Good Old Days 07-24-15

Compiled By Delaney Uhrig

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

'$141,000 Excise Tax Savings Immediately Available to Cheyenne County Residents'

July 26, 1965

How much will the recently-enacted excise cuts amount to in Cheyenne County? How much will local residents save, on the average, per year?

Some idea of what the tax reduction will mean, in terms of the individual, is brought out in figures obtained from the Treasury Department and from other sources.

The amount that a person will save is directly related to the amount that a person usually spends per year for goods and services. If that person's outlays are large, his savings will be proportionately close.

Families in Cheyenne County, on the basis of what they spend for consumer goods in 1964, shelled out some $1,130,000 in Federal excise taxes, it is estimated.

They encountered such taxes every time they made a telephone call or went to the movies or bought electric light bulbs, leather goods, cigarettes, gasoline, refrigerators, beauty products, watches or a host of other items.

Throughout the State of Nebraska, excise taxes collected by the government last year came to $57,755,000, the Treasury Department reports.

The amount will be reduced considerably from now on.

Cheyenne County residents' share of the immediate reductions, which will total $1.75 billion nationally, will be approximately $141,000.

And beginning next January, they will share in an additional cut of $1.7 billion.

Within four years, excise taxes in the United States will be $4.5 billion lower than what they are now. At that stage, local residents will be better off, thanks to the cuts, by about $375,000 a year, or $77 per family.

25 Years Ago

'Water Rates Increases OK'd With No Dissent'

July 25, 1990

After considering the matter for the third time over a period of many weeks, SIdney City Council Tuesday night unanimously approved placing the city rates on a flat rate for all users. No one in the nearly full council chambers voiced any opposition.

Passage of Ordinances No. 1177 sets a charge of $4.60 a month for the first 3,000 gallons of water or less. Additional water will be charged at the rate of 41 cents per thousand gallons. If will mean a slight increase in the cost of water for the average Sidney resident but a significant increase for the largest users of water, particularly Memorial Hospital.

Previously, water rates have been lower for the larger water users than for those who use relatively little. "We raised the rates, but not enough to solve our problems," Councilman Bob Van Vleet said after the voting.

Council tabled a resolution that would make improvements in the water distribution system the top priority in the city's Water 2000 program, the long range plan to resolve Sidney's serious water problems of both quality and quantity.

Van Vleet said he had received new information just hours before the meeting that made him want to study the matter further before a vote is taken. Council is to take up the question at the next regular meeting.

Councilman Gerald Brestel said he felt much of Water 2000 could be eliminated altogether, with a lot of money saved.

Council member Lori Geiger questioned consultant Roger Helgoth, primary architect of Water 2000, why the city should not first find a suitable source of additional high quality water before improving the delivery system. Helgoth said the hydraulics of the present system simply would not work properly with water coming from new sources. "You've just got to get the infrastructure ready before you get the new water," Helgoth said.

10 Years Ago

'Roast Continues – Sidney Sets Another Heat Record'

July 22, 2005

It's difficult to fly with the eagles when you are being roasted like a turkey.

Sidney sweltered through record breaking triple digit temperatures for the second straight day Wednesday. The high of 106 degrees recorded at the Sidney Municipal Airport broke the previous mark of 100 degrees last recorded in 2003 and in several previous years, according to information compiled by the National Weather Service, Cheyenne, Wyo.

While Sidney endured searing heat Wednesday, it was not the state's high. That dubious honor went to McCook, where a high of 109 degrees recorded.

Alliance, which had a high of 104 degrees Wednesday, cooled off to a state low of 58 degrees Thursday morning.

Other high readings in the Panhandle Wednesday were 106 degrees at Chadron and 105 degrees at Scottsbluff.

Temperatures have exceeded 90 degrees 14 of the past 16 days and 15 of the first 20 days of July.

Median high, according to the NWS has been 92.2 degrees and the median low of 57.2 degrees.

5 Years Ago

'County Vehicle Sales Strong'

July 27, 2010

If automotive sales are in an economic thermometer, Cheyenne County's temperature is moving up.

Auto sales over the past six months have increased, compared to the time last year, even though a year-to-year 12-month comparison shows sales are slightly down.

"We've noticed an increase," said Cheyenne County Treasurer Diane Scott. "We've issued 86 more titles and collected $64,546 more state sales tax than the same time last year." The comparison was made utilizing figures from January to June in both 2009 and 2010.

Utilizing figures from June 2008-09 and June 2009-10 shows a slightly depressed market in the region. According to Scott, her office issued 134 more titles and collected $9,511 more state sales tax in the 2008-09 year. During that time, a national "Cash For Clunkers" program was in effect. Scott said Cheyenne County saw a dozen or so sales as part of the program.

It's a mixed bag of opinions from local car dealerships, who, like the comparisons, say the market is both up and slightly down. The overall consensus shows the local car market is, at the very least, steady.

"It's been holding up good," said Denny DeNovellis of Sidney Auto Sales. "It's not what is was two years ago, but we're real pleased with sales this year."

New car sales also are picking up. Eric Anderson with Reganis said the dealership has had "some really good sales months."