Phonograph-The DECEMBER 23, 2020 Herald Happy Holidays! St. Paul, Howard County, Nebraska • USPS 430-720 • Volume 147, Number 52 • 14 Pages + Pre-Prints City Still Has No Top Cop Candidates for History Just two weeks after St. Paul Mayor Joel Bergman chose not to reappoint Marcus Paczosa to the po- sition of Chief of Police, creating a vacancy at the head of the municipality’s police department, the Mayor attempted to fill the spot on Monday. During the St. Paul City Council’s second meeting of the month of December, two items on the agenda pertained to the appoint- ment of a new chief and the reorganization of the de- partment. The first item was to ap- point Sergeant Scott Greenwalt to the position, with that item also includ- ing an action item to pro- mote Matt Costello to the position of Police Sergeant. The second item was to approve advertising for the hiring of a new City Law Enforcement Officer. However, combined both items took just sec- onds to tackle as there was no movement on the issue. “Sergeant Greenwalt Howard County historical has decided to decline the Chief position, so that kind of takes care of all of those items currently,” said survey completed Mayor Joel Bergman when the Council got to that point in the meeting. Over the span of the Kate Hewlings, survey “The hope is to sup- “Scott, we appreciate it. last year, History Ne- and GIS coordinator for port community – led You are still doing a good braska has been survey- History Nebraska told the preservation incentives; job doing what you are ing structures throughout Phonograph-Herald, “but the main goal is to iden- doing.” Howard County to assess this is the first time we’ve tify and document poten- On Monday, Greenwalt their historical value. The done a formal survey, tially historic structures,” was on hand for the meet- project is part of a larger where something like our she said. “Sometimes ing as, in the absence of a effort by the organization, Historic Survey Report there’s not really a record chief, it was his role to started in the early 1980s, has come out of it.” of some of these struc- St. Libory brief members of the coun- to locate structures and The goal of such sur- tures, and the hope is that CathoLiC cil on police activity during districts of potential his- veys, added the coordina- by creating a record, we ChurCh, the departments’ reports torical significance tor, is to raise community give towns a chance to built in 1953, is one of portion of the meeting. throughout the state as a awareness of and garner use that data. the more modern During his brief remarks, whole. Howard County— community interest in “We see urban plan- structures included in the Sergeant did comment alongside Furnas, Fill- local places of historical ners use that data; some- History Nebraska’s that the Department was more, and Garfield significance, to support times, city administrators survey of historic working on “transitioning counties—was one of the local preservation initia- will. Property owners can buildings in Howard over the changes.” last counties to be for- tives, and to support local be eligible for tax cred- County. The church’s The vacancy at the top mally surveyed in the attempts to submit places its,” she added, “if they campanile, or Italian bell of the Department was state. of historical interest to get on to the national reg- tower, pictured, is an questioned on one other “We’ve surveyed parts the National Register of ister and get listed. uncommon feature for a occasion on Monday, when of the county before,” Historic Places. John Thiel, during the pub- (Continued on Page 6) rural church. lic comment portion of the meeting, questioned the mayor about what was (Continued on Page 3) After Lengthy Battle, Cole and Grammer Meet the Chair What follows is the third sumed involvement in her of Mrs. Vogt published ings where they were ob- sumed veracity of Gram- constantly contested the le- and final installment in the murder. Just four days later, publicly in the Phonograph tained, would know that mer and Cole’s signed con- gitimacy of the confessions Phonograph-Herald’s se- A.B. Cole would be ar- on July 26th, a mere three they were genuine and that fessions, which would lead and the nature under which ries of stories looking back rested in Wisconsin under weeks after the the young men to the case being drawn out they were attained, and on the first deaths by elec- suspicion of committing murder took were unburden- for nearly two years. questioned the impartiality tric current carried out in the deed following a prom- place, the case PART III ing their guilty As Grammer constantly of the jury. the state of Nebraska. ise of a $500 payout from seemed to be, at minds that they maintained his innocence, Though his story would - - - - Grammer. least in the eyes might obtain the and as Cole faltered, change a few times, Cole Mrs. Lulu Vogt was of local law enforcement, peace that comes to a changing his accounting of initially denied the authen- murdered in the early pre- The Courts the Pinkerton Detective wrongdoer after making a the events multiple times ticity of the opening lines dawn hours of July 5th. By “The only way for him to Agency, and much of the confession,” reads the April over the years, the cohorts of his confession, attesting that afternoon, her body tell the ‘truth’...” public, open and shut. 17th, 1919 edition of the were granted reprieve after that Howard County Attor- had been found and identi- With the sole suspects in “Our readers who had Phonograph. reprieve, moving between ney Dobry had told him fied; by July 11th, A.V. custody, and with signed the privilege of reading the But, it would be this the district court and the that he was going to be Grammer, Vogt’s son-in- confessions as to their re- confessions, and were fa- very certainty, predicated Nebraska Supreme Court, (Continued on Page 6) law, was in custody for pre- spective roles in the murder miliar with the surround- almost solely on the pre- as the defense for the two Some hoLiday Cheer was provided to basketball fans on Friday night as members of the Wildcats’ Dance Team performed a holiday mashup during halftime of last week’s game between St. Paul and Arcadia/Loup City. The dance team includes, left, Kaylee Allen, Gracie Ackles, Ellie Thede, Pilar Arellano, Rowynn Hansel, Maya Becker, Tayla Goettsche, Jacie Ambrose, Teegan Hansel, Ahna Jerabek, and Camryn Morgan. (Michael Happ) Page 2 Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Phonograph-Herald • St. Paul, NE District One Board Hears COVID-19 Update The With the fall semester tary grades. also briefed on the new winding down, the St. Paul Mr. Poppert pointed out guidelines released by the Phonograph-Herald Board of Education had that while the students and Nebraska School Activities Board Sees Early Wednesday, December 23, 2020 • Volume 147 • Issue 48 just a handful of items to staff at St. Paul Schools Association earlier that day address when they gath- had done a remarkable job for winter sports. Plans for Possible 406 Howard Ave. • P.O. Box 27 • St. Paul, NE 68873 ered for their December amid tough circumstances, The new guidelines, Phone 308-754-4401 • Fax 308-754-4498 meeting last Monday night. it took a lot of work. which opened up atten- Building Project USPS 430-720 • [email protected] www.phonographherald.com And, while the board “We have used over half dance slightly for extra The St. Paul Board of Ed- tackled several items of of our 150 gallons of hand curricular activities, kept Published every Wednesday ucation continues their work by Michael Happ. new business, taking center sanitizer that we got for many of the same restric- to examine the 1920, three- stage at the meeting was an free,” Mr. Poppert said, tions in place that the As- Periodical postage paid at St. Paul, NE 68873 informal dis- “and we are sociation’s member story structure on the north- east corner of the school’s Official newspaper for Howard County, City of St. Paul, cussion con- still squirting schools had been operating Villages of Boelus, Cotesfield, Cushing, Dannebrog, Elba, cerning how hand sanitizer under earlier in the month. campus and just how that building fits into the future Farwell and Wolbach. the district every morning, That move by the NSAA Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel was fairing “I think kids are every period, came after Nebraska Gov- of the district’s facility needs. Last Monday night, in the any advertisement any time. amid the doing great. I think and before ernor Pete Ricketts had al- C OV I D - 1 9 lunch. lowed the state to move middle of the St. Paul Board Member of the Nebraska Press Association pandemic. everyone is doing “Also, we from the “orange” phase of of Education’s December and National Press Association While St. pretty well. If we are still doing his risk assessment dial to meeting, members were treated to a presentation Subscription Rates: Paul Public are smart over the masks.” the “yellow” phase, which Schools had On top of relaxed capacity restric- from BVH Architecture in $33 per year for people in Howard, Sherman, Merrick, seen an uptick Christmas and encouraging tions on indoor venues, which Darin Hanigan, the Greeley, Valley, Nance, Hall, and Buffalo Counties in the number people just figures to re- such as gymnasiums.