Panhandle Scanner News

Before we dig into more of what Veterans Day is and where it evolved, has anyone in Sidney seen a man out at the Boot Hill Cemetery, seemingly non-stop, going from headstone to headstone? His name is Bob Gehrig and he is not a veteran, but he has a passion for helping others, especially those who have served our country. On his own, with his own money and time invested, has decided to take it upon...

When the broadcast begins, Brian Hare’s voice cuts across the quiet morning with a familiar sponsorship nod and an urgent message: the Panhandle is waking up to a new kind of danger. As the season turns, headlights meet antlers more often, and what might sound like a routine traffic update becomes a portrait of a community pushed to the brink by sudden collisions and the fragile moments that follo...

It was supposed to be an ordinary evening in Scottsbluff — cars, conversation, the hum of a community going about its business. But at the YMCA parking lot, a burst of engine noise and a moment of road rage spiraled into a confrontation that would land one resident behind bars. In this episode, Brian Hale takes you to the scene: a vehicle tearing through the lot at high speed, a heated exchange, a...

(SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb.) -- Wake up with the sound of scanners and the steady voice of Brian Hale as Panhandle Scanner News takes you from routine city business to a scene that has the whole county whispering. The morning opens with a civic call to action: a vacancy on the Scottsbluff City Council needs to be filled, and a deadline looms for anyone who wants to shape the next chapter of their hometown....

So much news with our team out there with Raul working on courthouse news stories and researching there, and Timothy and the rest of the team out on the street and scanning the internet for the breaking news that's important to you, like our improved coverage of school news.   Congratulations to the Gering mock trial team, or should I say teams? Gering High School's two mock trial teams captured d...

Early voting results from last night, early this morning, indicate that Scottsbluff may very well get an aquatic center, and Gering may very well get a junior high. Stay tuned to news sources today for those final results, but things are looking good for those who voted for these two propositions.  It also looks like Bayard, Bridgeport, and Mitchell will get new mayors in Morrill and Scotts Bluff...

On Monday, just afternoon, a haystack fire was reported just north of Highway 30 between Bushnell and Kimball. Find a photo from the Bushnell Fire Department there on our Facebook page.    Whiteout conditions existed overnight near Kimball and Harrisburg, Nebraska on Highway 71. Road conditions are showing the surface partially covered with snow, and this activity will linger into the morning hour...

A Scottsbluff parent reported directly to Panhandle Scanner on Halloween evening that her child had received a Green Ghoulie Snickers bar with a nail in it. As always, Panhandle Scanner worked diligently to confirm sources and believe that the story is legitimate. How the nail got there, we don't know. The police have put out a press release on this and the story has made national headlines. If yo...

Yesterday, Oct. 29th, just after noon, the Scottsbluff Police Department was called to the West Pond at Riverside Zoo regarding an unattended death believed to be self-inflicted from a gunshot wound. (It was actually west of the zoo)   The investigation remains ongoing and efforts are underway to identify the deceased. Next of kin will be notified once identification has been confirmed. Additional...

What were you doing on this day in history 57 years ago?    It was October 29, 1969, when the first electronic message was sent over a computer system once known as ARPANET, now known as the Internet or World Wide Web. (although it crashed the system after two letters)   According to Scanner Traffic, at approximately 12.15 p.m. on Monday the 26th, the Scottsbluff Fire Department was dispatched to...

One of our most important missions at Panhandle Scanner is our missing persons, and we have a juvenile currently missing in Scottsbluff, Rhylee Wilberger. Rhylee is a 17-year-old white female, 5'4", 105 pounds, red or auburn hair, and blue eyes. Rhylee Wilberger was last seen in the Scottsbluff area on October 26th. She was last seen wearing a grey sweater, blue jeans, grey shoes, and a black back...

There's no shortage of news now with our new court reporter working hard. Our courthouse reporter Raul Fernandez has several new articles up on our website and our Facebook page.   A Scots Bluff man faces a trial on a felony drug distribution charge after allegedly exchanging prescription medication for smoking products in Tarrytown. And a Casper woman faced court in Gearing for failing to appear...

A slow-moving storm system is pulling colder air into the northern plains today. While this setup is triggering some slushy wet snow in higher elevations in South Dakota's Black Hills, the threat to Nebraska is highly restricted. A brief changeover to all snow might happen over northern Sheridan and northwestern Cherry Counties. However, because ground temperatures remain warm, any light snow that...

Missing Persons is a mission we take very seriously.   If you need help finding a missing or runaway juvenile, please contact Panhandle Scanner. A missing 15-year-old boy from Morrill was reported who had been missing since 6.30 p.m. Wednesday night. Good news, Brayden has been found!   Well, yesterday, J.D. Vance, the Vice President of the United States, was in North Platte, Nebraska talking abou...

Introducing the Panhandle Coffee Map by Hale Multimedia...   The weather is getting colder, possibly 40s or maybe 30s coming up soon, and the coffee is hot. So let's get all the best coffee businesses on a map. If your business is related to coffee in some way or another, and you are located in the Wyobraska region, sign up on PanhandleScanner.com to put your business on the map. Once we have enou...

Introducing the Panhandle Coffee Map by Hale Multimedia.     The weather is getting colder, possibly 40's or maybe 3'0s coming up soon, and the coffee is hot. So let's get all the best coffee businesses on a map. If your business is related to coffee in some way or another and you are located in the WyoBraska region, sign up on our website to put your business on the map.     Once we have enough p...

Good news for Bayard residents. The City of Bayard has lifted its Do Not Consume Drinking Water Notice after follow-up testing found nitrate levels in the city's water source well below the federal regulatory limits. According to a new public notice, samples collected on the 9th of September showed nitrate concentrations at 6.7 to 7.26 mg per liter in the city's wells, below the maximum contaminan...

Scanner traffic indicated a male bleeding at Essential Fuels on East Overland in Scottsbluff Sunday evening. The call came in just after 7:30 p.m. One witness said there was blood everywhere. Ambulances responded, but were cancelled by Scottsbluff PD. We'll keep our eyes out today in the public record for any type of altercation that may have happened last night.   And we have several court report...

There was a freeze warning last night.   Specific regional low temperatures recorded across the panhandle dipped to a range of 25 to 29 degrees last night. Areas along the westernmost edge and higher elevations closer to the Wyoming border experienced the deepest freeze, while the eastern edge of the panhandle hovered around 32 degrees today. If you have sensitive outdoor vegetation or exposed pip...

There's a freeze watch in effect for the Nebraska Panhandle from late tonight through Friday morning. We can expect sub-freezing temperatures falling to 27 to 33 degrees Fahrenheit. Frost and freezing conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation, and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. Take steps to protect tender plants and plumbing from the cold.   Remember, if you need help...

HATE GROUP CAUSING DIVISION IN THE COMMUNITY   The Scottsbluff Police Department has put out an additional press release on the accident Friday night involving the pedestrian fatality near Scottsbluff High School. In every case of this nature, we remind everyone that those who could be or have been charged are innocent until proven guilty. At this point, no one has been charged.     We have been m...

Yesterday around noon, scanner traffic indicated a call in Gering with a 60's year old gentleman suffering a gunshot wound, reportedly self-inflicted, to the chest. [Update on that gunshot wound, we have a 66 year old male, full code, gave a total of five rounds of epi, just gave 50 of bicarb, got him on fluids, running, does have a gunshot wound to his right side lower chest. Did do a finger thor...

While the month of October is Pastor Appreciation Month, we also recognized and celebrated National Pastor Appreciation Day yesterday on Sunday to remind everyone how important it is to support our local Christian leaders. The entire month is recognized as National Clergy Appreciation Month, so you still have time to show your appreciation. Local pastors like personal things like hand written than...

It's Friday and the Sunday Scanner is coming together nicely. The week's recap of the news stories around the Panhandle, all in the Sunday Scanner. You can get it by email for free by subscribing on panhandlescanner.com. Just click on the news page. You can also view our online flip books or in a high-resolution CMYK printable PDF format, all on panhandlescanner.com.    You'll see lots of news sto...

Have you heard about the Leaf Legacy Project from Terrytown, Nebraska? The city is preparing to begin work on the Leaf Legacy Project, funded through the Urban and Community Forestry Grant by Plant Nebraska and the USDA Forest Service. The first phase of the project will focus on Terry's Lake. The city will be seeking bids for tree pruning, tree removal and stump grinding, and tree planting. Contr...