Week of January 23, 2025
Week of January 23, 2025
SIDNEY--The City Council of Sidney met on Tuesday night, January 14, and the most prominent agenda item was selecting a new City Council member to fill the remainder of Paul Strommen's term. Strommen resigned his seat on the council after winning the election as a State Senator representing the 47th District in Nebraska in November 2024. There were only three members of the council present for the meeting, as Strommen's seat started the session vacant, and Mayor Brad Sherman was on a vacation...
An evening drenched in rhinestones and BBQ sauce, the 2024 Cheyenne County Chamber Banquet kicked off to a large crowd on Saturday, January 18, 2025. Held at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds, the evening's emcees were local DJs from Projekt:3D, Lucy and Don Davis, in their fourth year of hosting the evening awards. Opening the event with a heartfelt rendition of the National Anthem, sung by the Sun-Telegraph's own Kelsey Arrington, the evening of community camaraderie was kicked off with a...
SIDNEY--On Thursday, January 16, 2025, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen stopped in Sidney for a town-hall style meeting at WNCC, and he spoke about tax reform, values, and other topics while taking questions from citizens attending the meeting. On January 15, Pillen delivered his "State of the State" address, and then came out west the next day for smaller "town hall" style meetings in McCook and Sidney. The Sidney meeting was well-attended and Pillen spoke for almost an hour and a half, fielding...
SIDNEY-- On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, the City of Sidney swore in a new Council Member, and the initial reaction from many in the community was unfamiliarity with the new appointee. Brett Kerkman was appointed to fill out the rest of Paul Strommen's term, about two years. Strommen, who also acted as Vice-Mayor, resigned his seat to take office as District 47's new State Senator in the Nebraska Legislature. With the opening also came controversy, as supporters of the candidate who earned third...
Nebraska Extension is offering a valuable opportunity for farmers and ranchers to learn about transition planning at a free workshop on January 28,2025 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Panhandle Research, Extension, and Education Center, located at 4502 Ave I in Scottsbluff. Jessica Groskopf, Nebraska Extension Educator, will lead the session, providing essential tools and strategies for farmers and ranchers to plan and execute estate and succession plans effectively. Participants will also gain...
Lyle J. Melchior, 84, a lifelong Sidney resident, died peacefully surrounded by his family, at Sidney Regional Medical Center on Friday, January 17, 2025. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Sidney with Father Lou and Father Tim officiating. Burial will follow in the Greenwood Cemetery with Military Honors provided by American Legion Post #17. Visitation will be held at St. Patrick's on Friday, January 24, 2025 from 1:00...
Kathleen Edwards, age 98, of Sidney passed away on January 14, 2025 at the Sidney Regional Medical Center. Following her wishes, cremation has taken place and no services will be held at this time. A Celebration of Life will be held this summer. Memorials in Kathleen's name can be made to the James and Kathleen Edwards Memorial Landscaping Fund at the Faith Methodist Church. You may view Kathleen's Book of Memories, leave condolences, photos and stories at www.gehrigstittchapel.com....
What came as both a shocking and devastating diagnosis at the end of November 2024 has turned into community support and outreach for a local family suffering with pediatric cancer. Young Beckett Block, a two year old from the quiet village of Lodgepole, and his family's lives were forever changed after a bout of what they thought was “just a virus.” A trip by helicopter to Children’s Hospital in Denver would reveal Beckett’s true condition, high risk (stage 4) neuroblastoma with...
COZAD--On January 10, 2025, two of the qualifiers from the local Elks Hoop Shoot free-throw competition got to compete at the District Qualifier at Cozad. Brooks Behrends won in the 8-9 year old division and Kasen Miller won in the 10-11 year old division to qualify for the State competition on February 22, 2025 at York High School in York, Nebraska. If the boys win in York, they will qualify for the Regional Competition, and be just one step away from the National Elks Hoop Shoot Finals in...
The Peetz Bulldog Boys Basketball team continued their strong showing this season with two big home wins, the first on January 15 and the second on January 17. On January 15, the Bulldogs hosted the Arickaree Bison, and the teams had a tough battle in a low-scoring first quarter that had Arickaree earning a one point advantage at the end of the period, 12-to-11. But Arickaree got their offense in gear in the second quarter, and outscored the Bulldogs 21-to-16 to take a 33-to-27 lead at the...
After jumping out to 8-and-0 start, Sidney dropped four out of the past five games to drop to 9-and-4 on the season until they were able to snap a three-game skid with a big win over North Platte on January 18. The boys had lost to Sterling, McCook, and Ogallala before they were able to get back on the winning track against North Platte. The Lady Raiders made it six in a row by defeating North Platte, and have not lost since the overtime defeat by Cheyenne East in December. On Friday, January...
The Sidney Red Raider Wrestling teams had a busy past week as they competed in Bridgeport on Thursday January 16, 2025, then traveled to Chase County for a Duals competition on January 17, and finally the Chase County Invitational on January 18. Both the boys and the girls squads wrestled well and had success in all of these competitions. On January 16, the busy stretch started with a Dual competition in Bridgeport. The boys team was able to win by a score of 40-to-36. Individual wins by Pin...
"God spoke to Moses, 'Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground'." Exodus 3:5. Moses' encounter with God on a mountainside reveals much about how we might act if the Lord suddenly stood before us. Apparently, we'd advise God that we're not qualified for whatever He came to talk to us about! One year some 300 saleswomen met at Omaha, Nebraska. I was chosen as the keynote speaker. My assignment was to inspire, encourage and challenge these saleswomen to...
While digging back into my brain to dredge up some old memories of things my parents, grandparents and teachers talked about I've come up with some things we should think about these days. "Such as?" you ask, adding "What could be relevant to us younger folks of today?" Well, how about who did most of the grape harvesting in California way back in the 1900's until relatively recent years? Bet you don't know the answer. In my youth, yeah I was young once, I remember traveling with mom and dad to...
We all need to take a break from the daily grind. Evenings, weekends, holidays, and vacations provide us with an opportunity to rest, recharge, and recoup. Without these recovery periods, there is a greatly increased risk of burnout. Proper balance is important. However, there is a big difference between healthy regeneration time and escaping reality to avoid dealing with issues that require some type of action. A normal break gives you the chance to reenergize in order to better handle life....
This week, America is closing the book on President Biden's record of failures. His policies gave our country high prices and overregulation. The American dream became less attainable for hardworking families. Biden's overspending, bureaucratic overreach, and anti-energy policies caused this. I'm working with President Trump to cut the red tape and provide relief. The Biden administration's reckless, partisan spending sent inflation through the roof. Consumer prices have increased more than...
