The third quarter of the year saw a little girl become Sidney’s Sweetheart, the first steps to a record-breaking building activity year and a new vehicle allowed to cruise Sidney’s streets.
The first thing The Sun-Telegraph did for the third quarter was move, as was reported in this July 1 story.
We’ve moved, but you’ll have no trouble finding us. The Sidney Sun-Telegraph remains in its familiar brick building at Illinois Street and 12th Avenue in Historic Downtown Sidney, but the office has been relocated around the corner to 817 12th.
The shock of a lifetime came July 2 as your local hometown newspaper reported on the tragic accident suffered by Drew Stiles.
“Sidney Girl Critical
After Accident”
An 8-year-old Sidney girl remains in the pediatric intensive care unit of Children’s Hospital in Denver after her face was crushed in a farming accident near Sterling, Colo. Drew Stiles and her brothers were riding in the bucket of a tractor Saturday when a metal plate came loose and struck all three children, said Drew’s mother, Donna Bell.
Bell told The Sun-Telegraph on Tuesday that the boys were fine, albeit some bumps on the back of their heads, but Drew didn’t fair as well.
“The only thing not broke [in Drew’s face] was her jaw bone,” she said. “She lost her eye sockets, cheekbones, nose and the palette of her mouth was split in two, but she has all of her teeth.”
That story was quickly followed up on July 5 when the community of Sidney pulled together to help out the Stiles family. From Trombetta’s Doghouse to her classmates, Drew discovered just how loved she is in this town.
“Town Pulls Together To Help
Farm Accident Victim”
When it comes to taking care of one of their own, it seems no town does it better than Sidney. Since The Sun-Telegraph reported the heart-breaking story of 8-year-old Drew Stiles - who fell victim to a farm accident Saturday that crushed her face - residents, classmates and businesses have been pulling together to help her and the family.
By July 9, Drew was ready to come home. This is what The Sun-Telegraph reported.
“Accident Victim Returns Home”
It’s been an emotional ride for the family of Donna Bell since her 8-year-old daughter’s face was crushed in a farm accident near Sterling, Colo., on June 29, but doctors have given Bell news that was music to her ears - her daughter is being released from the hospital today. According to Bell, she was informed Tuesday that her daughter was well enough to leave Children’s Hospital in Denver, where she had been airlifted immediately following the accident.
And you can bet that your local hometown newspaper was there, amongst family and friends, as Drew arrived at the house of her grandparents, Benny and Marie Hochman. This story ran July 11.
“Heartbreak To Happiness”
Though her jaw is wired shut, Drew was all smiles Wednesday when she returned home to Sidney after having spent more than a week in Children’s Hospital in Denver. At first look - if you’ve never met her before - you wouldn’t know that she suffered severe face trauma, endured more than 14 hours of surgery or that she remembers the entire ordeal.
“She never lost consciousness,” Bell said. “She remembers it all.”
With such a tragic accident occurring in July, it seemed only appropriate when The Sun-Telegraph reported July 5 on the groundbreaking of a project meant to encourage hope.
“Angel Of Hope Project Breaks Ground”
The Living Memorial Gardens Angel of Hope Project had an official groundbreaking on Wednesday. Cheyenne County Tourism Director Ramona Joyce represented the Cheyenne County Visitors Committee to present the Angel project with a donation of $14,500 to purchase the monument at the center of the planned memorial.
July was also the month of discussion amongs city officials of letting ATVs on the streets of Sidney. The ordinance was up for discussion early in the month, as reported on July 8.
“Possible ATV Ordinance Discussion For City Council”
Thanks to a newly adopted state law and high fuel prices, Sidney residents might be seeing All Terrain Vehicles on the street soon. That’s one point of a 16-point agenda up for discussion at tonight’s city council meeting.
According to a memo from City Manager Gary Person, the possibility of adopting an ATV ordinance was requested by Mayor Wendall Gaston. The ordinance would allow certain types of vehicles on the streets that are currently prohibited. Person wrote there are additional traffic safety concerns to be considered, but the soaring price of fuel is motivating people to look at higher mileage forms of transportation.
And the council discussed it, including that other communities in Nebraska had already adopted the law. This was reported on July 10.
“Off Road Or On Road: ATV Ordinance
For Sidney?”
With a new state statute allowing communities to decide whether it will allow All Terrain Vehicles on its streets, will Sidney follow in the footsteps of other Nebraska communities such as Alliance and Chadron, and allow ATVS on the street?
That was one of the many topics of discussion during Tuesday night’s regular meeting of city council. The end result? Mayor Wendall Gaston would like more input from Sidney residents while a draft ordinance to allow the off-road machines on the streets is written.
July also saw the end result of a lawsuit against a local restaurant as reported on July 17.
“Restaurant Lawsuit Judgement”
A Sidney police officer and his family have won $40,000 in a civil case from the local Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant that served them food tainted by an employee’s spit and urine.
By July 23, the economy remained on rocky ground...
“Economic Roller Coaster”
It’s in every newspaper, on every radio station and heard nightly in television broadcasts - the U.S. economy is not doing well and the outlook is grim. The subprime mortgage business is on the rocks, the U.S. dollar isn’t worth as much as it used to be and gas prices are through the roof.
... but that didn’t keep spirits down too much in Cheyenne County. Proof positive was published July 30.
“It’s Cheyenne County Fair Time!”
Montana native Steve Mattfeldt is going on his third year owning and operating the famous Sun Valley Rides - and he just arrived in Cheyenne County to set up shop for this year’s county fair. He said that this year is number three providing fun to families in Cheyenne County.
There was no slowdown in the news in August. A 2007 news file that made headlines at the beginning of 2008 later continued to make headlines. This story was published Aug. 1.
“Ex-Cop Gets Careless Driving Charge”
A former Sidney police officer has recently been charged with one count of careless driving regarding a collision he caused November 10 that sent two Sidney females and himself to the hospital, officials said. Dale E. Miller has completed the 8-hour defensive driving course called STOP in Cheyenne County and the case has been concluded, according to Kimball County Attorney David Wilson.
The case wasn’t quite resolved as seen in the Aug. 8 publication of The Sun-Telegraph.
“$1 Million Claim
Filed Against City”
A Sidney woman recently filed a $1 million claim against the city of Sidney asserting negligence by a former police officer caused the collision Nov. 10 that sent her, a passenger and the officer to the hospital. The victim’s attorney, James Ellison of Gering, previously told The Sun-Telegraph that the claim was the first step in receiving compensation for damages. He said the city has the right to deny, accept or take no action on the claim, but denial of the claim can open the doors to a lawsuit.
Along with the bad news comes the good. Surveys were sent out last year to North Side residents by the city asking for them to prioritize projects. This was reported Aug. 2.
“North Side Residents Have Voted”
Approximately 40 North Side residents attended a town hall meeting at North Ward Elementary School on Thursday to discuss the results of a survey sent out by the city of Sidney. The number one priority to the majority is getting those streets fixed. Coming in at No. 2 was the extension of a hiking/biking/walking trail near the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds to help make a safe passage for children going to schools on Sidney’s south side.
With the decision to make street improvements, the projects will continue to be reviewed by North Side residents on a yearly basis. The first years funding is $50,000. Removing and replacing one block of street from corner to corner costs an estimated $100,000. In order to repair one block of street, the city will match the funding at $50,000.
And August was the first month in 2008 where it appeared the building activity record in Sidney would be broken. The Sun-Telegraph reported this story Aug. 6.
“Record May Be Broken After All”
After months of posting lackluster building activity reports, City Inspector Jim Pelster has a smile on his face. Why? Because city officials’ predictions for this year being a top contender for record building activity is coming true.
“The high school permitted,” Pelster said. “It’s a $14 million permit.”
According to the building activity report, it’s $14.43 million to be exact.
“We could see $25 million this year,” Pelster said.
The ATV issue resurfaced again in August and wrapped up in September as the following headlines suggest.
“ATVs Get Green Light”
Aug. 14
The third discussion of a possible ATV ordinance in Sidney during council’s regular Tuesday meeting that would allow the off-road vehicles on streets led to the passing of that ordinance, but it’s still not legal yet.
A motion to suspend the reading of the title of the ordinance was not heard in council chambers, which means the ordinance title must be read two more times at separate council meetings before it fully passes and ATV drivers are free to use the streets.
“ATVs On Sidney
Streets Is A Go”
Aug. 28
On your mark ... get set ... go! Sidney residents will soon be seeing more than just cars and trucks on Sidney streets - they’ll also be seeing ATVs, well, that is after September 15. The ordinance to allow the off-road vehicles on city streets passed unanimously at city council’s regular Tuesday session with the addition of the September 15 start date.
But after all the hullabaloo, few ATV owners hit the streets as was reported Sept. 30, 15 days after the ordinance took effect.
“Small Number
Of ATVs On Road
In Sidney”
Though Sidney City Council worked fast to pass an ordinance allowing ATVs on Sidney streets, apparently there wasn’t any need to rush it along. According to Police Chief Larry Cox, only 12 of the off-road vehicles have been issued permits to be on-road in Sidney.
The new high school construction made headlines Aug. 13.
“New High School Making Progress”
The Cheyenne County School District No. 1 Board of Education met to discuss the progress of the new $17.4 million high school building in a regular meeting on Monday. The board once again heard from Sampson Construction’s Chris Ogletree on the status of the 109,000 square-foot-project.
“The pre-cast panels will go up on the northeast corner in the next two to three weeks,” Ogletree said. “We are looking forward to getting started.”
He said 80 percent of the work has been bid out.
The effects of the economy were beginning to show in high numbers, as was reported Aug. 15.
“Postal Service Posts $1.1B Loss”
Raising the price of stamps only goes so far towards slowing the flow of money bleeding from the U.S. Postal Service. The USPS reported a “greater-than-expected” net loss of $1.13 billion as of the end of its third fiscal year quarter in June. The worst recorded loss in recent history was reported in the first fiscal year quarter of 2007, when the USPS announced a loss of $2.7 billion.
“It’s certainly a challenging time,” said Brian Sperry, the USPS representative for Nebraska. “We’re tightening our belts like everyone else.”
But the city moved on with its plan to convert overhead electric lines to underground. This story ran Aug. 30.
“City Is Going Under”
The work to bury many of the city’s main electrical lines has begun. Midwest Cabling of Sterling, Colo., started the project last week. The company presented the low bid for the job and city council awarded the project to the company. The properties having their electric lines buried include those from 11th Avenue to the golf course from Toledo Street to Summit Drive.
City work stayed in the headlines throughout September as one fiscal year came to a close and another one began. The following story was reported Sept. 5.
“City Proposes Property Tax Increase”
It’s official. A public hearing has been set for Sept. 9 in council chambers at city hall for a proposed property tax increase. The increase: A little more than a penny.
“The increase is to help pay for the new fire truck,” said city clerk Geri Anthony.
That story was followed by a few stories that showed city officials looking at a proposed wheel tax for Sidney. This story was reported Sept. 11.
“Council Says ‘Wheel Tax Is Per Vehicle’”
Fielding a question by Sidney resident Dale Dickinson, the Sidney City Council said a wheel tax - if voters allow it to consider one - would be a fee per vehicle, not per wheel. When council discussed allowing the voters to decide if it should consider a wheel tax to help raise money to fix Sidney streets, City Attorney Jordan Ball said he preferred calling it a road-use tax instead of a wheel tax to avoid confusion.
The Sun-Telegraph revisited the wheel tax on Sept. 27 as rumors throughout town led to more confusion. City council also was looking at how to set up the fee, if it would have been voted in.
“Broken Roads
Need To Be Fixed”
While it’s going to be up to the voters if Sidney will adopt a wheel tax, Sidney City Council was trying to get an idea of what the wheel tax ordinance would look like during its regular Tuesday night meeting.
It was discussed that the wheel tax would be an annual, per-vehicle fee paid at the time of registration. Council said it would like to see no more than three or four categories for the tax. The categories include trailers and motorcycles, cars and light pick-ups, 3/4 ton and heavier pick-ups and semi-trucks. Semi-trucks would have the largest tax because of their weight.
An unpopular kennel ordinance came before city council, as was reported Sept. 11.
“Kennel Crisis
Averted - For Now”
It’s back to the drawing board for proposed amendments to the existing kennel ordinance in Sidney after city council decided to send the ordinance back to the planning commission.
Council had previously read the title of the ordinance twice after approving the amendments that said pet owners could own no more than three dogs, three cats or a combination not to exceed three. However, the ordinance did not fully pass because of community opposition during Tuesday night’s third reading of the ordinance.
Council also approved the 2008-09 property tax request. This story also saw publication Sept. 11.
“Council Approves
2008-09 Property
Tax Request”
A public hearing was held during city council’s regular Tuesday night meeting in which council was presented a summary of the 2008-09 budget. Shortly after that, council approved setting a property tax levy request of 42 cents per $100 of valuation, up just more than a penny from last year.
News the following day was that the August building activity report showed numbers much higher than city officials had hoped for.
“August Building Activity Brings City Up To $37.2 Million”
It’s a record-breaking year for building activity in Sidney. That’s the statement made by City Inspector Jim Pelster after reporting building activity for the month of August at $17.2 million. The total amount of permits issued this year through August: $37.2 million.
“This is the highest year on record,” Pelster told The Sun-Telegraph.
The following two stories also made headlines in September. The first was reported Sept. 16 and the second on Sept. 18.
“Kimball Man
Allegedly Shot
By Officers”
In the early morning hours of Sunday, Kimball police officers responded to a call that lead to the shooting death of a 29-year-old Kimball man, officials said.
Brandon Overlin was shot and killed by Kimball law enforcement on his back porch at 509 E. Second Street at approximately 4 a.m. Sunday morning. Investigating officers at the scene confirmed the shooting death, but gave no other details.
“Colorado Man Gets Less Than A Year”
A 43-year-old Colorado man who pleaded no contest to a felony charge of first-degree false imprisonment July 18 was sentenced Wednesday in Cheyenne County District Court, officials said.
Lauro Hernandez-Medrano of Evans, Colo., was sentenced to serve 316 days in jail for the false imprisonment charge. County Attorney Paul Schaub said Medrano was credited with 316 days time served.
“I acknowledged that I was anticipating a sentence of time served since the conviction was not a sex assault crime, that defendants prior criminal history was limited, and he had already served 316 days in county jail,” Schaub said.
The no contest plea was the result of a plea agreement that involved the dismissal of two other charges - attempted first-degree child sexual assault and third-degree child sexual assault. Schaub said a material witness was unwilling to cooperate, which led the state to negotiate a plea.
And it wouldn’t be the end of September if the good people of Sidney weren’t looking forward to Oktoberfest. This story ran Sept. 26.
“For Pete’s Sake:
There Are Plenty
Of Fun Activities
In The Area”
For Pete’s sake, it’s Oktoberfest and “For Peetz Sake Days.”
The first weekend in October will be a busy one as Sidney will celebrate O’fest 2008 and Peetz, Colo., will celebrate For Peetz Sake Days Oct. 3and 4.
See Wednesday’s edition of The Sidney Sun-Telegraph for PART IV of 2008 In Review: Another Year In The History Books.
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