Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
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Strong winds that ripped through Sidney Friday and Saturday affected Oktoberfest crowds. “The turnout was not well,” Judy Harris said. “It was a little better than last year and we may have made just enough to break even.” Last year an early season snowstorm forced the cancellation of outdoor events, including the parade. This time around those in charge of Oktoberfest were forced closed down the tent at 10:30 p.m. on Friday due to the wind. They could not reopen it on Saturday until 6 p.m., whe...
With overcrowding in Nebraska state prisons reaching a critical point, state officials are seeking ways to reform the system. According to a report by the Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska state prisons are currently resting near 151 percent capacity. As of June 30, the nine major state prison facilities throughout the state housed 4,796 inmates. However, they are only designed to hold 3,175. Other states such as Kansas, Texas, Colorado, and South Carolina, which have faced the same problem of overcrowding, have greatly reduced their populations by... Full story
As Sidney continues to grow, so do the major businesses that employ the city's residents, new and old. As a result of the increase in population, Sidney Regional Medical Center has added 15 additional full time positions this year. The hospital has added workers in areas such as rehabilitation service, laboratory, surgery, acute care and the physicians clinic, according to SRMC director of public relations, Evie Parsons. Dr. Rebecca Allard joined the staff in July, while two additional physicians have signed on for next year, in advance of the...
The RGM Corporation filed a suit against the Cheyenne County Commissioners. The county, meanwhile, is involved in a counterclaim against the company. The case was sent to the board on September 20. The plaintiff, RGM, claimed that property rights were violated by the county's board of commissioners through certain ditches and roads adjacent to the plaintiff’s real estate. The plaintiff asserted the cause of action known as inverse condemnation and seeks damages from the defendant. The county denied the cause of action and further expects to s... Full story
Sidney's school zones are safer for the moment due to stepped up police patrols. The Sidney Police Department received a grant for $5,000 from the Nebraska Department of Roads in late August to help promote safety in school zones. "We want to do anything we can to keep kids from getting clipped by cars," said Sidney Police Chief B.J. Wilkinson. The grant allowed the officers to work exclusively around Sidney schools during their off hours to enforce traffic laws and enhance safety awareness during the beginning of the fall semester. The... Full story
Those looking for a caffeine fix or a quick burger will soon have new choices. Safeway plans to revamp its look starting this week, according to Michael Nichols with Seagren Construction. Nichols started work Wednesday which will include a minor remodel with new shelves and tile and, most importantly for those who are looking for a new place to get their cup of joe, a Starbucks kiosk. A new, more convenient entryway will also be constructed at the front of the store instead of the side. It will... Full story
It has been a busy year for the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, as there has been quite a bit of activity in the state, according to Deputy Director Stan Belieu—although search and drilling operations have not been consistent across Nebraska. “There’s not much activity around Sidney,” Belieu explained. “Production has increased in the state, but decreased locally.” Two large wells were drilled near Potter and one west in Lorenzo. The wells have not been offset, meaning oil companies have not drilled more around them. In 2012, Ne...
CHADRON, Neb. (AP) — A wintry storm carrying blustery winds and heavy snow has been forecast for the Nebraska Panhandle. The storm is expected to move from Wyoming into Nebraska sometime Thursday night. The National Weather Service says the snow will limit visibility and fall mostly in higher elevations, with rain possible elsewhere. A snow accumulation of up to 9 inches is forecast for Chadron, compared with 2 inches in Sidney. Wind gusts of 50 mph could hit whip through some parts of the Panhandle. Snow has been falling in the mountains of ce... Full story
This weekend marks the ninth annual Rocktoberfest in Cheyenne County. Rocktoberfest is an event for youths in 7th through 12th grades and will take place at the Youth Center on October 4 and 5 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Kids Plus is putting on the event, and they have been catering to families and young people in Cheyenne County for more than 20 years. Rocktoberfest will charge guests $3 per night, but they give 50 percent of the admission fees to SMAC. Last year, Kids Plus donated $744 to the program. The first year the event was put on, 100... Full story
Sidney's 39th annual Oktoberfest promises a plethora of food options, foot stamping music and of course, free flowing suds—despite the predicted cold weather. Featured inside the 16,000 square foot tent at the fair grounds will be 15 food vendors, which is about the same amount as last year, according to Becky Rezac, member of the Oktoberfest committee. The shooter's club will have a booth for the first time this year, offering rocky mountain oysters. The beer gardens on the East and West e... Full story
The Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare,” was signed into law in March of 2010, with the first major provision going into effect on October 1. The ACA's individual mandate requires millions of uninsured Americans to sign up for quality health coverage, with subsidies to help cover the expense for some. Those that visit the Health Insurance Marketplace and sign up now will begin to receive coverage in January. Although studies reveal that many people are not aware about the changes that acc... Full story
The Nebraska State Bar Association hopes that changes to the juvenile justice system in this state will lead youth toward more positive actions instead of deeper into the corrections system. LB 561 was passed by the Nebraska Legislature in May of this year. This bill and the associated legislation bring extensive reform to the juvenile justice system in an effort to expand services and allow alternatives to detention for youth in Nebraska, according to the NSBA. The bill states that, "...the services available for the treatment and... Full story
NEW YORK (AP) — The partial government shutdown that began Tuesday threw into turmoil the household finances of some federal workers, with many facing unpaid furloughs or delays in paychecks. Park ranger and father-to-be Darquez Smith said he already lives paycheck to paycheck while putting himself through college and worried how he'll fare if the checks stop coming. "I've got a lot on my plate right now — tuition, my daughter, bills," said Smith, 23, a ranger at Dayton Aviation Heritage Nat... Full story
Two locals were charged and arrested last month in a case involving sexual assault of a child and extortion. Jason Frei, a 55 year old Potter man, was arrested in August for third degree sexual assault of a child, a felony, while Kristie Keenan, mother of the child involved in the case was arrested for theft by extortion, also a felony. Keenan met with a member of the Cheyenne County Sheriff's department on Aug. 16 to discuss the incident between Frei and her daughter. Keenan, 29, allegedly told law enforcement that Frei had inappropriately...
Three local ladies want to spread the news about breast cancer awareness and to celebrate breast cancer survivors as part of the Sidney Oktoberfest parade. All breast cancer survivors are welcome to walk alongside or ride on the float in recognition of October which is breast cancer awareness month. These women wish to raise awareness about breast cancer detection and think that if only one person gets a mammogram as a result of seeing the float that it's worth it. Those who want to walk with the float and anyone who would like to support... Full story
Local law enforcement already claim that medical marijuana legalization in Colorado led to an influx of the drug in surrounding areas, but with the upcoming switch to sales of legal marijuana to those over 21, agencies are worried the problem will grow. "Colorado is becoming the new source state," said Cheyenne County Sheriff John Jenson. In 2012 there were 274 reported seizures of marijuana coming from Colorado on its way to other states. This compares to 54 in 2005—a 407 percent i... Full story
The Dorwart Cancer Care Center reopened on Monday for the first time since the Sept. 9 storm, which caused flooding damage and knocked out power. Patient care services were temporarily moved to the Memorial Health Center. “It definitely helped out. Moving treatment was better than not receiving any at all,” Regional West Director of Cancer Services, Jeff Kriewald said. Carpet and dry wall had to be replaced in the cancer care center. After thorough inspection of the outpatient area of the building to make sure there were no contaminants tha...
A semi, driven by 22-year-old Taylor Covalt rolled over on county road 93 earlier this month near Gurley, spilling 2000 gallons of fertilizer. The semi was attempting to turn onto county road 93 from county road 52, when the trailer ran off the road to the right, causing both the tractor and trailer to roll onto their sides, spilling the load onto ground alongside the route. The county called the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality to take steps to remove the contaminated ground where the spill occurred. This caused damage to the...
Plans are under way to reconstruct the county's shooting range, which was battered by the Sept. 9 storm. The building, which is located in a rural part of Cheyenne County, was destroyed due to wind damage. The highest recorded wind speed in the storm earlier this month was 78 miles per hour, although some speculate that unrecorded gusts may have exceeded this mark. The Cheyenne County Sheriff John Jenson does not disclose the exact location of the building because SWAT exercises are sometimes carried out there. He estimates that it will cost...
Sidney's electric department officials are working to bring the city one step closer to a more flexible system offering more power. The city received bids for a new electrical distribution tie line Sept. 11. The low bid was from Ward Electric Company in the amount of around $230,000. Public services director John Hehnke recommended approval for the bid at Tuesday's city council meeting. A few years ago the electricity department placed a larger transformer at the north substation, which has the capability to supply more power to town,... Full story
Environmentally conscious Sidney employees recently gained state-wide recognition. Two city officials were awarded with the Nebraska Outstanding Community Conservation Award at the Nebraska Association of Resources District's annual fall conference Sept. 23. These prizes are awarded to those who take part in outstanding community conservation efforts and promote community conservation projects in Nebraska. Both Bill Taylor, water superintendent and Tom VonSeggern, parks superintendent were...
The city hopes to end its fiscal year in fine health. Sidney's fiscal year ends at the end of September. Tax collections, which were a mixed bag in August this year, might be the only hitch. "The property tax came in a little short, but the sales tax is coming in better than anticipated," said city clerk Geri Anthony. "So that helped a lot." Although property tax collections were lower than anticipated, collections in October are usually pretty substantial, she added. The city is pleased with the sales tax numbers at this point. September...
Anyone in Sidney with a broken-down car in the front yard should expect to hear from police sometime soon. At Tuesday night's city council meeting, Sidney Police Chief B.J. Wilkinson asked the council to accept a bid for a towing contract between the city and Affordable Towing for the removal of abandoned and unlicensed vehicles illegally stored on private property. The police department received only one bid on Sept. 9. "We had lots of interest, we only had one bid returned," Wilkinson said.... Full story
The Cheyenne County Commissioners approved the proposed budget for 2013-2014, and some of the line items took a significant jump. Big changes occurred in the communications center and wireless 911 services, shoot from $390,354 to $560,390 and $4,644 to $128,370, respectively. “I think they were just inflationary costs. I don’t know that there was one particular thing that made this huge jump,” Cheyenne County Clerk, Beth Fiegenschuh said. The rules governing allocation of funds are strict, with money directed toward specific projects or categ... Full story
The Tax Increment Finance plan for the Cabela's Corporate Campus Expansion received final approval Tuesday night by the Community Development Agency and the city council. After a referral back from the planning commission with assurance that the master plan for redevelopment of the 27 acre tract of land owned by Cabela's and the 14 acre tract of land owned by Tim Reganis was in line with the city's 2012 comprehensive plan, the CDA and then the city council both approved TIF for the project. This area is considered blighted and Cabela's asked...
