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Cedar County courts first to get technology upgrades

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HARTINGTON — The Cedar County district and county courts will be getting a technology upgrade next month as part of a pilot program to upgrade audio-visual systems in courtrooms across the state.

The installation will begin Oct. 3 and will take about a week, said Janet Wiechelman, Cedar County District Court clerk. Wiechelman and Diane Sudbeck, Cedar County Court clerk, attended last week’s Board of Commissioners meeting to provide an update on the project.

Pre-wiring work has already been completed by Hartelco, so the installation could take less time than anticipated, Sudbeck said.

“It’s just a matter of running their wires through our tubes,” Wiechelman agreed. The county’s network will not be disrupted during the installation. The new equipment and installation — valued at nearly $90,000 for both courts - will be paid for by the Nebraska Court Administrator's oce - and comes with a five-year warranty and service plan. The perpetual upkeep of the equipment will be at the county’s expense. “That almost sounds too good to be true,” said Board Chairman Craig Bartels. “Yeah, where do we sign?” said Commissioner Chris Tramp. Installing the same equipment in every courtroom throughout the state will make it easier for continuity and familiarization if sta from another county has to come in to assist.

Upgrading the system in each county comes with a hefty price tag but the state was able to utilize grant funding for the eort. And it will save money over time in mileage for judges, travel expenses for expert witnesses and transport fees for prisoners, Wiechelman said.

She estimates it may take a year for all counties to be upgraded on the system. Sudbeck said the county court uses the current audio-visual equipment every week.

"It'll be nice to have it upgraded. It's always crossing your fingers that it's going to work that day,” she said.

As chairman, Bartels signed a Memorandum of Understanding document to move forward with the court technology upgrade.

In other county board news, County Road Superintendent Carla Schmidt reported on an ongoing problem — road signs being stolen, mostly in the northern part of the county. There have been instances of unbolting and removing signs, signs being pulled out of the ground and lately, the tops being hacked o with a saw. "We lost five signs within two days," Tramp said. Schmidt calls the thefts a “constant battle.” “I think we should put a camera out and see if we can snag them,” Schmidt said. Anyone with information about the road sign thefts is encouraged to call the Cedar County Sheri's oce at 402-254-6884.

The commissioners also: - Approved the 2022-23 budget and tax asking. The county levy decreased by a half-cent.

- Approved building permits including, Pick Farms for a 28-by-28-foot two-story addition; for Nathan and Jessica Fischer, a 28-by-30-foot attached garage and 8-by-16-foot porch; for Jacob Eckstrom, a 50-by-80-foot shop/storage shed; for Ed and Charlene Arens, an update to a previous building permit to add on to a garage and house; for Paul and Nathan Koch to replace a 60,000-bushel grain bin; and for Anthony White, for a 1,700-square-foot home and two-car garage.

- Discussed hiring an attorney to proceed with civil litigation in a case involving Paul Rosberg of Randolph owing back taxes on business property.

- Heard a presentation by Nick Folkers of Hartington who urged Election Commissioner Dave Dowling to return to a hand-counted ballot procedure. A handful of others from the public spoke on the topic. Dowling encouraged them to take the issue to the Nebraska Secretary of State's Oce. - Discussed progress on replacing the 911 communications tower damaged in a May storm.