Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 676 - 700 of 762
Antelope County District 2 Commissioner Eli Jacob will have a challenger for the seat he currently fills. Donald Lallier, of Orchard, has filed for the position, according to Antelope County Deputy Clerk Denise Kurpgeweit. Incumbents have until Feb. 18 to register for re-election. Non-incumbents must file paperwork by March 2. The Nebraska general primary will be May 12....
An Antelope County commissioner, who was set to face a jury of his peers in the Antelope County courtroom this month, more than a year after the alleged theft of county property, had his trial continued when he faced the Honorable Donna Taylor last week. Eli Jacob, 66, of Clearwater, who is accused of taking a furnace from the Orchard county barn Jan. 1, 2019, appeared Jan. 15 for a pretrial hearing in the case. Madison County Attorney Joseph Smith, as special prosecutor for Antelope County, told Taylor he now anticipates a two- to four-day...
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 Oakdale man was convicted of two crimes last Wednesday during a trial to the bench at the Antelope County courthouse in Neligh. Twenty-three-year-old self-litigant defendant Garrett A.H. Hill faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the last case on the Jan. 15 docket. With other court activity wrapped up for the day, the courtroom was mostly clear, with the exception of a woman who accompanied the defendant, court staff, local media and several law enforcement officers - from the Nebraska State Patrol, Antelope County sheriff’s and Neligh p...
Several defendants were arraigned and/or sentenced by the Honorable Donna Taylor, when she presided over Antelope County court in Neligh last Wednesday, Jan. 15. Andrew C. Schumacher, 40, of Columbus faced Taylor for arraignment and a motion to suppress on a Class W misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, second offense. A plea agreement reached in the case resulted in the charge being amended to DUI, first offense, withdrawal of the motion to suppress and a joint recommend...
Three Holt County supervisors agreed, when the leaders met at the courthouse in O’Neill last Thursday, to serve on a committee to look for ways to improve efficiency within the road department. Road superintendent Gary Connot described several recent issues he attributed to lack of training, oversight and accountability. “I personally think we have got to get more oversight, more practical training and more instructions to our motorgrader operators,” he said. “We had a guy this last summer – we had the best set of roads in the county – in a per...
Sergio V, Velasquez, 31, of O’Neill was sentenced by the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County court last Tuesday, Jan. 14, on three counts, Count II, no operator’s license, a Class 3 misdemeanor; Count III, refuse to submit to pretest, a Class 5 misdemeanor; and Count IV, refuse to submit to test, first offense, a Class W misdemeanor. Burdick sentenced him to fines of $75, $100 and $500, respectively; eight months’ probation, including fees totaling $210; and $50 costs of prosecution. Velasquez changed his not guilty pleas to guilty on the...
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...
Bill Tielke and Steve Boshart will retain their leadership positions on the Holt County Board of Supervisors. Tielke was re-elected by his peers as chairman of the supervisors, while Boshart was re-elected to chair the board of equalization. Pursuant to traditional policy, the two leaders will serve as vice chair for each other. County clerk Cathy Pavel presided over the election process until a chairman was elected, then turned the gavel over to Tielke for the balance of the annual organization meeting Jan. 9, at the Holt County Courthouse. Pa...
The Orchard advisory and original boards of education reorganized for the upcoming months, when they met in joint session last Monday, Jan. 6, at the school. Advisory board members Candace Hoke, DeAnna Clifton, Nathan Schwager and Kristi Schutt voted to retain the current officers for the remaining months, until the Summerland consolidation takes effect. Hoke will continue as president; with Schutt as vice president; Clifton, secretary; and Schwager, treasurer. Board committee members will also remain the same, including Clifton and Hoke on...
Jade T. Buss, 19, of Atkinson was fined by the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County court last week, after changing his pleas to no contest on two counts amended pursuant to a plea agreement reached with Holt County prosecutor Brent Kelly. Burdick judged Buss guilty of the July 2 offenses and sentenced him to pay a $175 fine on Count I, failure to report a property damage accident, a Class 2 misdemeanor; and $175 on Count III, reckless driving, a Class 3 misdemeanor; and $60 cost of prosecution. Kelly reduced Count I from a Class 3A...
Antelope County zoning administrator Liz Doerr issued 168 permits in 2020, according a summary she presented to county commissioners Jan. 7. Permits issued generated more than $44,000 in revenue for the county, including $250 in late fees. The value of non-wind turbine permitted projects was projected at just shy of $4 million. By township, building permits issued include: Blaine, one permit, with estimated value of $150; Burnett, two permits, $305,000; Cedar, four, $100,200; Clearwater, three, $32,700; Crawford, two, $400,000; Custer, three,...
Three defendants were sentenced by the Honorable Mark Kozisek for crimes committed in 2018, on Monday, Jan. 13, in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill. Preston D. Janzing, 39, of Atkinson was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with credit given for one day previously served; a 24-month term of probation, including $930 fees; and a $1,000 fine. After deliberating about two and one-half hours, a jury found Janzing guilty of three of four counts Sept. 11, 2019, Count I, aiding and abetting kidnapping; Count II, strangulation; and Count IV, f...
Two defendants waived their rights to preliminary hearings and were bound over to Antelope County district court when they faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in county court Monday, Jan. 13. Robert E. Wagle, 35, of Summerville, South Carolina, appeared on three charges, Count I, theft by unlawful taking, more than $5,000, a Class 2A felony; Count II, first-degree false imprisonment, a Class 3A felony; and Count III, operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, a Class 4 felony, all alleged Dec. 5. Antelope County attorney Joe Abler dismissed Count...
The Holt County supervisors addressed cyber security at their final 2019 meeting. The leaders met Dec. 31 at the courthouse in O'Neill. Steve Anson with Anson Insurance Services was invited, by chairman Bill Tielke, to present information about insuring the county against "hacking" of county computers. Tielke indicated cyber security concerns were raised at a recent convention he had attended. "I don't think it's a matter that we can keep beating around the bush and not doing something about,"...
Ronald E. Frazier, 47, of Neligh faced the Honorable Donna Taylor on Monday. Dec. 30, for arraignment on two counts committed Dec. 15 in Neligh, Count I, driving under the influence of alcohol, and Count II, refusal to submit to chemical test, both Class W misdemeanors. Frazier pleaded no contest and was judged guilty by Taylor. She ordered $500 fines on each count, six months revocation of his driver's license on each count, concurrent to each other, along with 10 days in the county jail on...
An O’Neill man who was sentenced to serve time in the Holt County Jail by the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County court Dec. 17, for crimes in three separate cases, has now been sentenced in Holt County district court for crimes committed in two additional cases. Alexander W. Larson, 20, faced the Honorable Mark Kozisek for sentencing last Friday, after district court scheduled for Dec. 30 was postponed due to a winter storm. Kozisek sentenced Larson to 45 days in the Holt County Jail, followed by six months of post-release supervision th...
Alexander W. Larson, 20, of O'Neill was sentenced to serve time in the Holt County Jail by the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County court Dec. 17, for crimes in three separate cases. Burdick sentenced Larson to 30 days, with credit given for 30 days previously served, and $92.87 costs of prosecution, for a conviction of assault in the third degree, threaten in menacing manner, a Class 1 misdemeanor committed April 3. Larson pleaded no contest July 23 and was judge guilty. He was sentenced...
Robert E. Wagle, 35, of Summerville, South Carolina, faced the Honorable Donna Taylor on Monday, Dec. 30, on three felony counts, theft by unlawful taking, more than $5,000, a Class 2A felony; first-degree false imprisonment, a Class 3A felony; and operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, a Class 4 felony, all alleged Dec. 5. Taylor set bond at $200,000, 10% cash, and set a preliminary hearing for Jan. 13. Antelope County public defender Patrick Carney of Norfolk was appointed Dec. 11 to...
Joey Crooker, 37, incarcerated in the county jail, changed his plea when he faced the Honorable James Kube for a pretrial hearing last week in the Antelope County district courtroom. Crooker was charged with one felony count, first-degree sexual assault, alleged June 29 at a Grove Lake campground. Crooker, who is represented by Antelope County public defender Patrick Carney, and prosecutor Joe Abler reached a plea agreement. Terms of the agreement included Abler reducing the charge to third-degree sexual assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor, in...
The Honorable James Kube granted continuances in three cases when Antelope County District Court met last week. Douglas D. Carpenter,43, of Neligh appeared with his attorney Ryon Stover of Norfolk, for a pretrial hearing on information to revoke probation. He was sentenced, in December 2018, to a one-year term of probation on an assault conviction. Violation of the terms of probation are alleged Sept. 1, when Carpenter was arrested in Neligh on charges of disturbing the peace and resisting...
The Honorable James Kube presided over Antelope County district court last week in the final 2019 session. The Honorable Mark Johnson will serve Antelope County in 2020. Kube arraigned two individuals on felony charges. Matthew C. Waters, 34, a South Dakota man currently held in the Antelope County Jail, faced the judge on two counts related to a multi-county pursuit that ended near Royal in November. He is charge with two Class 4 felonies, attempted assault on a law enforcement officer with a...
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,...
Robert E. Wagle, 35, of Summerville, South Carolina, appeared before the Honorable Ross Stoffer on Monday in Wayne County court, telephonically from the Antelope County Law Enforcement Center in Neligh, where he is currently held. Stoffer appointed Kathleen Jorgensen of Wayne as counsel but advised Wagle he may be responsible for all or part of the cost at a later date. Further arraignment on eight counts is set for Jan. 6 in the Wayne courtroom. Stoffer also ruled, due to Wagle's difficulty...
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...
