Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 184
With Sidney’s carrier vehicle ordinance being enforced starting July 1, the City of Sidney is trying to gauge interest from truck drivers for a special parking lot. “We’re trying to figure out what the interest of a city-owned truck parking lot would be,” Melissa Norgard, Sidney economic development director, said, “and how much people would be willing to pay for a spot in the parking lot, and the minimum amenities the parking lot would need.” The fine is $20 for each day of not being in co...
Transcontinental runner Helene Neville visited North Elementary Thursday to speak with students in the Cool Kids Club program. Neville is attempting to run through every state in the contiguous United States. Having already run every state along the perimeter, Neville is pursuing a circuit through midwest states. Her efforts in Nebraska take her through Sidney this week. "I started at the state line north of Chadron and I'm coming straight down (Highway) 385," Neville said. "It's obviously one...
Cheyenne County Commissioners, approaching the end of the budget year, brought in the heads of every department Monday to offer some direction. The commissioners hope to avoid going into budget hearings and asked departments to stay within their 2016-17 budgets. “We should be 95 percent and no more on your budgets,” Commissioner Darrell Johnson said. “I think everybody’s done good on their budgets this year. We need to ask you to all please, this last pay period, to back off if you can, as much...
Sidney's 14th annual Gold Rush Days starting Friday honors the past in spectacular fashion. For one weekend 1870s Sidney is realized through storytellers and re-enactors, including gunfighters, weavers and skinners. "Sidney was a jumping off point for the gold rush trail," Ken Geu, committee president, said. "They'd come to Sidney and go up to South Dakota for the gold rush, that started in about 1874. It's outdoor events to commemorate that time in Sidney's history." Heather Hausmann, Cheyenne...
In a series of filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) this week, Cabela’s announced a special meeting of stockholders to approve the acquisition of Cabela’s by Bass Pro Shops. The meeting, scheduled for 8 a.m. July 11 at the company’s Sidney headquarters, will finalize shareholder votes on the acquisition. In the filing, the company included proxy materials and instructions for shareholders to vote, urging them to do so as soon as possible. The Cabela’s Board of Directo...
Way Out West Community Theater's new show "Robin Hood and his Merry Men" is "not your typical Robin Hood story," Director Tyler Bailey said. "You have Robin, Marian, King Richard, Little John, Friar Tuck and the Sheriff," Bailey said. "But we add some characters in there, some things you wouldn't expect in this show." The participatory show, written by Richard Gremel, not only involves the audience, but Sidney itself. "It gives you insight into why certain things are done in the show," Bailey...
A Hare Krishna monk known as the Walking Monk, Bhaktimarga Swami has been crossing Nebraska by walking Highway 30 and Thursday arrived in Sidney. Swami hopes to encourage people towards "an enhanced walking culture." "That means, basically, getting out of the house or the office and doing what our bodies are designed for," he said. "It means greeting the elements and working your machinery, and also going for some reflective downtime, taking some time to process the things that are going on in...
U.S. Representative Adrian Smith of Nebraska's third district visited Sidney Wednesday to speak with his constituents. Before visiting Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce Smith visited the Sidney Sun-Telegraph. A priority for Smith and Congress, he said, is "fixing the health care situation." "We have a disaster, I think, on our hands that stands to get worst," he said, "and that's why we passed a bill in the house to fix the situation or at least to move us in a better direction than where...
Sidney Public Library’s digitization funding has been restored. A $22,000 grant from the Nebraska Library Commission was approved, but feared lost when it was proposed that federal funding to the Institute of Museum and Library Services be cut completely. “With the spending bill that went through to keep government operational, our 2017 funding was put back in the budget. We’re waiting now to hear when it’s actually going to be dispersed,” Andrew Sherman, library director, said. “I’ve con...
Sidney Electric Department's undergrounding efforts continue. The process of placing power cables underground is being done through both contracted and city services. "We used to contract for it when we'd do the underground and service lines, and then go to the individual houses," Ed Sadler, city manager, said. "We now have our own electrician that does it for us, so we can do it all year round for the most part." The effort protects the lines from natural forces as varied as weather and...
With school dismissed and warm weather arrived, Sidney's Legion and Deer Run parks are available for visitors. Some changes have been made to improve guests' experiences, Tom Von Seggern, parks director, said. Among them, playground restrooms are now more handicap accessible. "We put in a van parking pad and sidewalks to get from the picnic shelter to the restroom and not have to fight the gravel," Von Seggern said. "You can make it across there on concrete now." While the parks and their...
LODGEPOLE - Creek Valley Middle School had its last day of school Tuesday. The students leaving the 1930s building for summer vacation were the last to do so, as the building is being closed and the students are transferring to Chappell. The day, though, was a positive one, Principal Tessa Fraass said. "It was a great celebration," Fraass said. "The kids were happy and had a great time. We celebrated the positive and are focusing on moving forward and doing what's best for our kids." Students...
Sidney City Council Tuesday approved a $1 million community development block grant for Lukjan Metal Products Inc. The state funds will be issued to Lukjan for acquisition of facilities at 1 Greenwood Drive and other development costs. “The applicant is actually the city,” Star Lehl, Nebraska Department of Economic Development consultant, said. “The state grants that money to the city and then the city goes through the non-profit development organization.” She added, “The invoices are submitted...
The City of Sidney is working to bring jobs in the information technology industry to the community. “We sent a marketing collateral piece to about 50 data and I.T. contacts we received from the target marketing consultant team,” Melissa Norgard, economic development director, said. “I’m going to be following up with calls to all of them this week.” Sidney is well-suited for the I.T. industry, Norgard said, with abundant electricity and water resources and a “great fiber network.” The marketing...
Sidney’s Aquatic Center opens Saturday. “The pool’s clean and we’ll be getting our lifeguard room ready this week and the concessions have been ordered,” Director Kiersten Richards said. “We’re ready to rock and roll.” Richards anticipates another lucrative year for the aquatic center. “We surpassed the number we thought would come last year. People are figuring out that the prices are reasonable,” she said. “It’s $150 for an entire family for the whole summer. They can come and go as they pleas...
A fuel spill occurred at Sapp Bros. Tuesday at around 3 a.m. "The guy's overflow hose came off his tank and he was pumping (diesel) fuel onto the pad," Keith Stone, Cheyenne County fire chief, said. There is no danger to the public, Stone said. Fuel Management Solutions, Inc., of Cheyenne, Wyoming, handled the clean up after. Sapp Bros. Manager Odilon Cerenil said this sort of spill is not common. "It's a rarity," he said. With clean up underway, business continued as normal....
David Scott is City of Sidney's first finance director. The Lincoln native previously served as finance director for Bristol Bay Borough, Alaska, and comes to Sidney with a master's degree in finance from University of Nebraska. Scott began tackling his duties Monday at City Hall. "The No. 1 priority for the city is to clean up and reorganize their chart of accounts," Scott said. "Just make it more user-friendly for the manager and city council to read and understand their financial...
A goal-setting session held Tuesday by City of Sidney administrators and the City Council ended with a rough mission statement and few goals. During the three-hour discussion at Sidney Hampton Inn, facilitator John Berge, North Platte NRD general manager, explained the importance of setting a mission statement. A mission addresses the needs of the citizens, Berge said, though those needs are changing. “For visualization purposes, you have to have a mission,” Berge said. “One that you can measu...
Sidney's Torch Run Wednesay is poised to be the biggest in Nebraska history. Sponsored by Nebraska Law Enforcement, the event creates awareness for and benefits Nebraska Special Olympics, held in Lincoln. "The largest run in 2012 was in Lincoln had around 70 runners," Lt. Keith Andrew, Sidney Police Department, said. "Right now, we're at 90-some runners. That was our goal from last year, to have the biggest turnout ever." No other cities have reported a larger turnout so far, Andrew said Monday....
POTTER - Potter-Dix High School graduated 11 students Saturday. Principal Jane Brown said she was proud of the graduating class of 2017. "They've done everything they've been asked," Brown said. "They've accomplished all we wanted them to do. They've got great goals. They're moving forward." She added, "They're an awesome group of kids." Salutatorian Zachary Librande, on behalf of his fellow graduates, offered fond reminiscences about their time as students and growing up together. "They say...
PEETZ - Peetz High School graduated 14 students Sunday. Though an average-sized graduating class, Superintendent Mark Collard described the class of 2017 as "fantastic kids." "We've got a lot of bright kids with a lot of different opportunities awaiting them," Collard said. "Out here, our kids are very traditional. They get involved in things. They participate in clubs and sports, and they keep their academics up." Salutatorian Baylie Hradecky encouraged her fellow graduates to pursue their...
Two lots owned by Cabela’s were approved for sale Monday by the Sidney Planning Commission. “(The lots) will be for sale,” Ben Dayton, zoning administrator, said. “One’s a vacant lot, across from Perkins, on Cabela’s Drive, and the other encompasses the extreme southeast parking lots of the retail store.” He added, “Cabela’s is wanting to subdivide those lots just for general sale.” There are no immediate buyers for the land, Troy Kurz, Cabela’s construction manager, said. “At one point, we had...
Lukjan Metal Products, LLC., has received a $500,000 LB-840 grant from the City of Sidney. Sidney’s Economic Development Citizen’s Advisory Committee on May 5 unanimously approved a recommendation to the Sidney City Council, which approved the grant at its regular meeting Tuesday. “One-fifth or $100,000 plus 2 percent accrued interest will be forgiven on or before December 31st of each year starting in 2018 on the condition that the total number of jobs is met and retained for one calen...
The Highway 30 reconstruction project has been facing delays in Sidney. Crews have been cutting down into Illinois Street and finding more cracks in the concrete foundation than anticipated. "The first activity is that we need to repair the base of the road, which is concrete," Sayed Torak, Nebraska Departments of Roads highway project manager, said. "Some of the areas, this is difficult to identify at an early stage. When we open that area and we see there are more loose materials we need to...
Charles Ahovissi of African Culture Connection, based in Omaha, visited North Elementary last week. A native of The Republic of Benin, Africa, he taught the third and fourth graders not just drumming and dance, but their importance in the lives of another culture. Returning to North Elementary, Ahovissi described his experience as "great," saying he "learned a lot" from the students. "This is the first time they are doing this type of dance and drumming. For them, it's something new and I feel...
