After failing to hire a superintendent last week, Neligh-Oakdale has created a new timeline for applications for its top administrative position.
Applications for superintendent will be accepted via the Nebraska Association of School Boards until Wednesday, Jan. 20. Neligh-Oakdale's first hiring attempt resulting in seven applications, and the six-member Board of Education selected three candidates to interview. Just hours after announcing the finalists, one of the three candidates withdrew from consideration. The remaining two candidates were interviewed, but negotiations were unsuccessful with both candidates, forcing Neligh-Oakdale to reopen the search process. Bill Kuester is currently serving as interim superintendent at Neligh-Oakdale. His $122,000 contract runs through June 30, 2016. Kuester followed Kimberly Lingenfelter, who served as superintendent for five years. She resigned in December 2014 and is currently the superintendent at Cherokee Community Schools in Iowa. Several members of the Neligh-Oakdale band have been selected to play at Wayne State College and the University of South Dakota.
In the Wayne State Symphonic Band, Celina Knievel was selected for flute, Wynter Fulsaas for alto sax, Kasi Grosserode for trumpet, and Zia Moore for French horn. In the Wayne State College Wind Ensemble Kelsey Green was selected for clarinet, Mirissa Hurtig for clarinet, Brittany McConnell for alto sax, Andrew Sanderson for tenor sax, and Nikki Grosserode for trombone. Selected to the Wayne State Junior High Honor Band was Griffin Claussen for flute, and Emma Bixler for clarinet. According to Neligh-Oakdale Band Director Nate Metschke, this year there were 672 students auditioning for 280 seats. "So obviously there was some pretty stiff competition," Metschke said. The Concert will take place on Saturday January 30, 2016. Rehearsals will begin at 8:30 p.m. and the concert will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Ramsey Theater, admission is $5.00. Also Kelsey Green, clarinet, Nikki Grosserode, trombone, and Kasi Grosserode, trumpet were selected to play in the 18th annual University of South Dakota Quad State honor band. They competed against students from South Dakota, Nebraska Iowa and Minnesota. They will perform on Monday, January 25 at 7 p.m. at the Aalfs Auditorium in Slagle Hall at USD. Six Neligh-Oakdale wrestlers received medals on Saturday at the South Sioux City Invitational.
Cali Wilkinson placed 4th, Cameron Wilkinson placed 1st, Devan Breuer placed 3rd, Louis Herley placed 3rd, Blake Heithoff placed 6th, and Tyler Knievel placed 1st. The team, as a whole, placed 6th with 102.5 team points. 106 - Cameron Wilkinson (16-4) placed 1st and scored 26.00 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Cameron Wilkinson (Neligh-Oakdale) 16-4 received a bye () (Bye) Quarterfinal - Cameron Wilkinson (Neligh-Oakdale) 16-4 won by fall over Daniel Rodriguez-Fernandez (South Sioux City JV) 1-3 (Fall 0:33) Semifinal - Cameron Wilkinson (Neligh-Oakdale) 16-4 won by fall over Alex Vacha (Millard South) 9-3 (Fall 1:13) 1st Place Match - Cameron Wilkinson (Neligh-Oakdale) 16-4 won by decision over Koby Ellis (Winside) 11-3 (Dec 7-4) 106 - Calli Wilkinson (5-6) placed 4th. Champ. Round 1 - Calli Wilkinson (Neligh-Oakdale) 5-6 received a bye () (Bye) Quarterfinal - Calli Wilkinson (Neligh-Oakdale) 5-6 received a bye () (Bye) Semifinal - Koby Ellis (Winside) 11-3 won by fall over Calli Wilkinson (Neligh-Oakdale) 5-6 (Fall 2:19) Cons. Semi - Calli Wilkinson (Neligh-Oakdale) 5-6 won by forfeit over Daniel Rodriguez-Fernandez (South Sioux City JV) 1-3 (For.) 3rd Place Match - Alex Vacha (Millard South) 9-3 won by fall over Calli Wilkinson (Neligh-Oakdale) 5-6 (Fall 0:51) 120 - Devan Breuer (14-6) placed 3rd and scored 19.50 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Devan Breuer (Neligh-Oakdale) 14-6 received a bye () (Bye) Quarterfinal - Devan Breuer (Neligh-Oakdale) 14-6 won by tech fall over Jadyn Smeal (Scribner-Snyder) 6-5 (TF-1.5 4:00 (17-2)) Semifinal - Wesley Dawkins (Lincoln High) 8-0 won by major decision over Devan Breuer (Neligh-Oakdale) 14-6 (MD 13-1) Cons. Semi - Devan Breuer (Neligh-Oakdale) 14-6 won by fall over Jaime Alamillo (South Sioux City) 2-7 (Fall 4:43) 3rd Place Match - Devan Breuer (Neligh-Oakdale) 14-6 won by fall over Brendan Halpenny (Omaha Skutt Catholic) 2-2 (Fall 0:29) 126 - Louis Herley (13-9) placed 3rd and scored 22.00 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Louis Herley (Neligh-Oakdale) 13-9 won by forfeit over Eli Herink (Archbishop Bergan) 2-9 (For.) Quarterfinal - Louis Herley (Neligh-Oakdale) 13-9 won by fall over Cullen Hutchison (Omaha Skutt Catholic) 0-2 (Fall 0:18) Semifinal - Colby Erickson (Winside) 11-2 won by fall over Louis Herley (Neligh-Oakdale) 13-9 (Fall 4:00) Cons. Semi - Louis Herley (Neligh-Oakdale) 13-9 won by fall over Logan Remaklus (Lincoln High) 2-2 (Fall 0:50) 3rd Place Match - Louis Herley (Neligh-Oakdale) 13-9 won by fall over Evan Nasay (South Sioux City) 4-9 (Fall 0:26) 126 - Cade Wilkinson (4-4) place is unknown. Champ. Round 1 - Cade Wilkinson (Neligh-Oakdale) 4-4 received a bye () (Bye) Quarterfinal - Blake DeRocher (West Monona) 12-7 won by major decision over Cade Wilkinson (Neligh-Oakdale) 4-4 (MD 10-0) Cons. Round 2 - Eli Herink (Archbishop Bergan) 2-9 won by fall over Cade Wilkinson (Neligh-Oakdale) 4-4 (Fall 3:44) 145 - Jayden Arehart (8-10) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Jayden Arehart (Neligh-Oakdale) 8-10 received a bye () (Bye) Quarterfinal - Braiden Tank (West Monona) 16-3 won by fall over Jayden Arehart (Neligh-Oakdale) 8-10 (Fall 1:25) Cons. Round 2 - Jayden Arehart (Neligh-Oakdale) 8-10 received a bye () (Bye) Cons. Round 3 - Jarod Epperson (Omaha Skutt Catholic) 2-3 won by decision over Jayden Arehart (Neligh-Oakdale) 8-10 (Dec 3-0) 160 - Blake Heithoff (4-5) placed 6th and scored 7.00 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Blake Heithoff (Neligh-Oakdale) 4-5 received a bye () (Bye) Quarterfinal - Grayson Wren (Omaha Skutt Catholic) 2-1 won by fall over Blake Heithoff (Neligh-Oakdale) 4-5 (Fall 2:57) Cons. Round 2 - Blake Heithoff (Neligh-Oakdale) 4-5 received a bye () (Bye) Cons. Round 3 - Blake Heithoff (Neligh-Oakdale) 4-5 won by fall over Alex Meza (South Sioux City JV) 1-2 (Fall 1:44) Cons. Semi - Chase Magwire (Winside) 8-4 won by fall over Blake Heithoff (Neligh-Oakdale) 4-5 (Fall 2:02) 5th Place Match - Jeremiah Junge (South Sioux City JV) 10-10 won in sudden victory - 1 over Blake Heithoff (Neligh-Oakdale) 4-5 (SV-1 11-9) 182 - Tyler Knievel (14-7) placed 1st and scored 28.00 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Tyler Knievel (Neligh-Oakdale) 14-7 won by fall over Brant Ridder (Archbishop Bergan) 3-10 (Fall 1:14) Quarterfinal - Tyler Knievel (Neligh-Oakdale) 14-7 won by fall over Luis Quezada (South Sioux City) 5-12 (Fall 1:24) Semifinal - Tyler Knievel (Neligh-Oakdale) 14-7 won by decision over Mohammad Majid (Lincoln High) 8-5 (Dec 6-5) 1st Place Match - Tyler Knievel (Neligh-Oakdale) 14-7 won by fall over Hayden King (Winside) 7-3 (Fall 3:17) A long-standing tradition in Antelope County will help 128 Children have a much brighter Christmas. The Christmas Ribbon Tree is sponsored by Health and Human Services and the Neligh-Oakdale FCCLA.
According to Patti Brady of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the Ribbon Tree program began over three decades ago. This program allows for children of needy families to have presents under their Christmas tree. “We have been providing services through HHS and FCCLA since 1980,” Brady said. Families who wish to receive services fill out an application and then they are coded and sent to the FCCLA students who then prepare the ribbons and the trees. On the ribbons are possible suggestions of gifts, that members of the community can buy gifts for. The red ribbons are put on two trees that are displayed in both Heritage Bank and Pinnacle Bank in downtown Neligh. The trees remain up from Thanksgiving until just before Christmas when the presents are brought up to the Antelope County Courthouse basement for the families. Other gifts that were brought to the courthouse unwrapped were donated by St. Boniface and Laurel Miller, for families to come shopping for other gifts. According to Kim Scarborough, the FCCLA Advisor at Neligh-Oakdale, the students help bring the gifts back from the banks so the donating community members don’t have to. “A lot of my kids do take ribbons home and then their families help donate,” said Scarborough. Students involved with the Neligh-Oakdale FCCLA feel they are truly making a difference. “I think its important because Christmas is about giving to people that need stuff,” said FCCLA student Megan McWhorter. “I like to be in FCCLA because it actually helps the community,” said FCCLA member Alex Morrison, "and helps out everyone, especially the people who need it." Neligh-Oakdale is playing in a different holiday basketball tournament this year.
The "Shootout on the Elkhorn," hosted by Wisner-Pilger, is a 3-day tournament at Wisner, December 28-30. Eight teams will be playing in this year's tourney: Neligh-Oakdale, Wisner-Pilger, Ponca, Battle Creek, Wakefield, Pierce, Lutheran High Northeast and Winnebago. The Neligh-Oakdale girls and boys will each play Wisner-Pilger in the first round of the tournament on Monday, Dec. 28. The girls are set to tip off at 6 p.m. and the boys at 7:45 p.m. Both games will be played in the north gym. Click here for a complete bracket. Admission is adults $5 and students $4. An all tournament 1st and 2nd team will be selected at the end of the tournament. The quota system will be as follows: 1st Team------ Champion—2 selections Runner-up---1 selection 3rd Place----1 selection 4th Place----1 selection 5th Place----1 selection 6th Place----1 selection 2nd Team----- Champion---1 selection Runner-up---2 selections 3rd Place----1 selection 4th Place----1 selection 7th Place---1 selection 8th Place---1 selection The Neligh-Oakdale basketball teams went 1-1 on the road against Bloomfield on Friday night.
Bloomfield and N-O traded shots in the first quarter of the girls game, which ended with the Lady Warriors trailing 14-9. The Queen Bees extended their lead in the second for a 30-18 halftime advantage and went on to win 66-39. In the boys game, the Warriors used a hot-shooting first quarter to jump out to a big lead. Junior Grant White couldn't miss, scoring 23 points in the first minutes of play. Tyson Belitz added four more to give Neligh-Oakdale a 27-6 advantage heading into the second. The Warriors kept the nets blazing in the second for a 50-13 halftime lead. Every varsity player got some significant court time in the second half and a running clock started in the third quarter. Neligh-Oakdale went on to win, 64-22. "It was nice to see the shots fall tonight," N-O Coach Frank Gade said. "Defensively, I think we have figured some things out which is allowing us play faster and, in turn, use our speed to our advantage." White led all scorers with 29 points, missing only one shot all night. Belitz was in double digits as well, adding 17 point for N-O. Eight other Warriors got on the board: Alex Kerkman 4; Clayton Anderson and Jordon Murray 3 each; Damon Arehart, Chase Kallhoff, Chris Bentley and Pepper Marchant 2 each; and Matthew Ervin 1. A Neligh judge and her husband were involved in a car accident in Omaha on Thursday afternoon that sent a Neligh man to the hospital.
Bill Taylor, 69, was transported to UNMC by Waterloo Fire & Rescue with unspecified injuries. According to the Douglas County Sheriff's office, the two-vehicle accident occurred at 5:25 p.m., near the intersection of 240th Street and Highway 275. Donna Taylor, 60, of Neligh was driving a 2004 Cadillac SRX SUV south on 240th Street when she was struck by a 2015 BMW X5 driven by Madisen N. Novak, 22, of Waterloo. The police report states Novak entered the intersection of W. Dodge Road from the west after having been stopped at the stop sign. She then pulled her vehicle in front of Taylor, causing the accident. Novak was cited for a stop sign violation. Donna Taylor, who was uninjured in the accident, is judge of the county court, 7th judicial district. She presides over Antelope, Cuming, Knox, Madison, Pierce, Stanton and Wayne counties. Check out these photos from Thursday night's Christmas Concert performance of the Neligh-Oakdale Elementary students and the high school band and choir.
The search for a new superintendent at Neligh-Oakdale will continue despite interviewing two applicants this week.
According to Shari Becker, Director of Education Leadership Search Service with the Nebraska Association of School Boards, the Neligh-Oakdale Board of Education will begin accepting new applications for the position. "It is still very early, and we are certain we will have other qualified applicants," Becker said. According to Becker the board was unable to successfully negotiate with a candidate. "This allows for the opportunity to reopen the application process for the position and continue to recruit quality applicants," Becker said. Becker said that the timing of the search is early which gives us the ability to move forward with an altered timeline. "The board appreciates the support of the individuals who have participated in the interview process and are committed to finding the right individual to lead the district," said Becker. Neligh-Oakdale interviewed Aaron Plas of York on Tuesday and Mark S. Smith of Plattsmouth on Wednesday. Neligh-Oakdale students will present their annual Christmas Concert this week.
Preschool through 12th grade students will perform Thursday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Neligh-Oakdale Gym. The event will include a vocal concert by preschool- 6th grade, as well as the 8th grade and high school choirs. The 5th grade, 6th grade, junior high and high school bands will also perform. Schwan's ice cream products will be for sale at the concert. HS Choir Slow Rockin’ Christmas by Jay Althouse Carol of the Bells arr. by Peter J. Wilhousky 5th Band Jingle Bells arr. Bruce Pearson First Christmas March by John O’Rilley Preschool Chubby Little Snowman Unknown Christmas Day Unknown 6th Band Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer arr. by Jack Bullock A Holly Jolly Christmas arr. by Jerry Nowak 3rd & 4th Grades This Holiday by Teresa Jennings Silver Bells Arr. Alan Billingsley JH Drumline Warrior Expresso arr. by Klee Junior Invador arr: by Klee Warrior Bio Jam arr. by Klee 5th & 6th Grades Rise Up Shepherd and Follow Arr. by Emily Crocker Mister Santa Arr. by Roger Emerson JH Band Christmas Eve March by John Edmondson Swingle Bells by John Edmondson Kindergarten Peppermint Candy Cane Teresa & Paul Jennings Jolly Old St. Nicholas Arr. by Alan Bilingsley 6th drumline Jr. Warrior Rocker arr. by Klee Jr. Warrior Rock You We Will arr: by Klee 8th Choir One Candle by Jan Reese I Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda, Been So Good This Year! by Stephen L. Lawrence HS Drumline Bumper by Cassidy Byars Diaper Rash arr. by Klee 1st & 2nd Grades Do You Want to Build a Snowman Arr. by Tom Anderson Here Comes Santa Claus Arr. by Alan Billingsley (stay on stage, kindergarten come up to join them. K-2 will be dismissed from stage) HS Band Jingle Bells Forever arr. by Robert W. Smith O Holy Night arr. by Calvin Custer Finale The Ultimate Christmas Sing-Along arr. by Jerry Brubaker and Bryan Kidd After two days of interviews for the new superintendent, the Neligh-Oakdale Board of Education took action Tuesday to begin negotiating with “Candidate F.”
Aaron Plas, assistant principal at York Public Schools, and Mark S. Smith, principal at Plattsmouth Public Schools, were the only candidates to interview for the position. A third candidate was selected from the seven applications but withdrew from consideration about two hours after being announced as a finalist last Friday. The board met in executive session Tuesday following the interview with Smith to discuss his weaknesses and to possibly begin negotiations with a candidate. After reconvening publicly, the board read comments made from staff members and various groups about the two candidates. Board president David Wright then asked for someone to flip a coin and make the decision on who to select. “I like Mark’s straight forwardness, but I also like the way Aaron is the fact that he makes lists. It means he’s driven, he’s got goals, he’s oriented, he’s going somewhere,” Wright said before chuckling. “So, whichever one you guys want to pick. Who is going to flip the coin and make the decision?” Vice president Brad Higgins, who has served on the board for nearly six years and is the only member to have been through a superintendent search previously, stepped up to lead the board with a selection. He motioned that the president “begin negotiations with Candidate F.” Member Krista Schindler seconded, and “Candidate F” was unanimously selected. Higgins later made a second motion for negotiations with “Candidate G” to begin if an agreement with “Candidate F” is not reached. The Board of Education will announce who “Candidate F” is once a verbal commitment is reached with that candidate to become superintendent. The Nebraska State Patrol recognized a local trooper this morning for not only his role in arresting two individuals but also in the recovery of property valued at $40,000.
Trooper Daniel Parker of Neligh received a Distinguished Service Award in Norfolk on Wednesday after playing a key role in a case from August. But Parker was quick to credit the other individuals for their involvement rather than to accept sole credit. "It was a huge joint effort. I'm the one who got the award, but this was a whole bunch of officers from several agencies," he said. "We had four agencies going and working this at the same time at one point, in the middle of the night when everyone was supposed to be off duty. . . . Without that this wouldn't have worked because sometimes these things are very time sensitive." Parker said the case started out with several burglaries in the Holt County area that utilized Holt, Antelope and Rock County Sheriff's Departments, along with the Nebraska State Patrol and several county attorneys. Parker was the officer who connected the missing items with those he spotted in Antelope County five days earlier, which led to locating and recovering $40,000 worth of stolen property. "I'm proud of what we do; there's no question about that. It's just doing the right thing, and that's what this came down to. At the end of the day, a whole bunch of farmers, ranchers and rural people got their stuff back, which is way more of a reward than even being recognized. When people have stuff taken from them and they get it back, that's the reward - that's why we're here and why people pay their taxes and why we do what we do." Still, Parker said he was simply doing his job as a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol. "I don't see this as way outside of what we do. This is what we do, who we are. This is exactly what you hope to do if you're in that situation," Parker said. Parker's family also attended Wednesday's ceremony, including his three daughters and wife. Parker said it was an opportunity for his children to see what he does. "It gives them a little bit of a peace of mind when I haven't been to a Thanksgiving celebration with our family in a long, long time. Now, maybe they sort of understand why somebody has to do the job even on holidays," he said. Judge Mark Johnson handed out a sentence of jail time Wednesday in Antelope County District Court.
Doug Carpenter, of rural Neligh, pled guilty to violating his probation, which included entering a woman's home at night. As part of his probation order for crimes associated with the same woman in 2011, he was ordered to have no contact with the victim. Carpenter was convicted of theft by unlawful taking, stalking, and two counts of intimidation by telephone, all class I misdemeanors. On May 31, 2012, he was sentenced to 180 days in jail and placed on probation for four years. The victim testified before the sentencing saying that this has been happening for a long time, and she has even moved to try to avoid the situation. "I've had a hard time sleeping through the night," the victim said, "I just want this to be over." She said that her wishes were that Carpenter be sentenced to the maximum. Carpenter's attorney Ron Temple argued that Carpenter is in need of probation and continued therapy to address his mental health issues. Judge Johnson sentenced Carpenter to 364 days in the Antelope County Jail, but gave a stern warning to Carpenter to get a handle on his compulsion, or he may be facing Emergency Protective Custody. In other cases, Daniel Alt was also sentenced in district court. She had previously pleaded guilty to one count possession of methamphetamine and one county possession of K2 or marijuana. Judge Johnson sentenced her to probation for 12 months for the first count and a fine of $300 for the second. Proceedings for following individuals have been continued until February 24: Julie Lierman, Matthew Wood, Nicholas Mook, Drew Steskal, and Amos Mosel. Steskal and Mosel are pending theft charges in Holt and Rock counties, and are possibly in the works of arranging a plea agreement. The Neligh-Oakdale basketball teams were on the road Tuesday night at St. Mary's.
It was a close game for the Warrior boys, the game was tied 39-39 at the end of the 4th quarter. The Warriors pushed the game into overtime and edged out the Cardinals 42-41 to remain undefeated. The Lady Warriors had a tough night on the court falling to the Cardinals 78-25. Neligh-Oakdale will have a late start Wednesday due to the weather.
School will begin two hours late with no preschool. Buses will run accordingly. A former Neligh resident recently performed for high school students during the Performing Arts Day at Northeast Community College.
Dillon Smith, a 2013 graduate of Neligh-Oakdale, is currently a member of the Northeast Community College Singer's Express, directed by Dr. Linda Boullion. Every spring, the show choir group travels to different schools within a four-hour radius of Norfolk to perform in front of elementary and high school students. This year the group will go on tour April 11-15. Source Gas and the Neligh Fire Department were called to a gas leak northeast of Neligh on Tuesday morning.
According to officials, a pressure release valve popped off - possibly due to the weather - leading to an emergency replacement of the valve. Gas could be seen shooting from the leak into the air. The repair was made within minutes of notification of the situation, and Source Gas officials remained on scene after the fire department left to monitor the situation. The leak was located about 2 miles east and 1 mile north.
The Neligh-Oakdale wrestlers travelled to the Columbus Duals on Friday and Saturday.
Columbus Scotus defeated Neligh Oakdale 57-21. Neligh Oakdale defeated Omaha Bryan 48-15. Neligh Oakdale defeated Cozad 42-30. Neligh Oakdale received a Bye Norfolk defeated Neligh Oakdale 63-12 O`Neill defeated Neligh Oakdale 42-36 Elkhorn South defeated Neligh Oakdale 69-6 Gothenburg defeated Neligh Oakdale 72-6 Neligh Oakdale defeated High Plains Community 48-27 Neligh Oakdale received a Bye Columbus defeated Neligh Oakdale 70-9 Millard South defeated Neligh Oakdale 64-18 The mobile food pantry, sponsored by various churches in Antelope County, will be dispersing food on Tuesday, December 15.
It will be held from 4:30 - 6:00 PM 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, recipients picking up food will not be allowed in the building until 4:00 pm. Please note the change in time for the winter hours and remember to bring your own boxes. The Neligh-Oakdale basketball teams split games with Creighton in their first road game of the season.
The Lady Warriors fell in a close one, 55-50, while the N-O boys cruised to a 53-35 win over the Bulldogs. In the girls game, the lead changed hands multiple times. Neligh-Oakdale got off to a strong start, leading by 5 points at the end of the first quarter, but the Lady Bulldogs rallied and pulled ahead by one going into halftime. The Lady Warriors took control and had a 2-point advantage heading into the final quarter. Creighton scored 21 points in the fourth for the win. "We were really aggressive throughout the game. We are starting to play at a higher tempo on both offense and defense," N-O Coach Ron Beacom said. "The next step will be to continue playing at this pace, but being able to gather ourselves and play under control offensively when doing so." Three Lady Warriors scored in double digits: Kinsley Klabenes 14, Bailey Frey 12 and Danae Smith 10. "Bailey Frey really stepped up," Beacom said. "For a young kid, she really did a lot of things well for us. If she can consistently provide us with that kind of production (12 points, 7 rebounds and 6 steals) it will be a big boost to our team. We continue to make big strides. We'll have a couple more big tests yet this week, but our girls should be proud of the effort and accomplishments they have made so far in the month of December." The Warrior boys held a 13-8 lead at the end of the first quarter, but a low-scoring second quarter gave them just a 20-15 advantage at the half. Neligh-Oakdale came out of the locker room and went on a 10-0 run to pull away in the third. They continued to extend their lead in the final quarter for the win. "I'm happy with our performance," Coach Frank Gade said. "That is the first 4 quarter game we have played all year. Creighton is a solid team with some athletic kids, so a victory in their place is something we will take every time." Tyson Belitz led the Warriors with 18 points thanks to a 5-of-7 performance from the field. He was also 7-of-9 from the free-throw line and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Grant White added 11 points while Chris Bentley had eight boards. Neligh-Oakdale will be on the road again next week as they travel to St. Mary's on Tuesday and Bloomfield on Friday. One of three finalists for the Neligh-Oakdale superintendent position has withdrawn from consideration, leaving two candidates to be interviewed next week.
According to Shari Becker, Director of Education Leadership Search Service with the Nebraska Association of School Boards, Brian Hof will not be interviewing at Neligh-Oakdale. Hof currently is superintendent at Red Cloud. The three finalists for the position were announced Friday morning and selected Thursday night at a special meeting of the board. Becker said Aaron Plas and Mark Smith will be the only candidates to interview next week. Becker said the district received seven applications for the position. "There have been instances when receiving a low number of applicants, the search firm will encourage the board to delay the application deadline to grow the applicant group; however, due to the quality of the applicant group, it is important for the Board to move forward with the interview process allowing them the potential to make a quality hire," Becker said. She added, "Mr. Hof contacted NASB this morning to indicate that, after long deliberation and discussion with current school board members and his family, that he would like to respectfully withdraw from consideration. The interviews will be conducted Tuesday for Aaron Plas and Wednesday for Mark Smith as scheduled and both applicants are excited about this opportunity." Bill Kuester is serving as Neligh-Oakdale's interim superintendent until June 30, 2016. Neligh-Oakdale's previous superintendent, Kimberly Lingenfelter, resigned in December 2014 and is now the superintendent at Cherokee Community Schools in Iowa. Becker said the candidate interviews will start with a tour of the community and district facilities. The candidate will then meet with representatives from various stakeholder groups including administrators, certified staff, classified staff and community members. Each candidate will join the board for dinner at Imperial II Steakhouse to be followed by a formal interview with the board which will be held in open session. Interview Schedule Tuesday, Dec. 15 – Aaron Plas, Activities Director/ Assistant High School Principal at York Public Schools Wednesday, Dec. 16 – Mark Smith, High School Principal at Plattsmouth Community Schools Three men have been named finalists as Neligh-Oakdale's next superintendent.
Brian Hof, Aaron Plas and Mark Smith will interview next week with the board in hopes of becoming the next administrator, according to Shari Becker, Director of Education Leadership Search Service with the Nebraska Association of School Boards. One of the candidates is currently a superintendent, another is a principal and the third candidate is an assistant principal and activities director. According to the meeting notice provided by the school, the board had originally planned to interview four candidates next week; however, only three candidates will be interviewed. Bill Kuester is serving as Neligh-Oakdale's interim superintendent until June 30, 2016. Neligh-Oakdale's previous superintendent, Kimberly Lingenfelter, resigned in December 2014 and is now the superintendent at Cherokee Community Schools in Iowa. Becker said the candidate interviews will start with a tour of the community and district facilities. The candidate will then meet with representatives from various stakeholder groups including administrators, certified staff, classified staff and community members. Each candidate will join the board for dinner at Imperial II Steakhouse to be followed by a formal interview with the board which will be held in open session. Interview Schedule Monday, Dec. 14 – Brian Hof, Superintendent at Red Cloud Community Schools Tuesday, Dec. 15 – Aaron Plas, Activities Director/ Assistant High School Principal at York Public Schools Wednesday, Dec. 16 – Mark Smith, High School Principal at Plattsmouth Community Schools The Neligh-Oakdale School Board will be selecting their top candidates for the superintendent position tonight at a special meeting.
The only topic of the agenda is to discuss superintendent applicants. The board will not be receiving public comment at this special meeting. It may be held in executive session in order to prevent the needless injury to the reputation of individuals. The board will reconvene in open session. According to state statute, the interview candidates cannot be announced until after an interview date has been agreed upon. Finalists are expected to be announced on Friday. Interviews will take place Monday-Thursday of next week. All board members, candidates, and significant others will have dinner each night at the Imperial II Steakhouse before interviewing for the position. Neligh-Oakdale made history Thursday as the cast performed at the state one-act competition for the first time in school history.
In Class C2 competition, Neligh-Oakdale performed "I'm Not Ebenezer Scrooge" and finished in sixth place. Louisville won the state title while Ravenna is runner-up. Neligh-Oakdale acting awards went to Matthew Ervin and Bryce Frey. |
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