Editor's Note: A question was raised following last week's Neligh City Council meeting when the annexation was approved on third reading. Could annexation be reversed? The ACN investigated that question and contacted many individuals in Lincoln and Omaha on the topic.
* * * Can annexation be reversed if the City of Neligh were to have new council members? That's the hot question considering all of Neligh's elected officials have been targeted in a recall attempt due to the recent annexation in Neligh. Last week the City Council approved two ordinances annexing property located east and west of Neligh along Highway 275. The short answer to that question, according to officials, is no. Actually, they said neither current nor new council members can simply vote to reverse annexation since it has passed the three readings. The question of reversal was posed to numerous experts, including the League of Nebraska Municipalities and several engineers who do not contract with the City of Neligh. All legal council and engineers contacted cited Nebraska Revised State Statute 17-414, which indicates that annexation cannot be reversed simply upon a vote by new council members. One expert stated, "It's not that simple. To answer your question, no, a new set of city council members cannot just vote to disconnect property that is annexed." Disconnection of property, they said, is not as simple as repealing an ordinance. If that were the case, new council members could potentially disconnect property of their friends or family very easily. The process, they said, is complex. A misconception heard often, according to Mayor Joe Hartz, has been that the City must provide utilities to all annexed areas within a year. Hartz clarified during a town hall meeting last month that only a plan is required to be in place within a year, not the actual utilities. The implementation of the plan, he said, can take several years. Neligh residents Bernadine Hughes and Merlin Mortinson are circulating petitions in an effort to have enough signatures for a recall election against Hartz and city council members Ted Hughes, Stephanie Wanek, Dale Wilkinson and Leonard Miller. If enough signatures are collected and verified, a special election would occur. If all elected officials were removed, another special election would be necessary to replace the entire governing body. Antelope County Clerk Lisa Payne estimated the cost of one special election to be about $5,000. ![]() The mobile food pantry, sponsored by various churches in Antelope County, will make a stop in Neligh. Volunteers will be dispersing food on Tuesday, July 21, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., at the American Legion Club in Neligh. The goal is to provide free food to those whose needs are great and resources are limited without being restricted by income guidelines. Due to liability reasons, public recipients will not be allowed in the building until 4:00 p.m. The Neligh 12 & Under girls competed in the Class D Fast Pitch State Softball Tournament last weekend in Hastings.
Neligh played the West Point Stars in first round action on Friday night. West Point defeated them 10-4. Neligh dropped into the loser's bracket to face Lawrence on Saturday morning. Neligh came up short in a high-scoring 19-12 contest. That afternoon, York Fusion Gold eliminated Neligh from the tournament, 11-1. Team members are Skylar Long, Trinity Kurpgeweit, Paige Furstenau, Brooke Frey, Claire Whitesel, Teegan Kennedy, Kaylee Ramold, Vanessa Parra, Sydney Olson and Emma Boggs. They were coached by Jill McNally and Larissa Funk. "These girls are a group that you dream of having as a coach," Coach McNally said. "At the end of the season it's not the wins and losses that change you as a person, but those moments that you didn't know if you could do something and then you do it. This team gets the bigger picture, and that is something you can't coach." Coach Funk said she was "very proud of all the hard work" by her team. "This is the first time any of those girls have experienced state and they represented Neligh very well," she said. ![]() A Neligh author has made her first novel available for purchase on Amazon Kindle. Tammy Marshall's debut novel, "The Clearwater House," can now be purchased in an Amazon Kindle edition online. Click here for a link to the book on Amazon. "As you may know, the Norfolk paper ran my first novel one chapter a week for a year," Marshall said. "After the positive reaction I received from readers in the area and from all over the country actually (and from a few who know me in other countries), I really wanted to make it available to more people and see what I could do about publishing it to a broader audience. So, after a lot of thought, I decided to try the Amazon Kindle route and see where it takes me." Marshall said she wrote the book a long time ago, but has reworked it on and off for years. "I've also written another full one and parts of what could be many more, but that first book just kept calling to me and demanding I do something with it," she said. "The Clearwater House," is now available for purchase on Amazon. "With today's technology, all you need is a Kindle app on a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop, you name it," Marshall said. "Of course, if you also have the Kindle itself, then you can get it for that. I set the price at $4.99, and I think that is reasonable for the average book reader." She said she hopes this leads to something more, hopefully, getting it into paper print someday. Here is the "The Clearwater House" synopsis as printed on Amazon: Lillian Chase, a young Nebraska artist, inherits an old house in the country from a woman she's never met. To make it odder, this woman is still alive but won't meet Lillian, so she visits the house to see what she can discover from it. While she is there, the house "speaks" to her through paintings she can only compose when she is in the house. These paintings reveal a truth about her past and answer the mystery of her inheritance. Her journey to the truth involves a bit of the paranormal, suspense and romance. ![]() The Neligh and Clearwater business communities officially welcomed a new face to their economic development efforts. Lauren Sheridan-Simonsen of Neligh was officially hired Tuesday night as the new assistant economic development director for the City of Neligh. Thanks to an inter-local agreement, she will assist with efforts in Clearwater, as well as with the Neligh Chamber of Commerce, but will be a City of Neligh employee. Sheridan-Simonsen’s employment was unanimously approved during Tuesday’s City Council meeting on a motion by Ted Hughes, seconded by Stephanie Wanek. Greg Ptacek, Neligh economic development director, said Sheridan-Simonsen will be a great addition to his staff. He told the Neligh Economic Development Board on Monday that she will begin her duties toward the end of the month, working on Fridays until her notice is complete at Gutshall-Blumenstock Eyecare, where she served as office administrator. Ptacek expects Sheridan-Simonsen to start working her usual 28 hours per week in early August. Sheridan-Simonsen will be paid $13 per hour.
Sandhills Legion Riders Chapter, based out of Post 172 in Neligh, will host a bike show and cookout on Thursday, July 23, in Riverside Park.
The public is encouraged to attend this free-will donation event. Pulled pork sandwiches will be served, beginning at 5 p.m. The storm that pushed through Antelope County early Monday morning left a path of damage, including fallen trees and branches.
![]() A Neligh convenience store is now open 24 hours a day. Casey’s General Store, located at the intersection of Highways 275 and 14, began its newly expanded hours, effective Sunday, July 19. Casey's will be open 24 hours a day, every day. And the expanded hours mean the company will be hiring more employees, according to manager Gloria Dennis. Besides having gas available 24 hours, the sub station and kitchen will also be open at all hours, she said. An Oakdale man was arrested Friday morning on multiple charges, including drug possession and driving with fictitious plates.
Neligh Police Chief Mike Wright said Jacob Boutwell, 37 of 806 Taylor St. in Oakdale, was arrested around 9:30 a.m. Friday on the east edge of Neligh. He was arrested on multiple charges - possession of less than a half ounce of marijuana, no valid driver's license, no insurance and fictitious plates. He was driving a 1994 Dodge Neon with Arizona plates that were registered to a Buick. Boutwell was released on 10 percent of the $3,000 bond. A Norfolk man was cited and released for drug possession and paraphernalia following a traffic stop just east of Neligh early Thursday evening.
Neligh Police Chief Mike Wright said a complaint was received about a semi passing another vehicle in the turning lane of Highway 275 (11th Street) while going through Neligh. The driver allegedly continued to drive in the turning lane longer than necessary. Wright said he pulled the truck over just east of the Antelope Country Club on Highway 275 for speeding. Upon contact with the driver - Eric Witte of Norfolk - Wright said he smelled marijuana. Witte was cited for having possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, along with improper passing and speeding, according to the police chief. There was also a commercial motor vehicle inspection by the Nebraska State Patrol with no additional citations issued. The semi was registered to Robin Olson of Atkinson. Wright said due to liability, the owner asked for Witte not to be allowed to continue driving the semi. Witte was released and transported to another location. The semi remained along Highway 275 for several hours until another driver arrived. The Nebraska State Patrol and Antelope County Sheriff's Department assisted the Neligh Police Department with the traffic stop. Recall petitions were picked up at the Antelope County Courthouse on Thursday morning and included defense statements from three of the five elected officials targeted.
Bernadine Hughes and Merlin Mortinson of Neligh signed affidavits for the five recalls last month. They both picked up the documents at about 11:15 a.m. Thursday. The recall is against the entire elected governing bodies of the City of Neligh - Mayor Joe Hartz and City Council members Ted Hughes, Stephanie Wanek, Leonard Miller and Dale Wilkinson. At the courthouse Thursday morning, Hughes and Mortinson said they believed the recall is the right thing to do and spoke of their admiration for Neligh and its many resources. "I love living in Neligh. There's everything I want here," Hughes said. "A good grocery store, the county seat is here, the doctors and physical therapy is just wonderful up at the hospital." Mortinson said, "I've been here all my life, doing business here, and I found the people very friendly. There are excellent resources here, like hospitals and doctors." As for his reasons behind the recall, Mortinson said, "I'm just trying to stand up for the rights of the people and hopefully it makes it better for all." Recall petition circulators will need 162 signatures to force a recall special election of the city council members and 187 for the mayor. They have 30 days to collect signatures, all of which must be from City of Neligh residents and registered voters. All recall documents are a matter of public record. View rules of a recall. The following are the defense statements made by the city council and mayor that will be included with the petitions. Mayor, Joe Hartz: When I took over as mayor of Neligh there was already an Economic Development Plan in progress. The comprehensive plan included an increase in new downtown business and along 275 - corridor. We needed to expand city limits for future growth. Our estimated projections show municipal revenue growth for upcoming years while managing future costs. Councilwoman, Stephanie Wanek: In 2011, the city of Neligh voted in favor of economic development by a 9:1 margin. I have kept this goal of the community at the forefront in my short tenure on the council. Through hard work, dedication, and making needed changes, we can secure a prosperous future for the town we all love to call home. Councilman, Ted Hughes: Ted Hughes continues to support annexation because he believes everyone should pay their fair share of the costs associated with operating a municipality. He is very aware of the financial benefits and liabilities to the City. He is tired of the misinformation generated by the people who don't want to support Neligh and do not want to pay their share. Councilman, Dale Wilkinson: No response. Councilman, Leonard Miller: No response. Young drivers and seat belt usage will be the focus of a summer-long initiative by the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP).
The state patrol continues its efforts to promote "Drive to Save Lives" through voluntary compliance with all traffic safety laws. Beginning in July and continuing through September, the Nebraska State Patrol will provide educational programs utilizing the agency’s Rollover Simulators, Seat Belt Convincers and Driving Simulator. The educational programs are made possible thanks in part to a grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety (NOHS). According the latest statistics from the NOHS, 71% of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were not wearing their seat belt. “We need to make an impact on our young drivers,” said Colonel Bradley Rice, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “This initiative affords us an avenue in which to provide hands on learning experiences for teens, allowing them to see first-hand how seat belts save lives.” Anyone interested in scheduling a safety presentation in this area should contact the Troop B office in Norfolk: Troop B- Norfolk (402) 370-3456 Trp. Bill Price ![]() When it comes to launching a recall of public officials, there are numerous state statutes that must be followed. Petitions are considered public records. Petition Circulators The petition circulators must be at least 18 years old, personally witness the signatures on the petition, and sign the circulator's affidavit. The principal circulator or circulators who check out petitions from the filing clerk may distribute such petitions to persons who may act as circulators of such petitions. No one circulating the petition paper in an attempt to gather signatures shall sign the circulator's affidavit unless each person who signed the petition paper did so in the presence of the circulator. Signing A Petition Those signing a petition must be a registered voter of the State of Nebraska and a registered voter of that precinct, district or subdistrict being recalled. Each person who signs a petition shall, at the time of and in addition to signing, personally affix the date, print his or her last name and first name in full, and affix his or her date of birth and address, including the street and number or a designation of a rural route or voting precinct and the city or village or a post office address. A person signing a petition may use his or her initials in place of his or her first name if such person is registered to vote under such initials. No person shall sign any name other than his or her own or knowingly sign his or her name more than once for the same petition. No person shall accept money or anything of value for signing a petition. No signer shall use ditto marks as a means of personally affixing the date or address to any petition. A wife shall not use her husband's first name when she signs a petition but shall personally affix her first name and her last name by marriage or her surname. Any signature using ditto marks as a means of personally affixing the date or address of any petition or any signature using a spouse's first name instead of his or her own shall be invalid. Statement Of Defense After receiving official notification, elected officials have 20 days to submit a statement of defense. Then the clerk's office has 20 days to prepare recall petitions. Gathering Signatures Circulators will have 30 days to gather the necessary valid signatures (35 percent of the votes cast for that office in the last general election; except that for an office for which more than one candidate is chosen, the petition shall be signed by registered voters equal in number to at least thirty-five percent of the number of votes cast for the person receiving the most votes for such office in the last general election). Verifying Petitions The county clerk will then have 15 days to verify the petitions. No new signatures may be added after the initial filing of the petition papers. No signatures may be removed unless the filing clerk receives an affidavit signed by the person requesting his or her signature be removed before the petitions are filed with the filing clerk for signature verification. If the petition is found to be sufficient, the filing clerk shall attach to the petition a certificate showing the result of such examination. Recall Election If petitioners are successful, the governing body must order an election within 30 to 75 days. The recall election ballot, with respect to each person whose removal is sought, the question shall be submitted: Shall (name of person) be removed from the office of (name of office)? Immediately following each such question there shall be printed on the ballot the two responses: Yes and No. Next to each response shall be placed a square or oval in which the registered voters may vote for one of the responses by making a cross or other clear, identifiable mark. The name of the official which shall appear on the ballot shall be the name of the official that appeared on the ballot of the previous general election that included his or her name. Recall Results If a majority of the votes cast at a recall election are against the removal of the official, the official shall continue in office for the remainder of his or her term, but may be subject to further recall attempts. If a majority of the votes cast at a recall election are for the removal of the official, he or she shall be deemed removed from office unless a recount is ordered. If there are vacancies in the offices of one-half or more of the members of any governing body at one time due to the recall of such members, a special election to fill such vacancies shall be conducted as expeditiously as possible by the Secretary of State, election commissioner, or county clerk. ![]() Nine property tax protests were heard on Tuesday at the Antelope County Supervisors meeting but only two were changed. The supervisors voted in all nine cases to approve the recommendation of Assessor Kelly Mueller. Many of the parcels protested were acreages that had been increased 20 percent due to an area market value increase. Another variable, according to Mueller, that altered tax values of land was a change in the land's use. In one instance, land had previously been used for dry farmland and let go to grass. Therefore the value of property was lowered. Mueller also spoke to the board Tuesday about the use of GIS, or geographical information system. This system costs $25,000 every 6 years and is used to assess rural improvements. A series of photographs are taken of every rural farm site in the county through the use of airplanes. These photographs can show new roofs, buildings, siding and even central air. This helps to determine the value of property without having a physical inspection. Mueller stated that she had over a thousand upcoming rural improvements that would benefit from the use of this system and it would eliminate a need for another employee. Supervisors also discussed an advertisement for the road superintendent position they are currently offering. They plan to advertise the job for two weeks in the Omaha World Herald, The Grand Island Independent and the Norfolk Daily News. The application will close on August 19 and interviews will be held in September. The motion was made to approve the ad by Charlie Henery and was seconded by Neil Williby. The county is currently working on a policy regarding reimbursement of county employees. There have been issues with individuals were are employed by the county that buy office supplies or other items for the county and pay taxes on those items, and they are then reimbursed the whole amount. Antelope County is tax exempt, therefore they should not pay tax on any item that is purchased for county use. This action will lay a policy of how employees are to purchase county items using tax exempt forms or forfeit the taxes. The Neligh Juniors' run came to an end Tuesday night at the hands of top-seeded Creighton, which won back-to-back games to win the district title.
After defeating Creighton earlier in the tournament, Neligh dropped two straight in the Class C, Area 1 district championship. Creighton won 6-2 in the early game in Ainsworth to hand Neligh it's first loss of the district and force a deciding winner-take-all championship game. Creighton kept the momentum and won 11-1 thanks to a 10-run rule in the sixth inning to seal the title and qualify for state. Damon Arehart was the lone Neligh batter to score. He crossed home plate thanks to a double from Jordon Murray. It’s official: Annexation of two areas has been approved and declared for the City of Neligh.
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, members unanimously approved both ordinance 578 and 579 on their third readings to expand city limits to both the east and west of Neligh. Motions to approve both ordinances were made by Ted Hughes and both were seconded by Stephanie Wanek. The motions both passed on a unanimous roll call vote, 3-0. Dale Wilkinson was absent due to illness. Prior to the vote, city attorney James McNally read the ordinances for the third time. About 35 people attended the meeting. Annexing various areas has been discussed in Neligh for some time but took a more serious turn this spring after Bomgaars requested annexation. Bomgaars is planning to start a 8,400 square foot addition this month and have the new space in use after the holidays. In order to qualify as a TIF (tax increment funding) project, the business must be located inside the City of Neligh. On June 24, Torrey Wingert, vice president/CFO of Bomgaars, sent Neligh Economic Development Director Greg Ptacek a letter stating, “Without this TIF, our development project would not be economically feasible and would not occur. We understand that there are no assurances as to the amount of the TIF or if the TIF will be approved.” Ryan Bolinger, project manager for W.A. Klinger, told the City Council in March that water was the most important aspect for the expansion. He said Bomgaars is currently using a septic system and could continue that way. “We would need some kind of agreement that says at some point the water line will be brought,” he said. “Without having the water, the state won’t let us build." On Monday, the Neligh Re-Development Authority unanimously approved developing a memorandum of understanding with Bomgaars to allow preliminary construction to begin prior to TIF being approved. The approval was contingent on annexation being passed by the City Council, which became official Tuesday. A public hearing for TIF was set for Bomgaars was set for Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. In his first board meeting as Neligh-Oakdale's interim superintendent, Bill Kuester said he anticipates hiring an assistant to help with his duties.
Kuester, who retired from Clearwater-Orchard before serving as interim superintendent at Howells-Dodge, started at Neligh-Oakdale on July 1. He was hired in March as interim superintendent with a one-year salary of $122,000. He replaced Kimberly Lingenfelter, who was paid $115,000 last year and is now serving as superintendent at Cherokee, Iowa. Kuester told the board his is looking at hiring an assistant for 10-15 hours per week, but he did not say what the person would be paid. Kuester only told board members that policy states he does not need board approval to hire an assistant. Administrative assistants are not generally considered entry-level positions on the pay scale. In explaining his needs, Kuester complimented his predecessor at Neligh-Oakdale for her abilities but said he does not have the same strengths as Lingenfelter. “Mrs. Lingenfelter did a super job with technology, and I can’t duplicate that. I can’t try to duplicate that,” Kuester said. During his interview last February, Kuester told the board, "I have to be honest with you, for the past 19 years I’ve been blessed with a business manager, not a secretary, but a business manager, where she and I both worked on the portal on a daily basis." Linda Wilkinson currently serves as an administrative assistant to the superintendent. Historically, Neligh-Oakdale has never had more than one assistant to the superintendent. Kuester told the board, “I’ll keep you posted if we decide to go that route, and that’s what I’m thinking here.” Kuester said he is "seven days on the job" and enjoying the position so far. He listed four goals for the board and stressed improving communication between board members, saying members need to have the information necessary to make decisions prior to the start of meetings. His goals were positive leadership, expertise in budget and finances, leadership for facility improvement and positive relationships for trust and communication. Two Neligh residents were arrested and taken into custody this afternoon, according to the Nebraska State Patrol.
Captain Paul Hattan confirmed two arrest warrants were served at 508 W 10th St. in Neligh and two individuals were taken into custody. Antelope County Attorney Joe Abler filed a motion Tuesday for an arrest warrant for both Darryl Lierman and Julie Lierman of Neligh, according to court documents. The affidavit alleges "inappropriate touching and sexual grooming behaviors" by Darryl Lierman, 49, toward a juvenile female. Julie Lierman is alleged in the affidavit to have been in the residence at the time of the alleged assaults. According to a release from Abler, Darryl Lierman was arrested pursuant to an arrest warrant charging him with eleven felony charges - four 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). Julie Lierman was arrested for child neglect (class I misdemeanor). The Nebraska State Patrol SWAT team and other officers Nebraska State Patrol were utilized in the execution of the warrant. Hattan said no injuries were reported. The affidavit alleges sexual abuse of multiple victims. Neligh-Oakdale is at standstill with fire sprinkler installation, and occupancy in basement classrooms is now "questionable."
Interim Superintendent Bill Kuester told board members during Monday’s meeting that he spoke to the fire marshal that morning and the basement project is now halted for several reasons. Watch the archived board meeting on the ACN live stream channel Kuester said the first obstacle is that the board failed to submit the correct documentation to the state fire marshal’s office. All correspondence with the fire marshal since January has been directly through board president David Wright, not the superintendent’s office. The second obstacle is that a sprinkler system does not provide vertical separation "between the basement and the next level with a door," Kuester said. The board previously utilized an architect when responding to the fire marshal, but an architect has not been consulted since 2014. The third obstacle, Kuester said, is that the company that was hired to install the sprinklers during the summer has not contacted the fire marshal’s office about the project. “It caught me by surprise,” Kuester said. “I thought we had it all under control with the sprinkler system, but that’s not what I heard today.” Kuester, who said Monday was his seventh day on the job, said he originally called Deputy State Fire Marshal Sean Lindgren to clarify occupancy after installing sprinklers. “The reason I contacted (Lindgren) was I wanted to make sure that after sprinklers went in, we could have student occupancy in the room. I’m glad I did because what I heard was questionable,” Kuester said. According to the correction order filed March 9, 2015, by the board, they planned to “install egress windows in every basement space” by August 2015. The night that plan was approved, the board also approved installing a walk-out door in the art room. That action came after three prior motions failed, which included installing egress windows in the rest of the classrooms. In April, the board hired Ahern Fire Protection of Omaha to install sprinklers; however, Wright did not communicate that plan to the fire marshal, according to what Kuester told the board Monday. After much discussion on how to proceed, Building and Grounds Chairman Ryan Koinzan said he wanted “to get the ball rolling because time is of the essence” and amend the March 9 plan of correction to include fire sprinklers in the basement. Kuester told the board he could have the documents ready for signatures by 9 a.m. The July 13 agenda included neither discussion nor action on the fire marshal's plan of correction but did refer to "facility challenges." Brad Higgins made a motion to amend the plan of correction with Kenny Reinke seconding. Roll call vote passed at 5-0 with Krista Schindler absent and excused. Basement occupancy in the art room is also questionable by the start of fall classes. Kuester said he’s hoping to at least have the gas line that’s “just hanging there right now” moved by the start of school, so that not only construction of the walk-out door can continue, but the kitchen also will have gas for the stove. “Unless we’re going to feed our students cold sandwiches, we need to have the gas line here by Aug. 14, and I think it’s going to happen. We just have to make sure Don Zegers and the gas company work together,” Kuester said. Higgins asked if Zegers can continue working without the gas line being moved, and Kuester said it was difficult. The gas line was buried to the west of the school but has now been exposed due to extensive dirt work required to install the door from the art room. Also on the facility, Kuester addressed the radon issue at the school. He said the basement classrooms tested at a 7.3 level, which was a concern to him. Kuester said he sought clarification on the number and was told 4.0 or below is recommended. According to the Nebraska Health & Human Services, six tests were ran from January 3-May 11 at Neligh-Oakdale with three rooms showing elevated levels between 6.0 and 7.3, which the Spanish room having the highest level of radon. View radon data from Nebraska Health & Human Services Kuester said the district has more facility challenges than simply what the fire marshal addressed. He told board members they need to consider funding for a new alarm system, track, replacement of the 1950s boilers and roof structures. He also reminded board members that a new activities bus was built into the budget for the 2014-15 school year and suggested since it was not purchased, those funds should be transferred to depreciation and used in 2015-16 for a new bus. ![]() A guest speaker will present "Nebraska & Civil War Soldiers" at the Neligh Public Library on Wednesday. The program will be held at noon on July 15 and sub sandwiches will be provided. Norm Weber of Wisner, an active Civil War re-enactor, will describe life of the Civil War soldier and Nebraska's role in the war, according to Librarian Jennifer Norton. "Although it is part of the Adult Summer Reading Program, we welcome people of all ages to attend," she said. The Neligh Juniors rallied for a big win Monday night to remain undefeated in the district and move within one win from the state tournament.
Neligh tied up the game against No. 4 Valentine in the sixth inning after a home run from Damon Arehart and then went on to win 17-14 in seven innings. No. 2 Neligh, which is undefeated in the Class C, Area 1 District, will play No. 1 Creighton at 4 p.m. Neligh beat Creighton earlier in the district, meaning Creighton will have to win twice to keep Neligh from the state tournament. ![]() The Tilden pee wee baseball team finished second and the Neligh #1 team was third in the Quad County Tournament on Sunday. Neligh #1 defeated Tilden in their first round of tournament play on Thursday. Tilden dropped into the loser's bracket to play Neligh #2 on Friday. Tilden got the win and moved on to play Battle Creek #2 on Saturday morning and Pierce on Saturday night. Neligh proceeded to knock off the top seeded team, Albion #1, in the second round on Saturday and advanced to play in the semi-final round against Battle Creek #1 on Sunday. Neligh fell short against Battle Creek and dropped into the loser's bracket to face the Tilden team which had battled its way back into contention. Neligh couldn't hold off Tilden a second time and Tilden advanced to the championship round. Battle Creek #1 defeated Tilden for the championship. Eleven teams played in the league tournament, which was held Monday through Sunday in Neligh. The Neligh Juniors remain undefeated in district play and are just two wins away from qualifying for the state tournament thanks to another win on Sunday night.
At the Class C, Area 1 District in Ainsworth, No. 2 Neligh jumped out to a big 7-0 lead Sunday after the first inning and went on to win 10-7 over top-seeded Creighton. With the victory, Neligh advances to Monday night's semifinal game against No. 4 Valentine. Creighton and No. 5 Plainview will play in other game with the winners moving on to Tuesday's championship. The tournament is double elimination with the district winner advancing to the state tournament in Dodge. ![]() A benefit is planned for Thursday, Aug. 6, in Genoa for the family of Maggie Glenn Turpitt, who was killed in a car accident on July 4. Turpitt was a 1994 graduate of Neligh-Oakdale and the daughter of Cindy Kraft of Neligh. She is survived by her husband, Brian, and children Cody and Bailey Turpitt and stepchildren Taya and Brianna Gilsdorf. A silent auction and spaghetti feed are planned for Aug. 6 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Genoa City Auditorium. According to event organizers, Turpitt was the primary source of income for her family. All proceeds will be donated to help the family with funeral and living expenses. For more information, contact Britton Preister at 402-860-3386 or Mindy Swanson at 402-270-0115. |
|
News That Matters To Antelope County - Your News. Your Way. Every Day!
© Pitzer Digital, LLC