Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Antelope County’s annual audit report was released by the Nebraska auditor of public accounts office early this month. Auditors once again advised segregation of duties for the county, overall. The NPA recommended officials weigh the cost to hire additional personnel against the benefit of segregating duties. Drafts of the report outlining auditors’ findings were provided to county officials to review, giving them an opportunity to respond, according to a letter, dated Nov. 2, from Deann Haeffner, assistant deputy auditor. Only one issue ide...
Jeremy J. Mathrole, 40, of Crofton appeared in the Antelope County district courtroom Wednesday, Oct. 28, for sentencing on a count of violating the Nebraska Sexual Offender Registration Act. Mathrole was represented by Antelope County public defender Pat Carney of Norfolk, who commented, “I think this is a lesson for the Legislature,” citing the differences in registry regulations in different states and his client’s travel to multiple states for work. He requested a sentence of time already served, alternately stating Mathrole had the abili...
A Texas man pleaded guilty last week, by waiver, and paid $200 in fines and costs to the Antelope County court, for 2016 offenses. Daniel G. Sanchez, 31, of Brownsville, Texas, was cited in Clearwater by an Antelope County deputy in September 2016 for no proof of financial responsibility, a Class 2 misdemeanor; no operator’s license, a Class 3 misdemeanor; and speeding, 10 miles per hour over the posted limit, an infraction. He was given a court date of Oct. 5, 2016, which he failed to keep. A warrant was issued for his arrest and was r...
Antelope County is looking into improving courthouse security to better protect its employees. County treasurer Deb Branstiter spoke to the board of commissioners Tuesday, Oct. 13, about purchasing and installing new security windows and related items for various offices inside the courthouse in Neligh. "I recently traveled to Cedar County and Knox County," Branstiter said. "In June, I called six different contractors and got varying responses." Representatives from Glass Edge Inc. of Norfolk...
"You say you are not a monster. You are wrong. You are." Those were words the Honorable Mark Johnson had for Roger D. Stuckwisch in the Antelope County district courtroom last Wednesday morning, before he passed sentence on the former Tilden resident who was convicted of six crimes in a sexual assault case with victims as young as four years of age. Stuckwisch was sentenced to the Nebraska Department of Corrections for not less than 30 years, nor more than 40 years on his conviction of...
Two defendants arrested near Clearwater on Sept. 29, accused of theft by receiving stolen property, $1,500-$4,999, related to a stolen Suburban, had their bonds reduced by the Honorable Donna Taylor last week They waived their rights to preliminary hearings when they faced Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom and were bound over to Antelope County district court. Both were set for district court arraignment Oct. 28. Christopher J. Alexander, 22, of Omaha, was accompanied by his court-appointed attorney, Martin Klein of Neligh. Klein asked...
Christopher L. Beltz, 33, of Plainview faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County court last Wednesday, Oct. 21, without counsel, on a Class 1 misdemeanor count of child abuse/neglect, alleged Aug. 17. Beltz requested a continuance to allow retaining an attorney. Taylor granted the request and set further arraignment for Nov. 18. If convicted, Beltz faces a penalty of up to $1,000 and/or one-year incarceration, in addition to possible restitution. Three Elgin men, who faced Taylor on charges stemming from a fight at 306 Pine...
Antelope County court proceedings got off to a late start last Wednesday, Oct. 21, due to the county prosecutor being involved in a Nebraska Tax Equalization and Review hearing, remotely, with other county officials. Once county attorney Joe Abler arrived in the courtroom, the Honorable Donna Taylor and the court staff worked through a lengthy docket in short order, finishing with criminal cases by about 11 a.m. Fernando J. Hernandez, 36, of Fremont faced Taylor with his attorney, Dennis Morland of Norfolk, for further arraignment of a Class W...
An Antelope County district court civil case has been rescheduled, after a mistrial was called by the Honorable Mark Johnson on Monday, Oct. 5. The case, brought by plaintiff Jennie Schrage of Clearwater, individually, and as administrator of the estate of Cyril Schrage, deceased, was originally filed by the Schrages' attorney Jason Ausman of Ausman Law Firm in Omaha on Feb. 12, 2018, prior to Cyril Schrage's May 29, 2018 death. An amended complaint was filed Sept. 28 by Ausman. Defendants are...
Two defendants faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh last Tuesday, Sept. 29, on charges related to a stolen vehicle that was recovered near Clearwater on Sept. 20. Antelope County deputy Cameron Lehr was pulling out of Hi-Way Mart while on patrol Sept. 20, when he observed an unplated GMC Suburban passing another vehicle. Lehr conducted a traffic stop outside of town on Highway 275. The driver, Christopher J. Alexander, 22, of Omaha told the deputy he had not had time to license the vehicle due to...
A South Carolina man who has been jailed in Nebraska since last December, was sentenced to serve not less than four, nor more than eight years in a facility under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Department of Corrections for a crime committed in Antelope County. Accompanied by public defender Melissa Figueroa of Norfolk, Robert Wagle was handed the sentence in the Antelope County district courtroom Sept. 30 by the Honorable Mark Johnson. In an allocution statement, Figueroa told Johnson her client thought the vehicle belonged to his employer,...
CW Schonemann, 49, who resides at 307 Montana Street in Clearwater, appeared in Antelope County court in Neligh last Wednesday, Sept. 16, for trial. The case involved violation of a village nuisance ordinance, with the date of violation noted as June 12. The Honorable Donna Taylor presided, with the village attorney, Joe McNally, as prosecutor. McNally presented photos and other evidence and called village clerk Tina Snider and Antelope County deputy John Shaver to the stand to testify. Shaver testified Schonemann had refused an offer by the vi...
Matthew D. Kershaw, 39, formerly of Ewing, currently an inmate in the Colorado Department of Corrections facility in Golden, appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom, electronically, to enter pleas to 2011 Nebraska charges. Kershaw’s attorney, Frederick Bartell of Norfolk, appeared in person. A plea deal was announced, resulting in Kershaw pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count, criminal mischief, $500 to $1,500, and agreeing to pay restitution. Two felony counts, possession of a firearm by a p...
An Antelope County commissioner had several questions about an annual agenda item during the board’s meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8, in Neligh. Commissioner Dean Smith was curious about the 2020 inventories of county personal property, which had been presented to the board the previous week. However, due to the absence of the inventory of the county sheriff’s office at the time, the commissioners delayed acting on the agenda item. “How thoroughly have they been reviewed?” Smith asked about the inv...
Dennis C. Statler, 50, of Neligh faced the Honorable Donna Taylor last Wednesday, Sept. 2, in the Antelope County courtroom for sentencing on a Class 1 misdemeanor count of domestic assault, cause body injury, committed March 31. He was sentenced to a 12-month term of probation, including related fees totaling $390 and $60 costs of prosecution. In addition to standard terms of probation, Statler was ordered to complete a co-occurring evaluation and to follow recommendations; complete an initial diagnostic interview for Batterer’s I...
Drew W. Steskal, 31, of Spencer, appeared in Antelope County court last Wednesday, Sept. 2, following an Aug. 31 crash northwest of Clearwater and an extensive subsequent search for the driver. According to documents filed by Antelope County sheriff Bob Moore, passersby had reported an abandoned vehicle about three miles northwest of Clearwater. Moore reported finding a red Ford Escort in the west ditch of a county road, about 200 yards north of the highway, with the driver door open. Moore said evidence indicated the vehicle had entered Cliffo...
Ronald E. Frazier, 48, of Neligh faced the Honorable Mark Johnson in the Antelope County district courtroom last Wednesday, Aug. 26, for arraignment on count of making terroristic threats. Frazier faces a possible penalty, if convicted of the Class 3A felony alleged July 6 at a Neligh bar, of up to three years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine, or both. Accompanied by public defender Patrick Carney of Norfolk, Frazier entered a not guilty plea. Pretrial hearing is set Sept. 30, with a jury trial scheduled for Jan. 19, 2021. Bond, in the...
Criminal complaints were filed earlier this month for failing to control noxious weeds on 10 area farms. Complaints alleged the defendants failed to control leafy spurge, despite individual notices sent to each of them June 17. Convictions would have subjected the defendants to potential fines of $1,500 each. Nine of 10 complaints were dismissed last week by Antelope County attorney Joe Abler, after the landowners or managers, Antelope County weed superintendent Bruce Ofe and Abler came to an agreement. The Noxious Weed Control Act governs...
A dad, who had been remanded to the county sheriff’s custody to serve a jail sentence, drove away from the courthouse in a private vehicle last Wednesday, with his children as passengers. Shane Sleister did not go directly to jail. Instead of proceeding north toward the Antelope County Law Enforcement Center, Sleister’s vehicle headed west on 5th Street, followed by Antelope County deputy and courtroom bailiff, Lyle Juracek, The 46-year old Oakdale man faced Taylor for sentencing on a Class 3 misdemeanor count of disturbing the peace, a cha...
The selection of a jury for an upcoming trial in an Antelope County civil case will have to be moved from its usual location due to the COVID-19 pandemic. District court clerk Angela Mortensen and county attorney Joe Abler met with the board of commissioners Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the courthouse in Neligh regarding a change in venue for the jury selection. Mortensen requested the board’s permission to rent a facility for the jury selection, which will be scheduled to take one day on Oct. 5. ...
Roger D. Stuckwisch, 78, of Tilden, was convicted of six crimes in a sexual assault case with victims as young as four years of age. Charged with 12 counts of sexual assault of a child, five first degree and seven third degree, Stuckwisch was adjudged guilty by the Honorable Mark Johnson in the Antelope County district court last week, after he pleaded no contest, pursuant to a plea deal, to subjecting six different children to sexual abuse between 2005 and 2016. He was convicted of Count I, as...
Last Wednesday was not a typical day in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh. The Honorable Donna Taylor heard from a man who requested a year in jail and a woman who cited religion as a reason not to appear. Billy Russell, 29, of Elgin had spent the previous 96 days in the county jail on charges of driving under the influence, third offense, and resisting arrest, as his case proceeded to the point of sentencing. He nearly begged Taylor to keep him there. Russell’s mother sent a letter to the judge, asking her to keep him “as long as you can...
As the 2020-2021 fiscal year neared its second month, Antelope County leaders started their annual budget work with a special workshop meeting last week at the courthouse in Neligh. The budget must be submitted to the state by Sept. 20, with a public hearing required prior to its adoption. Although values won't be certified until later in the month, Assessor Kelly Meuller-Oltjenbruns has unofficially reported about a 3% decrease in valuation countywide. Commissioners reviewed department's...
The Honorable Donna Taylor presided over an array of cases last Wednesday, stemming from fights, traffic crashes, driving while intoxicated or under suspension, to dog attacks. In a rare move, Taylor chose not to follow a sentencing recommendation county attorney Joseph Abler offered as part of a plea deal. Abler recommended a fine only for Smokie J. Pike, 24, of Kearney, in exchange for Pike's no contest plea to third-degree assault, fight by mutual consent, a Class 2 misdemeanor. After...
Six of seven defendants who faced the Honorable Donna Taylor last Wednesday morning, July 1, when she presided from the bench in the Antelope County court, faced charges stemming from alleged fights. If convicted of their individual third-degree assault, fight by mutual consent charges, they each face a possible fine of up to $1,000, six months in jail, or both, for the Class 2 misdemeanor. Hugo Estrada, 28, and Smokie J. Pike, 24, who resided in Neligh for the past several months, were cited for a May 3 fight at their residence. Pike pleaded...
