January 4
Smith Dies in Prison
After serving a little more than 18 months of a 30 to 40 year sentence, George Smith, 69, of Alliance, died on Dec. 30 at the Reception and Treatment Center.
January 11
Garcia Apprehended by NSP on Multiple Warrants
Members of the Nebraska State Patrol SWAT Team took an Alliance man, Richard Garcia, 34, into custody on two active arrest warrants. The first warrant was issued for failing to appear in court on several felony charges including possession of methamphetamine 10-27 grams, a class 1D felony, possession of a weapon by a prohibited person, a class 3 felony, carry a concealed weapon – second offense, a class 4 felony, and habitual criminal. The second warrant was for another case in which Garcia failed to appear for sentencing.
January 18
ATH Donates to Nebraska Veterans Cemetery
The Alliance Times-Herald made a donation to the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Alliance recently. The donation, totaling $850 was raised from the proceeds of the Veterans Day section published in 2022.
January 25
Wright Named a Candidate in U.S. Presidential Scholars Program
A Hemingford student, Rylie Wright, the child of Mick Wright and Bridget Raben, was recently named one of the candidates in the 2023 U. S. Presidential Scholars Program, picked from a pool of almost 3.6 million students who are expected to graduate in 2023.
February 1
Car Strikes O’Reilly
On Sunday afternoon a car struck the south side of O’Reilly Auto Parts Store, resulting in no injuries, but thousands of dollars in damage.
February 8
Alliance High School Grad Named Principal at CCY Architects
CCY Architects has announced that Alliance High School Grad Maura Trumble has joined the ownership of the firm, becoming the first female Principal. Since joining in 2012, Trumble has played an increasingly integral role at CCY, providing progressive insights and leadership to the firm’s most important projects and internal initiatives.
February 15
Redman’s Shoes to Close after 43 Years
After 43 years of service and dedication to the City of Alliance, Redman’s Shoes is closing its doors, Redman’s owner Dave Pearse explained, including supply issues, age and the desire to be in control of the timing of the closing process.
February 22
Hemmer Takes Plea Deal, Poor Bear Awaits Pretrial
Two Alliance men are in Box Butte County District Court for their alleged role in a burglary and assault. Jeremy Hemmer, 35, and Julian Poor Bear, 32, are both facing similar charges from an assault that occurred in November 2022.
March 1
Kelley Receives Sentence in Box Butte, Scottsbluff Counties
An Alliance man is behind bars after receiving sentences for felony charges in Box Butte and Scottsbluff Counties. Chad Kelley, 39, of Alliance, appeared in Box Butte County District Court on Feb. 22 to receive his sentence for a burglary at BNSF. On Jan. 6, Kelley appeared in Scottsbluff County District Court to be sentenced for a case in which Kelley was accused of stealing a vehicle and leading law enforcement officers on a chase.
March 8
Cordell Faces Three Court Cases Across State
Kyah Cordell, 18, of Grand Island, was recently arrested in Scottsbluff County for possessing fentanyl and drug paraphernalia, and for tampering with evidence, according to court records. This is the latest case that features charges against Cordell, with other cases pending in Box Butte and Seward Counties, as well.
March 15
Edwards Receives Prison Sentence for Role in Shooting
Beau Edwards, 24, of Alliance was sentenced to serve 18 to36 months in prison and to pay restitution of $2,469.00 after he was found guilty of attempted use of a firearm to commit a felony, a class 2 felony.
March 22
APS Board Approves Girls Wrestling Program
The Alliance School Board took action last Monday night to approve a girls wrestling program at Alliance High School, with the program set to take off in the next school year.
March 29
McConkey Announces Run for Congress
Alliance Public Schools Wall of Fame Member Col. Josh McConkey, MD, recently announced his bid to serve the people of North Carolina’s 13th District in the United States Congress, using his time in Alliance as a guiding light in leadership.
April 6
Alliance Council Considers Snow Amendment
The Alliance City Council is considering making an amendment to the code regarding snow removal following the dissolution of the Business Improvement Districts, which has left business owners in the district to remove their own snow form the sidewalks, without guidance as to where to place the snow.
April 12
After 10 Years of Service, Unzicker Resigns as Chamber Executive Director
Executive Director Susan Unzicker said that she is resigning to pursue a business opportunity with her family. She said that the business will be a nutritional lounge, serving energy teas, protein shakes and various other goods. The business will be located at 304 Box Butte Avenue in Alliance.
April 19
Mayor Mike Dafney Resigns
Alliance Mayor Mike Dafney announced his resignation last week, with the Alliance City Council Members expected to vote to accept the resignation at their meeting on Tuesday evening, the results of which were not available as of press time.
April 26
Williams Jewelers to Close
After 58 years in business in Alliance, Williams Jewelers is set to close this summer as owners Brad and Sue Williams are set to retire.
May 3
APD Chief Named Finalist in St. Joseph, Mo. Chief Search
Alliance Police Department Chief Philip Lukens was named one of four finalists for the vacant position of Police Chief for the City of St. Joseph, Mo.
May 10
Class of ‘23 Graduates from HHS
The community packed the bleachers at Hemingford High School on Saturday afternoon, taking time to recognize class of 2023 for their accomplishments and to celebrate their graduation.
May 17
Davies Receives Health Equity Champion Award
Jessica Davies, Assistant Health Director for Panhandle Public Health District (PPHD), received the Health Equity Champion Award from the Public Health Association of Nebraska (PHAN).
May 24
Jones Rejoins Council, Elected Mayor
Earl Jones has rejoined the Alliance City Council following his appointment at Tuesday’s city council meeting where he was chosen to serve the remainder of Mike Dafney’s term until November 2024.
May 31
Officer Bit in Dog Attack
The Alliance Police Department responded to the report of three pitbulls mauling another dog. “The dogs appeared to be aggressive and growing more bold in attempts to get at the dog still hiding under a porch,” the narrative states. “Several of the dogs were jumping onto me. I drew my taser and utilized a drive stun against the most aggressive dog. The dog bit at the taser that was actively arching.” After the officer switched to his firearm, the most aggressive dog lunged at him, biting his left shin. “I fired a single .40 caliber round at the dog, striking it in the left flank near the shoulder. The dog disengaged, and the gunshot caused the other two dogs to lose aggression.
June 7
Sward Bound Over in Attempted Felony Case
An Alliance man is scheduled to be arraigned in Box Butte County District Court later this month after his case was bound over from the Box Butte County Court in May. Norman Sward, 64, of Alliance, is charged with attempting a class 2A felony, a class 3A felony.
June 14
Council Passes Firework Ordinance
After three readings of the ordinance and much discussion surrounding the amendment, the Alliance City Council voted 4-1 to approve extending the dates that fireworks may be sold and discharged.
June 21
APS Students Push for Drug Testing Policy
Following a request from a group of Alliance High School students, the Alliance School Board took action at its meeting on June 12, voting 3-1 to enact a drug testing policy at Alliance Middle School and Alliance High School.
June 28
Alliance Man Sentenced in Federal Court
United States Attorney Steven Russell Announced that Ryan Arrants, 43, of Alliance, Nebraska, was sentenced Monday in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Arrants to 180 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Arrants will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
July 5
Burnett Takes Helm at Alliance Chamber
The search for a new leader for the Alliance Chamber of Commerce came to an end after the board members tapped Owen Burnett to take the reins. He is an Alliance native who decided to return to Alliance from Denver, leaving city life behind.
July 12
Students Find Opportunity with Upward Bound
A group of Alliance students recently got the full college experience after taking part in the Upward Bound Program. Kevin Coy, CSC Upward Bound Counselor, explained that in June, Upward Bound hosted a month long summer program, allowing high school students who are part of the Upward Bound Program to live on campus at Chadron State College and get a feel for college.
July 19
Alliance School Board Approves Drug Testing Policy
Drug testing students involved in extra-curricular activities was an item that came before the Alliance School Board again on July 10, with a crowd of people packing the meeting room and sharing their insights with the board before members voted on the second, and final reading of the policy.
July 26
Alliance Boy Meets the Man Who Saved His Life
Following the successful transplant of blood stem cells, 11-year-old James Benzel is ready to face what life has in store for him, thanks to a donation from a man living 4,000 miles away. Recently. James was able to meet Luke Bugdol, the man who saved his life.
August 2
Chamber Director Sees Heritage Days as a Success
With another Heritage Days in the books, Alliance Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Owen Burnett is highlighting the success of the annual event that draws people to Alliance to take part in the festivities.
August 9
Alliance Woman Charged With Attempted Murder
An Alliance woman is facing multiple felony charges resulting from an incident in July in which she allegedly stabbed her husband.
August 16
Warner Crowned Box Butte County Fair Queen
Out of a group of 11 contestants, Brookelynn Warner, of Hemingford, was crowned the 2023 Box Butte County Fair Queen on August 9, achieving a goal she has long dreamed of.
August 23
Senator Fisher Visits ATH
Senator Deb Fisher recently visited the Alliance Times-Herald on a stop, providing an update on her travels throughout the state and what lies ahead in the coming session.
August 30
Recall Petition Filed Against BBC Public Defender
A recall petition has been filed against Box Butte County Public Defender Enet Somers-Dehaney, who was appointed by the Box Butte County Commissioners in December of 2021, and re-elected during the 2022 election.
September 6
APD Chief Set to Resign
A new release from Alliance City Manager Seth Sorensen on Thursday morning announced the departure of Alliance Police Department Chief Phillip Lukens, who submitted a resignation effective on Sept. 15.
September 13
Somers-Dehaney Resigns as Public Defender
Enet Somers-Dehaney has tendered her resignation as Box Butte County Public Defender, a move that comes just weeks after a recall petition was filed against her.
September 20
APS Foundation Selects Tolstedt as 2023 Wall of Fame Recipient
The Alliance Public Schools Foundation is proud to announce that Frank Tolstedt has been selected as its 2023 Wall of Fame Recipient.
September 27
Highway 2 Threads to Close
Another downtown Alliance business is set to close its doors. Highway 2 Threads, a clothing store located on Box Butte Avenue in downtown Alliance announced plans to shutter its doors on Oct. 14.
October 4
Alliance Police Play Role in Response to Gering Hostage Situation
When a life-threatening situation unfolded in Gering, the Alliance Police Department was one of the entities providing support in helping draw the incident to a peaceful resolution.
October 11
NSP Investigates Triple-Fatality Crash
At approximately 9:45 a.m. MT Tuesday, NSP and the Box Butte County Sheriff’s Office were notified of a two-vehicle crash that had occurred on Highway 2, several miles east of Alliance.
October 18
Sutphen Named Box Butte County Sheriff
The Box Butte County Commissioners tapped J.D. Sutphen to serve as the new Sheriff of Box Butte County, dropping “interim” from his title during their meeting on Oct. 4.
“I’m happy that the Commissioners picked me,” said Sutphen. “I think that it just shows that they wanted somebody with experience in there. I think Tammy (Mowry, former Box Butte County Sheriff) was the only one who had more experience than I did. Once she retired, I think Kirk Felker (Interim Alliance Police Department Chief) is next, and he’s about nine years behind me. I appreciate the commissioners picking me, and I’m going to try to do the best job that I can.”
October 25
City of Alliance Announces Downtown Snow Removal Plans
Downtown Property Owners are working with the City of Alliance to resolve snow removal concerns and perhaps re-establish a NEW Business Improvement District (BID).
An Interim BID Board was appointed in August to continue discussions around these issues and the legal aspect of creating a new BID is underway. In the meantime, an understanding has been reached between the Interim BID board and the City of Alliance wherein City crews will do their best to aid in snow removal downtown in addition to performing snow removal at city facilities.
November 1
Bike Repair Station Added at South Side of Laing Lake in Alliance
Activate Alliance, a community group working to make Alliance a safer place to walk, bike, and roll, is excited to offer a bike repair station for community use and sponsored by Healthy Blue.
The station is conveniently located at 18th and Box Butte on the south side of Laing Lake and is available for anyone needing spur-of-the-moment maintenance and repair. The station offers bike mounting, nine common bicycle tools tethered to the station, an air pump, an ADA-compliant design, and a QR code for maintenance instructions for viewing from a smartphone.
November 8
Welfare Check Results in Standoff, Resolved Peacefully by Law Enforcement
On November 2, 2023, at approximately 5:22 p.m., Alliance Police Officers responded to a welfare check at Grand Lake Village South. During the welfare check, officers encountered a situation that required a swift and coordinated response.
Upon knocking on the door, an adult female answered the door and brandished a firearm at APD Officers. In response, the officers immediately retreated and took cover. The female in question made threats towards the officers, indicating that she would open fire if they approached any closer. Located in the residence was the female and a juvenile. The female was identified as Yadira Garza of Alliance.
Given the dynamics of the situation and the potential threat to public safety, a shelter-in-place order was issued, and additional law enforcement assistance was requested.
November 15
Crash Claims Life of Harrison Man
A two-vehicle crash on the morning of Nov. 4 claimed the life of a Harrison man, and resulted in a citation for the other driver.
According to Cody Thomas, Public Relations Director for the Nebraska State Patrol, said that troopers were alerted to the report of a crash on Highway 385 near Alliance at 6 a.m. The crash involved a northbound box truck, driven by Dennis Murphy, 81, of Harrison, and a southbound Dodge Ram pickup, driven by Ethen Gonzalez, 20, of Alliance.
November 22
Platte Valley Bank Warns of Dangers of Text Scams
There have been a string of fraudulent text messages targeting our community. In one recent scam, a text message alerts are being sent about a “problem” transaction with an online link. The link looks like an online banking page, but once information is entered, the scammers have access to your bank account. They are targeting different kinds of transactions including unrecognized charges, attempted charges, and new device warnings just to name a few.
November 29
People Helping People Sees Successful Event
Community volunteers gathered together in Alliance on Thanksgiving to provide meals for people in an effort to grow the sense of community.
Rahne and James Girard spearheaded People Helping People this year after leading it in 2022.
“James and I decided to take it over last year from the Boyles family,” Rahne said. “We kind of enjoyed doing it, so we decided to do it again this year. I know that David and Teresa (Boyles) have been doing it for probably 30 years. It’s kind of just grown over the years. I used to volunteer for it in high school and in college to help deliver meals and stuff.”
Rahne explained that the volunteers cooked a total of 46 turkeys this year, with leftovers being donated to Community Table.
December 6
Investigation Begins Following Death in Custody
An adult male inmate of the Scotts Bluff County Detention Center was found unresponsive by staff on Friday, December 1, 2023, at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Officers performed CPR and used an AED in attempts to resuscitate the male, who was transported to Regional West Medical Center by Valley Ambulance.
December 13
AHS Enters Separate Lockdowns After Report of Student with a Firearm
Law Enforcement responded quickly after receiving a report of a student with a firearm at Alliance High School last Wednesday afternoon.
According to a report issued by Interim Alliance Police Department Chief Kirk Felker, at 1:36 p.m., officers received a report of a student with a gun at Alliance High School. Following the Standard Response Protocol, the school went into immediate lockdown.
APD Officers, who were assisted by Box Butte County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, made contact with the juvenile when they arrived on scene at 1:38 p.m. The juvenile was detained and the weapon was recovered.
December 20
WESTCO Reports Best Year in History
The 82nd Annual Stockholders’ Meeting of Western Cooperative Company (WESTCO) took place Wednesday, December 13 at the Westside Event Center in Alliance, with over 100 people attending the meeting.
CFO Josh Foster presented the financial reports for the 2023 fiscal year, showing the cooperative had $187 million in sales and generated a net savings of $11.8 million. WESTCO has a very strong balance sheet with $25 million working capital and $80 million total equity.
In the Annual Board Report, Chairman Joe Thompson informed the members that 2023 was WESTCO’s best year in history and the Board approved Equity Redemption for all members age 70 and older. In total, WESTCO is returning $3 million in cash back to members, following the Annual Meeting, and allocating another $3 million to Members Equity Accounts.