A 22-year-old Norfolk man is dead following a shooting northeast of Stanton on Wednesday. At this time, no foul play is suspected in the death, according to law enforcement.

Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger said a call came in about 2:15 p.m. regarding a a shooting at a farm house on 840th Road about five miles northeast of Stanton. Upon arriving at the scene a male victim was located outside at the house deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. While no firearm was located near the body, upon clearing the residence a handgun was located inside the residence.

Unger said the male, who has not been identified publicly, did not reside at the location, but he did have a reason to be there.

The Sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate the manner of death, evidence was collected at the scene and a forensic post-mortem is being scheduled in Omaha.

“We don’t believe foul play is involved, but until we get all the evidence collected, examined and a post-mortem is done, we cannot definitely say,” Unger said.
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Unger said several persons have been interviewed regarding the incident, and the Sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate.
“There is no belief that there is any threat to public safety at this time,” Unger said.

​As Dave Stoddard and Chip Bartos stood on opposite sides of the field Friday night, they were opponents.

But as they hugged after Stanton won the 40-28 battle, their friendship was evident.

“I have a lot of respect for him,” Central Valley coach Chip Bartos said about Stoddard. “We talk a lot as eight-man coaches. That’s how this game came to be.”

It was Stoddard who first approached Bartos about a possible matchup. When Bartos received the email from Stanton’s head coach, he wasn’t immediately sold on playing the Class D1 defending state champion.

“What did we have to lose? What did Stanton have to lose?” Bartos asked. “Stanton was bringing everyone back, so this became a fun game against someone they wouldn’t see the rest of the year — but someone who would challenge them. I got peer pressure from a couple buddies, so here we are.”

Both coaches said the desire to play one another was mutual, especially after Stoddard discovered Class D2 teams didn’t want to play Central Valley. Central Valley actually put West Holt their top priority opponent and Stanton as No. 2. 

The Cougars ended up playing both teams this season and going 1-1 against them.

As the game became closer, all eyes seemed to be on the two teams. Stanton was ranked No. 1 in Class D1 and Central Valley was No. 1 or No. 2, depending on the poll. Stanton was trailing heading into the final quarter in Wolbach. But the Mustangs scored 16 unanswered points to secure the win and stay undefeated. 

“This is a team where you can see why they’re No. 1, No. 2 in D2,” Stoddard said. “This is why we put them on the schedule. We knew it would be a dogfight.”

The two coaches laughed as they embraced. While Stanton may have won the game, Bartos said Central Valley may have won more — points just for playing up and a chance to test his team without having the loss really affect them. After all, they didn’t slip in most polls and remain second behind Sandhills Thedford.

“That’s the best part of this. That’s what I wanted out of this game,” Bartos said. “I wanted to know where we were weak and how to improve.”
Stoddard admitted it was a dangerous game, but it was also a game he wanted for his players. As the Mustangs met in the middle of the Cougar field after the game, he told his players it would be a battle to defend their title. 

“This was a battle, and it’s going to be every game,” he said. “This was a great team, and we are going to see more great teams.”
Bartos previously coached at Wausa and has made a name for himself at Central Valley, which has a reputation for strong football from the days of Greeley and Greeley/Wolbach. 

“With what Chip is doing, they’re really well coached,” Stoddard said. “They are really physical team, and he’s doing some great things at Central Valley.”

Bartos was a bit taken back by Stoddard’s compliment. 

“I appreciate that he has respect for me because I haven’t done anything yet, and he’s a very successful coach. He deserves all the credit. He has a great team — him and his assistants,” Bartos said, giving compliments back to Stoddard. “I’ve taken a lot of things from him, like how he runs his program. The leadership stuff he does and giving ownership to the kids,” Bartos said. “What he’s done with the Stanton program to continue building the foundation is incredible. They are a powerhouse year after year, and it’s something special.”

​The teams won’t see each other again for an entire year. Since the NSAA released two-year schedules, the teams will meet again in 2025. Next time, they’ll play in Stanton. 

A Stanton County farmer was rescued Sunday night after being trapped in a corn bin.
Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger said a 911 call was received at 7:03 p.m. Sunday with an 84-year-old male was trapped in a bin with corn up to his neck about five miles northwest of Stanton off of 563rd Avenue.
Deputies were on scene in less than five minutes. Stanton Fire and Rescue and Norfolk Fire and Rescue arrived shortly after.
“Fortunately the farmer had tied himself off with a rope around his waist and that stopped him from going completely under the unstable corn as his rope tightened,” Unger said. “Efforts were then undertaken to stabilize the corn around him using grain bin rescue shields, and two firefighters entered the grain bin while tethered to safety lines as other first responders used a large grain vacuum to suck corn from around the victim.”
After nearly an hour, the farmer was rescued and removed from inside of the bin. Stanton County Public Power assisted by lifting the victim from the top of the bin to the ground. LifeNet was on scene and assisted local EMTs with evaluating the victim before he was taken by ambulance to Father Regional Health Services in Norfolk.
“This was a true team effort that led to a successful conclusion of a very dangerous farm accident that often has a darker outcome,” Unger said.

UPDATED: Oct. 27, 2023 at 12:05 p.m. 
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Two people were injured, including a Stanton teenager, in an accident north of Stanton this morning near the intersection of 844 Road and 565 Ave, according to Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger.

The injuries were originally believed to be non-life threatening. Both were transported to Faith Regional in Norfolk. The teen has since been airlifted to Omaha for treatment of his injuries.

According to Sheriff's Office, just before 8 a.m. Friday, a two-vehicle injury accident at the intersection of 844th and Ridge Road and about nine miles north of Stanton. The accident occurred when an eastbound SUV driven by Jeffrey Kollath, 42, of rural Stanton turned north onto Ridge Road (565th Ave) and was struck by a southbound car on Ridge Road driven by a 17-year-old male.

Both vehicles left the roadway and came to rest on their tops in the northeast ditch. Kollath was able to exit his vehicle, however the teen in the second vehicle was trapped inside his wreckage and was removed by members of the sheriff’s office. Both the teen and Kollath were transported to FRHS by Stanton and Hoskins/Woodland Park rescue units.

Unger said seatbelts were not in use in the teen's vehicle and airbags deployed in both vehicles. Both vehicles were total losses and speed may have been a contributing factor on the gravel roads. Stanton County Emergency Management assisted the Sheriff’s office at the scene.

​It was the first play of the football season, and Stanton set up in an A formation — just the way Patric Brechbill called it days before he succumbed to cancer.

“I told the guys, ‘You know what the first play will be,’ ” football coach David Stoddard said. “It was an A Power Keep Left, and Becker Pohlman got the first down. We took the team to see Patric a couple of days before he passed away, and he called the first play so we ran it for him.”

Pohlman picked up 12 yards and a first down against Riverside. That play started what has become a special season for the Stanton football team. At 9-0, they are the top seed in the Class D1 playoffs.

Pohlman, who is a junior on the team and was coached by Brechbill in junior high, said there’s no doubt the late coach is with the Mustangs this season.

“One hundred percent,” Pohlman said. “When we were there visiting him, he said he’d make it to our first game that following week, but he passed away before that. Our whole team was thinking about Mr. Brechbill, so we played for him. So 100 percent — he is part of our team.”

​Brechbill, a longtime teacher at Stanton Community School, fought a courageous 22-month battle with cancer. Hundreds gathered to remember and honor the 58-year-old, who passed away Aug. 16 surrounded by family and friends at his home.

Brechbill was an open book about his battle, which began in 2021 when his femur suddenly broke as he got out of bed. It was after that the social studies teacher was told he had cancer in his leg and kidney.

As his health was failing, Brechbill’s wife, Amy, spoke with Stoddard about having the players meet with her husband at their home. They visited him just days before his death.

“He was ecstatic,” she said. “He powered through a lot of visits in his last few days. He never turned anyone away, and that smile on his face tells everything — how important those boys were and that team was. He coached all those kids in junior high, so it’s a great group of kids.”
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The Mustangs spent about 30 minutes with Brechbill, sharing stories and memories. Stoddard said it was the best and most difficult 30 minutes they had with him.

“When he saw the kids, the look on his face was everything,” Stoddard said. “It was a tough moment, but it was important. It meant a lot to him and to our kids.”

For Pohlman, who ran the play Brechbill called, it was a visit he’ll never forget.

“He was the greatest guy. He coached everyone on the team in junior high. He’s always supported us,” Pohlman said. “Knowing that, we wanted to support him throughout his battle with cancer. Seeing that smile, it meant a lot to him. It wasn’t just the football team there — it was the ENTIRE football team. Everyone was there for him.”

​It impacted Garrett Hansen as well. The junior center and defensive tackle tapes his wrist before each game. As long as he has a marker nearby, the initials P.B. are written on that tape to remind him of his former coach.

“It’s a little something to help me remember. He was one of our biggest supporters. When we made a touchdown in junior high, he gave every one of us a high five. He loved on us,” Hansen said. “As soon as our football team walked in that day, we had an impact on him. It was awesome to make him so happy. It was really nice to put that big of a smile on his face.”

When Brechbill was diagnosed, the community, especially his Mustang family, immediately embraced him. His students gave him a signed banner to hang in his hospital room. With more than 200 signatures wrapped around the words “Keep Fightin’ Mr. Brechbill,” the six-foot piece of paper held much more than the names of the middle and high school students. It held hope and inspiration.

“We taped that thing in my hospital room in Omaha,” said Brechbill, choking up as he spoke to the Stanton Register not long after his initial diagnosis. “It was really spine chilling to see our whole school on it. This is why we choose to live in a small town. This is where people come together.”

Originally from Aurora, Brechbill often said he was late to teaching. He graduated high school in 1983 and earned his degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1990. Brechbill had a stint in construction before settling on teaching.

He and Amy were married in 1996 and moved from Lincoln to Stanton in 2002. While Brechbill accepted a job teaching at Stanton, Amy began working for Norfolk radio station US92 as on-air personality Kristi Green.

With two young children, Brechbill said they wanted to find a small town to raise their family. Both children went to Stanton K-12 with Tommie graduating in 2015 and Sally in 2017. In the fall of 2004, Brechbill joined the coaching staff of Stanton’s high school football team.

“It warms my heart to know the kids loved him that much,” his wife said. “The football program was so important to Pat. I don’t think in the 21 years we lived here, there was a year that he didn’t coach some kind of football, whether it was little kids, high school or junior high.”

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​Hansen said every good football coach can be intense, but Brechbill was the type of coach who could have fun with the players but pushed them to be the best they could be. Hansen said he learned many lessons from Brechbill, but above all, it was to treat everyone with respect and compassion and like you want to be treated.

“That’s the way he was. He loved on everybody and was everyone’s biggest fan,” he said. “I guess that’s what he taught me. Treat everyone like you want to be treated.”

Amy said her late husband thought so much of the players.

“Pat wanted the kids to not only succeed on the field, but also in the classroom and in life,” she said.

Since his death, Amy has been sorting through her husband’s things. Seeing all the plays he drew up brings a smile to her face.

“He was constantly creating new football plays or writing down plays he knew. I keep finding all this scratch paper with these different plays,” she said with a chuckle.

The Mustangs have another reminder of Brechbill this season. Each helmet has a round sticker with his initials in it. Hansen said the stickers are a reminder that the season is much bigger than just the players and coaches on the team.

“It reminds us that we’re not just playing for a state championship. We’re playing for our hometown, our community, football program and our supporters, like Mr. Brechbill. It’s not a big thing, but it means a lot,” Hansen said.

Amy admitted she hasn’t seen the football team play in person yet this year. She hopes to, but she’s just not quite ready yet. Stanton will take on Summerland at home Friday in the second round of the playoffs. With a win, they’ll advance to the quarterfinals and continue their quest for the perfect season. As long as the Mustangs continue to win, Amy will have more time to work up the courage to attend a game.

Amy knows when the time comes, she’ll feel her husband’s presence beside his players.

“This is a special year for those guys, and maybe a little bit of it has to do with Pat,” she said. “I know he’s on the sideline with them.”

Two teens are in custody after shots were allegedly fired in Woodland Park early Saturday morning.

The Stanton County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to contact them immediately if anyone located a 9mm pistol in the area. Sheriff Mike Unger said the handgun allegedly used in the incident has not been located and is believed to have been discarded by the shooter in a field southwest of the elementary school.

Unger said at about 2:13 a.m. on Saturday morning the Stanton County Sheriff’s office responded to a shots fired call in the residential area just east of the Woodland Park elementary school. Multiple 911 calls reported four to six gunshots and at least one male running from the area.

Within six minutes of the initial call, the first arriving deputy observed a male and female walking near the school and he observed clearly the male had a handgun sticking out of his pants pocket. The male and female were detained at gunpoint until additional units arrived. That handgun turned out to be a very real and authentic looking toy/prop pistol.

Later the 14-year-old male who was detained was going to be placed in a patrol unit as he was on probation and when he ran off on foot and refused to obey commands to stop after being advised he was under arrest. During this time, it was determined that a third person had also been present and most likely fired the shots that were reported.

The 13-year-old female from Norfolk was found to also be on diversion and initially refused to identify the other male involved. The offender that had run from law enforcement was finally located and taken into custody near his Woodland Park residence. Another juvenile male was observed at the residence at that time and refused to cooperate or give his name.

The 14-year-old shooter from Norfolk was ultimately identified, and it turned out to be the youth that had refused to cooperate when asked to identify himself. He was again confronted by members of the Sheriff’s office and advised that he was under arrest at which time he physically began to resist efforts to secure him in handcuffs and had to be physically subdued. The handgun used in the shooting was not located at that time and he refused to talk to authorities. Unger said 9mm ammunition was later found concealed in his crotch area during a search.

“Both juvenile males were referred to probation officers for their probation violations and new charges and the probation office initially declined to detain either male, however they did ultimately authorize the detention of both 14-year-old males at the Madison JDC after prodding from the Sheriff’s office,” according to the press release. “Both males are on probation for a laundry list of offenses including assault.”

Unger said the juvenile female was cited and released to her mother. As of 8:45 a.m., Saturday morning the handgun was not located and is believed it was discarded by the shooter in a field southwest of the elementary school. The Norfolk Police Division K-9 assisted in a ground search for the firearm and if anyone would locate a 9mm pistol please contact the Sheriff’s office immediately.
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“This is an example of our broken system, when criminal violators on probation cannot be automatically detained and placed in a secured facility, sometimes young people have to be held accountable for their criminal actions and locked up,” Unger said. “Especially in cases were guns, knives, unlawful or violent acts are undertaken by anyone.”