 Neligh’s fireworks show will be moved to a new location this year.
At the Neligh City Council meeting last Tuesday, it was was decided to move the Neligh fireworks display to Fred Penn Park for July 4, 2019. Adam Mortensen of the Neligh Young Men’s Club, a licensed fireworks operator for more than 10 years, presented the request to the council. “We had an idea, an epiphany,” Mortensen said. “We’ve never thought about moving it to Penn Park, but after consulting with some other guys that I do it with, we’ve got plenty of room as long as we got deeded the rights of shutting some stuff down.” He requested that the NYMC be allowed to “shut down” Wylie Drive on the Fourth of July from about 4 p.m. until the fireworks show is over. Mortensen said the state fire marshal will determine the exact location where they will ignite the fireworks inside the park due to distance regulations. The fireworks display has been at the Antelope County Airport in recent years, but was previously held in Riverside Park. “The liability down there was getting greater because of these distance points,” Mortensen said, referring to the camping area and looping roadway. He and Boyd Petersen discussed moving the display back into town, closer to the lake. “We thought it would be a really cool atmosphere,” Mortensen said. On a motion by Dale Wilkinson and second by Ted Hughes, the Neligh City Council voted 4-0 to approve the use of Fred Penn Park for the fireworks as well as the temporary closing of Wylie Drive that day.  Nearly a year after Neligh’s nursing home went into receivership, the building’s owner is looking for someone to run the facility.
Neligh Mayor Joe Hartz began Monday’s special meeting — which was intended to go over a feasibility study on building a new nursing facility — by saying he was told just an hour earlier by Klaasmeyer & Associates that Golden Living was going to find business owners or operators for Neligh’s nursing home. Linda Klaasmeyer from Klaasmeyer & Associates, which has managed the receivership for the State of Nebraska, said on Tuesday the Neligh facility remains in receivership at this time and could not confirm that it is not closing. “The message we got yesterday was Golden Living is looking for an owner and operator,” Klaasmeyer said. Golden Living Center owns the building in Neligh, which was one of 21 nursing facilities turned over to the state last March after the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services was alerted that Cottonwood Healthcare, the company that owns the Neligh Care & Rehabilitation Center, could not make payroll. Klaasmeyer & Associates took over March 23, 2018, as managers from the New Jersey-based Cottonwood Healthcare L.L.C. also known as Skyline. Since the receivership, several facilities, including nursing homes in Wausa and Norfolk, have requested to close. Hartz said since Golden Living Center notified the state that they are seeking an owner and operator, he is hopeful the Neligh facility will not close after it leaves receivership. The date the receivership will end is unclear at this time. The fear of closure was a key reason the City of Neligh had a feasibility study completed on building a new nursing facility. “If you read the feasibility study, it should work. The home should work for folks,” Hartz said Monday night. “So I think it’s pretty clear in there that it’s a good deal and maybe Golden Living Center somewhere along the line decided it wasn’t a bad deal to keep moving ahead with it and find someone to run it. Right now, if we built a new one, we’d be in direct competition with them.” Although Hartz was notified at about 4:30 p.m. Monday, the 5:30 p.m. meeting continued as advertised. Hartz began the meeting with that announcement, and council members Leonard Miller and Ted Hughes both asked to continue reviewing the feasibility study. “We don’t know that’s going to happen for sure,” Miller said.  After a motion to start school on Wednesday failed, the Neligh-Oakdale School Board voted 3-2 to resume school Thursday, if the county travel ban is lifted. The board met for an emergency meeting at the school on Tuesday afternoon.
Board members Kenny Reinke, Scott Svatos and Kevin Hild voted in favor of the motion made by Hild. Ryan Koinzan and Cory Furstenau voted against. When school is back in session, Supt. Scott Gregory said the buses will not run on the rural routes, possibly for several weeks. Koinzan and Furstenau both stated that they favored resuming classes on Wednesday, regardless of the travel ban put in place by the Antelope County Emergency Management Team. Furstenau made a motion to begin school on Wednesday, which was seconded by Koinzan. It failed on a 3-2 vote, as Reinke, Svatos and Hild cast dissenting votes. The superintendent said the last day for students was originally supposed to be May 16, but would likely get pushed back into the week of May 20 now.  The mobile food pantry, sponsored by various churches, individuals and businesses in Antelope County, has been cancelled for March due to weather-related issues, according to organizers.
No reschedule date has been set. The food pantry was originally set for Tuesday, March 19 at the American Legion Club in Neligh.  The Neligh Boy Scouts hosted their annual Pinewood Derby on Sunday at the Neligh American Legion. Scouts taking home trophies were Cain Mortensen, first place; Jaxson Nelson, second place; Hunter Mooney, third place and Best of Show; and Hunter Maly, fourth place. In the girls division, Addyson Jacob took first, Olivia Mortensen took second, Evelyn Johnson was Best of Show and Anna Smith took fourth. In open class, Haezlyn McGowen won the first place trophy.  The Neligh-Oakdale School Board is calling an emergency meeting, according to Supt. Scott Gregory.
The meeting has been set for Tuesday, March 19 at 2 p.m. The agenda lists "Discussion of/action: Weather emergency and school operation/reopening."  A Northeast Community College student leader who works to ensure her fellow students enjoy their time in college outside of the classroom has been recognized nationally for her work.
The Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities (APCA) has presented Tia Smith of Neligh with its national Student Programmer of the Year award. The honor was bestowed to Smith during APCA’s national conference in Orlando, FL, recently. “In a sea of leaders, Tia stands out,” said Carissa Kollath, director of student activities at Northeast. “She is organized, responsible, has a wonderful work ethic, follow through, and also builds strong relationships with her fellow students.” APCA is divided into five regions across the country and includes both two-year and four-year colleges and universities. Smith, who serves as president of Northeast’s Student Activities Council (SAC), was nominated by Kollath and won the APCA’s Student Programmer of the Midwest Region award. This qualified her and four others from the other regions for the national award. Kollath said Smith served as vice president of SAC while she was a freshman and moved into the president’s role this year. “Tia not only helps host all the student activity events and runs our Monday Night at the Movies, but she is involved in the local (Norfolk Public Schools) Aftershock program, as well. In addition to all the ways she is active at Northeast and in our community, APCA recognized her for the leadership skills they have seen her display at past conferences.” Smith served as an event crew member during the national conference this year. She will graduate in May with an Associate in Arts degree in Education - Secondary. Also at the conference, Northeast earned third place nationally in the novelty item competition for its SAC socks.  It was a pleasant surprise.
After an extensive renovation of the Educational Service Unit 8 in Neligh, the project ran one month ahead of schedule. Not only was this good news to the staff, but it also allowed ESU8 to host their first events this week— the annual junior high and high school quiz bowl competitions. The junior high contest was held on Tuesday and the high school is on Wednesday. And, with the addition of the new conference room, it will all be held in one building. With the exception of last year when the high school event was held at the Northeast campus in O’Neill due to the renovation project, the quiz bowl took place at both the Neligh Legion and the ESU. “This year with the conference room, we’re going to have it all at the ESU building,” said Marlin Seevers, ESU technology technician and quiz bowl coordinator. “We’re really looking forward to it because we won’t have students out on the streets between competition rooms. Being in one building and being on one floor will be so much more convenient. There will be less time lost in the transitions.” Seevers said the junior high contest had 26 teams registered this year, the highest number of teams since he started directing the quiz bowl in 2012. The high school quiz bowl has 23 teams registered for the event. The high school quiz bowl is in its 30th year, beginning in 1989, he said. The junior high contest started up the year after. The top two teams in the high school division advance to state competition. Former ESU 8 employee Nigel Buss and others from the ESU in Holdrege came up with the concept for a statewide contest, he said. Seevers took over after Buss retired due to his experience as a parent and coach. “My sons were both in junior high quiz bowl and I coached them at their Norfolk school,” he said. Seevers said he has made a few changes since he started directing the quiz bowl. The competition originally started out as a single-elimination contest in one room. He has turned it into a double-elimination event, which is held in four rooms. “We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from the coaches for expanding to a double-elimination,” Seevers said. “As a parent and as a coach, there’s a lot of chance involved and you could be one and done, but now they come knowing they’re getting at least two matches.” However, he said since that “doubles the day,” having four rooms is important. “Four rooms means recruiting more people,” Seevers said. “We couldn’t do it without the high quality of staff and volunteers that do an excellent job. The feedback that I get is that they love being around the kids that are in the competition. I just appreciate them. I delegate to them because I can’t be running all four rooms.” He said “one of the biggest jobs” is being a reader for the quiz bowl. “They study the questions ahead of time, they anticipate answers and together they agree on a ruling,” Seevers said. “They agree together so we have consistency in all four rooms.” From the beginning, he said they’ve used a “lock-out buzzer system,” designed by a Minden teacher, but they have added four sets since he took over and changed the equipment a bit. “It was set for four players per team and that’s all the buzzers there were, so I expanded it to six because that’s the way they do it at state,” he said. “So I’ve been trying to match the way state does it, so our teams have minimal adjustment, and I liked having more players play.” Seevers said the main thing he has changed is the addition of a bracket spreadsheet, which is synchronized for all the rooms. “We’ve gone to a shared spreadsheet that I wrote and designed,” he said. “So that it’s posted and shows as soon as a round has finished.” His passion for the ESU quiz bowl competition is evident. “I really feel it’s important that there be competition for academics for schools,” Seevers said. “It’s one of the things that’s important to me and I try to express that in the way that we’ve designed it.” The quiz bowl competitions are a very small part of the services that ESU 8 offers its schools. Administrator Bill Mowinkel said they serve 19 public and 20 parochial schools. In ESU’s day-to-day operations, he said the staff developers train teachers and help with continuous school improvement, nurses provide care in the schools, technicians keep technology running smoothly, media coordinators help provide distance learning, speech pathologists and psychologists offer specialized help and a large number of staff members are dedicated to special education and serving ESU8’s four learning centers. Mowinkel said one area the general public may not be familiar with is their coop purchase service. “It’s all done online through the ESU,” he said. “You’ve got to go through your ESU to participate. You can buy paper, food, cleaning supplies, computers, vans—you can buy just about anything.” Mowinkel said it’s “a catalog of thousands of items” bought collectively through the state. “And then we team with five other ESUs, so we help all of Northeast Nebraska through the Northeast Network Consortium,” he said. “We work together. There is strength in bidding with volume.” Mowinkel said many don’t realize how important the ESU is in the area. “We’re probably the biggest kept secret in Antelope County,” he said.  Due to the hazardous road conditions, Neligh-Oakdale school's production of "Aladdin Jr." has been pushed back.
The musical play performance is postponed to Thursday, March 21st at 7 p.m. at the N-O gym. There will be a matinee on Friday, March 22nd at 1 p.m. open to students and the public.   Historic flooding led to dangerous situations Wednesday, including two rope rescues. The first involved two minors from the Elkhorn River in Neligh's Riverside Park. The other involved two adults at an Oakdale home surrounded by the Cedar Creek. The minors were located near Belmer Creek with one of them in the water. The Neligh Police Department and Neligh Fire and Rescue were on the scene and pulled the minor from the water and to safety. The adults were rescued by the Neligh Fire Department with assistance by the Oakdale Fire Department, Antelope County road crew and Neligh Police Department.   Student’s Name: Cole Belitz
Student’s School: Neligh Oakdale High School Parents Names: Matt and Angie Belitz Siblings Names/Ages: Tyson (20), Garret (16), Mallory (13) Birth Date: December 1, 2000 What activities did you participate in while in high school? Cross Country (4 years), Basketball (4 years), Track and Field (4 years), One Act (4 years), Speech (3 years), Band (4 years), National Honors Society (2 years), FBLA (4 years), FFA (2 years), Student Council (2 years), Legion Baseball (4 years) What is your favorite memory of high school? Let me tell ya, I’ve got handfuls of memories, but State Basketball my sophomore year was life changing. What advice can you offer underclassmen? Take things seriously, get your work done, get involved, take showers, and stay on Chris Bentley’s good side. What are your future plans (college with major if known or workforce) and where do you hope to be in five years? I will be attending Wayne State College to pursue a career in nursing. In five years, I’m sure I will still be in school, learning the facts. Hopefully, I will be a little taller, a lot smarter, and know how to play the guitar. I would also like to have seen at least one wild tiger, even though they are endangered.   Student’s Name: Tucker David Knust
Student’s School: Neligh-Oakdale High school Parents Names: April Knust, Gail Knust Siblings Names/Ages: Emerson Knust 13, Maxwell Knust 21 Birth Date: September 4th, 2001 What activities did you participate in while in high school? Football, Basketball, FBLA, Golf, Band What is your favorite memory of high school? State basketball What advice can you offer underclassmen? Just to try in school What are your future plans (college with major if known or workforce) and where do you hope to be in five years? I plan on attending Northeast community college and get a degree in accounting then transfer to a 4 year college to get a bachelor in accounting and then work for a firm after that.   Student’s Name: Madisen Kay Grosserode
Student’s School: Neligh Oakdale Public Schools Parents Names: Loren and Shelly Grosserode Siblings Names/Ages: Kassidy Grosserode (19), Nicasia Grosserode (19) . Birth Date: July 26, 2001 What activities did you participate in while in high school? Volleyball- Freshman year Cross Country- Sophomore and Junior year National Honor Society- Junior and Senior year N-O Club- Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior year What is your favorite memory of high school? I can’t really pick just one but anytime I am in the art room we always somehow have a great time. What advice can you offer underclassmen? The only advice that I could give is to enjoy high school and try not to get caught up in all the silly drama. What are your future plans (college with major if known or workforce) and where do you hope to be in five years? My future plans are to attend Northeast Community College to study Early Childhood Education. In five years I hope to be out of college and working in a daycare or something that involves working with children.   Get to know Neligh-Oakdale senior Jose G. Luna-Duran.
Student’s Name: Jose G. Luna-Duran School: Neligh-Oakdale Parents Names: Leonardo & Virginia Luna Siblings Names/Ages: Lesly-16 Leonardo Jr.-13 Jaquelin-11 Fernando-1 Birth Date: March 9, 2001 What activities did you participate in while in high school? Wrestling, Cross Country, Track, FCCLA What is your favorite memory of high school? When we spent the night in a bus in the school parking lot, on the last day of school. What advice can you offer underclassmen? Start out strong and finishes out strong, Get involved as much as you can. What are your future plans (college with major if known or workforce) and where do you hope to be in five years? I plan to attend Northeast Community College in Norfolk, to obtain my associate of Applied Science Degree in Electrical Construction and Control. In 5 years I plan to have my own house, and hopefully starting a family.   Get to know Neligh-Oakdale senior Tucker Knust.
School: Neligh-Oakdale High School Parents Names: April and Gail Knust Siblings Names/Ages: Emerson Knust 13, Maxwell Knust 21 Birth Date: September 4th, 2001 What activities did you participate in while in high school? Football, Basketball, FBLA, Golf, Band What is your favorite memory of high school? State basketball What advice can you offer underclassmen? Just to try in school What are your future plans (college with major if known or workforce) and where do you hope to be in five years? I plan on attending Northeast Community College and get a degree in accounting then transfer to a 4 year college to get a bachelor in accounting and then work for a fi rm after that.   Get to know Neligh-Oakdale senior Jayden Arehart.
Student’s Name: Jayden Michael Arehart School: Neligh-Oakdale High School Parents Names: Steve and Diann Arehart Siblings Names/Ages: Brother Brett Arehart 36, Sister in law Toni 34, Nephews Cooper 9, Easton 7, Asher 5 and Holden 1. Birth Date: 11-20-2000 What activities did you participate in while in high school? Cross Country (1) Football (3) Wrestling (4) Track (4) One Act (2) FBLA (4) NO Club (4) National Honor Society (3) What is your favorite memory of high school? I have 2 favorites, One favorite memory is when my whole class got a detention sophomore year and the other is staying with the team in motels for wrestling. What advice can you offer underclassmen? Don't be afraid to challenge yourself, in and out of the classroom. What are your future plans (college with major if known or workforce) and where do you hope to be in five years? Wayne State College majoring in Criminal Justice/Forensic Pathology. In 5 years I will hopefully be in med school and have a smokin' hot girlfriend.   With small teepees in front of him, 10-year-old Weston Hofeldt proudly described his Heritage Day project as a great learning experience. The Neligh-Oakdale fourth-grader was among the nearly two dozen students sharing their project and family heritage during the annual event on Friday afternoon, which coincided with Nebraska’s birthday. “I enjoyed the knowledge,” Hofeldt said. “I got to know what the Poncas did.” Hofeldt and his mother, Aleacia Rix, built the display with teepees, animals, Native Americans and shrubbery. Rix said the project had its share of challenges, but they enjoyed working together building the display. “We went with the Ponca Tribe because the Trail of Tears goes through Neligh,” she said. “They were a tribe from around this area, and he also wanted to make a teepee.” Fourth-grade teachers Rick Eickholt and Darcy Metschke walked from table to table on Friday encouraging their students to share what they learned about the family history and details on the items they brought. “Part of it is being able to self-teach a little bit and find some additional information about an area of interest,” Eickholt said. “Beyond that, the concept of Heritage Day is learning the importance of family history and their relatives. Those who combined — to me — are the most important parts of Heritage Day.” The items varied between students. Common themes included military memorabilia, like the uniforms Hofeldt had on display. Lots of family photos and artifacts filled the tables. Many students showcased family trees, antique toys and primitive tools from their ancestors. “This is an old lemon squeezer,” Hofeldt said as he demonstrated how to use the wooden tool before moving onto the next item. “And my great-great-grandfather was a blacksmith, and me made this tool.” Rix said they both learned more about their family history, including that her great-grandfather was a blacksmith. She said the project was educational for her, as well. Eickholt, who has spearheaded Heritage Day for the last 32 years, it never ceases to amaze him how much work the families put in creating the projects and delving into their history. “It’s a lot of work,” Eickholt said. “One of the most enjoyable parts for me is when they share something and have the sparkle in their eyes. To see how excited they are to share things is special.”  Bundle up with some intriguing reads from your library. We have The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin, The War Outside by Monica Hesse, The Weight of a Piano by Chris Cander and others.
If you check out any of these new audio books, you may not want to make it to your destination or leave your house: The Hiding Place by C. J. Tudor, The Lost Man by Jane Harper, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Sloan and Meg Wolitzer, An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma, The Man Who Came Uptown by George Pelecanos and The New Iberia Blues by James Lee Burke. A good movie is also perfect for a cold day, and we have Rent, The Old Man and the Gun, The Bookshop, Incredibles 2, The Hate U Give, Crazy Rich Asians, A Star is Born and many more. You won’t want to miss our upcoming programs. Story Time is every Friday at 10 a.m. Our first Humanities Nebraska program entitled “Aprons, Skirts, Hats and Flirts: Women-Their Range of Status During the Western Movement” will be Thursday, March 28th at 7 p.m. Enjoy an evening learning about the various historical and cultural roles women played during the Western Movement through music, narrative verse, props and PowerPoint. Get through the long winter days with programs and materials from your Neligh Public Library. Books are just the beginning.  Neligh-Oakdale JR/SR High Olweus groups came to West Ward this morning to read stories to PK-2nd grade students to celebrate Read Across America Week.  Antelope County Sheriff Bob Moore told commissioners on Tuesday he will pay for the software needed rather than having the funds come from taxes.
During last month’s meeting, Moore told officials the county has until the end of 2019 to become compliant with incident-based reporting and to expect a claim for $28,000 for the software, which he said he would cover from funds earned by housing other inmates. Doing so, he said, would keep taxpayers from having to foot the bill. Earlier in the meeting, Moore updated commissioners on department finances. By housing inmates from other facilities, Antelope County has $333,721.95 in its jail account, along with another $59,297.25 from the commissary fund, which is money collected from inmates when they purchase various items from the county, such as chips or candy bars. Discussion on the software turned heated as Commissioner Allan Bentley questioned the sheriff on which software he wanted to implement. When Bentley asked Moore if he had “shopped around,” the sheriff replied,“It’s not about price here, Allen. This is the program I want because this is what’s working for the other sheriff’s departments. It’s up, it’s running, it’s proven. I don’t step into you guy’s territory, and say you should’t buy the John Deere maintainer.” Bentley asked what program Moore wanted, and Moore reminded him that the information on Justice Solutions had been emailed to him. Bentley acknowledged that and asked Moore if he was aware there was a free program available. “That’s just NIBRS (National Incident-Based Reporting System), and you don’t understand it’s not free,” Moore said. “I’m not going to get into a debate with you, Allen. Here’s the thing. I need this program, and I need to get it up and running. And it’s way more than just NIBRS.” Bentley said he was simply attempting to ask questions about software and not trying to micro-manage. Instead, he said, he has “a fiduciary job by the tax payers” to ask questions. Moore stood up from the table as Bentley spoke and said he was implementing the software he wanted using the money from his budget. Bentley asked Moore if he realized the program didn’t have to be implemented until next year, but Moore said he wanted to program running to know everything was in place rather than waiting to implement it when the deadline arrived. As Moore walked away, Bentley announced that he had emailed Moore about the software but had not received a response, “so I’m investigating it myself. I’ve got some answers. I don’t have the solution, Bob. I’m not giving you a solution. I’m just giving you other options. I’m not saying these are good ones, but I’d like to see you look at other options other than walking off.” From the back of the room Moore stated he had spent two years researching software and was certain of this purchase. “Ok,” Bentley acknowledged, “Do you have enough money in your fund that you were talking about - the $330,000 — to come up with the $28,000 payment. “Absolutely,” Moore said. “Ok, if he wants to pay for it out,” Bentley conceded. Beside the software he plans to purchase, Moore said the funds, which are not from taxes, also paid for the defense attorneys in the Darryl Lierman case ($94,000), the premium increase for insurance ($39,000) and $16,000 in transcription costs from the Lierman trial. “This is the inmates purchasing products through the commissary program with a markup in it that creates a fund that we’re able to pay for the mattresses, pillows, the uniforms, everything that is related to that inmate can be bought out of that account. And the inmates are paying for that — not the Antelope County taxpayers,” Moore said. Moore said he prefers to keep between $300,000 and $400,000 available in case a major medical claim occurs with an inmate. He said Antelope County is responsible for all medical expenses of inmates. Commissioner Dean Smith asked if the county is responsible for the inmates from other departments, and Moore said no. Moore cited a situation in Madison County as to why he needed so much money on standby. “They had a heart attack in their jail, and they wound up with life flight and quadruple bypass,” he said. “It cost Madison County over $400,000. They had to go to their inheritance fund to pay that because by statute, we have to pay the bill.” After explaining how much money Moore was saving the county, Commissioner Eli Jacob said he didn’t have any questions but had a statement. “I think you’re doing a wonderful job. Keep it up,” Jacob said, which led to applause by those attending the meeting at the Antelope County Courthouse.  Neligh-Oakdale students will discover "A Whole New World" when they present the musical "Aladdin" on Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17. The show will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday in the Neligh-Oakdale High School Gym. Admission prices at the door will be $3 for adults and $2 for children. Activity passes will be accepted. "Aladdin" is a Disney Jr. production that is based on the 1992 Academy Award®-winning film and the 2014 hit Broadway show about the “diamond in the rough” street rat who learns that his true worth lies deep within. Neligh-Oakdale's production of "Aladdin" is directed by Jamie Sehi and Darcy and the late Nate Metschke. Cast members are: Genie Dani Beyer Aladdin Cade Wilkinson Babkak Jorden Fulsaas Omar Emma Bixler Kassim Hailey Bixler Jasmine Sadie Heckert Sultan Griffin Claussen Jafar Austin Rice Iago Adan Schindler Shop Owner Aidan Gregory Razoul Ethan Gregory Guards Caleb Payne, Andrew Jacobsen Beggars Krystal Fulsaas, Hannah Vraspir, Aleesha Bergman Apple Vendor Leonardo Luna-Duran Fortune Teller Constanza Novelo Attendants Skylar Long, Lesly Luna-Duran Prince Abdullah Trey Svatos Isir Sydney Olson Manal Isabella Smidt Rajah Meredith Wiseman Spooky Voice Aidan Gregory Cave of Wonders Aidan Gregory Ensemble, Agrabahns, Entourage: Aiden Gregory, Aleesha Bergman, Andrea Maldonado, Andrew Jacobsen, Caleb Payne, Constanza Novelo, Daniela Parra, Emerson Knust, Ethan Gregory, Hannah Vraspir, Krystal Fulsaas, Leonardo Luna-Duran, Lesly Luna-Duran, Lynae Koinzan, Mallory Belitz, Skylar Long, Trey Svatos Set Design: Nicole Parker Crew: Hailey Johnson, Brittany Olson, Courtney Blecher, Vanessa Bishop, Jesse Green, Alyssa Buck, Kim Dreger Sound: Travis Halsey Makeup: Sharra Lutjens  State prosecutors plan to add an additional criminal charge against Aubrey Trail, one of two individuals charged in the murder of Sydney Loofe, who is originally from Neligh.
According to court documents, the state is alleging that from July 2017 to November 2017 Trail and Bailey Boswell conspired to solicit young women through social media and recruit others to commit homicide and to select a victim to murder. State prosecutors are requesting a court hearing on the new criminal charge of conspiracy to commit murder, where they will offer evidence of a motive and preplanning of Loofe's death. The new charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder is a Class II felony. It is punishable by 1 to 50 years in prison if convicted. Aubrey Trail, 52, has pleaded not guilty to murder in the first degree, a class 1 or class 1A felony, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison (Class 1) or the death penalty (Class 1A); and improper disposal of human skeletal remains, a class IV felony, which carries up to 2 years in prison and a fine. No new charges have been filed against Boswell at this time. She also faces murder charges of in the first degree, a class 1 or class 1A felony, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison (Class 1) or the death penalty (Class 1A); and improper disposal of human skeletal remains, a class IV felony, which carries up to 2 years in prison and a fine.  Neligh-Oakdale senior Cade Wilkinson was recently selected to sing in the Nebraska State FFA Choir during the Nebraska State FFA Convention.
Wilkinson submitted a video audition before December 1st to the state chorus director, and will now perform with nearly 100 other Nebraska FFA members at all general sessions during convention. The senior was also previously selected to perform in the talent review where he will perform the song "A Million Dreams" from the 2017 movie The Greatest Showman. The talent review will take place on Wednesday, April 3rd at 6 pm at Pinnacle Bank Arena before the first general session of convention. The Nebraska FFA Convention is scheduled for April 3-5 in Lincoln.  Neligh-Oakdale FFA has qualified four members for State FFA Convention in April.
The Veterinary Science team, consisting of Sydney, Lesly, Christian and Alyssa (not pictured) finished second by six points out of 19 teams at the District Career Development Event contest on Wednesday at Northeast Community College. |
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