Panhandle Scanner News

Another busy day on Scanner Traffic, for those who are listening.
 
Around 2:30 AM, Kimball County Sheriff's Office was asking for assistance at an address in Dix for a possible break-in, possible firearm. The reporting party was unclear about the details, and after a series of communications back and forth, troopers did not have enough to go on and were never able to find any vehicle involved in said incident. 
 
Around 10 AM, a two-vehicle accident happened, non-injury, with debris in the road, 21st Avenue and South Beltline in Scottsbluff. The accident did cause some temporary closures. 
 
Just before noon, a structure fire was reported, 1202 11th Avenue in Mitchell, possible garage fire. Close to another residence, Engine 3 responded to Mitchell, so station coverage was requested at Scottsbluff. In the end, two patients, conscious and stable, were treated. We should see a press release on that from our local fire departments. 
 
And then just after midnight, East 17th was the location of a reported assault victim. Ambulances responded, but were canceled by law enforcement on scene. That was in Scottsbluff. 
 
A lot of our news does come through Scotts Bluff, but we also cover the entire Panhandle, 11 or 13 counties, however you want to count them, and that includes 21 local high schools, which we are now covering in our Sunday Scanner News. Follow us on Facebook at Panhandle Scanner, or visit our website at panhandlescanner.com and click on News for this and so much more.

For those who were outdoors last night around 10 p.m., including those at the football games around the panhandle, were treated to a spectacle. Not only some thrilling victories, but also an incredible lunar eclipse.
 
The Minatare Indians football team defeated Creek Valley High School with the final score of 60-59. The thrilling one-point victory took place under the lunar eclipse during the opening week of the Nebraska Panhandle High School football season. The Sioux County Warriors weren't quite as lucky falling to Paxton 49-6, but the Hemingford Bobcats, coming off a fantastic 2025 season, ranked as the number one eight-man team in the Panhandle, defeated Bayard 58-6. The Garden County Eagles entered the season with massive momentum as the reigning class D-6 state champions. They kicked off their title defense this year with a dominant 57-0 shutout victory against Hay Springs last night. 
 
Last night, scanner traffic indicated the Chadron Police Department put out a missing juvenile bulletin for Destanie Lejya. Destanie is a 16-year-old female, 5'3", 125 pounds, black hair, and brown eyes. Destanie Lejya, L-E-Y-J-A, 16, missing, reported by the Chadron Police Department.
 
Last night in Morrill County, just before the Bayard turnoff on Highway 26, scanner traffic indicated a Car Vs. Elk injury accident with Air Link put on standby, but just moments later told to stand down. Scanner traffic indicated they couldn't find a patient. Nebraska State Patrol responded and issued a salvage tag.

A vehicle accident yesterday knocked out some stoplights in Scottsbluff. The accident happened at the intersection of Highway 26 and East Overland Drive. One vehicle struck a modular box that powers and controls the traffic lights at that intersection, so therefore it kicked them off. Both the City of
 
Morrill Schools recently recognized the MHS graduate class of 2026 for graciously donating a sign crafted by Watson Manufacturing & Whiting Signs.
 
 

Well, a couple of nights ago we heard some scanner traffic that was a little unusual, and people had asked us about it. Trooper 290 was with Morrill County with a report just east of the South Bayard Junction that there were people running away from vehicles. Unsure if related to that same event, moments later Trooper 290 had one male 10-15 for 10-47. That means in custody for suspicion of drunk driving.
 
You also heard us talk about some other traffic, including the stabbing in Alliance. At approximately 2:51am on Monday, the Alliance Police Department and the Fire Department were dispatched to the 900 block of West 2nd Street for a report of a man that had been stabbed. As investigators worked to determine what happened, they identified Fred John Red Nest, 47, as a suspect in the assault. Police determined Red Nest had left the area following the incident, and they began searching the surrounding area, including railroad property. During the search, a bloody t-shirt was located near the tracks. According to police, Red Nest later admitted his involvement in the assault during a post-arrest interview. Investigators say he told them he had discarded the knife along a dirt road near the residence. Red Nest was booked into Box Butte County Jail on charges of first degree assault, second degree assault, burglary, and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony.
 
You may remember the tragic semi-versus-semi accident near the Brady exit on I-80 recently. On the 24th of August, an SP announced that the driver of the flatbed semi, Alex Latsabidze, 46, of New York, had been arrested on suspicion of motor vehicle homicide (for driving too slow on the interstate).

Well, just when you think there's nothing going on, turn on that infamous scanner and you get West Overland, Motor Vehicle Accident that Downs a Power Pole. That was early yesterday, 5:09 a.m. The call came in. Single vehicle accident with injury. West Overland and Avenue I in Scottsbluff. Fire department advised to proceed with caution as power lines may be down in the area.
 
Next up, we heard talk of a stabbing that happened Sunday night in Alliance. Nebraska State Patrol was assisting Alliance Police Department looking for the knife around the 2nd and Howard area. Later, traffic revealed two troopers at an address on Laramie referencing the stabbing suspect. Moments later, Trooper 171 reported that they had one male, 10-15, or in custody.
 
A Chadron resident received a Sam's Club package in a very unusual way. Trooper 338 found an unopened Sam's Club package at mile marker 165 on Highway 385 and took it upon himself to deliver it personally. Can you imagine having the Nebraska State Patrol show up at your door late at night only to be delivering a package?
 
Around 2 a.m., a call came in from 9th Avenue in Scotts Bluff that there was a male bleeding from being slashed by another male. Regional 2 responded and transported one 60-year-old male to the hospital with hand and forearm injuries. Ironically, just two hours later, from the exact same address, a 38-year-old male needing transport for a medical condition from falling off a roof a couple of days ago. Our prayers for him.
 
All this traffic and more every day on Panhandlescanner.com. 

The Sunday Scanner is out, our weekly newspaper-ish production from Hale Multimedia. That's right, it's the Sunday paper, and it's printable.
 
Visit panhandlescanner.com and click on News to see this week's edition and the prior seven that we've published. We're averaging 40,000 views and 14,000 readers each week, so check it out. It's the recap of the week around the panhandle.
 
Top stories this week include back-to-school safety, AI data center controversy, a shocking police video surfacing, our admin witnessed a double murder in Colorado, a woman in Scottsbluff had a taser probe stuck in the back of her head, and new K-9 body armor for Platte County, Wyoming. 
 
News from all over WyoBraska, on Panhandle Scanner. It's the Sunday Scanner, and it's out now.
 
Visit our Facebook page at Panhandle Scanner, or our website at panhandlescanner.com. 
 
It's free, and it always will be. Listen online if you're interested in hearing what we hear, all at panhandlescanner.com. Along with listening to live traffic, you can also catch the archived traffic on our podcast called Scanner Traffic, and you can catch that right on halebroadcasting.com, along with today's news, and some agricultural programming, and more. Check it all out at halebroadcasting.com. 
 
And don't forget about our public record every Monday through Friday. Now more than 20 counties across the state of Nebraska, with information from the Sheriff's Department's Most Wanted lists, jail rosters, and more. All on panhandlescanner.com. 
 
That's going to do it for today's news. 

Panhandle Scanner was made aware of a video that was circulating rapidly. We do appreciate everyone who shared it with us, and when we receive serious information, we take time to evaluate it with our full team involvement. 
 
We originally posted about the incident very early in the morning, and then later attached the video once we were able to speak with law enforcement at the county level. We're talking about a disturbing video with an obvious use of force action in it. We emphasize we do not know the circumstances of what led up to the charges of his assault on the police officer and disorderly conduct, amongst other charges.
 
But please understand that our local police officers are held to a strict standard, and in any use of force action, an automated investigation is triggered. We did get verification from law enforcement at the county level that the video did involve Scotts Bluff police officers with no other agencies believed to be present. With an automatic investigation triggered and a use of force action, we look forward to the investigation by the Scotts Bluff Police Department.
 
In another unfortunate incident, an accident on Interstate 80 near Grand Island on Thursday morning prompted a response from multiple agencies and remains under investigation. Unfortunately, a woman was driving the wrong way down Interstate 80 and was hit head-on by a semi, resulting in her death. Our prayers for the Roberts family in their time of loss and also for Mr. Wakefield, the driver of the other vehicle, in his recovery.
 
But it's not all bad news here. It's the Beef, Beans & Bluegrass Festival starting today. That's gonna do it for today's Scanner News.

You hear us talk a lot about scanner traffic. Well, if you're interested in what some of those codes mean, we do have a full article and a shorter article on both the most commonly used 10 codes and the full list. We understand it can sound confusing and vague at times. That's the nature of scanner traffic. We've been reminding people for the last 17 years of operating Panhandle Scanner, and before that, Scotts Bluff County Scanner, that scanner traffic is rarely 100% accurate. In fact, most of the time it's not. It is preliminary information that law enforcement and dispatchers are using to begin an investigation into an incident. 
 
Please keep this in mind as we post daily scanner traffic that includes some odd details, such as Big Springs Emergency. Last night around 7:18 Mountain Time at the Flying J in Big Springs, there was a verbal 10-34. That is a fight or altercation. With a male and a female left in the vehicle, female screaming for help, silver car, no plates, left, westbound. Description of the male was six foot, blonde Hawaiian shirt and black pants. The female had a ponytail and camo pants. 
 
Or the vehicle in the ditch with a driver. Scanner traffic was indicating on Highway 71 last night a black midsize SUV. Possible 10-44, which means non-injury accident. But the driver was laying across the front seat, pulled off in a ditch. A passerby smelled 10-40 or drugs.
 
And there have been a couple of car fires and dog bites recently. One happened yesterday in Terrytown on West Street.
 
To learn more, visit our page or our website at Panhandlescanner.com and click on resources.
 
 

One of the services that we provide, not only for our sponsors, but for everyone in the communities, is our Look Who's Hiring posts. And look who's hiring, it's R&C Welding. They are hiring shop welders. Contact them in Gering, Nebraska. Find that post on Panhandle Scanner on Facebook, or panhandlescanner.com. Just click on the R&C Welding logo.
 
Yesterday, scanner traffic indicated a two-vehicle accident, 10-44, which means non-injury, on County Road M. That was around 11 o'clock. Just before 2 o'clock, Trooper 346 had an individual stopped that registered a positive triple I for 10-47, 3500, and 2200, and he ended up testing, which came up negative. However, the suspect was ticketed for 5405, 3566, and 3550. For those codes, visit our Panhandle Scanner website, and click on Resources to learn more. A couple of other significant calls yesterday.
 
There was a call at Minatare High School for a 14-year-old male with a dislocated knee, and a 46-year-old female at Circle S Lodge in Gearing complaining of a possible broken nose, and a code blue on Rosedale Avenue in Scotts Bluff. Our prayers for that situation, and all those that you hear on Panhandle Scanner. Making the most of bad news, looking for something positive.
 
Don't forget our Public Record every Monday through Friday, where we gather court records, most wanted lists, and notices from Sheriff's Departments around the state.