Non-emergency 911 calls could put real threats on hold

Local law enforcement officials want residents to know they should only call 911 during a real emergency.

When some Sidney residents experienced multiple power outages on July 19 and 20 due to a car wreck that took down a power pole and a separate power pole fire, the Cheyenne County Emergency Communications Center received dozens of 911 calls from citizens without power.

The communications center, which handles all 911 calls in the city and county, receives many calls of a non-emergency nature on a regular basis.

“Probably 60 percent of the 911 calls we get are not actual emergencies,...