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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Repairs to a section of the heating and air conditioning system at the Cheyenne County Courthouse will likely be postponed a year after the company approved to do the work said it miscalculated the bid and the actual cost would be twice as much. The Cheyenne County Commissioners were visibly frustrated Monday as they discussed a request from Johnson Controls to rescind its bid in light of the new information. Paul Schaub, county attorney, said Johnson Controls contacted the county shortly after...
LODGEPOLE – Village councilors in Lodgepole discussed a possible water treatment option for town residents on Monday night.. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is requiring towns throughout the state to implement safeguards against potential arsenic contamination in drinking water. Lodgepole has until May to complete a preliminary engineering report on ways to ensure safe drinking water for residents. Once the report is approved, the community will have one year to file a f...
A local animal rescue organization made a presentation during Monday’s Cheyenne County Commissioners meeting. Sybil Prosser, representing High Plains PAW Rescue, explained the mission of her organization. “We take all the dogs and cats brought in as strays or found,” she said. This week alone, the rescue is set to receive four dogs. Animals under the care of the organization are thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian, then moved to a foster home while awaiting adoption. The program hopes to find its own facility within five years. Pross...
The moon took on a burnt-orange tint minutes before a total eclipse on Saturday morning, as seen from a hill on the north side of Sidney. The moon slipped fully into the Earth's shadow at 5:58 a.m. Mountain Time, starting a total lunar eclipse for nearly five minutes....
Two Sidney Public School District student-athletes were struck in the head by shot put throws in separate incidents that occurred within four days. Both times, an ambulance was called to transport the injured student to Sidney Regional Medical Center. District administrators this week said they were unable to comment on the extent of the injuries. "That's not really something I can talk about, in terms of the injuries, because I haven't talked to either family about it in terms of the types of...
With $120 million in construction taking place around Sidney – and another $20 million set to begin in the next three months – Sidney Chief Building Official Brad Rowan doesn't have a lot of idle time. "I don't have to look for things to do," he said Tuesday afternoon while driving his city vehicle to a home on the east side for an inspection of a basement the homeowner is finishing himself. According to his cell phone, Rowan had 310 incoming calls last week. By 4 p.m. on Tuesday – a typic...
A woman who allegedly pulled a knife on a Sidney Police officer last month was arraigned in Cheyenne County District Court on Wednesday morning. District Court Judge Derek Weimer told Barbara Nettles she was being arraigned on a single charge of assault in the third degree, a class one misdemeanor. If convicted, the maximum penalty is 1 year in prison and a potential fine of $1,000. Michael Samuelson had earlier been appointed by the court to defend Nettles; Weimer ordered a continuance of the appointment on Wednesday. Samuelson requested the...
The Sidney Volunteer Fire Department was called to a report of smoke at the Western Convenience Store in the 400 block of Illinois Street in Sidney at 7:40 a.m. on Tuesday. Fire chief Keith Stone said crews were at the location for approximately an hour. "It was called in as smoke in the building," he said. "When we got there, we found it was coming out of the vents in the ceiling. It turned out to be a bearing that burned up in their air conditioning and heating unit." The fire department sent...
A 26-year-old Sidney man pleaded guilty to a charge of child abuse – a class IIIA felony – on Monday. Devon Holder, 26, who was arrested in late March, initially faced an additional charge of attempted possession of child pornography. Through a plea deal, that was dismissed in exchange for a guilty plea to the child abuse charge. Holder's case was first called in Cheyenne County Court on Monday morning; however, he waived the preliminary hearing. His case was then sent to Cheyenne County Dis...
On Friday, Sidney High students in the construction and design classes toured the new hospital building construction site. Design teacher Kim Castner said throughout the year, students have visited the new Cabela's headquarters, the Source Gas building and the hospital site once before as its steel frame was being erected....
As Sidney City Clerk Geri Anthony received the 2015 Outstanding Clerk of the Year Award in Kearney last week, she turned to hug Cindy Heilbrun, the deputy city clerk. "And Cindy said, 'Geri, turn around. Turn around.' and I said, 'Huh,' " Anthony recalled from her office at city hall on Monday. "So she turned me around, and my husband was standing right there; and my two sons and their wives; and [Sidney City Manager] Gary Person; the police chief; and Todd Von Seggern, the park superintendent;...
A statewide program working to develop the leadership skills of future Nebraska agriculture leaders is seeking applicants for its fall 2015 session. The Nebraska Leadership Education Action Development program was established in 1981 by a consortium of University of Nebraska, industry and state governmental representatives. Terry Hejny, the program’s director, said at first, the program was only meant to exist for a few years to ensure the next generation of ag leaders were prepared for the role. It was soon decided, however, there is always a...
The City of Sidney and the South Platte Natural Resource District are making strides on a partnership formed to address storm water issues in the city. More than two years ago, the Join East Sidney Watershed Authority was created with representatives from both entities. A master plan was devised, an ordinance implemented and projects identified. Sidney City Manager Gary Person said while the groups have worked together in the past, this was the first time such a close partnership was formed. “We’ve worked in unison on a number of different pro...
The plans for a beautification project at 11th Avenue and Old Post Road in Sidney were updated during this week’s city council meeting. Earlier this month, Jack Baker, from Baker and Associates, told council members that a bid for the project was higher than expected. At that time, councilors gave Baker the OK to break the plan into three separate projects: sign and lighting, landscaping and a decorative wall. This week, Baker returned with the separate bid packets. “Hopefully we can attract some bidders this go around and get it off and run...
On Thursday, the wildland fire danger level in Cheyenne County – and all of its neighboring counties – was “extreme,” according to the Nebraska Forest Service. Throughout the week, the potential for wildland fires in Western Nebraska has remained elevated. Don Westover, rural fire protection program leader for the state forest service, said the rating takes into account the ignitability of fuel – which is often grass, in this region – and weather. “As we know, Nebraska is a windy state,” he said. “And once ignited, that fire is going to take...
Sidney found itself in the middle of a fervent dispute between residents of northwest Nebraska and an oil and gas company from Colorado on Tuesday. And after a six-hour public hearing, there is still no resolution. A decision will instead be handed down within 30 days. The issue: a proposal to turn a non-producing oil well in Sioux County into a commercial disposal site for contaminated oil wastewater. When oil is pumped from the ground, it contains some amount of brine that must be filtered...
After years of discussions and planning, the Sidney City Council considered an offer on Tuesday night for the sale of the first lot in the city’s new business park. The council entered an executive session for 20 minutes to consider the proposal from Longhorn Investments to purchase Lot 1A in the southwest corner of the park. David Everston, Longhorn assistant manager, was at the meeting to discuss the offer. Before the council moved into executive, he said the initial offer of $250,000 was based on the preliminary plat that called for a 4...
The Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission held a public meeting at its office on Illinois Street in Sidney on Tuesday to consider an application for a wastewater well in Western Nebraska. Terex Energy, a Colorado-based company, is asking permission to inject wastewater produced through hydraulic fracturing into a well 14 miles north of Mitchell. Residents, students and politicians attended the meeting to express their views on the proposed project. Due to space constraints, the meeting...
While spring only officially began last week, the thoughts of many students have likely begun to shift to summer – if more in the sense of the vacation than the season. As the school year trudges away on its download slope toward freedom, senior high school students are making plans for the future. For those headed to college next year, Sidney High School provides them with a head start – the ability to earn college credits while still in high school. Through a couple of programs in con...
Volunteers gathered at the St. Patrick's Catholic Church Parish Center on Sunday to help package 20,000 meals destined for Burkina Faso, Africa. The event was sponsored by Stop Hunger Now and Catholic Relief Services. It took volunteers less than two hour to package the meals and load them into a trailer. Catholic Relief Services will transport the food to Africa and work with the recipients to help them support themselves....
A cohort of national and state organizations is calling attention to the dangers of problem gambling. Last month, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and mayors throughout the state signed proclamations declaring March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month. The annual month-long awareness campaign was started more that a decade ago by the Washington, D.C.-based National Council on Problem Gambling. David Geier, executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Problem Gambling, said the campaign is intended to bring greater awareness in the general...
A single-vehicle crash on Friday afternoon left a semi truck totaled after it rolled and became disconnected from its trailer, which was filled with a load of yogurt. The crash was reported at 12:21 p.m. and occurred near mile marker 44 on Interstate 80, six miles east of Potter. The truck, which was headed west, came to a rest upright in the grassy area to the side of the westbound lanes while the trailer laid on its side nearby on the shoulder. The driver sustained minor injuries and refused...
Next week, the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will consider an application by a Colorado company to operate a saltwater disposal well in southwest Nebraska. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the commission office in Sidney, 922 Illinois St. Terex Energy is seeking permission to inject wastewater produced through the hydraulic fracturing process into a well about 14 miles north of Mitchell. According to its application, the proposed saltwater disposal well would be located on an 11-acre fenced and gated site....
Construction on Cabela's new 160,000-square-foot corporate office building is on time and on track for a July move-in date. On Wednesday afternoon, workers were putting final touches on the steel beams that make up the bones of the enclosed walkway that will connect the new, four-story building with the existing three-story corporate offices. GE Construction, with its home base in Colorado Springs, is leading the $25 million expansion. Project engineer James Shepherd said construction inside...
Gabriel Martinez, 50, of Longmont, Colo., was arraigned on one count of Sexual Assault – Use of Electronic Communication Device, a class IV felony, in Cheyenne District Court on Thursday. During the 10-minute hearing, District Court Judge Derek Weimer explained the charge carried a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000. No minimum penalty exists, he added. When asked if he understood the charges against him and potential punishment, Martinez replied, "...
