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 1995 - 2019 of 3067
Earlier this week, the Cheyenne County District Court denied the appeal by Pine Bluffs Gravel and Excavation of a Cheyenne County board of adjustment decision that said the company’s work was in violation of county zoning code. Pine Bluffs Gravel and Excavation and Cheyenne County have been at odds for many months now, over the company’s work on agriculturally zoned land seven miles west of Sidney, where the company operates a gravel mine. The case of Pine Bluffs Gravel and Excavation vs. Cheyenne County Board of Adjustment was heard on Nov...
Judge Paul Wess has been named County Court Presiding Judge of the 12th Judicial District, comprising Banner, Box Butte, Cheyenne, Dawes, Deuel, Garden, Grant, Kimball, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, and Sioux Counties. He was appointed for the year 2014. The Nebraska Supreme Court approved the nomination of Judge Wess, whose name was submitted by his fellow county court judges for the second consecutive year. Judge Wess has served on the county court bench in the 12th Judicial District since taking the bench in 2013. He currently serves on...
Although “brain drain” afflicts many other non-metropolitan counties in Nebraska, the portion of Cheyenne County’s population with some level of higher education increased significantly over the last 10 years. Brain drain represents the movement of educated people from rural areas to cities. It has been an issue for more than 30 years. In the past decade, however, Cheyenne County gained the highest percentage of college educated residents in the state with an increase of 8.5 percentage points, according to David Drozd, research coord...
Craig Johnson, 48, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Tuesday in Cheyenne County district court for the Dec. 11, 2011 murder of April Smith. During the trial, prosecutors theorized that Johnson killed Smith because of jealousy over her continued relationship with her husband, Ed Smith, from whom she was separated. “Mr. Johnson is a person that has a very checkered criminal history,” said assistant attorney general Corey O’Brien, who prosecuted the case. In the past, Johnson showed an ongoing tendency for violence,...
Panhandle businessman Bruce Evertson, a prominent figure in the state’s oil industry, was killed in a highway accident on Tuesday along with his passenger, Robin Lapaseotes of Bridgeport. Evertson, CEO of Evertson Companies in Kimball, was behind the wheel of a Cadillac Escalade traveling east on Nebraska Highway 88 in Morrill County. According to the Nebraska State Patrol, he collided head-on with a westbound semitrailer, driven by Dennis Dobrinski of Bridgeport. Dobrinski was taken to Regional West Medical Center with what were described a...
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...
