VALENTINE, Neb. — A slate of high-profile cases is scheduled to move forward Thursday in Cherry County District Court, ranging from a wind farm lawsuit to criminal cases involving an infant’s death and multiple stabbings.

One case set for a Zoom hearing involves BSH Kilgore’s lawsuit against Cherry County, the Cherry County Board of Commissioners, the Cherry County Board of Adjustment and the county’s former zoning administrator. As News Channel Nebraska has previously reported, the wind energy company is challenging the county’s determination that its conditional use permit expired and that the project failed to meet all 12 required conditions.

Also expected in court is a Crookston woman charged in connection with the death of her 10-month-old foster child. Aquila Herman, 31, was originally charged with manslaughter, first-degree assault and intentional child abuse resulting in death. All charges except intentional child abuse resulting in death have since been dismissed.

According to court documents, Herman called 911 at 12:44 a.m. on Oct. 8, 2024, reporting that her foster child had fallen from his bed and was unresponsive. The infant was later identified as Benjamin Yellow Eyes.

Payton Bernie, 29, of Norfolk is scheduled for a pretrial hearing. Bernie faces felony charges of possession of a firearm while committing a felony and making terroristic threats.

Court records state Bernie is accused of stealing a handgun from a vehicle in Valentine in November 2024. Law enforcement was later dispatched to a residence where Bernie allegedly waved a handgun at a man and his daughter. Authorities said they later located Bernie walking near the intersection of Cherry Street and Second Street, where he allegedly had the stolen gun and several “shooter” bottles of alcohol.

Two women are also scheduled to be sentenced for their roles in two separate stabbing cases.

Sharayne Herman, 28, of Valentine has pleaded guilty to first-degree assault. A second felony charge, use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, was dismissed. According to an arrest affidavit, police responded July 16 to a residence in the 300 block of North Valentine Street, where officers found a man with a stab wound to the upper left side of his chest.

A 53-year-old St. Francis, South Dakota woman, Cynthia Poorman, is also scheduled to be sentenced after pleading guilty to first-degree assault. A charge of using a deadly weapon to commit a felony was dropped.

Court documents state authorities were called to Cherry County Hospital on Aug. 16 for a stabbing victim who had been injured in the back and suffered internal injuries to a kidney. The victim was later flown to a hospital in Kearney.

Investigators said the victim, Jonathan Blind Man, had been involved in a fight outside the Main Street Apartments with Poorman’s brother, Will. According to the affidavit, Will told authorities he slipped during the fight and was kicked in the face twice. He said his sister then intervened and stabbed Blind Man in the back.

A passerby later reported seeing a man walking near Third and Hall streets with blood on his back and offered him a ride to the hospital.