Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 380
Several defendants either admitted to committing crimes or allowed themselves to be found guilty by pleading no contest when they faced the Honorable James Kube in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh last Wednesday, Jan. 31, Plea bargains with Antelope County attorney Joe Smith were announced in five cases, with defendants set for sentencing March 27. Koda Fernau, 19, of Stanton appeared with his court-appointed attorney, Ryan Stover, of Norfolk, charged with a Class 3A felony, terroristic threats, related to . He pleaded guilty to...
Winter weather has finally arrived this year. Getting outside for some activity, even in winter, is great for your overall health. However snow, ice and cold can turn a stroll in the park into an obstacle course. Having proper footwear is not only important for warmth, but also the wellbeing of your feet. Choosing the correct boots for the elements could mean the difference between enjoying the outdoors and needing an urgent care visit. What makes good footwear for enjoying the outdoors safely?...
Jeffrey A. Reinke, 35, of Omaha faced the Honorable Donna Taylor last Wednesday, Jan. 17, in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh, in a five-year-old case. He was charged with Count I, leave accident, fail to furnish information, a Class 2 misdemeanor, and Count II, no operator’s license, a Class 3 misdemeanor. Reinke’s attorney, Gregory Pivovar of Bellevue, had filed a motion to dismiss or discharge, on Jan. 14. He indicated, in the motion, that neither the complaint filed Feb. 26, 2018, nor a warrant issued in May 2018, were ever ser...
My family has a fondness for crime dramas and thrillers. It isn't uncommon to watch a scene in which a peacefully-sleeping individual wakes when a shadowy figure approaches their bedside with a pillow. Predictably, the assailant calmly presses that pillow over the face of their victim and waits until the struggling stops. For millions of us, the threat in our bedrooms isn't some malevolent other, but rather our own bodies and brains. We may get our next breath, but for those with sleep apnea, it can be a struggle. Sleep apnea has two basic...
High school seniors from Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin now have a chance to receive one of 10 college scholarships worth $1,000. Registration is open through April 30. Parents are also now able to register their student. High school seniors or their parents may register for the ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Midwest. ISL Education Lending will award $1,000 scholarships to 10 students whose names are randomly drawn after the registration period. There are no financial need, grade-point...
Denis F. Kerkman, 90, of Tilden appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Jan. 3, for pretrial conference on a charge of violating a protection order, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Kerkman pleaded guilty, pursuant to a plea agreement. In return, Antelope County attorney Joe Smith agreed to recommend probation, with no jail time. Taylor ordered a pretrial investigation and set sentencing Feb. 7. Bond is continued, in the amount of $20,000, 10%, with an order for no contact, neither direct nor...
Since we're writers, we, at SAM love lists. Trust us, we keep and use them every single day. But, how does one determine which articles should be at the top of the yearly list? In the past, we've based it by reader count from our website. This year, we're still relying on reader count, featuring the top-read article by month. We wrote nearly 2,000 articles in 2023 and, while some of our favorites don't appear on the list, we're sure these are a newsworthy representation of the Summerland region....
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...
Robert J. Suhr, 24, of Elgin, faced the Honorable James Kube in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh, on Dec. 20 for pretrial on two charges, Count I, child abuse, a Class 3A felony, and Count II, third-degree domestic assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor. A plea agreement with Antelope County attorney Joe Smith was announced and Kube re-arraignmed Suhr on charges in a new complaint filed by Smith, specific to Count I, child abuse/neglect, a Class 1 misdemeanor that carries a penalty up to one year imprisonment and/or up to a $1,000...
Summerland girls' wrestling team finished ninth in team standings at the Dec. 28 Winnebago Lady Indian Invite. Thirty-seven teams from Nebraska and South Dakota participated in the one-day event, which saw Norfolk take home the team title. Omaha Westside finished in the runner-up position. Nine Bobcat wrestlers finished in the top six in their weight classes in varsity and junior varsity competition. Ava Cleveland worked through the championship bracket in the 110-pound class and finished...
Myths are just stories we tell ourselves and others to make sense of the world around us. Myths convey beliefs or values and attempt to tell truths. In their effort to tell the truth, myths may exaggerate or misrepresent things. Sometimes this misrepresentation is innocent, while other times it is used as a tool to regulate or manipulate people. Myths can be used to give a sense of power and control over an overwhelming situation. Of the many types of myths, ones that deal with medicine are...
Have you started Christmas shopping or are you one of those people who have completed the task and have everything wrapped? I belong to the first group. While I blame my tardiness on my over-scheduled time, part of me also knows I don't need to hurry because I can get everything I need locally. The push for shopping local hit home last week, when a 20-something year old shopped the Sidebar for holiday gifts. She told me she's "keeping it local." Her holiday gift giving will feature only items...
This week, House Republicans took action to push back on proposals by President Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency effectively forcing consumers to drive only electric vehicles by 2032. The EPA’s out-of-touch policies are unworkable for the Third District because of our winter weather and expansive driving distances. Furthermore, China, which holds 78% of the world’s EV battery cell manufacturing capacity, recently implemented export controls on raw EV battery materials. In the inter...
Urinalysis, or testing of the urine, has ancient origins dating back to the time of Hippocrates and beyond. Although we have evolved in our methodology of studying the urine and our understanding of the meaning of its characteristics, we do still rely on urinalysis in making clinical diagnoses frequently in medicine. In centuries past, the tools of urinalysis were blunt and primarily involved human senses of sight, smell and taste (yes, taste). Ancient physicians noted that sediment in the...
The Honorable James Kube, presided from the bench in the Antelope County district courtroom in Neligh on Nov. 29. Morgan K. Anson, 25, appeared for sentencing on three crimes committed Dec. 9, 2022, Count I, theft by receiving stolen property valued between $1,500 and $5,000, a Class 4 felony; Count II, attempted possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, a Class 1 misdemeanor; and Count III, use of a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Antelope County public defender Pat Carney asked for a probation sentence. He...
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...
December 7, 1941, is a "date that will live in infamy," as stated by President Theodore Roosevelt, in his famous speech after the events of the Pearl Harbor bombing. That event led to the United States involvement in World War II. President's Roosevelt's speech was a call to arms and a declaration of war against this act of aggression by a foreign nation. He never wanted us to forget what happened. Roosevelt concluded his speech by saying, "With confidence in our armed forces, with the unboundin...
Trent Loos, a sixth-generation rancher from central Nebraska, will be the featured speaker at Dec. 4 forum in Neligh.The event will run from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Neligh American Legion. Loos, who hosts Loos Tales, a daily radio show airing on 100 radio stations in 21 states, highlights issues facing American food producers. Now, he's fighting against carbon capture pipelines, which he says threaten property rights and food production in America's heartland. Loos has spoken in 48 states and four...
TV is flooded these days with commercials encouraging everyone to sign up for Medicare Advantage. What is MA and why are they doing this? First of all, a bit of history. For more than 30 years, Congress has debated whether the private insurance industry could deliver Medicare benefits more efficiently than the federal government. In 2003, these efforts evolved into what is now known as Medicare Part C or, more commonly, Medicare Advantage. MA plans, operated by private insurance companies, cover...
I love Thanksgiving. I love preparing the food all day and enjoying it while sitting around a table with some of the people I love most. And there is one holiday tradition that I have grown to adore. As we sit down to eat, we share one thing we feel grateful for this year. Practicing gratitude has been shown to improve aspects of mental health and our sense of well-being, and it isn't hard to understand why. Saying or thinking "I am grateful for..." feels really good and doing so regularly can...
Funeral services for Robert Walnofer, 95, of O'Neill, will be Monday, Nov. 27, at 10:30 a.m., at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Ewing with Father John Norman officiating. Burial will be in St. Patrick's Cemetery, rural Clearwater. Visitation will be Sunday, Nov. 26, from 2 to 4 p.m., at St. Peter's Catholic Church, with a 4 p.m., wake service. Robert died Nov. 22, 2023, at Avera St. Anthony Hospital in O'Neill. Arrangements are under the direction of Snider Memorial Funeral Home in Clearwater. C...
Madison Melcher turned her story into FFA history. The 2022 Summerland Public School graduate is the first FFA chapter member to receive the American FFA Degree, according to advisor Jacob Goldfuss. Melcher made the historic walk across the stage, Nov. 4, at the 2023 National Convention, in Indianapolis, during the awards ceremony. "I am honored to be the first FFA American Degree recipient from Summerland FFA. I am so grateful that Mr. Goldfuss pushed me to apply. He was always there if I had...
I don't remember much about my recent 64-block ambulance ride from my house to an urban hospital, but I was told after the fact that it was a matter of a few minutes to keep my body from going into septic shock. The whole incident helped me understand the critical importance of getting rural patients to medical care as quickly as possible. It also speaks volumes about staffing those ambulances with competent medical professionals. That's why I support the efforts of Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams in...
I learned a lot of statistics back in medical school, many of which are outdated and long since forgotten. A few still haunt me, though. One example: over 50% of seniors who suffered a broken hip would be in a nursing home, or in their grave, within a year. The odds are somewhat better today, but a hip fracture is still a very serious event, especially if your health, or your independence, is already compromised. We may be better at helping people recover, but the best strategy is not break...
How much blood flows through your joints? Would you be surprised if I told you, "None"? That's right! Inside the joint there is a clear, viscous, slippery fluid that lubricates the joint surface, but no red blood flows inside the joint. Doctors do not want to see blood in a joint. When there is blood inside a joint, it is usually because of trauma. That means tissue has been injured and blood vessels have been broken, bleeding into the clear cavity. "How," you may ask, "can a joint get oxygen...
