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 216 - 240 of 417
The attorney for a Sidney woman, who prosecutors allege committed a string of burglaries in Cheyenne County, filed a court document this week arguing there is insufficient evidence his client carried out the crimes. Mindy Richmond, 34, is charged with 21 felony counts of burglary. Twelve days ago, a county court judge ruled there was probable cause to bind the charges over to district court. On Wednesday, Richmond – who is free on $100,000 bond – appeared before District Court of Cheyenne County Judge Derek Weimer. The defendant’s lawyer, James...
Abel Domingo Jeronimo, 39, was sentenced in Cheyenne County District Court on Wednesday afternoon to 180 days in jail and five years of intensive supervised probation for leaving the scene of a fatal traffic crash near Dalton last spring. Jeronimo’s driver’s license was also revoked for 15 years – the maximum possible term, Judge Derek Weimer said – as part of a long list of probation terms. On the morning of April 7, Jeronimo was driving in foggy conditions along U.S. Highway 385, two miles south of Dalton. Another vehicle, driven by Martin...
After a year of preparations, then 10 days full of events, members of the Cheyenne County Fair Board can now pause to catch their breaths. That is, until they begin work next month on the 2016 fair. Kip Miller, the board’s treasurer, attended a County Commissioners’ meeting on Monday to deliver a report on this year’s fair, which was held last month. A monster truck event on Wednesday, July 22 was well attended, he said. It was the first time the fair hosted the event – it replaced a night of live musical entertainment in past years – and t...
A hearing on the appeal of a 30-day jail sentence handed down to Sidney Police Chief B.J. Wilkinson is scheduled for Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the District Court of Cheyenne Court. Wilkinson, who is on paid administrative leave, pleaded no contest on July 17 to a single misdemeanor charge of obstructing government operations. While he was initially ordered to begin serving his jail term at the Cheyenne County Jail on Monday, Aug. 3, the appeal process has put that on hold. Wilkinson will not serve any time until a final decision on the appeal of...
Doug Hart, who was recently appointed interim county highway superintendent, met with the Cheyenne County Board of Commissioners at a meeting on Monday morning to discuss the condition of county roads. Commissioners said they have seen improvements in the upkeep of roads – and heard from residents thanking them for the improved road conditions – since Hart took on the temporary role last month. “We’re headed in the right direction, Doug,” Commissioner Philip Sanders said. Hart said he was working with staff to ensure proper maintenan...
Sidney City Councilors met Thursday evening for the second of two budget workshops held this week. In preparation of finalizing the upcoming fiscal year’s budget, councilors met with department heads to discuss potential expenditures and revenue sources. The final city budget will be approved at upcoming regular council meetings. Library Andrew Sherman, who was hired earlier this year as the library director, said he kept the proposed budget as flat as possible. Some line item expenses – such as library automation – were reduced from the curren...
Sidney City Councilors met on Wednesday for a special meeting to discuss a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The six-hour meeting was the first of two scheduled budget workshops, and councilors are set to meet again Thursday evening. While the budget has yet to be formalized, the meetings allow city department heads to explain possible expenditures for the next fiscal year and identify expected revenue sources. On Wednesday, councilors examined proposed budgets for many of the city’s departments. Golf Chuck Christensen, director of golf, p...
The Sidney City Council tabled an agenda item on Tuesday that would have allowed the proposed new swimming pool project to move forward after bids came back higher than expected. Mayor Mark Nienhueser said the City Council needs more information before proceeding with the project. The decision came early in a marathon meeting that lasted until 2 a.m. Wednesday. Councilors spent the majority of the night in an executive session, discussing personnel issues. In April, engineers estimated the...
Construction on a new Love's Travel Stop in Sidney has begun, and the location is set to open in early 2016. Kealey Dorian, a Love's communication specialist, said the location will include a large convenience store, gas and diesel pumps, an attached International House of Pancakes (IHOP) Express and an adjacent Comfort Inn and Suites. However, no additional fast-food restaurants are planned for the site, Dorian said. The site will be located near the intersection of Chase Boulevard and Upland P...
Mindy Richmond, a Sidney woman facing 21 counts of burglary, was released from custody last Friday after posting her $100,000 bond. Richmond had been held since her arrest on June 11, following searches of her vehicle and two Sidney residences linked to her. The 34-year-old woman is accused of taking part in a string of residential burglaries throughout Cheyenne County, targeting prescription medication, cash and designer clothing. On Friday, Richmond's case was moved from county to district...
Eligibility requirements for free and reduced school meals were recently set for the upcoming academic year. "The Nebraska Department of Education's Nutrition Services office has announced the income eligibility requirements for free and reduced price meals for persons unable to pay the full price of meals served under the National School Lunch, Breakfast, Special Milk and Child and Adult Care Food Programs," according to a media release from the Nebraska Department of Education. The...
The Sidney School Board unanimously approved changes this month to the district’s tuition reimbursement program for teachers. The program was initially started in part to encourage teachers to obtain advanced degrees so they could teach classes that allowed Sidney students to receive both high school and college credits, Sidney Public School District Superintendent Jay Ehler explained at a work session on July 7. In last year’s budget, $20,000 was set aside to reimburse tuition fees for district teachers enrolled in master’s programs. Under...
Fifteen felony burglary charges have been added to the case against a Sidney woman accused of stealing prescription drugs, money and designer clothing from homes throughout Cheyenne County. Mindy Richmond now faces 21 counts of burglary, each a class three felony. On Friday morning, the 34-year-old woman appeared in Cheyenne County Court for a preliminary hearing. Twelfth Judicial District County Court Judge Russell Harford explained that the purpose of the hearing was to determine if there was...
A fundraising drive to support a new outdoor swimming pool in Sidney is continuing with momentum from a recent $25,000 donation from a local business. Funding for the vast majority of the $5 million project is in place, but a $250,000 challenge grant is contingent upon collecting another $299,000 in community donations. The Peter Kiewit Foundation grant would provide a quarter of a million dollars for the pool if the community raises $750,000. More than half of that sum – $451,000 – has already been secured. Megan McGown, the city’s forme...
A 30-day jail term handed down last week to Sidney Police Chief B.J. Wilkinson is on hold after a $500 appeal bond was posted. Wilkinson was sentenced last Friday to jail after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing government operations. In an e-mailed statement to The Sidney Sun-Telegraph, Sidney City Manager Gary Person said Wilkinson is on leave from his position as police chief. "Chief Wilkinson has filed an appeal on the sentence, and the City will have no further...
New large-scale construction projects in Sidney could be required to install landscaping under an ordinance discussed by the Planning Commission earlier this week. The ordinance is intended to improve the appearance of the community and create a buffer between business and residential areas of the city, according to Sidney Zoning Administrator Ben Dayton. The proposed rules were drafted through a joint effort undertaken by the Sidney Tree Board and city staff, including Dayton, Park Superintendent Tom Von Seggern and Public Services Director Jo...
The Sidney Planning Commission gave its approval this week for a retail-oriented business to set up shop at the Sidney Business Park. The City Council will now consider the request and make a final decision. Bomgaars, which has a store located along Fort Sidney Road in Sidney, submitted a letter to the commission requesting a lot at the business park be rezoned to allow retail operations. The initial three lots of the 90-acre development, which were final platted earlier this year, are designated M-2 Heavy Industrial. Because the city’s z...
A decision on which company will be awarded the contract to construct a new livestock building at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds will likely be made next month, after a final design is agreed upon and the funds raised for the project are collected. Members of the Fair Building Committee have been working for more than a year to replace the current livestock structure that is in poor condition. While documentation proves it to be at least 60 years old, its actual age likely precedes that by a decade or two, committee members have said. Nearly...
Cheyenne County has taken the first step toward creating a public defender position. On Monday morning, County Commissioners named Tom Oliver and Philip Kelly as the two attorney representatives and Larry Nelson as the layperson representative for a just-created Public Defender Policy Board. Tim Smith was selected as an alternate for Nelson. The board will be tasked with evaluating whether the county should create a public defender position, and if so, reviewing applications for the job and making a hiring recommendation to the commissioners....
Sidney Police Chief B.J. Wilkinson was sentenced to 30 days in jail on Friday morning after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing government operations. Twelfth District County Court Judge Paul Wess ordered Wilkinson to begin his jail sentence on Aug. 3 at the Cheyenne County Jail. An appeal bond was set at $500. As of Friday afternoon, the bond had not been posted. If filed, the appeal bond would delay the jail term until a judgment on an appeal in the case was made....
Tom Noel, who served as Cheyenne County Highway Superintendent for 15 years, stepped down from his position on Friday morning. An emergency special meeting of the county commissioners was called to accept Noel’s resignation. At the meeting, Doug Hart was appointed as Noel’s replacement. Hart has worked in the county highway department for more than 30 years, where he is currently an operator. Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub explained because Noel’s resignation took effect Friday, an emergency meeting was needed to ensure a highway super...
Weekly mosquito spraying began in Sidney this week to combat the population of those pesky nuisances that are as much a part of summer as barbecues. "Weather permitting, spraying will continue each Sunday evening from approximately 7:30-11 p.m. into September," a media release states. Besides branding the arms and legs of anyone spending any time outside, mosquitos are capable of transmitting viruses. "The city is spraying to kill adult mosquitos that may be carrying West Nile Virus," the...
Sidney schools will be serving locally produced beef in their cafeterias this year. A partnership between the Sidney Public School District, the Cheyenne County Farm Bureau and local beef producers was announced at a school board meeting this week. Jennifer Gipfert, a farm bureau representative, said for the first year, she is expecting the school district to receive 15 animals. Through the agreement, the farm bureau will work to seek donations of cattle from local producers. The only cost to the school district will be the transportation and...
Harvest season has begun in Cheyenne County. Jennifer Jurgens said last weekend, two fields' worth of wheat was harvested on her family's farm, seven miles east of Hunstman. "It was beautiful cutting weather," she said. "A nice breeze and warm, not extremely hot. We couldn't have asked for better weather." When the grain was delivered to the Scoular Company in Sidney, the family was told it was the first load of the season. Jurgens said custom cutters from Scehmper Harvesting, out of Holdrege, w...
Ensuring resources and training continue to be in place for Sidney schools to maintain a high level of academic excellence underscores the school board's priorities for the upcoming academic year. At a Sidney Public School District board meeting on Tuesday night, board members passed a list of their goals for the new academic year that begins in one month. Most of the items were carried over from last year with slight revisions, and one was new. Continuing with commitments to provide access to...
