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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Charges were amended Tuesday morning in two of three pending murder cases before Cheyenne County District Judge Derek Weimer. Jason W. Custer will now face first-degree murder in connection with the November shooting death of Adam E. McCormick of Sidney, while Craig A. Johnson now has a habitual criminality enhancement attached to his second-degree murder charge in the December 2011 beating death of April Smith. In addition, the county’s third accused murderer, Larry G. Martinez was also in court to be arraigned on an amended charge of f... Full story
These are extremely golden times for Chadron High School’s girls’ basketball program, and of a good team, certain qualities are revealed. Sidney’s Lady Raiders saw it first-hand Friday evening at Sidney Middle School. Minus leading scorer Ashlea Kerr, who sat out after suffering a hyperextended knee, Chadron was still able to eke out a 45-42 victory. Trailing 19-17 at halftime, Chadron hit a whopping 8 of 10 third-period – good for a 19-8 move that gave the Cardinals (19-2) a 36-27 lead at the s...
When the Sidney High School boyss’ basketball team is making shots as it did Friday night, the best an opponent can do it pack it in. Knocking down 11 treys — all but two of those coming from Paxton Ehler and Casey Mabey — Erik Kohl’s club improved to 13-7 with an easy 60-36 victory against Chadron at Sidney Middle School. “It was just a month ago, when we were needing guys to stay after practice to shoot,” Kohl said. “It looks like it is beginning to pay off. Now guys are staying and shooting a... Full story
The three individuals who currently stand accused of murder in Cheyenne County — Craig A. Johnson, Larry G. Martinez and Jason W. Custer — each have hearings scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, with Johnson facing new enhanced charges. Cheyenne District Judge Derek Weimer will preside in each hearing. Here’s a breakdown of each defendant’s status: • Johnson, 47, Sidney, is charged with felony Class 1B second-degree murder and Class II felony use of a weapon to commit a felony, in the Dec. 11, 2011 beating death of April Smith. Upon arrival t...
Morgan Linneman has had quite a decorated track and field career for the Sidney High School Lady Raiders. Now she’ll get the chance to take her talents to the next level. Linneman on Wednesday signed a national letter of intent to attend the University of Nebraska-Kearney on track-academic scholarship. “I considered Nebraska Wesleyan, Midland University and Concordia,” Linneman said, “but I had already had two visits to UNK, plus we stayed there overnight at the state cross-country meet last fa... Full story
SIDNEY — Pairings have been announced for the upcoming girls high school basketball subdistricts. Area teams will be involved in Class D. Creek Valley and Potter-Dix will compete in the Sidney D1-2 Subdistrict, to be held at Cabela’s Athletic Facility at Sidney High School. Potter-Dix is seeded No. 2 and Creek is third. Those two will play each other in a second semifinal Tuesday evening. Sidney D1-2 pairings are as follows: Monday, Feb. 11 G1 — Garden County (4) vs. Minatare (5), 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12 G2 — Winner G1 vs. Crawford (1), 6 p... Full story
Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub indicated this morning that he is amending information regarding murder charges against Larry Martinez, and will not pursue the death penalty in the case. During today’s suppression hearing requested by defense attorney Kelly Breen, Cheyenne County District Judge Derek Weimer accepted Schaub’s motion for leave to amend information. Originally, Schaub had intent to move forward with Class I first-degree murder and Class IC use of a firearm to commit a fel... Full story
Depositions are piling up in a pair of cases before Cheyenne County District Judge Derek Weimer, who presided over both status hearings Wednesday. The cases of Nancy Gipfert, 55, Sidney, (Class II felony charge of intentional child abuse) and Corey Lundgren, 22, Sidney (three Class IIIA felony counts of driving under the influence of alcoholic liquor – causing serious bodily injury) are moving toward trials. However, getting there is going to take more time, according to attorney Donald Miller, who is representing both defendants. G...
A Sidney man faces three drug-related felony charges following his arrest Tuesday during a police “knock and talk” incident. According to an arrest affidavit, authorities took Valente A. Acosta Simental, 51, into custody and charged him with Class III possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver/distribute, Class IV possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and Class IV possession of drug-related money. Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Nebraska State Patrol, WING Drug Task Force and Sidney City Police Depar...
POTTER — It’s been an up and down season so far for the Peetz Bulldogs, but the naked eyes wouldn’t have known it after Tuesday’s 74-52 victory at Potter-Dix. Clicking on just about all cylinders, Bill Fiscus’s team improved to 6-9 with the win. “We haven’t put together back-to-back wins this season,” the Bulldogs coach said. “We had a meeting Monday and talked about getting hot at the right time, because in the Colorado High School tournament — from Class 1A to 5A — you will find two or thre... Full story
POTTER — Clinging to a narrow halftime lead Tuesday night, Peetz High School girls basketball coach Tera Segelke gave her starting guards the thumbs-up to step up their respective games, and Morgan Burns and Melissa Schumacher didn’t disappoint. Forcing turnovers and bad shots on defense, and finishing in double figures, Schumacher and Burns paved the way to the Lady Bulldogs’ 41-29 win at Potter-Dix. “we typically don’t come out and play well in the first and third quarters,” Segelke sai...
BAYARD — Maybe it’s just for some late-season amusement, but these recent early-game struggles have Leyton High School boys basketball coach Gary Oltmann a tad concerned. “We had 17 points in the first quarter, which is a good deal for us,” Oltmann said of his team’s 57-34 win Tuesday at Bayard.. “But we didn’t play well defensively early.” Leyton (17-1) trailed 19-17 after a quarter, then turned up the heat the rest of the way, outscoring the Tigers to the tune of 40-15 the rest of the way. Brennen Cruise paced LHS with 16 points, 12 rebo...
Whereas the Sidney High School girls basketball team waited a full first half before kicking in a long rally against Scottsbluff, the Lady Raiders Saturday evening wasted little time the second time around. Trailing 9-5 early, Tyler Shaw’s Raiders scored the final 12 points of the first period, then kept up the pace the rest of the way in an easy 55-32 win at Cabela’s Athletics Facility. “We shot the ball better tonight,” Shaw said of Saturday’s win, after his team struggled mightily the night... Full story
SIDNEY — Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single-car accident Sunday evening. According to reports, Tyson C. Bockhahn, 21, was taken to Sidney Regional Medical Center after the 2003 Mercury SUV he was operating left the roadway on County Road 32 south, at about 9:22 p.m. Sunday. The vehicle struck a curve sign and a reflector post, before crossing the road and coming to a rest in the left ditch. Bockhahn was transported to SRMC, where he was treated for injuries. No citations were issued, and damage to the Bockhahn vehicle was...
As a sophomore, Tanner Wintholz was playing football just to take up a spot for Sidney High School’s football team. Following two years of hard work, he’ll be taking up another gridiron spot — on Chadron State College’s roster. Making good on a previous verbal commitment, Wintholz at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday will sign a NCAA Division II national letter of intent to attend Chadron on a football scholarship that will match half the tuition, plus he will receive an ACT-score generated grant. The sig... Full story
Four games, four close calls — but the previous three meetings between Gering and Sidney high school’s boys basketball teams could have prepared them for the bizarre finish Friday night at Cabela’s Athletic Facility. Both teams wasted double- digit leads, but the host Raiders didn’t lose the grip on their advantage despite the fact everything was crumbling for SHS. And, when Gering’s Joses Palomo was called for shuffling his feet — wiping off a potential game-tying field goal — Erik Kohl’s club had gained a regular-season split with a pulsatin...
It wasn’t pretty, nor flashy, but the Sidney High School girls basketball team’s 31-27 victory Friday night against visiting Gering was better than taking a third straight loss on the chin. “We didn’t shoot the ball as well as we normally do,” SHS coach Tyler Shaw said. “Gering had a great game plan, sitting in a zone and making us shoot the ball from outside. The shots weren’t going in and it got tougher as the game got closer. We just found a way at the end.” The Lady Raiders (13- 5) nearly sleepwalked into another loss, plodding to a 1...
SCOTTSBLUFF — With Thursday night’s scrap against visiting Sidney hanging in the balance, Scottsbluff High School’s boys’ basketball team just Hadden-ough to get past the Red Raiders. Senior Michael Hadden scored 11 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter, and the defending Class B champions pulled away for a 79-68 victory. Thursday’s contest marked teams’ second meeting in six evenings; the Bearcats had rallied for a 54-50 win Jan. 26 in Sidney, a game the Raiders led most of the way.... Full story
BIG SPRINGS — Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub, serving as Deuel County Coroner, has ruled the January death of a Big Springs woman to be accidental. Schaub’s autopsy findings have confirmed that Cindy Gilmore, 36, died due to hypothermia. On Jan. 5, Deuel County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an unconscious female at 707 West 1st Street. The female, later identified as Gilmore, was lying on the sidewalk next to her neighbor’s house. A neighbor reported the situation to Emergeny Medical Services. Upon arrival, EMS attempt...
Several high-profile cases will continue next week before Cheyenne County District Judge Derek Weimer, including that of first-degree murder defendant Larry Martinez against a Sidney man, and the arraignment of Illinois trucker Josef Slezak, who is charged with multiple counts of manslaughter and vehicular homicide. Martinez, 53, at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 7 will appear for a suppression hearing involving and arraignment on amended information by Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub, who is seeking the death penalty in the case. Schaub’s amended i...
Here’s hoping Punxsutawney Phil has a fantastic Saturday. This weather has been brutal enough. ------- It’s always this time of year that the mind starts wandering toward baseball; Major League pitchers and catchers report to spring training in a few short weeks. Being a Cardinals fan, the past week or so has been a time of reflection with the passing of Stan Musial. I really wanted to pen a column about Musial last week, but instead, I preferred to do a lot more reading of what others had to... Full story
JULESBURG, Colo. — Poor free-throw shooting down the stretch almost proved costly Tuesday night for Leyton High School’s boys’ basketball team, but an offensive rebound by Brennen Cruise was enough for the Warriors to survive a 56-55 decision at Sedgwick County, Colo. “It came down a tough finish,” LHS coach Gary Oltmann said. “We didn’t play well nor did we shoot well.” Leyton (14-1) held a 56-49 lead late before the Cougars — around missed foul shots by the Warriors — knocked down two consecutive 3-pointers to cut the lead to one point.... Full story
Inside the paint. Outside the 3-point arc. From the free-throw line. It didn’t matter to Eric Moreno … he kept on scoring. Moreno posted all but one of his game-high 26 points in the second half, single-handedly outscoring Sidney High School boys’ basketball team over the final 16 minutes to propel Scottsbluff to a come-from-behind, 54-50 victory Saturday night at Cabela’s Athletic Facility. With the win, the Bearcats improved to 13-3; SHS’s Red Raiders dropped to 11-6. “That’s the thing abo... Full story
MITCHELL — Sophomore Michael Muggli earned a first-place medal at 132 pounds Saturday, and Sidney High School’s wrestling team finished fifth in the 16-team Mitchell Invitational. Gering (115 points) won the team title, with Lingle-Ft. Laramie (101), Gothenburg (98.5), Mitchell (94.5) and SHS (92) rounding out the top five. Sidney had six individuals reach the semifinals, but Muggli was the lone champion for Sidney. After receiving a first-round bye, Muggli reeled off three wins, quick-pinning Gothenburg’s Jayden Miller; then slipped past...
MINATARE — After reaching the finals of last weekend’s MAC tournament at 9-1, Minatare has fallen on tough times, dropping their fourth straight at the hands of the Coyotes, 46-36, Saturday evening.. P-D (6-8) swapped leads with Minatare (9-5), but Kyle Gorsuch hit a foul shot and Luke Johnson scored inside to give the Coyotes a 30-27 lead at the end of the third period. Minatare got to within 32-31 early in the fourth quarter, but the Indians could not get even the rest of the way. Bryant Kni...
