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 1 - 25 of 94
Sidney High School football coach Chris Koozer had stressed the importance of a fast start for the Red Raiders in Friday's Class B state tournament opener. Instead, the opposite happened and it proved costly to Sidney. The Red Raiders surrendered two touchdowns – both off turnovers – in the first 1 minute, 33 seconds of the game and couldn't recover in their 70-20 loss to Elkhorn South. Sidney finished its season 5-5, while Elkorn South – the state's No. 1-ranked team in Class B according to se...
Before the kids don their costumes for Halloween on Saturday, the Sidney Regional Medical Center is giving them and their parents a chance to learn more about health. The "All About Kids Health Adventure" will be held from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday at the Cheyenne County Community Center. The free event is being put on by the Health Center Foundation and SRMC as part of an ongoing focus to offer more key health information and resources to the community to support a healthy, active lifestyle. "We...
Consider how these two scenarios played out last Friday night: Sidney High School needed a touchdown in the final minutes to pull out a victory against a team on a 21-game losing streak and earn a spot in the Class B state football tournament. Meanwhile, Elkhorn South needed double overtime to cap an undefeated regular season and maintain its No. 1 ranking in several statewide polls. If you’re a fan of the David vs. Goliath account, stay focused on Friday night’s first-round state playoff game between these two squads. The Red Raiders (5-...
The Sidney, Leyton and Peetz high school football teams have all qualified for postseason play. Sidney’s 13-9 win over Gering on Friday night earned the Red Raiders a spot in the Class B state tournament. Sidney is the No. 14 seed and will play at Elkhorn South on Friday at 5 p.m. CDT. There will be no classes on Friday for all Sidney schools from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The time off school will give students and staff who wish to attend the game an opportunity to get there, according to Sidney Public Schools Superintendent Jay E...
The scoreboard clock was clicking down Friday night on Sidney High's game against Gering – and the Red Raiders' football season. But a leaping touchdown catch by senior captain Tyler Wintholz salvaged a come-from-behind win over Gering and propelled the Red Raiders into the Class B state tournament. Sidney quarterback Brady Radcliffe connected with Wintholz on an 18-yard scoring strike with three minutes to play that propelled the Red Raiders to a 13-9 victory and saved their season. The win p...
It won’t be tough for the Sidney High football team to get excited for Friday night’s regular season-finale. The Red Raiders realize that they need a victory and some help from a number of other Class B teams to earn a wild-card berth into the state tournament. Plus, it’ll be the final home game for a group of Sidney seniors. And, oh yeah, their former coach will be across Weymouth Field on the opposing sidelines. All of those factors will be in the mix when Sidney squares off against Gering on Friday at 7 p.m. The Red Raiders are 4-4 this...
Even before the 2015 football season started, Tyler Wintholz was looking to do something "special." Most would expect that statement to simply mean catch a lot of passes and score touchdowns in bunches in his final season. Instead, his intentions were to honor the man who introduced him to football. Wintholz traded in his usual No. 24 jersey for the No. 17 on Friday night for Sidney's game against Alliance. That number was adorned on his great-grandfather Maynard Smith's uniform back in the...
If all goes according to plan, the Sidney High School football team won’t have to look hard for motivation this Friday. First, it’s Homecoming for the Red Raiders when Alliance rolls into Weymouth Field for a 7 p.m. kickoff. Second, Sidney is still fighting for a berth in the Class B state tournament – needing a win this week and in the season finale to have a chance at a wild card spot. “We’re looking to bounce back this week,” said Sidney head coach Chris Koozer, whose team is looking to rebound from last Friday’s 46-14 defeat at the hands...
SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. – Sidney High School knew rival Scottsbluff would bring a potent running game to their district showdown on Friday night. Stopping it, however, would be another story. The Bearcats rolled up 408 yards on the ground and pulled away in the second half to post a convincing 46-14 victory over Sidney in front of a packed house at Bearcat Stadium. Sidney slipped to 4-3 and now finds itself in a precarious spot on the bubble for a Class B state tournament berth. Scottsbluff i...
Sidney head football coach Chris Koozer knows he won't have to do much to get his Red Raiders fired up this week. A quick look at the schedule shows the next foe: Scottsbluff. Enough said. When these rivals meet, you can – as the adage goes – "throw out the records." This Friday night's game at Scottsbluff (7 p.m. kickoff) marks the start of District B-8 play – an important three-game stretch with the team that emerges on top earning an automatic berth in the Class B state tournament. "You...
Another slow start Friday night proved to be the demise for the Sidney High School football team. The Red Raiders came up short against a talented Grand Island Northwest squad, losing 27-20 at Weymouth Field after falling behind by two touchdowns early in the contest. The loss dropped Sidney to 4-2, while GINW improved to 5-1. However, the important part of the Red Raiders' schedule begins this Friday. That's when Class B District 8 play gets underway and Sidney squares off against rival...
The man accused of leading police on a car chase last month on Interstate 80 – that included a short standoff – was in Cheyenne County Court on Thursday for a probable casue hearing. Joseph M. Mladenik, 40, of Cheyenne, Wyo., has been charged with four felonies in the incident. They are three counts of possessing a firearm during commission of a felony and operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest. Judge Randin Roland ruled Thursday that there is probable cause to belive that Mladenik committed the offense. The judge set bond at $50,000. Arr...
While the Sidney High football players and their fans were celebrating last week’s shutout victory at Lexington, another final score came in that piqued their interests. Grand Island Northwest 38, Scottsbluff 35. So when GINW visits Sidney on Friday night in a clash of 4-1 teams, the Red Raiders already know not to take the Vikings lightly. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Weymouth Field. Much of that comes to light with a glance at the Vikings’ offensive statistics through five games this season. GINW’s senior quarterback Christian Ellsw...
The Sidney High School football team will look to bounce back from its first loss of the season when it heads east Friday to play Lexington. The Red Raiders lost at home last week to McCook after three consecutive wins to open the 2015 campaign, but expect to right the ship against Lexington (1-3). "Right now, we just try to get better each week as a team," said Sidney's first-year head coach Chris Koozer. "We still have some defensive breakdowns at times, but we're trying to clean that up."...
Gary Person, Sidney's city manager for the past 16 years, will resign at Tuesday night's city council meeting. "I am not being asked to resign," Person said when reached by phone at his office Thursday morning. Person has been embroiled in controversy over the past several months related to a January 2014 incident that involved a city employee and, then ultimately, the Sidney police chief. Person said he informed city employees at a meeting on Thursday that he would be submitting his resignation...
John Hehnke, the City of Sidney's embattled public services director, was fired Tuesday. Hehnke, a 10-year city employee who was at the center of a controversial decision that also involved Sidney Police Chief B.J. Wilkinson, was dismissed by City Manager Gary Person. "He was let go yesterday," Person said. "It was a decision that was made regarding personnel and I can't say much more. "I don't want to speak on behalf of the mayor or [city] council, but I'm sure some of it will be addressed at...
A Sidney teen missing since late last month has been located in California. Daniel Virgil, 16, was found about 2 a.m. Monday in Colton, Calif., and placed in a juvenile facility pending pickup by his parents, said Sidney Police Assistant Chief Joe Aikens. Virgil was found uninjured. Virgil was last seen in the Sidney area on the afternoon of July 28. His family, friends and the community turned to Facebook to ask for help in finding him. He was also reported missing in August 2013 and was returned safely soon after and was considered a runaway...
Sidney Police Chief B.J. Wilkinson wrote an email in the spring of 2014 that said he was asked to keep a citation written to a city employee "off the radar in County Court and the newspaper." The email was part of a document recently unsealed by the Cheyenne County Court that was obtained through a search warrant. The warrant, requested by investigator Sgt. Monty Lovelace of the Nebraska State Patrol in March, sought messages from Wilkinson's Sidney Police email account from Jan. 29, 2014, to Fe...
A Sidney grocery store will be expanding its employee base over the next few months, adding both full- and part-time positions. The local Safeway, located at 1944 Illinois St., will be hiring new workers for a variety of specialty departments in the coming months. Open interviews for spots in those areas will be held Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. through Aug. 1, and applicants must apply online at: www.careersatsafeway.com. Several area Safeway stores will hire dozens of employees over the next several months to meet the demands...
A local man accused of selling marijuana to fellow Sidney High School students had his charge dismissed late last week. Zachary Borges, 19, was arrested on Sept. 4, 2014, after an investigation by the Sidney Police Department and charged with delivery/intent to deliver controlled substance, a Class III felony. He was represented by local attorney Donald Miller. Borges, who was a member of the Red Raiders’ wrestling team and graduated in May, was arrested last fall after approximately a quarter ounce of marijuana was found in his vehicle, a...
The woman who shouted death threats at a witness outside the Cheyenne County Courthouse – and in front of law enforcement officers – was sentenced Friday morning to 48 months probation and community service. Misty Beutler, who turns 34 next month, pleaded guilty in April to witness tampering, a class IV felony. She had faced charges of terroristic threatening and witness tampering, both class IV felonies, prior to the plea agreement. Judge Derek Weimer handed down the sentence and a stern statement in court on Friday. “It’s a serious offense...
A nationwide campaign is encouraging Americans to cast aside their cell phones, tablets and other devices in exchange for a day of outdoor activities. “Disconnect Day” was unveiled earlier this month in a rally against “over-connectivity,” according to one of Cabela’s executives. “The core idea behind Disconnect Day is to remember how rewarding the outdoors can be in strengthening the relationships in our lives,” said chief marketing officer Scott Williams. “When our children grow up, they aren’t going to remember how many likes they got on...
Two high-ranking City of Sidney employees appeared in court Monday morning, with one agreeing to a plea deal that resolved his case. Sidney Public Services Director John Hehnke pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace and received a fine of $300 plus court costs from Judge Paul Wess. In exchange for the plea, a charge of misdemeanor unlawful intrusion was dropped by Assistant Attorney General Doug Warner, who was named a special prosecutor in the case by the Cheyenne County Court. Warner was appointed after an...
A 32-year-old Sidney woman has worked out a plea agreement in a case where she was accused of shouting death threats at a witness outside the Cheyenne County Courthouse. Misty Beutler pleaded guilty Wednesday to witness tampering, a class IV felony. She will be sentenced June 3 by Judge Derek Weimer in Cheyenne County District Court. Beutler had faced charges of terroristic threatening and witness tampering, both class IV felonies. Beutler allegedly shouted death threats on Jan. 22 at a witness...
Leasa Hlavinka, the stabbing victim in Sunday night's apparent domestic assault, has been released from the hospital. Hlavinka was airlifted to the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colo., after she was stabbed by her husband, Dana Hlavinka, at the couple's home. He was then killed by Sidney Police when two officers entered the home, encountered him with a knife and shot him. In a Facebook post from Wednesday evening, Leasa Hlavinka wrote, "Friends and family – I was released from the h...
