Good Old Days 12-05-14

Compiled By The Sidney Sun-Telegraph Staff

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

50 YEARS AGO

'Ham Radio Class Well Attended'

Friday, Dec. 4, 1964

Fifteen persons met last Wednesday evening, Dec. 2 in room 203 of the Senior High School to begin a class in "ham radio."

Bill Highland is the instructor. There were both men and women present, both adults and school-age youngsters.

This class will study radio theory and code in preparation for passing the tests to receive operator's licenses in ham radio (short wave radio).

The group decided that Wednesday evening would be the regular meeting night with extra practice nights if necessary and the class will meet for the rest of the winter, or until no one needs further training.

25 YEARS AGO

'Sidney Woman Helps Save Victim's Life'

Monday. Dec. 4, 1989

STERLING, Colo – "All of us in the entire K-Mart organization want her to know how much we appreciate what she did," Sterling K-Mart manager Buddy James said about the action Sidney resident Connie Goscha took Friday morning in helping to save the life of K-Mart employee Ralph Alflen, 68.

Goscha and her daughter were shopping in the store when Alflen, a maintenance man, suffered a heart attack at 10:30 a.m. Goscha gave the man mouth to mouth resuscitation and restored his breathing

Then, another store customer, Michael Schuppe of Sterling administered CPR.

A store employee called an ambulance on the emergency number, which quickly arrived and took the man to the Sterling regional Medical Center. James said he checked with a nurse at the hospital this morning and was told the heart attack victim remained in intensive care but was conscious and able to talk a bit.

"Had it not been for what that woman and man did for him there in the store, he wouldn't have made it,"a doctor told James.

Area Three OMR supervisor Ramona Proctor, for whom Goscha works, said this morning, "We're all very proud of her. It was super."

Proctor said Goscha had just completed a refresher course in CPR two weeks ago "so it was all fresh in her mind."

10 YEARS AGO

'Hessler Murder Trial Begins'

Saturday, Dec. 4, 2004

GERING – The attorney for the man accused of killing newspaper carrier Heather Guerrero told a Scotts Bluff County District Court jury on Thursday that his client is guilty of only second-degree murder.

In his opening statement, attorney Jeff Pickens said that the evidence will show that Jeffrey Hessler killed the 15-year-old after she would not promise to keep their sexual encounter private.

Hessler, 26, is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, first-degree sexual assault and weapons charges in the death of Guerrero.

Pickens said the murder was not premeditated which is a condition for a first-degree charge.

Pickens told the jury that it would see a video-tape of Hessler's interview with a State Patrol investigator, which Hessler said Guerrero voluntarily entered his vehicle while she was on her newspaper route and that she agreed to have sex with him in the country.

Hessler was accused of shooting Guerrero at an abandoned house near Lake Minatare. Pickens said Hessler might be guilty of false imprisonment but that he should be found innocent of kidnapping.

Deputy County Attorney Doug Warner said DNA samples taken from Kessler's clothing link him to the death.

There also was testimony that contradicted Hessler's claim of how long he was away from the residence where he was staying overnight before the Feb.11 murder.

Hessler had stayed at the home of Bob Sargent, whose daughter's former boyfriend was a friend of Hessler.

Bob Sargent, his wife, Deborah, and their daughter Kelly, all testified that the vehicle Hessler drove the morning of Feb.11 was gone from 6a.m. to 8:20 a.m.

Hessler had told investigators that he was gone only 20 minutes.

Kelly Sargent said she told Hessler that she heard a radio broadcast about a car matching the one Hessler was driving.

She said Hessler told her that he had gone to Minatare but that "there was nothing to worry about and he had nothing to hide."

Kelly Sargent said her boyfriend later found Hessler's pistol underneath her mattress and that they turned it into police.

A jury of four women and eight men are hearing the case.

Warner said he expects about 35 witnesses will testify in the case, which he expects to last until Tuesday.

5 YEARS AGO

'Snow Emergency Declared in Sidney'

Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009

SIDNEY – City officials declared a snow emergency for Sidney beginning at 6 p.m. Monday evening, thanks to a storm predicted to hit the panhandle beginning Monday night. According to the National Weather Service, Sidney stood a 70 percent chance of snow Monday night and an 80 percent change on Tuesday.

Total predicted snow accumulation for our area was 5 to 11 inches over the course of the two days. Temperatures were predicted to reach a high of 12 degrees and drop as low as -8 degrees.

"City work crews wanted to give residents plenty of notice to remove vehicles from city emergency snow routes, "Person said. "The storm was predicted to cause travel issues throughout the next several hours into Tuesday and possibly Wednesday."