2024-The Year in Review

Five Youths Facing Serious Repercussions after Vandalism, Theft and Property Damage Complaints Made; Suspect Identified in Second Case, Another Suspect Sought

MIKE MOTZ

Sidney Sun-Telegraph

SIDNEY – On December 29, 2023, Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub and Cheyenne County Chief Deputy Attorney Amber Horn said complaints were filed against a group of youths in connection to a series of vandalism and property damage incidents that occurred during the Thanksgiving holiday period. The complaint was filed against the youths, all males, who range in age from 11 to 14 years old. A private business was broken into and vandalized, Legion Park was vandalized and damaged, a vehicle was stolen from a local business and damaged so severely it was deemed a total loss, and the City of Sidney Power Plant was broken into during the spree.

A special prosecutor has been assigned to the case as Cheyenne County Chief Deputy Attorney Amber Horn is connected to one of the alleged victims. County Attorney Paul Schaub said the assignment of a special prosecutor is necessary because if one staff member at the office has a conflict, the entire office has a conflict. Kimball County Attorney Dave Wilson has been appointed as the special prosecutor. A second case of vandalism occurred on or around December 23, when structures at Legion Park were "tagged" with graffiti, as well as the new location of Boss City Brewing on the 1200 block of Jackson Street in Sidney. Sidney Police have identified a suspect, a juvenile female, and are still searching for a second suspect in the December 23 incidents. Charges on the identified individual are pending, and law enforcement officials are working on leads to identify the second suspect.

Sidney Police Chief Joe Aikens said, "The Sidney Police Department would like to thank the residents of Sidney who have provided tips, video footage and other information to the department to help identify the suspects in these cases. The help of the citizens combined with the hard work and investigative techniques of our officers and law enforcement partners are how we are able to identify suspects, and to stop these types of incidents in our community."

Governor Pillen Calls for 40% Reduction in State Property Taxes

MIKE MOTZ

Sidney Sun-Telegraph

LINCOLN, NE -- On January 8, 2024, Governor Jim Pillen called fora 40% reduction in state property taxes in 2024. He is asking the Nebraska Legislature as well as chambers of commerce to partner in achieving that goal, stating it is a necessity for all Nebraskans. "Property taxes are so out of whack, you don't even need to own property to be adversely affected," said Gov. Pillen. "We need to do this for the countless Nebraskans who have worked, raised a family, and educated their kids here, by giving them the opportunity to retire in Nebraska. Our current property tax structure is taxing lifelong Nebraskans out of their homes – it is unacceptable."

Gov. Pillen wants to work with the Legislature to determine the right path forward. He made clear that any plan would incorporate a hard cap on county and city spending. The state, he said, would be leading by example. "We will reduce state spending by 3% this fiscal year, followed by another 6% in fiscal year 2025, while ensuring that state services improve through efficiencies and technology," said Gov. Pillen.

"Everything is on the table. We must ignite this discussion," said Gov. Pillen. "We must be bold and courageous in our pursuit of property tax reform, because we owe it to all Nebraskans."

School Shooting Threat Concerns Community

MIKE MOTZ

Sidney Sun-Telegraph

DALTON- The Cheyenne County area has been quite fortunate to not have suffered a traumatic school shooting incident like much of the country has had to endure over the past few years. According to Education Week there were 38 school shootings in 2023, down from a high of 51 in 2022, so even a high-trust and relatively safe rural community like the Dalton and Gurley areas are not immune from a national problem with tragic consequences. Attention must be paid to any indicators that show an incident is being planned, no matter how unlikely the chances are that a peaceful rural area could have such a tragedy take place, which is why an incident that happened in the Leyton Public School system on January 18 was immediately investigated by the Cheyenne County Sheriff 's Office and the Leyton Public School District. It involved a youth with previous disciplinary issues that is known by the Sheriff.

According to Cheyenne County Sheriff Adam Frerichs, the youth responded to a disciplinary action by allegedly making a comment to the effect of "This is why people shoot up schools." This comment was overheard by a Leyton Public School employee and the youth was confronted about it by school officials shortly thereafter. The youth assumed it was a classmate who had informed the school about the alleged comment, and proceeded to threaten that student. It turned out that the other student had no involvement in the reporting of the comment.

It is apparent that although the alleged threat to the school was just verbal, school officials and the Cheyenne County Sheriff 's Department acted accordingly in their response to the incident

String of Criminal Incidents Concern Cheyenne County Residents

SIDNEY- A series of crimes in Sidney has caused concern among many residents, and the violent nature of some of the incidents has locals wondering about the future of our quiet and relatively safe community. The first incident that caused much concern was the late-night attack of an 84-year-old woman residing at the Western Heritage Apartments in Sidney. According to Sidney Police, the suspect in the crime, Nathan Robinson, 23 years old, of Sidney, banged repeatedly on the door of the woman's residence after 2 a.m. on the morning of Wednesday, January 17. The woman opened the door and it is alleged that

Robinson assaulted the woman, seized her keys, and stole her 2012 Chevrolet Cruz. Medical personnel were called to the residence at approximately 3:25 a.m. and the victim was treated for injuries believed to have resulted from the assault, which were not life-threatening.

Another violent crime occurred in Sidney on January 25. According to Sidney Police, Matthew L. Cleays, of Sidney, was arrested and charged with six counts, including Assault, False Imprisonment, Impersonating a Peace Officer, and Possession of Methamphetamine. Cleays allegedly trapped a woman inside a hotel room at the Quality Inn, and when two employees attempted to intervene, Cleays assaulted the two workers. Sidney Police responded to the scene, and Chief Joe Aikens said, "When I arrived, the individual committing the assault, and committing several other crimes, was identified by hotel staff." Cleays was arrested and transported to the Cheyenne County Jail, where upon processing it was discovered, according to Sheriff 's Deputy Zach Goodrich, that Cleays was allegedly in possession of a small bag of a white crystalline substance, believed to be Methamphetamine, hidden in his sock. Two other bags of the same substance were also found during processing. Cleays was described by officials as being uncooperative during his booking and processing.

Guhl Sentenced to Minimum of Five Years For Igloo Break-Ins

Judge Says Long Criminal History, Seriousness of Crimes Necessitates Imprisonment

MIKE MOTZ

Sidney Sun-Telegraph

SIDNEY-- Sentencing was handed down in the case of thefts at the igloos in northern Cheyenne County last Spring. John Guhl, 39, of Sidney was sentenced after being convicted of charges of Theft by Receiving or Obtaining Stolen Property, a Class IIA Felony, and three counts of Burglary, Class IIA Felonies.

Before sentencing, Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub said, "The offenses Guhl has been convicted of are serious Class IIA felonies. Guhl has an extensive criminal history, with crimes against persons and property. He has been on probation five times, five times in the past, and five times probation was revoked."

Judge Derek Weimer explained the factors to be considered before sentencing, then said, "I see a man 39 years old who has had 41 criminal cases against him since 2006. 10 are for property crimes. You have a history of taking things that do not belong to you. People here have the right to be secure in their belongings, I don't care if they leave their stuff on their front lawn, it's their right to do so without worrying about their stuff getting stolen. You've demonstrated over the past 10 years that you'll just take what you want. Anything less than imprisonment diminishes the seriousness of the crimes you have committed."

--March 2024--

Sidney Lady Raiders Dunk 40-Year Streak

March 7-- Sidney's Lady Red Raiders competed, last week, in the Class C1 Nebraska State Athletic Association Girls Basketball Championship. After qualifying second seed in the Districts, the Lady Raiders headed to the Devaney for the first round of the tournament. The girls went undefeated the entire season before dropping their first game in the championship round of subdistricts to fellow unbeaten Bridgeport by only seven points. With a record of 22-1 the Lady Raiders rode into Devaney with high hopes and excitement as they started their journey to a potential state championship.

The Lady Raiders would first face the Adams Central Lady Patriots. The Lady Patriots are a seasoned team and would give the Lady Raiders all they could handle. After Adams Central tied and then took a one-point lead 38-37, Karsyn Leeling nailed a game winning three, with 6 seconds remaining, giving the Lady Raiders a 40-38 opening round victory. The championship game would pit the Lady Red Raiders against the Lincoln Christian Lady Crusaders, in a rematch of an earlier game, a 3-point Sidney win, on a neutral court, which was one of only 2 Lady Crusader losses on the season. The Lady Red Raiders lost the game 26-38. The Lady Red Raiders finished as the 2024 Runner-up in the Class C1, Nebraska State Championship. Congratulations to the Lady Red Raiders and to the Sidney Athletic program on their accomplishments and programs.

March 21--Balfour Fireworks: A Proper Send Off

The matriarch of Balfour Family Fireworks, Carrie Balfour, was called home to the "big cabin" in the sky Friday, March 8, 2024; a celebration of her impactful 89 years as well as a firework display lovingly bid farewell Friday, March 15 with several in attendance wearing purple, her favorite color. A Balfour tradition, all stood with arms and handkerchiefs waving as her procession began.

Carrie loved her and Bob's cabin in the mountains, it always served as her "little slice of heaven," a tranquil retreat after a busy firework season had officially ended. As the the final firework sparked Friday evening, a gentle thought and a friendly John Muir quote came to mind, "the mountains are calling and I must go," a proper and touching send off for a true local legend.

--April, 2024--

April 11--Panhandle Faces Grueling Winds Over Weekend

Hundreds without power as crews work tirelessly around the clock to restore service

The Panhandle of Nebraska was rocked by a Spring snowstorm from the early hours of Saturday, April 6 into late afternoon on Sunday, April 7. A stark contrast to the bright and sunny 72 degrees experienced only days before, the unpredictable icy weather and howling winds that impeded travel on I-80 and Highway 30 from Big Springs to the Wyoming border forced the Nebraska State Patrol to close them in both directions. Strong gusts reaching over 75 mph in some areas made severe damage unavoidable. Numerous trees were uprooted or split in half from the ferocity of the winds, in some cases adding to the multiple power outages. As with most of the Panhandle, Sidney faces quite the cleanup in the aftermath.

Countless hours have been logged by Cheyenne County's devoted linemen who were joined by surrounding area crews in restoring power to the households affected by the storm. Many residents were forced to seek refuge with family, friends, or local hotels, as some areas may be without power until the end of this week.

The bulk of the crews have been working diligently north of Sidney, northwest of Gurley, east of Gurley, and near Redington. The latest count is 550+ poles down on the ground, or damaged, throughout the WBPPD service territory. As of 5 pm Monday, they had been able to restore power to around 400 meters with around 1100 meters still out of power.

April 11--Train Derailment in Gurley

Produces delays, but no injuries

An early-morning derailment on the BNSF line at Gurley caused some disruptions in traffic Tuesday morning, April 2. No injuries were reported, however the intersection of 1st Street and Highway 385 was damaged, requiring motorists to find alternate routes to cross over Hwy 385 while traveling through the area.

According to local residents at the scene, apparently a wheel on one of the coal cars locked up while approaching Gurley from the north. For a few miles, the train continued southbound before it the locked wheel was discovered and was overheating. The train was stopped coming into Gurley, and that's where two coal car carriers tipped over near the

intersection of Hwy 385 and 1st Street. Cleanup crews were immediately dispatched to scene to remove debris from the roadway and to tip the cars back up to repair, and clear them from the tracks.

--May 2024--

May 9--Sidney Police Department Moves to 1200 Pole Creek Crossing

SIDNEY--The Sidney Police Department has officially moved from its location at 1715 Illinois Street to its new facility at 1200 Pole Creek Crossing. The new location is between Sidney Regional Medical Center and the Sidney Sewage Disposal Plant. The move started slowly with front office and reception area materials going to the new location first, and then a flurry of activity over the past week resulted in most everybody in the department now situated in their new home.

The move was part of a deal in which the City of Sidney sold the building at 812 13th Avenue, known in the town as "Big Red", to Worldwide Trophy Adventures (WTA), a local company specializing in hunting and adventure excursions. As part of the deal, WTA offered its headquarters at 1200 Pole Creek Crossing as part of a "swap" in which WTA takes over "Big Red", and the Sidney Police Department moves into 1200 Pole Creek Crossing. The real estate purchase and swap generated a lot of controversy in Sidney, with a group of citizens all for the sale and property swap, and another group of citizens saying that the sale was at too low a price, and others not wanting the Police Department to move away from the High School and Downtown area. That time has passed and now with WTA moved into 812 13th Avenue, it was time for the Sidney Police Department to make their move.

This building is about three times larger than the space we are leaving, so we're not going to be cramped and on top of each other," Sidney Police Chief Joe Aikens said. "We have some very nice conference rooms and facilities, so I can see the city using these facilities for meetings when the City Council room is not a good option for them."

May 23--Powerful Marketing Tool or Threat to Privacy?

Sidney City Council to decide

SIDNEY-- A controversy popped up in Sidney when last week's City Council meeting featured a presentation by City of Sidney Economic Development Director Brandy Stone about purchasing a subscription for Placer.ai., an intelligence software product that promises to deliver valuable information to the Economic Development Department. This information would enable Sidney Economic Development workers as well as local businesses to better assess where visitors and consumers are coming from, what they're buying plus other marketing information that can be used to help grow businesses here in Sidney and Cheyenne County.

Sun-Telegraph Editor & Publisher Barbara Perez was in attendance and asked to be recognized to speak about the topic. She said that a simple Google search revealed that information on the company showed the potential for abuse of personal data and opened a debate about the safety of this type of new technology, and whether the Council would investigate the information deeper before deciding to move forward with the product. The City Council decided to table the issue until the next City Council meeting on May 28. Stone said she would ask a representative from the company for a conference video call where more questions can be asked about the safety of the product, potential data and information breaches that could occur, and other questions like what is the total cost of the product.

Perez stated that was a conflict of interest, saying, "Of course they will try and convince us it is safe".

Others strongly disagree. According to the written testimony of Justin Sherman, Senior Fellow and Research Lead on the Data Brokerage Project at Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy, presented to the Massachusetts Legislature Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure