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 1963 - 1987 of 3067
Damage from the wheat streak mosaic virus costs wheat growers a lot of money in western Nebraska and other wheat-growing regions of the High Plains. How do environmental conditions affect the spread of the virus and the risk of disease? Answering that question is one of the objectives of a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant project that is funding research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln High Plains Ag Lab (HPAL) near Sidney and other wheat-producing areas. One of the goals of the USDA...
The Nebraska State Patrol Troop E- Scottsbluff with assistance from local law enforcement will continue its efforts to “Drive to Save Lives” by holding special enforcement activities during an upcoming summer celebration. High visibility patrols and DUI checkpoints will be carried out in conjunction with the Oregon Trail Days celebration in Gering. A similar special enforcement in 2013 resulted in 154 enforcement contacts to include four arrests for impaired driving. “This celebration typically draws a large crowd,” said Captain Mike Gaudrea... Full story
Continuing the trend of the previous three months, most Nebraska businesses report a positive outlook for the next six months, according to the latest survey conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Bureau of Business Research. Respondents from the Omaha area, in particular, had a positive outlook. More than 80 percent of businesses that responded to the May Survey of Nebraska Business said they expect sales to hold steady or grow through late 2014. However, the outlook for job growth was somewhat less optimistic than earlier in the y...
Frank LaBlotier remembers his first mission as a B-17 waist gunner. He was five miles over the submarine pens at St. Nazarre on the French coast, huffing oxygen from a bottle, wrapped badly against temperatures in the 50 degree range-below zero-watching German fighters line up to attack his bomber. "I thought 'what am I doing here?'" recalled the Denver native, then 19-years-old. On Monday afternoon, LeBlotier joined a group of journalists for a ride in a historic bomber decked out to resemble...
Nebraska state Sen. Amanda McGill-term limited at 34-is ready to bring energy and enthusiasm to the state auditor's office. At the time McGill took office to represent northeast Lincoln eight years ago, she was the youngest woman to work in the Nebraska legislature in 25 years. "Since I'm term limited, I was looking at ways to further continue efforts of reform and digging into government mismanagement and waste and felt that the state auditor's office was the best way to do that," McGill said...
A gravel pit in Cheyenne County that has been the source of frustration for nearby homeowners will soon have a new owner, one promising to be a conscientious neighbor. Sidney’s planning commission approved a conditional use permit to Croell Redi Mix for land located a half mile south of the intersection of County Roads 20 and 117, east of Sidney. This pit is not located within the city limits, but is inside the city’s two mile zone of influence. Croell plans to buy a 160 acre parcel of land containing the pit from the current owners, the Kielia...
All the roots have been planted for a northwestern Nebraska reforestation program. Now, the project has been turned over to Mother Nature. About 1,400 members of the Boy Scouts of the Longs Peak Council and other volunteers planted 10,500 trees at Fort Robinson State Park on Saturday, the final chapter of an annual effort to reforest areas burned in a massive 1989 wildfire. The planting marked the 25th and final year for the event. The planters were greeted with seasonably mild weather as they...
Nick Colgrove of the University of Nebraska's educational media department points out some benefits of broadband technology during a Power of Business presentation at WNCC on Wednesday. The event was a UNL Extension program and part of the statewide Nebraska Broadband Initiative.... Full story
Sidney is among the top ten places to live in Nebraska, according to a blog by Movoto, a real estate research website. Movoto conducted a study of the 31 biggest cities in Nebraska to determine which were the best places to reside. The rankings were based on amenities, quality of life, crime, tax rates, unemployment, commute time and weather. It ranked Sidney number eight on the list. The criteria that factor into quality of life include cost of living, median home price, median rent, median household income and student to teacher ratio....
When western Nebraska rancher Deb Fischer graduated from the LEAD program almost 15 years ago, she put the experience to use by becoming involved with the school board. Two years ago Fischer was elected to the senate. Yet LEAD director Terry Hejny is reluctant to tell of prominent success stories. The purpose of the Leadership Education/Action Development program is more fundamental. “When they finish, they go back to their communities and get involved—make their communities stronger,” he explained. The program provides training for Nebra...
Congressman Adrian Smith greets one of more than 400 Korean War Veterans from the state participating in the Heartland Honor Flight recently. Smith noted that "During a snow storm which kept many Washingtonians indoors, these Nebraska veterans were undeterred by the weather in the pursuit to see their memorial."... Full story
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission employees used a bird's-eye view of the rugged high country of the Pine Ridge last month to obtain more accurate deer population data for northwestern Nebraska. During five days in early February, Game and Parks staff members boarded a contracted helicopter and surveyed eight areas of the Pine Ridge Management Unit, which encompasses 429 square miles. The project marked first time Game and Parks has used a helicopter to survey mule deer. In all, staff members...
Hundreds of workers will travel to Sidney this summer to labor on the many construction projects soon to be underway. Both Chief of Police B.J. Wilkinson and City Manager Gary Person acknowledge that the presence of so many additional people in the community could pose some problems. Projects set for construction this summer include the new Sidney Regional Medical Center, many streets for new developments in the Interstate 80 area, as well as work on Fort Sidney Rd, Greenwood Rd and Toledo St., Cabela’s corporate expansion, The Ranch s...
Nebraska's current attorney general, Jon Bruning, believes he can make a seamless transition into the role of governor next year, if elected to that position. "I think this has been a very well run state under governors Heineman and Johanns," Bruning said during a stop in Sidney last week. "And I've worked right alongside both governors in my 12 years as attorney general. Experience matters. I will not need on the job training and I think that's very important in a state where Nebraskans are...
As of this month, the city of Sidney will finally receive one year of advanced notification before the state takes refunds out of the city’s local sales taxes. In the past, if companies qualified for sales tax refunds on projects, they would file an application from the state. The city received no information on this. Every month retailers collect sales tax and send it to the department of revenue in Lincoln. Then, each month the department of revenue sends a check for local sales tax to Sidney, sometimes with large refunds subtracted from the...
The Nebraska State Patrol will be conducting high visibility enforcement efforts over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday in an effort to crack down on impaired driving and reduce the potential for alcohol related crashes. Troopers and communication specialists for the Nebraska State Patrol will be putting in overtime hours beginning Thursday, March 13 through Monday, March 17. The overtime funding is provided thanks in part to a $15,620 grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety (NOHS). Special enforcement efforts will include high v... Full story
KIMBALL, Neb. (AP) - Local flooding and washed-out roads have prompted travel warnings from officials in Kimball County and other parts of the Nebraska Panhandle. Kimble County highway superintendent Dave Hottell blamed the mess on runoff from melting snow in his county and adjacent parts of Wyoming. "Most of the roads are a mess," Hottell said. "Roughly half of them are washed out and the other half are not in good shape." Some stretches of U.S. Highway 30 have been closed as well. Two teenage... Full story
Last week Cheyenne County District court ordered Pine Bluffs Gravel & Excavation to cease all gravel mining operations at property owned by Raymond and Teresa Kuehn on County Rd. 99 about seven miles west of Sidney. The gravel firm and the county have been at odds for around a year now over the company’s work on agriculturally zoned land where it operates a gravel mine. The case of Cheyenne County vs. Pine Bluffs Gravel & Excavating Inc. was tried on Jan. 16. The court issued its judgment on Feb. 28. In this civil case, Cheyenne County sought t...
Gubernatorial candidate Bryan Slone thinks his experience with tax reform and passion for small town Nebraska make him stand out from the crowd of Republican candidates hoping to succeed current Gov. Dave Heineman. "We need fundamental tax reform," Slone said. "I have the background and experience to make that happen." Slone decided to run because knows that his constituents are most concerned about tax reform. Slone worked in the Reagan administration for two years, laboring to draft Reagan's...
Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad introduced a bill to the Nebraska legislature that would lower student loan repayment obligations for attorneys who serve low earning clients in rural parts of the state. LB808 could provide public service attorneys working in communities with a population lower than 15,0000 with $6,000 a year in loan forgiveness, according to the Unicameral Update, the Nebraska Legislature’s official news source. The judiciary committee heard this bill on Feb. 21. Behind the proposal is a growing shortage of legal support in r...
After living through six gunshot wounds and a rocket propelled grenade attack in Afghanistan, Col. Tom Brewer, a 36-year veteran of the armed services, plans to take on Congress. Brewer hopes to bring a new perspective to the U.S. House of Representatives, by representing Nebraska's third district. An abundance of downtime due to an injury launched Brewer's interest in politics and ultimately his decision to run against Adrian Smith, who currently represents the third district. After Brewer was...
Not too spicy, not too sweet-just Knicely Done. It was a warmhearted roast, fitting for Omaha television's Mr. Nice Guy, John Knicely. And nice guys finish first in friendships. A sellout crowd-including college classmates, golf buddies, fellow church members and professional colleagues – filled the Press Club on Feb. 21 to see the longtime WOWT anchor honored as the OPC's 140th Face on the Barroom floor. Knicely is a 1970 graduate of Sidney High School and is the son of Jack and Jan Knicely o...
The city of Sidney would not be what it is today without the contributions of Dick Cabela, co-founder of Cabela's, who died at his home on Monday morning. The company has undoubtedly been a major contributor to Sidney's continued success. Cabela's was founded in 1961 when Cabela bought $45 worth of fishing flies to sell in his father's furniture store in Chappell. Customers at the store had little interest in the flies, so Cabela decided to sell them by mail order. Cabela's wife, Mary Cabela...
Cabela’s expects to begin construction on The Ranch, its local housing development as well as a headquarters expansion this year. At the same time, the corporation also plans to expand its retail presence nationwide. Last week Cabela’s announced plans to build three new stores. Cabela’s expects to open a store in Ammon, Idaho in spring 2015. This 42,000 square foot store is the company’s third in the state and will serve the Idaho Falls area. The store is expected to employ around 90 workers. Customers at this store will be able to make on...
Four suspects wanted in connection with several rural burglaries in Cheyenne County were arrested Thursday in Edgewater, Colo. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for a home in Dalton where it was known that two of the suspects, Sean Gdowski and Martika Biggart, were residing. Authorities sought the warrant after allegedly finding some items linked to at least one recent rural burglary in trash from their residence. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on their residence on Jan. 29, according arrest warrant affidavits. Officials repo...
