Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
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During their regular meeting, the Sidney Public Schools Board of Education unanimously voted to extend the contract of Superintendent Jay Ehler for the 2016-17 school year. Ehler served as a history teacher, a basketball coach and principal at Sidney High School before accepting the superintendent position in April 2012. He stepped down as head coach of the basketball team at that time. Along with his renewal of his contract, Ehler will receive a 2.5 percent increase in his salary, to $136,350....
More than 20 pieces of art by Leyton Public School students in grades 9 through 12 are on display at the Sidney Public Library through Saturday, April 16, in the children's section. This is the fifth year the library has displayed artwork from Leyton students....
Middle and high school students who were named a student of the month for March at Sidney Public Schools were honored at Monday's regular school board meeting. The award acknowledges students for superior academic performance or dramatic improvement, exceptional work effort toward a particular class project, outstanding contribution to the class, leadership exhibited in the class or school, citizenship emphasized and modeled, or for service to the school. Students honored with the award also...
Mary Carrick is set to perform a concert for the Sidney area this Saturday, April 16, at 7 p.m. in the Sidney High School Performing Arts Center. Carrick originates from the small town of Mount Pleasant, Iowa. She attended college in Illinois graduating with her Bachelor of Music before moving to Omaha, where she has called home for the past 17 years. "It will be that way for the indefinite future," Carrick said. Music was a part of growing up for Carrick, as her mother was a piano and...
Demolition began Friday for Virgil's Mexican Restaurant, a long-standing local restaurant in Sidney that has been a community fixture since the early 1980's. The restaurant, owned and operated by Rudy and Stella Virgil alongside other family members, began in a building on Illinois St. in 1974 before moving to its long-time location on 11th Ave. in 1982....
The Cheyenne County Art Guild is holding its 43rd annual spring art show this weekend, showcasing more than 20 pieces from area artists. "The pieces submitted are professional to semi professional, and are mostly available for purchase," Art Guild President Cindy Egging said. The Cheyenne County Art Guild was established in 1976 by Paul Atkins and Jan Pippit. Egging said the group is currently comprised of about 30 members who meet once a month and hold mini workshops where they get the...
Sidney High School students and the community will be getting the opportunity to experience and learn about hispanic culture next week when the school hosts Cultural Expressions, an event which will feature art, dance and poetry influenced by Chicano traditions. In December, 15 students won first place for creating a mural and an accompanying skit at a cultural expressions competition in Denver. The event was sponsored by the Journey through our Heritage program, under the Metropolitan State...
Jury selection and a trial date are set for a Sidney woman who is charged with 21 counts of burglary. In court Wednesday morning, Mindy Richmond, who is charged with 21 counts of felony burglary, waved her right to a speedy trial. "It is often the case that cases may need extended time frames," Judge Derek Weimer said. Weimer set jury selection for 8:30 a.m. on Friday, June 17. The trial is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, June 20. "Considering the nature of the charges, I'm bringing in a la...
The Sidney boys basketball team isn't the only group from the school to appear in the state tournament. Eight members of the Sidney High choir will perform the national anthem at the Class D1 boys basketball state championship game in Lincoln at 9 a.m. CST on Saturday, March 12. Sidney's choir was chosen out of 135 audition recordings by the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA). According to Dan Masters, NSAA assistant director, the state organization posted that it would accept...
Two mountain lion sightings have been reported near Sidney, Cheyenne County Sheriff John Jenson said Monday. One sighting was approximately five miles southeast of Sidney. The other sighting was on the north side of Sidney near the Cheyenne Villa Apartment Complex, Jenson said in a press release. Code Enforcement Officer Joanie Matthes said this is not a common occurrence. "In 16 years, this is only the second call on a mountain lion," Matthes said. Local law enforcement looked for signs of the...
Andrea Herrod and her daughter, Isabella, work together to figure out a math problem at South Elementary's Math Night on Monday....
The High Plains Chapter of Pheasants Forever was awarded the 2015 Habitat Chapter of the Year Award at the organization's national convention last week. The award was presented to the local chapter at the National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic, the group's largest event, held in Kansas City. The Habitat Chapter of the Year Award is bestowed on the leading chapter for habitat conservation and mission delivery over the course of the year. "These model affiliates show what's possible when chapter...
Region 21 Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service (NWS) in Cheyenne, Wyo., is teaming up to offer a Severe Weather Spotter Training this week. The training will be held 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at the Sidney High School Auditorium. It is free for anyone to attend. According to Ron Leal, director of Region 21 Emergency Management, the training is offered every spring. Of the various topics taught at the training, participants will learn about cloud formation, how hail is formed,...
A sixth grade class at West Elementary in Sidney participated in the American History Essay Contest, sponsored by the Ft. Sidney chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Sarah Wilson, a sixth grade teacher at West Elementary, said this is the third year the class has participated in the essay project. The classes topic this year was 'A Colonial Family's Reaction to the Stamp Act'. According to Carol Mason, with DAR, the topic is set by the national officers in Washington, D.C. After...
Joshua Woolery was in Cheyenne County District Court on Thursday for pretrial motions for a case involving sexual assault of a minor. Woolery, 26, of Sidney, was arrested in October 2015 and charged with six felony charges relating to the alleged sexual assault of a minor between the ages of 12 and 16. Last fall, he pleaded not guilty to two charges of first-degree sexual assault of a child, three charges of third-degree sexual assault of a child and one charge of attempted first-degree sexual...
The real estate market in the Sidney area saw a dramatic decrease at the beginning of the year. Louella Pippitt, Cheyenne County assessor, said houses have been selling, but prices are on average lower than normal. "For the most part the (listing prices) are running less," she said. "We are sitting at 94 percent market value. We are normally at 98 to 100 (percent)." According to Kelly Lapp, with Re/Max Realty Partners in Sidney, there are currently 105 houses listed in the area. "It's a soft...
Volunteers with Cheyenne County CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, have been serving as advocates for children in the area since 2010. CASA is comprised of volunteers who train to be advocates for children in court cases. According to CASA Executive Director Rose Bowcut, the children are already in foster homes once a CASA volunteer is appointed. Once a situation is deemed unfit for a child, an officer removes the child from his or her home and the Department of Health and Human...
Agriculture courses started at Leyton High School this year and were inspired by the Future Farmers of America club. Tracy Cooper, who heads up the new agriculture curriculum at Leyton, said the courses help offer hands on experience to students. The high school curriculum consists of several classes, including animal biology, plant science and a small engine class. It also includes an agriculture business class, where students learn the business side of agriculture. The middle school currently...
Progress on Sidney's new pool was discussed at Tuesday's city council meeting. The finance agreement for the aquatic center from U.S. Bank was unanimously approved. The loan, at $4 million, has a maturity date of May 1, 2024. There will be annual payments of about $460,000 for the next eight years. The council decided to seek the loan from U.S. Bank after its bonding agency, Ameritas Investment Corp., in December said it would not sell bonds to fund the aquatic center due to uncertainty with...
The Sidney City Council postponed increases in electric rates for a study that would help the council determine future rate increases at their last meeting According to Geri Anthony, Interim City Manager, the city normally has a rate increase around the annual budget time. In Novembers' City Council meeting, Mayor Mark Nienhueser said any potential rate increase would be postponed until the rate study is completed. "The good news, I don't think we're going to see a large increase in comparison...
The Sidney First Lego League (FLL) Team went to the 2016 Nebraska Robotics Expo in Ashland, Neb. on Saturday and walked away with a trophy for teamwork. According to Cynthia Gill, Extension Educator with 4H Youth Development, the kids get so much more from the program. "The kids are so engaged with the program, they work together to learn but also it's really the kids that drive the program" says Gill. First Lego League work in teams coached by volunteers to research real-world problems such as...
Derek Phelps is getting to do something that many students do not get the opportunity to do. Phelps, a 2011 Sidney High School graduate who is currently studying theatre at Chadron State College, is directing the play "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead" at CSC. The play will run Feb. 24-28 in Memorial Hall's Black Box Theatre on the CSC campus. A student led production is not common, even at Chadron State College, said Roger Mays, visual and performing arts professor, in a press release. He...
The Cheyenne County commissioners are seeking bids for "conflict" attorneys as they look to hire a public defender and guardian ad litem. In Monday's commissioners meeting, the county's policy board proposed contracts to publish notice for two conflict attorneys for the proposed public defender and guardian ad litem positions. These positions would fill in for the public defender or guardian ad litem when conflict of interest arise and they could not fulfill their normal duties. According to...
Cheyenne County commissioners approved the establishment of a truancy diversion program on Monday which will coincide with a collaborative attendance plan by Sidney Public Schools. There are a few types of diversion programs already implemented in Cheyenne County. The county offers a four-hour defensive driving program for minor traffic violators and the juvenile court has a misdemeanor diversion program. The truancy diversion program gives juveniles in some cases the choice between going to...
