Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Jamie Hawkins of Oakdale appeared in Antelope County Court on July 1. The 33-year-old is accused of delivering drugs that resulted in the June 23 overdose death of Amy Dugal, 34, of Oakdale and overdose of 52-year-old Shane Sleister. Hawkins faces felony charges of manslaughter, delivery of fentanyl, and child abuse. Her attorney, Doug Stratton of Norfolk, requested a preliminary hearing. Antelope County Judge Danielle Fliam scheduled the hearing for July 15 at 2 p.m. At the beginning of...
A Neligh man accused of four counts that resulted in an injury accident appeared for further arraignment in Antelope County Court, July 1. A. Jared Blevins, 41, is charged with one count of possession a deadly weapon - prohibited person, a Class III felony; one count of DUI - cause serious bodily injury, a Class IIIA felony; and one charge of possession of a controlled substance, a Class IV felony, all related to an April 22 incident. Blevins, represented by Douglas Stratton of Norfolk,...
APPROVED BILLS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL Acco Brands USA LLC, sup, 489.48; AKRS - Neligh, rep to mower deck, 715.61; Amazon Capital Services, Inc., sup, 10,805.44; Antelope Memorial Hospital, transportation physicals, 430.00; Ashley Shaffer, second sem 25-26 mileage, 1,392.00; ASAP Express, water sample delivery, 60.00; Birch, Jacob B, spring 26 mileage, 2,704.25; Black Hills Energy, nat gas, 318.25; Blick Art Materials, sup, 1,071.88; BSN Sports, LLC, sup, 62.64; Bud’s Sanitary Service, LLC, trash serv, 2,516.00; Capital One Bk(USA), NA, s...
Jake Rosmarin has never set foot inside an Omaha restaurant. And yet, in the past month, he has eaten Reuben egg rolls from Paddy McGown's, a burrito bowl from Bomb Taco, a box of candy from Chocolat Abielle, buffalo chicken pizza from Mama's and, of course, a Runza. These and many other Omaha takeout standouts have been delivered directly to his address: A door located inside the University of Nebraska Medical Center National Quarantine Unit. Rosmarin, an Instagram-famous travel blogger from...
The two highest-paid nonprofit employees in the state benefit from a bonus system criticized for incentivizing more medical procedures. Nebraska's state auditor calls it inexplicable. A former health insurance CEO suggests it's excessive. A veteran doctor says it's unheard of. They're reacting to what a nonprofit hospital paid its gastroenterologist in 2024: Nearly $5 million. That same hospital, Faith Health in Norfolk, paid a plastic surgeon $3.8 million. Those sums made the doctors the two...
A 22-year-old Neligh man entered not guilty pleas to two separate charges on May 27 in Antelope County District Court. Sean T. Hammock appeared for arraignment. He faces one count of assault by strangulation or suffocation, a Class IIIA felony; and one count of domestic violence assault - 3rd/cause bodily injury, a Class I misdemeanor. Hammock is alleged to have had a physical altercation with a 21-year-old woman at his Neligh residence. Hammock told Neligh Police Officer Aubrey Miller that the woman had “come to him and he told her to get o...
EJ "Hap" Opp 1944 - 2026 EJ “Hap” Opp, formerly of Wood River, died on Monday, March 23, 2026, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Services will be held at Apfel Funeral Home in Grand Island at 10 a.m., on Saturday, May 30, with Derek Apfel officiating. Inurnment and military honors to follow at the Wood River Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Friday, May 29, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Apfel Funeral Home in Grand Island. ~~~~~ EJ was born to Frederick (Fritz) and Hazel (Lilienthal) Opp on Nov. 8, 1944, in Wood River. He received his edu... Full story
SUBMITTED ARTICLE Ryan Gallaher, physical therapist/certified athletic trainer, is the 2026 Caring Kind Award Winner of Antelope Memorial Hospital. He was recognized for this award on Tuesday, May 12, during National Hospital Week. Each year, the Nebraska Hospital Association honors employees from hospitals across the state as "Caring Kind" employees. The honored employee must exemplify the spirit of someone who gives that something special to others. Ryan began providing physical therapy...
On April 28, Antelope Memorial Hospital received the Most Improved Performance Award for 2025, as a member of the Accountable Care Organization coordinated by Bryan Health. The award was presented during the annual Bryan Health Connect Conference held at the Holthus Convention Center in York. An Accountable Care Organization in Nebraska is a group of doctors, hospitals and healthcare providers who voluntarily work together to provide high-quality, coordinated care to patients. These networks...
In this most recent legislative session, I introduced a total of sixteen bills and one constitutional amendment resolution. Additionally, the Agriculture Committee, of which I chair, introduced two so-called committee bills. Fourteen of those measures passed. This week, I would like to outline seven of my bills which became law. LB769 authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to create and issue up to three University of Nebraska State Museum License Plate designs. Alphanumeric plates will...
This spring, AMH welcomes Will Fehringer, PA-C, to its medical staff. He will offer coverage primarily at the Neligh AMH Family Practice Clinic. A native of Bloomfield, Fehringer is the son of Jeff and Kelli Fehringer. He graduated from Bloomfield High School in 2019. He attended Wayne State College, graduating in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. He acquired his Physician Assistant degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, graduating in December 2025. He...
Visit Nebraska is thrilled to announce the stops included in the 2026 Nebraska Passport program. The Passport helps Nebraskans and out-of-state visitors to travel and discover the state's hidden gems while supporting tourism destinations and local businesses. "The Nebraska Passport is our signature in-state marketing program, and it's one of the most fun things we do all year," said Jenn Gjerde, executive director of Visit Nebraska. "It's designed specifically to encourage Nebraskans to explore...
This year, Antelope Memorial Hospital's "Move it 2 Lose it Challenge" was held for 12 weeks from Jan. 5 through March 27. It was coordinated by Vanessa Carpenter, AMH wellness director. Over 550 pounds were collectively lost by the 46 contestants. In the men's division, the first-place winner (for the second year in a row) was Tim Kester, Jr. of Clearwater. He also lost the highest percentage of body weight among all competitors at 17.9%. The second-place winner was Brian Hoffman ofBrunswick,...
Jordan and Kate Mueller happily announce the birth of their son, Tad Joseph Mueller. Tad arrived on April 6, 2026, at Pender Community Hospital. Tad weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces and measured 20 3/4 inches long at birth. Grandparents included Joe and Carol Thiele of Clearwater and Mark and Denise Mueller of Emerson. Jackie Domina of Coleridge is Tad’s great-grandmother. Tad is welcomed home by his big brother, Huck....
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is seeking applications for an emergency medical services (community or county-based) member, an emergency medical services (hospital-based) member, and an ancillary healthcare provider member on each of the six newly-established Rural Health Transformation Program Health Care Advisory Regions in Nebraska. HCARs are being established across Nebraska to provide structured, region-specific health care insight and coordinated input into RHTP....
Antelope Memorial Hospital will hold laboratory blood draws at discounted rates on Wednesday, April 22 and Friday, April 24. Appointments may be scheduled between 6 and 9 a.m. Lab screenings include a hemoglobin A1c for $20; CBC, TSH, Chem and Lipid panel for $45; and a PSA for men, $30. The regular price of these total more than $400. Cash or check will be required at time of service as insurance will not be billed. To set an appointment, call 402-887-6257....
In my role as a hospitalist, I am always happy when a patient is healthy enough to be discharged. A resounding majority of people want to go back to their home after they leave the hospital. What we do not want is an unsafe environment leading to repeat injuries resulting in a hospital readmission. At discharge we can have members of the Home Health team perform a “Home Safety Evaluation”. Physical Therapists, occupational therapists and sometimes speech therapists will evaluate a per...
In a season that celebrates hope and new life, Brooke Bartak-Jensen - a Ewing native who lives in Omaha - is living her own version of a miracle. Two days after tying balloons for her daughters' birthday party, Bartak-Jensen's body began to shut down. What started as a sore finger turned into a medical catastrophe - sepsis, a rare blood-clotting disorder, and flesh-eating infection - that left doctors giving her just a 1% chance to live. Before the first weekend in November, two days before goin...
A 19-year-old Page resident will serve two years probation, in addition to other conditions set, for involvement in July 23, 2025, incident that occurred north of Ewing on the 45B link. In Holt County District Court on March 9, Judge Mark Kozisek sentenced Samuel D. Cheatum on one amended count of leaving the scene of a property damage accident, a Class II misdemeanor, and an amended count of willful reckless driving, a Class III misdemeanor. Cheatum pleaded guilty to the amended charges in...
PROCEEDINGS HOLT COUNTY BOARD OF EQUALIZATION AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS March 16, 2026 The Holt County Board of Supervisors met as a Board of Equalization with all members present except Tielke. County Assessor Tim Wallinger, County Treasurer Shelly Ross and County Clerk Cathy Pavel were also in attendance. This meeting publicized pursuant to Section 84-1411 R.R.S. 1943. Notice of meeting given in advance thereof by publication in paper as shown by Affidavit of Publication on March 5, 2026, in the Atkinson Graphic. Chairman Breiner convened the...
Lincoln has lost 11 providers and a net 505 spots since 2023, by a local nonprofit's tally. For the second time in three months, Kirsten Mahrt let the news sink in: Her 2-year-old's child care provider was closing her doors. Mahrt, a part-time speech-language pathologist, had used her background in child development to find the Lincoln provider who closed last month. Just as she had painstakingly chosen the first provider, who closed in November. It's incredibly stressful, she said, but at this...
Way back in the day, when I was in high school, I had a summer job of mopping floors at a local hospital. Being a janitor was a really satisfying job because when you were done, you could easily see what you had accomplished, unlike a lot of other occupations. Anyway, one of my compatriots on the broom was a guy named Howard Johnson. Howard was as big as an actual Howard Johnson's and he had an axiom for work: "the simplest way is the best way." As I recently watched the Nebraska Legislature str...
Northeast Community College had more than 5,000 students take some type of life support class and earn certifications during the 2024-25 academic year. Northeast offers classes in everything from lay level (everyday person) to advanced cardiac life support (paramedics and hospital emergency room personnel). The courses are delivered from two organizations, American Heart Association and American Red Cross. Heather Claussen, director of Allied Health Programs at Northeast, oversees dozens of...
Losing an extra hour of sleep may not be the worst thing that could happen when you "spring forward" at the start of daylight saving time. According to the American Heart Association, the world's leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, scientific researchers have noticed a marked increase in heart attacks and strokes in the days following this time change each year. This year, daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 8. Daylight saving time is the practice o...
Holt County Sheriff’s Office personnel responded to a two-vehicle collision, Feb. 24, between 877 and 878 Roads, on Highway 281 north of O’Neill. At approximately 4:53 p.m., a 2017 Ford F150, driven by Kyle Sobotka, was southbound on Highway 281. Daniel Nickeson was driving a 2014 Chrysler 200 LX, headed north on Highway 281. Nickeson crossed the center line, entering the southbound lane. Sobotka attempted to avoid the oncoming vehicle but was unable to avoid a collision. Sobotka’s vehiclecame to rest on the shoulder of the southbound lane....
