Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Holt County Supervisors faced a Shakespearean-like conundrum during the group’s Aug. 31 meeting at the Holt County Courthouse. To include $2.5 million, monies promised by TC Energy for a road-use agreement, or not to include that amount in the upcoming road and bridge budget, dominated more than an hour of discussion. Without payment in hand, the proposed levy would cost taxpayers an additional eight pennies, jumping to 36.25 cents, a 31% increase. In the end, supervisors agreed to pursue a $...
Entrepreneurs interested in growing their business during COVID-19 are invited to attend a variety of workshops set to occur throughout September. These free, online events are sponsored by the Center for Rural Affairs’ Rural Enterprise Assistance Project. “Troubleshooting Accounting” on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 3 to 5 p.m. “Guidance to Close your PPP Loan” on Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 3 to 5 p.m. “Sales Acceleration” on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and Thursday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. “Business Plan Review” on Thursday, Sept. 24, from 3 to 5 p...
The selection of a jury for an upcoming trial in an Antelope County civil case will have to be moved from its usual location due to the COVID-19 pandemic. District court clerk Angela Mortensen and county attorney Joe Abler met with the board of commissioners Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the courthouse in Neligh regarding a change in venue for the jury selection. Mortensen requested the board’s permission to rent a facility for the jury selection, which will be scheduled to take one day on Oct. 5. ...
Discussion on reduction in force and early retirement policies occurred during the Summerland School Board of Education’s Aug. 10 regular meeting, in Ewing. In July, the board tabled discussion of RIF policy criteria, seeking input from the school’s attorney, Steve Williams of KSB Law, regarding the use of formal and informal teacher evaluations as one criterion. Superintendent Dale Martin said Williams does not advise using evaluations as a criterion. ms said evaluations are subjective and ope...
Summerland Public School Board of Education Meeting Monday, August 10, 2020 Summerland Public School @Ewing 416 N Spruce • Ewing, NE 68735 Regular Meeting 7 p.m. 1. Call meeting to order 1.A. Nebraska Open Meetings Act 1.B. Roll call 1.C. Possible motion on board member absence 2. Approve agenda 3. Public participation (15 minutes allowed) 4. Consent agenda 4.A. Minutes of the July 13 meeting. 4.B. Monthly financial report 5. Hearing to review, consider, receive public opinion and take action to approve the Student Bullying Policy. 6. H...
The Antelope County commissioners voted, last week, to issue $3 million in bonds to repair county roads. All five commissioners voted aye to a motion made by commissioner Carolyn Pedersen, seconded by commissioner Eli Jacob, late in an eight-hour meeting at the courthouse in Neligh on July 14. Proceeds from bonds will allow county employees to complete projects totaling more than $2.5 million yet this calendar year, road superintendent Aaron Boggs told the Advocate-Messenger. "Big-money" overlay...
Antelope County commissioners worked a little closer to resolving a plethora of road issues last week, although no decision was reached for bonding more work. The bulk of the July 7 meeting at the courthouse in Neligh was dedicated to county roads, in one form or another. After clearing the agenda of other business and more than an hour of discussion with road superintendent Aaron Boggs, an unofficial agreement was reached, giving Boggs direction to move forward with work on four heavily...
KATIE ANDERSON Nebraska News Service Property tax relief is on the agenda for the 17-day legislative session later this month, but opponents argue that the proposed property tax relief plan will hinder school district spending and taxing authority. State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, chairwoman of the revenue committee, is leading the charge to get a property tax relief package passed when the Legislature resumes on July 20. “We have a property tax crisis more severe now in agriculture but moving toward suburbia,” Linehan said. “If you b...
The inaugural school board meeting of the new Summerland School District featured a flurry of firsts, when its six members gathered in Orchard, June 9. Since the passage of a consolidation bond issue in November, the oversight/board committee has been working behind the scenes, preparing for the district's first official day, which was Saturday, when the agreement for Nebraska Unified District #1 expired. After taking the oath of office, the group elected its first president. Ed Nordby, of...
Charlie Henery, chairman of the Antelope County board of commissioners, told his peers, when they met at the courthouse last Tuesday, June 2, that the condition of a road north of Clearwater embarrassed him. Discussion on 854 Road began as commissioner Eli Jacob asked the road superintendent his timeline for grinding a two mile stretch of 516 Avenue, from Clearwater north to the cemetery. Road boss Aaron Boggs said he first needed to know "where we're going with it." "Well, we either have to...
The purchase of a refrigerated semi-trailer and the county fund it was paid from were among matters of contention at the Antelope County commissioners' meeting last week. All five commissioners, several other county officials and others were present in the courthouse meeting room May 5 and the meeting was shared electronically via Zoom. Some of those present were asked to step into the hall at one point, when more than 10 were observed in the room. Jared Reimers addressed the commissioners...
Orchard school board members completed their final business for the school Monday, May 4. Orchard advisory board members Candice Hoke, Nate Schwager, Kristi Schutt and DeAnna Clifton were joined by Unified District #1 representatives Terri Hergert and Terra Williby to wrap up district business remotely via Zoom. Hoke and Schwager will continue to serve as board members on the new Summerland consolidated district’s board of education, while tenures of the other board members will end when the new board is seated in June. The only official b...
Clearwater Public School's class of 2020 will graduate June 20. The original board of education approved the date, and set a second date as a back-up plan, at its May 5 meeting. If a traditional ceremony cannot be held in June, some type of ceremony will take place on that date, with July 25 as the alternate date for a traditional ceremony. If neither are permitted, due to regulations, no traditional ceremony will be held. The motion, made by Amy Thiele, and seconded by Duane Kester, passed on...
Ten district health department areas across the state, including North Central District Health Department, which includes Antelope and Holt counties, will have changes to restrictions on social gatherings and business operations, beginning May 4. Governor Pete Ricketts announced upcoming changes to Directed Health Measures across the state during an April 24 press conference. The current state DHMs for Douglas County will be extended through May 3. Local DHMs from the Sarpy/Cass Health Department and the Douglas County Health Department will al...
Two state senators want Nebraska to loosen restrictions enacted to slow the spread of the coronavirus to help the state’s hurting economy. Sen. Steve Halloran, of Hastings, and Sen. Steve Erdman, of Bayard, said they believe fear and panic directed policy decisions surrounding the pandemic, and they are ready for businesses, schools and Nebraska’s Legislature to reopen. “We cannot afford to go another day with this current failed policy,” the senators wrote in a commentary piece published in the Hastings Tribune April 12. While Gov. Pete Ri...
June 30 retirement of longtime Antelope County clerk of the district court, Judy Cole was announced during the April 14 meeting of the Antelope County commissioners. The meeting was held via video conference, with commissioner Eli Jacob and chairman Charlie Henery present in the meeting room, along with clerk Lisa Payne. Commissioners Dean Smith, Regina Krebs and Carolyn Pedersen participated remotely via Zoom. Sheriff Bob Moore, county attorney Joe Abler, zoning administrator Liz Doerr and...
On May 12, vote yes twice to approve the LB840 Economic Development Program Plan and LB840 tax in Ewing. What is LB840? LB840 authorizes the village to collect and appropriate local sales tax dollars, if approved by the voters, for the community to use for economic development purposes. The LB840 program is locally controlled. It is run by a local citizens’ advisory committee that makes the decisions on where the funds should be spent and what businesses should be assisted. Who Benefits from LB840? LB840 provides numerous benefits to individual...
Nebraska Unified Board of Education will meet Monday, April 13, via Zoom, and at Orchard Public School. At 7:15 p.m., a budget hearing will be heard. The regular meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Agendas for each meeting are included. The Zoom can be accessed at https:/zoom.us/j/487439950 Agenda - Budget Hearing 1. Call meeting to order, review Nebraska Open Meetings Act, recognize visitors A. Zoom meeting link - https:/zoom.us/j/487439950 2. Public participation 3. Discussion 4. Adjourn Agenda -...
The process may be a little different for the May 12 Primary Election in Nebraska, but registered voters in the state will still have the opportunity for in-person voting. During a recent press conference, Governor Pete Ricketts announced the primary election will continue as scheduled. Ricketts emphasized that fulfilling the state's duty to carry out elections is vital to the health of the democratic republic. Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen confirmed polling sites will be open for...
Holt County supervisors are considering the engagement of a human resources firm to help navigate employment issues. A telephone conference was held with Chad Thies from Zelle Human Resource Solutions in Lincoln during the March 16 meeting at the courthouse in O'Neill. After hearing what the firm offered in services, chairman Bill Tielke asked Thies to submit a proposal. Supervisor Steve Boshart estimated an annual cost of $36,000 to $40,000. "It will be high," Tielke said. "But the thing is, if...
Aaron Boggs of Creighton, who has served as foreman of Antelope County's road department for about a year, was hired to head the department when the county commissioners met at the courthouse in Neligh on March 10. The commissioners entered closed session to consider applications, after an announcement by chairman Charlie Henery just before 11 a.m. "I have to leave by noon or so," he said. "So, we need to go into executive session to talk about personal employee stuff. We need a motion to do...
The first University of Nebraska-Lincoln Dairy Store started in 1917 on the back of a wagon. "If you brought your own glass and paid a nickel, you could drink all the milk that you could drink," said Michael Boehm, vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The UNL Dairy Store offers dairy products including ice cream and cheeses which are handmade by UNL students in the dairy plant. In October 2019, the Dairy Store opened its new location on the opposite side of the...
Ewing voters will determine if a one-half cent sales tax increase earmarked for economic development will be approved. During Monday's board meeting, village trustees approved Resolution 399 and 400, which will place the issue on the ballot. Per Resolution 399, the purpose of the increase is to create an LB 840 fund for economic development. According to Chairman James Ramold, passage of the resolution will "create an economic development plan that will create jobs, generate employment opportuni...
Orchard school board members took no official action, other than consent agenda items when they met in the high school business room Wednesday, Feb. 4. Orchard principal Cathy Cooper told board members negotiations with the teachers’ association had been completed, with the 2020-2021 base salary for Summerland teachers set at $35,000. Currently Unified teacher base is $34,700 and Ewing’s is $35,000. Cooper said it would basically be a raise for everybody. “The base went up or the salary schedule percentages increased,” she said. “One item that...
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...
