Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 176 - 200 of 746
The Honorable Kale Burdick handed down sentences when he presided from the bench in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill on June 20. Tanner J. Storjohann, 22, of O’Neill faced Burdick on three counts in an amended complaint filed by Holt County attorney Brent Kelly on April, 21, Count I, driving under the influence of alcohol, first offense, a Class W. misdemeanor; Count II, reckless driving, a Class 3 misdemeanor; and Count III, third-degree assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Storjohann entered guilty pleas on all three counts. Burdick ord...
United States Attorney Steven Russell recently released information on a United States District Court case regarding a methamphetamine conspiracy in the area. In May 2020, the Holt County Sheriff's Office, Nebraska State Patrol and the United States Postal Inspection Service began investigating Lindsey A. Rokahr and Dallas S. Rhinehart, 53, for their involvement in the distribution of meth in the Norfolk area. As a result of the investigation, it was determined that Katherine M. Tacheira, 51, of Walnut Creek, California, was the source of the...
A California woman and a Massachusetts woman, who had been traveling across the United States together, were sentenced to time served when they faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on June 7. Mandy L. Oliver, 40, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, appeared on a charge of possession of psilocybin, a Class 4 felony, while Anabel L. Valenzuela, 35, of Clovis, California, appeared for possession of tramadol, also a Class 4 felony. Taylor appointed Antelope County public defender Pat Carney to represent Oliver and...
Michael W. Hilton, 38, of Salt Lake City, Utah, faced the Honorable Mark Kozisek in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill on June 5 for sentencing on a felony count of third-offense driving under the influence of alcohol. Kozisek found Hilton had been “extremely intoxicated” and drove in a manner that put the public under substantial risk of injury or death and predicted his abuse of alcohol would continue. “The defendant is dangerous and in need of correctional treatment that can be provided most effectively by commitment to a correct...
Jordan J. Knievel, 21, of Neligh appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on June 7, alongside Antelope County public defender Pat Carney. She waived her right to preliminary hearing on a Class 3A felony charge, third-degree assault on a peace officer. Taylor bound her over to Antelope County district court, where she is set for arraignment June 28. Bond is continued in the amount of $10,000, 10% cash. Antelope County attorney Joe Smith dismissed, without prejudice, counts II and III, false...
Mark A. Rasmussen, 65, of O’Neill faced the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill on June 6 on charges of driving under suspension, March 30 and April 11. Burdick fined him $100 and $50 costs in each case. Rasmussen was self-represented. Kara K. Coufal, 44, of Madison appeared for arraignment. She waived her right to counsel and reached a plea agreement with Holt County attorney Brent Kelly. In exchange for Coufal’s guilty plea to Count I, DUS, a Class 3 misdemeanor, Kelly dismissed Count II, no valid regis...
Max S. Kerkman, 34, of Oakdale faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on June 7, for first hearing on a pair of Class 4 felony drug possession charges. He is accused of possessing methamphetamine and oxycodone June 6. If convicted, Kerkman faces up to $10,000 fine and/or up to two years incarceration for each count. He requested continuance and told Taylor that he would retain an Omaha attorney, Tom Peterson, who had represented him in prior cases. Taylor set preliminary hearing July 5 and continued bond....
An O’Neill man who was convicted of selling meth in April, faced the Honorable Mark Kozisek in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill last week for sentencing. Nathan C. Eschliman, 39, was sentenced to not less than 96 nor more than 192 months in a facility under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Department of Corrections. He was given credit for six days previously served in the county jail. Provided he loses none of his good time, Eschliman must serve 48 months, less six days, before becoming eligible for parole and 96 months, less six...
Michael F. Doty, 30, Norfolk, formerly of Page, appeared in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh for sentencing May 31, on a count of making terroristic threats, a crime committed last June in Orchard. Upon questioning by the Honorable James Kube, Doty said he had only a vague recollection of threatening his sister and brother-in-law June 28, 2022, at their Orchard home. He said he was under the influence of alcohol and methamphetamine at the time. He told Kube he is currently living in a...
Michael J. Mueller, 26, of Clearwater appearing with his attorney, Martin Klein of Neligh, faced the Honorable James Kube in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh on Wednesday, May 31. Pursuant to a plea agreement with Antelope County attorney Joe Smith, Mueller changed his pleas to guilty on charges of first-degree sexual assault in two separate cases involving separate minor victims, a 14-year-old girl on Dec. 26, 2022, and a 15-year-old girl on three occasions last year. The crimes are Class 2 felonies. In return, Smith agreed to...
The Honorable James Kube, while presiding from the bench in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh on May 31, sustained requests for continuances of pretrial hearings and jury trials made on behalf of seven defendants. Cases continued include: • Ryan Brummels, 22, of Ewing, represented by Frederick Bartell of Norfolk; charged with first-degree sexual assault of a minor, a Class 2 felony alleged Dec. 26, 2022; pretrial hearing and possible hearings on other motions continued to June 28, with jury trial remaining on the Aug. 21 d...
The Honorable Kale Burdick, on May 8, bound Paige X. Williams, 29, over to Holt County district court on a Class 3A felony allegation of child abuse. She is set for district court arraignment June 5. Bond, filed March 20, in the amount of $10,000, 10% cash is continued. Williams filed a written waiver to her right to preliminary hearing in county court May 5. She is represented by Holt County public defender Rod Smith....
Harrison G. Eagle Hawk, 33, of Kadoka, South Dakota, faced the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill on May 16 for arraignment on a Class 4 felony, possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine). Eagle Hawk requested court-appointed counsel. Burdick appointed Michael Sholes of O’Neill. The charge was amended by Holt County attorney Brent Kelly to attempted possession of a controlled substance, a Class 1 misdemeanor, and Eagle Hawk pleaded guilty. Burdick fined Eagle Hawk $1,000 and taxed him $50 costs of prosecu...
An 18-year-old O’Neill man has waived his right to a preliminary hearing and was bound over to the Holt County district court on seven felony counts. Ethan J. Peterson faced the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill on May 16, charged with a total of 11 counts, seven of them felony allegations. Charges include a Class 2 felony, use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony; three Class 3A felonies, possession of controlled substance with intent to deliver – clonazepam, zolpidem tartrate and carisoprodol; a Class 3A felon...
The Nebraska Court of Appeals has affirmed the Honorable Mark Johnson’s denial of Darryl Lierman’s latest motion for postconviction relief, according to Antelope County attorney Joe Smith. Nebraska Court of Appeals judges, the Honorable Francie Reidmann, the Honorable Riko Bishop and the Honorable Lawrence Welch rendered their opinion May 16. Lierman was represented by Michael Moyer of Madison, while Nebraska Attorney General Michael Hilger and Matthew Lewis served as counsel for the State of Nebraska. Lierman claimed his trial counsel was ine...
Jennifer L. Trease, 54, of Orchard faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on May 3, to be sentenced for maintaining a dangerous building, in violation of an Orchard village ordinance. Village attorney Joe McNally told the judge he had recently driven by the property and didn’t see much progress. Trease said she was working on it and explained work that had been accomplished. Taylor fined Trease $100 and assessed costs of $50 for the November 2022 violation. The judge told Trease that she needed to c...
A Ewing woman who had been facing four felony charges stemming from incidents occurring at a rural Ewing home, occupied by several children, one year ago, on May 12, 2022, has pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts. Jessica J. Snyder, 41, appeared in front of the Honorable Mark Kozisec for a change of plea hearing May 1, accompanied by her attorney, Justin Kalemkiarian from the Berry Law Firm in Lincoln. A plea bargain was announced, after which Kozisec allowed Snyder to withdraw her previous pleas of not guilty to Count I, terroristic...
Doug E. Lewis, 57, of Norfolk appeared in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on May 3 for pretrial hearing, alongside his attorney Ron Temple of Norfolk. Lewis is charged with Count I, third-degree assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor, and Count II, disturbing the peace, a Class 3 misdemeanor, both alleged Aug. 21, 2022, in Tilden. Temple requested a trial date be set, although he said the case may still be resolved. Jury selection and trial are set June 2. Gaylen L. Dredge, 60, of Neligh faced Taylor, accused of driving during revocation, a...
William R. Mathes, 45, of O’Neill appeared in front of the Honorable Mark Kozisec in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill on May 1, for sentencing on two Class 1 misdemeanors, second-degree false imprisonment and third-degree domestic assault, both committed Sept. 20, 2022, at an O’Neill residence. Kozisec fined Mathes $250 on each count and taxed him $247 costs of prosecution. Mathes, who was represented by Holt County public defender Rod Smith, pleaded no contest to the two counts Feb. 27, pursuant to a plea agreement with Holt...
The Honorable Donna Taylor signed a bench warrant May 3 for the arrest of Ronald E. Murray, 59, of Norfolk, with bond set at $1,500, 10% cash. Murray failed to appear in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh for a hearing April 19. A previous warrant for Murray’s arrest, issued Aug. 17, 2022, after he failed to appear June 15, 2022, was served April 7 by a Madison County sheriff’s officer and Murray posted a $1,500 personal recognizance bond April 11. Murray was cited May 5, 2022, by an Antelope County deputy, in Oakdale, for three cou...
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 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...
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...
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...
