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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A group of Sidney High School students took home a pair of first-place finishes at a cultural expressions competition in Denver earlier this month. The Metropolitan State University of Denver Chicano/a Studies Department Journey through our Heritage Program hosted the competition Dec. 11. Brett Avila, a teacher at Sidney High School, said it was the first time the school attended the event and the group participated in the skit and mural categories. Avila said he learned of the program while on...
Sidney elementary school students sang Christmas carols in Hickory Street Square last week....
With Christmas just days away, many people may be traveling out of town for the holidays. Local law enforcement officials are reminding residents to take a few steps to reduce the risk of becoming a burglary victim while away. Both the Cheyenne County Sheriff's Office and Sidney Police Department offer house watches, which are free of charge. Joe Aikens, Sidney Police Department assistant chief, said it only takes a phone call to set up the watch, and it ensures someone is keeping track of your...
A decision on who will be Cheyenne County's first public defender in at least two decades will wait until the New Year. A public defender policy board, created last summer, reviewed four proposals from attorneys interested in the position and one for a guardian ad litem – a person appointed by the court to represent the interests of a juvenile in court proceedings. All of the applicants were qualified for the positions, Tom Oliver, a member of the three-person policy board, told Cheyenne C...
A Union Pacific train collided with a semi truck 10 miles west of Sidney early Monday morning. The two crew members aboard the train and a driver and passenger in the truck were not injured, Cheyenne County Sheriff John Jenson said. "But they were shaken," he added. The collision occurred at about 1 a.m. near mile marker 45 on U.S. Highway 30. UP spokeswoman Calli Hite said the train collided with the semi at a grade crossing, where the truck was stuck. Three locomotives and seven rail cars...
Beginning in 2017, Cheyenne County Commissioners will receive a bump in pay. On Monday morning, the commissioners approved a resolution increasing their annual salary to $24,500. They currently receive $17,232. The $7,000 raise is the first adjustment to the elected officials' pay in 12 years, Cheyenne County Clerk Beth Fiegenschuh said. In addition to the salary, commissioners receive the same benefits as county employees, including health coverage. The resolution also includes a 3 percent cost...
The Fort Sidney Road bridge has reopened to traffic. A section of the road between Pole Creek Crossing – formerly Toledo Street – and Virginia Lane had been closed since June while the previous bridge was demolished and then reconstructed. While the bridge was originally scheduled to be completed in October, delays in the relocation of utilities near the site led contractors to construct the bridge at Pole Creek Crossing prior to the bridge on Fort Sidney Road. Ben Dayton, City of Sidney zon...
Students from West and North elementary schools in Sidney participated in a spelling bee on Wednesday. Sixth-grader Rishi Krishna won the event. The top six finishers will compete in the county spelling bee on Thursday, Jan. 28, at West Elementary. Representing North and West schools will be Krishna along with classmates Daniel Bashtovoi and Koda Herrod, fifth graders Grace Bowcut and Anna Lenzen and fourth grader Pranitha Pemmariju. The winner from the county spelling bee will be eligible to...
Twenty-six fatalities were recorded on Nebraska roadways in November, bringing the year-to-date death toll to 219. According to data released by the Nebraska Department of Roads, fatalities have increased 14 percent over the previous four-year average. Among the deaths in November, 80 percent of vehicle occupants killed were not using safety belts, up slightly from the year-to-date average of 77 percent The vast majority of November crashes, 21, occurred in rural locations, and eight were...
LODGEPOLE – Laid out in 1913, the Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental highway in the country. The route travels through more than a dozen Nebraska counties and nearly 50 communities. Historically known for its great promotion, a state organization is working to highlight landmarks along the path through Nebraska and give motorists a reason to divert from the interstate. Locally, the Lincoln Highway travels through Cheyenne, Deuel and Kimball counties. Earlier this week, the N...
A comprehensive agreement between the Sidney Public School District and its teachers for the next school year has been approved. At a school board meeting on Monday, a motion to accept the 2016-17 agreement passed unanimously. Superintendent Jay Ehler told the board the Sidney Educators Association had recently given its approval to the comprehensive agreement. After negotiations, only minor changes were made to the document over last year, he added. The base salary for teachers increased slight...
Numerous Sidney Public School District students were honored at a school board meeting on Tuesday night for their recent accomplishments, whether in the classroom or on the stage, field, court or course. Fall academic all-state performers commended in a resolution passed unanimously included: Megan Neal and Rachel Blauert, girls’ golf; Emily Mahr and Annalise Lecher, volleyball; Mia Hernandez and Abby Heller; girls’ cross county; Brenner Keane and Jacob Schaub, boys’ cross country; Hunter Secrest and Alex Linneman, football; and Mitch Verhu...
CHAPPELL – With less than two weeks until Christmas, communities throughout the region are celebrating the holiday season. On Sunday evening in Chappell, the community choir performed its third performance of the day and offered a festive hour-long concert to cap a weekend full of events. The choir, celebrating its 40th anniversary, presented "Night of Miracles." At the conclusion of the cantata at Chappell United Methodist Church, former members of the group were invited to the alter to join i...
While the official start of winter is still a week away, snow, dropping temperatures and wind is in the forecast this week. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for Cheyenne County – and the region – effective Tuesday morning through Wednesday evening. "It looks like the southern Panhandle is probably the area most under the gun with the storm system," said Jerry Claycomb, lead forecaster at the National Weather Service office in Cheyenne. The storm will also track int...
Western Nebraska and beyond is rallying behind a Deuel County deputy who was shot four times in the line of duty last week. Michael Hutchinson, a 25-year law enforcement veteran, was shot in Big Springs on Thursday, Dec. 3, while attempting to serve warrants on a 66-year-old Big Springs man. The suspect was shot and later pronounced dead at a hospital. Hutchinson initially underwent surgery at Ogallala Community Hospital and Medical Center before being flown to North Colorado Medical Center in...
Santa Claus had a special escort last weekend: Firefighters from the Sidney Volunteer Fire Department. Continuing a nearly 20-year tradition, Kris Cringle was escorted through town in a decorated fire engine. He will be making more deliveries this weekend....
With temperatures beginning to drop again this weekend, tasting unique craft brewed beer outdoors in the heart of downtown Sidney on a warm June afternoon is a pleasant daydream. A local group is hoping to turn that vision into reality – with live entrainment, food vendors and art performances. The Cheyenne County Young Professionals have been looking for an event with a strong community impact, and Christian Johnson told the Sidney City Council they think they've found it. At a council m...
The state of Nebraska is rolling out new license plates in January to honor veterans and activity duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Applications for the plates are available at county treasure's offices throughout the state or on the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles website. "It is for any veteran or anyone serving in the armed forces," Cheyenne County Treasurer Diane Scott said. License plates are available for the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, National Guard and Navy. Each d...
Mylissa Pennington was sentenced on Tuesday to a 3-year probation term and 50 hours of community service. The 18-year-old Sidney woman initially faced multiple felony drug charges when she was arrested in May. Last month, however, a plea deal with the Cheyenne County Attorney's Office was announced. The charges against Pennington were reduced to four class one misdemeanors – two counts of attempted possession of illegal mushrooms, attempted possession of more than 1 pound of marijuana and o...
With the holiday season now in full swing, law enforcement is on an increased lookout for impaired drivers. While gatherings with coworkers, friends and family are opportunities to spread the season's cheer, some partygoers drive home after drinking too much. Impaired drivers are caught by law enforcement agencies in Cheyenne County throughout the year, but that number can increase from Thanksgiving to the New Year. Last year, there were nine DUI arrests in the county spanning that time period,...
The ambulance service in Cheyenne County responded to 960 calls in 2014, up 40 over the previous year. Randy Meininger, manager of ground ambulance services at Regional West – which operates Emergency Response Care in Sidney – delivered an annual report to the Cheyenne County Board of Commissioners this week. Regional West first began operating the service in Cheyenne County in 2002, Meininger explained. The current agreement, inked in 2005, continues until 2018. ERC has a staff of 11.5 ful...
The trial set to begin next week for a 40-year-old Wyoming man arrested last fall following a two-state car chase has been called off. On Friday, Joseph Mladenik pleaded no contest to three offenses: operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest and attempted possession of a deadly weapon while committing a felony, both felonies, and refusal to submit a chemical test, a misdemeanor. Two additional charges Mladenik had faced were dropped, and the Kimball County Attorney's Office agreed not to file...
Cheyenne County first responders were able to train in a live fire scenario last weekend. A house along U.S. Hwy. 385, south of Gurley, was donated by Adams Industries for crews to conduct training in. Firefighters from departments in Sidney, Potter, Gurley and Dalton, along with Region 21 Emergency Management personnel and a medic and ambulance from Emergency Response Care in Sidney, were on site for most of the day Saturday. Keith Stone, Sidney Volunteer Fire Department chief, said teams confr...
