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 1510 - 1534 of 7211
I am taking this time to address parent concerns I have seen on social media regarding the wearing of masks. We know this is a hot topic that has become very political. The school finds itself in a no win situation. Certainly there are conflicting points of view among experts on whether or not masks are the way to go. We will continue to enforce masking requirements not because we are picking sides but because we want kids to remain in school. Our first and most important priority is to keep...
ESU 13 school districts are now into their third week of having students back in their school buildings. As your ESU 13 Administrator, I have had the privilege of working collaboratively with superintendents and principals throughout the Panhandle since the start of the pandemic, which has included weekly, and sometimes more frequent meetings throughout the summer months. In mid-July, it was made clear to school leaders across the state of Nebraska that plans should be made, in conjunction with...
Labor Day is almost here. Of course, this year, the holiday may have a different impact, given the employment-related stress and disruptions stemming from the coronavirus. Yet, it’s good to recognize the value of work and its importance in achieving your life’s goals. But if you’re going to retire comfortably and reach your other financial objectives, you also need to invest – and your investments need to work as hard as you do. To help make this happen, you need to know why you’re investing...
This past Sunday I had the privilege of helping baptize eight people at Bridgeport Lake. During the 33 years that I have been a pastor in Sidney, I have been blessed to help baptize over three hundred people at Bridgeport. It is always a wonderful experience for those being baptized and for those witnessing it. However, before we baptize children, young people, or adults, we always make sure they first understand the significance of this event in their lives. We focus on three basic baptism truths which we believe the Scriptures teach: First...
WASHINGTON –U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds farmers and ranchers the deadline to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) is Sept. 11, 2020. This program provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19. “FSA offers several options for farmers and ranchers to apply for CFAP, including a call center where employees can answer your questions and help you get started on your application,” said Richard Fordyce, Farm Service Agenc...
NORMAL ACTIVITIES AT OLIVER RESERVOIR MAY RESUME. On Friday, August 28, the South Platte Natural Resources District (SPNRD) was notified by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) that the weekly water sample for Oliver Reservoir is BELOW the 8 ppb threshold of the toxin, Microcystin, which is associated with the presence of harmful algal blooms. Oliver Reservoir IS NO LONGER on a Health Alert. Samples are taken weekly. NORMAL ACTIVITIES AT OLIVER RESERVOIR MAY RESUME. Campers/day-users may resume all full body water contact...
A softball tournament is scheduled for Sept. 18-20 in support of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The first Out of the Darkness Softball Tournament. The tournament is for all of the Panhandle area with pool play on Friday, Sept. 18, tournament action on Saturday, Sept. 19 and championship games on Sunday, Sept. 20. Registration must be received before Sept. 8. Cost is $250 per team with a 10 minimum. To register or for more information, contact 308-250-3327 or Katlynne at...
RAPID CITY, SD — Lance Roberts, Ph.D., is the new provost and vice president for academic affairs at South Dakota Mines. Roberts previously served as interim provost, professor, and head of the Department of Mining Engineering and Management. Roberts is an alumnus, earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering at Mines before finishing his Ph.D. at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2006. Roberts also brings his experience in industry to the provost’s office. Just pr...
The village of Potter is celebrating its heritage next week with the 89th Annual Potter Days. The weekend celebration will include crowning of Miss Potter Days on 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at Railroad Park. Candidates for Miss Potter 2020, are Ana Manning, daughter of Kim Manning, Kendal Nielsen, daughter of Dean and Tonia Nielsen and Hannah Reeve, daughter of Cory and Bobbie Reeve. All three candidates are juniors at Potter-Dix High School. In the event of rain, the crowning will be held at...
The Lodgepole Old Settlers event committee has cancelled this year's events in consideration of the health restrictions. However, there are individual events planned for the community. On Saturday, Sept. 5, the 5K Glow Run will take place from the Community Hall. Registration is at 7 p.m. with the run starting at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $10 for runnings seven years and older; children six and younger are free. Proceeds benefit the Creek Valley Cheer and Dance teams. The community church service is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sunday morning at the gazebo in...
SCOTTSBLUFF — The Panhandle Area Development District’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the appointment of Bryan Venable as the new Executive Director of PADD. He takes over for Jeff Kelley, who has been with PADD for 22 years, the last five as Executive Director. Kelley announced his retirement in January to become effective June 30, but will stay on until December 31, 2020. Venable started at PADD as the Business Resources/Social Enterprise Manager in 2016, and was named Deputy Dir...
You won’t see any greeting cards celebrating it, and it’s not likely to be on your calendar, but in just a few weeks, National 401(k) Day will be observed. And this type of recognition may be warranted, too, because 401(k) plans have become key building blocks for a big part of people’s lives – a comfortable retirement. Are you making the most of your 401(k)? Of course, during the past few months, you may have had mixed feelings about your 401(k). After all, at the beginning of the coronav...
As a young girl, I can remember my mom saying, “I have so much to do, I can’t even think!” At the time, that didn’t make much sense to me. However, I can now better understand what she was saying. She was saying she was under a lot of stress and couldn’t think straight. She wanted peace and a quiet mind. Does that sound familiar to any of us today? We all want peace of mind in these uncertain days. We all need that peace and quiet… not escaping from our new unprecedented responsibilities and way of life, but finding quiet in the midst of th...
INDIANAPOLIS – Agriculture plays a key role in society, and nowhere is that more evident than in the continuing growth of FFA and agricultural education. Today, the National FFA Organization announced a record-high student membership of 760,113, an increase from last year’s 700,170 members. The top five student membership states are Texas, California, Georgia, Florida and Oklahoma. Interest in FFA and agricultural education continues to grow as membership continues to increase as well as the...
SCOTTSBLUFF – The Nebraska Corn Board (NCB) elected four farmers to serve leadership roles at its August board meeting. The leadership roles are effective immediately and are yearlong in duration, with the possibility to be reelected. David Bruntz, District 1 director, was reelected as chairman of the board. Bruntz has been farming for more than 40 years near Friend. He grows corn and soybeans, and he also feeds cattle. Bruntz received a degree in production agriculture from the University of N...
In order to accomplish our goal of keeping Sidney Public School students in school, we are making some modifications to the classroom social distancing plans for grades 5-12. The Panhandle Public Health Department is firm on this element: In order to avoid being required to quarantine in the event of positive cases of COVID-19, students must wear masks when maintaining a six foot distance from their peers is not possible. Moving forward, in classes where student population and classroom space...
The High Plains Arts Council opened its season Saturday with “The Lightning Bugs” playing at Sidney High School. The next date is Nov. 15 with William Florian bringing his tribute to Neil Diamond....
The Sidney Public Library will be closed to the public on Thursday, August 20, for maintenance. The HVAC unit near the front doors is being replaced. The library will continue to have material checkout and pick-up available via the back door for patrons....
The COVID-19 pandemic has unsettled the country’s employment picture for months and will likely continue to do so for a while. However, the nature and terminology of this disruption varies greatly among individuals – some have seen their jobs disappear, others have been “furloughed” and still others have been offered an early retirement. If you’re in this final group – those either offered, or feeling forced to accept, an early retirement, how should you respond? Try to look at your situation holistically, rather than strictly in a short-term...
Imagine for a few moments what your life was like approximately one year ago. Whatever you imagine, never would you have believed that a year later you, along with others, would be where we are today. The world is a different place altogether. We can obviously identify any number of personal and social issues, but it is, of course, this global health crisis which has paralyzed us in any number of ways. The physical, emotional, social, economic, and yes, spiritual challenges have placed us into a life position in which we find ourselves unable...
The annual county fair with the rodeos, craft fairs, and children's events was drastically trimmed this year in response to COVID-19. However, not everyone was satisfied with the lack of public interaction with the viewing of farm-raised animals. Since they couldn't take the children to the fair, they brought a fair to the children. Here We Grow Child Development Center in Sidney recently held their own variety of a county fair. Children did artwork displaying animals in pens, face-painting and...
If you want to get something done, find a busy person. That seems to be what earned Western Nebraska Community College Sidney Campus administrator Paula Abbot a new title. Abbot was appointed as WNCC's Executive Director of Partnerships and Inclusions. The title was made effective July 1. With the new title, Abbot will be visiting Panhandle communities, reaching out to community organizations. With the new duties, she will be spending less time in Sidney as campus director. WNCC President Dr....
SCOTTSBLUFF - As the start to the Fall 2020 semester rapidly approaches, Western Nebraska Community College has updated it's Safe Operating Protocols (SOP) guidelines that allow students, faculty, and staff a safe transition back to on-campus instruction. The SOP outlines WNCC's policies, guidelines, and protocols in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. WNCC has taken all precautions necessary to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and promote safe learning environments for WNCC students. "After...
A generation or so ago, people didn’t just retire from work – many of them also withdrew from a whole range of social and communal activities. But now, it’s different: The large Baby Boom cohort, and no doubt future ones, are insisting on an active lifestyle and continued involvement in their communities and world. So, what should you know about this “new retirement”? And how can you prepare for it? For starters, consider what it means to be a retiree today. The 2020 Edward Jones/Age Wave Four Pillars of the New Retirement study has identifie...
