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 1247 - 1271 of 3090
A young Sidney resident got a leg up on her college education this week, thanks to the submission of a photo taken by her mother. Sidney's Kristin Boltjes entered a picture of her daughter, Everly, which was selected as a winner of a contest which makes contributions to college savings accounts. The photo, of Everly in an owl suit, has the caption "Happy Halloween! Hoo Hoo" on it on the Nebraska State Treasurer's website. First National Bank of Omaha and Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg ann...
The Cheyenne County Commissioners and the Tourism Board have talked in recent meetings of their role in funding the Stage Line public transportation system. The Tourism Board is committed through the end of this month and 2018. The commissioners approved ending the agreement at the beginning of 2019. At issue is the effectiveness of promoting tourism with a local bus service. Meetings between Tourism Committee members, Tourism Director Kevin Howard and the commissioners usually hinged on how...
Plans to purchase the Elks concession stand at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds was greeted with a significant obstacle Monday morning. In the Dec. 3 meeting of the county commissioners, James Lenzen met with the commissioners to discuss purchasing the building. The agreement would include purchase of the building and a five-year lease of the land it sits on. In the fairboard meeting that night, Lenzen said he does not want to compete with any nonprofit organizations. His intent is to have a plac...
The Cheyenne County Attorneys office has reported that at about 12 a.m. Monday, Dec. 17 authorities received a report that a trailer home in Lodgepole was on fire. After the fire was extinguished, responders located a body. The deceased is 70 year-old Sandra K. Reichman, also known as Sandra K. Grabowski. The County Attorney’s Office reports the cause of death was determined to be heat and smoke inhalation. Nature of death was accidental. The Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the matter, and their findings are also con...
The City of Sidney will be closed Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25 in observance of Christmas. All City Departments will be closed both days, including the Landfill and the Library. The Dial-a-ride Bus and Stage Line Bus will not be running. The Solid Waste Department will be collecting Monday and Tuesday’s trash on Wednesday. The Sidney Public Library will close at 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Monday, December 31. In addition, the City of Sidney will be closed Tuesday, January 1 in observance of New Year’s Day. All City Depar...
A cattle truck driven by a Potter man overturned about a quarter mile east of Highway 19 on Cheyenne County Road 8 Saturday morning. The driver escaped injury. However, several cattle died in the mishap. The accident report was not available as of press time....
LINCOLN. – The presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer has been detected for the first time in central and north-central Nebraska counties of Valley and Keya Paha, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Game and Parks conducted CWD sampling operations at deer check stations in its northwest and north-central deer management units during the 2018 November firearm deer season. Hunters are encouraged to access the positive results posted at OutdoorNebraska.gov/cwd/. Hunters whose deer tested positive will be contacted by G...
A significant hit on the local economy and a decline on property valuation led local officials to brace for the impact on budgets. The City of Sidney made 10 percent cuts across the board and watched to see what would happen. The good news, according to Sidney’s Finance Director David Scott, is the impact is not nearly as severe as expected. In Tuesday night’s city council meeting, Scott announced the sales tax numbers are near the same level as last year. In his budget report Scott noted that p...
The wall behind the Sidney City Council seats was conspicuously empty of two pictures as council members filed in Tuesday night. The photographs will soon be replaced but the seats were filled that night. In the November General Election, voters returned Roger Gallaway and Bob Olsen to their seats on the council, and added Brad Sherman and Burke Radcliffe. Wendall Gaston and Kelly Utley did not seek re-election. Following the present council's acceptance of the Nov. 27 minutes and Cheyenne Count...
The Sidney School Board approved a new policy recently designed to “facilitate reading instruction and intervention services to address student reading needs.” The policy was unveiled during the Dec. 10 meeting of Cheyenne County School Board District No. 1. “The way we want to improve is more systematic reading,” said Sheri Ehlers. The policy states that it is the district’s goal that each student will be able to read at or above grade level by third grade. The policy further says the District...
LINCOLN – While out shopping for others this holiday season, Nebraskans still have time to give themselves a Christmas present by checking the Treasurer’s unclaimed property list, says Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg. “We are happy to help Nebraskans search our unclaimed property list and file claims all year round. We enjoy helping people find money they didn’t know was missing, particularly at Christmas. You could say we’ve got some Santa’s helpers working in the Treasurer’s Office this time of year,” Stenberg said. He encouraged Nebr...
Shirrin Sharifpour, 39 of Kimball, appeared for Arraignment in Kimball County District Court before the Honorable Derek Weimer on charges of Attempted Murder (class II felony), 1st Degree Assault (class II felony), 2nd Degree Assault ( class IIA felony) and Tampering with Physical Evidence (class IV felony). The parties jointly stipulated to Exhibit 1, a competency evaluation report. After the parties addressed the court, the judge determined that Shirrin Sharifpour is mentally incompetent to stand trial and that there is a substantial probabil...
The Sidney office of the Nebraska Department of Labor recently hosted a Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours. Pictured from left are Anita Sutton, Jodie Brost, Jodi Dougherty and jackie Tremain....
About 20 years ago, Randy Flamig was encouraged to make a difference in his community. He took the direction and Monday night concluded most of two decades of service to the Cheyenne County School District No. 1 school board. “I got on the school board from some friendly advice, ‘everyone should run for public office,’ and I still believe that,” Randy Flamig said in the board meeting. He said in his 20 years on the board, he has served as board president, vice-president and on nearly every c...
DALTON – County farmer Pat and DeAnn Ernest directed a $2,500 donation to the Leyton Public School Foundation as part of the America's Farmers Grow Communities program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. "It is the mission of the Leyton Public School Foundation to improve the future quality of life in our community by enhancing academic and extracurricular programs at Leyton Public School. The program was established to aid in improving the school system through a variety of projects and p...
Dec. 6: A Lodgepole man escaped injury when the pickup truck he was driving went out of control on ice and rolled at 6:25 a.m. Brandon Christofferson, 23, was driving a 2002 Ford Ranger west on Cheyenne County Road 34 when the pickup started swerving on ice and slid off the right side of the road. The pickup caught traction and rolled onto the left side. Dec. 2: At 2:45 a.m., Tifou Abdinoor, 32, of West Valley, Utah, was driving a 2013 Freightliner truck east on Interstate 80 when the truck went out of control near milepost 69, resulting in...
KEARNEY – In his annual address at the Nebraska Farm Bureau Annual Meeting and Convention, Nebraska Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson told more than 350 farmers and ranchers from across the state that progress is being made in efforts to address the state’s overreliance on property taxes, a situation that has led to Nebraska being one of the highest property tax states in the nation. In his remarks, Nelson also highlighted the importance of the United States resolving trade disputes that have limited market access for Nebraska agriculture comm...
LINCOLN – Consumer and business confidence remained positive in Nebraska during November, according to the latest monthly surveys from the Bureau of Business Research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “November results confirm that consumer confidence has rebounded in Nebraska,” said Eric Thompson, an economist and bureau director. Responses to November’s Survey of Nebraska Households indicate that consumer confidence stood at 106.4 during November, well above the neutral level of 100 and just below the October reading of 108.3. Consumer c...
Air Link and Regional West recently announced a new option to their air ambulance fleet. The organization now has the option of a Pilatus PC 12 jet. Regional West now has the option of dispatching a medical helicopter or the new plane. Air Link Medical Director Dr. Peter Meyer said the company has been pursuing a fixed-wing response option for several years. He said in 1995, Dr. Lloyd Westbrook made Regional West a trauma center. Transportation was the key part of the program, according to Dr....
The 32nd Tour de Nebraska announced its route for June 19-23, 2019. This bicycle adventure starts and ends in Sidney, Nebraska home to Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter. Sidney is roughly 4.5 hours from Lincoln, all on I-80, which makes travel ultra convenient. Day 1: Sidney to Kimball – 38 miles Day 2: Kimball to Gering – 44 miles Day 3: Gering to Scottsbluff – 5, 30 or 77-100 miles Day 4: Scottsbluff to Bridgeport – 51 miles Day 5: Bridgeport to Sidney – 45 miles This 5-day bicycle adventure totals about 243 miles. It will feature brea...
One of the high moments of a county fair is the crowning of the Fair or Rodeo queen. The queen and her attendants represent Cheyenne County at other county events and fairs at other counties. Monday evening, the Cheyenne County Fair Board discussed the cost of the crowns. Board member Anita Pennel said the crowns cost about $250 each. Discussion included if the royalty would return the crowns or be allowed to keep them. “The queens need their crowns. They need something for all of their w...
Sidney's Masons celebrated their best this week at Frank Welch Lodge #75 recognizing three Masons for their contributions to the community. While unable to be present because of other obligations, Jack Thorpe was named Citizen of the Year. As Worshipful Master Nick Makris put it, Thorpe works tirelessly in the community, epitimizing the word "service." Mason of the Year went to a Kimball Mason, Kevin Wynne, of the James L. Eatmon Lodge #294. Wynne was recognized for his effort drawing Masons...
A bundled up mother takes a picture of her youngster with Santa Claus during Holidays in Hickory Square last weekend. The event kicked off the downtown Christmas season with a parade, warm goodies and the jolly old elf....
Locomotives united the east and west. The Panhandle Nebraska area knows it well as local history. But some Cheyenne County residents are also familiar with long trains that can delay transit from one point to another. The dilemma, sometimes stress, is when a blocked crossing keeps residents from the rest of the community, or worse yet, when the blocked crossing keeps first responders from completing a call. "We are landlocked," Kim Phillips said recently. Phillips and Jim Pelster recently...
The Cheyenne County Commissioners Monday approved a request to replat Lots 5 and 6, Block 1 and Lots 6 and 7, Block 2 of the Sioux Industrial Park located northwest of Sidney. The commissioners also tabled a decision on tourism funding supporting the public transit Stage Line. At issue is if the Stage Line truly supports tourism, while admittedly being an asset for the community. Cheyenne County Tourism Director Kevin Howard said in other communities the cost of public transit is shared with...
