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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There's something about a train that enraptures people. Maybe it is the sense of power, progress and development. For some, it is the recollection of days gone by. Thursday morning, The Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 left Sidney westbound for Cheyenne, Wyo. It was completing its midwest tour commemorating the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. It was also an opportunity for an unlikely meeting of generations. Robert Edler recalls his grandfather working on the...
The Cheyenne County School District No. 1 started the process of reviewing and updating policies in the Monday, Aug. 12 meeting. The board reviewed the 2002 Organization of the Board policy. The policy states the board is comprised of six members, each elected at-large. Officers are elected in the January meeting. Officers include the board secretary who does not have to be a member of the board. The updated policy says board officers may be elected by secret ballot. The total number of votes...
The Sidney City Council met in a Work Session Aug. 6 to discuss next year's budget. The agenda was kept to reviewing the City Manager's Budget for 2019-2020. City Manager Ed Sadler's budget recommendation included a summary of how the City of Sidney arrived at this point. His summary says budget requests during the last two years have seen reductions of about $1 million each year. The reductions were a result of losses attributed to the sale of Cabela's to Bass Pro and the resulting loss of...
Her friends probably see her as a typical fifth grader. She has a big smile, fun and spends time outside with friends. The exception is that she likes to read and study. Her interests are far deeper than comic books and novels. At the young age of 10, she was focused on becoming an eye doctor. That is, until she was nominated to take part in the Envision National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF): Pathways to STEM. STEM - science, technology, engineering and math - is overall within her interests....
Your child is an active teenager. Some would say reckless and overactive. He doesn’t play. He dares death and injury to stand in front of him. Eventually it does and the next call is to the Emergency Room and resulting doctor visits. The process is complicated by the parents having to ensure they have copies of procedures and records after each step toward recovery. Sidney Regional Medical Center is working to minimize the detail-intensive process. A new program in the works will allow p...
They are often the unnoticed tradesmen, building empires from a handful of tools and a vision. Some jokingly say they are the original gamblers, trying to bet against nature. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says agriculture is among the most hazardous industries with a high risk of fatal and nonfatal injuries. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed a program in 1990 to address the injuries and illnesses that farm workers and families...
The Sidney City Council recently approved funding to assist MMP Enterprises in opening a new location in Sidney. MMP Enterprises USA, with its parent office based in Toronto Canada, is a fulfillment and distribution company expanding operations to Sidney, according to a memo from Sidney Economic Development Director Melissa Norgard. The memo says MMP Enterprises is in the process of purchasing the former Cabela's Distribution Center northwest of Sidney. The agreement is for $500,000 over five...
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Likewise, if it sounds too dark and negative, it may not be true. The telephone in all of its assets is also a pipeline for scammers trying to get into your personal data, from bank account numbers to Social Security numbers. Fear is one of their biggest tactics. Cheyenne County Sheriff Adam Frerichs said the department receives at least three to five reports of scam calls every day. The calls vary from reports of a family member in a distant...
On Friday afternoon, commuters on Highway 30 between Potter and Sidney had an extra "personality" on the pavement. It was a scene that could almost be timeless with two horseback riders cutting through the grasses in the afternoon head. If not for the passing motorized traffic, including two pickup trucks and horse trailers, the scene could have been from more than a century in the past. The Tipi Raisers 2019 passed through Sidney recently on their way to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The ride...
T he Cheyenne County Fair and Rodeo is underway and Fair and Rodeo Queen Callie Brown and her court wants to make sure everyone attends the festivities. Brown, Vach and Van Anne spent Wednesday afternoon at North Elementary School sharing their experiences with students. They visited the school to share with students what a Fair and Rodeo queen does, how the queen earned her title and what students can look forward to at the fair. They also had fund with the children playing games like dodge...
Small communities exist on two locations socially: a school and a church. Both are used as "community centers," locations for public events. However, when the design of the facility limits access to a percentage of the population, it is not as public as it is intended. The Church of the Plains in Dalton is facing such a dilemma and its members are working to address the shortfall. Residents and parishioners with limited mobility sometimes have to choose between seeking help up the stairs or not...
Pictured from are Graci Marheke, Chloe Gager and Lincoln Gillen checking out some of the many items for auction at Movie in the Park Sunday. The Silent Auction at Sunday's Movie in the Park hosted by Plains West CASA and Fox Theater included a silent auction with numerous donated items from a four-pack of Colorado Rockies tickets to home décor and coolers. Proceeds benefit the Plains West CASA program....
Almost a month ago, the state of Nebraska was recognized by Area Development Magazine with the Silver Shovel Award. Gold and Silver Shovel Awards are presented to states that rank among the top in the nation for job creation, investment attraction, and industry growth throughout the previous year, according to the Office of Gov. Pete Ricketts. Shovel Award winners are decided based on an assessment of each state's 10 best job creating and investment attraction projects. Friday, Gov. Ricketts...
The Cheyenne County Commissioners Monday were offered a plan on how to address the water system at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds. The county has been seeking an answer the the fairgrounds aging system while meeting the needs of events at the fairgrounds this summer. Ben Schmitt, registered mechanical engineer with Farris Engineering in Sidney, met with the commissioners Monday to present their plan to address the water needs of the fairgrounds. The goal is to replace the water infrastructure,...
The 2019 Cheyenne County Fair gets underway Sunday, July 21, with numerous events throughout the week. The week starts with the NBHA Barrel Racing Sunday in the arena. The 4-H event is free to the public. Tuesday is Family Fun Night and BBQ. The event is sponsored by Great Western Bank, Adams Industries and Agri-Plastics. Nearly everything is free or at low cost. Wednesday evening the arena gets lively again. The PRCA Rodeo and WPRA Barrel Racing take center stage at 7 p.m. Queen coronation is...
Regionally based Loaded Dice will be on stage Friday, July 19, for the next installment of Downtown Sounds. Loaded Dice was formed in Gering in 2000 as a classic rock cover band. The band includes long-time friends Matt Fuhrman and Jeff Winkler, and band mates Ed Mendez and Tom Jones. Their first performance took place in October 2000 using the name "Nowhere Fast." The band changed their name to Loaded Dice just before their second gig. The band's current lineup consists of Debby Wagner...
Smoking and tobacco use among youth is not a new issue. For some, it is symbolic rebellion. For others, they may not even know why they smoke. What is known is tobacco use is not allowed on or in a public school facility. Research is also showing teens are attracted to electronic delivery of nicotine and other products, using methods including vaping, e-cigs and Juul (name brand). Juul’s website says its product is designed for smokers, using a device that is “a vaporizer that has regulated tem...
The highway was cluttered with fans, photographers, the curious and train enthusiasts as history repeated itself Monday afternoon. With the fanfare of an old-time steam locomotive belching steam and black smoke from coal, the Union Pacific celebrated the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad 150 years later. The Union Pacific's Big Bog steam locomotive No. 4014 made its stop in Sidney as part of a system-wide tour in celebration of the transcontinental railroad's 150th anniversary. The...
In August 2018, the City of Sidney approached voters to amend the LB840 program to accept private donations. On June 25, Economic Development Director Melissa Norgard announced the City was awarded a grant from an anonymous donor of $300,000 annually. The award is for four years with the potential of $1.2 million added to the LB840 fund. “This is a huge deal,” Norgard said to the Sidney City Council June 25. She said the funds will be for development of future new jobs. The funds can only be...
The desk and office are cleared. A few pictures still adorn the walls. The think-center of the office is a little quieter while the new director settles in to make the corner office his location. Stan Belieu was recently sworn in as the new director of the Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission, replacing Bill Sydow who retired. Sydow is closing the books on 26 years of work with the Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission. In the process Gov. Pete Ricketts also recognized "Bill Sydow Day" and commissioned he...
The Cheyenne County Commissioners, acting as the Board of Equalization, approved the assessment of several properties brought before the board for protest. The commissioners met Monday as the Board of Equalization in the Cheyenne County Court Room. One property owner, Ron Studnicka, was present to defend his protest. He asked for a 10 percent reduction in valuation, based on the CRP contract ending and the tract becoming unimproved grassland. Studnicka also complained in his written statement ab...
On Tuesday, June 18, bicyclists arrived in Sidney in preparation for the 2019 Tour De Nebraska. This year, the annual tour started and stopped at Sidney High School with host locations and several stops in between. About 467 riders took part in this year's event. "We had a very wonderful tour," said TDN director Charlie Schilling. He said some riders have already expressed interest in bringing the TDN back to the Panhandle area. Sidney Economic Development Director Melissa Norgard said she...
A little more than a year ago, a new medical helicopter landed in Sidney, soon followed by an ambulance, staffed by black-uniformed Medical Air Rescue Company personnel. The company recently announced the effort to serve the Sidney area did not work as planned and the company is moving. The decision was made at the end of May, according to ground operations manager Chris Wells. "To function at a break even point, we need 14 revenue creating flights per month," Well said. "We were averaging six t...
On a clear night, a gaze into the sky can reveal more planets and stars than the mind can comprehend. That same gaze can usually identify evidence of Greek mythology, wildlife and hunters, and the most consistent tool in navigational history. Students in the Sidney Public Library summer reading program heard a lesson by Eileen Nightingale and Etta Sherman on astronomy, its uses and its history, at the library's Stargazer Park. She started the noon-hour event by asking children what they know...
