Good Old Days 01-30-15

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

January 27, 1965

"Councilman questions wisdom of restricting licenses in city liquor decision delayed"

An ordinance proposing that a limitation be put on the number of liquor outlets in Sidney was tabled at Monday night's meeting because Councilman Dean Wilson said she had some questions he wanted answered before he voted. He said he wanted to talk to City Attorney L.M. Clinton, who has been in California taking depositions in a legal matter.

The ordinance as drawn by Mr. Clinton and the city manager would put a limitation of about one liquor outlet for each 407 of population, based on the present number of outlets divided into Sidney's official 1960 population of 8,004. Such a regulation would not have total effect under existing law because the Nebraska Liquor Commission can overrule city councils on liquor licenses. However, there is a bill before the Legislature at this session to give cities total control.

25 years ago

Jan. 30, 1990

"Chappell woman refuses to submit to crippling ALS"

In May 1987, Lynda Cabela gave the commencement address at her son's high school graduation in Chappell.

A year later, her attempts at speech were mostly unintelligible. Lynda suffers from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a particularly nasty degenerative disorder for which there is no cure. the nerves that feed the muscles die, and in turn, the muscles starve to death.

The lifespan of an ALS victim averages four years from onset.

At the present time, Lynda can not move her arms or hands, can not walk or talk, and is fed with a feeding tube. Yet she has just published a cookbook, "Potholders and Love Handles," which she complied and typed herself. Now, having completed that project, she is busy promoting sales for her book and drumming up support for ALS research, to which she is donating the proceeds of the book.

Lynda uses her computer to correspond with other ALS victims and has written a chapter for a book being compiled about ALS.

"What is necessary for me, and other like me," she says in this chapter," is to deal wit hour innermost feelings and to get on with life, not dwelling on what might have been."

Lynda is a communicator. Her living room "office" resembles a communications command post. A computer that talks, and emergency phone line, a TV, and a VCR are near at hand, or for Lynda, near to toe. Her right big toe operates all these machines with which she communicates with the world.

Having ALS, she believes, doesn't mean throwing in the towel. She quotes Abraham Lincoln:"Most people are about as happy as they make their minds up to be." Lynda has made up her mind to be happy.

"I knew at the onset, she says, "that I could be just as miserable as I chose to be; that I could make those around me miserable too. Life, and life, is far too short to spend like that." Within a year of her diagnosis, she had lost the ability to speak. Insurance companies didn't feel that communication was a necessity to health and refused to hep cover the cost of aids.

"Never have I had something so frustrating or terrifying to deal with. I assure you, the lack of the ability to communicate causes the ultimate in stress."

The search for a communication device began. One day a friend sent her an article on Steven Hawking, a longtime ALS victim and physicist from England. The article pictured him with what appeared to be a more sophisticated communication device than Lynda had yet seen. Jerry made server phone calls, talked to Hawking, and finally Lynda had found the kind of device she needed.

10 years ago

January 26, 2005

"Lauby arrested in sexual assault investigation"

Deputy Cheyenne County Attorney Greg Lauby was arrested Monday night in connection with a felony sexual assault by the Sidney Police Department.

According to Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub, the matter was brought to his attention Monday night by a member of the SPD.

"Major Joseph Aikens called me last night to inform me of a felony sexual assault investigation concerning Deputy Greg Lauby," Schaub said.

"Aikens arrested Lauby under a statute that makes it unlawful for any person who subjects another person to sexual penetration when the actor is 19 years of age of older and the victim is less than 16 years of age."

Schaub said he filed an application to have a special prosecutor appointed. That application was granted Tuesday afternoon when the Cheyenne County District Court judge appointed John R. Freudenberg of Rushville.

According to Schaub, there are no chargers filed at this time and it will be up to Freudenbuerg to review the investigative reports and determine what, if any charges will be filed.

"My office is cooperating with the Sidney Police Department," Schaub said. "At this time Lauby is suspended without pay."

As a prosecutor, Schaub is bound by rules that prevent him from providing further details at this time.

Originally from Lexington, Lauby was hired as a deputy at the Cheyenne County Attorney's Office in April 2003. He came to the office by way of grant funds available thought the Community Gun Violence Prosecution Program, which is part of the United States Department of Justice's "Safe Neighborhoods" project.

5 years ago

Jan. 28, 2010

"Sisters organize sweet fundraiser"

Posters lined the halls at Central Elementary School on Wednesday afternoon encouraging people to purchase suckers to support relief in Haiti.

The innovation of the Nickel sisters allowed students and parents to get involved with a cause that would help Haitians affected by the Jan.12 earthquake.

Fourth-grader Sierra Nickel and fifth-grader Cheyenne Nickel watched the suffering of the people in Haiti on the news and wanted to do something to help survivors rebuild their lives in the midst of the massive earthquake's destruction.

The sisters decided to sell suckers to students at Central and West Elementary Schools for 50 cents each during lunch on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with all proceeds going to The Red Cross for the relief efforts in Haiti.

Sierra's teacher, Judi Roach, said the girls have been advertising "Suckers for Survivors" on the radio and asking fellow students in their homeroom to donate suckers.

"The students feel better when they can do something to help." Roach said. "This was a student generated idea."

Sierra and Cheyenne are the daughters of Sarla Eleson and Darrell Nickel.

These students have been among many local organizations and churches who have collected items of donations to be sent to Haiti.