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 my time at the Sidney Sun-Telegraph I have described two skills that I greatly lack – decision-making and memory. But I have left out one skill that I am completely horrible at, and that is saying goodbye. I have found that the best and worst goodbyes are those that you never get to make or decide not to. I think that unless it is the unfortunate circumstances of a family member passing, sometimes not saying goodbye is the best way, for me personally, to handle leaving a person or situation. After all, they always say “it’s not goodb...
Cheyenne County Commissioners approved of the Cheyenne County Highway Superintendent’s 2013 One and Six Year Road Improvement Plan during their meeting Monday morning. Tom Noel explained the completed construction and maintenance projects from the 2012 hearing, as well as his future proposed projects. “Last year we took a bridge out and made it a low water crossing on 97,” he told the commissioners. The bridge in question was said to be deteriorating on Road 97 south of Road 18, and was replaced with the low water crossing. “We did 81 miles o...
Cheyenne County may soon be in the weeds. The board of commissioners and Weed Superintendent Brian Hiett discussed whether or not a new weed in the amaranth family should be put on the County’s Noxious Weed List at their meeting yesterday. Commissioner Harold Winkelman said that this weed was particularly a problem found in corn crops and soybeans, and that the “glorified pig weed” puts out thousands of seeds. “If you see one of those suckers growing out there you better go pull it because it became Roundup resistant and it also became T40 res...
Brad Rowan, the new Cheyenne County Planning and Zoning Administrator, met with Cheyenne County Commissioners Monday morning to discuss the procedure of issuing county building permits. “Presently there is no fee for inspections or issuing permits,” said the planning and zoning administrator. “I’d like to suggest we amend that to sister up to what I’m proposing for the city to do also.” Rowan explained to the commissioners that with his credentials, if the county updated it’s building codes the ISO rating would be lowered and in return it wou...
Toward the end of each month you might catch a man walking around downtown Sidney at a height twice that of a normal person. Ty White’s height however is not due to giant genes or a major growth spurt during high school; instead he conducts projects around the city on his pair of stilts. White recently was recruited by members of the Cheyenne County Ladies Chamber to put up and change the festive street decorations drivers see on the light poles around the downtown area. His mother, Shirley W...
The State of Nebraska’s case against Joshua Rodriguez was decided by a jury trial this Tuesday, April 30 in Cheyenne County Court. The jury of six found Rodriguez not guilty of driving with a suspended license. Rodriquez had initially been charged with operating a motor vehicle during a period of suspension (a Class 3 misdemeanor,) possession of less than one once of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia in his vehicle (both infractions.) But according to court documents, his defense counsel, Sidney attorney Donald Miller, moved to s...
Excited for spring, Teresa Grant, owner and operator of Sidney Floral and Gift Shop, and her master gardeners received their first load of plants and flowers yesterday as part of their second Sidney Floral and Greenhouse Too! event. The arrival of the truck full of plants yesterday marks the first day plants at the greenhouse will be available for purchase, and the event will last until June 15 - if the weather stays cool enough for the plants. “We will close June 15 and that’s tentative dependi...
In Bridgeport, Neb. tomorrow many will gather and run in support of United States military veterans and those still serving. The Bridgeport Police Department has teamed up with staff at the Prairie Winds Community Center to host a program of events on Saturday, May 4 to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is a nonprofit organization aimed at “honoring and empowering” soldiers that have been wounded while protecting and serving the U.S. According to WWP officials, the purpose of the organization is to...
Cabela’s Incorporated officials announced in April a change in command as the company’s original pioneer, co-founder and chairman, Richard N. Cabela, is set to retire his role as Chairman and become Chairman Emeritus. The change will commence on June 5 during the company’s annual meeting of shareholders. His brother, co-founder and Cabela’s Vice Chairman, James W. Cabela will take over the role of Chairman following the meeting. Tommy Millner, Cabela’s Chief Executive Officer, said that the...
Winners of this year’s Get Fit Stay Fit Challenge sponsored by Sidney Regional Medical Center and the Cheyenne County Community Center were announced at the Health and Wellness Fair on April 20. According to Kiersten Richards, the Cheyenne County Community Center Activities Director and a coordinator of the event, participants lost a total of 592 pounds lost from January to April. There werer both male and female categories this year, and the winners in each earned a trip to Estes Park valued a...
For me the best part about this job has been meeting all of the different, amazing people that call Sidney home. I have found that everyone is uniquely different and bring their own special expertise in certain fields to the community table. Like I’ve said in previous columns, even those who think that they aren’t special and who think that they don’t have a story worth being written about them are wrong. Another aspect of meeting people that intrigued me was what some people would previously tell me about someone I was set to interview with....
According to Nebraska lawmakers, the state spends approximately $95 million on child-care subsidies each year for low-income, working families. Until now, the state has had no way of tracking the quality of care that these children receive through the subsidies. Yesterday lawmakers gave initial approval of a bill that would make it mandatory for those child-care providers that collect at least $250,000 a year to be rated by the state. An AP source said that last year 62 private child-care providers collected that amount. This served over...
“The history of Christopher Columbus is widely acknowledged to be filled with gaps and inconsistencies, contradictions and misdirection,” was how Ethan Nelson began his local and state winning paper for the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) American History Essay Contest. The competition is sponsored every year by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and locally by the Fort Sidney Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Nelson won both the loc...
Timothy Tscharner pleaded guilty to the amended charge of a Class 1 Misdemeanor of attempting to violate the sex offender registration act or attempting a Class 3A or Class IV Felony. The agreement amended the charge from the Class IV Felony of violating sex offender laws to a misdemeanor of “constituting a substantial step towards violating the Nebraska Sex Offender Act.” The State of Nebraska’s case against Tscharner began when a possible robbery was reported at the residence at which Tscha...
At the preliminary hearing in the State of Nebraska’s case against Gurley resident Justin Warren, representatives from both sides questioned investigator Zachary Goodrich and deputy Adam Hollingshead when they were called to the stand. The judge denied Warren’s request for a bond reduction and an arraignment hearing is scheduled for May 20 at 8:30 a.m. in District Court. The defendant faces a Class IC felony count for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver or distribute within 1,0...
Not only will Dance Steps Studio students be performing their annual big recital next month, but also the studio will be moving to a new location, according to owner Margaret Meier. The recital is titled “Somedays You Gotta Dance,” and will be on May 5 at 2 p.m. at the Sidney High School Fine Arts Auditorium. Meier said that it will be the group’s big end of the year recital and that shortly after May 5 she will be moving her business from its current location to the Jones Center at 1044 Toledo...
A plea bargain was agreed to in the State of Nebraska’s case against Roman Maes on Monday. Maes had initially been charged with “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly caused bodily injury to a peace officer while such officer was engaged in the performance of his official duties.” Originally Maes was also booked in the Cheyenne County Jail with third-degree assault and resisting arrest. This week he voluntarily pleaded guilty in Cheyenne County Court to a Class I Misdemeanor of resisting arrest and was ordered probation for 12 months, with...
Falls City, Neb. native Brad Rowan returned to his home state to take the position of Sidney’s Chief Building Official and Zoning Administrator. Rowan brings much experience to the table. He is certified as a Fire Inspector 1, Building Inspector, Certified Building Official, International Code Council Member, State of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Building Inspector, U.S. Government Contractor with the Department of Defense and a Disaster Service Worker Volunteer. The new...
City of Sidney City Council members chose Paul Reed Construction & Supply for the Illinois and 14th Avenue Street Improvement Project this Tuesday night. Donald Dye with M.C. Schaff & Associates, Inc. told council members that two bids had been received by the city. Paul Reed Construction & Supply bid $710,962.89 for the project, Nienhueser Construction bid $843,925.25, and the engineer’s estimate fell at $731,512.50, according to Dye. Paul Reed Construction was Dye’s recommendation. Construction is set to start June 15 and to be completed Sep...
Although City of Sidney council members were scheduled to make a decision on the location site for the new swimming pool at their meeting Tuesday night, it was apparent that there are many additional steps before a site can be confirmed. Mayor Wendall Gaston told council members that the suggested site from the pool committee appeared to be site C, but that the pool consultants needed to be given direction on what to present to the council. The consultants proposed three different sites during their February visits and site A is considered the...
Decisions. Paul Arden once said, “if you always make the right decision, the safe decision, the one most people make, you will be the same as everyone else.” I have always had a severe problem with decision-making, and I believe that indecisiveness is in fact a specialty of mine. Then I met my boyfriend – someone who also delves into the talent of indecisiveness. Learning to decide on things together has helped us grow as a couple, while at the same time it has also forced me to make decisions sometimes and learn that I can have a say in thing...
Can landscaping help put Sidney on the map? At last night’s meeting of the City Council, the answer seemed to depend upon a dollar amount. Both Korey Stanley of Peeley Irrigation, and B.J. Raffelson of Raffelson Rock Co. presented their proposals for the South Entrance Project meeting. The project is planned for the corner of the intersection at 11th Avenue and Old Post Road. A gas station is in the process of being built adjacent to that land and Wamsley Development gifted the city a...
The parole hearing of a man convicted of sexual assault 13 years ago has at least one concerned mother expressing concern. Cynthia Sutton recently contacted the Sun-Telegraph wishing to get the word out there of her ex-husband’s hearing, set for Wednesday, April 24. “I feel that my fellow citizens of Sidney, Neb. and the surrounding communities need to be informed of yet another sex offender’s possible early parole,” she wrote. According to a Notice of Hearing by the Nebraska Board of Parole, Sutton’s ex-husband, Gary Vannatter Sr., was convi...
Panhandle residents dealt with road and school closures as best they could during the recent blizzards. But how does the weather affect the city as whole after the snowflakes have gone and the winds have died down? “Storms always cause numerous challenges for the city staff and emergency management personnel, but dealing with the storms is just part of what we do as a city,” said Sidney City Manager Gary Person. “Each storm brings different types of challenges,” he continued. “Obviou...
Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce staff members and local Sidney businesses are preparing for a day of sales, community involvement and fun at their annual Girl’s Day Out. Festivities will be held April 27 and will begin with a Dutch Oven breakfast at Cabela’s at 10 a.m. Registration will be next on the agenda for the women as those that wish to participate will need to register at the Fox Theatre from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The Sidney Community Development Committee are providing women with a bus shuttle service that will travel back and for...
