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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The Sidney City Council recently it can receive a new public transportation bus through the CARES Act. "As part of the CARES Act, we're eligible to apply for a bus," said Sidney City Manager David Scott. The bus, a 12-passenger, with a handi-cap lift, is valued at $75,000. The bus has to replace a unit from the City's fleet that is at least 10 years old and has $100,000 miles. The grant covers the full cost of the bus. The City frequently purchases buses through a federal program at an 80-20...
In the world of the cynic, “No good deed goes unpunished.” In the world of Karen and Bill Sydow of Sidney, serving a friend in need resulted in their own illnesses. The symptoms caused concern because they aligned with the general description of the nuvo coronavirus symptoms. “I was exposed when I took care of someone who came home from a hospital, not here,” Karen Sydow said. She said her friend likely contracted the virus while in the hospital because of how quickly after coming home she tes...
LINCOLN – Panhandle Public Health District will be the fourth local health department to move to Phase 4 of the Directed Health Measures (DHMs). Phase 4 is the highest of the four phases with Phase 1 closing all dine-in services, gatherings limited to 10 people, 50 percent of capacity for restaurants and bowling alleys. Phase 4 allows indoor at 75 percent of capacity, up from 50 percent and a maximum of 10,000 people. Outdoor activities are at 100 percent of rated occupancy as of Friday, Sept. 11. As of Sept. 8, the Panhandle area had 12047 t...
LINCOLN – Gov. Pete Ricketts ordered flags to fly at half-staff to honor the passing of Lincoln Police Department Investigator Mario Herrera. “Susanne and I were devastated to learn of the passing of Investigator Mario Herrera,” said Gov. Ricketts. “Investigator Herrera’s service and sacrifice will never be forgotten. I also want to thank people across the state who stepped up to support the Herrera family in the midst of this terrible tragedy. From holding prayer vigils to donating blood, the community’s response was powerful and inspiring....
The Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a situation that occurred Sunday afternoon near Sidney, during which a suspect stole a Nebraska State Patrol cruiser, in an attempt to avoid arrest, and crashed a short time later. Early Sunday afternoon, NSP received a report of a Cadillac SUV passing other vehicles on the shoulder on Interstate 80. A trooper located the vehicle east of Sidney, as it was traveling westbound on I-80 at 92 miles per hour. The trooper performed a traffic s...
The Sidney City Council approved a proposal that is expected to save the city thousands of dollars on loans. Paul Donna, managing director of public finance for Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc., addressed the city council Aug. 25 regarding options to lower the City's interest rate on bonds they are paying. “About a week ago (prior to the meeting), we hit historic lows again,” Donna said. He addressed three different bond obligations with interest rates expected as low as 1 percent. One of the Cit...
The Sidney City Council approved a SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) system for the City's water department. SCADA is a control system architecture that includes computers, networked data communications and graphical user interfaces for process management. The SCADA system also includes peripheral devices such as computer systems to interface with facility machinery. The Aug. 25 decision on a SCADA system is follow-up from the June 9 meeting when Water/Sewer Superintendent Rob...
Work is underway for a new basketball court in Legion Park in memory of Alan Hartzler who was known for his commitment to youth sports and coaching. The plan is for a regulation-size basketball court constructed in Legion Park east of the Cheyenne County Community Center. When the project was first announced in February, John Phillips credited Hartzler for developing the travel basketball teams in the area. The travel basketball team program was developed before the Community Center was...
The name is a play on words from a movie script, two partners facing the bad guy with different but complimentary skills. However, this isn't a typical partner relationship, unless you understand the relationship between “a man and his dog.” The application to real life is that Riggs and his partner/handler, Deputy Collin Hauert, respond as a unit. “He and I got hooked up the beginning of July,” Dep. Hauert said. Aug. 19. Riggs is a little more than a year old and completing his trainin...
The Potter area of Cheyenne County will be bustling next weekend as activities will be happening downtown and at a few miles away. Along with the food and entertainment scheduled for Main Street of Potter, there will be an off-road racing event at 3272 County Road 83. On Aug. 17, B.J. Juelfs met with the county commissioners regarding liquor licensing. Juelfs said Fly-Over Brewing of Scottsbluff will be onsite to provide food and beverages. The commissioners said the brewery needs to apply for...
There certain occupations in life that are defined as service, interactive with the community. Others, it takes a little looking outside of the box, or deeper in the heart. For some people, working in a service industry doesn't quite fill the niche. Filling that is about following the passion that involves passions outside of the business. When a cause is personal, it also become passionate. When the passion translates to community involvement, things get done, and sometimes people receive...
Today, Friday, August 21, the South Platte Natural Resources District (SPNRD) was notified by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) that the water sample for Oliver Reservoir meets or exceeds the threshold of the toxin, Microcystin, which is associated with the presence of harmful algal blooms. Oliver Reservoir will remain on Health Alert until a new sample tests below 8 parts-per-billion (ppb). Samples are taken weekly. When a health alert is issued, signs are posted to advise the public to use caution. Swimming beaches are...
A Sidney High School student was identified recently as positive with the COVID-19 virus. The announcement was made in a press release issued by the Sidney School District 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18. The press release states the Sidney Public Schools received confirmation of high school student positive with COVID-19. The press release says the student was last in the building on Monday, Aug. 17. Jessica Davies, Assistant Health Director and Wellness Coordinator of Panhandle Public Health...
The Sidney City Council approved increasing funding for the Sidney Municipal Airport. On Tuesday, Aug. 11, the Sidney City Council debated a proposal for reinstating funding for the airport. For the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the Sidney Airport Authority requested $169,350.44. Also during that period, the city's valuation decreased by 12 percent. The council approved reducing the airport authority's funding by the same rate as all other departments in the City, resulting in a decrease to...
Monday afternoon any rumors or hopes of the next business interest in Sidney became official as the CEO of Camping World RV & Outdoors announced plans to open a location in Sidney. Marcus Lemonis, chief executive officer of Camping World, announced Monday evening his intent to open and distribution center and a retail location in Sidney. The announcement was made at a reception at Beans & Steams Coffee House. Lemonis quickly said he is planting his flag in Sidney, metaphorically and as grand as...
The Panhandle Public Health District recently reported an improvement in the region's response to COVID-19. From March 2 to Aug. 4, the Panhandle area has conducted 8,320 tests. Of that number, 444 tests were returned positive for the coronavirus for a 5.3 percent cumulative positivity rate. Of the 444 positive cases, 384 have recovered and 54 are active. There are six COVID-related deaths, one active hospitalization and 45 cumulative hospitalizations. PPHD publishes a chart, a dial, explaining...
The Sidney City Council agreed July 28 to continue its contract with the Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce. The contract is for the Chamber to execute "services and deliverables" for the City each fiscal year, according to the summary presented to council members. "I think we put as many results and checks and balances in it as we could," said Economic Development Director Melissa Norgard. In the contract, the Chamber is to work with the city's Economic Development office on projects...
“Enough is enough” was the chant Thursday morning when residents of Western Heritage Apartments in Sidney took to the street to present their case. Residents are complaining of his prices for maintenance services, when work is completed, and long waits for service. “My toilet has been clogged since Friday,” said Bette Castle. Castle has lived at Western Heritage Apartments for about six years. A shower unit was installed in another resident's apartment. She reported a gap in the unit and was...
The Cheyenne County Emergency Communications Center (CCECC) logged 21,325 calls from all the agencies it dispatches in fiscal year 2019-2020. CCECC Manager Heidi Gillespie presented her annual report to the Sidney City Council on Tuesday, July 28. The dispatch center dispatches Sidney Police Department, Sidney Fire Department, Cheyenne County Sheriff's Office, Deuel County Sheriff's Office and Regional West EMS. Most of the dispatch service is for the Sidney Police Department at 8,053 calls for...
OMAHA – The Drug Enforcement Administration urges its DEA-registered practitioners and members of the public to be cautious of telephone calls by scammers posing as DEA employees attempting to defraud and extort victims. The schemers call the victims, spoofing DEA phone numbers in order to appear legitimate, and threaten arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment for supposed violations of federal drug laws or involvement in drug-trafficking activities unless victims pay a “fine” over the phone, via wire transfer, or through a gift card. The reporte...
On Friday, July 31, the South Platte Natural Resources District (SPNRD) was notified by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) that the water sample for Oliver Reservoir meets or exceeds the threshold of the toxin, Microcystin, which is associated with the presence of harmful algal blooms. Oliver Reservoir will remain on Health Alert until a new sample tests below 8 parts-per-billion (ppb). Samples are taken weekly. On Aug. 7, the South Platte Natural Resources District was...
Caution, communication and environmental awareness appear to be the keywords for Sidney Public Schools bringing students back to the classroom. District Superintendent Jay Ehler released a statement Monday morning on how the District plans to move toward reopening schools this fall. "We know that there is no way to please everyone in this situation. We gathered as much information as we could and attempted to put together a plan good for kids and staff," Ehler said. The anticipated date for stud...
Farmers and ranchers in Cheyenne County who want to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) are encouraged to do so by the August 28, 2020 deadline according to Farm Service Agency Cheyenne County Executive Director, Brad Fraass. The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) is available to farmers and ranchers whose operations have been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. CFAP provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19. To find the latest information...
When an adult breaks the law, depending on the infraction, he earns a period of time away from society. If a juvenile is found guilty of a crime requiring incarceration, the process quickly gets complicated. There is specific housing, separation from adult population and possible therapy programs. The process is further complicated by the lack of available residential facilities, according to Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub. In the July 20 meeting of the Cheyenne County Commissioners, the commissioners renewed a contract with Lancaster...
