On April 30, Sidney businessman and inventor, former city councilman, and former newspaper owner Robert “Bob” Van Vleet died at the age of 87.

Van Vleet was born in Redfield, S.D. After graduating high school, Van Vleet enlisted in the USAF at Aberdeen, S.D. and entered the service in 1952. Basic Training was at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He spent three months at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, then a brief stop at Camp Stoneham, San Francisco, Calif., in 1953, prior to his assignment in Korea.

He and his family moved to Sidney in 1975.

On Nov. 10, 2001, Bob Van Vlee...