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 251 - 275 of 628
Earlier this week, the city council gave the electric department the go ahead to take steps toward acquiring a new electric sub station transformer. This new station would replace the city’s southern hub, which has been experiencing some trouble including worn parts, a deteriorated power factor and methane gas emissions. Sidney’s electric superintendent, Mike Palmer, presented the issue to the council last month and returned to this week’s meeting with additional information. The recommended maintenance costs to get the current station in be...
At Tuesday’s meeting, the city council approved a bid from Olsson and Associates for professional engineering services, including an electric master plan and a study of Sidney’s electric system. In the bid proposal it was specified that this work was not to exceed $65,000. The electric department interviewed three of the five firms from which it received bids on Jan. 7. City staff agreed that Olsson and Associates from Lincoln would be the best company to complete the plan as well as on-call engineering services if required. Included in the pla...
I guess it’s a cliché to say that if we’re not doing anything that scares us, we’re not really living life. Even if it is, I think its a concept most of us don’t normally ponder. We go about our lives, usually following a familiar route even on walks and when driving. We might forgo an exciting job opportunity because we’re under qualified for it when it could be a chance to expand our horizons and learn new things. We might stay in an unhappy relationship out of fear of being alone. I’ve often heard many friends from back home in Indiana talk...
A vote on additional proposed improvements to Hillside Golf Course was postponed at on Tuesday’s city council meeting due to the absence of two council members. City manager Gary Person explained to the council that, a few years ago, the city formed a master plan for the Hillside Golf Course featuring goals for both short term and long term improvements. “The bulk of the improvements that were needed are gonna get accomplished through the implementation of the new irrigation system and the new reservoir,” Person said. These improvements will...
Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad introduced a bill to the Nebraska legislature that would lower student loan repayment obligations for attorneys who serve low earning clients in rural parts of the state. LB808 could provide public service attorneys working in communities with a population lower than 15,0000 with $6,000 a year in loan forgiveness, according to the Unicameral Update, the Nebraska Legislature’s official news source. The judiciary committee heard this bill on Feb. 21. Behind the proposal is a growing shortage of legal support in r...
After living through six gunshot wounds and a rocket propelled grenade attack in Afghanistan, Col. Tom Brewer, a 36-year veteran of the armed services, plans to take on Congress. Brewer hopes to bring a new perspective to the U.S. House of Representatives, by representing Nebraska's third district. An abundance of downtime due to an injury launched Brewer's interest in politics and ultimately his decision to run against Adrian Smith, who currently represents the third district. After Brewer was...
The closure of Interstate 80 over the weekend turned a large section of Old Post Rd. into a parking lot on Sunday. The winter storm which moved through western Nebraska on Saturday afternoon dumped 17 inches of snow on Kimball County, eight inches on Cheyenne County and four inches in Lodgepole, according to the National Weather Service. Westbound lanes of Interstate 80, as well as Highway 30, were shutdown for around six hours on Sunday between Big Springs and the Wyoming border. The closure was due to a large number of accidents and unsafe...
Amber Davis, 39 of Sidney, was sentenced to 18 months probation Friday, for obstruction and lying to a police officer, both misdemeanors. Davis helped Jason Custer flee Sidney for Big Springs on Nov. 3, 2012 shortly after Custer shot and killed Adam McCormick. She then mislead police when first questioned about the crime. A jury found Custer guilty of first degree murder earlier this month in Cheyenne County district court. Custer came to Sidney in October 2012 to stay with Davis and her boyfriend, Billy Fields. A dispute over a $150 drug debt...
Charges against 29-year-old Nathan Pohl related to area burglaries and an escape from police will move forward after it was found last week that there was probable cause to believe that the defendant committed the crimes for which he is charged. The Sidney man is charged with burglary, escape and possession of a deadly weapon. Pohl was initially arrested earlier this month when law enforcement found him trespassing at the golf course mower shed. Upon his arrest, police allegedly found several items which belonged in the mower shed inside his...
The city of Sidney seeks to gain additional right of way from property owners along the Toledo St. extension as well as Greenwood Rd. for roadwork planned on both streets during this year’s construction season. Last week, city manager Gary Person sent a letter to property owners along the area planned for reconstruction to ask for more right of way along the routes. “The street improvement district is being formed and assessed as a general benefit to the entire community and NOT just directly to each adjacent property owner,” the letter state...
A busy road construction season in Sidney will begin next week with the closure of Greenwood Rd. between Daily Dr. and Virginia Ln. This portion of Greenwood Rd. will be closed to traffic beginning Feb. 24 for replacement of the existing wooden bridge with a concrete box culvert, according to public services director John Hehnke. This is just the start of extensive road improvement projects on Greenwood Rd. and Toledo St. Infinity Construction will handle work on the culvert portion of the Greenwood Rd. project. This portion of Greenwood Rd....
Billy Fields, 36, was sentenced Tuesday for the part he played in the events surrounding the November 2012 shooting death of Adam McCormick. District court judge Derek Weimer sentenced Fields to 20-60 months imprisonment, the maximum allowed for his conviction of accessory to a felony, itself a class four felony. Jason Custer, 35, was convicted of first degree murder in Cheyenne County District Court last month for McCormick’s death. Custer shot McCormick shortly after midnight on Nov. 3, 2012 during a dispute over a drug debt of $150. C...
The planning commission again discussed the possibility of annexing various properties around the city’s boundaries at Tuesday’s meeting. “There is a major development out towards the interstate that is just outside, but adjacent to, the city limit boundaries and it’ll be something that we want annexed,” explained city manager Gary Person. The process of annexation is a fairly lengthy and intensive one that requires public hearings in front of both the planning commission and city council. Laws concerning what land can and cannot be annexed a...
Many of those who made statements about the death of co-founder of Cabela’s, Dick Cabela described his life as the American dream. As someone who started a business on a $45 investment at a kitchen table that grew to a $3.6 billion world wide corporation, he surely did create a dream life for he and his family. Cabela saw wild success in his business, lived in small town American with his family and was a regular church-goer. His life was surely the envy of many of his peers. Although most people will never see success comparable to that of t...
The city of Sidney would not be what it is today without the contributions of Dick Cabela, co-founder of Cabela's, who died at his home on Monday morning. The company has undoubtedly been a major contributor to Sidney's continued success. Cabela's was founded in 1961 when Cabela bought $45 worth of fishing flies to sell in his father's furniture store in Chappell. Customers at the store had little interest in the flies, so Cabela decided to sell them by mail order. Cabela's wife, Mary Cabela...
The Cheyenne County Ladies Chamber presented an over $1,000 check in dress down funds to the High Plains Arts Council to assist in funding the Missoula Children's Theatre at Western Nebraska Community College Tuesday night. Dress down funds from January will go toward Students Making Awesome Choices for a sixth grade drug awareness graduation and reception with a dance and t-shirts. Left to Right: Ladonna Jung of the High Plains Arts Council, Carrie Pilger of the High Plains Arts Council,...
An unprecedented number of street projects are planned for Sidney in the next year. Hank Radtke of the street department presented his one year and six year plans for projects to the city council last week. Street improvements for 2014 include work on 10th Ave. between Illinois and the BNSF tracks. This portion of the street will be completely rebuilt, from substructure to surfacing. Also set for this year is a mill and overlay of Fort Sidney Rd. Both of these projects have been bid out and awarded to contractors. Also slated to begin...
Cabela’s expects to begin construction on The Ranch, its local housing development as well as a headquarters expansion this year. At the same time, the corporation also plans to expand its retail presence nationwide. Last week Cabela’s announced plans to build three new stores. Cabela’s expects to open a store in Ammon, Idaho in spring 2015. This 42,000 square foot store is the company’s third in the state and will serve the Idaho Falls area. The store is expected to employ around 90 workers. Customers at this store will be able to make on...
At last week’s meeting the city council gave final approval for modification of city codes to accommodate The Ranch, the new Cabela’s housing subdivision. These included an ordinance to allow the council to enlarge or increase the front setback requirements on residential properties by accepting a plat. This will give the council more flexibility in the future when considering different types of housing, without having to amend the code. The code was also changed to allow smaller residential lots as the council deems necessary to acc...
Four suspects wanted in connection with several rural burglaries in Cheyenne County were arrested Thursday in Edgewater, Colo. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for a home in Dalton where it was known that two of the suspects, Sean Gdowski and Martika Biggart, were residing. Authorities sought the warrant after allegedly finding some items linked to at least one recent rural burglary in trash from their residence. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on their residence on Jan. 29, according arrest warrant affidavits. Officials repo...
Vorachit Luexayachak, 40 of Iowa, was sentenced in Deuel County District Court last week for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver or distribute, a class three felony and operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, a class four felony. Judge Derek Weimer sentenced Luexayachak to 48-72 months incarceration. Luexayachak took Nebraska State patrol on a 40 mile chase through Cheyenne and Deuel counties in November of last year. This chase ended in his arrest and the discovery of almost 60 pounds of marijuana in his possession. When a...
Catherine McElroy and Coly Nelson were crowned Golden Living Center's Valentine's Day King and Queen on Friday. Because so many of the center's residents are short term, the winners are drawn randomly to make the crowning fair for everyone. Both winners received crowns and a box of chocolates, with the addition of flowers for McElroy....
A beautified entrance to Sidney is in the works for the intersection of 11th Ave. and Old Post Rd. Scott Day of Urban Development Services spoke to the city council at Tuesday’s meeting about what he called a gateway to Sidney which would include a long stone wall with a lighted “Sidney” sign, as well as surrounding landscaping. The project has been in the planning stages for quite some time. In the past, the council suggested that more work be done to beautify the entire intersection. “This is one of the key entryways to your communi...
West Elementary is participating in a national initiative promoting kindness during the month of February. The movement at the school was headed by a group of 6th grade girls who decorated bulletin boards and coordinated activities. At the beginning of the month students received a flier with suggestions on how to spread kindness. “They have all just embraced it, so there’s positive notes around the building for everybody,” said West Elementary principal Sheri Ehler. So far, the project has been a fun one for everyone at the school, she added...
Diamonds do not mean love and they certainly don’t mean forever. I will never understand why a woman would be excited by receiving an expensive, generic piece of jewelry. I know that I’m quite different from many women and I don’t blame any lady for her affinity for nice jewelry. This doesn’t change the fact that if I ever received any item covered in diamonds, I would immediately think, “Someone’s gonna rob me for this.” Although, again, I have no problems with ladies who’d love some flowers and chocolates for Valentine’s Day (to each her...
