Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Jon Cannon of Lincoln, deputy director of the Nebraska Association of County Officials, was a guest at the Oct. 15 meeting of the Holt County supervisors at the courthouse in O'Neill. Cannon is currently on a quest to visit each of the state's 93 counties. The county leaders approved a one-year lease of a skid loader from NMC CAT in Norfolk, at a cost of $7,800, for use by the weed department. CAT was contacted with a request for the lease option by Bill Teilke, chairman, during the Sept. 30 mee...
Jesse J. White, 27, of Creighton faced the Honorable Donna Taylor last Wednesday, Oct. 16. Originally charged with a felony count of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, White was scheduled for a preliminary hearing. However, after a review of the charge revealed the statute cited had been removed from state law, Antelope County Attorney Joe Abler amended the complaint, charging White with two misdemeanor counts, false reporting, a Class 1 misdemeanor; and leaving the scene of a property-damage accident, a Class 2 misdemeanor....
Victoria G. Harlow, 25, of Valley faced the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill for a pretrial hearing on two counts Oct. 1, driving under the influence of alcohol, second offense, and false reporting. Harlow pleaded guilty to an amended count I, DUI, greater than .15, per terms of a plea agreement. In return, County Attorney Brent Kelly dismissed Count II, without prejudice. Burdick sentenced the defendant to a nine-month term of probation, costs and fees totaling $405, a $500 fine, two days in jail and revoked her d...
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...
Orchard’s advisory board of education faced a short agenda when they met in the high school business room last Wednesday, Oct. 9. Principal Cathy Cooper updated board members Candace Hoke, Kristi Schutt, DeAnna Clifton and Nate Schwager on recent parent-teacher conferences. She reported a 93% elementary parent turnout, with 71% participation at the high school level. “That’s a really good percentage and it probably went up, because a couple of parents and teachers got together and talked at an alternate time,” she said. “We probably were clos...
The Nebraska Department of Education released AQuESTT profiles last Wednesday. Accountability for a Quality Education System Today and Tomorrow is an assessment of the state's schools that was developed to ensure all students across backgrounds and circumstances have access and opportunities for success, according to David Jesperson, public information officer for the Nebraska Department of Education AQuESTT annually classifies schools and the state's districts as excellent, great, good, or need...
Drama unfolded once again and the county attorney was called in for advice at a meeting of the Antelope County commissioners at the Neligh courthouse last Tuesday, Oct. 1. The final item on the agenda, taxpayer concerns/general comment/Regina Krebs, was moved up. Krebs assists various county officials and subdivisions with budget preparation and, in her capacity as a certified public accountant, has conducted audits of public entities, including Antelope County in years past. She introduced...
A special mail-in election, underway in Antelope County, will close next Tuesday, Oct. 15. County Clerk Lisa Payne has hired a receiving/counting board to help process ballots that day. County voters in two of the county's five commissioner districts received ballots through the United States Postal Service last week. The ballots ask voters if elected officials, Allan Bentley and Tom Borer, should be removed from their positions as county commissioners. "When a ballot is returned, it is logged...
CW Shoenemann, 48, 307 Montana Street, Clearwater, was sentenced on a village nuisance violation by the Honorable Donna Taylor during Oct. 2 Antelope County Court proceedings in the Neligh courtroom. Taylor ordered Shonemann to pay a $200 fine and $50 costs. He will be credited $150 if proof the property has been cleaned up is submitted by Nov. 20. Shonemann pleaded not guilty June 12 and was found guilty at a bench trial held Aug. 7. Garrett A. Fleischman, 26, of Oakland faced Taylor, with his...
A 27-year-old Creighton man was arrested on a felony charge after a Sept. 29 one-vehicle accident in Orchard. The Antelope County Sheriff’s Department was called to the scene, near 4th and Harrison streets, where a 2006 Silverado, registered to Travis Suhr of Creighton, had hit a tree at approximately 5:30 a.m. The reporting party told authorities two people had fled on foot. An investigation, by Deputy John Shaver, led to Suhr’s residence, where Jesse J. White was located with minor injuries allegedly sustained in the accident. He denied nee...
Seats in the Holt County supervisor’s chamber at the courthouse in O’Neill were all occupied and additional chairs were taken in, when the leaders met Monday. Many audience members voiced concerns, during the 10 minutes set aside for public comment, regarding TransCanada’s route across the county, as well as a new transmission line that will also cross the county. Diane Steskal of Stuart presented a letter to the supervisors, signed by herself and her husband, Byron Steskal, regarding the proposed Keystone XL pipeline route. She read the letter...
Danial C. Hohrein, 41, of Oakdale faced the Honorable James Kube for sentencing in the Antelope County District Court at Neligh last Wednesday, on a conviction of reckless driving. Kube was informed that a pre-court urinalysis was positive for THC. When asked by the judge, Hohrein denied smoking marijuana, saying he had used a topical product containing cannabidiol oil, a product derived from marijuana blossoms, for his back. Hohrein was convicted of the Class 3 misdemeanor July 31, after he...
The Honorable Donna Taylor handed down six sentences, bound two felony cases over to district court and scheduled a jury trial last Thursday morning, Sept. 26. Eli Jacob, 66, of Clearwater was scheduled for pretrial hearing on a count of theft by unlawful taking, alleged from Antelope County in January. A motion for continuance to Oct. 16 was filed by the defense Sept. 23, “for the reason that the defendant’s wife has a medical appointment.” Jacob is represented by Jason Doele of Norfolk. Joey Crooker, 37, incarcerated in the Antelope Count...
Antelope County commissioners, after hearing comments from several constituents and county officials at a pair of public hearings Sept. 17, adopted the budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. The $19,155,429 budget includes asking for $6,114,213 from taxpayers next year through a county levy of .246195. In order to balance all components of the budget, the levy computed by County Clerk Lisa Payne is about one-fourth cent more than the 2.5-cent increase proposed by commissioners in early...
Antelope County's annual audit report was released by the Nebraska auditor of public accounts office in August with fewer issues of concern to auditors than found in the previous audit of county financials. The single countywide issue prompted repeated advice for segregation of duties in offices. The NPA recommended officials weigh the cost to hire additional personnel against the benefit of segregating duties. County Attorney Joe Abler responded, "As noted and discussed during the previous...
The Nebraska auditor of public accounts released results Holt County's annual audit last week. The report covers July 2018 to June 2019, and includes numerous areas of concern for internal control that were listed in a letter sent to the county board of supervisors Sept. 10. The report is a matter of public record and is posted on the APA's website. Deann Haeffner, APA assistant deputy auditor, noted in the letter that the report is "critical in nature" as it addresses areas noted for...
Attendees at the Sept. 10 Antelope County Commissioners' meeting at Neligh's courthouse found new accommodations for hearing county business. A new sound system, including microphones in front of each commissioner, County Clerk Lisa Payne and at the witness table, had been installed. Commissioner Dean Smith acknowledged Invenergy officials for the donation. "I think it is much needed, I have always felt that it was. I appreciated you doing that for the county," he said. "I think it will be a...
The Honorable Donna Taylor sentenced several individuals when she presided over Antelope County Court on Monday, Sept. 9. Tegan O. McLean, 19, of Creighton was sentenced to 30 days in the Antelope County Jail for a conviction of false reporting, a Class 1 misdemeanor committed in Neligh on March 6. In addition, he was fined $500 for a count of possession of marijuana, one ounce to one pound, a Class 3 misdemeanor. He was given credit for three days previously served and assessed $62 costs. A count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor w...
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 Orchard Public School Advisory Board of Education faced a short agenda when they met last Wednesday at the high school. Board members heard from Principal Cathy Cooper that enrollment numbers used for football classification, as of last Wednesday, sat at 47, the maximum allowed for eight-man participation, in order to qualify for state playoffs. An increase in the number of boys enrolled in grades nine, 10 and 11 in any of the three schools, would push the future Bobcats to 11-man. Enrollment on Oct. 1 will determine classification....
A felony count of manslaughter of an unborn child was dismissed, without prejudice, Monday against Joey W. Crooker, 37, currently incarcerated at the Antelope County Jail. Crooker still faces a Class 2A felony count of first-degree sexual assault, alleged June 29 at a Grove Lake campground, with a preliminary hearing on the Antelope County Court docket at 11 a.m. Sept. 26. Crooker appeared with public defender, Charles Balsinger of Norfolk, on a motion to amend bond after the Class 2 felony was dropped. Prosecutor Joe Abler objected to...
Douglas D. Carpenter, 43, of Neligh faced the Honorable Michael Long in the Antelope County courtroom Tuesday, Sept. 3, for a bond hearing. He was arrested early Sept. 1 by Neligh Police Chief Michael Wright, on counts alleged Aug. 31. Charges include stalking and resisting arrest, both Class 1 misdemeanors, and disturbing the peace, a Class 3 misdemeanor. Long signed a probable cause for detention order Monday, Sept. 2, and ordered Carpenter appear in open court for the bond hearing, “because the defendant is currently on probation and b...
Two defendants, who appeared for hearings in the Antelope County District courtroom at Neligh last Wednesday, had bond revoked and were remanded to the custody of the county sheriff by the Honorable James Kube. Pre-court urinalysis showed the presence of methamphetamine in both defendants. Patrick Carney of Norfolk, public defender, represented both men. It was a repeat performance for Jeff J. Wilson, 42, of McCook, who was scheduled for sentencing on assault and disturbing the peace offenses, along with arraignment on a charge stemming from a...
The atmosphere in the supervisors’ room at the Antelope County courthouse in Neligh became a bit explosive for a while last Thursday morning. A special Aug. 22 meeting of the county commissioners had been set, exclusively, for budget discussion. However, an item for setting the date of a special recall election was added to the agenda by Lisa Payne, county clerk. As the meeting began, Tom Borer, commission chairman, asked for a motion to remove the item from the agenda. Dean Smith complied, offering the motion. “I think we should wait for the c...
A 37-year old registered sex offender faced the Honorable Donna Taylor last Wednesday in Antelope County Court in Neligh, on charges of sexual assault and manslaughter of an unborn child. Formal charges of third-degree sexual assault, a Class 2 felony, and manslaughter of an unborn child, a Class 2A felony, were filed by Antelope County Attorney Joe Abler against Joey W. Crooker on Aug. 12, following an investigation by Antelope County Sheriff Bob Moore and Steven Binkard, a Holt County deputy....
