Sandhills Voice

James E. Ducey. March 27, 2004. The Cherry County assessor’s office has been placed on probation by the Nebraska Department of Revenue (NDR). The county office had indicated a “pattern of nonconformity with timely meeting” critical deadlines, according to a letter dated February 5th, 2024 from the state agency responsible to ensure compliance with statutory assessment deadlines. There were three particular items indicted: “A. Whether Cherry County entered personal property into their CAMA system in a timely manner to correctly provide an accurate taxable value,” according to the state agency letter. A “liaison visit” by NDR to the county office on September 17, 2023 indicated “that the deputy assessor and one clerk were still entering personal property into the county’s CAMA system; almost two months past when such information was to be certified to each political subdivision.” Conclusion: ”This prevented the Assessor from certifying an accurate current taxable value of all taxable rea...

James E. Ducey. June 22, 2023. Grant County News 138(47): 1. An Amish community is being established in the Niobrara River Valley south of Kilgore, in Cherry County. As of the beginning of June, there were two families present, with the first group arrival weeks ago from Kentucky. The community is expected to have something like 15 families or possibly up to 200 people, once everyone is resident, based upon personal communications. More housing than currently present will need to be built. There will apparently be their own church and school. The primary property is many miles west of Valentine and south from Kilgore down to Anderson Bridge Road. Since the Amish do not drive motor vehicles, transit to town to get necessities will be via an alternate source. At this time, a ride from a neighbor has been seen to be suitable. There is no information currently available to indicate what busness activities will occur to provide requisite monetary support for the families. The purchase of th...

James E. Ducey, ca. 2010. Original interpretive illustrations by Jack Sampson and Copyright 2010 Jack Sampson . Wild times were the norm during the open range days in the Niobrara country of northern Nebraska. One particular place of repute was the “Hog Ranche” near the Fort Niobrara military post.   A post was being established during June 1880, on the south bank of the Niobrara River, Nebraska, opposite the mouth of the Minnechaduza River. J.M. Thacher & Co. were the post traders, evening being established a few months previous. Cowboys, Indians, desperadoes, settlers and others came to this outpost on the northwest frontier of Nebraska. A columnist described the strife at the fort, detailing how a soldier of D Company named Castigan or called “Jersey” shot and killed Sergeant Widmer when the he came to order the soldier to respond to the call. Other troubles may have been associated with the nearby hog-ranche establishment. “On the day previous to the above happenings, the 4...

James E. Ducey. July 29, 2007. Originally issued on Wildbirds Broadcasting. With several photographs. Along the dim trails among the sea of grass-covered dunes in the Nebraska sandhills, a sporadic route in recent years has varied in pursuit of a higher view. During particular days, the trucking was to the known, peak elevations to the sights and to experience the night. The first stop for upclose watching was at Baldy Hill on May 18, 1995. Baldy Hill, in northeast Arthur County near Swan Lake, is the government name. The ranch on the northeast slope has its own variation on the same theme, showing Bally Hill on the resident's sign. The route, following a brief stop at the ranching place, went on up and parked on the north-side slope, with walking needed to get to the utter top. It is a sunny, nice setting, with the lee side of a blowout a fine spot out of the wind to view the day away. In the next month - mid-June 1995 - the start to Wild Horse Hill was a parking place east of the...

There are many high points in various ways. A unique aspect for Sand Hills' counties is actively conveyed for recognized heights among the regional hills. These are some of the best peak places indicated from an online source (peakbagger.com) as of mid-March, 2024. The variation in land terrain is obvious in the elevation measurements conveyed. Arthur County High Point: 4080 feet the indicated elevation; eight known ascents for this hilltop at the very northern edge of the county, near Grant County. Blaine County High Point: 2940 feet; six ascents indicated.  Brown County High Point: 2960 feet; six ascents. Located a short distance from the south side of Moon Lake. Cherry County at the Hazel Benchmark: 4206 feet; 15 ascents. At the western extent of the county near the Sheridan County boundary. Custer County at Hughes Benchmark: 3146 feet; eight ascents. Just a bit of a way northwesterly of the Judkins Table. Garden County High Point: 4160 feet; nine ascents. Garfield County High P...

James E. Ducey. October 20, 2011. Grant County News 127(11): 1, 5.  Amelia is a bit of a former village amidst a rural setting where ample water is readily appreciated and important. Tracing its origin to the mid-1880s, the once-bustling village still conveys one essentially obvious reason for it being established more than 125 years in the past. Water. Ample water from the groundwater aquifer. Water which flows forth as it has for decades, if not at least for a known century or more.   Amelia's history dates to the mid-1880s. In August 1885 a post-office was established, and named after the wife of I.D. Bliss, an early settler, according to records of the era. In 1892, the town was platted with numerous lots ready for the taking by anyone interested in settling. Water was available just below the ground's surface. Placing a pipe into the ground could create a flowing well, with each house having a flowing well for its domestic uses, plus another for their stock. When...

Shaun Loughery. March 7, 2024 . Grant County News 139(32): 1, 4. Images Copyright 2024 Shaun Loughery. All rights reserved. The five added in the post were a subsequent addition.   The Betty’s Way prairie fire started northeast of North Platte in the southern Sandhills on February 27, 2024. It burned easterly torching many acres and then joined with the Lariat Fire that threatened Stapleton and created a ca. 70000 burnt area.  It also barely missed the Milldale Ranch - the 7HL which is an iconic heritage brand - which was "actively involved with calving," as located at the South Loup River near the historic place of Gandy.    Amazing scene of the Gandy area prairie fire.   Addendum These are some additional shared pictures of activities on the ranch, really soon after the nearby blaze has been contained and otherwise. Rancher with Angus mom. Mother cow with newborn calf. Calf getting attention in the pickup truck. Calf hiding in the grass.

James E. Ducey. October 6, 2022. Grant County News 138(10): 1. Dark skies abound above the Great American Sandhills and this reality was recently indicated with the newly designated Dark Sky Park at Merritt Reservoir State Recreation area, as recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association. During a two-year process associated with 82 pertinent lights, luminosity was decreased and light fixtures adapted to eliminate any upward shine, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Some lights were removed. There are many other spaces where stars and other cosmic realities are obvious during the dark hours and can be appreciated. Consider especially spaces near the public reservoir. At Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, a public area of 71,526 acres, there is one light at Hackberry Lake which was the former headquarters,  according to the refuge manager. A contiguous tract of about 7600 acres south westerly of the confluence of the Snake River as it flows into the Niobrar...

James E. Ducey. October 12, 2014. Grant County News 130(12): 1. 5. Germans John Seier and the Zlomke brothers arriving along the Bloody and Skull creek tributaries of the Calamus River in 1880 initiated a new community. Others also came to this portion of the then unorganized territory of the eastern sandhills, westward of Holt County. In 1885, John brought his new wife Lydia, and she was the first white woman in the area, according to local history. At this time, he filed on a 160-acre homestead it what had been organized into an expansive Brown county. With the arrival of more settlers, the Duff post-office was established less than a mile north of the Seier place in April, 1886. Stephen B. Nelson was the first postmaster. August Seier filed on his nearby homestead at the same time. Both Seier family parcels were in T26N R20W, near the headwaters of Bloody creek. In May, 1888, "Everything is improving with our pleasant showers and we all hope to have a good crop this year,"...

This small refuge is located south of Bassett along Highway 183, and then west aside 854th Road, which is also know as Duff Road. The Duff Cemetery is nearby ⁹there.  This proposal is very weak as it does not indicate the location nor how many acres. What is especially disturbing how the legacy of John and Louise Seier is not mentioned. Hiring a consultant to prepare a potential management document is not an excuse. Especially when the hired sadly fail. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/john-w-and-louise-seier/news Comments can be made through the end of March 2024.

Stacie Buzanowski. February 1, 2024. Grant County News 139(27): 1. Images are Copyright 2024 Stacie Buzanowski. Their ranch, where premier polled Herefords are raised, is located in Arthur County, Nebraska.   At the Snowshoe Cattle Company Cattle in some trees at the Snowshoe Cattle Company.  Herefords on the range at the Snowshoe Cattle Company, Arthur county, Nebraska.