Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska Sept. 10, 2024 Chairman opened the meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Approved agenda. Tabled minutes of the 9-3-2024 BOC meeting. Called for public comment. Approved Payroll. Approved Vendor Claims. General: AMERITAS LIFE INS CORP ins 22,116.80; ANTELOPE CO COURT ex 151.00; ANTELOPE CO SHRF ex 26.96; APPEARA ex 37.12; APPLIED CONN TECH ex 5,080.33; BEAR GRAPHICS ex 312.94; BLACK HILLS ENERGY ut 87.45; BCBS ins 75,975.12; BOMGAARS ex 35.95; CASEYS ex...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska June 11, 2024 Chairman opened the meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Approved agenda. Cancelled action on radio replacement. Approved minutes of the 6-4-2024 BOC meeting. Called for public comment. Approved payroll. Approved vendor claims. General: A RIFKIN CO ex 89.88; AMAZON CAPITAL SVCS ex 110.98; AMERITAS LIFE INS CORP ex 21,513.58; ANTELOPE CO COURT ex 34.00; ANTELOPE CO SHERIFF ex 18.70; APPEARA ex 35.31; APPLIED CONN TECH ex 5,060.85; BLACK...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska May 13, 2024 Chairman opened the meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Approved agenda. Tabled minutes of the 5-7-2024 BOC Meeting. Approved payroll. Approved vendor claims. General: AMERITAS LIFE INS CORP ins 20,729.45; ANTELOPE CO COURT ex 89.00; ANTELOPE CO CLERK-REGISTER ex 46.00; APPEARA ex 35.82; APPLIED CONN TECH ex 5,611.30; BLACK HILLS ENERGY ut 1,129.62; BLACKBURN MFG ex 720.00; BCBS ins 66,227.56; BOMGAARS ex 202.96; BROGAN & GRAY ex 1,494.85; CARNEY LA...
Approximately 111 home and business owners in rural Antelope County will soon be able to use broadband internet, all thanks to a recent state grant awarded to Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company, headquartered in Jackson. NNTC has hired contractors to plow 61 miles of cutting-edge fiber-optic cable across 70 square miles of the county. Residents can anticipate the presence of contractors along roads and in ditches over the next couple of months, contingent on weather conditions. Those who...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska January 10, 2024 Chairman opened the meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Approved agenda. Approved minutes of Jan. 2, 2024, BOC and BOE meetings. Approved payroll. Approved vendor claims. General: AMERITAS LIFE INS CORP ins 19,288.65; ANTELOPE CO COURT ex 68.00; AMH ex 23.00; APEX THERAPY SVCS ex 955.00; APPEARA ex 33.28; APPLIED CONN TECH ex 4,774.80; BEAR GRAPHICS ex 636.19; BLACK HILLS ENERGY ut 786.74; BCBS ins 60,532.81; BLUE360 MEDIA ex 282.80;...
Clearwater-area residents will soon have an opportunity to connect with medical professionals via medical video conferencing. A private telehealth room, located at the Clearwater Public Library, will be available for meeting with doctors and specialists, mental health counseling. Additionally, the new room may be utilized for individuals and families, without access to technology and/or broadband capabilities, to connect. The room is possible, due to a partnership with the library, Clearwater...
The Nebraska Broadband Office is moving to the next phase of efforts to ensure access to reliable broadband for all Nebraskans. As part of this effort, there will be ongoing public engagements across the state, including a series of nine public meetings and an open comment period from Nov. 13 to Dec. 13. A meeting will be held Nov. 9, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at The Evergreen, 300 Jeanette Way, in O’Neill. Another area meeting is set for Nov. 16, from 5;30 to 7 p.m., at the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, 753 33rd Ave. During the comment p...
Despite hysteria from social media, late night comedy shows or even presidential administrations, net neutrality is not a policy that needs to be controversial. Net neutrality is the idea that internet service providers should treat all data on their networks fairly, without favoring or disfavoring certain types of internet traffic. This means that service providers shouldn’t block lawful content, slow down access to content or unjustly prioritize traffic to certain sites. The basic p...
Infrastructure is often the first hurdle to high-speed internet access for rural Nebraskans, but it isn’t the last. Once the wires have been laid, residents still have to pay to use the service. Subscriber fees can vary widely, but they are frequently higher for communities and households in rural areas, where long stretches of fiber optic cable reach fewer access points relative to urban settings that have more people living within a smaller space. Greater lengths of cable means higher i...
The Nebraska Broadband Office recently announced the release of the new Nebraska Broadband Availability Map. The geographic information system map represents all served, underserved and unserved broadband locations across the state. As part of the map availability, ongoing public engagement across the state will take place, including a series of eight public meetings and an open comment period, which began Sept. 14 and continues through Oct. 14. During the open comment period, the public will be asked to provide comments on the broadband map,...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska September 12, 2023 Chairman opened the meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Approved agenda. Approved minutes of the Sept. 5, 2023, BOC meeting. Correspondence was reviewed. Reports were reviewed: sheriff’s fee report for August; August report for clerk of the district court, zoning permit report and treasurer’s sweep account report. Review of claims. Approved payroll. Approved vendor claims. General: AKRS ex 539.99; AMERITAS LIFE INS CORP ins 19,...
As families are preparing the return to school and fall sports practices are beginning, the hard work and great memories of county fairs starting to wrap up and farmers beginning to see their crops take shape in the field after another tumultuous year of weather, things have also been very active and busy at your Nebraska Public Service Commission as well this summer. Last November, I was elected by you to serve as the new Public Service Commissioner for the 31 counties of PSC District 4. I am...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska June 13, 2023 Chairman opened the meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Approved agenda. Approved minutes of the June 6, 2023, BOC meeting. Review of claims. Approved payroll. Approved vendor claims. General: AKRS ex 46.76; ALBIN LAW OFFICE ex 475.00; AMERITAS LIFE INS CORP ins 18,478.25; ANTELOPE CO COURT ex 89.00; APPEARA ex 36.05; APPLIED CONN TECH ex 20,530.14; MIKAYLA ARMITAGE ex 143.00; BLACK HILLS ENERGY ut 651.56; BLACKBURN MFG ex 85.08; BCBS ins...
The Nebraska Broadband Office, along with the Nebraska Department of Transportation, Nebraska Information Technology Commission and the Office of the Chief Information Officer have announced seven public meeting locations across Nebraska in an effort provide and seek information about the quality and availability of high-speed internet access. These sessions build upon the Nebraska Public Service Commission and the OCIO/NITC earlier sessions and are intended to assist the state in developing comprehensive approach to addressing digital access...
The Legislature gave second-round approval to the budget bills this past week. This effort will allow the budget to be read on Final Reading next week, meeting the requirement to have it pass by the 80th legislative day. The budget would provide money for capital construction projects such as the Perkins County Canal Project and a new prison facility. Additional funds are appropriated to cover salary increases recently negotiated with the state employee’s union and for staff at correctional f...
Dear Editor: I am sure everyone who is getting the new underground fiber optics are excited about the new reliable services being installed in your local area. It will be great to finally have an end to the unreliable satellite dishes hanging on every roof and yard. No longer will you lose your TV or computer when a storm is approaching. Our local phone company received $8.9 million under the Remote Access Rural Broadband Grant program. The phone company does have to cover 25% of the budget or cost. This information is available online and at t...
Using a laptop at her farm near Clatonia, and some help from the state’s public power districts, a rural broadband advocate has uncovered oversights that may brings millions of extra federal dollars to Nebraska to expand high-speed internet service. Emily Haxby, who also serves on the Gage County Board, said she started doubting the accuracy of federal maps showing areas that were “unserved” by broadband. Just in her own rural neighborhood, Haxby said, she could tell there were at least a dozen rural homes, machine shops and other locat...
Let's talk about the embarrassment formerly known as the Nebraska Legislature. The 49 elected senators are now 60 days into the scheduled 90-day session and the scoresheet is mostly bare. There are two bills awaiting "final reading," the last of three rounds of debate by the full Legislature. Two bills have been killed, nine have been withdrawn and 614 are being held by committees. According to headlines in the New York Times and other national media outlets, the Nebraska Legislature has passed...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska Feb. 14, 2023 Chairman opened the meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Approved agenda. Approved payroll. Approved vendor claims. General: AMERICAN SCREENING ex 255.00; AMERITAS LIFE INS CORP ex 18,885.34; ANTELOPE CO COURT ex 17.00; APPEARA ex 35.77; APPLIED CONNECTIVE TECH ex 3,928.70; BLACK HILLS ENERGY ut 4,407.66; BCBS ins 61,241.44; BOMGAARS ex 305.15; BORDERS INN/SUITES ex 288.00; CARNEY LAW ex 36,000.20; CASEYS ex 129.20; CITY OF NELIGH ut...
This week saw the Legislature conclude the second and final week of all-day committee hearings. The schedule will return to a traditional format, where floor debate is in the mornings and committee hearings in the afternoon. The question of whether Nebraska should legalize medical marijuana will again be considered by the Legislature. Sen.Wishart introduced LB 588, the Medicinal Cannabis Act, which would provide a regulatory framework to establish access to cannabis specifically for medical...
Clearwater Chamber of Commerce members and village trustees receive a $5,000 check from Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company officials, Jan. 11. Funds from the Foundation for Rural Service grant program will be utilized to construct a telehealth room in the Clearwater Public Library. The FRS grants, coupled with support from NTCA members, will support a broad range of community projects across rural America – from providing new equipment to local students, expanding digital inclusion i...
Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company, headquartered in Jackson, is one of 14 Nebraska broadband providers to receive state funding to expand broadband services into rural areas of Nebraska who do not have broadband access of at least 100/100 megabites per second (up/down). NNTC will receive $2.5 million from the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program on behalf of the Nebraska Public Service Commission to expand into rural Dakota and Antelope counties. In Antelope County, NNTC will be installing...
Accurate data is a must if Nebraska is going to improve broadband access in rural areas. Due to recent federal legislation, accuracy is also the key to ensuring states receive their full share of federal grant funding. Soon the Federal Communications Commission will determine the amount of money each state is allocated through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program. Because these decisions are based on the FCC’s new broadband availability map, correcting inaccurate data is more i...
The Foundation for Rural Service, the philanthropic arm of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, announced recipients of 31 grants totaling more than $142,000 to support projects in communities served by NTCA members – the largest amount ever granted by the foundation. Grants were announced Nov. 10 in Arlington, Virginia. The FRS grants, coupled with support from NTCA members, will support a broad range of community projects across rural America – from providing new equipment to local students, expanding digital inclusion initiatives, creat...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Nov. 7, 2022 Neligh, Nebraska Chairman opened meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Open meeting. Approved agenda and minutes of 11-01-2022 BOC meeting. Correspondence was reviewed. Sheriff fee report, clerk of the district court Report, treasurer fund balance report and treasurer miscellaneous revenue report for September were reviewed. Approve payroll claims. Pledge collateral was reviewed. Approved the following vendor claims: General: JOSEPH ABLER ex 42.28; AMERITAS...
