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 1989 - 2013 of 3056
After the county commissioners expressed displeasure last month at the burden placed upon them to find more space for probation offices in Cheyenne County, Linda Buehler, chief probation officer for district 12 attended Monday’s meeting to answer come of their questions. District 12 handles juvenile and adult probation cases for the entire Nebraska panhandle as well as Grant County. As responsibility for underage offenders transitions out of youth rehabilitation and treatment centers is transferred from the Department of Health and Human S...
Jason Custer, 35, was convicted of first degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a felon in Cheyenne County district court Friday following a week-long trial. A jury of seven men and five women deliberated for around five hours before determining Custer’s guilt in the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Adam McCormick just after midnight on Nov. 3, 2012 over a debt of $150. The victim’s family found significance in the fact that the verdict came in on McCormick’s son’s birthday. “This is what we were hopi...
The man accused of shooting 36-year-old Adam McCormick in the early morning hours of Nov. 3, 2012 took the stand yesterday to tell his version of the events that led to McCormick’s death. Jason Custer, 35 is charged with first degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Custer allegedly shot McCormick over a debt of $150. Custer moved to Sidney from California in October 2012 to live with Billy Fields and Amber Davis. Custer first met McCormick in early October at a friend’s apa...
The two men who witnessed the shooting of Adam McCormick in the early morning hours of Nov. 3 2012 testified about the events of that night as the state of Nebraska vs. Jason Custer continued into its third day. Custer, 35 is charged with first degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Custer allegedly shot McCormick after a dispute over a debt of $150. Syrus Leal, reportedly a good friend of McCormick, testified Wednesday about what led up to the shooting, as well as the shooting...
In a trial rife with conflicting testimony, the two individuals who helped the alleged murderer flee town told the court on Tuesday about the events leading up to the shooting that left 36-year-old Adam McCormick dead. Jason Custer, 35 is charged with first degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Custer allegedly shot McCormick shortly after midnight on Nov. 3, 2012 after a dispute over a debt of less than $200. Custer came to Sidney in October 2012, to stay with Billy Fields and...
Before heading to Gering for Wednesday night's debate between Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate seat, Bart McLeay did something unusual. Yes, he brought a team to help him prepare for the showcase event. But he also walked around downtown Sidney, poking his head into shops, listening to opinions from the Nebraska panhandle. "I like to believe I'm a good listener," he said. "As a lawyer you have to listen to your client to represent them, to do your job." The comment just may represent...
In November 2012 a personal feud, with threats of violence reported from both sides, ultimately ended in the death of 36 year old Sidney resident Adam McCormick. During opening statements of the state of Nebraska vs. Jason Custer both the defense and prosecution described a messy, complicated case. Although the prosecution maintained that Custer is guilty of premeditated murder, the defense claimed that Custer shot McCormick in self defense. Custer, 35 is charged with first degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and possession of a...
The suspect who allegedly attempted to rob a Sidney bank on Friday morning was reported to be a 30-year-old Potter woman. Law enforcement authorities are releasing little detailed information on the incident, but Janetta Lenstrom was reportedly identified as the person taken into protective custody on Friday for the attempted armed robbery of Sidney Federal Savings & Loan, across from the courthouse in downtown Sidney. At least until recently she was employed by Points West Community Bank. According to reports, Lenstrom was taken to a hospital...
As responsibility for underage offenders is transferred from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Office of Probation Administration, the burden of finding more office space for probation is placed on counties. A discussion about a possible location to house additional staff needed for local probation’s new responsibilities brought out some frustration on the county commissioner’s part about where the county will find funds for this undertaking. “Unfortunately, when they do things in Lincoln, the fiscal responsibility goes back...
The four Republican Party candidates seeking election to the U.S. Senate will share a stage for the first time as part of a candidate debate scheduled for Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Gering Civic Center. The debate is sponsored by the Nebraska Republican Party in partnership with the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation. Candidates participating in the debate include Sid Dinsdale, Bart McLeay, Shane Osborn and Ben Sasse. "This is an opportunity for Nebraska voters to get familiar with all of our candidates in the U.S. Senate race and to get a better se...
Nancy Gipfert immediately filed an appeal bond earlier this month, after being sentenced for a conviction of negligent child abuse, a misdemeanor. She soon dropped the bond, according to court documents. On the same day the bond was dropped, Gipfert informed the court of her intent to submit to the Cheyenne County Sheriff to begin serving her sentence. Don Miller, the local attorney who represented Gipfert in this case cited several reasons for dropping the bond. “Financially and emotionally, she and her family are just exhausted,” Miller sai...
The planning commission approved a conditional use permit for Verizon Wireless to construct a 184 foot communication tower at 11720 Road 18, east of Interstate 80 to improve Verizon’s services there. The decision was made on Monday night. “The reason it’s conditional, just because it’s allowed on a certain parcel, there might be mitigating circumstances that you have to take into account from surrounding property owners or whatever that may have concerns,” said city manager Gary Person. Jeff Skinner, a representative for Verizon, informed...
Two persons traveling from out of state on Interstate 80 in Cheyenne County were arrested last week and were each charged with four drug related felonies. On the night of Jan. 16, a Nebraska State Trooper arrested driver Joshua Feyes, 36, and his passenger Melissa Janssen, 36, after allegedly finding almost 10 pounds of illegal drugs within the vehicle in which they were traveling. The trooper stopped the eastbound vehicle for a speeding violation near mile marker 52 on the interstate. Once the vehicle was pulled over, the trooper learned that...
Some state senators see drawbacks in Gov. Dave Heineman’s proposals dealing with tax cuts, health care and reforming “good-time” practices in state prisons, three major goals he said he wanted the Legislature to accomplish this session. Sen. Health Mello of Omaha, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said he is especially worried about the long-term effects of Heineman’s tax plan, which would lower income taxes by 6 percent and and lower agricultural land valuations by 10 percentage points. With the governor in his last year in office,...
Nancy Gipfert, who filed an appeal directly after being sentenced for negligent child abuse last week, officially withdrew that appeal, according to court documents. Gipfert also informed the court on Jan. 9, the day after she was sentenced, of her intent to submit to the Cheyenne County Sheriff to begin serving her sentence. Gipfert was sentenced to 24 months of probation, the first 90 days to be served in Cheyenne County jail, for her part in an incident which led to the permanent brain injury of an infant in her care. Gipfert will serve her...
The two people involved in a Thursday, Jan. 9, pursuit near Alliance have been located. Around 9:15 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 12, Ryan Riddle, 30, Greeley, Colo., and Rebecca J. Melzo, 22, Greeley, Colo., were taken into custody at a convenience store in Hay Springs. After being taken into custody, both Riddle and Melzo were taken to the Chadron Hospital to be examined. The pair was involved in a pursuit and subsequent search that began Thursday morning, after a trooper attempted a traffic stop on a black four door vehicle for speeding on Highway 385...
Jonathon Jackson, 19 and his father William Jackson, 44 both of Dalton were charged with terroristic threats and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, for an incident that occurred in late December. Arrest warrants were issued in Cheyenne County for the Jacksons on Dec. 28 and both were subsequently arrested and bonded out. Bond was set at $250,000 each. According to a Cheyenne County sheriff's office report, Jeremy Reimers was walking to Jessica Cook's residence in Dalton on Dec. 26 with James Goeman and Camden Grasnick when the group...
Multiple thefts occurred in rural areas of Cheyenne County in the past two weeks. Cheyenne County sheriff John Jenson urges residents to be on the look-out for any suspicious activity. The sheriff’s office is currently investigating five incidents, which recently occurred at abandoned farmsteads and outbuildings. Items taken from these locations included power tools, miscellaneous hand tools, electrical wiring, pipe and small farm equipment. Jenson asked the community to watch for suspicious vehicles, persons or activity particularly in r...
As of Friday morning, Jan. 10, the driver and passenger of a vehicle that led troopers on a Thursday pursuit near Alliance have not been located. Just after 7:00 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 9, a trooper attempted a traffic stop on a black four door vehicle for speeding on Highway 385 on the west side of Alliance. The vehicle failed to stop and a pursuit ensued. The vehicle traveled east of Alliance on Highway 2, before leaving the roadway and entering a pasture. The vehicle continued heading through pastureland in a northeasterly direction. Troopers,...
Nancy Gipfert was sentenced to 24 months of probation, the first 90 days to be served in Cheyenne County jail, for her part in an incident which led to the permanent brain injury of an infant in her care. In November a jury of six men and six women found Gipfert guilty of negligent child abuse, a class I misdemeanor. The two-month-old victim in this case became seriously ill after his first visit to Gipfert's daycare on Sept. 13, 2011. It was later confirmed that he suffered from bleeding...
The Cheyenne County commissioners discussed how to fit raises for elected county officials into an increasingly tight budget at Monday’s meeting. The commissioners agreed on a base pay of $55,000 per year starting in 2015 with a 3 percent cost of living increase for the following three years. This decision was based on recommendations from the Nebraska Association of County Officials. Additionally, NACO advised that the county attorney and county sheriff should receive 150 percent and 120 percent respectively of the base pay, to which the c...
Cheyenne County Commissioners appointed Donald Brush of Panhandle Land Surveying as temporary county surveyor at yesterday’s meeting. “What I’m needing is the duties of a county surveyor in Cheyenne County,” Brush told the commissioners. “I’ve had some clients that have requested some surveying.” Most of the time during land survey work, monuments marking the corners of property are in place and there are records which establish the edges of a property. Sometimes the corners of the property aren’t properly marked, Brush explained. “Whe...
Three seats are up for re-election this coming year on the South Platte NRD board of directors. The terms of James C. Johnson of Dix, Subdistrict 2; Paul Hutchison of Sidney, Subdistrict 4; and Tom Biggs of Sidney, Subdistrict 6 expire on Dec. 31, 2014. The NRD directors are elected or nomininated within subdistricts in Cheyenne, Kimball and Deuel counties. Subdistrict 2 comprises the northeastern half of Kimball County including northeastern Kimball, and part of western Cheyenne County. Subdistrict 4 is in southwestern Cheyenne County, and... Full story
Filing deadlines for upcoming local elections are fast approaching. Up for election this year are Cheyenne County attorney, sheriff, clerk of the district court, treasurer, assessor and county clerk. Cheyenne County commissioner seats in district two and district three are scheduled for election this year, as well. These offices all hold four year terms. This year, there are three four-year term seats up for grabs on the Sidney School Board, as well as one opening for a two-year term due to the previous resignation of Tanya Lewis. Creek...
University of Nebraska at Kearney researchers hope to catch the endangered swift fox in its natural Western Nebraska habitat and to determine how the creatures use the landscape, specifically the Heartland Expressway corridor. Although Sidney is not in the direct line of the Heartland Expressway route, Dr. Marc Albrecht, biologist at UNK, and his graduate student Sara Ray will be visiting Sidney in the near future to speak with residents about their swift fox study. The research will focus on how the expressway, which runs approximately north...
