Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Two rural Clearwater women have been appointed to fill vacancies on the Antelope County Board of Commissioners. Regina Krebs and Carolyn Pedersen fill board vacancies created by the Oct. 15 recall of commissioners Tom Borer and Allen Bentley, who were elected to the board last November. Pedersen will represent District Five and Krebs, District Three. A panel of Antelope County officials, clerk Lisa Payne, attorney Joe Abler and treasurer Deb Branstiter, interviewed seven potential commissioners...
Dean Smith of Brunswick presided over his first meeting as chairman of the Antelope County commissioners last Tuesday, moving to the position from vice chairman after the former chair was removed from office. Two new commissioners had not yet been appointed, leaving Smith, Charlie Henery and Eli Jacob as seated board members to take care of business. The board addressed issues related to a road included in the Thunderhead wind farm road-use agreement. Listed on the agenda under the road...
The Honorable Donna Taylor sentenced several defendants when she presided over Antelope County court Wednesday, Nov. 6. Falisha A. Dewey, 31, of Afton, Missouri, appeared for arraignment on a Class 1 misdemeanor charge of third-degree assault, related to an incident at the Riverside Park campground in Neligh on July 31. Dewey, represented by Patrick Carney, Antelope County public defender, pleaded no contest to a charge of third-degree assault, fight by mutual consent, reduced pursuant to terms of a plea agreement with Joe Abler, Antelope Count...
The final item of business handled by the Holt County supervisors last Thursday afternoon at the courthouse in O'Neill caused some disunity among the leaders. As the supervisors passed time waiting to address an agenda item regarding outside counsel to handle a road-haul agreement with TC Energy, the meeting room filled with about two dozen county residents, many who are facing eminent domain proceedings for pipeline right-of-way easements across their land. While three of those citizens, Bryan...
The Honorable James Kube gave his stamp of approval on two plea agreements in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh last Wednesday, Oct. 31. Karen R. Stewart, 46, of Osmond, accompanied by public defender Martin Klein of Neligh, appeared on charges in four cases, two new cases and two dating back to 2018. In the first case, she faced a charge of possession of methamphetamine, alleged June 30, 2018, in eastern Antelope County, near Plainview. The second case involved another...
Andrew Yonkey, 48, of Bennet was sentenced to 120 days in the Holt County Jail by the Honorable Mark Kozisec in the Holt County district courtroom last Tuesday, Oct. 29. Yonkey was given credit for 30 days previously served. Yonkey was one of three defendants arrested in connection with the burglary of an Atkinson business Sept. 29, 2018. He was originally charged with a Class 2A felony county of burglary. As a result of a plea agreement, Holt County prosecutor Brent Kelley reduced the charge against Yonkey to accessory to a felony, a Class 4...
Andy J. Casperson, 41, of Norfolk was sentenced on two counts in the Holt County district court last Monday, Oct. 21. The Honorable Mark Kozisek ordered Casperson serve two years on probation for Class 4 felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, and tampering with evidence. The sentence includes fees and costs of $897. Casperson pleaded no contest to the crimes June 24, per terms of a plea agreement, and was judged guilty by Kozisek. In return for the pleas, Holt...
An O’Neill woman was sentenced to jail when she faced the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom last Tuesday, Oct. 22. Jacqueline R. McHenry, 49, appeared on charges in three cases. Burdick sent her to the county jail for 45 days, with credit for three days previously served, and ordered payment of $50 costs for third-degree domestic assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor committed June 1. A count of criminal mischief, $1,500 - $4,999, was dismissed by County Attorney Brent Kelly as part of a plea agreement. She was sentenced to 10 days i...
A former Holt County resident will spend several years imprisoned in Nebraska Department of Corrections facility after recent convictions. Last week’s convictions cleared several cases dating back more than a year from both the district and county court dockets in Holt County. The Honorable Mark Kozicek sentenced Torrey Peterson, 26, of Doniphan to not less than 42 months, nor more than 96 months, on a Class 2 felony count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. The crime was committed Nov. 15, 2018, in O’Neill, whe...
An Antelope County commissioner will face a jury of his peers in the county courtroom in January, more than a year after the alleged theft of county property. Eli Jacob, 66, of Clearwater, who is accused of taking a furnace from the Orchard county barn last January, faced the Honorable Donna Taylor last Wednesday for a pretrial hearing in the case. Madison County Attorney Joseph Smith, as special prosecutor for Antelope County, told Taylor he anticipates a two-day trial, possibly three days,...
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...
