Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 75
Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol will be working hard to keep Nebraska roads safe as the summer driving season comes to an end. "Schools are back in session and most summer vacations are in the rearview mirror," said Colonel John Bolduc, superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. "As the summer driving season winds down, our troopers will be working alongside local law enforcement and patrolling for impaired driving across the state." The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign began...
The speaker of the Legislature has announced that senators will complete their work a few days early, adjourning sine die on May 27 rather than June 10. This is partially due to the many late nights that were worked in order to complete our business and knowing we will be meeting again in a couple months. Every 10 years, the Legislature must complete the redistricting process to reflect population changes after the U.S. Census is complete. Due to the pandemic, states didn’t get the census d...
BROOKE WRAGE Nebraska News Service As of March 31, Gov. Pete Ricketts approved 16 bills to become state laws. The bills include topics varying from transportation and health care to government and military affairs. An overview of the new state laws follows. View the full list of bills that received approval on the Nebraska Legislature at https://nebraskalegislature.gov/calendar/agenda.php?day=2021-03-25. LB 14: Adopt the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue introduced LB 14, which will allow...
In early December, the former chair of the executive board, along with chairs of standing committees, sent an email to senators suggesting they limit the number of bills introduced. This would assist with safety measures being developed for senators and the public, in preparation for the legislative session during a pandemic. However, 684 bills were still introduced during 10 days of bill introduction. Although this number was less than the 739 bills in 2019, it was more than the 667 bills...
A farm cooperative that serves customers in a 30-county region of northeast Nebraska has pledged its support to improvements in agriculture facilities currently underway at Northeast Community College in Norfolk. Farmers Pride, headquartered in Battle Creek, has pledged $50,000 to the Nexus project at Northeast to build a new veterinary technology clinic and classroom building and other facilities on the Acklie Family College Farm. "Many of our employees and customers have graduated from...
North Central District Health Department reported 38 new cases in the district Jan. 4, including: seven, Antelope; 0, Boyd; 0, Brown; one, Cherry; six, Holt; 0, Keya Paha; 15, Knox; nine, Pierce and 0, Rock. NCDHD has received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and is proceeding to disperse vaccine to Phase 1A partners, as outlined in the Nebraska COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. As of Dec. 31, 784 north central Nebraska residents received the first dose of the vaccine. NCDHD will notify the public as the district transitions to each phase. The speed of...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES DECEMBER 2020 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met in regular session Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, at 7 p.m., in the Fire Hall meeting room. Regular meeting was opened at 7:02 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger and notice was given to chairman and village board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Jay Snider, Kevin Filsinger, Steve Stearns and Paul Horman. Absent:...
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...
Superintendent Dale Martin shared the following information with Summerland families, July 28. Our district administrative team and the Summerland Board of Education, in consultation with the North Central District Health Department, Nebraska Department of Education and following the Center for Disease Control guidelines, is planning to start the 2020-2021 school year with in-person, normal instruction, Aug. 13. The schools of Summerland - Clearwater, Ewing and Orchard - will operate within the...
A former Holt County resident was sentenced to three three-year prison terms for felony convictions and three one-year terms for misdemeanor convictions, all committed in Holt County, beginning more than three years ago. Jeff A. Dolberg, 45, was sentenced by the Honorable Karin Noakes on Monday, June 29, in Holt County district court. Noakes began presiding over the case after the Honorable Mark Kozisek recused himself, pursuant to a motion filed on Dolberg’s behalf by his attorney, Rodney Smith of O’Neill. The motion to disqualify cited Koz...
LUNA STEPHENS Nebraska News Service While much of the attention on this summer's legislative session will likely be focused on property tax relief, Nebraska state senators passed a variety of bills before the session was suspended and have more to discuss. The Nebraska Legislature's 2020 session was suspended March 16 because of COVID-19 concerns and will resume July 20. Here's a look at some of the legislation that became laws, and some that will continue to be debated when the Legislature resu...
Justin W. Bennett, 24, formerly of Lancaster, California, currently incarcerated at the Antelope County Jail, appeared before the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom Wednesday, June 17, on an extradition request from Los Angeles County, California. Prior to facing the judge, Bennett informed county attorney Joe Abler he intended to request a hearing, to find out what the California charges are about. Documents in possession of Antelope County officials listed allegations by code only. Abler said he had not looked up...
As the Memorial Day holiday approaches, the Nebraska Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office is partnering with state and local law enforcement to promote the importance of buckling up. Just as COVID-19 has taught us the importance of proactively protecting yourself by wearing a mask, buckling up is as important in reducing motor vehicle injuries and fatalities. "As our state resumes to normal business and transportation activities, it is important that we share this lifesaving...
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 Appropriations Committee presented its recommendations for the budget to the Legislature this past week. Budget bills were also given first-round approval from the Legislature. Over the interim, the financial status of the current biennium has improved significantly. The variance from the minimum General Fund reserve was estimated at only $0.2 million when we adjourned last year, but has since grown to $133.8 million. Furthermore, the rainy day fund increased from $322.4 million to $731...
Fifteen individuals were killed in traffic accidents on Nebraska roadways during January according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation. The fatalities occurred in 15 separate crashes. Ten of the 15 occupants killed were not wearing safety belts. Four fatalities occurred on the interstate, nine on other highways and two on local roads. One fatality crash involved a pedestrian. Icy or snowy road conditions contributed to five of the crashes and fatalities. The number of fatalities increased from eight in January 2019, which is an...
One of the bills that I introduced this session was LB 770. It authorizes a free lifetime park permit for disabled veterans. This past week, LB 770 was advanced from the Natural Resources Committee on an 8-0 vote. I designated it as my priority bill and the Legislature gave it first-round approval on a 38-0 vote. Under LB 770, a veteran would be eligible for the free permit if they are a Nebraska resident, honorably discharged, and rated 50% or more service-connected disabled or 100% disabled, n...
The Holt County supervisors spent nearly two hours at a meeting last week, reviewing a road-haul agreement brought to the table by TC Energy representatives last October, paragraph by paragraph, despite having a new agreement drafted by Dave Domina in hand. The scrutiny came after Holt County attorney Brent Kelly presented a preliminary agreement drafted by the Omaha attorney who was hired by the county officials on a 4-2 vote Oct. 31, 2019, to negotiate a road-haul agreement with TC Energy. At Kelly’s suggestion, the supervisors held an execut...
Darrel Timm of Neligh and Julie Krause of Brunswick were appointed to the Antelope County Extension Board by the county commissioners, when the county leaders met last week at the Neligh courthouse. Local extension educator Brittany Spieker proposed the appointments of Timm and Krause to replace Gayle Wortman and Derek Zuhlke, who had each completed two terms on the board. The new board members were affirmed on 4-0 votes of the commissioners. Commissioner Eli Jacob was absent. Spieker also presented the annual extension office report. She...
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...
An old problem returned to the Antelope County commissioners’ table when the leaders gathered for the first 2020 meeting at the courthouse in Neligh last week. Judy Wilcox, accompanied by her husband, Dave Wilcox, was there to discuss wind turbine “ice sling policy.” County zoning administrator Liz Doerr also addressed the leaders regarding a Christmas Day icing event. Doerr described procedures followed, after she received notice from Commission chair Dean Smith and Wilcox. She referenced a text message from Smith, indicating numerous turbi...
The Nebraska Department of Transportation announced the opening of the N-121 bridge south of Yankton, just west of US-81, Dec. 20, ahead of the scheduled Dec. 31 completion date. The Gavins Point East project was the final contract to be awarded on a bridge reconstruction project in the State of Nebraska as a result of damage sustained from the March 2019 flooding event. NDOT partnered with contractor, Dixon Construction Co., of Correctionville, Iowa, who received the $5,598,342 emergency contract for the project. This included $1,607,162 to...
Depending on where you live in the Summerland region, you may be in a winter storm warning, winter weather advisory or winter storm watch this weekend. Two rounds of wintry weather are expected to blanket the area, according to the National Weather Service in North Platte. Holt and Wheeler county residents are in a winter storm warning, effective from 6 p.m., Friday, Dec. 27, to 6 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 29. At 10:45 a.m., Dec. 27, a light wintry mix was tracking across portions of southwest...
The number of traffic fatalities on Nebraska roadways in 2019 is up, according to data released Oct. 15, by the Nebraska Department of Transportation. During September, 25 individuals were killed in traffic accidents. That compares to 29 fatalities during September 2018. Since January, 186 individuals lost their lives in 158 crashes. September’s fatality total included 22 crashes, with six taking place on the interstate, 12 on other highways and seven on local roads. Nine of the 21 vehicle o...
The Honorable Donna Taylor sentenced six individuals during the Aug. 21 session of Antelope County Court in Neligh. Jacob L. Boutwell, 41, of Oakdale appeared for a pretrial hearing on three charges. A plea agreement was reached with Joseph Abler, county prosecutor. In return for his guilty plea to a Class W misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol, second offense, charges of leaving the scene of an accident and driving during revocation/impound were dismissed. Taylor sentenced him to 90 days in the county jail, with credit...
