Panhandle Scanner News

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 district championship and runner-up honors with Gering Blue advancing to the state competition in Lincoln. 

And we'll have more information about DECA and other organizations in the Sunday Scanner and potentially on future newscasts. 

Want to make a difference in your community right here in Scottsbluff? One way is to get involved in your local government. The Scottsbluff City Council has a vacancy that needs to be filled through Dec. 4th, 2028. The city is accepting letters of intent from interested Scottsbluff residents who are registered voters right now. Deadline is Nov. 12th, 2026. Letters of intent must be marked City Council Letter of Intent and hand delivered or mailed to Kimberly Wright, City Clerk, City of Scottsbluff at 2525 Circle Drive. That's an opening in the Scottsbluff City Council if you want to make a difference. 

And if you're up late at night and you want to listen to a random podcast from Hale Multimedia, the company behind Panhandle Scanner, tune in to scannerfm.net any day, any night. Random podcasts from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. 

That's gonna do it for Scanner News. Thanks again for listening and may God bless. I'm Brian Hale.

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 County, and there are some surprises in other races around the Panhandle. Check our post on those preliminary results with a link to updated results in the comments on our Facebook page at Panhandle Scanner.

The missing silver alert can be canceled for the gentleman missing from Scottsbluff. Yesterday, approximately 12.10 p.m., Scottsbluff police took a report of an overdue adult male that had not been seen since approximately 7 a.m. The male did not return home as he usually does and had left his cell phone at home, which was not regular behavior. A search for the missing male and an associated vehicle was initiated. The male was located in his vehicle stuck on the shoulder of Rubidoux Road south of Gearing by a passerby at approximately 2.45 p.m. The male was returned home safely. We appreciate everyone who shared our post. Thank you to Scanner follower Oscar Lopez, who let authorities know that he was stuck in the mud and out of gas. That's a demonstration of how a community should work together when these alerts are put out. 

Regular and exclusive sponsorships are available on Panhandle Scanner. Give us a call at Hale Multimedia if you're interested in advertising. 

And don't forget our ever-popular public record every Monday through Friday when available. That's going to do it for Scanner News. Thanks again for listening and may God bless

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 hours with parts of the northern panhandle receiving 2-7 inches of snow, with the southernmost tier to receive 1-5 inches.

Watch out for ice, and use Star 55 if you need the Nebraska State Patrol. 

The Ogallala Sioux Tribe has put out an alert for a missing person. Dixie Two Bulls was last seen when she was released from jail on September 14, 2026, wearing a black sweater, black leggings, and black shoes. If you know anything about Dixie Two Bulls, please contact Pine Ridge Safety or find that post on our Facebook page at Panhandle Scanner. 

Panhandle Scanner is well known for helping new businesses get exposure in the community. Be sure to visit our page at Panhandle Scanner on Facebook on Saturdays for Scanner Saturdays, where we highlight local businesses around the Panhandle of Nebraska. Nominate your favorites every week for our quarterly Local Favorite Small Business Contest. Another new business you'll see us promoting is Panhandle Slot Rentals. These are unique Japanese gaming systems for entertainment only. No gambling, just a lot of fun. You'll hear more from Panhandle Slot Rentals on Panhandle Scanner. 

That's going to do it for today's Scanner News.

If you like our news, please let our sponsors know you appreciate them supporting the work we do here. ~ Brian

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 you know anything about candy tampering that went on this past Halloween night, please contact the Scottsbluff Police Department and be sure to keep safety first at all times. 

A high-speed chase occurred through Scottsbluff on Sunday. Just before 10:30 a.m., officers located a Chevy Silverado that had been reported stolen out of Colorado. Officers attempted a traffic stop and the vehicle fled. In the end, Gabriel Chacon, 29, of Colorado was arrested on multiple charges,  including possession of a short-barreled shotgun, stolen property, methamphetamine, willful reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, shotgun on a highway, trespassing, no operator's license, and even more. Check out the full story on our news page. 

Speaking of stolen vehicles, we have one locally here to be on the lookout for.

A white Chevy Cruz, plate number 21-EG88. That's a 2012 white Chevy Cruz, 21-EG88. We have video showing what appears to be a young female walking up to the vehicle on the street, blatantly swiping the vehicle in broad daylight. The vehicle may be without plates, with all the flock cameras around, so be on the lookout for that 2012 white Chevy Cruz.

You can find that photo and video on our facebook page.

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 information will be released as appropriate.

That is the official press release from the Scottsbluff Police Department. We simply ask the community to pray for the situation for all first responders, family, friends, and those involved. 

A trailer was stolen from Table of Grace Food Pantry in Sidney on Oct. 25th. That was Sunday around 7 p.m. We have a photo of the vehicle that stole the trailer on our Facebook page and our news page at diggingdeeper.net. 

Please contact the Sidney Police Department with any information. That was a car hauler trailer stolen from Table of Grace in Sydney on Sunday night.

Speaking of Sidney, loud bangs on the north side of town heard Thursday were from the Sidney Police Department conducting a scheduled training exercise with the Scottsbluff Bomb Squad. 

A bloody dog bite happened this past week in Scottsbluff with a woman hospitalized and emergency personnel describing two dogs still wandering in the alley with blood all over their faces. Catch that story, dog bite in Scottsbluff, in the Sunday Scanner and on our news page at panhandlescanner.com. 

And don't forget our very popular public record every Monday through Friday when available, all on panhandlescanner.com. 

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 Rincon Latino at 1002 East Overland after dispatch received a third-party report of a gas leak within the commercial building. The Scottsbluff Fire Department confirmed that Engine 1, 3 and Scottsbluff 2 were assigned to the call. Upon arrival, crews made entry into the building and noted an obvious strong smell of natural gas. Due to the levels within the building, occupants were evacuated and Black Hills Energy was contacted. Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that the leak had started Sunday evening, however, it had not been called in until Monday by a customer. Due to the levels, the gas was shut off to the building and ventilated, and the store manager was advised a pressure test would need to be completed, and the leak resolved prior to the gas getting turned back on. We join the Scottsbluff Fire Department in reminding everyone that if you smell natural gas, do not delay. Report it immediately and evacuate if necessary. Please note, it is not normal to smell natural gas and should never be ignored. 

And don't forget our very popular growing public record, every day Monday through Friday when available on Panhandle Scanner. 

That's going to do it for today's scanner news. Thanks again for listening and may God bless. I'm Brian Hale.

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 backpack. Please contact Scottsbluff Police Department if you know anything about Rhylee Wilberger's whereabouts. 

National Cemetery Day was yesterday and we want to tell you about a new business in Sidney. That's right, long-time friend Bob Gehrig from Sidney, Nebraska, has Gehrig Headstone Cleaning and Restoration and is offering free headstone cleanings for military veterans whose resting place is Boot Hill Cemetery in Sidney.  If you are a family member or know of a veteran at Boot Hill Cemetery in Sidney, give Gehrig Headstone Cleaning a call. Find more information on his website with his address where the public can participate by sending him pumice stones to help with this cleanup effort. 

www.gehrigheadstonecleaning.com 

Website by Hale Multimedia 

Panhandle Scanner is well known for helping new businesses get exposure in the community. Be sure to visit our page at Panhandle Scanner on Facebook on Saturdays for Scanner Saturdays where we highlight local businesses around the Panhandle of Nebraska. Nominate your favorites every week for our quarterly Local Favorite Small Business Contest. And don't forget our very popular Growing Public Record every day Monday through Friday when available on Panhandle Scanner.

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 at her 2018 drug case sentencing following a bench warrant issuance. That court date came 8 years later.

Interesting story there. And 308 boy pleads no contest. A 20-year-old pled no contest to unlawful firearm possession recently.

Find these stories and more on our website at Panhandlescanner.com. Just click on the news tab. Or follow our social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, and now TikTok. Starting this winter you might see these words on blizzard warnings or ice storm warnings.

This is a particularly dangerous situation, or a PDS. This means there's a high confidence in a rare and extreme event that poses an exceptional threat due to its historic nature. During a PDS, stay off the roads and exercise extreme caution.

That message brought to you by our National Weather Service in Cheyenne. For breaking weather, news, sports, and more, be sure to follow Panhandle Scanner. And don't forget to share it with your friends.

And if you have a breaking news tip, be sure to contact the page, either through Facebook or by our telephone numbers listed on the page and our website. And don't forget our public record every Monday through Friday when available. All on Panhandlescanner.com. That's going to do it for today's scanner news.

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 does fall will target grassy areas and melt off by midday.

The Sunday Scanner is out and our top story for the week is the Aquatic Center project. Find an extensive article on all the details on this new project in the Sunday Scanner. The Sunday Scanner is our new newspaper-formatted printable publication. Available online free of charge as a high-resolution PDF as well as a flipbook for easy viewing. Check it out at panhandlescanner.com. 

There will be a vote November 3rd, that's Tuesday, November 3rd. Registered voters in Scottsbluff County will be voting on Proposition One. Proposition One will appear on the ballot with the wording, Shall the City Council of the City of Scottsbluff, Nebraska impose a local sales tax and use tax in the amount of one half percent for the purpose of financing the construction, acquisition, and equipping of a municipal aquatic center and senior center facility? That will be the question.  As the community weighs the clear financial premiums against the promise of a year-round regional asset, the future of the Kmart site rests entirely in the hands of the voters. See our full article in the Sunday Scanner on panhandlescanner.com. There's a link to all county voting guides on our website and our Facebook page. 

High School Playoff Brackets are set. Find them in the Sunday Scanner.

That's going to do it for today's Scanner News.

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 about agricultural business possibilities. We'll have more on that as it develops. 

A large response was seen Wednesday night on Highway 71 south of Gering on the highway near Robidoux Road. Scanner traffic indicated that a 67-year-old male had experienced a medical incident and crashed into a power pole near Highway 71 in Robidoux Road just south of Gering on Wednesday. Further traffic indicated airbag deployment and, fortunately, no injuries on the way to Regional West. 

Last night, a traffic stop occurred around 4th Avenue and East Overland in Scotts Bluff that involved the Nebraska State Patrol assisting. In the end, one male was 10-15, or under arrest, and booked into the Scotts Bluff County Detention Center. 

Late last night, scanner traffic indicated a trooper sideswiped a deer and possibly damaged his cruiser. A second unit was requested.

The weather is getting colder, 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 enough participation to make a nice printed map, we'll print it and distribute it around the Panhandle. In the meantime, we'll publish it as an interactive online map for immediate exposure. Check it out on Panhandlescanner.com. 

That's going to do it for today's scanner news. Thanks again for listening, and may God bless. I'm Brian Hale.

Photo by SB Rural Fire; Dario Santos, Winner - Chili Cook-Off