Saturday afternoon was full of activities for families, including the tractor pull and turtle races. Winners were announced in each of those events.
View all afternoon photos, including the water fights, horseshoes and hot dog feed. Turtle Races: 1. Jasmin Zuhlke, 2. Hooper Hoefer, 3. Libby Evans, 4. Robert Dugan Kiddie Tractor Pull: Age 4, 1. McCoy Martenson, 2. Wyatt Brandt; Age 5: Cooper Arehart, 2. Demetrious Dred; Age 6: 1. Max Bower, 2. Ethan Wieseler; Age 7: 1. Gavin Whitefoot, 2. Payton Svendsen. Thriftyway Market was once again the winner in the commercial division of the Old Mill Days parade in Neligh.
Other winners were Commercial: Thriftway Market; Knights of Columbus, community; Wayne Thress, individual; and Keystone Bar, club. View all photos from the parade. There are hundreds, so feel free to share them! Below are some other float photos taken prior to the parade. From the Lion's Club breakfast to the fishing contest and archery tournament, Saturday morning was full of activities in Neligh. Check out those photos and feel free to share!
![]() A 1994 graduate of Neligh-Oakdale was killed early Saturday morning in a two-vehicle accident in Boone County. Maggie Turpitt, 40 and now from Genoa, was killed when her vehicle was struck by Daniel Sanchez, 24 of Cedar Rapids, at about 1 a.m., according to the Nebraska State Patrol. Turpitt is the daughter of Cindy Kraft of Neligh. Sanchez was driving a 2004 Chevrolet Impala west bound in the north ditch and came onto roadway and crossed center line, where he struck Turpitt’s 1994 GMC Sierra. A spokesperson from the NSP, said both Sanchez and Turpitt were pronounced dead at the scene. A juvenile passenger with Turpitt was transported to an area hospital. Her condition is unknown at this time. More than 50 youth turned out for the annual fishing contest Saturday morning at Penn Lake during Old Mill Days.
Isabelle Pitzer, 8 of Oakdale, won the overall big fish with a catfish and was the winner in the 6-10 age division. Other winners were Hunter Sonnenfelt of Norfolk (0-5) and Trey Svatos of Neligh (11-13). All participants were given a prize from the Neligh Young Men's Club and the Nebraska Game and Parks. The top three finishers in each age were also given prizes. The older division received larger prizes this year courtesy of employees of Thriftway Market in Neligh and Tilden. Winners Age 0-5: 1. Hunter Sonnenfelt, Norfolk; 2. Brenden Wieneke, Neligh; 3. Connor Poldberg Age 6-10: 1. Isabelle Pitzer, Oakdale; Nathan Juarez, Neligh; 3. Jayden Schrad, Neligh Age 11-13: 1. Trey Svatos, Neligh; 2. Shelby Pitzer, Oakdale; 3. Adrian Zerbe Overall Big Fish: Isabelle Pitzer, Oakdale ![]() Pastor Janet Davis of the First Congregational United Church of Christ is inviting the community to attend the John Petersen concert this Friday in Neligh. The concert will be held at the church at 7:00 p.m. A free will offering will be taken to support John's ministry. There will be a "Linger Longer" afterward for fellowship and refreshments. Swim lessons wrapped up on Friday at the Neligh Pool.
Parents watched as their children were tested on various strokes and asked pool safety questions. Swimmers were given a certificate for passing their course and will move up to the next level. Lifeguards at the pool this year are Emily Anderson, Taylor White, Austin Miller, Hallie Knutson, Sonya Legate, Kinsley Klabenes, Kelsey Green, Lindsay Sands, Noelle Ervin, Matthew Ervin, Broderick Tyrrell, Tyson Belitz, Kimmie Murray, Clayton Anderson and Kayla Wright. The Neligh Mills Historic Site will have free admission to to the mill on July 4th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. as part of the Old Mill Days celebration.
Various exhibits and a short video on the milling process and the mill's history is also available to view. For those not familiar with the mill, it is the only 19th century flour mill in Nebraska that still contains all of the original milling equipment from the 1800"s.
![]() A Neligh teen recently returned from a music tour through seven European countries as she traveled with the Nebraska Ambassadors of Music. Celina Knievel, 15, traveled with the group to England, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy and Germany. Knievel sang with the choir and played her flute with the band in several locations throughout the trip. To qualify for the tour, teens had to be nominated by their choir or band teacher. Selections are based on citizenship and musical ability. She said Nate Metschke, Neligh-Oakdale band and choir director, sent her a pamphlet about the trip. "As long as your director sends you the information, you can go," Knievel said. "That means they feel you are good enough to learn the music. And the music was really hard to learn." "Celina's a great kid," said Nate Metschke, Neligh-Oakdale band and choir director. "She excels on her flute and in singing too." And Metschke said he knew it would be something she would enjoy from his own personal experience. "I went on this trip myself when in 1995, when I was 16," he said. It's a great chance to be around and meet other kids who like music. And the chaperones were really cool and made me want to become a music teacher." Knievel said the Nebraska Ambassadors of Music spent three days in Fremont rehearsing for the concerts in Europe before they left and performed a farewell concert for family and friends. She left for the camp in Fremont on June 6. The group boarded a plane for Europe on June 9 and returned home on June 25. She said there were about 140 band members playing 12 musical selections and about 115 choir members performing nine songs. Knievel said some students were band or choir members only, and others - like herself - performed with both groups. She said there were more than 200 students total, two choir directors, two band directors, plus a few parents and grandparents. "It took five charter buses to drive us all over Europe," she said. Their first stop on the tour was England, where they visited London, Windsor and the English Channel. "I got to see Big Ben and had fish and chips for the first time - it was amazing," Knievel said. We were in London for three days, and because of the jet lag, we performed on the last day." She said their choir performances were held in churches along the way and the band concerts were outside. They boarded the buses and headed to France next, staying in Paris for two days. "We went to the Eiffel Tower, Norte Dame Church and took a boat tour," Knievel said. "We saw the lock bridge too. We bought a lock and four of us put our initials on it and put it on the lock bridge." Switzerland was the next stop on their journey, which included Crans-Montana and Zermatt. "We got to go up in the mountains on the ski lifts," she said. "We had a lot more freedom to walk around in Switzerland than in the other cities and had fun visiting shops." Liechtenstein was the shortest stop of all, as the group stopped for lunch in Vaduz as they traveled to their next destination - Austria. "We were in Seefeld and Innsbruck," Knievel said. "We swam in an Olympic swimming pool and went down water slides. It was really fun. And, when we were in Austria, they had three of those horn things like in the Ricola commercials and they let us play them." She said their band and choir performances were well-received during their stays in Switzerland and Austria. "In England and France, it was like they didn't care for us much, but in Austria and Switzerland, they loved us and there were posters of us everywhere," Knievel said. But she said her favorite concert was on the next stop - in Venice, Italy. "Our choir performed in a church and it was the best we performed in because it had rotundas and the sound was awesome," Knievel said. "It sounded beautiful in there." And, she said the pizza and pasta were "absolutely awesome!" Germany was the final stop of their European tour. "We went to the Auschwitz concentration camp on our way to Rothenburg," Knievel said. "We saw the cremation area and gas chamber. My friend McKenna and I cried...it was really sad." While in Rothenburg, Germany, the choir performed in a church and band played an outdoor concert in the rain. She said the highlights of her trip were seeing Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, Venice and performing in churches. Knievel, who will be a junior at Neligh-Oakdale this year, said she would highly recommend this tour to others. "It is a good experience...it is mind-blowing, actuallly," she said. "You get to see Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower and the London Eye. Why wouldn't you want to go? Especially if you love music." A three-time state champion, Bryce Frey competed this week at FBLA Nationals in Chicago.
Frey, who will be a senior at Neligh-Oakdale, is the son of Brian and Leann Frey. He was just one of 70 competing in Accounting 2 at the national level. The top 10 individuals were recognized at Tuesday's awards banquet. Although Frey's overall score and place will not be known for several weeks, he was not one of the top 10 in the nation. At the state level, Frey was named the winner in Accounting 2 to qualify for nationals. He was also fourth in business calculations, fifth in securities and investments and received honorable mention in personal finance. In the spirit of Old Mill Days coming up on Saturday, the Antelope County News challenged US92 to a bathtub race. Joining Team ACN was the Neligh Volunteer Fire Department while the Neligh Young Men's Club was on Team US92.
In a best-of-three race, US92/NYMC won the first two races. ACN/Neligh Fire challenged a "winner take all" race, which they won. Of course, US92/NYMC did run the first leg backward. . . . The event was held Thursday in Riverside Park to promote Neligh's Old Mill Days, which will feature a bathtub race, among other events on Saturday. Full schedule "It was a fun challenge, despite having some rain earlier in the morning," said Carrie PItzer, ACN owner. "Making it even more fun was having members of both the NYMC and Neligh Fire participate in the race. They were the real winners today and every day." The Antelope County News and US92 are news partners and work together often. "We have a good relationship with most media and have a great relationship with US92. We've recently extended our partnership with them and 94Rock and look forward to working together even more in the future as both companies continue to grow," Pitzer said.
A building on Main Street in Neligh won't sit empty long thanks to a combined effort between Seth and Shelby Snodgrass and the City of Neligh.
The couple, who live near Royal, were given the green light Thursday afternoon by the Neligh City Council to turn 406 Main (formerly Main Street Mall) into a new fitness center called 719 Fitness. Besides free weights and machines, 719 Fitness will also offer massage therapy and a shake bar for quick, nutritious meals for the public. "We're pretty excited. There's not another fitness center in the area, so I think it's a great opportunity, to help other people," said Seth Snodgrass, a 2006 graduate of Neligh-Oakdale. "It's a passion for me and my wife. We're hoping to make people realize how important health is. We want to show them a better way to life (weights) properly and a better way of eating." Shelby Snodgrass, who is a personal trainer, said, "It's been a long process, but we're very excited to get started and bring it to Neligh in a few months." A Thursday's special meeting, the City Council unanimously approved a $30,000 LB 840 loan for the project. They agreed to a 15-year term with a 2.5 percent fixed interest compounded annually, making their payments about $200 a month. Economic Development Director Greg Ptacek said First National Bank will finance the project, which has a total cost of $142,678. The City of Neligh will have the second lien. Council members asked several questions before approving the loan, which is just the second LB 840 loan from the City of Neligh. The first was approved 16 months ago to Pitzer Digital. Ted Hughes asked how much the Snodgrasses have to put down for the loan, which is 10 percent. "Ok," he said. "Just want to make sure they have some skin in the game." Leonard Miller asked about the terms while Steph Wanek asked about what will be offered at the new fitness center. "We'll also have the protein shakes, which is really cool because you can make them according to your goals," Shelby Snodgrass said. "You can make it high protein if you wan to add muscle or low calorie if you want to lose weight." While the fitness center will have membership, possibly with a 24-hour access card, Snodgrass said a membership will not be required for their shake bar. She said there will be a lounge area near the front desk "What's really cool about the shakes is that they're really delicious. They taste like you're drinking a milk shake, but they're really healthy for you," she said. Wanek made the motion to approve the loan, seconded by Miller. It was approved 3-0. Dale Wilkinson was absent due to a recent surgery. "This is a great addition to Neligh," Wanek said. 719 Fitness plans to open in the fall, after a major remodel project. Their hours will be 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Neligh's LB 840 account currently has a balance of $146,128. Ptacek said his office is currently working with other individuals hoping to use the economic development funds for a new business in Neligh. ![]() Two former Neligh residents are encouraging others to support children - like their son - who are finding their voice. Austin and Erin (Beck) Schindler are coordinating the third annual Nebraska Walk for Children with Apraxia of Speech. The Schindlers currently reside in Central City with their three children. Their son, Jagger, now 8 years old, was diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech when he was just a toddler. Jagger is the grandson of Eddie and Marlene Schindler of Neligh, Gary and Jayne Arehart of Elgin and Wayne and Denise Beck, formerly of Neligh. Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a little known disorder which makes it difficult, or impossible, for children to accurately produce sounds, syllables, and/or words, despite having a good understanding of language. CAS is a neurological motor planning speech disorder. This is not because of muscle weakness or paralysis. The brain has difficulty planning to move the body parts (e.g., lips, jaw, tongue) needed for speech. The child knows what he or she wants to say, but his/her brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those words. "Our son, Jagger, was born at 41 weeks at 8 pounds, 6 ounces," Erin said. "He is our second child, first boy. Jagger seemed to be such a happy, content, quiet baby. He really never cried much. We noticed as a baby that he didn't make the same sounds and babbles as our oldest daughter did. We brought up our concerns to our pediatrician, our family and our friends." She said the response was the same: "He is a boy and they develop at a slower pace and he has an older sister to to help him speak." At 12 months, Jagger spoke no words and made very few sounds. "Finally at 18 months, we recognized that Jagger was very behind his peers and asked for a further evaluation," Erin said. "Early Intervention through our school system came into our home and evaluated Jagger, finding that his receptive skills were much higher than his expressive skills. He began receiving speech services in our home. After 7 months of little to no improvement, we decided, at the recommendation of our pediatrician, to have Jagger evaluated at the Barkley Memorial Center on the UNL campus. This is where Jagger received his diagnosis of Severe Childhood Apraxia of Speech and started therapy 2 times a week in Lincoln and once a week in Central City." "Jagger has made phenomenal progress through his hard work, determination and through the support of his amazing therapists, teachers, family and friends," she said. "Currently, Jagger attends speech therapy once a week and receives speech/language services at school." Erin said she and Austin "are very honored and excited to be coordinating the third annual Walk for Apraxia in Nebraska to honor our son Jagger, who has been diagnosed with apraxia." "With speech therapy and other support, he has made phenomenal progress and we are so proud of his achievements," she said. "We, as a family, want to do all that we can to help our son find his voice and to help all local children through Apraxia awareness and by educating school systems, the community, family and friends about Apraxia. The Nebraska Walk for Children with Apraxia of Speech is set to take place Saturday, August 29 at Holmes Lake in Shelter #3 in Lincoln and will be open to all adults and children. There will be clowns, a fire truck demonstration and Homer the mascot from the Lincoln Salt Dogs on hand for the event. On-site registration and check-in will begin at 9:00 a.m., with the walk starting at 10:00 a.m. The Walk for Children with Apraxia of Speech is held as a means to heighten awareness and to gain funding. Anyone interested in registering, making a donation, or learning more about the event can contact Schindler by email at: [email protected]; phone: 402-750-9254; or visit the event website: http://casana.apraxia-kids.org/nebraskawalk. You may also call Austin Schindler at 308-482-0644 for more information. "Raising awareness for Childhood Apraxia of Speech is very important to us as before Jagger was diagnosed we had never even heard of CAS," Erin said. "The support we have received from CASANA, the only national organization dedicated to Apraxia, is truly amazing! If we help one family with support, resources and early intervention it makes it all worth it!" Childhood Apraxia of Speech affects 1-2 out of every 1000 children. It more commonly affects boys more than girls. Currently, all of the causes of CAS are not known. Most often no specific cause is found. However, some children may have CAS as part of a larger neurological diagnosis or as a part of a genetic, metabolic, or mitochondrial disorder. In CAS, children do not follow typical patterns and will not make progress without treatment. There is no cure, but with early intervention and appropriate intense, frequent speech therapy by a trained speech language pathologist significant progress can be made. Speech therapy for children with CAS is focused on providing the child with a great number of opportunities to practice planning, programming and then producing accurate movements of speech.
Judge Donna Farrell Taylor said judges have never been expected to perform weddings, it has always been discretionary. In her 14 years on the bench, the judge said she has only performed five weddings, and all of those were for close friends or family members.
All couples can get marriage licenses at the courthouse and get married in Antelope County; however, it is unclear who would be available to perform the wedding should a couple choose to marry at the courthouse. Antelope County Clerk Lisa Payne said a change was also made to the marriage license application this week in response to the Supreme Court ruling. "We were emailed a new form on Monday," Payne said. "They now say party A or groom and party B or bride." This was to comply with last week's Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriages, which ruled that states cannot keep same-sex couples from marrying and must recognize their unions. Six Antelope County players competed in the Legion All-Star Baseball Games at Creighton last weekend.
The games were played in Creighton on Sunday, beginning with the Junior Legion game at 5 p.m. The Senior All-Star Game followed. Tyson Belitz, Grant White and Chris Bentley, all of Neligh, were selected to play on the West Team in Junior Legion action, while Chase Kallhoff and Connor Bentley of Neligh and Kendall Albin of Tilden were chosen for the West Team in the Senior game. In the Jr. Legion game, White played the outfield at center and right; Bentley was the catcher; and Belitz covered short stop, left field and earned the save as pitcher. The West team, comprised of Neligh, Creighton, Atkinson, Plainview and Bloomfield/Wausa, edged out the East for a 7-6 win. The West Team was defeated in the Senior game. Members of the Neligh Legion team covered the infield with Bentley at first; Kallhoff at second; and Albin at short stop. Summer is a time for fun, as well as a time for learning for Neligh-Oakdale elementary students.
This is the final week of the first session of summer school at West Ward, where nearly 40 students were enrolled in the two-week program this June. Principal Mary Schrader said a second session is planned for the end of July, pending parent commitment. Schrader said students are taking home notes Tuesday. "This program has been very successful and the kids seem to be enjoying it," Schrader said. Students spend 90 minutes in the morning working on reading and then an hour on math. The goal of the program isn’t to teach students new material, she said, but for retention over the summer months. “We want to keep them reading,” Schrader said. "This way students are ready to go in the fall and teachers have to do less review." Schrader said she would like to thank the parents for their commitment, and she is surprised and pleased with the attendance. The school hasn’t had much consistency for summer school in the past, she said. ![]() Multiple email and phone scams have hit Antelope County, including Neligh Police Chief Mike Wright and County Assessor Kelly Mueller. Wright is warning residents that numerous phone scams involving the IRS, Department of Legal Affairs and Microsoft have been reported. “I’ve received three of them myself,” Wright said. “Anytime you get an email or phone call about a lawsuit or legal action against you, it’s a scam. There is a legal process for these types of things; they don’t happen over the phone.” Wright said the phone calls all had U.S. numbers, some with 347 area code. He is asking residents to take proper precautions if they receive these calls. On Monday, Mueller fell victim of having her email hacked by a scammer who sent messages to those in her contact list requesting money. ![]() The Fourth of July is usually a fun family holiday, but for one Neligh family it's a little different story. As combat veterans, Michaela and Ross Potter are asking people to be courteous with fireworks this 4th of July. "I was a medic in the military for about six years. I deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010," said Michaela Potter. "This has been a war that's gone on for 14 years now, and there's a growing population of combat vets. So not all of us appreciate that noise." Potter said a combat vet is a person who has been overseas and deployed, who's been to Iraq, Afghanistan or even Vietnam. She explained that to combat vets, the fireworks can easily be mistaken for mortar shells and bombs, especially when unexpected. "It's the unexpected loud bangs. Especially on the Fourth of July, we expect it," she said. "But on the days and weeks before and after, we kind of get caught off guard. And there's an instant anxiety, and you have to kind of check your surroundings and remember where you are and that it's not a bomb because for an entire year, you spent fearing that noise the most." However, this doesn't keep Potter from having a wonderful holiday with her family. "This year we'll enjoy the parade here in town, and we're going to head over to Yankton to go camping," she said. "We do light off fireworks and enjoy them on the Fourth of July just like everybody else. It's just the fireworks before and after the Fourth that aren't appreciated as much." And it doesn't keep Potter from wanting others to enjoy the Fourth of July either. "Of course, we want everyone to celebrate the Fourth of July. It's an awesome holiday," she said. "But to just remember that some of us, it causes extreme anxiety." The Antelope County assessor’s email has been hacked.
Kelly Mueller said her office is working to get this matter resolved, but her account [email protected] was hacked and a fictitious scam email was sent from the account asking for money. “If you receive anything from our office via email, don’t open it,” said Kelly Mueller, county assessor. “Please call us first and ask if we sent anything to you.” While this type of scam email is not uncommon, having the address show it was sent from the Antelope County Assessor’s office has raised concern for the office. The email was sent to unknown number of individuals in her contact list with the subject “Sad News ……Kelly Mueller.” The email states she took a trip to Manila, Philippines for a tour and is need of $1,250. Please contact the assessor's office at 402-887-4515 if you have concerns over an email from them. ![]() A pontoon boat stolen at Lazy River Acres along the Missouri River sometime overnight Saturday has been found. The 2003 Smokercraft 22-foot pontoon boat with a 115 Mercury motor is owned by Jennifer Blackburn-Nielsen of Neligh. She said the boat was stolen sometime between 11 p.m. and 9 a.m. It was found hidden in some trees down by Niobrara on the north side of the river and was returned to her around 10:30 p.m. Sunday. Both batteries and the keys were stolen, but the boat appears to be unharmed. Nebraska Game and Parks recovered the boat. "Thanks for all the people watching out," said Conservation Officer Jeff Jones. He said any further information about the individuals responsible may contact him - all information will remain confidential. Jones may be reached by calling (402) 762-5022. ![]() A pontoon boat stolen overnight Saturday from Lazy River Acres has been recovered. According to the Jeff Jones of the Nebraska Game and Parks the 22-foot pontoon boat owned by Jennifer Blackburn-Nielsen of Neligh was recovered on Sunday. According to Blackburn-Nielsen, the boat was recovered around 10:30 p.m. hidden in some trees on the north side of the Missouri River near Niobrara. She said the batteries and keys were stolen from the 2003 Smokercraft, but everything else seems in place at this time. "Thanks for all the people watching out. The boat was recovered by Nebraska Game and Parks," Jones said. "Any further information about the individuals responsible may contact Conservation Officer Jeff Jones all information will remain confidential." Old Mill Days officially kicked off in Neligh on Sunday morning with the annual Neligh Young Men's Club pancake feed and American Legion Poker Run.
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