The quality of roads in Antelope County, specifically those in the area northeast of Royal, were a hot topic as almost 50 people attended the Antelope County Commissioners meeting Tuesday morning in Neligh.
Randall Pedersen spoke before the crowd and the commissioners about the roads near his house north of Royal. According to Pedersen, after a rainstorm, the roads near his house one mile north and one mile east of Royal became washed out at the intersections and could be dangerous to travelers. Pedersen said he voiced concerns originally when a tractor parade had planned to go down that road, as well as when a party for the Osmond softball team was being hosted nearby. “I called Jerry Schwager and explained to him the dangers of the road and the conditions, and that there was a tractor tour and a party going on,” Pedersen said. “And Jerry’s response was this: ‘Why did you call me?’ The next thing he said was ‘Who’s in charge of the tractor tour?’ I said that it was Gary Ober, and he said ‘Call him and tell not to come down this road.’” Schwager denied the claim and said that the statement was false. “Now that’s not true,” Schwager said.” You never called me.” Pedersen said he then contacted road boss Casey Dittrich and explained his concern. “(Dittrich) said he would handle it. Nothing happened,” Pedersen said. On Monday, July 23, Pedersen said he called Dittrich a second time to tell him that nothing had been done to fix the road. After that phone call, he said that they came out and fixed the intersection to the south. According to Pedersen, they came back on Wednesday to fix the intersection to the north. With the gaps in the work times, Pedersen questioned why it couldn’t have been coordinated within the same day. “Shouldn't both of these problems all been done in the same day? Why so much duplication? Lack of coordination of employees and equipment. Look at the costs to the county. Isn’t there any fear of neglect and litigation?” he asked. Pedersen also said that he sees no pride by the workers in clearing the trees on the roads they are working on. “The county trims the trees with payloaders. We try to keep our place kind of nice down there, but when they come through, it looks like a tornado. The employees or supervisors apparently have no pride in the job they do or the job that gets done...I know from employees only work as hard as their employers,” he said. Pedersen was met with a roar of applause by the audience after speaking. Dittrich explained that he had an employee examine the intersection after hours and said that the repair could wait until Monday. He said that he trusted their judgment. “I relied on my employee’s judgement to let it go until Monday. I called the operator who normally maintains the intersection and let him go out on Monday, to which he fixed the intersection and continued east and blew out a tire on his maintainer...Lichtenberg Tire does all of our tire repairs, and the couldn’t come out Monday. They got out there Tuesday, and they worked the east/west road north of you, but did not work the north/south road,” he said. Dittrich admitted that he felt that he should have double checked his employee’s judgement. In discussion about the trees along the road, Dittrich pointed out that it is not the county’s job to take care of them. “The county is not a tree removal company,” Dittrich said. “The landowners are responsible for removing trees. If we have to do it because the landowner won’t do it, we sure as hell won’t spend all day out there making it look nice. We are going to control the trees that don’t allow us to do what we are doing and we are going to leave them there.” Dittrich said that after discussing with the board and Pedersen and seeing the amount of support in the audience at the meeting, he plans to implement changes in how he does his job. “I am not going to walk out of here today and continue doing things the way I was doing before. I want you to know that. That’s not the kind person I am, I can’t blow things like this stuff off,” he said. “I just want to explain where I’m coming from because I don’t like doing a bad job at something.” Other items discussed during the meeting included reports from the Zoning Administrator and Road Boss, courthouse security upgrades and township claims. As schools start across Nebraska and the summer driving season comes to an end, the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) will join agencies all over the country in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.
Troopers and dispatchers will be working throughout the enforcement, which runs from Friday, August 17 through Monday, September 3, in an effort to reduce the risk of alcohol-related crashes. The national campaign focuses on removing impaired drivers from the road. “As summer comes to a close, our troopers will continue their hard work to keep Nebraska roads safe,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “In addition to the outstanding work to take impaired drivers off the road, our troopers have also used this summer to educated young drivers on the importance of safe driving.” Troopers across the state have arrested more than 300 impaired drivers since Memorial Day weekend, which marked the start of NSP’s annual “100 Days of Summer” initiative. The summer-long initiative, which involves at least one selective enforcement operation every day, comes to a close on Labor Day weekend. The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is made possible thanks in part to a grant for $26,795 from the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Highway Safety Office. A true sign that summer is winding down, area swimming pools have scheduled their closing dates.
Neligh On Saturday, Aug. 11, the end-of-the-year swimming party is planned at the Neligh swimming pool from 1 to 4 p.m. However, the pool will be open until 8 p.m. that day. Sunday, Aug. 12 is scheduled to be the last day. Sunday's pool hours will be 1 to 8 p.m. Orchard The Orchard swimming pool's last day of the season will be Sunday, August 19. Upcoming hours for the pool are Monday, Aug, 13 from 1-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.; Tuesday, Aug. 14 from 1-5 p.m., then closed to the public for Orchard Public’s Back to School Bash; Wednesday, Aug. 15 from 2-8 p.m.; Thursday, Aug. 16 from 4-8 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 17 closed; and Saturday, Aug. 18 & Sunday, Aug. 19 from 1-5 p.m. Elgin The Elgin swimming pool is set to close for the season on Sunday, Aug. 12. Pool hours will be 1 to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Two hours of free swimming will be hosted by the Antelope County Does Care organization on Monday, Aug. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. for the National Night Out. The event, which will be held at the Elgin swimming pool, is open to all ages and encourages positive relationships between the community and those who serve and protect them. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience drunk googles will be available. Brownie sundaes will be served. Tilden The Tilden swimming pool will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. until Thursday, Aug. 16, which is slated to be the last day of the season. The pool will not be open in the evenings. The Antelope County courthouse saw some special guests Thursday, as part of Chief Justice Mike Heavican’s annual summer tour.
Each summer, Chief Justice Heavican dedicates several days to traveling to courts outside of the Lincoln area to meet with judicial branch staff, tour courtrooms and learn about special projects. This year, five associate judges joined him on the tour. The group toured 15 courthouses and had two educational sessions in South Sioux City within the five-day tour. This year, the group came to northeast Nebraska. “We use this week in the summertime to always go around and visit courthouses and bar associations and other associated parts of the legal profession and folks who support the courts around the state,” Heavican said. “Part of that is to thank all of you folks from the clerk’s office and so forth who support the courts, and most especially, to thank the county commissioners because we know the courts are the responsibility of both the state and each of our local counties.” “We can’t do our court system without you,” he said. “You provide the courthouses, the courtrooms, security for our courts and the supplies for our local judges and for the probation offices. We are very appreciative of what you do for us.” Traveling with the Chief Justice were Nebraska Supreme Court Justices Stephanie Stacy, William Cassel, Jonathan Papik, Jeffrey Funke and John Freudenberg. “This is part of my judicial district as a supreme court judge,” said Hon. William Cassel. “I’m very happy to be out here in greater Nebraska. My colleagues have heard me say this many times, not only today but previously, ‘I’m stationed in Lincoln, but my heart is in greater Nebraska,’ so I really enjoy being out here again.” Three of the Antelope County commissioners were also in attendance during the tour: LeRoy Kerkman, Eli Jacob and Ed Schindler, all of who said they were very appreciative of the Chief Justice and associate judges for coming to tour the courthouse. “It’s good for people to come out and put a face to what we work with. It’s something that I had no idea what you did or who you are or anything, but it’s just good to communicate with the people you work for,” Commissioner Schindler said. Judge Donna Taylor was also in attendance. “We just appreciate you coming out to our community and giving our commissioners and other people…a chance to meet you so that everyone isn’t a faceless name that’s mentioned in the newspaper when they read about the Supreme Court making some kind of decision. Now they can associate those decisions with at least six faces, so thank you,” she said. Heavican spoke highly of Judge Taylor, saying, “She is one of our favorite judges because Judge Taylor does not shy away from work. She volunteers to do all kinds of extra things, and we are really appreciative of that.” The Chief Justice explained that the principle responsibility of the Nebraska Supreme Court is to be the court of last resort for the state. Another responsibility is for supervising the administrative leadership for the entire court system in the state. “That leads to why we are on this particular tour,” Heavican said. “We like to come out during one week of the summer, meet as many people as we can who work in the courthouses and in our courts and support our courts. That’s why we love to see the county commissioners here, because we know it’s a joint project in Nebraska between state government and local governments to make sure that the courts run and run well.” “We want to thank the people in the clerks’ offices, thank the local probation officers, thank the sheriffs and the people who provide security for the courts, and again thank those county commissioners for their help in funding the courts,” he said. Heavican also had nothing but good things to say about the Antelope County courthouse. “Almost every community sees the courthouse as a point of pride for the community, and you can see that here in Antelope County, the way the lawn is kept up and so forth,” he said. “This is a wonderful courtroom with a lot of space, and you can tell that the county wants to make sure that there is adequate space and attention given to the justice system.” Nebraska Supreme Court Justice Mike Heavican and several associate justices will visit the Antelope County Courthouse on Thursday.
The visit, which includes a tour and talk, will run from 3:30 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 2. Each summer, Chief Justice Mike Heavican dedicates several days to traveling to courts outside of the Lincoln area to meet with judicial branch staff, tour courtrooms and learn about special projects. This year, several associate judges of the Supreme Court are joining in on the tour, which will include two education sessions in South Sioux City and stops at 15 courthouses in northeast Nebraska. The educational meetings include a day-long tristate meeting regarding juvenile justice with Chief Justices from Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota and a morning meeting with Nebraska tribal courts and tribal representatives. During the 15 courthouse tours, the Chief Justice and fellow justices will meet with various state senators, county board members, lawyers and community leaders. In discussing the purpose of the summer tours, Heavican noted, "It is really important for us to get feedback from our local court staff, from judges, from community members and from lawyers as to how certain programs are working and what we might be able to do better for a particular community or for a larger statewide program. We use that feedback to help make the system better." The Endangered Missing Advisory activated to determine the whereabouts of Terrese Tressler, has been cancelled.
"The alert has been cancelled due to Missing Person Located," the Nebraska State Patrol reported. The previous alert stated that an Endangered Missing Advisory has been issued for eastern Nebraska. The Nebraska State Patrol was attempting to locate, Terrese A. Tressler, who is a 63 year old, white female, approximately 5'6" tall, approximately 200 lbs, with blonde/grey long hair, and blue eyes. Tressler has a tattoo on her right wrist of infinity and a tattoo on her right big toe of a flower. Tressler wears glasses and has a scar on her forehead. Tressler is missing from the Meadow Grove area and was last seen in the Nebraska City area at about 2:30 AM, July 30, 2018. Tressler is known to drive a silver, 2012 Toyota Corolla, bearing Nebraska license plate number 7C5071. If you have any information, please call 911 or contact the Nebraska State Patrol at 402-331-3333. This advisory was for the following State Patrol Troop Areas: Troop A, Troop B and Troop H. An Endangered Missing Advisory has been activated to determine the whereabouts of Terrese Tressler.
The Nebraska State Patrol's Twitter post mentioned that Tressler suffers from dementia. An Endangered Missing Advisory has been issued for eastern Nebraska. The Nebraska State Patrol is attempting to locate, Terrese A. Tressler, who is a 63 year old, white female, approximately 5'6" tall, approximately 200 lbs, with blonde/grey long hair, and blue eyes. Tressler has a tattoo on her right wrist of infinity and a tattoo on her right big toe of a flower. Tressler wears glasses and has a scar on her forehead. Tressler is missing from the Meadow Grove area and was last seen in the Nebraska City area at about 2:30 AM, July 30, 2018. Tressler is known to drive a silver, 2012 Toyota Corolla, bearing Nebraska license plate number 7C5071. If you have any information, please call 911 or contact the Nebraska State Patrol at 402-331-3333. This advisory is for the following State Patrol Troop Areas: Troop A, Troop B and Troop H. An Endangered Missing Advisory has been activated to determine the whereabouts of Terrese Tressler.
An Endangered Missing Advisory has been issued for eastern Nebraska. The Nebraska State Patrol is attempting to locate, Terrese A. Tressler, who is a 63 year old, white female, approximately 5'6" tall, approximately 200 lbs, with blonde/grey long hair, and blue eyes. Tressler has a tattoo on her right wrist of infinity and a tattoo on her right big toe of a flower. Tressler wears glasses and has a scar on her forehead. Tressler is missing from the Meadow Grove area and was last seen in the Nebraska City area at about 2:30 AM, July 30, 2018. Tressler is known to drive a silver, 2012 Toyota Corolla, bearing Nebraska license plate number 7C5071. If you have any information, please call 911 or contact the Nebraska State Patrol at 402-331-3333. Jami and Bailey Legate fell into a “cornmance” in the summer of 2012.
About five years later, they were married. A cornmance can be defined, according to Nate Metschke, as when two youth have a romance while detasseling together over the summer. “Sometimes we tease the kids if we think they’re kind of having a little romance, we call it a ‘cornmance,’ just because it happens in the summer,” said Metschke, who oversees crews for NBS Detasseling LLC. Youth tend to not know each other well on the first few days of detasseling, but as the season progresses, they become friends, he said. Sometimes they start dating. “We had a young man from Neligh and a young lady from Battle Creek who met detasseling,” Metschke said. “And the next thing you know, they’re going to prom together and they’re dating, and then they graduated from high school and now they’re married and they have two children.” In her freshman year at Battle Creek, Jami Legate decided to detassel since it was a good way to make money. “My brother (Jesse) did it a couple years before I started,” she said. “And, it was good money in a short amount of time.” During her second year of detasseling, Jami started talking to her future husband, Bailey. “We met just on the bus, I guess,” she said. “We started talking during detasseling on the bus. That was the only time I ever met him.” However, Bailey said that when she didn’t sit by him for a few days, he eventually took a seat by her. “She didn’t want to sit by me because she was nervous,” he said. Jami’s beauty and her passion for hunting, as well as other activities they had in common, drew him to her, Bailey said. The long hours of difficult work also brought the two together, allowing for them to get to know each other better. “It was just the long, hard days and we were always together,” Jami said. “I mean, we worked together every single day during detasseling, all day some days.” Bailey started detasseling in eighth grade and continued throughout his four years at Neligh-Oakdale High School. Although, he first attempted to detassel when he was only 10 years old. “The first year I detasseled, I was 10 and my brother was 12 and we detasseled together the first year, and I got kicked off of the crew because I was too young,” he said. “So, I had to wait two years to do it again.” After the detasseling season ended, Jami and Bailey continued their friendship until February, when they started dating. “At first, it was a lot of fl irting, and when we actually got together, it was pretty fun because we got to hang out all of the time,” Bailey said. Their dates involved spending a lot time with family and doing outdoor activities together. “We went to the drive-in in Neligh quite a bit, and then we just hung out with my family and his family quite a bit. We’d go hunting, fishing,” Jami said. When prom rolled around, they went together for their junior and senior years and stuck to a camouflage theme for their dresses and tuxes, as they both like to hunt. In 2014, they graduated from high school and enrolled in Northeast Community College, where Jami received her associate’s degree in early childhood education and Bailey completed some years for diesel mechanics. Since they were both at the same college, and Bailey had rented a house in Norfolk, it was not difficult for them to spend time together. “He rented a house in Norfolk with one of his friends, and I had to come to Norfolk, so we were pretty close,” Jami said. “Like, he didn’t live in Neligh and drive back and forth or anything.” They continued dating throughout college, and during Jami’s baby shower for their first child, Bailey proposed to her. “He had a chalkboard wrapped up in a gift with my baby shower gift. And when I unwrapped it, he was standing there with a ring,” Jami said. “The chalkboard said, ‘Will you marry me?’ And, it had a check for yes or no.” Bailey said his idea was inspired by the song, “Check Yes Or No,” and a note he wrote to her during church. “Shortly after we started dating, when we were in church, we just listened to the song that says that,” he said. “I wrote, ‘Do you love me?’ and put the boxes to check yes or no on a little note in church. And, she found that note right before the baby shower one day. So, that’s what I thought of.” On June 10, 2017, they got married at Kelly’s Country Club in Norfolk but didn’t forget how they first met. “It was also a camouflage wedding, and we actually had jars of corn on the tables with pictures because of detasseling,” Jami said. “Because we met detasseling, we thought that would be appropriate.” Jami and Bailey bought a house together in Norfolk in August of 2017, where they live with their two kids. If detasseling is still around when their children, Bentley, 2, and Emersyn, 4 months, grow up, Bailey said he would like to see them follow suit and detassel. “If it’s still around, I hope they do it because it gives you good work ethics for the future,” he said. “Metschke actually drives people to work. When he’s out there, he’ll walk down the rows and kind of spy on you.” According to Bailey, Metschke, who was their crew leader at the time, would spy on him and Jami, too. Metschke’s humor made the detasseling work more fun, Jami said. “He was really good; he was really funny, so he was really easy to work for,” she said. “He made the day go by a lot quicker. He called us ‘in a cornmance.’” While Metschke only knows of one couple that got married from detasseling, he said it’s still a successful way for people to meet. “We’ve had several kids that have gone out on dates or whatever. But, we’ve only ever had one couple ever get married,” he said. “But, that’s probably a higher success rate than, like, 'The Bachelor,' 'The Bachelorette' on TV. But, I don’t have any stats to back that up.” Bailey called Metschke’s use and creation of the term “corny,” yet he agreed cornmances are more than just a fantasy. “I encourage everybody to detassel,” he said. “It gives you good work ethics and you can eventually find your future wife.” Two Antelope County volunteer fire departments were among the 109 rural fire districts to receive the 2018 Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) grant. The Neligh Volunteer Fire Department received $4,250.00, while the Oakdale Volunteer Fire Department received $4,500.00. The grant money can be used for requests such as personal protective equipment, prevention and communication gear. The state of Nebraska was awarded an additional $100,000 in grant money this year due to the increase in amount of wildfires and fire departments responding to those fires, according to NFS Fire Program Manager Matt Holte. The full list of recipients and amounts are as follows: Abie Volunteer Fire Department $1,620.00 Ainsworth Volunteer Fire Department $3,825.00 Alliance Volunteer Fire Department $4,136.00 Arapahoe Fire Department $4,500.00 Ashton Volunteer Fire Department $2,835.00 Atkinson Volunteer Fire Department $4,250.00 Aurora Volunteer Fire Department $4,250.00 Axtell Volunteer Fire & Rescue $4,250.00 Banner County Volunteer Fire & Rescue $750.00 Bartlett Volunteer Fire Department $704.00 Battle Creek Volunteer Fire Department $1,445.00 Bayard Volunteer Fire Department $2,125.00 Beaver City Rural Fire Dist. $4,250.00 Beemer Fire and Rescue $1,408.00 Bellwood Volunteer Fire Department $3,740.00 Bennett Rural Fire Department $2,816.00 Bennington Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.00 Bertrand Fire and Rescue $2,880.00 Brule Volunteer Fire Department $1,080.00 Bushnell-Johnson RFD $2,040.00 Cedar Bluffs Suburban Fire $2,640.00 Chadron Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.00 City of Friend Volunteer Fire Department $4,250.00 Clarks Volunteer Fire Department $3,960.00 Colon Volunteer Fire Department $3,344.00 Curtis Volunteer Fire Department $4,250.00 Dannebrog Volunteer Fire Department $352.00 Dix Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.00 Dodge County Mutual Aid Assc. $880.00 Dorchester Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.00 Douglas Volunteer Fire Department $3,080.00 Eagle Fire & Rescue $2,250.00 East Central NE Fire Prevention Co-op $170.00 Edgar Volunteer Fire Department $3,825.00 Ericson Volunteer Fire Department $945.00 Fairbury Rural Fire Department $4,500.00 Fordyce Volunteer Fire Department $2,904.00 Fort Calhoun Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.00 Franklin Volunteer Fire Department $2,550.00 Fremont Rural Fire Department $4,500.00 Garland Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.00 Genoa Volunteer Fire Department $1,496.00 Gering Volunteer Fire Department $2,112.00 Giltner Rural Fire Department $1,105.00 Gordon Volunteer Fire Department $2,970.00 Grant Volunteer Fire Department $1,232.00 Greeley Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.00 Guide Rock Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.00 Hadar Volunteer Fire Department $1,710.00 Hampton Volunteer Fire Department $4,250.00 Hay Springs Rural Fire Department $1,890.00 Hershey Volunteer Fire Department $2,024.00 Hildreth Volunteer Fire Department $1,170.00 Hordville Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.00 Jansen Rural Fire District #9 $4,500.00 Kenesaw Volunteer Fire Department $3,960.00 Keystone-Lemoyne Fire Rescue $765.00 Linwood Volunteer Fire & Rescue $2,805.00 Malmo Volunteer Fire Department $4,400.00 Mead Volunteer Fire Department $4,250.00 Minatare/Melbeta Fire & Rescue $4,400.00 Minden Volunteer Fire Department $3,230.00 Morrill Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.00 Nebraska Firefighters Museum $425.00 Nehawka Volunteer Fire Department $2,112.00 Neligh Volunteer Fire Department $4,250.00 Nelson Volunteer Fire Department $4,250.00 North Bend Volunteer Fire Department $4,250.00 NSVFA Fire Prevention $595.00 NSVFA Fire School $4,250.00 Oakdale Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.00 Ohiowa Volunteer Fire Department $3,740.00 Ord Volunteer Fire Department $3,400.00 Orleans Volunteer Fire Department $3,825.00 Oxford Volunteer Fire Department $3,520.00 Peru Volunteer Fire Department $4,250.00 Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.00 Phillips Volunteer Fire Department $2,880.00 Pierce Volunteer Fire Department $4,250.00 Pilger Fire and Rescue $2,975.00 Plainview Fire Department $4,500.00 Plattsmouth Volunteer Fire Department $3,330.00 Ponca Rural Fire Department $450.00 Potter Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.00 Prague Rural Fire Department $4,410.00 Primrose Rural Fire District 5 $3,655.00 Randolph Volunteer Fire & Rescue $1,496.00 Ravenna Volunteer Fire Department $4,250.00 Raymond Volunteer Fire Department $1,125.00 Red Cloud Volunteer Fire Department $2,805.00 Red Willow Western Rural Fire Dept. $2,112.00 Rushville Volunteer Fire Department $2,805.00 Scottsbluff Rural Fire Protection District $4,400.00 State Fire Marshal’s Office Training $4,250.00 Sidney Volunteer Fire Department $4,320.00 Snyder Volunteer Fire Department $450.00 Snyder Volunteer Fire Department $850.00 St Edward Volunteer Fire Department $4,400.00 Stanton Volunteer Fire $4,165.00 Sterling Volunteer Fire Department $4,250.00 Sutherland Volunteer Fire Department $1,890.00 Syracuse Volunteer Fire Department $810.00 Thedford Volunteer Fire Department $3,330.00 Ulysses Volunteer Fire Department $2,160.00 Venango Volunteer Fire Department $2,160.00 Verdigre Volunteer Fire Department $2,250.00 Winslow Rural Fire District $4,400.00 WIRAT Team State Fire Marshall's Office $2,125.00 Wynot Volunteer Fire Department $4,400.00 Yutan Volunteer Fire Department $4,400.00 Total: $330,193.00 |
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