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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Elevate Community Conversations is having a live event 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022 at the Sidney High School auditorium. The Featured speaker is from the Omaha Nebraska DEA, the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration. The Nebraska DEA will be talking about drug trafficking, and Killer Drugs in Nebraska. This event is free to the public and the public is encouraged to attend as the discussion dives into the most current facts and statistics facing Nebraska and...
Some people have a way of touching people that impacts lives long after their mortal existence expires. Lori Bartling is one of those people. She was known in the Cheyenne County Courthouse for her compassion, her support of the Plains West CASA program and as the court magistrate. “She had a heart of gold,” says Krista Bruns, director of Plains West CASA. “She loved children.” Her heart for children was shown in how she supported the CASA program. “Her and her sweet granddaughter would hel...
Discussions in the October meeting of the Cheyenne County Fair board focused less on what can be done and more on how much can be done. The board discussed options of organizations and companies sponsoring events during fair week. The extensive list of potential events varied from a dog show and costume contest to a pedal tractor pull contest. The list of possible events was presented by board member Shelly Sutherland. Sutherland said each event would be sponsored and the sponsoring...
Voters will have a full list of hopefuls on the ballot for Sidney City Council. The council is designed with four seats including the mayor, and there will be six names on the ballot. However, Tony Jones, one of the five vying for a four-year seat, has withdrawn his name from the race. Jones said in a telephone call with the Sun-Telegraph he was offered a position outside of Sidney. The decision occurred after the deadline for the ballot. He said he contacted Cheyenne County Clerk Beth...
Let's admit it. Few of us like change, even the change in our pocket. If we dig for change in our favorite denim it often means we are worried about being short at the cashier, or adding more change to an already burdened pocket. Likewise, experiencing change is a task that causes stress and dread, even when the end goal is a positive. Sometimes I'm not so different. “Hey, let's do...” And I'm mentally getting out my balance sheet comparing positives and negatives. Sometimes the final tally does...
The Sidney City Council approved limiting parking on the east side of 10th Avenue from Jackson Street to King Street. The move was made in the October 11 meeting of the city council. The move was discussed in a previous meeting. The concern is extended parking could hinder businesses in the area and the apartment residents in the area have other parking options. In the October 11 meeting, City Manager David Scott said the businesses were surveyed with no objections to limited parking. The limit...
In the early 1900s, a man named A. T. Hiett moved to Sidney. It is likely he didn't expect his passion to influence the community for 110 years later. Hiett “lost no time in trying to establish a branch of the then-named Church of Christ,” according to “The First Christian Church of Sidney, Nebraska, Early History (March 12, 1912 to December 31, 1925).” The First Christian Church of Sidney has closed, but the building remains. A couple recently purchased the church building and are reopeni...
The Cheyenne County School District No. 1 Board of Education watched the wheels turn 'round as they considered what is the better option, the future of the existing activities bus or leasing a newer one that will not cost the District major repair bills. The District has been leasing a coach bus for $3,500 per month. In exchange, the District is only responsible for fuel and insurance. In the October 10 meeting, the board was informed the District purchased tires for the bus, but the District...
Monday afternoon Republican candidate for Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and running mate Joe Kelly stopped in Sidney. “It's about our kids,” Pillen said regarding his motivation for seeking the governorship. Pillen has been married 43 years and he and his wife have four children. He grew up in Platte County and graduated from Lakeview High School. He grew up raising pigs with his father, Dale. We learned about faith, family and the value of hard work,” he said about his upbringing. He said gover...
The Sidney City Council on September 27 approved its budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. The process included a budget hearing early in the city council meeting, followed by the council approving a resolution setting the property tax at .574936 mills. Of that amount, .338854, or $1,520,453, will be appropriated for the General Fund and .236082, or $1,077,409 will be appropriated for bonded indebtedness. Finance Director Lane Kizzire's presentation included that the assessed value of property...
Saturday morning's parade was a time for the community to get excited about a full day of Oktoberfest, children getting their bags of candy and a candidate to meet and greet the voters of Sidney and Cheyenne County. After the parade, Robin Stevens, candidate for District 7 Nebraska Board of Education, met with the Sidney -Sun-Telegraph. Robin Stevens, incumbent for the Nebraska Board of Education, and Elizabeth Tegtmeier, are on the General Election ballot for District 7 for the Nebraska Board...
A thought came to me recently that some might call a moment of doubt, even dark. However, that perception misses the mark. Here is the question: What is your legacy? Maybe we can’t know until there’s a post-mortem assessment. So maybe we need to reword the question a little. What are you known for, followed by what do you want to be known for? Pay attention to the change in time sequence. What are you known for is about the present state, what do you want to be known for implies a desire and...
Sidney might have looked a little different Sept. 22-23, or at least there were some visitors offered a tour of what the community is, and what it could be. The tour of visitors was part of the “E3” meeting. E3 is short for Energizing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems. The idea is to develop a network of resources in Sidney to drive opportunity through sustained investments in entrepreneurships and community improvement. What it includes is individuals, and communities, mentoring each other toward bus...
The Joint Public Hearing scheduled for the Cheyenne County Commissioners room was moved to the district court room Monday, and still had an overflow capacity. The meeting was held as a requirement of LB644. LB644 requires a joint meeting of taxable districts when the district's proposed budget exceeds the “allowable growth percentage” as defined in the measure as 2 percent. Cheyenne County and Leyton Public School District were represented at the meeting. Cheyenne County opened the hearing wit...
He's seen various parts of the world, but never fully left the Panhandle. Most of his adult life has been focused on serving people while wearing a uniform. He wears his uniform quietly, as identity to his service. He doesn't seek the spotlight and some would say he redirects it to others he sees as more deserving. Sidney Police Chief Joe Aikens is being recognized for 40 years of public service. His career in the public, in law enforcement, started soon after his 1980 graduation from Kimball...
The Peetz community will be celebrating homecoming and For Peetz Sake Days, Friday, September 30 through October 1. Homecoming week starts at Peetz schools with the theme “Bulldogs Through the Decades.” Monday is “Movie Stars of the Past,” Tuesday “Neon Day,” Wednesday “PJ Day,” Thursday “Decades” with each class encouraged to represent a specific decade. Friday is Spirit Day. Friday's events start with a bake sale/craft sale in the Community Center from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. During that time, t...
Property tax is based on assessed value and tax levies. Almost without exception, a property owner's tax bill includes several taxing districts such as school districts, fire districts, villages and City of Sidney, City Airport Authority, Historical Society, Educational Service Unit 13, WNCC, South Platte Natural Resources District, etc. In Cheyenne County, a property owner's taxes supports 18 taxing districts. Not all districts apply to every tax payer. It depends on where the property is...
The Sidney City Council recently approved an updated sales agreement with Table of Grace for a tract of land on the north side of Elm Street. The City is selling the 3.2 acre tract to Table of Grace for $21,440. The tract is described as “adjacent to the old landfill” on East Elm Street. In May of 2022, the city council approved the sale of a tract of land to Table of Grace. The plan is for the Table of Grace, with the backing of Sandhills Global, to construct a new facility. The facility will s...
The Cheyenne County Commissioners recently approved the Oktoberfest Committee's application for a Special Designated Liquor License for the annual Oktoberfest Celebration. Oktoberfest is planned for Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds. Traditionally, the celebration starts with the “tapping of the kegs” followed by entertainment and a variety of food booths. Craft vendors are also expected. A four-person golf scramble is scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 1 at Hillside Golf Course. Run...
A few years ago, my wife and I saw a movie called “Words.” It is labeled as a romance story, but it goes much deeper. Yes, there are two primary characters in a relationship. After that, there is a moral dilemma brewing. He is an aspiring writer, as the reviews call him. I sort of take issue with the phrase since attending a writing workshop years before. A speaker and published author made it clear that many people overthink the process, or better said the identity. Who is a writer, or art...
The Cheyenne County Commissioners room was crowded Sept. 6 with residents seeking answers about the proposed budget. Tuesday's meeting included a budget hearing and summary for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Early in the meeting, the county commissioners appointed Jeff Jung as the Cheyenne County designee to attend the Joint Public Meeting scheduled for September 26. The Joint Public Meeting is required by LB644. Sections 1 through 5 of LB644 are also known as the “Property Tax Request Act” requires...
In Nebraska, there's “Big Red” and there's everyone else. But how many fans know the history of the color, or the mascot? The cliché “it takes one to know one” almost applies in this account. A former cheerleader from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln researched how the fervor of Big Red and the Husker mascot came to be. Debra Kleve White attended UNL from 1976 to 1980, graduating with a degree in fashion merchandising. She also spent some time on the cheerleading squad, which inspired...
It started in the work environment. I had a routine every morning. Young in the trade, routine was even more important than it is now. I would make four to five stops before getting to the office in the morning. At one of those stops, I met a night crew of nurses. They had the look of professionals who finished a long and hard night. Among that crew stood one who had a twinkle in her eye like even with her occupation she didn’t take life too seriously. She also had the look of someone I had a...
Sen. Deb Fischer met with local officials throughout western Nebraska recently, including officials at Sidney Regional Medical Center Aug. 30. After the meeting, she took time to meet with the press. Some of the major topics she has encountered on her tour are housing, the impact of inflation and jobs. She said in her stop in Kimball, officials explained their housing project. She said the Air Force plan to update the ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile system) will bring workers in in...
It's a theme used over and over on the big screen. Fun-loving young adults visit a foreign country and their week in Rome becomes a walk through a nightmare with a one-man army to the rescue. There's also the desperate immigrant who was led to a unofficial border crossing and obligated into forced labor, or worse, in exchange for payment of getting them across the border. While these scenarios occur to some degree, the deeper story involves coercion and grooming, according to discussion at the...
