Bev Alderson was recognized Saturday night at the Oakdale High School Alumni Banquet.
Held at the Oakdale Community Center, Alderson received the Honored Alumni Award. She is a 1963 graduate of Oakdale. Alderson is from Elgin and serves as the Antelope County Food Pantry manager. The 2016 Oakdale Alumni Banquet will be held Saturday, May 28, at the Oakdale Community Center.
Social hour will start at 5 p.m. Meal will be served at 6:30 p.m. Tickets will be on sale at Mr. S's-402-776-2135, City Hall-402-776-2484, and Gene Kinnan-402-843-8504. The last day to buy tickets is May 21. A 12-year-old Neligh-Oakdale students will compete next month for the Nebraska American Miss title.
Brandi Hines, daughter of Jennifer Hines, will vie for a chance to represent Nebraska by competing in Omaha on April 16-17 in the state's pre-teen category of the National American Miss competition. About 35 acres west of Oakdale on Sunday were part of a controlled burn that served as both a training exercise and fire prevention service.
Ten members of the Oakdale Volunteer Fire Department spent Sunday about three-quarters of a mile west of Oakdale on land owned by Kevin Hild. With ample moisture in the ground and bottom stems of the plants, officials said Sunday provided a good opportunity for the controlled burn. Officials said the fire will help promote new grass growth and get rid of the weed and cedar tree problem. Among the 10 people who trained on the fire were two new members to the Oakdale squad, Casey Garcia and Tanner Dozler. A snowstorm isn't the most ideal condition to use new extrication equipment, but the Neligh-Oakdale Jaws of Life did just that Wednesday night.
Antelope County Deputy Timothy Schultz said the Jaws of Life was called to the scene of a one-vehicle rollover at 6:58 p.m. about 2 1/4 miles west of Oakdale, which is often referred to as the Oakdale cut across between Oakdale and Highway 14. With heavy snowfall and 40 mph wind gusts, Schultz said Heather Martinez, 38 of Elgin, was eastbound when she lost control of her 2005 Chrysler Town & Country van and slid into a deep ditch on the north side of the blacktop. Schultz said the van rolled onto the driver's side, making it "impossible to remove her safely without the Jaws of Life." Schultz said it's important to keep a patient's c-spine in line, so the best way to remove the driver from the vehicle with minimal movement was extrication. Dave Jacobsen, captain of the Neligh-Oakdale Jaws of Life, said the hydraulic rescue tools recently purchased through fund-raising efforts were put to use for the first time that night. Although members have trained with the tools, this was the first time they were used during an emergency. "We used our new Holmatro Spreader and Cutting Tools, along with our Rhyno windshield shear," Jacobsen said. "The Rhyno shear was used to remove the windshield quickly ,and the Holmatro hydraulic tools were used to gain access to the vehicle to remove the patient." Schultz said the Jaws of Life team removed the windshield and a portion of the vehicle's roof before removing Martinez. Jacobsen said the new equipment was made available to local first responders thanks to the generosity of the community. "We thank the surrounding area for the donations made to help purchase these state-of-the-art tools to help save lives," he said. Schultz said the snowstorm made responding to the accident difficult. To ensure safety, the blacktop was closed from Oakdale to Highway 14 with members of the fire departments blocking traffic. "It was really poor conditions to be out," Schultz said. "We had a fire department on each end of the cut across to keep everyone safe as they worked to extricate the driver. Everybody did a very good job that night, and I'm very pleased with everyone." Schultz said Martinez was transported to Antelope Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Also responding to the scene were the Oakdale Fire Department, Neligh Fire Department, Neligh Rescue and Neligh Police Department. Several accidents have already been reported Wednesday evening as snow has begun accumulating in the area.
Among the accidents in Northeast Nebraska, is an accident on the truck route between Oakdale and Highway 14. Emergency personnel are currently on scene. No additional information is available at this time. Over an inch of snow was on the blacktop road and visibility was less than an eighth of a miles. The Nebraska Department of Roads is still plowing the highways at this time, but the county roads have not been maintained at this time. Despite cold conditions on Saturday afternoon, Oakdale still held its annual Easter Egg Hunt at the park on Saturday afternoon.
Eggs filled with candy and coins were hidden around the park. A small chimney fire was reported in Oakdale just after 6 p.m. Saturday night. The fire was located at a residence on the corner 4th Street and Wilson Street. According to officials the fire had been extinguished at around 6:30. Oakdale Volunteer Fire Department responded along with the Antelope County Sheriff's Department. No other information is available at the time. The Oakdale Fire Department is coming together to help a local family with strong ties to the department during a tragic time.
The firefighters will host a benefit next month to benefit the Katy Griffith and Justin Paulsen family to assist with both funeral and medical expenses following a fatal accident this week. Justin is a firefighter and both of Katy's parents are also firefighters. Katy's father, Art Griffith, serves as chief of the Oakdale Fire Department, and her mother, Sheryle, is also a firefighter. A free-will offering pancake feed will be held Saturday, Feb. 6, from 4-8 p.m. at the Oakdale Community Center. Pancakes, eggs and sausage will be served. All proceeds will go toward assisting the family after an accident south of Oakdale on Wednesday claimed the life of their 3-year-old son and left Justin Paulsen seriously injured. He remains in Omaha at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. A Go Fund Me page has also been set up to assist the family with medical expenses. There has been an account set up at the Pinnacle Bank in Neligh. The Village of Oakdale and the Stix Bar are taking donations as well. If you would like to make a donation for the benefit that is planned, please contact a member of the Oakdale Fire Department. An accident south of Oakdale on Wednesday morning has claimed the life of a toddler.
The three-year-old son of Katy Griffith and Justin Paulsen died on Thursday at University of Nebraska Medical Center, according to Antelope County Sheriff Bob Moore. The entire Paulsen family, including three young children, was involved in the accident. Moore said five people were transported from the two-vehicle accident just south of the Oakdale Cemetery on 527th Ave., including the toddler and his father. Paulsen, who was the driver, remains hospitalized at UNMC with severe pelvic injuries, according to family members. According to Moore, Paulsen was northbound and struck a southbound sanitation truck driven by Lonnie L. Kleensang of Norfolk. Kleensang was the only occupant of the Waste Connections sanitation truck and was taken to Faith Regional Hospital by his boss following the accident, Moore said. All of the occupants in Paulsen's 1992 Grand Prix were taken to AMH from the scene, including Katy Griffith, the mother, and their three children. Griffith was treated and released Wednesday night. Moore said ice and snowy conditions were a contributing factor in the accident, which remains under investigation. Moore has not released any other details regarding the circumstances surrounding the accident. A Go Fund Me page has been set up to assist the family with medical expenses. There has been an account set up at the Pinnacle Bank in Neligh and The Village of Oakdale and the Stix Bar are taking donations as well. The family would like to reach out and thank the first responders and emergency personnel. Responding to the scene were the Oakdale Fire Department, Neligh-Oakdale Jaws of Life, Antelope County Sheriff's Department, Neligh Fire Department, Neligh Rescue, Midwest Medical Transport and Neligh Police Department. |
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