Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 263
Last week, a jury convicted a Ewing woman of making terroristic threats against a former romantic interest, stemming from incidents that happened between Sept. 28 and Oct. 9, 2023. Jessica J. Snyder, 41, was found guilty of terroristic threats, a Class IIIA felony. Jury selection began May 1, with testimony commencing that morning. On Thursday, May 2, the jury deliberated for approximately two hours and found Snyder guilty. According to Holt County Attorney Brent Kelly, two minor children were...
Scholarship Recipients CHRISTIAN BEHNK UNL Husker Power Scholarship UNL O & G Kammerer Scholarship Paul D. Cooper Scholarship KELTON BRUHN Northeast Community College Livestock Judging Scholarship ALANNA DOLL Creighton University Award Scholarship Menard Family Business Scholarship Father John Labaj Scholarship The John Greer Memorial Scholarship Timothy J. Thramer Memorial Scholarship AISLYNN KESTER NECC Scholastic Contest Waiver Clearwater Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Scott L. Reynolds...
Ronald M. Allision, faced the Honorable Mark Kozisec in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill on April 22 for sentencing on two crimes, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a Class 1 misdemeanor, and delivery of a controlled substance near a playground or school, a Class 2 felony. Kozisec ordered a three-year term of probation. As part of the probation order, Kozisec ordered that Allison may not permit nor allow any unrelated female under the age of 19 to enter his residence at any time while he is present unless such female is a...
Dreidy M. Macias Vega, 29, of Atkinson appeared in front of the Honorable Kale Burdick April 16 in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill, for an entry of plea hearing on two counts, willful reckless driving, first offense, a Class 3 misdemeanor, and possession of an open alcohol container, an infraction. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Macias Vega pleaded guilty to an amended Count I, reckless driving, still a Class 3 misdemeanor and Holt County attorney Brent Kelly dismissed Count II. Burdick fined Macias Vega $500 for the Jan. 16 offense and t...
James L. Palik, 23, of O’Neill faced the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill on April 9, for sentencing on nine counts committed Dec. 7, 2023. Burdick sentenced Palik to a 12-month term of probation for attempted possession of a controlled substance (concentrated THC), a charge that was reduced from a Class 4 felony, pursuant to a plea agreement. As part of the probation conditions, he was ordered to serve 24 days in the Holt County Jail unless waived; obtain a chemical dependency evaluation and complete any tre...
Andrew F. Clark, 57, of O’Neill was sentenced by the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill on April 2, for crimes included in two cases. He was sentenced to consecutive 30-day sentences in the Holt County Jail for criminal mischief, $1,500 to $4,999, a Class I misdemeanor, and second-degree criminal trespass, a Class 2 misdemeanor that took place July 23, 2023. He was credited for nine days previously served. In a companion case, that led to the second of his two bond revocations in the first case, Burdick fined Cla...
A 19-year-old O’Neill man, originally accused of committing 11 crimes last April, was sentenced to prison for five of the offenses last week in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill. The Honorable Mark Kozisec sentenced Ethan J. Peterson to imprisonment under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services for a period of 24 months, with credit for 54 days already served, on Count I, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a Class 3A felony; 12 months, with credit for 54 days, on Count II, pos...
A 36-year-old O’Neill man is being held in the Holt County Jail on a $1 million bond on charges of sexual assault of a child. Michael L. Ford was ordered held without bond by the Honorable Kale Burdick when he was arrested Jan. 25. Holt County public defender Rod Smith was appointed as counsel. Burdick subsequently sealed the arrest affidavit, citing identifying information regarding a minor victim. He held a bond review hearing Feb. 6, setting bond at $1 million, 10% cash. Bond conditions also include a provision for no contact with the allege...
A 20-year-old O’Neill man was back in the Holt County district courtroom March 11, to be resentenced for crimes committed Aug. 5, 2021, after he admitted violating probation. The Honorable Mark Kozisek revoked probation and resentenced Drake D. Ruegge to 100 days in the Holt County Jail on each of two underlying counts, possession of a controlled substance and third-degree domestic assault, with credit given for 44 days previously served. Provided he loses none of his good time, Ruegge must serve 58 days, less 44 days on Count I and another 5...
Michelle J. Brigance, 42, of Atkinson appeared in the Holt County courtroom last week to be sentenced for crimes committed April 8, 2023, in O’Neill - Count I, driving under the influence of drugs, a Class W misdemeanor; Count II, refusal to submit to chemical test, a Class W misdemeanor; counts III and IV, possession of drug paraphernalia, infractions; count V, possession of open alcohol container, an infraction; and Count VI, display of fictitious plates, a Class 3 misdemeanor. The Honorable Kale Burdick placed Brigance on a 12-month term o...
When it comes to allowing conservation easements, the answer is clear for Holt County supervisors. Conservation easements cannot be approved, based on language in the county’s comprehensive plan. Whether the State of Nebraska understands that message isn’t so crystal clear. When the board met in regular session, Feb. 29, in O’Neill, chairman Bill Tielke said he’d been approached by a constituent asking if the board will support conservation easements. Holt County Attorney Brent Kelly reminded th...
Jake A. Winterburn, 42, of Meadow Grove has been sentenced to one year in the Holt County Jail in O’Neill for third-offense driving under the influence of alcohol. Winterburn appeared for sentencing in front of the Honorable Mark Kozisec in the Holt County district courtroom Monday, Feb. 26. He was given credit for one day previously served. Assuming he loses no good time, he must serve 189 days before his mandatory release. In addition to incarceration, Winterburn was fined $1,000 and assessed $147 costs of prosecution for the Class 3W m...
Sydney M. Abbott, 31, of O’Neill appeared in front of the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill on Feb. 20, for sentencing on three crimes committed Aug. 15, 2023, in O’Neill, Count I, driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class W misdemeanor; Count II, leave scene of accident, a Class 2 misdemeanor; and Count III, obstruct a peace officer, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Burdick placed Abbott on probation for 18 months, including 10 days in the Holt County Jail on each counts I and III, to be served concurrently. She was g...
An Auburn man will spend at least the next three years in prison after hitting and injuring an Atkinson police officer in May 2023. Jacob L. McVay, 23, of Auburn faced the Honorable Mark Kozisec in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill on Monday to be sentenced for three crimes - Count I, assault officer/health care professional, a Class 1D felony; Count II, terroristic threats, a Class 3A felony; and Count III, driving under the influence of alcohol – cause serious bodily injury, a Class 3A felony. Originally charged with 11 counts, fi...
A 39-year-old O’Neill man accepted a plea bargain last week that included Holt County attorney Brent Kelly dropping three of four felony charges. Ronald M. Allision faced the Honorable Mark Kozisec in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill on Feb. 12 for pretrial hearing on five counts alleged between June 1, 2021, and Feb. 28, 2022, in O’Neill, including third-degree sexual assault of a child, a Class 3A felony; contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a Class I misdemeanor; and three Class 2 felony counts of delivery of a controlled...
Jose A. Trejo Jr., 19, of O’Neill appeared in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill on Feb. 13 on two cases. In the first, he had previously pleaded guilty and was fined $300 for possession of marijuana and $100 for possession of drug paraphernalia, both committed Oct. 29, in O’Neill, as well as $49 costs. He was granted time to pay the fines and costs but had not done so by the Feb. 6 due date. Trejo chose to sit out the fines and costs in the Holt County Jail, at the rate of $150 per day. In the second case, Trejo was charged with Count I, mi...
A domestic incident last October in O’Neill has cost each of the participants $550, after they faced the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill last Tuesday, Feb. 6, on criminal charges. Deals with Holt County attorney Brent Kelly diminished the penalties from what they could have been. Jacob J. Reed, 42, faced Burdick for arraignment on two charges, third-degree domestic assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor, and assault by strangulation/suffocation, a Class 3A felony. Pursuant to the plea agreement with Kelly, Reed ple...
A 35-year-old O’Neill man, accused in several county court cases, resolved them along with his resentencing in a Holt County district court felony case, when he faced two judges in the county courtrooms in O’Neill last week. The Honorable Mark Kozisek revoked probation ordered in April 2023 and, on Monday, Jan. 8, resentenced Shawn D. Crist on a Class 4 felony conviction of possession of methamphetamine. Kozisek ordered Crist to serve two years in a facility under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Department of Corrections for the crime com...
Alex T. Berglund, 32, of Chambers faced the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill on Jan. 2, to be sentenced on his conviction of DUI, third offense. Berglund pleaded no contest in November 2023, per terms of a plea agreement with Holt County attorney Brent Kelly, to the charge that was reduced from driving under the influence of alcohol, high test, third offense. Burdick placed Berglund on probation for 30 months. He ordered payment of $930 in probation fees, $105 costs of prosecution and a $1,000 fine. He was also sen...
Stacy M. Reed, 44, of Atkinson appeared in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill last Monday, Jan. 8, to be sentenced for a domestic violence conviction. Reed pleaded guilty as part of an Oct. 30, 2023, plea bargain with Holt County attorney Brent Kelly, who removed previous offenses from the charge, reducing it from a Class 3A felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor. According to the information filed by Kelly, Reed was convicted of domestic assault in Brown County on Oct. 6, 2021, and in Holt County on May 3, 2022. The Honorable Mark K...
A 19-year-old O’Neill man, originally accused of 11 criminal charges alleged April 9, 2023, has been found competent to stand trial. During Sept. 25, 2023, arraignment proceedings in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill, after the entry of a guilty plea to amended charges, the Honorable Mark Kozisek questioned defendant Ethan J. Peterson’s competency and ordered an evaluation. Following the evaluation by a Norfolk specialist, Kozisek found Peterson is competent and the matter proceeded to a plea hearing Jan. 8. A plea bargain with...
Nathaniel N. Fonseca, 22, of O’Neill faced the Honorable Kale Burdick, in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill on Dec. 19, 2023, for sentencing on charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, first offense. Burdick fined Fonseca $500, revoked his driver’s license for 60 days and placed him on probation for six months. The probation order includes fees totaling $210 and he was ordered to pay $105 costs. Fonseca, who was represented by Brad Montag of Norfolk, pleaded guilty Oct. 17 after reaching a plea agreement with Holt County attorney Br...
The Honorable Mark Kozisec, when he presided from the bench in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill on Dec. 4, sentenced two O’Neill women to prison. Bobbie I. Kleinberg, 44, was sentenced on her conviction related to a brutal attack on a “confidential informant.” She was ordered to serve eight to 12 years, in a facility under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Department of Corrections, on Count I, assault in the second degree, a Class 2A felony; two to three years on count II, terroristic threats, a Class 3A felony; two to three y...
Jerry F. Homolka Jr., 57, of Chambers faced the Honorable Kale Burdick on Nov. 14, in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill, for sentencing on a count of driving under the influence of alcohol, first offense, a Class W misdemeanor. Burdick find him $500, revoked his driver’s license for 60 days and placed him on probation for six months. He was ordered to pay $210 in probation fees and $105 costs. Homolka was represented by Ron Temple of Norfolk. Homolka was arrested by an O’Neill police officer May 22, with a preliminary breath alcohol conte...
An Atkinson man was recently sentenced to a total of 28 days in the Holt County Jail when he was sentenced in two separate cases, one for trespassing after a plan to steal electronics was interrupted and one for driving under the influence of alcohol, when he ignored an officer who advised him not to drive. Dwayne K. Butler, 28, appeared in front of the Honorable Kale Burdick in the Holt County courtroom in O’Neill on Nov. 21. On his conviction of first-degree criminal trespass, a Class 1 misdemeanor committed July 17, Burdick sentenced B...
