Panhandle Scanner News

It is National EMS Week and we want to thank you to all the EMS professionals who rush towards danger, work tirelessly, and care for our community when it needs you the most. Thank you to all EMS personnel.
 
The Village of Lyman will be hosting pet vaccinations, including horses, June 4th from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Village Shop. Small and large animal pet vaccinations, June 4th, 4 to 6 p.m. in Lyman. 
 
Vacation Bible School time. Yes, that's right, the VBS schedules are out and we have compiled a list for everyone, along with the help of our friends here at KCMI Radio. We've created a printed list as well as a graphic that you can find on our Facebook page. That's all the VBSs in the area this summer. If we've left yours out, please be sure to add it and we'll get it on the list. For all resources like this, you can find them on our website at panhandlescanner.com under the Resources tab. 
 
We also had another larger rattlesnake photo sent to us, taken of a live rattlesnake that was found on a country road near Lake Minatare. They're everywhere, please be careful. It's their environment, let's watch out for them. 
 
Maybe you don't know about our morning show, the Elevate Your Day with Andy and Brian. Every morning at 9 a.m., find a link to that on our streaming media website, diggingdeepertv.com. Just click on Live Podcast. 
 
And of course, you can always listen to Scanner Traffic by visiting that website at panhandlescanner.com. Just click on Listen. Now including Goshen County, Wyoming.

We hope you fared well overnight with that freeze warning that we had. Our thermometer said temperatures reached 32 degrees overnight, and that freeze warning should expire around 10 a.m. this morning. Our high today should be around 59 degrees. 
 
And there's some road construction that is going to begin May 27th in the Kimball and Cheyenne County areas. Work will begin on I-80 weather permitting on the 27th on Interstate 80 from mile marker 22 to mile marker 47. 
 
A three vehicle accident occurred yesterday around 16th Street and Highway 26 in Mitchell, Nebraska. An individual involved in the accident wrote in the comments that if any of my friends see this, we're fine. Home safe and sound. Yes, it would be right at the north end of our street. That was from Julie Kimsey-Lane.  Glad to know that she's okay. 
 
Late last night, mile marker 73, Highway 87 on the Larrabee Creek Bridge. Airbag deployment. Two female occupants complaining of chest pain after a car versus deer accident. Rushville Sheriff's Department responded, along with the Fire Department and the Nebraska State Patrol. That was around 10.53 p.m. 
 
Please be aware of your surroundings as we get closer to the summer. With the dry conditions, snakes are moving and pose a potential threat, especially for those living in the country. According to a longtime Skinner follower, a baby rattlesnake was found in her mom's basement utility room. She walked past him five times before seeing him. He was coiled but not old enough to rattle a warning. The location of this particular critter was on Sugar Factory Road in Scotts Bluff County, but they could literally be anywhere in western Nebraska or eastern Wyoming as we get closer to the summer. Please be aware of your surroundings.
 
 

Storms and wildfires dominated the headlines over the weekend, and some very strange weather indeed, with temperatures in the 80s in the last few days, and now we're looking at 40 today. And that comes with a freeze watch. Overnight lows could dip down to 30.
 
We have a couple of statewide stories. 
 
One is a missing juvenile in Hitchcock County. Shelby Wiley, 17-year-old female, was last seen in Trenton, Nebraska, wearing a black hoodie, black shorts, and white Nike shoes. She's known to hang out mostly in McCook, Nebraska. So please, if you have seen this missing juvenile, Shelby Wiley, please contact authorities.
 
Several well-known storm chasers were in the area in Nebraska over the weekend. According to the Howard County Emergency Manager, at least two homes near St. Libory, Nebraska, were leveled after a tornado ripped through the county on Sunday. At least one other home sustained significant damage.
 
Emergency Fire and EMS crews shared a message on social media, reminding everyone, "we appreciate everyone's concern, but power lines are down, and there's a lot of debris in the area impacted by the tornado. We ask that bystanders please put safety first, and be considerate of those affected, and stay away for now." 
 
Jayden Pappenheim, whose video and photos were used by NPR and others, wrote, Significant tornado damage north of St. Libori, Nebraska, where one home in particular is completely swept clean and a four-wheeler tossed a considerable distance. You can catch that video on our Facebook page or our news page at Panhandle Scanner. Preliminary reports indicate there was no loss of life in this tornado. 
 
Cover photo by Storm Chaser Adam Lucio
 
For our breaking news coverage, be sure to follow our page at Panhandle Scanner, or panhandlescanner.com. 

Fire is frightening, and Nebraska is on fire again. A great resource to track all those wildfires is the WatchDuty app. You can access that straight from our website at panhandlescanner.com, under the Resources tab. That is a truly incredible service, and they are asking for donations for support. That's the WatchDuty app. Please support it. It's the best wildfire coverage anywhere. 
 
Please continue to pray for our firemen and women who are out there on the front lines, and all of those involved in these Nebraska wildfires. 
 
But wildfires aren't the only things that are burning in Nebraska. 
 
Three structure fires happened in the last 24 hours. In Alliance, a 24-year-old male suffered third-degree burns to his face, neck, shoulders, back, torso, and bilateral arms. The man was transported to the burn center via helicopter. That happened Wednesday evening around 8 p.m. 
 
And then later, at around 10:20, all area fire departments were paged out to the Lake Alice area, when scanner traffic indicated station coverage needed and mutual aid requested for an ongoing structure fire at Lake Alice. Unfortunately, that home was a total loss.
 
And then just after midnight, scanner traffic indicated mutual aid requested for a Bayard fire. And unfortunately, Peggy, Chelsea and Isabelle Nuss' home was a total loss. They are in immediate need of clothing and shoes. The Bayard Senior Center is the drop-off spot. Please see our post for a list of needs on Panhandle Scanner, under the post Bayard Mutual Aid Requested. 
 
So many fires, and our prayers for everyone.
 
Please use caution, and thank you to the volunteers from our local fire departments. 

(SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb.) -- Yesterday, just after noon, scanner traffic indicated a pedestrian versus vehicle accident around 20th Street for a 52-year-old female hit by a car. Fortunately, no major injuries were reported. You can find the audio of that call in the comments on our Facebook page. 
 
(LAKE ALICE, Neb.) -- Around 8 p.m., Scotts Bluff Rural Fire District was dispatched to a structure fire on County Road C, north of Scottsbluff. All occupants were confirmed out of the home. The structure was fully involved upon arrival. Mutual aid was then requested from Gearing Fire, Minatare-Malbeta Fire, Bayard Fire, and Banner County Fire for pumpers, tankers, and Type 6. Dry and windy conditions caused this structure fire to spread rapidly, also causing a grass fire. The structure, contents, and vehicles were a total loss. The State Fire Marshal's Office deemed the cause undetermined. All units cleared the scene six hours later at 2 a.m. 
 
Thunderstorms rolled through the area last night, but brought more lightning than rain.
 
Multiple fires started overnight across the Panhandle, with major coverage being provided by the WatchDuty app. To our knowledge, there are currently three fires burning, the Sandy Fire, the Grizzly Bear Fire, and the Ash Pole Fire in Sioux and Dawes Counties. Yesterday morning, we mentioned the Red Flag Warning, and we ask everyone to please continue to heed all warnings.
 
Dangerous fire conditions will remain throughout the day. For these stories and more, and all the coverage on the overnight traffic, please visit our website at panhandlescanner.com, or our Facebook page by the same name. You can access that WatchDuty app via our Resources tab on our website.

A missing person to tell you about to start off the day. A young lady from the North Platte, Gothenburg area is missing and is reported to have possibly been seen in the Scotts Bluff area. Ellie Anna Newbrey, last seen May 10th, 17 years old, brown hair, green eyes, missing from Gothenburg. They found her car in North Platte, and she may be with a gentleman named Ryan Chessmore. If you have any information, please contact the number on the poster on our Facebook page or your local police department.
 
Last night was a big night for some local candidates seeking support.
 
Here are a few of the results that we have seen coming in so far. The Big Three, Pete Ricketts, Jim Pillen, and Adrian Smith all held large leads in their respective races, whereas some of the races could be much closer, like the one for Republican Secretary of State between Bob Evnen and Scott Peterson. That one's too close to call, early this morning.
 
In some local races for Republican County Commissioner District 1, Michael Blue was victorious over Lisa Betz-Marquez. In another race we were watching closely, Sheriff Milo Cardenas of Morrill County holds onto his spot to retain his sheriff position. He was victorious over candidate Ricky Trevino.
 
Statewide Results : https://countyelectionresults.nebraska.gov/mobile.aspx
 
We look forward to seeing what Ricky has planned for the future. And in a race for the new Mitchell mayorship, Sean Hopkins and Stephen Lacy were neck and neck with both moving on to the general election. For all these results, see our page at panhandlescanner.com or our Facebook page by the same name.

Well, yesterday was another one of those days of foolish antics by criminals who don't understand the implications of their actions. The scary thing is, some of these calls may be coming from computers.
 
On Monday, May 11th, a coordinated series of hoax bomb threats and swatting calls targeted schools across several U.S. states. While Tennessee and Nebraska saw significant statewide disruptions, Ohio and Texas also reported incidents. In Tennessee, nine schools were affected, and in Nebraska, Alliance and North Platte high schools were placed on secure status while other districts also reported a hold or heightened security as a precautionary measure due to the widespread nature of the calls.
 
At 11:14 a.m., scanner traffic indicated this... 
 
North Platte, 5.
 
Go ahead. 
 
Requesting 10-89 at 1540 Box Butte Avenue. Possible shooter on the way, possibly 15 people about five minutes out from the north side of the high school. Also possible bomb. 
 
10-4, I'll be en route.
 
10-4.
 
Just a correction on the 10-20, it's 1450 Box Butte Avenue, 1450, it's the High School. 
 
10-4.
 
The Nebraska Information Analysis Center, or NIAC, worked with the FBI to trace the origins of these calls, which often uses voiceover technology to mask the caller's location. Residents and students are encouraged to report any suspicious activity or social media threats through the Safe2Help Nebraska portal. We'll put a link to that on our website under resources on panhandlescanner.com.

More red flag warnings today. Please use caution when burning, and obey all burn bans when in place.
 
During Police Week, we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Thank you to all law enforcement officers, past and present, for your commitment to protecting and serving others. Your dedication does not go unnoticed.
 
Our very own Elevate Your Day morning show sponsor, High Plains Market, is having a grand opening and expansion celebration this coming Saturday, May 16th, High Plains Market, 27th and Avenue B. Grand opening this Saturday. 
 
If you like movies and appreciate the historic Nile Theater, they're needing some help. They recently had a server go down and are looking for replacement costs. If you can help, contact the Nile Theater or see the posts on our Facebook page. They are currently in a fundraising effort to replace that server. Donations can be made through the non-profit Oregon Trail Community Foundation.
 
The Western Nebraska Pioneers are gearing up for another season, and they made the news lately when their bus was vandalized looked like a hit and run had occurred. If you know anything about who hit the Western Nebraska Pioneers bus, please report it. 
 
Oregon Trail Days is hiring. With all of the upcoming summer excitement and activities at Oregon Trail Days, they're looking for some extra help. Contact Oregon Trail Days if you're looking to help.
 
And early this morning, just before we went on the air, a rollover occurred on S Road, about a half mile north of Henry, involving a F-350 flatbed dually pickup on its side in the ditch. No injuries reported.
 
To listen to live scanner traffic, visit our website at panhandlescanner.com and click on listen. That's going to do it for today's scanner news.
 
Thanks again for listening, and may God bless. I'm Brian Hale.

Well, we just got a newsflash here from Horizon Music Fest that today is the day that fans have been waiting for. The headliner is dropping today. Make sure you watch our page today to find out who that headliner will be. 
 
The Nile Theater has been entertaining area audiences for over 85 years now. Now that we're in the digital age, computers are a necessity, and their movie server has died. In order to continue to show family-friendly movies at great prices, they are asking for the public's help. The server at the Nile Theater is no longer functioning. The replacement cost will be between $5,000 and $10,000. Donations to the Friends of the Nile Theater can be made through the Oregon Trail Community Foundation directly by check or online with Zephy. Find that link in our article, Nile Theater Seeks Community Support.
 
There's a series of cyber attacks that we want to make you aware of. It is affecting educational institutions across Nebraska, and now we have heard across the country. Multiple schools and universities that utilize Canvas, a software program for managing homework, grades, and other sensitive information, has fallen victim to hacking.
 
Shiny Hunters is a group demanding a ransom and threatening to leak all compromised data if their demands are not met. Individuals affected by this breach are encouraged to share their experiences in the comments below our post as this situation continues to unfold in the educational sector. Find that post on the Notice of Cyber Attack, on our Facebook page at Panhandle Scanner, or on our news page at Panhandlescanner.com. Follow our page for more breaking news throughout the day.