YEAR IN REVIEW: Last year's biggest stories

Here is a look back at some of the stories that made news in Cheyenne County during 2015.

January

Sidney's Wendall Gaston was inducted into the Nebraska Jaycee Hall of Fame in Lincoln.

"I've learned a lot of different things from my time with the Jaycees, it's been a very good experience," said Gaston, a former mayor and pharmacist.

Gaston, who was nominated by now former city manager Gary Person, joined the Sidney Jaycees in 1978 and served as local chapter president in 1979-80. For the Nebraska Jaycees, Gaston served as the district director, region director and area 1 vice president. Gaston said he became a senator for the Jaycees in the 1980s, which less than 1 percent of people who join the Jaycees get to do.

Two men have been arrested for an investigation into counterfeit that was being passed in the area.

A joint investigation by the Sidney Police Department, Cheyenne County Sheriff's Office, WING Drug task Force and the Scottsbluff Police Department led to two arrests. Tony A. Christensen, 22 of Englewood, Colo., and Briana Sifuentez, 19 and listed as homeless, were arrested in Dalton on Thursday.

The arrests came after search warrants were executed near Leyton High School. The school was placed on lockdown as standard procedure when there is police activity in the area.

Fake $20 bills had been reportedly passed at several Sidney businesses in the past week. There were also reports that counterfeit $100 bills were being circulated in the Scottsbluff area.

Each were charged with first degree forgery and four counts of possession of a forged instrument.

February

Voters shot down an almost $19 million school bond proposal for the third time.

The school bond would have provided the funding for a new elementary school. It marked the third time in 17 months that voters have rejected the measure.

In what was considered a low turnout by election officials, voters cast 1,079 votes against (53.63 percent) the bond issue compared to 933 votes in support of it (46.37 percent).

"It's disappointing," said Sidney Public Schools Superintendent Jay Ehler in February. "I guess we will go back to the drawing board. The issue of old buildings is not going away. Unfortunately next time it's going to cost more."

Voters were asked Tuesday to decide on a nearly $19 million bond that would have been used to build a new school on donated land on the east side of town. It would have housed the kindergarten through fourth-grade students and replaced South and North Elementary Schools.

Derek Robb had a season of perfection - all the way to winning a state wrestling title.

In front of a live television audience and 11,133 boisterous fans who paid their way into the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Robb became the first Sidney High School wrestler in 16 years to win a state championship. Robb took the title in Class B at 138 pounds at the NSAA State Wrestling Championships by defeating Andrew Null of Plattsmouth, 8-5, and finished his season with a record of 45-0.

"That's quite a start for your high school career with the record he's got and winning a state championship," said Red Raiders' head coach John Ganser. "He's got a lot of character and works hard and does things the right way."

Robb began his run to a championship with a 49-second pin over Levi Heilig (16- 14) of Boys Town. Later that day, Robb advanced to the semifinals by pinning Cody Lambert (39-5) of Ashland Greenwood in 3:29.

He waited around much of Friday before meeting Kyle Francois (41-6) of Nebraska City. After a hard-fought battle, Robb sent Francois to the consolation bracket with a 9-5 win. In the championship, Robb bested Null.

After a 10-week search process, the Creek Valley Public School District has named a new superintendent. Ron Howard took over the position July 1.

Howard, with 36 years experience in the education system, was previously superintendent at Hayes Center Public Schools in Hayes Center, a district with approximately 100 students. Creek Valley has more than 200 students throughout its elementary, middle and high schools.

The previous superintendent, Ted Classen, retired at the end of June.

March

It was a tough ending to a stellar season for the Sidney boys basketball team.

Despite falling 60-51 to Elkhorn South (21-5) in the finals of the 2015 NSAA Class B Boys' Basketball Championships Saturday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena, third-seeded Sidney (22-5) had its remarkable season come to an end at a time and place no one seriously contemplated three or four months ago.

"It's pretty special, so I hope these guys are proud. They should be proud," said Red Raiders head coach Erik Kohl. "The community support we got all season was just tremendous."

Despite surviving enumerable challenges, on and off the court, the Raiders reached the state finals for the first time since 1981. They lasted until the final day of the season on hard work, team unity and a belief that they could play with any Class B team in the state.

After the Raiders knocked off the Bearcats and Orangemen in the opening rounds at state, the two wild cards finally met on the Nebraska Cornhuskers home court for the championship. Throughout the game the Raiders' struggles from beyond the arc proved a factor.

Patrick Ningen, the principal at Creek Valley High School, was named NSASSP Region V High School Principal of the Year.

"The award was quite an honor," said Ningen, who took over as Creek Valley's principal in August 2009. "We have many excellent principals in Region V, and all of them are working hard to do the same things I try to do for my kids, school and community, and that is to create a safe and exceptional learning environment."

Geri Anthony, city clerk for the City of Sidney, received the Nebraska Municipal Clerks Association's "2015 Outstanding Clerk of the Year Award" in the First Class or Larger Category in later March.

The award was presented to Anthony at the annual banquet of the Nebraska Municipal Clerks Association held in Kearney. Each year the Nebraska Municipal Clerks Association awards the Outstanding Clerk of the Year Award to one clerk in the First Class or Larger City category, one award in the Second Class City category and one in the Village category. This is the highest honor awarded by the Nebraska Municipal Clerks Association.

Anthony has been employed as city clerk for 33 years.

The Potter-Dix High School speech team finished as state runner-up at the 2015 Nebraska State Class D meet.

In all, more than 30 teams competed at the University of NebraskaKearney. Potter-Dix received 62 sweepstakes points as a team, tying for second place with Winside. Wausa took the Class D state title with 150 points.

Potter-Dix's Rebekah Hutchinson won the state title in the Poetry Interpretation category. Hutchinson also competed in the Persuasive Speaking category, where she finished 12th. Justice Palmer and Keverett Rusk finished third for in the Duet category. In the Informative Speaking category, Samuel Bogert took fifth place, and Regyn Hicks finished fourth in Persuasive Speaking.

April

An apparent domestic dispute turned deadly on the evening of April 19 in a quiet neighborhood near the Hillside Golf Course in Sidney.

A woman was hospitalized with stab wounds and her husband was killed by gunfire from a Sidney Police officer responding to a 911 call from the residence shortly before 7 p.m. As Sidney Police arrived at the home on Clark Drive near Summit Drive, which sits in the shadows of the fairways of the Hillside course, Leasa Hlavinka was seen bleeding from her wounds and running away from the residence.

Officers entered the home and confronted her husband, 44-year-old Dana Hlavinka, who was armed with a knife. He was fatally shot by officers, according to Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub in a statement released April 20.

This was the first officer-involved fatal shooting for the Sidney Police Department since June 20, 2010. That was when 29-year-old Marko Antonio Panduro was shot by Officer Randy VerMaas following a domestic dispute at the home of Panduro's girlfriend.

The Potter-Dix Public School District announced its new superintendent on April 21.

Michael Williams began the role of superintendent beginning July 1. Kevin Thomas, the previous superintendent, retired in June after 23 years working as an educator.

Williams was superintendent of schools at Maywood (Neb.) Public Schools prior to coming to Potter-Dix.

According to a release issued by McPherson & Jacobson, a recruitment firm that assisted in the search process, before Williams took on his current position three years ago, he served as principal at Bertand Community School for 12 years. Before that, he was a junior and senior high school principal for three years at Rock Port (Mo.) School District.

May

The Sidney High School Envirothon team made a run at the Nebraska state championship at Camp Comeca recently, falling by just a few points to champion Concordia High in the end.

Sidney tied Concordia in one of the seven skill areas – aquatics – but Concordia topped all teams in five additional areas to capture its third straight state title. Concordia now prepares for the National Envirothon in Springfield, Mo., in July.

Sidney team members included Skylar Arent, Tanner Nienhueser, Theda Parker, Logan Uhlir and Ryan Birner. Creek Valley team members were Logan Criswell, Noemi Marin, Josh Schievelbein, Allie Blackwelder and Cooper Riley.

A 26-year-old Sidney man was sentenced in Cheyenne County District Court on May 12 for stealing a U.S. Forest Service fire truck in September 2014 and driving it from Chadron to Sidney.

As part of a plea agreement, Aaron Timmens pleaded guilty last month to a single count of theft by unlawful taking, a Class IV felony.

Cheyenne District Court Judge Derek Weimer ordered Timmens to make full restitution for damage caused when he drove the fire engine through a locked gate at a Forest Service property in Chadron. Timmens was also ordered to serve three years of probation and 48 days in Cheyenne County Jail. However, Weimer ordered the time Timmens served in custody after his arrest to count against the sentence, and the remaining 30 days were suspended.

According to court documents, Timmens stole the fire truck after midnight on Sept. 28, 2014, and drove to Sidney because of family issues he wanted to attend to. He climbed over a fence at the Forest Service complex and saw keys in the 2012 fire truck, which he then drove through a lfence and locked gate.

Sidney High School was named the Pump & Pantry School Spirit Award recipient for the month of May, the Nebraska School Activities Association announced that month.

The School Spirit Award Program features NSAA member schools sharing photos of their students and fans emphasizing positive support and excitement at NSAA events via social media. Winning photos are selected monthly and may be featured throughout the year on the NSAA website, additional publications and at NSAA State Championships. As the May honoree, Sidney High School will also receive a $250 gas card provided by Pump & Pantry to support team and fan travel.

Punctuated by a dramatic stretch run in the 1,600-meter relay, Sidney overcame an 11-point deficit over the final two events to wrest the state championship away from archrival Scottsbluff at Burke Stadium in Omaha. Sidney finished the meet with 42 points, with Scottsbluff earning 40 for second and Crete 37.5 for third. Seward (35) and Columbus Scotus (29) completed the top five among the more than 40 schools represented.

For Sidney, it was its first state championship in 45 years and just fourth all time. The other state titles for the Raiders (or Maroons, as they previously were nicknamed) came in 1952, 1969 and 1970.

"We had to win that race to beat Scottsbluff and win state outright," said Raiders head coach John Ganser. "And we had to finish ahead of Crete because they were right there too. Our guys thought they could win that race and win a state championship. So you have to credit all four of those boys.

Besides earning lifetime status as state champions, the Raiders 4x400-meter relay team was the first event gold medal winner at state for Sidney since 2007. In that year, Paul Hamilton won his third straight high jump title with a leap of seven feet – a school record that still stands. Though the Raiders had hopes of mining individual gold at state, the 1,600-relay team didn't seem the most likely suspect to end the eight-year drought.

June

During a 20-minute court appearance June 11, Jason Assad was sentenced to a minimum of 35 years in prison.

He'll receive credit for the 263 days he's spent in custody since his arrest, but because the court ruled he's a habitual criminal, the remainder of the term is mandatory.

At age 36, he'll be 70 before he's eligible for parole.

Cheyenne County District Court Judge Derek Weimer set Assad's maximum sentence at 47 years. The Sidney man was arrested last fall on numerous felony charges stemming from a domestic dispute. Police were called to a local hotel he owned for a report of a woman screaming on the morning of Sept. 14, 2014.

Unable to locate anyone in distress, police obtained a search warrant for the living quarters at the El Palomino Motel. Inside, they found Assad and a woman who had two black eyes and facial injuries. Assad was then detained.

Law enforcement officers also found digital surveillance equipment in the apartment, including a video camera in the bedroom. Footage recorded two days prior showed Assad attacking the woman and preventing her from leaving the room. At one point, he held a knife to her face. The recording and the victim's testimony, along with Assad's prior felony convictions, led to five felony charges against him: possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, first-degree false imprisonment, terroristic threats, use of a knife to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Assad was convicted on all of the charges following a three-day trial in April.

Two Sidney women have been linked to more than 100 residential burglaries in Cheyenne County, according to police in June.

The Sidney Police Department revealed that the women had been casing houses and stealing valuables, cash and prescription medication since 2014.

"A list of 70 residences were identified as targets in the burglaries just in the Sidney city limits," a media release stated. "Items taken included prescription medication, cash, jewelry and designer clothing." An additional 40 homes were burglarized throughout the county, according to police.

One of the suspects is currently in custody on six charges related to the alleged offenses. Charges against the other woman are pending.

July

A pregnant Sidney woman driving with her husband to Scottsbluff gave birth to a healthy 7-pound baby girl on the side of the highway outside of Sidney in early July.

Kendra Stone's labor began one morning when she noticed a labor pain and called her husband to leave work. Once they made it as far as Gurley – about 15 miles outside Sidney – Stone said she knew they weren't going to make in time.

"I woke up around 5:30 a.m. having contractions, but I waited until about 8 a.m. and called my husband to come home from work," Stone said. "We made it to about Gurley and told him to turn around. We had to stop right by the UPS center outside of Sidney. Everything happened so fast."

By 9:30 a.m. the couple had welcomed a new baby girl to the family.

"My husband called 911, and they told him to pull the car over. He was definitely panicking and I was trying not to hit him while he was driving but I was screaming and yelling," Stone said while laughing. "Once he pulled the car over to the side of the road, he saw that the baby was already coming. We were both nervous. He got a little white and scared, but he listened to what 911 was telling him and did a good job."

Once the paramedics from Sidney Regional Medical Center arrived, Allie May Stone had already been delivered by her father, Mike Stone.

Allyson Hart and Raychel Thomas are the recipients of the 2015 Cheyenne County 4-H Council scholarships of $500 each for use at their chosen university or college.

Both 4-Hers are graduates of Sidney High School. 4-H is part of the county extension, which is a division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with the counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Now former Sidney Police Chief B.J. Wilkinson was sentenced to 30 days in jail July 17 after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing government operations. Wilkinson resigned from his position in October.

Wilkinson was arraigned earlier this spring on a single charge that stems from an incident that occurred 1 1/2 years ago. On Jan. 29, 2014, a Sidney Police officer responded to a residence for a report of suspicious activity. The resident told police her former boyfriend, Sidney Public Services Director John Hehnke, had been outside her house looking in the windows. After interviewing Hehnke, the officer issued him a citation.

However, when the police report in the case reached the Cheyenne County Attorney's Office, the citation had been removed, Special Cheyenne County Deputy Attorney Doug Warner said in court on Friday. In an email to the officer, Wilkinson said he had removed the citation, Warner told the court.

Earlier this year, the Nebraska State Patrol began an investigation into the incident and charges were brought against both Hehnke and Wilkinson. In April, Hehnke pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace and received a $300 fine.

Wilkinson's jail term is on hold after he filed an appeal.

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Jim Macy announced the awarding of $2,257,791 in grants through the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grant Fund.

The "Keep Sidney Beautiful" program received $5,600 as part of the program. It will be used for an electronics collection event for local residents. The Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grant Fund is generated by a fee on solid waste disposed of in landfills, an annual retail business sales fee, and a fee assessed on the sale of new tires for motor vehicles.

August

A Sidney teen missing since late last month has been located in California.

Daniel Virgil, 16, was found about 2 a.m. Aug. 3 in Colton, Calif., and placed in a juvenile facility pending pickup by his parents, said Sidney Police Assistant Chief Joe Aikens. Virgil was found uninjured.

Virgil was last seen in the Sidney area on the afternoon of July 28. His family, friends and the community turned to Facebook to ask for help in finding him. He was also reported missing in August 2013 and was returned safely soon after and was considered a runaway juvenile in that incident.

When he was located Monday, Virgil was traveling with an 18-year-old female from the Sidney area. "I can't release her name as we're looking into the possibility of charges against her for contributing to the delinquency of a minor," Aikens said.

Three local teenagers were found safe by a search party early on the morning of Aug. 12 after spending the night in 40-degree temperatures and a drizzling rain near Allenspark, Colo.

John Hehnke, the City of Sidney's embattled public services director, was fired Aug. 18.

Hehnke, a 10-year city employee who was at the center of a controversial decision that also involved Sidney Police Chief B.J. Wilkinson, was dismissed by then-City Manager Gary Person.

The city has retained attorney Howard Olsen Jr., a lawyer at Simmons Olsen Law Firm in Scottsbluff, to provide input on both Hehnke's and Wilkinson's employment status. Sidney City Attorney J. Leef recused herself, citing a conflict of interest.

Mayor Mark Nienhueser, reached by phone Aug. 19 in Indiana where he was traveling on business, confirmed that Hehnke had been fired, but said he couldn't say much about the decision on the advice of Olsen. Hehnke could not be reached for comment. .

Gary Person, Sidney's city manager for the past 16 years, announced he would resign at the Aug. 25 city council meeting.

"I am not being asked to resign," Person said when reached by phone at his office Aug. 20.

Person has been embroiled in controversy over the past several months related to a January 2014 incident that involved a city employee and, then ultimately, the Sidney police chief. Person said he informed city employees at a meeting on Thursday that he would be submitting his resignation at the next council meeting.

"I wanted to tell them eyeball to eyeball," he said. "They deserved that. "I will make a public statement at the meeting and it will stand for itself," Person added. "I'll make it in a positive manner. I don't want to speak off the cuff before that, and I want to take the high road."

September

Sidney Regional Medical Center was named Human Resources Employer of the Year by the Society for Human Resource Management Nebraska State Council.

SRMC was selected by state council board members from approximately 400 businesses in Nebraska for its outstanding contributions to the human resources profession and to the SRMC employees.

"We were thrilled to learn that SRMC was named the Employer of the Year," said Cathy Arterburn RN, BSN, PHR and Vice President of Human Resources/ Employee Health for Sidney Regional Medical Center. "SRMC administration and our Human Resources team strive to develop very progressive programs and benefits for our employees, so it is gratifying to have this award validate those efforts."

Last year's seniors at Sidney High School topped the national average and tied with their peers throughout Nebraska on scores received on the ACT.

The ACT is a test that measures college readiness, and at most schools, only college-bound students complete the assessment.

At Sidney, however, the ACT is administered to the entire junior class – meaning Sidney's scores are compared with many schools and states where only students planning on pursuing post-secondary education take the test. The latest results are from spring 2014. Among states that do require 100 percent participation, Sidney still came out on top.

Nearly 70 employees in Cabela's corporate operations were laid off Sept. 23.

"The majority of the people were in Sidney, but there were people affected in Denver and Lincoln," said Doug Means, executive vice president and chief supply chain and IT director. Means was in Prairie du Chien, Wisc., on Thursday at one of the company's distribution centers with CEO Tommy Millner when reached on his cell phone.

In a media release, Millner said, "This was a sad day for us at Cabela's.

"Means said the job reductions were felt throughout various departments in Cabela's corporate operations. All affected employees received a severance package. "It was not specifically targeted at one specific area," he said. "It really was about trying to balance and align for growth. It would have affected a lot of different areas of the company."

Tammy Sherman, Lodegpole's village clerk, has been named Western Nebraska Clerk of the Year by the Western Nebraska Rural Development staff and United States Department of Agriculture.

The USDA Rural Development State Director Maxine Moul surprised Sherman for her excellence in performance with a plaque. According to Natalie Furrow, USDA Rural Development community programs specialist, the award is given to who they believe did an all around great job.

"It's exciting. I'm just really surprised," Sherman said. "I work with so many great people and just feel like I don't deserve this. It's really quite an honor."

October

Adam Davis, a member of the Future Farmers of America chapter in Peetz, Colo., performed on stage during the 2015 National FFA Convention and Expo in Louisville, Ky.

Davis, a senior and the son of Brent and Beverly Davis, has been selected to perform in the National FFA Talent Competition on Oct. 28-31. He will perform on stage and bring excitement and spirit to the convention and expo. He submitted an application along with a recorded audition.

Four Sidney High School students have been selected to the All-State Choir to perform a concert at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, it was announced in October.

Sidney High School's Abbie Fraas (Soprano II), Jonathon Stokes (Tenor I), Jolene Oliverius (Alto I) and Logan Uhlir (Bass I) performed with some of the best choir students in Nebraska on Nov. 21 under the guidance of Anthony Trecek-King, of the Boston Children's Chorus. About 2,500 students from across the state audition for the honor, and only 440 are selected to attend the conference. The students are given the option to send in their auditions.

According to Sidney High choir director David Mead, Sidney has had students make All-State Choir every year for the past 15 years. Students must record their audition on a video taken by their instructor, which cannot exceed six minutes. During the video, the choir students will sing scales, arpeggios and selections from the All-State Chorus collection. The videos are sent to Lincoln and watched by a panel of judges who pick the best auditions.

A volunteer at Sidney Regional Medical Center was the recipient of "The Caring Kind" award in a ceremony held in late October.

Sandy Fornander was one of 78 hospital volunteers or workers recognized by the Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) recently for their excellence in service by bestowing them with the NHA's prestigious "The Caring Kind" award. For 36 years, The Caring Kind award has been given to Nebraska's most caring and compassionate hospital employees. The award honors outstanding health care employees who have demonstrated compassion for patients, cooperation with coworkers and dedication to excellence in their job responsibilities.

November

The communities of Lodgepole and Chappell are collaborating on a proposed $6.8 million water project to drill a shared well field.

Every public drinking water system is required to have its water tested, and a level of arsenic slightly over what the state allows has been found in Lodgepole's, village clerk Tammy Sherman said. Chappell, 10 miles southeast, is facing a similar issue, she added. Working with the state, a regional water study – which encompassed just the two communities – was recently completed. From the report, the idea of a collaboration was sparked.

Funds for the proposed project could come from a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development loan and grant program. Following an examination of water usage in the two communities, the project would be split 25-75 percent, with Lodgepole covering the lesser of the costs.

Through the USDA program, $1.3 million of Lodgepole's portion could be allocated through a 40-year loan with a current interest rate of 2 percent – which could change on Jan. 1. The remaining $400,000 would come in the form of a grant. With 205 water customers in Lodgepole, the project would require water rates to rise from the current $18 a month to $36 per month.

School lunches in Sidney are being sourced more locally this year.

Through a partnership with the Cheyenne County Farm Bureau and local agriculture producers, the Sidney Public School District is able to serve local beef to students. The Raider Beef program, headed by the local Farm Bureau, accepts donations in the form of cattle. They also accept funds to purchase cattle to provide beef for the school district. The only cost to the district is the transportation of the animals to a USDA certified slaughter plant and the processing.

Locally produced beef will be included in school lunches a minimum of three times every 10 days. The Farm Bureau estimates it will need 15 animals per year for the program. A few head of cattle have already gone through the program and the cafeteria is using more beef than it planned because it's going so well.

Gene Russell, assistant principal at North and South elementary schools, said he's heard positive feedback about the program.

"A lot of members of the community who have been aware of it have come back and said they really appreciate it," he said.

While rumors and media reports circulate about the future of Cabela's, Sidney's mayor said residents must be patient.

"As everybody well knows, there's an active investor that's taken an interest in [Cabela's]," Sidney Mayor Mark Nienheuser remarked at a city council meeting Nov. 10. "There's nothing we can do at this point trying to speculate on hypotheticals at this time. We just have to wait and be patient and allow Cabela's to do what they need to do to run their business."

In October, an investment firm said it had purchased a significant stake in Cabela's – Sidney's largest employer. In documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Elliott Management Corp. said it wants the outdoor retailer to consider strategic changes. Earlier this month, Reuters, a news service, reported Bass Pro Shops may be exploring a possible bid to purchase Cabela's.

The Nebraska Supreme Court upheld multiple convictions for a 2012 murder in Sidney.

The court on Nov. 13 upheld first-degree murder and weapons convictions and the life sentence of Jason Custer, who in March 2014 was convicted in Cheyenne County District Court for the killing of Adam McCormick in November 2012.

Prosecutors say Custer shot McCormick at a Sidney house after the two men argued over $160 in drug money. In his appeal, Custer argued prosecutorial misconduct, that there was not enough evidence to convict him, and that the trial court gave faulty jury instructions and excessive sentences. The high court rejected those arguments and amended the sentence only to reflect that credit given for 508 days already served by Custer applied only to his weapons convictions, not his life sentence.

Custer was sentenced to life in prison without parole in March 2014 for the murder of McCormick. A jury found Custer, 35, guilty of first degree murder, as well as the two additional weapons charges, on Jan. 31, 2014. He was found guilty after a week-long trial followed by five hours of deliberations. Custer shot 36-year-old McCormick, of Sidney, just after midnight on Nov. 3, 2012.

December

Cabela's announced Dec. 2 that the company's board of directors is beginning a process to "explore and evaluate a wide range of strategic alternatives to further enhance shareholder value."

There is no timeframe for the process, and the company said it wouldn't necessarily lead to a transition of ownership or any other changes.

"The board of directors and management team, working with advisers, plan to proceed in a timely and orderly manner, but have not set a definitive timetable for completion of this process," a media release explained. "There can be no assurance that this review process will result in a sale transaction or other strategic alternative of any kind."

The Nebraska Department of Education released the results of its new accountability model on Dec. 4, and every school in Cheyenne County ranked "Good" or above.

Mike Williams, Potter-Dix superintendent, said the new model is a good system for smaller districts. "It incorporates more than test scores," he said. "And for schools the size of Potter-Dix, test scores can vary sometimes quite a bit from year to year just based on the number of students taking the test." AQuESTT is more comprehensive than the previous system, he explained, and examines more than state assessment scores.

Overall, the Potter-Dix Public School District scored excellent; Sidney and Creek Valley public schools scored great; and Leyton Public Schools ranked good.

Sidney Regional Medical Center officially opened its new facility Dec. 8 with a packed house for its ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony.

Several locals and community members, as well as USDA Rural Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Vernita Dore, and Maxine Moul, USDA Rural Development's State Director, attended the celebration of the new facility. The facility was funded in part by $32 million in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development direct loan funds and $10 million from Lancaster Pollard, which underwrote the commercial financing. The hospital contributed the remaining funds, and other funds were contributed from many local and regional banks. This is the largest Nebraska project in the history of Rural Development.

At the event, a very emotional SRMC CEO Jason Petik thanked everyone who contributed to making the new hospital come alive. He added that the hospital's mission to revolutionize how healthcare is provided in the Panhandle is becoming a reality.

Potter-Dix took home second place at the state one act play competition in Norfolk Dec. 9, adding to its strong history in the competition.

The team performed "Eurydice" by Sarah Ruhl at the Johnny Carson Theatre. The group had three members receive outstanding acting awards. Sam Bogert, Dawson Sharman and Noah Nelson received recognition for their performances. The team's technical crew was also named the best tech crew that competed.

The runner-up finish was another strong performance at state for Potter-Dix. The school has won nine state one act championships, with the last state title coming in 2005. Prior to this year, the school had one additional second place performance, which was in 2003. Potter-Dix finished third in 1987 and 2009.

The Fort Sidney Road bridge reopened to traffic on Dec. 17.

A section of the road between Pole Creek Crossing – formerly Toledo Street – and Virginia Lane had been closed since June while the previous bridge was demolished and then reconstructed. While the bridge was originally scheduled to be completed in October, delays in the relocation of utilities near the site led contractors to construct the bridge at Pole Creek Crossing prior to the bridge on Fort Sidney Road.