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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Ben Sasse worked to turn around companies in crisis for 20 years. Now he's considering putting that skill set to work in the U.S. Senate. Sasse is currently traveling around Nebraska on a listening tour—including a stop in Sidney on Thursday—to help him decide whether or not he wants to run for Congress. After a series of discussions, he believes that three major concerns are at the forefront of most Nebraskans' minds. To begin with, many agree that there's a crisis of work in the United Sta... Full story
The city is preparing to begin spraying against mosquitoes. More people are spending time outdoors. It's the time of year when people turn to Diethyl-meta-toluamide, otherwise known as DEET. Despite its popularity and repeated calls by experts to use repellants with DEET to prevent bites, many are concerned about its safety. Some attribute eight deaths to the chemical since 1961—including three from ingestion and three children who reportedly succumbed to over-application. Veronica Phelps owner of KISST Organics said, “Anytime you're put...
Pilots and passengers flying in and out of Sidney will finally have a place to relax and take a load off before and after air time. After many years of operating without one, the Sidney Airport Authority is planning to add a terminal building. The group hopes that construction will begin in spring 2014 for completion in fall of the same year. The price is estimated at around $600,000 and the committee expects the Federal Aviation Administration to pay for 95 percent of the construction. The Sidney Airport Authority will fund around 3 percent... Full story
Relief is on the way for those worried about West Nile or suffering from itchy bites. Mosquito spraying in Sidney starts this weekend. "They're not too bad recently because there hasn't been water," said superintendent of Sidney parks, Tom Von Seggern. But he predicted that the volume of mosquitoes will soon rise because of the recent rain. "I expect there to be a surge," Von Seggern said. The city uses a spray process called ultra low volume. This means that about 1.5 oz of the pesticide is used on an area around the size of a football field....
At mile marker 62 on Highway 30, the Kielian’s family have lived for the past 42 years in relative quiet. Improving their driveway one day, however, brought them into conflict with the state of Nebraska. Without a permit, Tom Kielian strengthened the edges of the driveway, hoping to prevent erosion during rainstorms. He also added to the grade, allowing the family to swing a tractor or large truck onto the highway without crossing over into the far lane. The state responded by issuing a 30 d...
New state mandated library accreditation will amp up community involvement. "We have to have a strategic plan for our new accreditation," said library director Doris Jensen. "They went in and wrote some new rules and regulations for the accreditation program because it had not been updated for a number of years." The library will be working to meet the new standards set by the state before mid-October. These regulations include forming a community planning committee. Only two current library board members will be allowed to take part in the...
Sidney High School Principal Steve Arent attended ASCD—formally known as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development—teaching conference in Washington DC on June 27. “After the second day I was there, there was some different things I was hearing in every session,” he said. The program emphasized excellence in the classroom. Sessions dealt with developing a core focus on classroom instruction. As Arent put it, panels taught the value of “teachers not only having good content skills, but also solid instructional practices in how y... Full story
New signage and saving money were the biggest concerns at last night's city council meeting. Scott Day of Urban Development Services, a company that specializes in design management and commercial revitalization, displayed various design concepts for a "Welcome to Sidney" sign planned for the intersection of 11th Ave. and Old Post Road. The council appeared unanimous in their appreciation of the concept of a long, low stone wall as the base for the new sign. Roger Gallaway pointed out that the... Full story
Sidney has a new hospital--on paper, at least. The Sidney Regional Medical Center's Board of Directors approved architectural plans and forwarded requests for proposal to five contractors, putting a face for the first time to an idea that has been deliberated for almost five years. Reality will have to wait until June of 2016, when SRMC's chief executive, Jason Petik, expects the new 122,000 square foot facility's doors will open. The new structure will include a 25 bed critical access... Full story
In Cheyenne County Court on July 8, Jethro Harris faced sentencing for his fourth driving under the influence of alcohol offense. Judge Randin Roland granted Harris probation for 24 months, under the condition that Harris submit to drug and alcohol evaluations and counseling. As part of the sentence, he cannot visit any place where alcohol is consumed. He is not allowed to have alcohol in his home and will be submitted to random tests and searches. Harris a dishwasher at a local restaurant told Judge Roland that he has applied to a school in th...
A high speed chase from Sidney to Chappell ended with the driver in protective custody after he was finally stopped by spike strips deployed on Interstate 80. Doug Freude, 50, of Pueblo, Colo. led State Troopers in a pursuit along the Interstate June 26 after allegedly driving recklessly through multiple parking lots in Sidney and reportedly informing bystanders that people were trying to kill him. "He endangered a lot of peoples' lives," said Deputy Cheyenne County Attorney, Jonathon Stellar. The incident began when Nebraska State Trooper Jay... Full story
School Board members last night voted overwhelmingly in favor of holding a special election on a bond issue to fund construction of a new elementary school. The ballot is scheduled for Sept. 10, with notice of election to be published 40 days prior. Total cost of the new school is set at $15,850,000. If passed by voters, the facility will be built on land donated by Cabela’s, on the east side of town adjacent to Fort Sidney Road near WNCC. The need for updating the elementary structures in Sidney is a high priority for the school board. With o... Full story
Peace is a hard thing to find after the death of a loved one. But the Angel of Hope statue in Legion Park might give those searching for the elusive feeling a place to start. "You look down at a cemetery," said Rita Schinzel-Anest, who helped bring the statue to Sidney. "You look up at the angel." The Angel of Hope is meant as a grieving spot for people who have lost children, but the memorial plaques that go up on the granite walls around the sculpture are not limited to young people. Legion... Full story
Next month's scheduled closure of the 13th Ave. underpass will likely slow emergency response times. The underpass will be barricaded temporarily as part of the Illinois street road project that has already affected 13th Ave. and Illinois St. traffic in all four directions. "In regards to the police, their plans are to have one officer on the north side at all times," said John Hehnke, Sidney's Emergency Director. The city is looking at ways to speed up the construction timeline in order to ease the pain likely to be caused by re-routing... Full story
In June of 1872 a military post was built by two companies of the 6th U.S. Infantry under the command of Lt. Col. Daniel Huston, Jr. The new outpost was built at the confluence of the Missouri and Heart Rivers where, nearly three hundred years before, the Mandan Indian tribe had established their village. By the mid-1800’s the Mandan had abandoned the site when smallpox decimated their numbers. The newly built post was named Fort McKeen and was located near Bismarck, Dakota Territory. Shortly t...
Jesus and motorcycles might seem an unlikely pair. At the Christian Motorcyclists Association, however, they fit like a worn leather jacket. Riding together helps to build friends and fellowship. But when Brent Jeffers decided to start a chapter of the CMA in Sidney, almost eight years ago, he didn't know what a source of support the organization would be for his family. About six and a half years ago, when Brent's son Jon was on his way back to college in Chadron, Jon was involved in a terrible... Full story
That Sidney's July 3 fireworks display went smoothly is more a result of planning, effort and hard work than colorful explosives. For chief Keith Stone and the Sidney Volunteer Fire Department, responsible for putting on the annual holiday show, Independence Day consumes several days, starting even before fireworks are ordered. “I’ve been doing this for 37 years,” noted Assistant Fire Chief Larry Chaon, one of a team of 20 trained for the event. Longevity means he knows the process thoro... Full story
It's confusing, it's complicated and it might be costly. But it may help improve the health of the nation. Although it elicits strong reactions on either side, not many people admit to really understanding the Affordable Care Act. Last week Ward Haessler, Sales Manager for individual and small group products at Blue Cross Blue Shield, traveled across Nebraska to hold talks with small business owners from Scottsbluff to Lincoln to educate them about the ACA. "What I found when I did these meetings is, there's a lot of confusion," Haessler said.... Full story
Sidney's Meals on Wheels program delivers more than just food. Volunteer drivers make sure that the person they're delivering to has a home that's in a livable condition. Drivers are instructed report any problems they see and let family members or officials know if the person they're delivering to seems to be sick or hurt. "We work to make sure the patients are well cared for," said the program's manager, Virginia Gregory. The program is based in Cheyenne County Community Center, where the...
It is summer and West Nile virus is back for a visit. Mosquitoes in the panhandle area have recently tested positive for the dangerous virus. Officials with the Panhandle Public Health District caught and tested mosquitoes in Dawes, Garden and Scotts Bluff counties. Mosquitoes that tested positive for West Nile were culled from Garden and Scotts Bluff. “Finding the virus in mosquitoes gives public health officials an indication of the level of virus in the area and the risk to human beings of c...
Sidney's representatives fared well at Keep Nebraska Beautiful's held its annual Environmental Awards luncheon on June 27. Keep Sidney Beautiful received the state's Award of Excellence for their effort during the Great American Cleanup and was recognized with a Gold Affiliates award for programs during the year. KNB also honored the City of Sidney with second place in the Deanie Anderson Award list, earned for overall community environmental excellence. The Anderson award includes programs for public awareness, adult education, recycling and p...
Cheyenne County will begin a new road project in conjunction with the state of Nebraska in August. The Weyerts Road project will involve installing a box culvert, which is a cement culvert that goes across the road instead of a bridge. This will replace a bridge that was washed out in 2010, said Cheyenne County Highway Superintendent, Tom Noel. Cheyenne county decided to use a culvert because it's cheaper to construct than a bridge. Weyerts Road is located northwest of Lodgepole. This project uses state funding and will cost approximately... Full story
Victoria Thomas, a 43-year-old Sidney woman, was arrested Monday for threatening another resident with a knife. She was charged with disturbing the peace and making terroristic threats. Sidney Police Officer Chad Borgmann was dispatched to an apartment building June 24 to investigate a woman allegedly making threats. When Borgmann arrived, Kavin Swain told the officer that his neighbor, Thomas, approached him with a knife, according to the police report. Borgmann gathered from witness statements that Thomas and Swain had been hostile toward... Full story
Rattlesnake bites can be deadly, but Sidney Regional Medical Center has the cure. SRMC recently received several phone calls from worried residents who were under the impression that the center does not keep antidote for rattlesnake poison in stock. "Unfortunately they think we don't carry the anti-venom, when we do," said Rachel Forster, Director of Pharmacy at the Sidney health care facility. The center always carries the anti-venom because Sidney's climate and geography are considered rattles... Full story
The oil pumped from Nebraska fields may not amount to much, at least compared to activity in Texas or the Dakotas. But it's enough to keep the state's regulatory agency busy. “We have produced a half of billion barrels of oil in Nebraska,” reported Stan Belieu, Deputy Director of the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, based in downtown Sidney. The commission was established in 1959, during the original oil boom years, to regulate production in the state. It is one of only three government agencies not headquartered in Lincoln. The... Full story
