![]() It’s been just six months since the new Antelope County Law Enforcement Center officially opened in Neligh and officials are already under fire on whether the 30-bed facility is being used appropriately. County attorney Joe Abler said the new facility is currently housing more inmates than the previous jail could hold. There’s a night-and-day difference between the two facilities. The old jail was a single-story home with jail cells in the basement. The 911 center was beside the visiting room where inmates and their families could easily hear details from emergency calls. Steep stairs led to the basement cells where dispatchers, deputies and often times EMTs rushed to the aid of inmates, creating safety concerns for all involved. Sheriff Bob Moore said safety and the 911 communication center were two of the biggest reasons behind building the new jail, besides the fact that the old jail hadn’t met jail standards for years. Concerns were raised publicly on the Antelope County Jail at last week’s supervisor meeting while reviewing budget requests. The sheriff requested an additional $5,000 for utility expenses due to having the new facility, as well as being able to hire one additional dispatcher and giving employees a 50 cent raise. Starting pay for Antelope County deputies is currently $12 per hour. It’s $10 per hour for dispatchers. Complaints were also made about the few number of inmates, although the current number is above capacity for the previous jail. One audience member last week called for the new jail to be shut down. After a nearly three-hour meeting, that didn’t sit well with supervisor Charlie Henery. Moore said part of the recent attack on both him and the facility stems from misunderstanding that the jail isn’t a for-profit entity. While cutting the number of cells in half saved about $900,000, it actually cost the county any chances of housing prisoners and receiving regular revenue from the state. Another issue for many county jails has been the legislative push for probation sentencing as compared to jail or even prison terms. The county supervisors will again discuss the budget at their meeting Tuesday, Sept. 9. The 10th Annual Bread 'N Jam Festival will have a flea market in Riverside Park this year.
The market will be open on Saturday, September 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendors are welcome and it will be free to participate. For more information contact Sandy Knapp 402-640-6569 ![]() Antelope County Museum will have a special presentation and free admission during this year's Bread 'N Jam festival. D.R. Haskin, author of the “Hills of Mars” series, will present “Forgotten Depression, America’s Worst, And the Aftermath Changed Nebraska (And The Nation) Forever” at 2 p.m. Saturday, September 12, at the Pioneer Church in Neligh. This free admission program is sponsored by the Antelope County Historical Society. The Antelope County Museum will also have free admission and will be open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Museum is located at 5th and Highway 275. The Pioneer Church is across the street. Parking is available by the museum.
The Antelope County Extension office is asking the county to approve the hiring of an additional staff person, which would allow for more focus on 4-H programs.
Extension representatives were asked to present information on Tuesday regarding their budget by Supervisor Greg Koinzan. Ron Wilke, who serves as the Ag/Horticulture Extension Associate, addressed the board with the reasoning behind the request of an additional $30,000. This would be for hiring another staff person that would serve as the office manager and handle the clerical needs of the office. Currently, Tessa Hain is filling that role along with being the Extension Assistant. She would like to be primarily focused on meeting the needs of 4-H kids instead. Hain explained that Bonnie Wilke was the previous office manager and Anita Hall was the 4-H person, but office positions have changed. “When Bonnie left, I kind of combined that spot and Anita took on a different role,” Hain said, "So I was pretty much 100 percent office and 100 4-H. As you know, that’s 200 percent. That’s kind of a little much to take on.” Wilke said, “That’s not possible. She (Tessa) can’t get to the youth with the 4-H programming in the 10 core project areas that 4-H has." He also pointed out that this is the first time in 13 years that their budget would have changed. Wilke clarified the funding and said the extension office is asking for an additional $20,000 for the individuals wage - or $12 per hour - for a 32 hour work week. Wilke explained that they needed a person who is tech savvy and is very personable and loves people and children. The position would include managing their social media and working with video, along with the clerical and administrative duties. “For Tessa to do that, it’s going to steal from her 4-H program,” he said. When Koinzan asked if the person would have benefits, Wilke responded that they would. “In order to get the person with qualifications that we know we need there, we most likely would need to offer a benefit package,” Wilke said. He went on to say he proposed the county stay at the $20,000, but that they planned to spend less than that. They planned to start the person at around $10 for a probationary period. They said the funding needed this year would more than likely be closer to $13,000, because it would more than likely take them until November. Koinzan asked, “Is there an iron clad rule that says we can’t start at part time?” He went on to say that sometimes if you "hire the right part-time person that job can grow into a full-time position.” “I want to be accountable,” Koinzan said, “We’re in charge of spending this money for these people. That’s our main role.” Koinzan asked if a part-time position instead would be non-negotiable. Wilke said, “I don’t know of any of us who are using tax funds can say ‘absolutely not’ because everything is negotiable. Is part-time better then nothing? Yes.” Supervisors said they still felt a full-time position would be needed. He also reminded the board that Hain does not receive county benefits because she receives insurance elsewhere. Wilke said the extension office wants to be accountable as well. “We don’t want someone down there, obviously, hired if they’re not busier than daylights,” Wilke said. Hain expressed her appreciation to the board for allowing them to come up and present. “I know it's a lot of money to ask for, but it's for (hiring) one person. And it’s for the youth,” she said. There are still other budget issues that have been tabled and will be discussed at the Sept. 8 supervisor meeting. The extension office will be notified by Sept. 5 of the board’s decision. Curbside pickup for the city of Neligh will be on Tuesday next week instead of Monday because of Labor Day.
A record number of Neligh-Oakdale students were celebrated Friday for earning perfect scores on their statewide assessments last year.
Eleven Neligh-Oakdale students aced 14 NeSA tests. That's up from 12 perfect scores last year. Results for all Antelope County schools "This is the second year of double-digit numbers with perfect scores," said 7-12 principal George Loofe. "I’m proud of their effort and commitment to make Neligh-Oakdale the best we can be." Earning perfect scores on the tests were Jacob Henery- 3rd Grade Reading, Colson Krebs 3rd Grade Math, Kaleb Mozer- 5th Grade Reading, Griffen Claussen (not pictured)- 6th Grade Reading, Emma Bixler 7th Grade Reading & Math, Haily Bixler 7th Grade Reading & Math, Gage Dawson- 7th Grade Reading, Chase Kallhoff- 11th Grade Math & Writing, Matthew Ervin- 11th Grade Writing, Bryce Frey- 11th Grade Writing, Danae Smith- 11th Grade Writing. The students were recognized at a school assembly on Friday morning. The Neligh-Oakdale football team was up against Fullerton Friday night in a close game.
The away game resulted in a 35-32 win for the Warriors with all the action happening in the fourth quarter. According to head coach, Ron Beacom it was a good first game. "Offensively, we moved the ball real well and were able to create some big plays. Defensively, everyone played their role and assignment well. The first half, I would have liked for us to be more aggressive defensively, but it seemed to get better throughout the game." The coach said there is still room for improvement. "We must do a better job of taking care of the ball. Four turnovers is too many for us to be as successful and to accomplish the goals that we would like. It just comes down to fundamental ball security and valuing the football. If you only are forced to punt the ball one time, you should score more than five touchdowns." Beacom said he expects great things from his team this year. "We had a number of kids playing in their first varsity action. That brings with it a higher level of anxiety and at times, I felt we showed that and played a little tight. However, I think we will only continue to get better from here now that they have a better idea of what to expect." This leaves Neligh-Oakdale with a record of 1-0 for the season. They will be taking on Burwell at an away game next on September 11.
![]() Neligh-Oakdale schools use an interesting method to get kids to come to class. Two students were rewarded for their perfect attendance with cash. According to administrative assistant, Denise Gunderson each time a student has perfect attendance in the quarter their name is put in for a chance to win $50 or $100. "Potentially their name could be in the "pot" 4 times," Gunderson said. On the first week of school, the names were drawn for the winners. Xavier Hart was the winner of Neligh-Oakdale Elementary School's $50 Perfect Attendance Drawing for last school year. Hannah Brady of the freshmen class won $100 for perfect attendance in 7-12 grade. Two words that could best describe the first cross country meet of the season: "hot" and "hilly." But the Warriors would also have to add the word "successful" to sum up Thursday's race at the Niobrara State Park.
The high school girls team brought home five medals - Kasi Grosserode, 3rd; Jayda Chance, 9th; Alexis Jensen, 16th; Courtni Heckert, 17th; and Rachel Higgins, 18th. Senior Austin Miller was the lone medalist for the boys team with a 16th place finish. Junior high runners placing in the top 10 were Emma Bixler, 6th, and Griffin Claussen, 9th. As temperatures soared over 90 degrees, about 150 runners from 11 schools completed the tough course. Steps were taken to keep the competitors hydrated and cool at the finish line, awaiting them were tanks of cold water, water-soaked towels, and popsicles. EMTs were also on hand in case of an emergency. Neligh-Oakdale's next cross country competition is set for Thursday, Sept. 10, at the golf course south of Butte. ![]() Blackburn Manufacturing just started the old fashioned "We've got spirit, yes we do, we've go spirit, how 'bout you?" chant and threw that challenge at the rest of the area businesses. Blackburn employees donned their Husker wear today and took a "Fun Friday" photo. Marketing director Krista Schindler wants to see who other businesses are supporting. Huskers? Warriors? Cyclones? Vikings? Whoever you support, take a photo and meet this "Fun Friday" challenge head on. The Antelope County News will collect the photos and put them into a gallery, so everyone can see the pride bursting in the area. You can Facebook or email us at [email protected]. After all, it's time for a little light-hearted news in Antelope County. Don't you agree? Neligh-Oakdale kicked off the volleyball season with a pair of victories on the Warriors' home court Thursday night.
The Warriors defeated Boyd County 28-26, 25-22 before topping Santee, 25-14, 25-7 in the nightcap. Boyd County also defeated Santee. "The girls had great chemistry on the court," coach Hannah Hoefer said. "We have strong leadership on the team this year and dealing with a lot of first-game nerves and adrenaline they really worked together to get into system. I'm really happy with how our first two games started and can't wait to see all the improvements they continue to make throughout the season." Neligh-Oakdale (2-0) will host Elkhorn Valley (2-0) on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Sargent Pipe Company was one of two companies named Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Manufacturer of the Year.
Sargent Pipe, owned by former Neligh resident Mike Whitesel, received the award for small-sized manufacturers while Lozier Corporation of Omaha received the award for large manufacturers. The award was presented Wednesday by Gov. Pete Ricketts at the Nebraska Chamber’s Manufacturers & Distribution Executive Summit, held in Omaha at the CenturyLink Center. “We take great pride in honoring Lozier Corporation and Sargent Pipe with this award,” said Barry Kennedy, president of the Nebraska Chamber. “Manufacturing is our state’s second largest industry and a key to future economic expansion. Both of these companies are important innovation leaders in Nebraska’s manufacturing sector.” Sargent manufactures and supplies highly efficient turbine pumps and related products that are entirely American made. In addition, the company provides services in mill slot pipe perforation and custom fabrication works. The company was founded in 1975 and operates as a subsidiary of Sargent Irrigation Company, which has a branch in Neligh. Sargent Irrigation dates back to the 1930s. In 1953, Larry Whitesel and Wayne "Pete" Kaps joined Charlie Sargent, who founded the company. They incorporated as Charles Sargent Irrigation, Inc. Whitesel and Kaps obtained full ownership of the company the following year, and in 1979 Whitesel obtained full ownership. As irrigations continued to expand, several more branch offices were opened in Nebraska and other states. Today, Sargent continues to serve most of the Midwestern United Sates. In the early 1980s, Sargent began to explore the international market. Within a few years, one major project was completed in Mexico, and in 1986 Sargent Irrigation International began drilling in Algeria. Sargent Pipe Company is now shipping turbine pumps to Mexico and Australia and looking for expansion throughout the world. Today, Sargent Pipe Company is owned by the Whitesel family and the current president is Larry's son, Mike Whitesel. The third-generation is involved in management in Neligh - Brian Whitesel and Amy Whitesel Thiele. Sargent Pipe will also be featured on "How It's Made" the end of September. The Nebraska State Patrol searched a Neligh home Thursday morning in conjunction with an ongoing investigation.
Lt. Dan Wilson confirmed the State Patrol served the search warrant at 508 W 10th St. in Neligh. The home is owned by Darryl and Julie Lierman of Neligh. "The search was in conjunction with an ongoing investigation," Wilson said. No arrests were made Thursday, according to Wilson. Several State Patrol officers were seen entering the home around 10:30 a.m. Thursday. The Antelope County Sheriff's Department and Neligh Police Department were also present outside the home. Both Darryl Lierman and Julie Lierman were taken into custody on July 14 following the execution of two arrest warrants. Julie Lierman was arrested for child neglect (class I misdemeanor) and has since been release on bond. Darryl Lierman, 49, of Neligh, faces 10 felony charges - three counts of first degree sexual assault of a child (class 1B felonies); three counts of third degree sexual assault of a child; and four counts of child abuse (class IIIA felonies). Related Stories: Lierman Withdraws 'Not Guilty' Pleas Lierman Enters 'Not Guilty' Pleas State Patrol Arrests Neligh Man On 11 Felonies The Neligh-Oakdale volleyball, cross country, and football teams will kick off their seasons this week. On Thursday, Neligh-Oakdale will host Boyd County and Santee in a home triangular, and the Warrior cross country team will head to the Niobrara State Park. The N-O football team will travel to Fullerton on Friday night. Check out the full schedules below: Lady Warrior VolleyballWarrior Cross CountryWarrior Football![]() Tuesday morning’s Antelope County Supervisors meeting became heated several times today. Among items of contingency were suggestions of pulling the sheriff and extension budgets from the overall budget adoption process and the law enforcement center that was approved 2 1/2 years ago. The discussion began with the sheriff's budget and continued later in the meeting when Sheriff Bob Moore said he was being personally attacked. At one point an audience member said the jail, which was approved in 2013, should be "shut down." Supervisor Greg Koinzan expressed concern over the sheriff department's budget. Moore told Koinzan that the hearing had already taken place and his questions should have been brought up at that time. The budget hearing was Aug. 11. “Why didn’t you have these questions at my budget hearing?” Moore asked. Koinzan said, “I did have those questions, and I do have more." Koinzan did not specify as to why he did not ask his questions during the hearing on the sheriff's budget. He asked Moore if he would consider a second hearing. Moore said that was up to the chairman of the board. Board chairman Jerry Schwager said, "We already went through the budget and looked at them all." Koinzan also requested changing how the supervisors adopt the 2015-16 county budget. Koinzan said he wanted a separate vote on the sheriff's budget and extension budget before approving the entire budget. Schwager disagreed and said, "We can't pick you (sheriff's office) out and pick the extension office out. We would have to look at them all - everyone of them - and we went through all of them last week." Moore said, "We were asked to submit a budget, and everyone of us submitted it to (County Clerk) Lisa (Payne). It's there. It's public information. Mr. Koinzan can go through it. If he had a question, they were submitted. Lisa, did you give them packets with the budgets or not?" Payne said they were provided to supervisors. After a lengthy discussion, all budget items were tabled until the Sept. 8 meeting. Schwager said that meeting would not be a budget hearing. A member of the audience, who submitted an item for the agenda, requested to have a monthly profit and loss statement from the sheriff. Supervisors said that statement is already submitted monthly to the county clerk and is public record. When asked if he needed to provide more information to the supervisors, Schwager said, "You already submit it." Moore also told the supervisors he felt like he is being attacked because some people in the county want him to step down from his office. "This is pretty much the attack of me being sheriff," he said. "I try to do a good job. We had a (jail) committee. We went through the process." He said everyone wants to focus on the jail "but there's so much more going on there," referring to the 911 system that needed to be upgraded. A question was raised about inmate numbers and why the jail wasn't holding prisoners from Lincoln. Moore said $880,000 was taken out of the budget for the jail that would have been used for those beds, "and we needed those 20 beds to house the Lincoln prisoners if we wanted to do that out here in Northeast Nebraska." Moore asked the supervisor what he's done wrong that he needs to be audited more when "the board needs to implement this checks and balance on me." ![]() The Neligh Senior Center lunch menu for September is now available online. They will be having two evening meals this month. September 11th Fish Fry from 5-7 p.m. to set off the Bread N Jam Festival, and September 17 Home Fried Chicken. Also, on September 8 and 22 we will be serving brunch from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. biscuits & sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, & fruit. Coffee and rolls are offered every Friday morning. Call the Senior Center by 10 a.m. for home-delivered meals and by 11 a.m. for congregate, 402-887-4330. Click the image below for a larger view of the September menu. ![]() Get on your jogging shoes. Antelope Memorial Hospital Wellness is hosting their annual 5K Run/Walk during this year's Bread 'n Jam Festival. The race will be Saturday, September 12, at 8 a.m. with registration and check-in beginning at 7 a.m. at the Chamber Office. The cost of the race will be $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 5-12. There will be cash prizes for winners in categories for men and women. The route starts on the cowboy trail, loops around through town, past the hospital, past the high school, down to the fairgrounds and city pool, then finishes on the cowboy trail. If you preregister by September 5, your fee includes a free t-shirt. Registration the day of the race will not guarantee a t-shirt. Please contact the Wellness Center at 887-6204 for more information or to register. Check them out on Facebook at AMH Wellness for further event and other wellness information! A Neligh home was burglarized over the weekend with items stolen valued in the thousands of dollars.
Dane and Jennifer Blackburn-Nielsen returned home Sunday after spending the weekend away to find their home broken into. "They took a lot of random things. They took pistols but left the shotguns and the ammo," she said. "They took a 54-inch Vizio TV off the wall but left another TV about that size that was sitting on a stand." Neligh Police Officer Phil Hart confirmed the burglary and said the break-in remains under investigation. Hart said he is not aware of any other home in Neligh being burglarized over the weekend. Blackburn-Nielsen said among the many items taken were were five pistols. They were a Ruger semi-auto 9mm, Taurus semi-auto 9mm, Remington 6 shooter .22 with NRA logo, Ruger semi-auto .22 and semi-auto .22 with Pheasants forever logo on pistol grip. Other items were an Xbox 360 console, play station 3 and 70 Xbox and PS3 games and 54" Vizio television. "We're still taking inventory, and we're finding more things missing," she said. "It's very random, so it's taking a while to go through everything that was taken." If you have any information on the burglary, contact the Neligh Police Department at 402-887-4335 or the Antelope County Sheriff's Department at 402-887-4148. This is the second time this family has been victim of theft this summer. Their pontoon boat was stolen while at Lazy Rivers Acres. Blackburn-Nielsen's father was also burglarized this summer when his Gator was stolen from his building about a half-mile from Blackburn-Nielsen's home. Not every construction project is completed ahead of schedule, especially during a wet year, but the Antelope County Airport's new runway officially opened Friday a couple of days early.
Other than some dirt work and clean up of the site, the project is complete and the runway is primarily open for regular traffic. The original completion date was September 1, but the project was finished ahead of schedule. Joe McNally, who serves as secretary and treasurer of the Antelope County Airport Authority, said the project comes with a price tag of $2,790,242, most of which is from federal funding. McNally said just $125,000 is bonded for the project. The rest comes from the state and cash on hand. According to local pilots, the old runway was in poor condition, having cracks three inches wide and six inches deep. The runway was extended 50 to 60 feet to create a safer runway for taking off and landing planes. The previous runway was asphalt but the new one is concrete. Also included in the project were new runway lights for night visibility. According to McNally the lights will be more reliable and brighter to meet current standards. He calls it a "welcome addition." "Increasing safety is always a concern of the Airport Authority Board," McNally said. A&R Construction of Osmond served as the general contractor. “This project is important because the airport not only serves Antelope County, but also because it gets a lot of transient traffic,” McNally said. “There are a lot of people who stop for fuel and to eat. This is a good thing for the town. There’s no other airport in the county, so it’s a good asset for the community.” Lightning is blamed in the deaths of nine cattle south of Neligh sometime either late Thursday night or early Friday morning.
Steve Busteed said he was surprised to find the cattle dead when checking the pasture Friday morning, especially considering he'd lost an animal by lightning recently. That, however, was just one - not nine. "I haven't seen anything like this," he said. "We had one (struck) in a feed yard a few weeks ago, so I guess lightning does strike twice. I haven't seen that many struck at once." Busteed said the cattle, which are kept on the George Busteed Trust located in the northern Oakdale Township, weren't seeking shelter by trees. He said they must have been huddled up together when lightning struck. "They were on the side hill right out in the open. It's not good," Busteed said. While Busteed does have the cattle insured, he'll still have to pay his deductible on the animals. He said the deaths have been verified by a veterinarian as having been caused by a lightning strike. A slow-moving storm dropped up to six inches of rain on southern Antelope County during the overnight, causing many small streams to flood. Busteed said 3 1/2 inches fell on the property with these cattle. ![]() With temperatures in the mid-60s, the Neligh-Oakdale marching band didn't have to worry about beating the heat this morning at the Nebraska State Fair. Band director Nate Metschke and flag director Tammy Marshall led the Warrior band through the Grand Island fairgrounds. Neligh-Oakdale was the first band to march at the 2015 state fair.
|
|
News That Matters To Antelope County - Your News. Your Way. Every Day!
© Pitzer Digital, LLC