Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 1752 - 1776 of 3734
Neligh Chamber of Commerce will receive a Rural Workforce Housing Fund award to create quality affordable housing. Nebraska Department of Economic Development announced the recipients from across the state, Thursday, who will receive $22,825,000 in awards through the 2022 round of the RWHF. Neligh will receive $510,000 in award funds, with a local match of $255,000. For the 2022 funding cycle, non-profit development organizations that supplied a match minimum of at least 50% were eligible....
Lauren Behnk, of Clearwater, always knew she wanted to travel and experience life outside of Nebraska, especially in a Spanish-speaking country. Several people introduced travel as a way to study on Behnk's radar. Leenda Thiele, Behnk's high school Spanish teacher, shared her journey of coming to the states from Puerta Rico. Thiele encouraged her to experience travel for a better opportunity to learn. Behnk's cousin, Valley, also traveled and spurred her interest in seeing the world. Finally,...
An Orchard man, who has spent most of 2023 in the county jail, was sentenced to specialized probation by a district court judge last week - along with time already served and restitution. Michael D. Fox, 37, appeared before the Honorable James Kube in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh on April 26 for sentencing on two counts, terroristic threats, a Class 3A felony, and criminal mischief, a Class 3 misdemeanor. Fox was accompanied by his court-appointed attorney, Martin Klein of Neligh. Kube reviewed a presentence investigation...
A Nebraska family has plowed more than $1.6 million into the Lincoln mayor's race, an unprecedented sum and latest burst in a multi-year deluge that, at the federal level, rivals the political spending by a famed Las Vegas casino magnate and a Silicon Valley titan. It's not the Nebraska family you think. It's the Peed family and its business, Sandhills Global – not the Ricketts family – that have eclipsed all other donors while trying to help former State Sen. Suzanne Geist, a Republican, ous...
A 22-year-old O’Neill woman has been given the opportunity to resolve her felony case through the North Central Problem Solving Court. Problem-solving courts are an alternate route through the criminal justice system for nonviolent drug-related offenders, utilizing a specialized team process within the existing court structure. The court's goal is to protect public safety and increase the participant's likelihood of successful rehabilitation by utilizing validated risk and need assessments, early and individualized behavioral health t...
Wayne State College will hold commencement ceremonies for graduate and undergraduate students on Saturday, May 6 in the college's historic Willow Bowl ampitheater. The graduate student ceremony will be at 10 a.m. and the undergraduate ceremony will be at 1:30 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the ceremonies will be held in Rice Auditorium. The ceremonies will be livestreamed at www.wsc.edu/watch-live. A total of 603 degrees will be conferred by Wayne State president Marysz Rames. Those...
A lot located at 507 1st Street in Clearwater will have new owners, pending approval of an ordinance when village trustees meet May 8. Andrew Blecher and Tony Blecher, of Main Street Repair, first approached Clearwater village trustees in February about purchasing the lot. Tony Blecher said the business will use the area to park vehicles scheduled for repair. "All I want is a parking lot to get the cars off the street," he said. Trustees approved a resolution regarding the sale, April 10, at the...
Christopher B. Brady, 32, of Elgin appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on April 19 for re-sentencing after his admission to violating probation. Brady was placed on an 18-month term of probation Nov. 2, 2022, for a conviction of third-degree domestic assault. Violations included his admitted use of methamphetamine and positive alcohol tests. Tylor revoked probation and ordered him committed to the Antelope County Jail for six months. He was given credit for 23 days served previously. He was...
Last summer, Imperial farmer Dirk Haarberg made the hard decision to let some of his milo crop die. The heat and the wind had proven too much and Haarberg needed to save water for his other cornfields. Haarberg's water pumps also ran nonstop, he said during an interview, drawing more water than usual from the Ogallala Aquifer to feed the thirsty crops he was keeping alive. "We don't overwater, but when it was as dry as it was last summer, there's not much you can do but just water 24 hours a...
Concerns about sewer rates and the cost of the Clearwater lagoon project were expressed during the April 10 village meeting held at the Clearwater fire hall. Trustees tabled the purchase of geographic information system equipment to use for locating water and sewer lines. According to former village trustee Jay Snider, the hand-held equipment, currently requested by village maintenance man Troy Behnke, was to have been included in grant funding the village received. “It was part of when we l...
Twenty-two adult volunteers, one 4-H member and a family of volunteers are being recognized with 2023 Nebraska 4-H Volunteer Awards. Eleven individuals are receiving Outstanding Adult Volunteer Awards, including Chris Redding, of Elgin. The award recognizes current volunteers who have served more than four years in the local 4-H community. One individual is recognized for each Nebraska Extension Engagement Zone. In addition to Redding, recipients include: • Sally Bryner, Box Butte County • Jud...
A Butte man was convicted in Holt County district court last week of animal cruelty, after he failed to properly care for two herds of cattle. Jeffrey K. Reiser, 48, pleaded no contest when he faced the Honorable Mark Kozisec in the O’Neill courtroom April 17, was found guilty by Kozisec and was fined $1,000 on each of six Class 1 misdemeanor counts of cruel neglect of animals in January and February. He was also ordered to pay $87 costs of prosecution. About 400 head of black and red cows were seized Feb. 9 by chief Holt County deputy Ed N...
An O’Neill man, whose blood alcohol content measured more than .26 grams per 210 liters when he was booked for DUI and five other offenses last November, was sentenced last week in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill. Buenaventura Solano, 34, faced the Honorable Kale Burdick on April 18 for arraignment on the six counts. Pursuant to a plea agreement with Holt County attorney Brent Kelly, Solano pleaded guilty to four counts, Count I, driving under the influence of alcohol, (+.15), a Class W misdemeanor; Count III, no operator’s license, a Clas...
Katelynn Westley, also known as Katelynn Marker, 25, of Stromsburg faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on April 19, alongside her court-appointed attorney, Dennis Moreland of Norfolk. Westley is charged with three counts of disturbing the peace, each with a separate victim, all alleged Jan. 26. With no resolution reached, the case is set for jury trial. Antelope County attorney Joe Smith estimated trial may take two days. He plans to call five witnesses and said evidence may include “computer record t...
The "Summerland Advocate-Messenger" brought home 17 awards from the Nebraska Better Newspaper Contest. Recipients were announced Saturday, during the Nebraska Press Association awards banquet at the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel in Lincoln. SAM competed in Class A, which features weekly newspapers with circulation up to 699. Entries were published in 2022. The paper took top honors in five categories, including agriculture advertisement, featuring Automated Dairy Specialists; signature page,...
Bargain Buyway almost took a wrong turn on a deadend road but, with the help of four volunteers, the roadshow will go on. Polly Anderson, Melissa Keetle-Nelson, Lisa Meisner and Lindsay Nelson will oversee the three-day shopping loop, covering a 250-mile path in northeast and north central Nebraska, April 28 to 30. The 2023 Bargain Buyway will include stops in 32 towns, including royal, Orchard Page, Inman, O’Neill, Emmet, Atkinson, Butte, spencer, Bristow Lynch, Monowi, Verdel, Niobrara, V...
Ewing Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department will receive funds for equipment from the village board of trustees. Ewing Fire Chief Ryan Schrunk told trustees that $20,000 has been secured toward the purchase of a cordless jaws of life. “We’ve got approximately $20,000 committed, but we are continually looking for more funds,” he said. The pricetag for the piece of equipment runs near $30,000. Village trustees approved $10,000 toward the purchase of a cordless jaws of life and earmarked anoth...
"May is Mental Health Awareness Month," said Lindsay Ottis, director of Antelope Memorial Hospital's Senior Life Solutions. "In recognition, we are raising awareness about mental health and also celebrating our third-year anniversary by hosting an open house. This event will take place on Tuesday, May 2, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., at 102 w 9th St." In 1949, Mental Health Month was begun to help "educate Americans about mental illness and mental health." Each year, organizations and programs...
Northeast Nebraska master gardeners will host the 29th annual plant fair and market, Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29 at the Chuck Pohlman Ag complex, 2301 E. Benjamin Avenue, in Norfolk. Friday’s event will run from 5 to 8 p.m. On Saturday, doors open at 9 a.m. and will close at 3 p.m. Educational speakers will be on hand throughout the event. On April 28, Marilyn Schmit, master gardener from Platte County, will speak about Sunflowers, at 6:30 p.m. Three programs will be available Saturday, including lunchbox hydroponics, 9:30 a.m., pre...
Two Holt County defendants waived their preliminary hearings on felony charges when they appeared in front of the Honorable Kale Burdick in the O’Neill courtroom April 4. They were bound over to the Holt County district court, where they are set for arraignment May 1. Burdick waived jurisdiction of misdemeanors and an infraction to the district court as well. Both defendants are represented by Holt County public defender Rod Smith. Marquis E. Bull, 38, of Inman is charged with 12 criminal allegations, nine of them felonies, including three Clas...
Using a laptop at her farm near Clatonia, and some help from the state’s public power districts, a rural broadband advocate has uncovered oversights that may brings millions of extra federal dollars to Nebraska to expand high-speed internet service. Emily Haxby, who also serves on the Gage County Board, said she started doubting the accuracy of federal maps showing areas that were “unserved” by broadband. Just in her own rural neighborhood, Haxby said, she could tell there were at least a dozen rural homes, machine shops and other locat...
The Honorable Kale Burdick, when he presided from the bench of the Holt County court in O’Neill on April 11, set aside a conviction for Rebecca D. Strong, 48, of Ewing. The action nullifies Strong’s October 2020 conviction of a Class 2 misdemeanor, theft by deception. Burdick ruled that Strong is “unlikely to engage in further criminal activity and it is in her best interest and is consistent with the public interest” to grant the request. In her petition for set aside, Strong said she successfully completed probation, had no further convict...
summerlandadvocate.com A 19-year-old former Orchard woman has been sentenced after reaching plea agreements in six Holt County court cases. Makenzie A. Dow, now of Norfolk, and Holt County public defender Rod Smith, reached agreement with Holt County attorney Brent Kelly on Feb. 14 in the misdemeanor cases. Kelly dismissed two of six counts in a July 29, 2022, case in exchange for Dow’s guilty pleas to remaining charges in all six cases. There was a joint recommendation for probation. The Honorable Kale Burdick handed down sentences for the c...
Antelope and Holt counties are two of the 55 Nebraska counties designated as primary natural disaster areas, due to a recent drought. United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack notified Gov. Jim Pillen of the designation, March 31. Based on the U.S. Drought Monitor data, counties included in the designation either suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season for eight or more consecutive weeks or fell into extreme or exceptional drought categories....
A South Dakota man who was found sleeping in a rural Orchard living room in March appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor at the Antelope County courthouse in Neligh last week. Douglas H. Jenkins, 36, of Brookings, waived his right to counsel and pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal trespassing, a Class 1 misdemeanor committed March 29. Jenkins told the judge he had been driving for more than 20 hours and thought the farmhouse was abandoned. “I know I must have,” he said. “I deeply apologize, it wasn’t my intent to enter anyone...
