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Another school bus will be added to the Summerland Public School fleet following action taken by the board of education when they met Sept. 11. According to transportation supervisor James Ramold, a new bus will need to be purchased in each of the next two years before the rotation can resume to a two-year cycle. Superintendent Molly Aschoff said, "After looking at bills, we've spent a lot of money of that bus of Tony's (Shrader)." Aschoff suggested purchasing a 2021 Freightliner for $93,350....
Over nearly 20 years, I lost track of how many times I was required to drive to Whiteclay to report on a protest about the beer stores there. Those four stores sold up to 3.5 million cans of beer a year and were the liquor stores of choice for the adjacent Pine Ridge Indian Reservation right across the Nebraska-South Dakota border. Alcoholism is a horrible problem on the reservation – which annually ranks as one of the poorest areas in the country – even though alcohol sales and possession are...
The Tri-County Titans seniors traveled to O’Neill on Tuesday, June 4, to take on the O’Neill Pinnacle Bank Irish. The Titans came away with a hard fought 7-6 win in extra innings. Wyatt Shabram was the starting pitcher, throwing 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks, while striking out an incredible 14 O’Neill batters before exiting the mound in the seventh inning due to pitch count. Jake Schroeder came in relief to finish the seven-inning and then saved the game in the eighth. Schroder threw 1 1/3 innings allow...
Holt County’s coffers have an extra jingle following the March 4 tax sale, held at the courthouse annex in O’Neill. County supervisors learned the results at the board's March 18 meeting. “We actually had a lot less on the sale then we typically do,” said Shelly Ross, county treasurer. “I don’t know if that’s because of the names being in the paper, that people came in.” A new state statue requires property owners’ names to be included in the delinquent tax list, which is printed in the co...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska March 12, 2024 Chairman opened the meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Approved agenda. Approved minutes of the 3-5-2024 BOC meeting. Approved payroll. Approved vendor claims. General: AMERITAS LIFE INS CORP ins 19,047.64; ANTELOPE CO COURT ex 168.00; APPEARA ex 35.31; APPLIED CONN TECH ex 4,829.82; BLACK HILLS ENERGY ut 2,697.68; BCBS ins 60,532.81; BOMGAARS ex 191.93; BROGAN & STAFFORD ex 616.75; CANDLEWOOD SUITES ex 319.90; CARNEY LAW ex 15,209.00;...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF EWING BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dec. 11, 2023 The Ewing Village Board of Trustees opened a hearing on the liquor license application for White Star at 7 p.m., at the City Hall. Notice of the hearing was published Dec. 6, 2023, in the “Summerland Advocate-Messenger. Chairman James Ramold opened the hearing at 7 p.m. Notice was given to the posted location of the open meetings law. As there were no statements against the liquor license for White Star, the chairman closed the hearing at 7:02 pm. The Ewing Village Board of T...
A legislative proposal to make various changes to Nebraska’s tax system received second-round approval this past week. LB 727 is a Revenue Committee omnibus package that contains provisions from nearly 30 bills. The bill includes several provisions that I support, including: • LB 577, which would prohibit home equity theft by requiring personal service to property owners that their taxes are delinquent, making sure they know they are at risk of losing their home or land via the purchase of a tax...
The consumption tax, or the transaction tax, or maybe it's the EPIC tax, has reared its ugly, shortsighted head again. Call it what you will, but elimination of the highly sustainable three-pronged tax system that has been on the books since 1976 and cost Governor Norbert Tieman his political future, is simply not a good idea. First introduced in the 1990s as the so-called brainchild of a McCook businessman, the "transaction tax" never got out of committee. A couple years ago it came back as...
Guests at northeast Nebraska state park areas were treated to some improvements in 2022, with more set to be completed in 2023. The following is a roundup of those improvements and projects: Summit Lake State Recreation Area Summit Lake State Recreation Area near Tekamah saw aquatic habitat and angler access improvement projects completed to improve the fishery and guests' experience. The west and south sediment basins were excavated to restore them to their original capacity and prevent...
After sifting line by line through proposed zoning regulations, Holt County Supervisors approved changes for regulations regarding pipelines, carbon pipelines and wind energy. Proposed regulations for solar energy were sent back to the county's planning and zoning board for additional information during the Nov. 16 meeting. Pipeline regulations Proposed regulations update the definition of pipeline to include crude oil, tar sands and affluents. Per regulations, a pipeline will be "any pipe with...
The first food truck to apply for the Village of Clearwater's food truck license set up shop on Main Street, Saturday, during the Harvest Merchant Market. Reiman Coffee Company, of Verdigre, served hot and cold beverages, in addition to breakfast baked goods and lunch specials. Owner Diane Reiman said the application process was easy. Village trustees approved an ordinance in August, after several months of discussion following a request from Debb Pofahl, co-owner of The Waterhole, to allow a...
North Central District Health Department executive director Roger Wiese resigned Friday, prior to the district's board of health monthly meeting. Board chairman Kelly Kalkowski, of Lynch, entered the board room at approximately 10:35 a.m., and notified members Wiese contacted him after 9 a.m., submitting his resignation, effective immediately. In an emailed statement to Kalkowski, Wiese wrote, "I'm resigning from my position as executive director effective immediately. I've appreciated my time...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION Sept. 14, 2022 Summerland School Board of Education held a regular meeting, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, at the school. President Ed Nordby opened the meeting, which was advertised in the Sept. 7, 2022, papers, at 7:40 p.m., following the budget hearing. He noted the Open Meetings Act poster posted in the board room. Roll call was taken at 7:30 p.m. Members present: Candice Hoke, Marty Kerkman, Nordby, Nate Schwager, Steve Thiele and Jeremy Wagner. Motion by Thiele, seconded by Hoke, to approve...
Whoever wins the bid for the former Ewing School property will own all of it - two school buildings, a vacant tract which sits catty-corner to the former high school and a football field. Summerland Board of Education members voted 6-0, during its Aug. 16 meeting, to take bids on the property and authorized Superintendent Kyle Finke to work with legal counsel to finalize the bid process. The motion followed a 40-minute executive session. A legal notice for the property sale is listed on Page 8...
ORDINANCE NO. 2022-12 VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER AN ORDINANCE OF THE VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER, NEBRASKA,REGULATING FOOD TRUCKS; TO REPEAL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; TO PROVIDE WHEN THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ORDINANCE IN PAMPHLET FORM. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CHAIRPERSON AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER, NEBRASKA: SECTION 1. It shall be unlawful for any person to sell or offer for sale or peddle food from a mobile food truck or mobile food...
Who will eventually purchase the former Ewing school property remains unknown as Summerland Board of Education members voted to reject all offers, "because of irregularities." The decision was announced following an executive session which lasted 73 minutes. "Not one of the offers is the same to the others," Superintendent Kyle Finke said. The board also directed Finke to take one of two courses of action. “Supt. Finke may make a counter offer or set an auction date,” President Ed Nordby sai...
A purchase agreement for the Ewing School property was presented to Summerland Board of Education members and discussed briefly, in open session, at the June 14 meeting. Superintendent Kyle Finke said the agreement, for $10,000 for all property and contents, contains a contingency that a 1% sales tax would need to be passed by Ewing voters in November’s general election. Finke left it to the board’s discretion whether to enter executive session regarding the agreement. “I think we shoul...
One day after listening to community comment about a potential purchase of Ewing School property, Village of Ewing Board of Trustees voted to offer the Summerland School District, $10,000 for all Ewing school property and contents, contingent on passage of a 1% sales tax in this November's election. The motion was made following a short executive session and passed 4-0. Trustee Dustin Jorgensen was absent. Summerland School Board of Education approved a sale of the Orchard School property at...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska April 12, 2022 Chairman opened meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Approved agenda. Held minutes from April 5, 2022 BOC meeting. Pledge collateral was reviewed. Correspondence was reviewed. Treasurer fund balance and revenue report; sheriff fee reports were reviewed. Approved payroll. Approved vendor claims: General: AFLAC ins 850.00; AMERITAS LIFE INS CORP ins 16,663.18; ANTELOPE CO COURT ex 169.00; ACN ex 50.00; ANTELOPE CO SHERIFF ex 281.34; APPEARA...
Village of Orchard officials will continue talks with the Summerland School board of education regarding the sale of the former Orchard school building and grounds. After listening to input from community members for nearly an hour, Monday evening, during a community meeting, village chairperson Stephanie Cleveland said she and trustee John Ferguson will meet with the school's Building and Grounds Committee members again April 1. Video of the Orchard community meeting available on the SAM YouTub...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska Nov. 2, 2021 Notice of meeting published as required by statute. A complete record of these minutes, as well as all resolutions and agreements, are on file at the county clerk’s office and are open to the public. Chairman opened meeting. Approved agenda. Minutes of 10-05-2021, 10-12-2021 and 10-21-2021 BOC meeting and 10-12-2021 BOE meeting were approved. Correspondence was reviewed. No action on LEC petty cash checking account. Zoning administrator report. Permit report r...
The Summerland School District will operate on a $13,331,200 budget in 2021-22. Board members approved the proposed budget and tax levy request during Monday's regular board meeting, the first held at the new school facility. During the budget hearing, held prior to the regular meeting, Superintendent Kyle Finkle said land valuations remained steady, except in Holt County, which saw a 9.24% decrease. "The proposed budget is to decrease general asking from 65 cents and change to 55 cents and...
Two Oakdale women have admitted to committing forgery as part of the sale of a “friend’s” vehicle. The 2000 GMC Yukon had been parked at the residence of one of the defendants while the vehicle’s owner was out of town for several weeks. Sada L. Carr, 34, changed her pleas to a pair of second-degree forgery counts last week after reaching a plea deal with Antelope County attorney Joe Abler. In return for guilty pleas to the Class 1 misdemeanors, Abler agreed to file no further charges (first-degree conspiracy to commit forgery and forgery in the...
Clearwater's Big Rodeo, sponsored by the local chamber of commerce, will provide plenty of action as the best weekend in June kicks off Friday, June 25 and continues through June 27, at the rodeo grounds situated along U.S. Highway 275. Opening night will be jam packed with events. Little cowboys and cowgirls will have an opportunity to ride on a sheep when mutton busting begins at 7 p.m. Fifteen spots were reserved during call-ins, Monday, and 10 walk-in spots will be up for grabs for...
Two major pieces of legislation that would have provided property tax relief were defeated this past week. Generally, I am supportive of proposals that attempt to lower property taxes. LR 11, introduced by Bayard Senator Steve Erdman, is a constitutional amendment proposing to replace all taxation with a consumption tax on the purchase of services and new goods. Nebraska residents would no longer pay property taxes, income taxes, sales and use taxes, inheritance taxes, or estate taxes. LR 11...