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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...
The Honorable Donna Taylor cleared a dozen cases from the Antelope County court docket during a busy morning last Wednesday, Dec. 4. Alexander E. Huffman, 33, of Neligh appeared without counsel for arraignment on a count of disturbing the peace, a Class 3 misdemeanor committed Dec. 2, in Neligh. Huffman waived his right to counsel and pleaded guilty. Huffman told Taylor he “got way too drunk and wanted to go to Valley Hope,” and although he couldn’t afford it, he was determined to drive there, which “would have been a very bad idea,” he said....
Candice Hoke of Orchard will join Nate Schwager to represent Orchard on the board of education for the new Summerland school district. The boards of education from Orchard, Clearwater and Ewing each voted for two members for the new board of education that will convene in June. Orchard board members selected Schwager, but three votes for the second member each resulted in a tie between Terri Hergert of Royal and Kristi Schutt of Orchard, and selection of the second member was delayed until Monday night’s board meeting at the Orchard school. S...
How do we sustain rural America? The question was discussed Monday in Norfolk during a town hall meeting titled "Growing Together." The event, sponsored by the Aksarben Foundation, included speakers who addressed brain drain - students who leave the area following graduation and do not return home - and how to make the northeast region of the state a more desirable place to attract young professionals. Former state senator Mike Flood presented data regarding the ages of population in area...
A 34-year-old Colton, South Dakota man, who led multiple law enforcement agencies on a pursuit across northeast Nebraska last Monday, made his first appearance in the Antelope County courtroom on Wednesday. Matthew D. Waters faced the Honorable Donna Taylor briefly on two Class 4 felony counts, attempted assault on an officer with a motor vehicle and operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest. Waters requested court-appointed counsel. Taylor held an indigency hearing, appointed public defender...
A South Dakota man is in custody following a multi-county case that ended Monday near the U.S. Highway 20 and Nebraska Highway 14 junction, between Royal and Brunswick. Matthew Waters, 34, of Colton, South Dakota, faces charges of felony assault on an officer with use of a vehicle and operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest. The incident began at approximately 7:30 a.m., Nov. 18, when Cedar County Sheriff's Office fielded a phone call about an individual threatening suicide and was told it...
Orchard Advisory Board of Education members, Candace Hoke, Kristi Schutt, DeAnna Clifton and Nate Schwager, will be joined by Original Orchard Board of Education members Terra Williby and Terri Hergert, beginning with the December meeting, as they work to dissolve Nebraska Unified District 1 and begin transition efforts to the new Summerland school. Hergert and Williby sat in the audience at the Nov. 13 Advisory Board meeting held at Orchard High School. Both Schutt and Cathy Cooper, Orchard principal, said they had fielded questions from...
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...
A South Dakota man is in custody following a multi-county case that ended near the U.S. Highway 20 and Nebraska Highway 14 junction, between Royal and Brunswick. The incident began at approximately 7:30 a.m. Monday, when Cedar County Sheriff's Office fielded a phone call about an individual threatening suicide and were told it was possible the individual crossed state lines and was in Nebraska. "We pinged the phone to find a location," Nebraska State Patrol Troop B Captain Paul Hattan said....
When I submitted my column this past month, I presented the piece to one of my education professors to receive her input. As luck had it, the dissertation she spent three years researching and writing for her doctoral program focused on the transition from high school to college. Furthermore, her research focused on college freshman not being legitimately prepared for the academic struggles college presents. As she read through my article, she circled questions I presented in my writing that...
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....
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...
Fire fighers and emergency medical personnel from six area fire departments participate in a two-session extrication training, Thursday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Ewing Fire Hall. Ewing Fire Chief Chad Napier said the first session involved classroom training, while Saturday's time was divided between classroom and hands-on training. The drill included a multi-vehicle collision, with personnel attempting to remove injured individuals from vehicles. "Vehicles are always changing, so...
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...
The Honorable Donna Taylor sentenced several individuals when she presided over Antelope County Court on Monday, Sept. 9. Tegan O. McLean, 19, of Creighton was sentenced to 30 days in the Antelope County Jail for a conviction of false reporting, a Class 1 misdemeanor committed in Neligh on March 6. In addition, he was fined $500 for a count of possession of marijuana, one ounce to one pound, a Class 3 misdemeanor. He was given credit for three days previously served and assessed $62 costs. A count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor w...
Sometimes, life sends you on a single journey, and other times, the path resembles a slip knot: a loop here, another there, an endless spiral of thread that pretzels together, forming a solid knot. Cosetta Laws knows a bit about slip knots. On YouTube, she hosts the popular Setta's Place, where crochet is interspersed with remnants of wisdom and love. Laws visited Clearwater recently, as she weaves her way from her former Virginia home, en route to Alaska, where she will renew Haven of Grace, a...
Local entities that depend on tax receipts for operation will soon make levy decisions as they consider their annual budgets. Real estate valuations certified recently by Nebraska county assessors, including Kelly Mueller in Antelope County and Tim Wallinger in Holt County, factor into those decisions. Antelope County’s total valuation for 2019 is certified at $2,483.485,076, up just over $24 million or 0.98% from 2018. Mueller attributed nearly $34 million of the total value to growth (new construction), about $10 million more than the overall...
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...
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...
The Summerland Advocate-Messenger, a new community newspaper, makes its print and online debut this week. The paper is a trademarked publication owned by ColdType Publishing, LLC, and operated by Scott and LuAnn Schindler, of Clearwater. LuAnn is a veteran journalist and journalism educator. She ran a successful freelance business and worked as a regional correspondent for the Norfolk Daily News before assuming the role of managing editor at the Clearwater Record-Ewing News. She has received wri...
Fourteen years ago, I remember sitting at the top of our long gravel lane that hugs the side of the Royal Road. I was sitting in the passenger seat of Dad's beat up, white 1999 Dodge pickup. I eagerly waited for Terry to pick me up in that big yellow bus with the number '96' stuck to the side. That bus would drive the short eight miles to town and deposit me at the front doors of Clearwater Public School. I would eagerly enter the building, wait in line, and go directly into Miss Grebin's...