Tristan Peitz, head of business development for TallusAg, said Tuesday the international company had decided not to move forward with its request to rezone property west of town for the proposed fertilizer production system.

TallusAg develops small-scale green ammonia production systems. Peitz said the facility would have been capable of producing up to 20 tons of ammonia per day, with an estimated annual output of 6,000 to 7,000 tons — enough fertilizer to treat 60,000 to 70,000 acres of corn.

“Our mission is to make production of this critical input (green ammonia) to agriculture cheaper, more reliable and more sustainable,” Peitz said during last week’s Hartington Planning and Zoning meeting.

Peitz said he informed Hartington Mayor Mark Becker and Cedar Knox Public Power District Manager Mike Lammers this week that TallusAg would no longer pursue the project in Hartington.

The decision followed a contentious 90-minute planning and zoning meeting last week in which company officials presented the proposal to a standing-room-only crowd of more than 70 people at Hartington City Hall.

At the conclusion of that meeting, the Hartington Planning and Zoning Board voted to table a decision on changing the zoning of a four-acre tract of land about a mile west of Hartington from agricultural to industrial, citing legal questions raised during public comment.

Peitz said the public response at the meeting made Hartington a less feasible location for the project.

“Given where things stand with the public, it creates a difficult situation for us as a company looking to develop this project,” Peitz said in a Tuesday morning interview with the Cedar County News. “It becomes a less desirable project with that sort of response.”

Peitz said TallusAg officials believed the system would have been safe and would have provided a more economical fertilizer option for area producers.

“It’s unfortunate, but we won’t be building there,” Peitz said. “There is so much misinformation, slander and fear mongering out there, it’s difficult to have a conversation with people because their minds are already made up.”

Peitz said the proposed location — a former Cedar Knox substation site — met the company’s operational needs. He also said the system was intended to be modular and containerized, rather than a traditional industrial plant. 

“It’s modular, and largely containerized. It can make up to 20 tons per day of ammonia,” Peitz said.

Peitz said the site footprint would have been less than one-half acre and would have required, at most, one truck per day.

“We specifically designed these sites for safety,” he said. “And 20 tons is the most it can produce in a day, so it’s at most one truck a day.”

Peitz said TallusAg appreciated the efforts of Cedar Knox and the city.

“From our perspective, we are really grateful for Cedar-Knox trying to make the project a success,” Peitz said. “We thank the city for considering us. They were great to work with, but unfortunately given the situation, it’s no longer a project that is worth our time.”

During the planning and zoning meeting, Peitz provided a presentation on the company’s background, the proposed system, and the process used to produce ammonia.

Most of the meeting was taken up by public questions and comments, with several residents raising concerns about safety and compatibility with existing zoning laws.

Morissa Benson was among those who spoke against the proposed project. Benson said Hartington’s zoning laws and state statutes required the city to consider public safety and welfare when reviewing rezoning requests.

“The foundational mandate of (Hartington’s) zoning ordinance states these laws exist to promote the health, safety and general welfare and to secure us from fire and other dangers,” Benson said. “A heavy industrial chemical plant induces a toxic plume risk that encompasses our schools and our neighborhoods.”

Benson also argued the proposed rezoning could be considered spot zoning.

“Selecting a single patch of agricultural land to reclassify as heavy industrial for one specific company is a textbook example of spot zoning,” she said. “This practice is highly concerning.”

Benson said Hartington’s zoning ordinance placed restrictions on emissions beyond a property’s boundaries.

“This prohibits the emission of toxic or corrosive gases, dust or odors that are detectable beyond the property line,” she said.

She also expressed concern over the facility’s location to schools and the recreation complex.

“A breach of just half day’s production puts our children directly in the toxic plume footprint,” she said.  “It is a physical impossibility for this plant to contain a leak within its property lines.”

HARTINGTON - After nearly a two-hour meeting Wednesday in front of a packed city hall audience, the Hartington Planning and Zoning Board voted to table a decision on granting a zoning change to a company hoping to build an anhydrous ammonia facility on the edge of Hartington.

Tristan Peitz, head of business development for Austin, Texas-based TalusAg, presented the board information explaining his company’s plan to  build a small-scale ammonia production facility on the former site of a Cedar Knox Public Power District substation  along Highway 84 west of Hartington. 

The first step toward making that happen is to get the land rezoned from agricultural to light industrial.

In light of the presentation and myriad questions from the audience, Planning and Zoning Board member Scott McCaw made a motion to table the issue until legal questions could be answered. The Board then approved that motion and voted to adjourn.

About 70 people crammed into Hartington City Hall for the Planning and Zoning meeting to learn more about the project and ask questions to company officials.

For background articles on this issue, check out the Cedar County News E Edition archives. at www.hartington.net

A complete article will be published in the next issue of the Cedar County News.

She is charged with first-degree murder, tampering with evidence and accessory to a felony in connection with the deaths of Gene Twiford, his wife Janet, their daughter Dana and neighbor Michelle Ebling.

Prosecutor Corey O’Brien tried to paint a picture of  Jason Jones as merely a puppet being controlled by his wife during closing arguments here.

‘’Jason Jones was the puppet. Carrie Jones was the person behind the curtain making him dance and act as she wished,’’ O’Brien told the 11 women and one man jury during his 70-minute closing argument.

As O’Brien stood at a podium facing the jury to give his closing argument, he urged the jury to consider what happened in the early morning hours of Aug. 4, 2022 in Laurel and why these things happened.  Without Carrie Jones’ influence, he said, these events would have never taken place.

‘’Does any of this happen were it not for Carrie Jones — her words, her acts — not just in the minutes and hours before, but in the weeks and months before the tragic events of Aug. 4, 2022," O'Brien asked.

Defense attorney Douglas Stratton then addressed the jury.

"This is a difficult case.  This is a horrible case. We can’t let sympathy for these families or sympathy for the people of Laurel affect what we do here," Stratton said.

Stratton said jurors need to stay focused on the true issue of the case.

"The issue isn't did whether Jason Jones killed these people. The issue is whether Carrie Jones aided him in that," he said.

Stratton said the state presented a lot of evidence about the murders themselves, but nothing to prove Carrie Jones was involved in them.

"There is a boatload of evidence but what does all the evidence go to?" Stratton asked. "We spent hour upon hour, day after day talking about how bad the murder was.  We spent time on every single shell casing. We spent time on the surveillance cameras to show the gas was purchased by Jason Jones that day. We’ve got ballistics. We spent time looking at where Jason was when he shot these people. We know Jason Jones  committed these crimes, and we also know Carrie Jones had nothing to do with these crimes. She was away at work."

After prosecutors and the defense presented their closing arguments, Judge Bryan Meismer read off a 19-point list of instructions to the jury. They were dismissed at 12:42 p.m. to begin deliberations. Meismer said if a decision has not been reached by 9 p.m., the jury would break for the evening and reconvene at 9 a.m. Friday.

Stay tuned for updates.

Jones is on trial in connection with the Aug. 4, 2022, murder of four Laurel residents. Her husband, Jason Jones, was convicted in September 2024 of killing

Gene Twiford, his wife, Janet, and their daughter, Dana, as well as Elm Street neighbor, Michelle Ebelling.

Footage from Nebraska State Patrol investigator Tony Kavin‘s body camera was shown to the jury. 

The State Patrol informed Jones they had a warrant for her husband’s arrest and were seeking information about her husband’s whereabouts, his medical condition, and where he was located in the house.

She was not a suspect at the time, Kavin said. 

‘’Initially, we just wanted to make sure she was alive, if she was ok and safe, and wanted to know if she would give us the layout of the house,’’ Kavin said.

In the 42-minute video, Carrie Jones said she saw someone ‘’stumbling across the lawn. I was gonna go over to help whoever it was’’  outside Ebbling’s burning house, and then realized it was her husband.

‘’He was burned. He was walking and stumbling. He was in and out of consciousness,’’ she said to the investigator.

When asked how Jason Jones had gotten burned she replied that, ‘’he was in the military. He tried to help people.’’ 

Jones said she then helped her husband into their house, and helped to peel the burned clothes off of his body before bandaging him up and going to bed herself.

She did not take him to the hospital because, ‘’he’s an adult, he can make his own decisions, and he didn’t want to go to the hospital,’’ she said.

Trooper Kavin then told Jones he was, ‘’questioning if he’s in that bad of shape, why would you not take him to the hospital? Did he say, ‘I did this today, so I can’t go to the hospital?’‘’

Jones replied that was not the case.  He was only trying to help, she said.

‘’He was in the military. If he sees something going on, he tries to help somebody.’’

She then let patrolmen look over her phone to check for texts and calls between the pair, but there were none.

When the Troopers informed her they had a warrant for her husband’s arrest, she urged them not to break the door down to get into her house.

‘I’ll let you into the house, you don’t need to kick my door in. I don’t know why you want to kick my door down.  I could let you in there. He’s not answering because he’s burned up. I know he’s in bed and he can’t get up. He’s all bandaged up and he can’t move,’’ she told the Troopers.  

She was informed, though, that State Patrol protocol would not allow for a civilian to be involved in the situation.

More evidence was presented and several more witnesses were questioned before court was adjourned for a lunch break

The trial began following a two-day jury selection process. The panel includes 12 jurors and four alternates — 13 women and three men — although one male juror was later excused due to a family wedding.

Carrie Jones’ husband, Jason Jones, was convicted in September of murdering Gene Twiford, 86; his wife, Janet Twiford, 85; their daughter, Dana Twiford, 55; and Michele Ebeling, 53. Prosecutors say he then set fire to their homes to cover up the crimes.

Carrie Jones, a former Cedar County Jail dispatcher, is charged with aiding and abetting Gene Twiford’s murder. Prosecutors allege she pressured her husband to kill Twiford in retaliation for his alleged sexual harassment of her. She is also accused of harboring her husband after the murders and disposing of the clothes he wore during the crimes.

The state presented its case in chronological order Wednesday, starting with the 3:11 a.m. 911 call made by Royce Sarley to Cedar County dispatcher Paul Meier.

Sarley testified that he and his roommate had just returned home from their night shift in Norfolk and were preparing supper when they noticed something alarming across the street.

“As soon as I opened the door, I looked across the street and there was a big orange flash and a big boom,” Sarley said.

After calling 911, Sarley said he saw another neighbor.

“As I was going over there, I saw Carrie and saw someone — a black silhouette — running toward Carrie and Jason’s house,” he said. “She was like, ‘Oh my gosh. I just got home from work. What’s going on?’”

Andrew Gothier, one of the first Laurel firemen to arrive at the scene, then testified. He said he and fellow firefighters encountered smoke “rolling out just below the roof” and flames pouring from a back bedroom.

“When I initially tried to open the door, it just opened a little bit and stopped. There was something blocking it,” Gothier said. “I pushed a little harder and put my head in and saw there was a body blocking it.”

After discovering the body of Michele Ebeling, firefighters forced their way inside and checked for signs of life.

“She was not responsive,” Gothier said. “But we knew there was active fire and had to remove the body.”

Once they got Ebeling outside, they returned to the house to battle the blaze. Gothier quickly suspected the fire was intentional.

“In the living room, it looked like an accelerant was used. We saw a gas can sitting in the room, and you could clearly see a trail where the accelerant had been,” he said.

Cedar County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Chad Claussen testified he and Laurel Police Chief Ron Lundahl found blood and a bullet casing on the back steps of the house. Upon examining Ebeling’s body more closely, they discovered what appeared to be a bullet wound in her chest and another in her forehead.

Lundahl said he then began canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses and knocked on the door of the Jason and Carrie Jones home.

He knocked on three different doors at the house before Carrie eventually opened the door, Lundahl said.

“She answered every question I asked her,” he said.

A prosecutor then asked whether Lundahl had any indication Carrie Jones was in distress or being held against her will. He replied that he had no such indication.

The Twiford’s daughter, Gayle Curry, also testified Wednesday, telling prosecutors about her parents’ house and security cameras located on or around the home.

Two Nebraska State Patrol investigators also took the stand Wednesday to explain some of the evidence they discovered at the crime scenes.

The trial resumes at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Madison County Courthouse.

The passage of the referendum would have raised the local sales tax from 1 percent to 1.5 percent, but according to unofficial results from the Cedar County Clerk's Office, 198 voters cast ballots against it while 146 voters were in favor of it.

Laurel Mayor Keith Knudsen previously noted that based on the last four years' average sales in the community, the proposed .5 percent local sales tax increase would have potentially generated $88,500 per year over the next 10 years.

“The funds would be utilized to provide financial support for the maintenance and daily operations of Hillcrest Care Center and Assisted Living,” Knudsen previously said. “The additional funds could also help provide training programs for individuals interested in becoming a CNA (certified nursing assistant).”

RANDOLPH – Walter Worlein may not be Randolph’s next city councilman but he’s not ruling out running again in the future. 

Worlein received the least amount of votes in Tuesday night’s primary election and was eliminated from Randolph’s city council race.

“My name isn’t as thick in this town as others on there,” he said after getting news of the results.  

The four remaining candidates - Todd Greiner, Brandon Backhaus, Kayla Korth and Tom Wiese - will move on to the general election. In the primary, Greiner was the top vote-getter with 207; followed by Backhaus with 168; Korth with 105; and Wiese with 94. 

Korth said all of the candidates bring something different to the table and would be good representatives. 

She’s grateful for gaining enough votes to move on to the next election. 

“I feel like people know I have a voice and speak up on any issues they have. They trust me to listen to them and see different sides of the table as well,” she said. 

Korth said she’s not sure what her next move will be with her campaign. She’s open to meeting with people and learning about their issues. 

“I like to sit down with people,” she said. “I’m a talker, face to face, so I can hear what they want, what they’re looking for in a candidate.” 

Korth urges residents to be active in city government and attend council meetings when able. 

Hartington city voters decided the fate of the historic ballroom Tuesday, with 357 people voting against a proposal to move and refurbish the Skylon, while only 231 people favored the proposal.

Local residents voted in favor, however, of building a new city shop to replace the antiquated shop now being used. That vote came in at 345 in favor and 239 against.

Mayor Mark Becker said the city's residents have spoken, and now the city needs to "sit down and figure out what comes next."

Becker said the city desperately needs a community center. Local residents decided they did not want to pay for a $1.6 million bond to move, expand and update the facility, however.

Building a new community center would most likely cost twice that amount, Becker said.

If the issue would have been approved, construction crews would have been able to begin work late this summer and the building would most likely have been moved in the fall, Becker said. It's feasible that the refurbished facility would have been open some time in the summer of 2025, he said.

Now the fate of a community center here is in limbo.

The city held two Town Hall meetings this spring to inform people about their proposal, which would have moved the Skylon west to a lot in the new economic development business park.

Current Skylon owner Roger Wortmann said if the city does not move the building, it will have to be torn down to make room for a business expansion at his plumbing and electric business, which is located just north of the Skylon.

Becker said voters had a tough choice to make, but now the City Council will now have to go back to the drawing board and make some tough choices of their own.

"Hartington has always been a pretty progressive community. A community like ours needs an event center," Becker said.

While local voters turned down the Skylon proposal, they favored a proposal for a $1.1 million bond to build a new city shop for the city's fleet of vehicles, equipment and supplies.

Current Supt. of Utilities Corey Kramer said the city has 14 large pieces of equipment, so the machinery will have to be "double stacked" in the building since a seven-door facility is being planned.

"We have equipment stored all over right now," he said. "It would be nice to have it all in one place."

The city currently stores equipment and supplies at the city shop, in the old fire hall, in a horse barn and at the city auditorium, he said.

HARTINGTON – David Phillips Jr. routinely wore a semi-automatic handgun in his waistband or kept it in a backpack at worksites, according to witness testimony at his second-degree murder trial in Cedar County District Court Wednesday afternoon. 

In the third day of court proceedings, Tyler Yow, one of Phillips’ co-workers at BULT Wireless, testified he saw Phillips put the handgun in the bed of a pickup truck after the shooting at a tower worksite north of Hartington March 1, 2023. 

Israel Matos-Colon, 31, Fowlerville, Mich., died and Phillips, 22, Kenner, La., was arrested at the scene. Phillips is also charged with use of a firearm to commit a felony and possession of a stolen firearm. 

Yow said he reported Phillips carrying a gun on the job prior to the shooting to a BULT Wireless company official but he was unaware of any response by the company. Previous testimony indicated weapons - other than utility knives used in the field - were not allowed per company policy. 

Phillips would not have been able to perform his work climbing a tower with the handgun in his waistband or in a pant leg, Yow said. 

Yow, and another BULT crew member, Nathan Anderson, detailed two verbal arguments between Phillips and Matos-Colon shortly after work started March 1, 2023, with the second argument ending in multiple gunshots fired in rapid succession. 

Both Yow and Anderson said it wasn’t until the second argument they learned Matos-Colon and Phillips were arguing about their climbing duties that day. 

Anderson said both Phillips and Matos-Colon were face to face with chests “puffed out,” ready to fight physically after being separated. It was at this time, Anderson heard Matos-Colon using the phrase, “yo mamma,” in response to everything Phillips said. Anderson said the response was meant as a taunt, or was said in an antagonizing way. 

Yow described Matos-Colon as fun, happy and “good to be around.” The two had worked together a handful of times before March 1, 2023. Yow had worked with Phillips for a few months. There were not any personal issues or threats made by either Matos-Colon or Phillips prior to the shooting, Yow said. 

There was sometimes bickering or teasing between co-workers on a job site but it was considered “normal” interaction and nothing of concern, Yow said. 

Neither witness actually saw the gun being fired. 

After the shooting, Anderson saw Phillips upset and pacing by a vehicle. He saw a gun on the ground nearby.

At one point, Yow said Phillips was standing over him as he was performing CPR on Matos-Colon and said, “Stay with us, Izzy.” 

Anderson and another co-worker, Kevin Warner, went to a vehicle to look for a first aid kit when Phillips approached and said, “He talked about my momma, that (racial slur) had to die.” 

Defense Attorney Todd Lancaster questioned the accuracy of that statement as Anderson didn’t divulge that specific language when interviewed after the shooting by Tyler Mann, Nebraska State Patrol investigator. 

Anderson said he may have still been shocked by the day’s event when being interviewed by the investigator and he was 98 percent sure now of the exact and specific language Phillips used in the statement.

After making the racial slur, Phillips asked for help in getting away from the scene, specifically wanting to go to New Orleans.

Anderson agreed to give him a ride. 

“I recalled seeing the gun on the ground, and I thought if I got him out of the compound, away from everybody, no one else would get hurt. I could tell he was kind of getting worked up,” Anderson said. 

Phillips asked if Anderson or Warner had turned him in and they said no. 

Feeling uneasy, both men left the scene, but Phillips didn’t get in the vehicle. 

Anderson and Warner traveled off the worksite and met up with crew foreman Josh Curiel, who had fled on foot. 

They met law enforcement where a rural road intersects with Highway 57 so they could lead first responders to the worksite, described as being in a cattle yard. 

After Nebraska State Patrol investigators arrived on scene, Anderson and others working that day were taken from the scene and interviewed separately. 

Mann and Cedar County Sheriff Larry Koranda also took to the witness stand Wednesday and detailed their actions at the crime scene which included photographing, documenting and processing evidence which included areas of bullet ricochet off of a “guardrail cattle panel,” and multiple shell casings.

Phillips’ lawyer asked several questions regarding the securing of the scene and whether or not gates on the property were open at certain times. 

Koranda said cattle were wandering through the crime scene but did not disturb any evidence.

“They probably don’t pay attention to the yellow tape you put around it,” Lancaster said. 

Prosecutors with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office indicated they planned to put five more witnesses on the stand Thursday and rest their case. It’s unknown if Lancaster plans to present any evidence. 

Events of March 1, 2023, detailed in opening day of trial

HARTINGTON –  Jurors heard two 911 calls Tuesday, and viewed photos of gunshot wounds and video footage from an officer’s dash cam during the opening day of a second-degree murder trial in Cedar County District Court. 

The jury of 12 plus two alternates - five men and nine women - heard opening arguments and testimony of five witnesses Tuesday in the case against David Phillips Jr., 22, Kenner, La. He is accused of killing Israel Matos-Colon, 31, Fowlerville, Mich. Phillips is also accused of using a firearm to commit a felony and possession of a stolen firearm. 

Witnesses said Phillips and Matos-Colon argued while at a worksite – a cellphone tower – north of Hartington the morning of March 1, 2023, prior to the shooting. Both men worked climbing towers for a company called BULT Wireless, a telecommunications infrastructure company that is no longer operational. 

According to witness testimony, Phillips and Matos-Colon got into a verbal argument shortly after starting the work day. Witnesses indicate the argument got loud but was unsure exactly what was being said. The work crew foreman, Josh Curiel, said the argument pertained to climbing the tower that day together. 

After briefly separating into different vehicles to cool down, Phillips and Matos-Colon continued their verbal argument until witnesses heard multiple gunshots fired in quick succession. 

None of the witnesses in the case Tuesday testified to seeing either Phillips or Matos-Colon with weapons that day. 

Curiel said he was in a panic when he called 911. He ran off the property, opening gates as he went so that first responders could access the worksite which was described as in a cattle yard. 

Two other crew members followed in a vehicle, picking Curiel up and then stopping where a rural road intersects Highway 57 to lead first responders into the site. 

Chad Claussen, chief deputy with the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, was first to arrive on scene within a few minutes. Video footage from the dash cam on his vehicle depicts a man – later identified as Phillips – walking and then jogging away from the deputy’s vehicle and toward where Matos-Colon was laying face up on the ground. 

With gun drawn, Claussen asks bystanders where the gun is. Phillips states he has it and walks toward Claussen with his hands in the air. After Phillips was secured in handcuffs, Claussen locates a semiautomatic Glock 19 handgun with an extended magazine tucked into cold gear clothing near Phillips’ ankle. 

Claussen described Phillips’ demeanor as being worried and scared. 

The only words Phillips said during the arrest process was, “We were fighting and it was self defense,” Claussen said. 

Phillips was not injured and did not receive medical treatment, and did not provide any more details about acting in self-defense. 

Cedar County Sheriff Larry Koranda and Sgt. Jeff Jones, conservation officer with Nebraska Game & Parks, were next to arrive at the worksite. 

Jones testified he cleared the semiautomatic gun at the scene and found a spent shell casing stuck inside the slide. 

“With a spent casing, there was some type of malfunction were the casing did not properly eject,” Jones said. 

He was not able to determine what caused the malfunction.

Then Jones, who is an active EMT in Hartington, rendered medical aid to Matos-Colon who was already losing consciousness. Jones said his pupils were dilated and his breathing was labored. 

While unzipping Matos-Colon’s outerwear looking to dress a wound, Jones located a bullet projectile between the layers of clothing. Claussen was able to collect the projectile and Jones continued first aid. 

At this point, Matos-Colon’s pulse became weak and Jones started CPR. Several rounds of chest compressions were administered before additional EMT support arrived on scene. An automated compression machine continued CPR activities while EMTs loaded Matos-Colon onto the ambulance for transport to a Yankton, S.D., hospital. 

Once in the ambulance, Jones maintained Matos-Colon’s airway and performed “bag breathing.”Matos-Colon’s vitals “flatlined,” Jones said. 

Advanced life support continued until the rescue squad arrived at the hospital and turned over operations to the emergency room medical professionals. 

ER staff declared Matos-Colon dead at 10:19 a.m.

Jones stayed and maintained the body to follow a chain of evidence procedure. Clothing was completely removed and Jones documented three gunshot wounds, one on each side of his torso and one in his leg. 

Back at the scene, Jones located a cooler hanging on a chainlink fence in the area. Inside, he located a Michigan driver’s license which positively identified Matos-Colon as the victim. 

Along with Curiel, Jones and Claussen, Lt. Gina Jones of the Nebraska State Patrol testified about her work at the crime scene. Ashley Verhoek, vice president of BULT Wireless, also testified.

While prosecutors worked to build their case against Phillips Tuesday, his lawyer, Todd Lancaster of the Nebraska Public Advocacy Commission, worked to poke holes and cast doubt on witness statements. 

“The defense has no burden to prove anything. This is not going to be one of the classic who-dunit cases,” Lancaster told the jury. 

Instead, he urged them to look at the circumstances, statements and actions before and after the shooting to determine Phillips’ state of mind.

If the jury doesn’t find Phillips guilty of second-degree murder, they will be instructed to look at the lesser charges of manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter. 

Koranda was set to take the witness stand to start Wednesday’s court proceedings. 

The trial is expected to last through Friday. 

Lawyers discuss change of venue in Laurel murder case

HARTINGTON – A trial date has been set in September for a man accused of a quadruple murder in Laurel but where the trial will be has yet to be determined.

Lawyers argued a change of venue in Cedar County District Court here Thursday in the case against Jason Jones, 44, in the deaths of Gene Twiford, Janet Twiford, Dana Twiford and Michele Shankles-Ebeling, in Laurel Aug. 4, 2022.

Jones’ lawyer Todd Lancaster of the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy argued extensive media coverage and potential jurors’ ties to the victims and witnesses would make it difficult for Jones to receive a fair trial in Cedar County.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the case.

First responders were called to Shankles-Ebeling’s home at 209 Elm St., Laurel, around 3 a.m. Aug. 4, 2022, to the report of an explosion and house fire. About five hours later, local law enforcement on scene noticed smoke coming from the Twiford home just a few blocks away. Although the presence of smoke wasn’t evident for several hours, evidence suggests that the Twiford fire actually started first.

All of the victims were found to have gunshot wounds.

Jones was apprehended at his home the morning after the murders with severe burns over his body and was treated at a Lincoln hospital for several weeks before being released to the Nebraska Department of Corrections.

Responses on potential juror questionnaires indicated a bias against Jones, Lancaster said.

“There are a number of people, already in their mind, believe Mr. Jones is guilty,” he said. “They’ve formed an opinion and its so strong they expressed that to other people and they can’t set that aside. You match that with the number of people from Laurel who personally knew the victims in this case. Just from looking at these supplemental questionnaires, it will be impossible to pick a jury in this county.”

Prosecutor Candi Allen of the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office said picking a fair and impartial jury would be difficult but not impossible - the standard set forth by Nebraska law.

She said although media coverage has been extensive, she wouldn’t call it misleading or pervasive but “mere factual accounts that do not reflect animosity toward the defendant.”

Just because the crime happened in a small community in relation to the crime does not enough to warrant a change in venue, Allen argued, citing prior case law.

“To hold otherwise would mandate a change in venue anytime you had a community that was relatively small in proportion to the size and number of the victims,” she said. “If they’ve formed an opinion, can they set it aside and base it on what the evidence presented at trial is?

Once jurors are educated on the burden of proof and their role in the trial process, many are able to set aside any pre-determined opinion in the case, Allen said.

According to the standard set forth by law, the court must try to seat the jury in Cedar County, she said.

Lancaster said trying to pick a jury in Cedar County will take a week alone to suss out jurors stricken for cause.

“Will it be difficult? Yes. Is it going to be time consuming? Yes. Is it going to be tedious? Yes. But I don’t think time consuming, tedious and difficult is the standard we use to see if we can seat a trial or not,” Allen said. “I don’t know if it’s impossible. And for those reasons we’re not going to concede and we will leave it to the wisdom of the court.”

Lancaster submitted 14 exhibits with media articles including those from the Cedar County News and its affiliated newspapers: Randolph Times, Wausa Gazette, Laurel Advocate and Osmond Republican. Two exhibits which listed jurors’ names along with responses to juror questionnaires were sealed.

Judge Bryan Meismer will issue a ruling on the potential change of venue at a later time.

A change of venue brings up many logistics issues such as finding an available courtroom for the expected duration of the trial which is estimated at three weeks.

Allen’s wish is to keep the trial in the district if a change in venue is granted. She suggested a move to Washington or Dodge County may be an option. Dakota County may also be large enough to find a jury pool with less media exposure, she said.

Lancaster was opposed to a move to Dakota County because of extensive TV and newspaper coverage there.

He brought up his experience defending Jose Sandoval for his role in Norfolk’s U.S. Bank murder cases. In that case, Sandoval was granted a change of venue to Hall County. The jury was picked there and then driven 15 miles away to Aurora in Hamilton County.

“Aurora is a similar size and makeup as Cedar County and they have a large courtroom there and they don’t have a lot of cases there. Aurora, Hamilton County, might be a place we can move this jury to,” he said.

Allen pointed out the other defendants in the U.S. Bank murder cases were tried in Madison County and their subsequent convictions were upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The lawyers also argued a motion in liminie about whether or not prosecutors can include character evidence of the Twifords being churchgoers, Gene as a military veteran, and Dana as being disabled.

That evidence doesn’t have relevance but instead is trying to pull at the sympathies of the jurors, Lancaster said.

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Editor's Note: With the recent death of longtime Hartington fixture Joe Hish, the Cedar County News did some research into his colorful life and discovered some interesting stories from the past. Reprinted from the Aug. 27, 1979, Baltimore Evening Sun

— Linell Smith

Evening Sun

MARLOW HEIGHTS, MD – Joe Hish spins off poems the way some people spit out watermelon seeds – with gusto.

‘’The longer poems usually take me about 10 to 15 minutes,’’ he says from his small office at Marlowe Heights. ‘’But it’s commercial, you know.’’

He’s the creative energy behind Mail-A-Poem, a fledgling operation aimed at the sentimental soft spot unpunctured by cards, flowers and candies.

‘’Mail-A-Poem, our new idea

We feel is very clever

Flowers are lovely, we all agree

But poetry lasts forever.’’

‘’For that special event you wish to reward

Bringing cheer to a loved one’s home

Just give us a dial and for three ninety five

We’ll send Mail-a-Poem.’’

A regular portfolio poem is two or three verses. One that's individualized for a customer starts at $7.95 and goes up according to length. The poems are printed on yellow paper resembling that used for old Western Union Telegrams. Same-day service is available and customers can pay in advance by credit card or money orders.

"Anyone who is thoughtful enough to send this type of thing would not renege on payment," Mr. Hish explains with sound authority.

He's a member of the International Entrepreneurs Association and vie president of Diversified Sales, a company that also markets baby furniture, computer sketch equipment and submarine sandwiches. "Right now Mail-A-Poem is embryonic," we're testing the market. He has signs in over 40 floral shops in Baltimore and Washington and ads in newspapers and magazines. Orders are pouring in almost as fast as he can versify.

"There hasn't been a bit of bad reaction to my poetry," he said. "People are pleased, sometimes ecstatic."

He's a slim, dapper man of  50, wearing a plaid three-piece suit, gold braided pinkie ring and matching bracelet. Today, he's babysitting Feathers, a white Maltese dog, while he reads sample poems over the phone and handles calls about Wonda Chair, a toddler's seat that can be transformed into 14 different pieces of furniture.

Tracking the muse of business has made his career as diversified as his sales.

From Hartington, Neb., "not far from where Johnny Carson comes from," he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1946 as a cryptographer with embassy and attache duties that took him to Alaska, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and Japan.

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HARTINGTON - A proposal to sell water from the City of Hartington to the Cedar-Knox Rural Water Project would be a win-win for everyone involved, Hartington Mayor Mark Becker said.

Becker addressed the Lewis & Clark Natural Resources District Board of Directors on March 22 with a proposal to sell water from Hartington's four city wells to the NRD for the rural drinking water system it oversees.

Annette Sudbeck, the district's general manager, noted the city has asked for the Cedar-Knox advisory committee to make a recommendation to the NRD board to consider hooking the rural water project up to Hartington's drinking water system.

Cedar-Knox, which has been searching for a new water source for several years, serves more than 900 rural connections – about 7,000 people – across parts of northern Cedar and Knox counties, including several sanitary improvement districts, recreational areas and businesses along Lewis and Clark Lake and the Missouri River, along with the communities of Crofton, Fordyce, St. Helena and Obert.

The rural water project currently pulls water from the river in the Devils Nest region of Knox County. Silt and the rural water system's age – it dates back to the early 1980s – have become major issues, however, and Cedar-Knox will need to find another water source sooner than later.

The NRD is currently considering a proposal that would connect the rural water project to the City of Yankton, S.D., drinking water system.

"The Cedar-Knox Rural Water Project also has on the table – reviewing the contract with the City of Yankton," Sudbeck said.

She said in March the NRD board ratified the contract with Yankton "as to form" – meaning both sides agree the contract is where they want it to be at if they were to o$cially agree to it.

The Yankton proposal would require boring and installing pipes – and other infrastructure work – under the river to bring water back to Nebraska from that city's water treatment plant.

The cost to connect Cedar-Knox to Yankton's system has been estimated at $29 million-$30 million, mainly due to the infrastructure that would need to be installed.

By connecting to Hartington's system instead of Yankton's, the rural water project would get the infrastructure and other work done at a huge savings, Becker said.

The cost of providing water to Cedar-Knox customers would also be less, he said, which could enable the rural water project to bring in even more customers.

Hooking Cedar-Knox up to Hartington's system also would provide extra revenue for the city.

The city currently has..........

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Cedar Catholic placed three Trojans on the two lists and two Lady Trojans were named.

Senior Alex Kuehn was named to the First Team along with his teammate, junior Nolan Becker.

Battle Creek also had a couple of players tabbed. Norfolk Catholic, Pierce, Wayne, Boone Central, O’Neill and Guardian Angels Central Catholic each placed one player on the list.

Trojan junior Jaymison Cattau was named to the Honorable Mention Team.

Joining Kuehn and Becker on the First Team were Nolan Fennessy (Norfolk Catholic), Drew Morrow (O’Neill), Jaxon Kilmurry (Battle Creek), Konnor Kralik (GACC), Colson Nelson (Wayne), Blake Borchers (Battle Creek), Connor Christo (Boone Central) and Deon Watts (Pierce).

Along with Cattau, the Honorable Mention list included Braxton Foxhoven (Crofton), Trent Patzel (Boone Central), Max Hammond (Norfolk Catholic), Keaton Frazier (Pierce), Caidan Backer (Wayne), Carter Janssen (Norfolk Catholic), Drue Davis (Wayne), Turner Heiss (O’Neill), Gavin Redden (Wayne), Ben Reilly (Boone Central), Myles Dinslage (GACC), MJ Wragge (Battle Creek), Bryce Bailey (GACC) and Seth Pinkelman (Crofton).

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Hartington-Newcastle, which has four first-place finishes as a team out of six competitions this year, sent 19 entries to finals at the District C2-3 speech meet it hosted – and won as a team – on March 11 and has a school-record 18 State-qualifying entries this season.

The top three finishers in each event qualified for the 2024 Nebraska School Activities Association State Speech Championships for Classes C1 and C2 on March 21 at Kearney High School.

Hartington-Newcastle senior Kennedy Gotch finished second in both Informa tive Speaking and Program of Oral Interpretation at this year’s District meet.

This will be Gotch’s third time competing at the State speech meet. Previously, she placed fourth in Informative Speaking her sophomore year in 2022 and third in Informative Speaking her junior year in 2023.

She also was the first-ever Class C2 State champion in Program of Oral Interpretation in 2023.

"Having gotten first in my (POI) event at State last year, there is definitely a cer tain amount of pressure going into it this year," Gotch said. "Despite the inevitable nervousness, I am very excited to see what this team is able to accomplish in Kearney."

Hartington-Newcastle senior Alexus Hans placed second in both Entertainment Speaking and Persuasive Speaking at this year’s District meet.

This is the second time she has qual- ified for the State contest. Last year, she competed in Entertainment Speaking and received fourth place at the State meet.

“Qualifying for the State meet is al- ways very exciting for me," Hans said. "It shows that the countless hours poured into the season have paid o and it is very rewarding."

Hartington-Newcastle senior Dayton Sudbeck placed first in both Duet Acting with fellow senior Mani Lange and Oral Interpretation of Drama with Lange, junior Cole Heimes, freshman Jason Heimes and sophomore Lainey Morten at this year’s District meet.

Sudbeck has qualified for the State contest all four years of high school and also has medaled the previous three years there.

“It is a very rewarding experience to qualify for the State meet," Sudbeck said.

“We have been working hard all year and we still have work to do before we go compete for a State title."

Hartington-Newcastle senior Emma Wubben placed first in Persuasive Speak ing at this year’s District meet.

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(Double click the images to enlarge them)

The Lady Blue Devils will now go after their ninth state title when they take on Overton. Overton is the top seed in the toureny and won the state volleyball title last fall.

Law enforcement officials – including State Patrol Capt. Dain Hicks and Knox County Sheriff Don Henery – held a press conference the morning of Feb. 21 at the Bloomfield Community Center to provide an update on the investigation.

Hicks expressed condolences from law enforcement to the families of both shooting victims – identified as Curtis “Curt” Strom, 77, and William Reffett, 49 – as well as to the entire community of Bloomfield.

“This would be a shocking event to any community, especially in a town as tight-knit as Bloomfield,” Hicks said.

Hicks noted the investigation is ongoing.

“Our goal in this investigation is to lead to a successful prosecution,” Hicks said.

At about 9:32 a.m. Feb. 20, the sheriff’s office received a report of a shooting that had occurred at Curt’s Lanes and Dining, located at 112 W. Grant St. in Bloomfield.

At that location, the sheriff’s office and Bloomfield Police Department located two deceased men, each with apparent gunshot wounds, inside the bowling alley, Hicks said.

The police department requested assistance from the State Patrol to investigate the incident.

“Shortly into the investigation, authorities detained multiple persons of interest,” Hicks said. “NSP troopers and investigators arrived on scene and began their investigation.”

During the preliminary part of the investigation, the State Patrol identified Alias Reed, 25, Bloomfield, as a person of interest. Reed was located a short time later and taken into custody.

According to the State Patrol’s investigation, Reed allegedly went to the bowling alley the morning of Feb. 20 with a shotgun, initiated an argument with Reffett and then shot Reffett. Moments later, Reed allegedly shot Strom.

Hicks noted Strom was not involved with the argument between Reed and Reffett, and shortly after the incident, Reed left the bowling alley.

Reed and Reed’s girlfriend, Kaylyne Sweazy, 27, were located a short time later at their home.

“During the investigation, troopers located the shotgun believed to be used in the murders – in a ditch along a county road several miles west of Bloomfield,” Hicks said.

Hicks noted investigators believe both Reed and Sweazy allegedly traveled to the rural location to dispose of the shotgun.

Following further investigation, Reed was arrested for two counts of first-degree murder in the case.

Hicks noted Reed – who has been lodged at the Knox County Jail in Center – also will be charged with robbery after money was found to have been stolen from the bowling alley.

Sweazy was arrested for tampering with evidence and has been lodged at the Antelope County Jail in Neligh.

“Again, our thoughts are with the families of these two victims, as well as with the entire community of Bloomfield,” Hicks said. “We understand that the community may desire more information about the details of this investigation, but our goal is for this to result in a successful prosecution.”

Funeral services for Strom are pending at Brockhaus Funeral Home in Bloomfield.

Additional details on the deceased are being withheld while law enforcement officials work to make family notifications.

The scene is secure, according to the Nebraska State Patrol.

Multiple persons of interest have been detained as part of the investigation. Law enforcement believes there is no ongoing threat to the public, according to the State Patrol.

State Patrol crime scene investigators are on scene and troopers are posted around town to ensure community safety. Additional details will be released when possible.

The State Patrol, with assistance from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Bloomfield Police Department, is handling the investigation, which is ongoing.

There are unconfirmed reports that the fatalities are connected to a shooting that occurred at the Curt’s Lanes bowling alley in Bloomfield.

Several Bloomfield businesses and Bloomfield Community Schools went into lockdown shortly after the incident.

The school district issued the following text message through its notification system at 10:29 a.m.:

“Bloomfield Community Schools is currently in secure status at the request of the Knox County Sheriff’s Department. What this means is no person into the building and no persons out of the building. Inside school goes on as scheduled. We will continue to keep everyone informed of our status as much as possible.”

Little Bees Daycare, which is connected to Bloomfield Elementary, issued a text message of its own at 10:32 a.m. to people signed up to its notification system:

“We are currently … secure. We cannot let anyone in or out at this time.”

Three Cedar Catholic wrestlers are competing today for bronze medals at the Nebraska Class C State wrestling tournament.

Maverick Heine, Bodie Hochstein and Easton Hochstein all won their Saturday morning matches to advance to their respective weight class third-place matches at the CHI Center in Omaha.

Heine then earned a 3-0 decision over Minden wrestler Logan Choquette to earn the bronze in the 113-pound match. The pair had met earlier in the tourney with Heine earning a 7-0 decision.

Twins Easton and Bodie Hochstein will also be wrestling for third-place medals. Braeden Kleinschmit and Brady Hochstein will be wrestling for fifth-place medals.

Easton Hochstein and Braeden Kleinschmit were  both undefeated Thursday and are now assured of at least a sixth-place medal at State.

Cedar’s other wrestlers faced elimination matches on Friday. Three of those wrestlers earned wins early Friday, while two were eliminated from State Tournament action.

Maverick Heine stayed alive Friday by pinning Valentine’s Louden Grooms in the first period. Heine then defeated Malcolm’s Cody Barton to advance to the medal round.

In Friday’s action,  Bodie Hochstein earned a 7-0 decision in his 126-pound wrestle back match over Keaton Kloke of David City.  Hochstein then defeated Cole Spahr of Tri County.

In the 144-pound class, Hunter Kuchta advanced by pinning Madison’s Alexander Molina late in the first round in the wrestle backs. He was then sent to the sidelines after an 11-5 loss to Gordon-Rushville’s Kyler Vincent.

Brady Hochstein earned a first-period pin over Elkhorn Valley’s Michael McFarland in his first wrestle back match. He then earned a decision over Yutan’s Jesse Kult to advance to the next round.

In the 175-pound class, Kale Korth was eliminated when Kyler Boyles of Superior earned a first-period pin.

Maverick Heine earned a 7-0 decision over  Minden’s Logan Choquette in first-round action in the 113-pound division. Ayden Wintz of Battle Creek turned Heine onto his back to earn a second-period pin and send Heine into the wrestlebacks.

In the 126-pound opener, Bodie Hochstein earned a first-period pin over Zachary Burkey of Doniphan-Trumbull. He was upset by  Cross County Osceola’s Devin Nuttlenan in the quarterfinal round.

Easton Hochstein earned a third-period pin over  Eli Streff of Pierce in opening round action in the 132-pound division.

Hoschstein earned a 6-3 decision over Hershey’s Ethan Elliot in second-round action to set up a third-round match against Boone Central’s Ethan Wood.

In the 138-pound class, Cedar Catholic’s Braeden Kleinschmit earned a narrow 6-5 decision over David City’s Brayden Johnson.  He then earned a 5-1 decision over Isaac Eckert of Elkhorn Valley.

Kleinschmit will now face top-seeded and undefeated John Alden of O’Neill.

Hunter Kuchta will have to make a long trek through the wrestlebacks if he hopes to find the medal podium, as he dropped his first  144-pound match of the day. Kuchta suffered a third-period pin against Valentine senior Will Sprenger.

He will now take on Madison’s Alexander Molina in an elimination round.

At 150,  Brady Hochstein suffered a last second 2-1 upset loss to Broken  Bow’s William Moninger. He now takes on Elkhorn Valley’s Michael McFarland in an elimination round.

Kale Korth earned a third-period pin over Broken Bow’s Brice Chaplin. He suffered an 11-7 setback in second-round action against Crofton-Bloomfield’s Brock Jeannoutot.  Korth will now face either Kyler Boyles of Superior or Spencer Pagels of Tekamah-Herman in the wrestlebacks.

In the girls tournament, Madison Kuchta suffered a second-period pin to  Gina Alba of Schuyler.  She will now face Omaha Westview’s Praizh  Suggs.

Class C

Team scoring: Battle Creek 52, Amherst 37, Broken Bow 35, St. Paul 33, Minden 31, Crofton/Bloomfield 30, David City 29, O’Neill 28, Cedar Catholic 26, Wilber-Clatonia 26, Doniphan-Trumbull 25, Syracuse 23, Fillmore Central 21.5, Central City 21, Chase County 21, Mitchell 16, Wahoo Neumann 15, Logan View 14, Malcolm 14, Falls City 13, Pierce 13, Thayer Central 13, Yutan 13, Boone Central 11, Hershey 11, Kearney Catholic 10, Oakland-Craig 10, Valentine 10, Chadron 9.5, Cross County/Osceola 9, Gibbon 9, Madison 9, Elkhorn Valley 8, Hi-Line 8, Wood River 7, Johnson County 6, Clarkson-Leigh 4, Milford 4, North Bend 4, Raymond Central 4, Superior 4, Gordon-Rushville 3, Arlington 2, Columbus Scotus 2, Tri-County 2, Centura 0, Conestoga 0, EMF 0, Gothenburg 0, Louisville 0, Norfolk Catholic 0, Ord 0, Red Cloud/Blue Hill 0, Tekamah-Herman 0, Tri-County 0, West Point Beemer 0.