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 2435 - 2459 of 3067
O'Malley's cab service maybe not be owned by an Irishman, but it serves those who enjoy a St. Patrick's Day party—or anyone else in need of a ride. O'Malley's, at 700 Hickory Street, started up in January of this year. Sidney needed a cab service because the city is growing so fast, said owner, Brad Zalesky. New people in town needed transportation that the city couldn't provide, he added. Some students at the community college also needed transportation outside of city limits and at odd hours. The company hopes to provide a public service o...
The Sidney school board voted last night to have a bond election to finance a new elementary school. The election will take place September 10. At the May meeting, the board decided to give the public an opportunity to speak out before going through with an election. The board held two public hearings June 10 about a possible new elementary school. "The meetings were not hugely attended by any means," said Jay Ehler, superintendent of Sidney schools. He estimated that there were a total of 35...
With continued development on the east side of Sidney, storm drainage has come under increased scrutiny. Development means more asphalt in the form of parking lots and roads—and these have a direct impact on the direction and energy of storm runoff. In the absence of planning, heavy rains can cause flooding, erosion and structural damage. The South Platte Natural Resource District held a recent meeting in conjunction with the city to hear the findings of an independent study, commissioned by Sidney and conducted by Olsson Associates. At the m...
As the temperature rises, sightings of rattlesnakes will increase, as well. Rattlesnake attacks on pets were more common last year at the beginning of summer, and tapered off toward the end, said Don Devie, office manager at Sidney Veterinary Hospital. Rattlesnakes were probably more active at the beginning of the season last year because of the higher temperatures, he said. "Well, by this time last year we'd dealt with six or eight," Devie said. Dogs can be protected from the worst affects of a rattlesnake bite by receiving a vaccine. Sidney V...
Home is where your memories are stored, where your children are born and grow up, where you make friends. For Marvel Freudenberg Moore, Betty Kurth and Elain Weyerts, Gurley is more than just a town. The Burlington Railroad founded Gurley October 18, 1913, as a stop on their line. Trains still pass through Gurley, but the depot is gone. For longtime residents, the community's centennial celebration, scheduled for this weekend (June 22-23), will bring back memories of the town and its people, including those that moved away. Marvel Freudenberg...
For local teens, sales and community service go together. Sidney’s teen outreach program, which is based out of the Community Action Partnership of Western Nebraska (CAPWN) office, is hosting a yard sale this Saturday for its community service project. Money raised at the sale will go toward the purchase of games and furnishings at the CAPWN office. “We want to make it a more fun youth hangout,” said Brenda Dickinson, who does youth, family and community outreach for CAPWN. Workers at the office would like to buy an Xbox and some games—and couc...
Working nine to five—more likely eight to five—can have its draw backs in a small community, particularly when it comes to shopping. While grocery stores and national chains remain open, the unique retail shops that define downtown shopping districts often open after 10 a.m. or lock their doors around 6 p.m., leaving little time for residents to peruse their aisles during the work week. But, say Sidney retailers, there is always Saturday. The first day of the weekend counts as the busiest for...
The KSB board met yesterday at Grandma Jo's and discussed past and upcoming projects and expenses. One of their goals was to clean up the Welcome to Sidney sign east of town by highway 30. The board discussed getting some new trees to plant near the sign but decided on native grasses instead, because they're heartier and they look better in the winter. They also planned to pick up any litter around the sign. "That's what Keep Sidney Beautiful is about," said executive director, Cheryl Jones....
More road construction started in the Sidney area last week. The state's Sidney West project opened on Highway 30 at the west edge of Sidney and extends eight miles west. The project will begin with repair of the concrete pavement underneath the road and will end with replacement of the asphalt on top. The Nebraska department of roads is hoping to complete the project by sometime this fall, said Maryanne Jacobs, project manager with the Nebraska Department of Roads. This project will be an inconvenience to the 1,400 vehicles per day which...
The Cheyenne County Sheriff's Department is investigating numerous vehicle break-ins in Sidney. "We started getting complaints this week," said Sheriff John Jenson. The sheriff's office has received more complaints from the south side of town, but says that the break ins could potentially happen anywhere. The sheriff advises that the citizens of Sidney lock their cars. Anyone who keeps valuables in their vehicle should bring them inside, he said. Most of the break-ins occurred late at night, according to Jenson's department. If you hear...
The rumble of thunder, lighting flashing across the sky--what started as a beautiful day on the plains now has the potential of becoming a major storm. Rain begins to fall, followed shortly by chunks of hail. Roof drains, street gutters and surrounding hills are gushing with water. The torrent begins to surge to the center of town with such speeds and force that it could sweep adults off their feet. The 10th avenue viaduct is underwater and closed; Lodgepole Creek is full of water. It's a scenario city engineers and elected officials consider...
Farmland valuations went up more than 10 percent this year in Cheyenne County. But the news could be worse. "In my county they didn't go up as much as they did in other counties," said Cheyenne County Assessor, Louella Pippitt. Although values spiraled in Cheyenne county by a double digit margin, there are many other counties where the changes from last year to this year were much more drastic. Assessments in 16 Nebraska counties rose more than 30 percent. Farmland valuations rose the least--at 1.5 percent--in Thomas county and the most--at 40...
Building codes are up dated every three years, taking into consideration the load dynamics of wind shear, water tables, environmental problems that have an affect on building any type of structure. These codes are the guidelines for the official to use in making determinations for construction or repair. For much of daily life in Sidney, these instructions generally go unnoticed. But Chief Building Official Bradley Rowan has been trying to bring Sidney’s building codes up to current standards. “What happens is that it (the codes) affect the...
The Cabela's annual shareholder meeting last week drew its biggest crowd yet. Last year's meeting had a little more than 1,000 attendees, but this year's gathering blew that out of the water with around 1,500 in the crowd. Most of those present consisted of shareholders and employees, said Cabela's communication specialist, Nathan Borowski. "We tried and strived to make it as big as ever this year," Borowski said. With an estimated 3,000 people at the Luke Bryan concert the night before the official shareholder meeting, the recreational...
Governor Dave Heineman thanked local employers for their contribution to Sidney's growing economy and their efforts to help veterans yesterday, at the community center. He praised the citizens of Nebraska for being practical with their money, and not spending what they don't have. "We've got a lot more common sense out in Nebraska than in Washington D.C.," Heineman said. His top two priorities for the state are education and jobs, he said. "We want to make sure we're creating jobs right here in...
They may provide a window to the world, but when it comes to older buildings those choosing glass, sills and shutters hardly have it made in the shade. Sidney's Historic Preservation Board worked to decide what sort of windows fit their vision and guidelines for downtown Sidney at yesterday's meeting. All businesses within the national register historic district must submit an application to the board for a certificate of approval before making changes to the facade of their building. There were three window replacement requests in front of...
The Sidney City Council heard discussion about storm water drainage. Ordinance 1699 would insure that all subdivisions and land development are adequately designed with storm drainage facilities that would control storm surge and prevent flooding. In the discussion City Manager Gary Person said, “We might take a model project, a small commercial project and apply the ordinance to the project just to see the impact and the addional requirements that might be involved, then we’ll know if we’re on the right tack.” The council designated ordinan...
Kendall Atkins, a "darn near 80-years-old" panhandle farmer, remembers well the days when market prices remained fixed all day and horses tilled the land. "We used to dream about sitting in our house, driving the tractor by the push of a button," he recalled. Now, with GPS guiding machinery and rural 4G networks providing data--and more--instantly, even when farmers or ranchers are out in the field, those days are apparently here. One smart phone application allows farmers to determine the precise chemical mix necessary, when starting a...
Tammie Stansbury of Sidney was sentenced June 11 in Cheyenne District Court for third degree assault, second degree trespassing, and obstructing a police office. Stansbury, who sat in a chair with a scowl on her face, received one year on count one of the charges assault, six months on count two for trespassing and one year on count three for obstructing a police officer. Judge Derek C. Weimer took into consideration 383 days time served and ordered the sentences to run consecutively. Stansbury spoke in her defense, alleging before Judge Weimer...
The price of gasoline may never be at $1.50 a gallon again. But midwestern corn is shaving the cost by a noticeable margin. Corn is changing the cars people drive and the type of fuel they choose in Sidney. Before the 1980s it was simple to fill up. Drivers just pulled in and selected the grade, measured by octane. Today the type of car often decides for its owner, because of ethanol blends. Some stations even offer E85 fuel, containing 85 percent ethanol. Older vehicles can burn 10 percent but prolonged use can cause difficulties with gaskets...
Starting plans for a new elementary school this year could save Sidney big money in the long run. At a public meeting at Sidney community center last night, Sidney public schools superintendent, Jay Ehler emphasized how important it was to get community input before moving ahead with possible plans for a new elementary school. The plans presented during the meeting were put together by Project One, a construction management company that the school board plans to use for the building, if it is approved. The board of education wishes to start...
An outbreak of equine infectious anemia that was confirmed in northwestern Nebraska last week has been quarantined. EIA is a blood born disease that only affects horses, mules and donkeys is most often passed on by insects that bite. It is usually fatal, according to state veterinarian Dr. Dennis Hughes. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture found out about the outbreak in the end of May. It occurred in north west Cherry County, said Christin Kamm, public information officer with the NDA. As far as the department knows, the outbreak is...
It's not easy finding an apartment to rent in Sidney, especially if your income falls between...well, that's where the difficulty starts. Since the 1940s, many apartment complexes developed in the city have been dependent upon tax credits to reduce rental cost to help ensure occupancy and provide opportunities for middle to low income dwellers. This process became especially important during periods of growth, such as the wartime Sioux Army Depot era and the past decade, when the city's buidling permit valuation crested above $10 million on...
Cheyenne County is looking for a new appraiser. County attorney Paul Schaub received a copy of a cease and desist notice from the Nebraska real properties appraisal board in the end of April addressed to Jerry Knoche regarding the appraisal services he was providing to the county. "I don't know what took place, except I don't have an appraiser now," said Cheyenne county assessor, Louella Pippitt. A copy of the letter read, "It is the Board's opinion that you may be engaged in real property appraisal activity in the state of Nebraska, and...
