Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 601 - 625 of 746
Charlie Henery, chairman of the Antelope County board of commissioners, told his peers, when they met at the courthouse last Tuesday, June 2, that the condition of a road north of Clearwater embarrassed him. Discussion on 854 Road began as commissioner Eli Jacob asked the road superintendent his timeline for grinding a two mile stretch of 516 Avenue, from Clearwater north to the cemetery. Road boss Aaron Boggs said he first needed to know "where we're going with it." "Well, we either have to...
The Holt County board of supervisors approved more than $60,000 in courthouse maintenance projects when they met there May 29. On a motion by supervisor Bob Snyder, the leaders unanimously approved a proposal from Beckenhauer Construction for several maintenance projects at the courthouse. The proposal included replacement of a metal door and frame for $21,165; cleaning and painting 26 window frames for $22,825; and clean and paint the metal stairs for $19,085. Steve and Janene Peterson addressed the board regarding ongoing drainage issues...
A former Antelope County deputy has been for making a false statement last year to a special agent from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Jeffrey Treu, 63, was sentenced to 12 months’ probation, a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment for his conviction of making a false, fictitious or fraudulent statement, by senior United States District Judge Laurie Smith Camp last week, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Treu pleaded guilty, pursuant to a plea agreement with US attorney Joseph Kelly. The agreement was...
The Holt County supervisors approved purchase of a vehicle for the sheriff’s department, when they met at the courthouse in O’Neill on May 18. The lease-purchase through the Nebraska Association of Counties Leasing Corporation, was approved by resolution, in an amount not to exceed $26,900, with an interest rate of not more that 2.5%. The supervisors unanimously approved a $2,722,583 bid from Knife River Midwest from Sioux City, Iowa, for asphalt overlay projects near Page, Emmet and Stuart. Knife River was the only bidder. Proposals from 10...
Wesley D. Hattula, 21, of Oakdale, currently incarcerated, entered not guilty pleas to three felony counts when he was arraigned by the Honorable Mark Johnson in the Antelope County district courtroom last Wednesday, May 27. Hattula's court-appointed attorney, Pat Carney of Norfolk appeared in the courtroom, while Hattula appeared via video conference from the Antelope County Law Enforcement Center. Hattula is charged with incest, a Class 2A felony; manufacture of child pornography, a Class 1D...
The Honorable Donna Taylor sentenced three individuals last Wednesday, May 20, in the Antelope County courtroom, while handling a variety of cases, from city nuisance violations and bad checks to violence and drugs. Mitchell B. Heine, 25, appeared for sentencing on two Class 1 misdemeanor counts, attempted possession of cocaine and attempted possession of hydrocodone, committed in May 2019. Taylor sentenced Heine to fines of $1,000 for each crime and $60 costs of prosecution. Heine pleaded guilty to the amended charges Feb. 19 after reaching a...
A 23-year-old Oakdale man, who filed an appeal of his Antelope County conviction of two misdemeanor traffic counts with the Nebraska Supreme Court this past winter, faced the Honorable Donna Taylor again last week. The case found its way to the Nebraska Court of Appeals, where Hill’s appeal was “summarily” dismissed and returned to Taylor with a mandate to sentence. Antelope County was taxed $126 in costs for the appeal. Taylor, on Wednesday, May 20, in the Antelope County courtroom, dismissed the case against Garrett A.H. Hill, due to proce...
A 21-year-old Oakdale man was bound over to Antelope County district court on three felony counts by the Honorable Donna Taylor on Wednesday. Wesley D. Hattula, currently incarcerated, waived his right to a preliminary hearing and was bound over on charges including incest, a Class 2A felony; manufacture of child pornography, a Class 1D felony; and possession of child pornography, a Class 4 felony, all alleged April 21. District court arraignment was set for May 27, before the Honorable Mark...
Antelope County Sheriff Robert Moore will no longer serve as the county's emergency manager. In a letter addressed to the Antelope County clerk, Moore said he felt he could no longer work under the "current conditions and feelings of the commissioners." The letter was dated May 7, two days after a meeting when two commissioners found fault with the manner a refrigerated semi-trailer was purchased to serve as a makeshift morgue for a worst-case scenario, when deaths from COVID-19 may exceed...
Andrew J. Harris, 34, of Atkinson was sent to prison by the Honorable Mark Kozisek in the district court of Holt County on Monday. Harris was sentenced to concurrent 18-month terms in an institution under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Department of Corrections, with credit for 136 days served, for convictions of counts I and II, attempted burglary and attempted theft by unlawful taking, both Class 3A felonies committed Jan. 3 near Stuart; and two concurrent 12-month prison terms, to be served consecutive to the 18-month terms, for...
The Antelope County commissioners are considering a bond to finance extensive road repairs. “I think a big topic at this meeting will be what we will do with our oil roads, after our discussion last week,” commissioner Dean Smith said during the commissioners’ May 11 meeting at the courthouse in Neligh. He had contacted Tobin Buchanan with First National Capital Markets, who had previously worked with the county, to inquire about bond terms to finance potential major repair costs, “to look at options on how we are going to go forward with th...
The purchase of a refrigerated semi-trailer and the county fund it was paid from were among matters of contention at the Antelope County commissioners' meeting last week. All five commissioners, several other county officials and others were present in the courthouse meeting room May 5 and the meeting was shared electronically via Zoom. Some of those present were asked to step into the hall at one point, when more than 10 were observed in the room. Jared Reimers addressed the commissioners...
A Holt County supervisor recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference. Bill Tielke, chairman of the county supervisor board, was notified in January that he had been appointed to the association's Environment, Energy and Land Use Policy Steering Committee. The committee is responsible for matters pertaining to air, water, energy and land use – including such things as water resources/management; stormwater; pesticides; a...
Charles E. Krysl, 44, of O’Neill was sentenced by the Honorable Mark Kozisek last Monday, May 4, in the Holt County district court. Krysl pleaded no contest March 9, pursuant to a plea agreement reached with Brent Kelly, Holt County attorney. In return Kelly dismissed counts I, III, IV and VI, first-degree false imprisonment, Class 3A felony, third-degree domestic assault, Class 1 misdemeanor, disturbing the peace, Class 3 misdemeanor, and child abuse, Class I misdemeanor, respectively; as well as a separate Holt County court case, and a...
Orchard school board members completed their final business for the school Monday, May 4. Orchard advisory board members Candice Hoke, Nate Schwager, Kristi Schutt and DeAnna Clifton were joined by Unified District #1 representatives Terri Hergert and Terra Williby to wrap up district business remotely via Zoom. Hoke and Schwager will continue to serve as board members on the new Summerland consolidated district’s board of education, while tenures of the other board members will end when the new board is seated in June. The only official b...
Douglas D. Carpenter, 43, of Neligh was resentenced, by the Honorable Mark Johnson in the Antelope County district courtroom for a 2017 crime last week. Carpenter admitted violating terms of probation ordered Dec. 19, 2018, pursuant to a plea deal. Johnson revoked probation and sentenced him to 69 days in the county jail on the original count of third-degree assault, committed Sept. 14, 2017, with credit for 30 days previously served. He was remanded to the custody of the Antelope County sheriff to serve the time. The violation stems from Carpe...
The Holt County supervisors approved a road-use agreement for duration of potential construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, despite the county leaders’ denial of a construction permit in February. Consideration of the road-haul agreement was on the agenda when the supervisors met in the courthouse for an in-person meeting April 30. The agreement had been drafted by Omaha attorney David Domina, with Brent Kelley, Holt County attorney, proceeding, at the request of the supervisors, to negotiate terms with TCE officials. Kelly was present in t...
Matthew C. Waters, 34, a South Dakota man currently incarcerated, was granted continuances of his pretrial hearing and jury trial by the Honorable Mark Johnson in Antelope County district court last Wednesday. Court appearances are now tentatively set May 27 and July 21, respectively, on charges related to a multi-county pursuit that ended near Royal last November. Waters is charged with two Class 4 felonies in Antelope County, attempted assault on a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle and operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest,...
Christofer N. Carstens of Oakdale was sentenced to decades behind bars last week. Carstens, who has been in custody since his early June 2019 arrest on felony child abuse charges, after his infant daughter was hospitalized with severe injuries including fractures to her skull and multiple other bones, was sentenced by the Honorable Mark Johnson Wednesday, April 29, in the Antelope County district courtroom. Johnson sentenced Carstens to not less than 30, nor more than 40 years in a facility under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Department of...
A former O’Neill resident, Leticia R. Bostick, 23, of Bastrop, Texas, was sentenced last week in the Holt County court for crimes committed in 2016. Bostick pleaded guilty in January 2017 to three misdemeanor counts but failed to appear for sentencing in March 2017. A warrant was issued by then judge of the county court Allen Brodbeck. The warrant was recalled and a new warrant signed by the Honorable Kale Burdick in March 2019. Bostick faced Burdick electronically last Tuesday, April 21, and was fined $100 for driving during revocation, a C...
Orchard principal Cathy Cooper told Orchard board members that graduation is still planned, when the original and advisory boards met recently. She said graduation will “definitely” take place, but factors regarding timing will have to be worked out. Cooper is consulting with other administrators in the Unified district regarding graduation and other end-of-year award ceremonies. “Safety is obviously the first priority,” she said. “We definitely want to recognize our seniors…We’re still planning for graduation…there are just so many things that...
The Holt County supervisors approved hiring a human resource firm when they met at the courthouse in O’Neill on April 16. With all seven supervisors in attendance at the meeting, the leaders voted 5-2 to contract with Zelle Human Resources of Lincoln to provide consulting services for an initial six-month term, after holding a phone conference with Zelle representative Chad Thies. Supervisors Bob Snyder and Don Butterfield voted nay. According to Thies, the firm would update the county’s employee handbook, making sure it is relevant and mak...
After seeking advice from county attorney Joe Abler, the Antelope County commissioners approved issuing a COVID-19 pandemic disaster declaration for Antelope County, beginning Jan. 31, and continuing, per recommendation of the Nebraska Association of County Officials. The attorney was called after county clerk, Lisa Payne, suggested the declaration be backdated to January. After further discussion and Abler's input, the declaration was approved unanimously and dated April 14, but covered...
Douglas D. Carpenter, 43, of Neligh, was sentenced by the Honorable Donna Taylor in Antelope County court last Wednesday, April 15, for a crime committed Aug. 31, 2019, in Neligh. Taylor sentenced him to three days in the Antelope County Jail and a $500 fine and taxed $69.22 costs of prosecution. Carpenter was convicted of a Class 2 misdemeanor, criminal attempt-stalking, after entering a plea deal last month. Carpenter was arrested by Neligh police and charged with three counts Sept. 1, 2019, Count I, stalking, a Class 1 misdemeanor; Count...
June 30 retirement of longtime Antelope County clerk of the district court, Judy Cole was announced during the April 14 meeting of the Antelope County commissioners. The meeting was held via video conference, with commissioner Eli Jacob and chairman Charlie Henery present in the meeting room, along with clerk Lisa Payne. Commissioners Dean Smith, Regina Krebs and Carolyn Pedersen participated remotely via Zoom. Sheriff Bob Moore, county attorney Joe Abler, zoning administrator Liz Doerr and...
