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 1720 - 1744 of 3053
LINCOLN — Gov. Pete Ricketts unveiled a new tax package Wednesday that would boost credits for Nebraska residents who own homes and farmland, lower the state’s top income tax rates and expand job-training programs. The governor outlined a proposal in his State of the State address that would focus more property tax benefits on in-state residents by excluding out-of-state landowners who don’t file income tax returns but still receive property tax credits. The new initiative follows complaints from farm and ranching groups that their prope...
Sidney’s Aquatic Center will make some scheduling changes next summer as it works to become more efficient with employee time and associated costs. In November, council heard from Parks Superintendent Tom Von Seggern, who said after its second year of operation, the department would look at ways to cut expenses. Von Seggern wasn’t present at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, but Dawn Graves, assistant city manager, presented a plan that shifts or cuts hours of operation. Night lap swimming will...
A Sidney, resident was contacted about a lottery win resulting in the loss of $1,000. Sidney Police Chief Joe Aikens said Monday the police department filed a report after a Sidney resident reported being contacted by phone regarding a lottery opportunity. The call, a scam, asked the resident to send money so that the resident can receive a much larger sum. The money was sent to a location in India, Chief Aikens said. Aikens said Western Union is doing an investigation into the matter. "Usually...
Sidney Police are investigating the theft of a trailer and two ATVs from Maddox Motors. The theft occurred between Oct. 23, 2017 and about 11:08 a.m. Jan. 3, 2018. An 8 x 10 single-axle aluminum trailer with a 2009 Artic Cat ATV and a 2017 Polaris Sportsman ATV were stolen from the back of the business. “We have no leads on it at this point,” Sidney Police Chief Joe Aikens said Monday. The trailer and two ATVs have an estimated combined value of $15,000....
A Sidney man was arraigned Tuesday morning in Cheyenne County District Court on charges of Using a Deadly Weapon to Commit a Felony (Class II Felony), Terroristic Threats (Class IIIA Felony), and Strangulation (Class IIIA Felony). Troy A. Christofferson, 20, of Sidney, was arrested after officers responded to the front of Stewies Bar, 1005 10th Ave., at 1:58 a.m. Dec. 24. According to the arrest affidavit, officers were on regular patrol when they were dispatched to a reported disturbance...
Dec. 28: A Lodgepole, Neb., woman when the 2018 Chevrolet compact utility vehicle she was driving collided with a deer on U.S. Highway 30 at 6 p.m. Carson Faessler, 23, of Lodgepole, was driving east on Highway 30 when the vehicle collided with a deer that entered the road near milepost 65. Front end damage is estimated at $2,000. Dec. 22: A vehicle driven by a Sidney, Neb., woman went off the road on Cheyenne County Road 16 at 8:45 a.m. after encountering a patch of mud on the roadway. Madelyn...
KEARNEY – Farmers and ranchers from across the state set Nebraska Farm Bureau policy for the coming year and re-elected leaders as part of the organization's 100th Annual Meeting and Convention held in December in Kearney. Delegates discussed a wide range of agricultural policy issues to provide direction for the organization. "Property taxes are a major concern for our members, and that was reflected in our voting delegate discussions," said Steve Nelson, Nebraska Farm Bureau president. A...
The Cheyenne County Commissioners Tuesday approved the purchase of a 2012 John Deere 770G and a 2013 Caterpillar 12 M2. In December, the commissioners opened bids for the purchase of a new maintainer. Bids ranged from a low of $135,900 for a 2010 John Deere 770G with 4,753 hours to a high of $245,000 for a 2018 Caterpillar 12 M2. The proposals include the trade-in of a 1991 Caterpillar for $46,800 against the 2012 John Deere 770G, and a 1990 Caterpillar with a trade value of $59,200 against the...
The 2018 year will include another chance for voters to decide their policy-makers and office holders. Deadlines are quickly approaching for voters and for candidates. On Jan. 14, voters can begin requesting an early voting ballot. The only requirement to be a voter in Nebraska is to be a United States citizen and a permanent resident of Nebraska; there is no minimum length of residency requirement. Also, residents can register to vote as young as 17 years of age, if they are 18 on or by...
There will be a changing of the guard in some elected positions next year, with at least two current office holders choosing not to file for re-election this year. For 41 years, 42 by the end of her term, Dianne Scott has served Cheyenne County residents in the treasurer’s office, with four terms as County Treasurer. Scott began as a part-time clerk, pulling license plates in 1976 when all plates were purchased in the first two months of the year. Registrations, titles and other paperwork run t...
Results of the 2017 variety trials for dry edible beans conducted by the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center have been posted on the Nebraska Extension CropWatch website. The direct link for variety trial results for both peas and beans is http://cropwatch.unl.edu/varietytest/othercrops. Or, navigate to the Other Crops Variety Trials page from the main Cropwatch page (ht...
LINCOLN - Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) completed a special enforcement over the holidays focused on removing drunk drivers from the road. The "You Drink & Drive, You Lose" campaign was held in conjunction with dozens of other law enforcement agencies in Nebraska and many more throughout the country. During the enforcement, which ran from December 15 to January 1, NSP troopers removed 63 drivers from the road for Driving While Intoxicated and four for Driving Under the Influence...
Cheyenne County has a building needing some work and the commissioners are seeking bids for the work. The Cheyenne County Commissioners announced Tuesday they are advertising for bids to remodel the building at 921 Hickory St. in Sidney. The building is presently unoccupied and current county offices for the location have not been determined. The county is planning a pre-bid conference with the project coordinator, scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 29, in the commissioners meeting room. The dead...
Farmers in western Nebraska grow a number of pulse crops, grains that are harvested for their dry seed. Dry edible beans is the common example, which has long been a part of the crop rotation under irrigation. In recent years farmers have been planting increasing acres of other pulses such as field peas, chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), black-eyed peas (cowpeas), and soybeans. Growing and marketing these alternative pulse crops is the focus of a Pulse Crop Workshop scheduled for Jan. 17, 2018, at Prairie Winds Community Center in...
Call it a proverb, a cliché or a accurate dose of motherly advice, but Benjamin Franklin's "an ounce of cure is worth a pound of cure" remains a valid approach this time of year. As temperatures change from balmy to frigid, bright and sunny skies to overcast and snowy, our bodies become more susceptible to viruses and infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), much of the nation is under widespread influenza. The flu season in the United States typically...
After responding to a half dozen home fires in just a couple of weeks, the Red Cross has released information to help residents become more aware of safety in their homes. The Red Cross says nearly half of American families use alternative heating sources such as space heaters, fireplaces, or wood/coal stoves to stay warm this time of year. Fixed and portable space heaters, including wood stoves are a leading cause of home fires, and are involved in 74-percent of fire related deaths. Carbon...
Nebraska lawmakers will kick off a new session Today facing a variety of issues, including another tax cut package and looming state budget challenges. Here are five things to watch in the 2018 session: TIME CRUNCH The 60-day session will limit the time available to debate legislation, creating pressure on senators to pass measures quickly. They convene for 90-day sessions in odd-numbered years and 60 day sessions in even-numbered years. Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer has said he wants...
Zackery Lee Clark, 22, of Sidney, was arrested Wednesday, Dec. 27, on charges of Second Degree Assault and Use of a Deadly Weapon to Commit a Felony following a stabbing incident at 577 Deborah Drive. Officers responded to a call of a disturbance involving a knife at 11:28 a.m. at 577 Deborah Drive. Officers met a man and woman later identified as Zackery L. Clark and his mother Jacqueline Simbeck standing in the driveway. According to the arrest affidavit, Clark was observed as visibly upset...
On Dec. 21, Modern Healthcare reported the House and Senate reached a deal to keep the federal government operating through Jan. 19, 2018. However, the bill doesn’t address states needing funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP). Bruce Lesley, of the Washington, D.C.-based First Focus called the funding bill a disaster for CHIP programs. CNN reported 16 states will run out of federal funding for CHIP by the January. The information came from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Acc...
Through SEC (Securities Exchange Commission) filings and a combined press release, Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops announced the companies’ merger was completed Sept. 25, with Bass Pro acquiring the locally-born outdoor retailer for approximately $5 billion. While specifics on the operation of some portions of Cabela’s Sidney operations weren’t made available, the announcement and information provided by the company said that operations will continue while promoting both the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s brands. “We look forward to growing and...
LODGEPOLE - The Lodgepole Village Board of Trustees is considering well rehabilitation as a possible solution to its arsenic problem. “We’re looking to see if that would be an option for us. We don’t even know yet,” Tammy Sherman, Lodgepole city clerk, said. “We’re just gathering some information to see if our wells would maybe fit that category, to get in compliance with the arsenic levels.” The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has regulations governing public water supply systems and requires quarterly water tests. The st...
FORMER SIDNEY TEACHER PAINTS OFFICIAL KENTUCKY DERBY ART Jim Cantrell, a former Sidney art teacher, was chosen as the official artist for the 2017 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks races. He received the call from Churchill Downs last summer and completed the art in the fall. Cantrell said it was an honor to be chosen. "At first I didn't understand it, but it's turned out to be, not an ordeal, but it's something I'm not used to," he said. "All this celebrity, people stopping me on the street and...
U.S. OPEN HAS SIDNEY TIE The lush greenery of the Erin Hills Golf Course, home of the 2017 U.S. Open, has a Sidney connection. Located at Erin, Wisconsin, 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee, Erin Hills Golf Course was built using the natural dips and hills left from glacial activity. One of those who helped build the course is Sidney native Chris White, who learned about golf course care during summers at Hillside Golf Course. A 1997 Sidney High School graduate, the son of John and Sandy White learned the ins and outs of golf courses from...
GOVERNOR'S WHISTLE STOP TOUR VISITS SIDNEY Union Pacific's Nebraska150 Express visited Sidney Saturday, bringing with it Gov. Pete Ricketts and several guests. Ricketts's Whistle-stop Tour first visited Ogallala, then continued to Gering. Mayor Joe Arterburn described the visit as an "honor" for the city. "Sidney's long colorful history is closely linked to the Union Pacific railroad, which brought industry and people of all walks of life, just as it did for so many towns that sprang up along it...
COMMUNITY GATHERS SUPPLIES FOR VICTIMS Hurricane Harvey struck southeast Texas Friday and historic flooding has displaced thousands. In response, Sidney VFW Post 610, Adams Trucking and Sidney Public Schools, along with Sidney’s businesses, are working together to send needed supplies to the storm victims. “We are doing a cooperation of gathering supplies,” VFW Cmdr. Stephanie Dadgostar said. “(Adams is) going to do the transportation for us. The school is going to do a food drive and then Tuesday we will start collecting it.” Adams will have a...
