‘Blizzard Threat Is Brief In This Area’

These stories from the past first appeared in The Sidney Telegraph. Original writing is preserved, though some stories were shortened for space reasons.

100 YEARS AGO

‘At The Opera House’

January 11, 1913

On Thursday, January 16th at the Tobin Opera House, Jones & Crane will present for one night only their newest and brightest attraction “TESS OF THE STORM COUNTRY” Grace Miller White’s famous novel of that name dramatized by the master dramatist of his day, Rupert Hughes, author of “Excuse Me” etc. This play has enjoyed a remarkably prosperous season both financially and artistically, and is the envy of the theatrical professor in general. It comes endowed with a perfectly selected cast, and with complete scenic accouterments, reports and newspaper criticisms are extravagant in their praise of this offering.

A strong play, depicting the various human emotions, ranging from the pure self-sacrificing love of a good woman to the wild and evil passions of an unscrupulous man, is the description given the Jones and Crane play “TESS OF THE STORM COUNTRY”.

75 YEARS AGO

‘Blizzard Threat Is Brief In This Area’

January 14, 1938

Sidney was in the midst of an old fashioned blizzard for about thirty minutes Thursday morning. From 7 to 7:30 o’clock a high wind lashed snow across this section of the state, restricting vision to a few feet. Weather observers had visions of an old time blizzard but the storm abated as rapidly as it formed and no roads or other traffic arteries were blocked.

Temperatures remained moderate, in spite of a high wind which blew most of Wednesday night and yesterday. The sky cleared Thursday morning and remained clear all day.

The blizzard threat arrived one dy late---if it had struck Wednesday it would have been a fitting climax to the observance of the 50th anniversary of the celebrated blizzard of 1888, which lashed western Nebraska January 12, 1888.

Many old timers here recall that storm. One pioneer recalled Thursday that drifts were piled up to second story windows and traffic was paralyzed for days. He could recall no fatalities in this immediate section directly attributable to the blizzard.

50 YEARS AGO

‘30 Below Zero Weather Faces Sidney Area

Critical Natural Gas Shortage Threatens;

Minimum Use Plea Is Sounded’

January 11, 1963

The weather bureau said this afternoon that the mercury may dip as low as thirty degrees below zero in the Sidney area tonight (Friday).

There were unofficial reports of thirty below readings on farm thermometers in the north Potter region Friday morning.

At one pm. today (Friday) the temperature in Sidney was thirteen below, and it was not expected to get any higher.

Kansas-Nebraska Natural Gas Co. officials said they were diverting an emergency supply of gas from the east into this territory to try to avert a gas shortage which could prove tragic and disastrous if the bitter cold wave lasts much longer.

The combination of high winds and very low temperatures has caused gas pressure to become dangerously low.

J. E. Keating, K-N manager in Sidney, issued a call to all users to cut their thermostats to 60 degrees this morning.

A bitter cold front which struck the southern Panhandle at about midnight Wednesday sent the mercury down to sub-zero marks, carried seven to twelve inches of fluffy snow into Cheyenne County and was pushed by winds that gusted at 30 to 45 miles per hour all day Thursday.

Main highways were open but travelers were warned to be on the alert for ice patches and packed, slippery snow. One pint on U. S. Highway 30 between Chappell and Big Springs, a traditional troublemaker, allowed only one-way traffic, according to the Highway Safety Patrol.

Kansas-Nebraska Gas Co. issued a request Thursday morning to all natural gas users to cut their thermostats back to 60 degrees. J. E. Keating, manager, explained that the combination of extremely low temperatures and the driving wind created a tremendous demand for fuel. With a forecast of even lower temperatures tonight (Friday) and no assurance that the wind would let up appreciably, the company feared for the effect on the gas pressure.

25 YEARS AGO

‘Sidney Will Host K N Rate Hearing’

January 13, 1988

The public hearing on KN Energy’s 9.9 per cent price hike has been set for Thursday, January 28 at 1:30 p.m. in Sidney City Council Chambers.

The hearing, which includes all of State Area IV, is to set the natural gas rate on the basis of both the KN Energy request and the recent report by a consultant in natural gas pricing hired by all five of the rate areas.

According to Jim Robertson, chairman of the rate area and Sidney City Council vice-mayor, a retired Alliance judge has been named hearing officer for Rate Area IV. Robinson told his fellow councilmen Samuel O’Brien was chosen as hearing officer at a meeting of the rate area communities Jan 4. in Sidney,

As the largest community in the rate area, Sidney was given the leadership role under the new Municipal Natural Gas Regulation Act.

The report prepared for the rate areas by Dahlen, Berg & Co., disagrees with the KN request filed Sept. 1, 1987 on all but one of the rate areas.

According to the news release, Dahlen, Berg & Co., found, “Most of the difference between KN’s requested increase and the Report’s recommended is the result of errors discovered in KN’s filing.”The report’s recommended increase is 5.73 percent less than the KN request and, since the utility has already put the new price structure into effect, Dec. 1, 1987, if the recommended rate is adopted, natural gas users in effected areas could see a natural gas rebate.

10 YEARS AGO

‘Drought Effects Are Becoming More Evident’

January 11, 2003

As the drought continues, its effects are becoming obvious.

Some fields are beginning to grow, tumbleweeds are rolling, and pastures are dry.

“One of our major problems is our grass,” said Ivan Johnson, director of the Cheyenne County Farm Services Agency.

“It will take a couple of years to recover,” he said. “I am worried that even with moisture, we are not going to have the grass to carry over.”

That view is seconded by Ray Lightle of Scoular Grain. “Pastures are looking rough because of last year and being so dry this year,” Lightle said. “Without moisture this winter and spring, our grass situation will possibly be as bad as last year or worse.”

Cattle are grazing and Johnson said it has been fortunate that corn stalks are available. “The corn stocks stayed open so the cattle can graze them,” he said. “That has helped the feed supply a little, but they will not be there for the future

Johnson believes there is still hope for the 2003 wheat crop.”

“Wheat is pretty tough. If we would get a few timely rains or snow, it could do well,” Johnson said.

He said the emerging wheat crop is still in the dormant stage and there are signs of fields beginning to blow. “If we can get some wet snow or timely rains, it would still have an opportunity, but we have got a lot of ground blowing,” Johnson said. “We have had some neighbors complaining about their neighbor’s land blowing. It is too early to start working fields and once they start, they will have to keep working them because there is no soil to bring clods.”

Lightle said farmers he communicates with are concerned about the continuing drought. “We are lacking sub-soil moisture,” he said. “For us to come up with an average or above average wheat crop this year, it is going to take good precipitation from here forward.”

This has been the worst season for tumbleweeds in years. Some motorists report that tumble weeds are so thick they said, not entirely joking, that they had trouble seeing the road.