Looking Back

100 YEARS AGO

‘Sidney Man Takes

Potter Store’

February 8, 1913

E. C. Banta went to Potter Monday to take charge of the drug store which he has purchased at that place.

Mr. Banta is a registered pharmacist and quite competent to handle every line of the drug businesses. For the past several months he has been employed at the Sidney Mercantile while looking about and deciding whether the climate and country were suitabble to his desires, and during this time he has proven to be a pleasant and upright young man and generally liked by the public. Potter is sure to be suited with her new acquisition.

Mrs. Banta will remain in Sidney a few weeks ad will then join her husband.

75 YEARS AGO

‘Sidney Rifle Club Is Postal Match Winner’

February 4, 1938

Sidney Rifle club extended its winning steak to six consecutive victories by winning two more postal matches during the last week.

Casper, Wyo., fell before the local marksmen in a four position match, 1858 to 1742. The individual scores for Sidney in this match follow: Mathews 375, Breternitz 374. Pierson 373, Doran 368, Kahler 368.

The Greeley, Colo., Rifle club was a loser in a three position match, 1383 to 1367. Sidney scores were Kahler 281, Breternitz 278, Pierson 276, Mathews 275, Doran 273.

50 YEARS AGO

‘Vandals

Again Strike

Hospital’

February 6, 1938

Memorial Hospital was again visited by vandals, or at least by a persons bent on serious mischief, according to Police Chief Sol Willis.

Sometime between 5 p. m. Sunday and 8 a. m. Monday a microscope valued at $700 was taken from the hospital laboratory. In a similar recent episode important parts of technical equipment were removed from heir customary place, and were later found hidden under bedding in one of the rooms.

It may be, the chief said, that the microscope will be returned, or may be found at some different location within the hospital, but in the mean time the equipment is needed very badly in the operation of the hospital.

Recent acts of vandalism at the hospital, as well as the hiding of equipment, included opening sterile packs and tearing sheets and bedding.

The chief said that general circumstances surrounding the annying acts points to persons inside the hospital or a possible disgruntled ex-employee. He said that extensive plans for a full-scale investigation by law enforcement bodies is underway.

25 Years Ago

‘Gade seeking

fair shake

for handicapped’

Don Gade, a quadriplegic since a June 23, 1964 auto accident, is spearheading a campaign to rectify what he feels are inequities in government assistance to the disabled, such as himself, elderly people and other dependent persons.

Explaining he is very appreciative of the help he has received since his disabling accident, Gade is nevertheless, extremely concerned that recent increases in social security assistance appear to be offset by cuts in social service and welfare aid.

He maintains that, in the long run inadequate assistance for persons like himself who are living in their own home may result in greater cost to the government of he and others have to go to a nursing home.

Gade explained his stand in a Letter to the Editor published in Friday’s Telegraph.

He has also written Governor Lau Orr, U.S. congresswoman Virginia Smith and State Senator Dennis Baack.

Senator Baack has already responded, assuring Gade he will keep him posted on the progress of LB518 which “calls for an increase in ADC payments which would also provide for an increase in your monthly maintenance level.”

Gade is urging all those affected and those concerned with this matter to also write their representatives in Lincoln and Washington.

Gade explains his Social Security disability check is for $572.80 per month and the Medicare premium of $24.80 is deducted from that.

He adds the State Department of Social Services mandates figuring his personal medical maintenance level at $375 per month, a figure he says has not changed since 1983.

Costs exceed the $375 allotted must come from his Social Security check and he estimates he will be paying $1,986 this year as his share of the salary paid a personal care aide who tends him daily.

After all the deductions, Gade estimates he has $382.50 to pay for food, personal supplies, clothing, utilities, partial payment on rent and other incidentals needed.

10 YEARS AGO

‘Winter returns one day after record

setting high temp’

February 4, 2003

A shadow may not have been visible in Sidney Groundhog Day, but that did not mean the imminent arrival of spring.

About one inch of snow, accompanied by winds, moved in late Sunday. Groundhog Day. And although it did not approach drought-ending proportions, at least it was white, left some moisture for the second time in a week, and perhaps even a little hope for prospects of more precipitation the

remainder of winter and into spring.

The snow did result in City of Sidney Street Department crews turning out early Monday morning. Superintendent Jeff Wernsman said he was on the job at 3 a.m. and another six of his crew came in at 3:30. No particular problems were encountered, Wernsmen said, “but with all the winds, it was drifted here and there. Some of the streets were bare but some had drifts a foot and a half high and you have to plow the whole street.

The return of winter Sunday was an abrupt turnabout from a record setting high the day before.

The National Weather Service in Cheyenne said 75 degrees recorded at the Sidney Municipal Airport Saturday broke the previous mark of 69 set in 1989.

But Sunday, the high dropped 33 degrees to 42.

According to the National Weather Service, January was the third warmest and ninth driest on record.

The average high was 48.2 degrees compared to the month’s median low of 16.6. Average monthly temperature for January was 32.3 degrees, 7.8 degrees above normal.

Temperatures soared into the 60s nine days in January and in the 50s eight times. The month’s high was 69 degrees on Jan. 27,

in what is usually the coldest month of the year, daily maximum readings failed to get above the freezing mark of 32 degrees in just five days.

A morning low of 30 degrees on Jan. 27 tied a mark set in 1982 for a record high minimum reading.

The month’s low reading was two above on Jan. 17. The thermometer dropped to three above on four mornings.

January precipitation was .03, which is .41 below normal.

The weather service’s forecast for this week is with high temperatures predicted at no more than the 30s and more chances for light snow.