Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 154
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...
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...
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...
Twenty-nine-forty – an accounting code that identifies an Antelope County Law Enforcement Center fund – has become a familiar term during Antelope County commissioner dialog, as well as a point of contention between county officials. The “special revenue” account was formed after the Law Enforcement Center went into operation in 2015. In the ensuing years, the balance in the account has grown to more than $400,000 from fees charged for housing prisoners from other counties and law enforcement services provided to several Antelope County...
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...
Antelope County Commissioners approved a motion during an emergency meeting, March 18, to limit access to the courthouse. Beginning March 19, individuals needing to conduct business with local officials will be required to make an appointment with a specific office. The change will be in effect until April 7, or as deemed necessary by Centers for Disease Control and/or state officials. A list of office phone numbers and email addresses will appear on all courthouse doors. Visitors will be met...
Antelope County Commissioners approved a motion during an emergency meeting, March 18, to limit access to the courthouse. Beginning March 19, individuals needing to conduct business with local officials will be required to make an appointment with a specific office. The change will be in effect until April 7, or as deemed necessary by Center for Disease Control and/or state officials. A list of office phone numbers and email addresses will appear on all courthouse doors. Visitors will be met at...
Aaron Boggs of Creighton, who has served as foreman of Antelope County's road department for about a year, was hired to head the department when the county commissioners met at the courthouse in Neligh on March 10. The commissioners entered closed session to consider applications, after an announcement by chairman Charlie Henery just before 11 a.m. "I have to leave by noon or so," he said. "So, we need to go into executive session to talk about personal employee stuff. We need a motion to do...
Antelope County commissioners met March 3 in their meeting room at the courthouse in Neligh, with consideration of six driveway permits for the new Summerland school included on the meeting agenda. Steve Thiele of Clearwater was present, representing both the school district and the builder, Hausmann Construction. The county leaders gave unanimous approval for two of the applications, as temporary construction driveways and passed a motion to require a traffic study as part of the requirement for consideration of permanent permits. A 30-foot...
Holt County citizens filled the county supervisors’ meeting room in the courthouse last Friday morning as the county leaders took care of business. Bryan Steskal of Steskal read a letter penned by his wife, Diana Steskal, who was unable to attend the meeting. In the letter, Steskal wrote the Holt County zoning board members denied TransCanada’s conditional use permit until two conditions are met, including one that requires obtaining easements. Many, she said will most likely be appealed. She also cited three federal court cases filed aga...
Bobbi Riser, Region 11 emergency manager, addressed the Antelope County commissioners at their Jan. 14 meeting. She said the Region 11 board had voted at their Dec. 12 meeting to cover the insurance cost for the NRIN equipment, leaving electricity to the tower being the only expense to the county. NRIN is a statewide communication system for law enforcement agencies, with cost of equipment and installation covered by the state. Riser also told the commissioners the county had been awarded a $1,000 grant through Emergency Preparedness program....
The Holt County supervisors met Monday, Dec. 16, in front of a crowd of concerned citizens. Agenda items regarding a TC Energy road-haul agreement and some township road concerns drew the visitors. The supervisors heard an update on a bronze statue planned for the courthouse lawn by the “Finian Women.” They are a group headed by daughters of longtime Holt County resident, Doc Cook, who referred to himself as a Finian, according to county clerk Cathy Pavel. Natalie Cook Butterfield addressed the leaders regarding fundraising and planned placemen...
Antelope County Commissioners adopted a new snow removal policy when they met last Tuesday at the courthouse in Neligh. Casey Dittrich, road superintendent, presented the policy that he and road foreman Aaron Boggs have been drafting over the past few weeks, with input from Tim Baxter from the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Agency, the county’s liability-insurance carrier. Input also came from road crew members and, according to Dittrich, has the “blessing” of county attorney Joe Abler. The policy establishes protocol for the order...
With a full board seated at the table, the Antelope County commissioners addressed dust issues on a county road for the second week in a row. Commissioners Carolyn Pedersen and Regina Krebs, who were appointed to fill vacancies the week prior, were sworn into office by Linda Mitchell, Antelope County court magistrate, prior to the nearly six-hour meeting at the courthouse in Neligh last Tuesday, Nov. 12. Tension appeared as issues arose regarding timing of agenda disbursement to commissioners,...
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...
Two new Antelope County Commissioners will be sworn in when the group meets in regular session, Tuesday, Nov. 12. Regina Krebs and Carolyn Pedersen will fill vacancies following the Oct. 15 recall of commissioners Tom Borer and Allen Bentley. Pedersen will represent District Five, while Krebs will assume duties in District Three. Antelope County Clerk Lisa Payne, county attorney Joe Abler and county treasurer Deb Branstiter met with potential candidates Thursday, in public session, at the...
Voters in two Antelope County commissioner districts spoke, ousting District 3 Commissioner Allan Bentley, of Neligh, and District 5 Commissioner Tom Borer, of Elgin. Unofficial results show 307 votes to recall Bentley, with 174 votes favoring his retention. In District 5, 337 votes were cast to recall Borer, while 187 no votes were returned. The canvassing board was scheduled to meet Wednesday, Oct. 16, to verify results. Pending verification, the two officials will receive notification of the...
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...
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...
Attendees at the Sept. 10 Antelope County Commissioners' meeting at Neligh's courthouse found new accommodations for hearing county business. A new sound system, including microphones in front of each commissioner, County Clerk Lisa Payne and at the witness table, had been installed. Commissioner Dean Smith acknowledged Invenergy officials for the donation. "I think it is much needed, I have always felt that it was. I appreciated you doing that for the county," he said. "I think it will be a...
County leaders spent about an hour mulling six “options” for managing Antelope County’s finances in the coming year, when they met last week at the courthouse in Neligh. Lisa Payne, county clerk, presented the commissioners with six scenarios for the annual budget, ranging from what she called the “golden egg” with its seven-cent levy increase, to one that called for no change in the county’s slice of a taxpayer’s pie. She cautioned that the figures were “very preliminary,” intended to give the commissioners a picture to work from. The high en...
The atmosphere in the supervisors’ room at the Antelope County courthouse in Neligh became a bit explosive for a while last Thursday morning. A special Aug. 22 meeting of the county commissioners had been set, exclusively, for budget discussion. However, an item for setting the date of a special recall election was added to the agenda by Lisa Payne, county clerk. As the meeting began, Tom Borer, commission chairman, asked for a motion to remove the item from the agenda. Dean Smith complied, offering the motion. “I think we should wait for the c...
Two residents of the Royal community faced the Antelope County commissioners at their Aug. 13 meeting, asking the county leaders to intercede in the case of a dog running at large. Marlowe Jensen and Justin Jensen came to the meeting armed with copies of state statutes dealing with dangerous dogs, claiming the documents required the county sheriff to bring charges against the dog’s owner. “I was harassed by a dog,” Marlowe Jensen said, adding “It chased a deputy into Justin’s house.” “It’s the only dog in town that’s running loose,” his son s...
