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 1624 - 1648 of 3076
LINCOLN--Gov. Pete Ricketts has signed Legislative Bill 42 beefing up state law on the use of child car seats. Under the bill signed Wednesday, toddlers up to age 2 will be required to sit in rear-facing car seats and kids under 8 to use booster seats.The law will take effect in January 2019. Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha sponsored the measure that was passed on March 29 after a 40-2 vote. Violation of the new child restraint law would be considered a secondary offense and would carry a...
Two vehicles collided in Dalton Thursday, April 5, resulting in minor damage. A 2015 Jeep compact utility vehicle driven by Shirley M. Gillespie of Dalton, and a 2013 Honda Fit owned by Clifford Beyer, of Dalton, collided at a residence near the intersection of Wabasha and Main Street in Dalton at 5:15 p.m. The collision occurred when Gillespie’s vehicle backed into Beyer’s Honda. According to the Cheyenne County Sheriff’s report, Gillespie’s Jeep sustained $500 damage and Beyer’s Honda about $2,500....
The concern in rural areas is often about "growing" the next generation of farmers and ranchers as well as the current season's grains and livestock. The Gary and Susan Narjes family southeast of Sidney is helping educate students on what life is like on a farm. The family hosted two tours of fourth grade students this week. Son Tyson Narjes and his wife Gina lead the tour, explaining the details of caring for cattle, the breeds of cattle favored at the ranch and what each breed is known for....
Cheyenne County Republican leaders met in convention this week, choosing its leadership and delegates to the state convention in June. Part of the lightly-attended gathering included discussion to draw more participants into the party fold. "It's a non-election year, so there isn't a very big turnout," said Bernie Fehringer, a long-time member of the party's leadership team. Fehringer said part of the party's work over the next couple of years should be to grow active members prior to the 2020...
The Sidney School District recently unveiled the District’s Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan has three points that focus on “World Class Education.” The parts are Educator Effectiveness, Positive Purpose, and College and Career Ready. The Strategic Plan begins with what could be called a mission statement outlining the District’s beliefs and expectations. Superintendent Jay Ehler said the Strategic Plan defines what the District has already been doing. “It just needed to be put into a formali...
Making a decision of necessary services is easier when there is only one provider. That is where the Cheyenne County commissioners are as they view the future of ambulance services. The commissioners were recently prepared to renew the contract with Regional West when a representative of MARC (Medical Air Rescue Company) of Rapid City, S.D., recently unveiled flight transport for the Sidney and Panhandle area. At a recent Cheyenne County Commissioners meeting, a representative of the...
Cheyenne County Visitor Center Director Heather Hausmann submitted her resignation. Hausmann has been the Visitor Center director for more than two years. Her last day on the job will be no later than May 25. “I thank you for the opportunity to work for the county,” she said. “I have learned so much in the last two years.” The Cheyenne County Commissioners accepted her resignation, reluctantly. Hausmann said it is time for the next chapter. In other business, the commissioners approved changes...
Weather permitting, work is scheduled to begin April 9 on two Interstate 80 project in the area, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation. In Cheyenne County, work is set to begin on I-80 west of Sunol to West of Logdepole, Reference Post 66.67 to Reference Post 77.43. Interstate Highway Construction, Inc., of Englewood, Colorado has the $22,786,682 contract for concrete repair work. There will be lane closures in the westbound and eastbound lanes, with temporary ramp closures. The...
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) announced that her staff will be holding local office hours in Morrill, Cheyenne, and Deuel counties on Wednesday, April 18. The office hours serve as an opportunity for constituents to meet personally with Senator Fischer’s staff to receive help with casework and other issues at the federal level. Brandi McCaslin, Senator Fischer’s greater Nebraska director of constituent services, will be holding local office hours at the times and locations below: Morrill County Morrill County Court...
LINCOLN – Fisheries staff at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission again this spring will capture spawning walleyes to collect eggs to meet stocking requests. Sherman Reservoir, Merritt Reservoir and Lake McConaughy have again been selected locations for this operation. The collection goal to meet 2018 walleye stocking requests is approximately 88 million eggs (700 quarts). As of April 1, a designated area along the dam at Sherman is closed to bank anglers and boats following sunset. The collection at Sherman began the night of April 2. A...
WASHINGTON – Agricultural producers wanting to enhance current conservation efforts are encouraged to renew their Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contract. Through CSP, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps private landowners build their business while implementing conservation practices that help ensure the sustainability of their entire operation. Participants with existing CSP contracts expiring on Dec. 31, 2018, can access the benefits of the recent program changes through an option to renew their contracts for...
At its regular monthly meeting, the South Platte Natural Resources District (SPNRD) board of directors reviewed the results from the advisory group meetings on Feb. 22, Feb. 27 and March 1. The meetings covered water issues, allocations and the Integrated Management Plan (IMP). More than 100 water users with interest in the District attended these meetings, and 92 questionnaires were filled out and submitted back to the SPNRD. Regarding allocations, most water users who submitted questionnaires stated that they would like the allocations to...
It looks like a jungle this spring in the greenhouse used by Dr. Carlos Urrea, dry edible bean breeding specialist at the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center, and his crew. About 800 different dry bean varieties, planted in December in individual pots, are growing like crazy – far above the typical height in Panhandle bean fields. Some are 18 to 20 feet tall, vining their way up wood dowels, twine, and into the greenhouse ceiling structure. The bean seeds come from the core collection o...
To be invited at a table that is not yours, when you are hungry, is the definition of grace. The challenge is to meet the needs of the community with limited resources. The Table of Grace Food Pantry has operated on corporate and private donations. Much of that has changed with businesses changing how they process dated products. Donations from private sources are also down. As a result, Table of Grace is purchasing more essential food products instead of relying on donations. "We are really in...
Golfers will see a few changes at Hillside Golf Course soon. The City of Sidney Tuesday night agreed to purchase the club house from Hillside Ventures. The purchase was approved with a 4-1 council vote. Councilman Wendall Gaston voted against the measure. “The biggest thing is I’m not in favor of city employees serving food and alcohol,” Gaston said after the meeting. The agreement is for the City to purchase the building and business for $295,000. The purchase includes the building, all asset...
The Sidney City Council spent part of Tuesday’s meeting debating how to improve and maintain the city’s streets in a cost-effective manner. The City submits a one-year and a six-year plan to the State of Nebraska each year. The plan outlines scheduled street work for that period of time, and how it will be funded. Failing to submit the plans can result in the State suspending distribution of highway user revenue until the plan is submitted. If no plan is filed after six months, the money in the...
A Sidney nursing home and assisted living center are among a group of facilities across Nebraska affected by a move by the State of Nebraska. The state has taken control of 21 nursing homes around Nebraska because their owner couldn't make payroll. Affected are Sidney Care and Rehabilitation Center skilled nursing center and assisted living center. The homes' owner, Cottonwood Healthcare, also known as Skyline, which is headquartered in New Jersey, notified the state about its financial crisis,...
“Keep Life Simple” is the theme of the annual Women in Agriculture Conference, which will feature information and advice about simplicity and excellence, making meals with a multi-cooker, forage production, youth loans, farming with disabilities, and more. This year’s conference is scheduled for Friday, April 13, at Sidney. It will run from 8:15 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at Buffalo Point Restaurant, 638 Cabela Drive. The conference is intended to help women who are involved in agriculture improve their decision-making, increase understanding, and e...
National Agriculture Week was March 18-24, and Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts sees it as a time to celebrate Nebraska as well. "Agriculture is the heart and soul of what we do," Gov. Ricketts said Wednesday. "If we're going to grow Nebraska, we have to grow agriculture." Gov. Ricketts said one in four jobs in Nebraska are agriculture-related. Gov. Ricketts stopped in Sidney for a lunch hosted by the the Cheyenne County Farm Bureau. Following the lunch, the governor, Director of Agriculture Steve We...
Creek Valley's School Board upheld a teacher's release at a hearing Tuesday, continuing an action authorized at its February board meeting. The release was not due to any wrongdoing of business teacher Janet Hill, but rather a Reduction In Force (RIF) due to work on the district's high budget. In February, the board authorized RIF reductions of two positions, Hill's and a special education spot. The other teacher accepted the action without protest, but Hill chose to protest the decision and...
The Cheyenne County Commissioners revisited a County Bridge Match Program Grant at its meeting this week. The program is for a bridge nine miles north and one mile west of Lodgepole. The commissioners previously discussed the project and the use of conduits versus a box culvert. The issue in the last discussion is if cattle would use the six-foot round conduit to cross between pastures. Commissioner Philip Sanders talked with other land owners and county commissioners who reported no problems wi...
Creek Valley’s School Board upheld a teacher’s release at a hearing Tuesday, continuing an action authorized at its February board meeting. The release was not due to any wrongdoing of business teacher Janet Hill, but rather a Reduction In Force (RIF) due to work on the district’s high budget. In February, the board authorized RIF reductions of two positions, Hill’s and a special education spot. The other teacher accepted the action without protest, but Hill chose to protest the decisio...
Preliminary results from the Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey released by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln revealed that Nebraska Panhandle agricultural land declined in value for the reporting year ending Feb. 1, 2018. The average farmland value in the region is estimated to be $720 per acre. This is 5 percent lower than the prior year. This is the fourth consecutive year of market value decline. The eight major types of land reported in the survey declined in value from 2017-18 across the state. In the Panhandle, gravity irrigated...
The Cheyenne County Commissioners have an unexpected debate. A seemingly routine contract renewal will now involve a Request For Proposals and a writing of a proposed contract for ambulance service in Cheyenne County. The Cheyenne County Commissioners agenda Monday included a review of the ambulance agreement. Present at the meeting was Jay Johnson representing Medical Air Rescue Company (MARC) and three representatives of Regional West Emergency Medical Services. Regional West provides...
Friday's Entrepreneur and Startup Event at Western Nebraska Community College in Sidney brought out a lot of innovative ideas and concepts for new businesses. The challenge, according to Paul Jarrett, is to commit the sweat and determination to make it a reality. Jarrett, of Lincoln, is the co-founder of Bulu Box, a health supplement company. He was the opening speaker at the Friday meeting of the Sidney Entrepreneur and Startup Event. He talked of how when he speaks at events, he has a plan, a...
