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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Monday afternoon Republican candidate for Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and running mate Joe Kelly stopped in Sidney. “It's about our kids,” Pillen said regarding his motivation for seeking the governorship. Pillen has been married 43 years and he and his wife have four children. He grew up in Platte County and graduated from Lakeview High School. He grew up raising pigs with his father, Dale. We learned about faith, family and the value of hard work,” he said about his upbringing. He said gover...
The Sidney City Council on September 27 approved its budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. The process included a budget hearing early in the city council meeting, followed by the council approving a resolution setting the property tax at .574936 mills. Of that amount, .338854, or $1,520,453, will be appropriated for the General Fund and .236082, or $1,077,409 will be appropriated for bonded indebtedness. Finance Director Lane Kizzire's presentation included that the assessed value of property...
Saturday morning's parade was a time for the community to get excited about a full day of Oktoberfest, children getting their bags of candy and a candidate to meet and greet the voters of Sidney and Cheyenne County. After the parade, Robin Stevens, candidate for District 7 Nebraska Board of Education, met with the Sidney -Sun-Telegraph. Robin Stevens, incumbent for the Nebraska Board of Education, and Elizabeth Tegtmeier, are on the General Election ballot for District 7 for the Nebraska Board...
Sidney might have looked a little different Sept. 22-23, or at least there were some visitors offered a tour of what the community is, and what it could be. The tour of visitors was part of the “E3” meeting. E3 is short for Energizing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems. The idea is to develop a network of resources in Sidney to drive opportunity through sustained investments in entrepreneurships and community improvement. What it includes is individuals, and communities, mentoring each other toward bus...
The Joint Public Hearing scheduled for the Cheyenne County Commissioners room was moved to the district court room Monday, and still had an overflow capacity. The meeting was held as a requirement of LB644. LB644 requires a joint meeting of taxable districts when the district's proposed budget exceeds the “allowable growth percentage” as defined in the measure as 2 percent. Cheyenne County and Leyton Public School District were represented at the meeting. Cheyenne County opened the hearing wit...
He's seen various parts of the world, but never fully left the Panhandle. Most of his adult life has been focused on serving people while wearing a uniform. He wears his uniform quietly, as identity to his service. He doesn't seek the spotlight and some would say he redirects it to others he sees as more deserving. Sidney Police Chief Joe Aikens is being recognized for 40 years of public service. His career in the public, in law enforcement, started soon after his 1980 graduation from Kimball...
A native of western Nebraska has returned for a special event bringing awareness to Veterans with mental issues and suicides. Jason Hanner will start his “Walk across Nebraska” at the Wyoming/Nebraska border near Pine Bluffs. Hanner got started back in 2018/2019 with WalkforVets. “I reconnected with a sailor I served with in Cincinnati where I heard he was involved with an organization building camaraderie with former service members via go-kart racing. A young member of that team overd...
Property tax is based on assessed value and tax levies. Almost without exception, a property owner's tax bill includes several taxing districts such as school districts, fire districts, villages and City of Sidney, City Airport Authority, Historical Society, Educational Service Unit 13, WNCC, South Platte Natural Resources District, etc. In Cheyenne County, a property owner's taxes supports 18 taxing districts. Not all districts apply to every tax payer. It depends on where the property is...
The Sidney City Council recently approved an updated sales agreement with Table of Grace for a tract of land on the north side of Elm Street. The City is selling the 3.2 acre tract to Table of Grace for $21,440. The tract is described as “adjacent to the old landfill” on East Elm Street. In May of 2022, the city council approved the sale of a tract of land to Table of Grace. The plan is for the Table of Grace, with the backing of Sandhills Global, to construct a new facility. The facility will s...
The Cheyenne County Commissioners recently approved the Oktoberfest Committee's application for a Special Designated Liquor License for the annual Oktoberfest Celebration. Oktoberfest is planned for Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds. Traditionally, the celebration starts with the “tapping of the kegs” followed by entertainment and a variety of food booths. Craft vendors are also expected. A four-person golf scramble is scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 1 at Hillside Golf Course. Run...
The Sidney Sun-Telegraph reached out to candidates for Cheyenne County Assessor to offer a few questions. Melody Keller is the incumbent and Jordan Hajek is the petition challenger. Hajek contacted the Sun-Telegraph September 7 to verify she was on the ballot. Below are the questions and each candidates response: Name as it appears on the ballot: Mel Keller Position you are seeking: Cheyenne County Assessor How long have you lived in Cheyenne County? I have proudly called Cheyenne County my...
The Cheyenne County Commissioners room was crowded Sept. 6 with residents seeking answers about the proposed budget. Tuesday's meeting included a budget hearing and summary for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Early in the meeting, the county commissioners appointed Jeff Jung as the Cheyenne County designee to attend the Joint Public Meeting scheduled for September 26. The Joint Public Meeting is required by LB644. Sections 1 through 5 of LB644 are also known as the “Property Tax Request Act” requires...
Sen. Deb Fischer met with local officials throughout western Nebraska recently, including officials at Sidney Regional Medical Center Aug. 30. After the meeting, she took time to meet with the press. Some of the major topics she has encountered on her tour are housing, the impact of inflation and jobs. She said in her stop in Kimball, officials explained their housing project. She said the Air Force plan to update the ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile system) will bring workers in in...
The Cheyenne County Chamber Board recently announced Toshia Jones as the new President/CEO of the Chamber. Jones comes to Sidney from Northwest Missouri. She has lived in Sidney for about two years. She enjoys playing league volleyball and assisting in coaching youth basketball and volleyball. Her previous leadership experience and 10 years in customer service will make her a great asset to the Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce, and the Cheyenne County community. She is excited to meet...
It's a theme used over and over on the big screen. Fun-loving young adults visit a foreign country and their week in Rome becomes a walk through a nightmare with a one-man army to the rescue. There's also the desperate immigrant who was led to a unofficial border crossing and obligated into forced labor, or worse, in exchange for payment of getting them across the border. While these scenarios occur to some degree, the deeper story involves coercion and grooming, according to discussion at the...
The Cheyenne County Fairboard was blasted with questions and criticism after this year’s county fair and rodeo. The fairboard holds its meetings in a small office complex adjacent to the arena, except when an overflow crowd requires a larger facility. The 6:30 p.m. Aug. 22 meeting was moved to the east end of the 4-H building with the board seated facing north. A crowd estimated at about 20 showed up for the meeting. The night’s agenda included reviewing the ADA handicap accessibility of the gra...
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Rail Road has asked the City of Sidney to block the Deadwood Trail multi-use trail at the point the railroad overpass crosses over the top of the walking trail. This is the BNSF overpass of trail, adjacent to Sidney Draw Road bridge and the backside of the golf course. The BNSF will be doing bridge and ballast work on Wednesday September 7 through Thursday, September 8, beginning at 9 a.m. for approximately five hours each day. There will be barricades and signage announcing the temporary clo...
The Sidney City Council will be returning to a later meeting time. In a previous meeting, Mayor Roger Galllaway suggested changing the time from 6:15 p.m. to 7 p.m. He said the change was offered because he was asked to take a football coaching position, which could interfere with the current 6:15 p.m. Tuesday city council meetings. “Most of this came about because my work responsibilities changed,” Gallaway said in the Aug. 23 meeting. He offered to change the meeting time seasonally, or per...
Sidney Regional Medical Center is moving ahead with plans to consolidate and expand its facility. Plans include moving Extended Care to a new wing on the west side of the existing hospital. The new facility will include a “Memory Care” wing among its four wings, and 63 beds. The Extended Care facility is currently located on Osage Street in Sidney, adjacent to the “old hospital.” SRMC administrator Jason Petik recently addressed the Cheyenne County Board of Commissioners on the project. He said...
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” On Sept. 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, signed the framework of their new country. On Aug. 15, 2022, the Cheyenne County Commissioners sig...
The Sidney City Council in its Aug. 9 meeting approved continuing the Joint East Sidney Watershed Authority (JESWA) with the South Platte Natural Resource District. City Manager David Scott said the partnership with the SPNRD has been successful through the creation, construction phase and completion of the project. Scott proposed the City Council approve formation of the Sidney Watershed Coalition (SWC). The loan payment would continue as with JESWA at an 80-20 percent split of the semi-annual...
The Cheyenne County Commissioners discussed an Engagement Letter with Lutz & Company for consulting services regarding American Rescue Plan Act funding. The commissioners have discussed projects they would like to use the funds for, but sought clear definition of how the ARP funds can be used. Lutz & Company evaluate what projects can be funded by ARP dollars and provide the audit as required by the Federal government. Lutz & Company bills at a rate of $200 per hour and up, with the required...
What would your home town look like if you weren't concerned about your checkbook, an investor who could absorb some of the risk? Would you be big and bold? Would you have live music in the park seven months of the year, a sports complex that would draw attention from east Nebraska and three neighboring states, or would you be tempted to restrict your dreams to what you think can be accomplished? On Aug. 2, a community meeting was held at the Sidney Elks Lodge to discuss what Sidney could look...
It's cast as a personal crime in the movies, and it is, and often as a web with more arms than can be imagined, which is also likely. Human trafficking is defined by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services as a form of modern day slavery. It is viewed in primarily one of two areas: sex trafficking and labor trafficking. The DHHS defines sex trafficking as “recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for a commercial sex act that is induced by force, f...
It is one thing to have a fund of “free” money and a list of projects to spend it on. It is another to have that list and be uncertain what the funds can be used for. Cheyenne County is among the local entities to receive American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funds. The challenge is finding a framework of how the funds can be used, by what date, and what kind of accountability. The Cheyenne County Commissioners are considering allocating some of the funds for a heating and air conditioning upgrade at...
