The O’Neill High School Screaming’ Eagle Stage Band took their 15th annual tour on May 1.

This year the band went to the O’Neill Care & Rehab, The Evergreen, as well as the O’Neill Elementary.

The band played a variety of tunes ranging from the 1930’s all the way up to current times. This year’s OHS Stage Band consists of 25 members.

At the District Music Contest the band once again received a Superior rating.

“It’s always my favorite time," director Chad Dean said. "Playing a wide variety of music for such diverse crowds is a treat for us.” 

The O’Neill High School Screaming’ Eagle Band recently took their bi-annual field trip to Des Moines, Iowa on May 3 and 4.

During their trip, the band attended the broadway musical “The School Of Rock.” Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the tunes for the hit musical.

Then on Saturday morning, the band spent the day at Adventureland Amusement Park.

Although they were on a separate tour, the Soundsational Singers were at both events as well. This made for some additional fun with O’Neill musicians.

“The band trip was an educational, entertaining, and enjoyable,” ​senior Heydon Strope said. 

The O’Neill Band travelled to two honor bands last weekend.

On Saturday, 13 members rehearsed and performed in the Pierce Honor Bands. Sixth graders Reece Grosch and Caleb Laursen were in the 6/7 Band under the direction of Erin Rathe, director of bands in Ainsworth. In the 8/9 Band were: Alyssa Fehringer, James Krotter, Ashley Pischel, Caity Ruzicka, Tate Stauffer, Kyler Dean, Aurora Heiss, William Grosch, Tucker Stagemeyer, Carter Hickey, and Brady Brown. Karter Otte made it in but was ill Saturday. They were under the direction of Gwen Wenish - band director in Yankton, SD.

"It was fun atmosphere," trumpet player Kyler Dean said. "The director and songs were really enjoyable.” 

In addition to Pierce, eight members traveled to Grand Island to participate in the 15th Annual Nebraska Class B Honor Band. Those members included Michael Poese, Alyssa Moser, Madalynn Holbein, Chris Laursen, Christopher Jennings, Kolby Dean, Sean Gildersleeve, and Heydon Strope. Under the direction of Dr. Michelle Bluford, director of bands at Elkhorn South, the band played the world premiere performance of the piece “Rogue Wave.” This piece was commissioned by Nolan Schmit for the 15th anniversary of this honor band. Nolan Schmit is a music teacher in Lincoln and is voice of the Cornhusker Marching Band.

“What a great honor for these kids to work with someone special like Dr. Bluford and to get to perform a world premiere at the same time," O'Neill band director Chad Dean. "This tune will be forever linked to the Nebraska Class B Honor Band and these kids who were 1st to perform it.” 

An O'Neill native was selected to play in the annual Nebraska Intercollegiate Honor Band  held in Lincoln over the weekend. It was hosted as part of the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association Convention on the campus of UNL.

Corbin Dean was one of 56 students from nine Nebraska universities and colleges selected. The students rehearsed Thursday and Friday for their Saturday concert in the Kimball Recital Hall.

Directing this year’s honor band was Dr. Scott Teeple, professor of music at the University Of Wisconsin-Madison. Representing Northeast Community College was Connor Lemke-Elznic (Winside) and Dean (O’Neill). Connor was on percussion while Corbin played tuba. This was their final honor band as both will graduate in May.

“For being my last honor band, it was a great way to finish,” Corbin Dean said.

This was his 27th honor band since he started playing 11 years ago. 

Valerie Dempster of O’Neill and 10 of her coworkers won $50,000 playing Powerball from the Nebraska Lottery.

Dempster is the assistant administrator at The Evergreen Assisted Living center in O'Neill and a 1972 Orchard High School graduate.

The co-workers purchased their winning ticket from Fast Mart at 202 East Douglas Street in O’Neill. The winning ticket contained one play that matched four out of the five winning numbers (03, 21, 45, 53, 56) with the winning Powerball number (22) from the October 24 drawing.

When she came to claim the group’s prize at the Nebraska Lottery Lincoln office, Dempster said she originally thought that they’d have to split the $50,000 prize with the three other winners from the drawing, but was delighted to find out they got the whole amount.

“I’m totally shocked,” she said. “I love it.”

The group bought their tickets on a whim at the last minute for the drawing, Dempster said, and she locked the tickets in her desk for safe keeping.

Word made its way through the office that a $50,000 winning Powerball ticket had been sold at the same convenience store they got theirs at. Dempster said a circle of coworkers formed around her desk before she arrived to unlock it.

The 11 coworkers are splitting the check evenly and, after taxes, they’ll be walking away with about $3,000 each, which will make sure everyone has a merry Christmas, Dempster said.

“I didn’t think it would ever happen,” she said. “I’m a believer now.”
​
Powerball is a multi-state jackpot game currently offered by 44 state lotteries, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. The odds of winning $1 million playing Powerball are 1 in 11,688,053 while the overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24.9.

​An O'Neill man was sentenced in Holt County District Court on Monday for burglarizing a local pharmacy and making terroristic threats.  

Cameron Boyer was sentenced for the crimes of Terroristic Threats, Obstructing A Peace Officer, Criminal Mischief, Burglary, Possession of Controlled Substance, and Theft By Receiving Stolen Property, according to Holt County Attorney Brent Kelly.  

He said the crimes stemmed from the burglary and theft of a local pharmacy and involved thousands of doses of prescription drugs.

"Mr. Boyer was facing 45 years in prison for his crimes," the county attorney said. "I, on behalf of the people of the state of Nebraska, recommended that he be sent to prison for his crimes. The department of probation also recommended that he be sent to prison."

Ultimately, Boyer was sentenced to four years of probation and received credit for time served, which was 153 days in jail. 
 
"I am extremely proud of the investigation conducted by local law enforcement officers as well as my personal participation in that investigation," Kelly said. "We worked together to draft and execute several search warrants, and obtained court orders for DNA analysis. We turned O’Neill upside down and inside out to recover those drugs."
 
He said the team successfully recovered a large quantity of prescription opiates, and "convicted the two individuals who were responsible for the burglary, theft, and the subsequent stashing of the evidence."

Ami Buckendahl also faces charges in connection with this case and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 10.

A Holt County millionaire was found guilty and sentenced to jail on several charges in Holt County District Court on Monday. 

Following a jury trial, Kenneth Kipple was found guilty of two counts of criminal child enticement and one count of tampering with a witness. Kipple was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 3 years to 5 years and ordered to register as a sex offender. According to Holt County Attorney Brent Kelly, several members of the Bikers Against Child Abuse Motorcycle Club attended the sentencing. 
 
"On behalf of the victims and the people of the State of Nebraska, I am pleased with how this case turned out," Kelly said. "This was a very hard fought battle that lasted three years. Mr. Kipple was a millionaire by virtue of his inheritance, and was able to employ as many as 5 defense attorneys to assist him. At the end of it all, after years of work by law enforcement, and after days of witness testimony, it took the jury less than an hour to find Mr. Kipple guilty as charged on all counts." 
 
Although this chapter is closed, Kelly said the overall investigation of Mr. Kipple and any allegations of crimes against children will remain ongoing.