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 1425 - 1449 of 3067
The Sidney City Council recently approved an application for the Oktoberfest Parade. The parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 6. The route this year is on Illinois Street from Nineteenth to Seventh Streets. The parade is held in conjunction with the Oktoberfest celebration and marching band celebration. The event also needs approval from the Department of Transportation since Illinois Street is also Nebraska State Highway 30. The council also held a public hearing for the completion of the...
LINCOLN — The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) has developed a new way for the public to receive Endangered Missing Advisories (EMA) directly from NSP. The public can now receive the alerts via text message. “When we launched the EMA system several months ago, we had thousands of people sign up to receive alerts via email directly from NSP,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “But we also heard from citizens that many would prefer text message alerts instead. Thanks to the creative work of our Information Technol...
Sidney is facing a challenge, an uphill battle some would say, of finding work for all of the available workforce in the county, a blossoming workforce idled by no choice of their own. Sidney is unique because many other communities in Nebraska are desperately seeking employees for the jobs they have open. That is according to Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce. "We represent all businesses in the state," Slone said. "Our job is to focus on all businesses in Nebraska."...
Like a busy bee flitting from flower to flower, a young Seattle, Wash. woman landed in Sidney over the weekend, getting her first taste of what Nebraska has to offer. At 25, Lisa Hirata has been traveling the western United States in a wandering course, much like a honey bee looking for the best flowers to draw from. But instead of pollen, Hirata is drawing from the experiences of life and the people it brings across her path. Her course is not only zig-zag, but extremely wandering as she makes...
The Sidney City Council held a public hearing Tuesday on the proposed 2018-2019 city budget. The City is facing cuts because of reductions in sales tax revenue and valuations. According to the budget summary presented to council, the 2017-2018 property tax request was $2,695,848.57 with a mill levy of .531496. For 2018-2019, the proposed mill levy is .531496. The mill levy has increased from 2013-2014 at .412120 to the proposed 2018-2019 .531496. The state mill levy limit at 45 cents per $100...
Weather permitting, Sidney City Parks will spray mosquitoes on Monday night September 3, 2018. Spraying will return to Sunday nights beginning September 9th....
Specific services historically taken for granted may not be as quickly delivered in the city of Sidney while belt-tightening is needed. That is the message delivered to the Sidney City Council Tuesday. Among the agenda items, the council discussed the proposed 2018-2019 budget extensively. The discussion included proposed reductions in service and how they might impact the community. Proposals included in the budget cuts include reducing mowing and watering of parks and greenbelt areas along the multi-use path and the baseball fields. City...
LINCOLN - Citizens across Nebraska may be seeing a new patch on Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) uniforms this fall. Throughout the month of October, troopers will be given the option to replace the standard NSP patch, which depicts the NSP logo in navy blue and red, with a new patch featuring the NSP logo in pink and black. The effort is a way to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research. "The Pink Patch Project is a phenomenal effort around the country for law enforcement to come...
KEARNEY – Last weekend, Governor Pete Ricketts and the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs (NDVA) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Central Nebraska Veterans' Home (CNVH) in Kearney. Speakers included Kearney Mayor Stan Clouse, NDVA Director John Hilgert, and U.S. Senator Deb Fischer. "This new state-of-the-art facility for our veterans is a reality thanks to the teamwork of Nebraskans working together at all levels – local, state, and federal," said Governor Ricketts. "Our sta...
Sometimes a young person just needs a little encouragement, a little help redirecting focus. That process has a special value when the encouragement comes from peers. The Teen Outreach Program is designed for youth sixth grade through seniors to encourage each other and to have a positive impact on the community. “At TOP (Teen Outreach Program), we believe every youth has potential, regardless of circumstances,” said program facilitator Lorilei Stark. Stark said she is less a manager and mor...
Celebrate the history of the Lodgepole community this weekend with Old Settlers Day. "Return, Renew & Relive!" is the theme of the 94th Old Settlers Celebration. The celebration is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 31 through Monday, Sept. 3. The event kicks off with a 5K Old Settlers Reunion Glow Fun Run Friday. Registration begins at 6:15 p.m. at the north park. Registration is $10 and includes neon glow. Participants under 6 years of age are free. Bicyclists are welcome. The 4-H Shooters will be...
“Sixties Rewind” is the theme of the 87th Annual Potter Days. The event begins with crowing of Miss Potter at the Community Legion Hall at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 30. Friday events start at noon with the Youth Center Stand offering burgers, pies, drinks and an assortment of snacks. Kids games begin downtown at 2:30 p.m. Ag and household exhibits will be on display at Village Shop from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. A Fun Run is scheduled to begin from Front and Chestnut Streets. Contact Robyn Hicks at 308...
When Molly and Matt Highby opened Highby Forest Products in May, they didn't go in with a lot of expectations. "We didn't know the first thing about the business,"says the Molly, the company's president. But what they did know in looking at the opportunity to purchase the former Anderson Forest Products, was that it appeared to have some promise. But it's a business that could just as easily have fallen by the wayside had the Highbys not had a wider vision for the community. That's because...
Pastor Brien Wahlen recently arrived in Sidney with his wife. His story is like many. It is not a straight line from boyhood to full-time ministry. In fact, as he tells it, ministry is kind of a late-in-life career. "This is kind of a late in life career choice," he said. He compared it to a Jonah comparison, of not initially going where God wanted him but in time accepting the plan. It could easily be said ministry is something that should have come naturally. He father and his grandfather...
As the Cabela's and Bass Pro relationship became apparent, community services, including school districts, kept a wary eye on their enrollments. The concern was would the purchase lead to consolidating staff and what would that do to enrollment numbers. The news so far is the enrollment in Sidney Public Schools has experienced very little decline. Superintendent Jay Ehler said the first student count of the year was Aug. 20. The official count submitted to the Nebraska Department of Education...
Going into the final weeks of the school year last May, most of the area’s small schools were bracing for an impact on enrollment that, thankfully, never happened. Nearly all schools, which had by last spring already seen mild dips in enrollment, and based on interviews and expectations, figured they could see substantially fewer students - up to 20 percent in some projections. But as students enrolled for the 2018-19 school year, the projections were disproved. While Creek Valley and Leyton Sch...
Research shows Sidney students at or exceeding state and national standards, according to the 2016-2017 Sidney Public Schools Report Card, the latest report on the website The report card shows trends in ACT results from 2015-2017. The composite scores for seniors in 2015 were 21.5 with 100 percent of the class tested. Statewide, the percent remained at 21.5 for 2015, but only 88 percent tested. Nationwide, the result slipped by a half point to 21.0 with only 59 percent tested. Sidney High...
GRAND ISLAND - Husker Harvest Days will celebrate its 41st annual event with $7.5 million of upgrades that are nearly completed for the 2018 show that will be held Sept. 11-13 on its permanent site near Grand Island. “All the major construction is complete, and we are now working on the last details and fine points,” said Matt Jungmann, Farm Progress shows director. What’s new Visitors will notice the concrete paved roads, new and upgraded restrooms and entrance gate structures. What visitors can’t see, the infrastructure that includes drainage...
LINCOLN – The 10th season of the Nebraska Alumni Association's Football Fridays kicks off Aug. 31 at the Wick Alumni Center's Holling Garden, 1520 R St. The events, which are free and open to the public, are 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 31, Sept. 7 and 28. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. The featured speakers for the first 2018 Football Friday are University of Nebraska–Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green, Athletic Director Bill Moos and Husker Men's Basketball Coach Tim Miles. Local media mem...
The Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce was on-hand Tuesday to help DASOVMA Consulting celebrate five years in Sidney. Martin Dasovich of DASOVMA Consulting cuts the ribbon during the celebration. DASOVMA Consulting has an office in Sidney and in Fort Morgan, CO. He is in Sidney Thursday, Friday and Saturday during tax season....
Sidney's Volunteer Fire Department is under new leadership, following the installation of new officers earlier this month. Four members of the Department's command staff have moved up in the ranks, while two remain in the same slots and two officers have accepted new roles in the command ranks. Twenty-six year department veteran LaVerne Bown was chosen as the new fire chief, replacing Keith Stone, who stepped down after serving in that spot for 32 years. Bown has been one of the department's...
A few months ago, Panhandle Health Group announced the end of mental health services to the Cheyenne County area. The end of services was primarily due to loss of state funding, according to Nichole Peralta. Peralta has been with Panhandle Health for six years and part of the Sidney community for nine years. "Moving wasn't really an option," she said. She saw a need for mental health and substance abuse counseling and looked for a way to continue practicing in Sidney. For her, it wasn't just...
It is said no man is an island. That is especially evident when managing weeds or rodents on the plains. One of the topics addressed in Monday's Cheyenne County Commissioners meeting was the management of prairie dogs and what response can be taken when they are not managed. The prairie dog is actually a rodent known for its burrows that can have extensive underground networks. They are also known for spreading the plague and of carrying fleas. They are the natural target of the black-footed fer...
Sidney voters made their decision Tuesday, allowing the City of Sidney to modify the LB840 program to include private and public funding sources. Presently, the City's economic development plan receives funds only from a tax within the LB840 bill. Sidney voters approved extending the LB840 economic development plan through 2027. A few months ago, City staff talked with the city council about amending the economic development plan to allow funds from sources other than the tax. The scenario...
Sidney's City Council took a good hard look at its 2018-19 budget during a workshop Wednesday, and found there will be a lot of cuts that could sting a little over the next couple of years. In making his budget presentation, Sidney City Manager Ed Sadler told council that, at least on paper, the city could be facing up to $1 million in cuts. That's due in part to double counting some revenues, re-budgeting unspent funds and budgeting possible federal grants. In eliminating those miscues, the...
