Short, 22, of Meadow Grove appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County court in Neligh on Jan. 18, alongside Antelope County public defender Pat Carney, to be sentenced for second-degree forgery, a Class 2 misdemeanor committed nearly one year ago. Taylor fined Short $200 and assessed $50 costs. Restitution of $433.73 had been paid and a second forgery count was dismissed by deputy Antelope County attorney, Joe Smith, as agreed to by the late county attorney, Joe Abler, in an October 2022 plea agreement....
Noah T. Storjohann, 20, of Norfolk appeared in front of the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill last week for sentencing on two counts, third-degree assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor, and disturbing the peace, a Class 3 misdemeanor. Burdick ordered Storjohann to serve a 12-month term of probation for the June 5, 2022, crimes. He was taxed $60 costs and ordered to pay probation fees totaling $390. Probation order includes 24 days incarceration in the Holt County Jail, to be served two days per month unless waived. B...
