30th Annual Spooktacular
October 19th-21st and October 26th-30th
6:30pm-8pm
$8 per person + new this year; Scary section $2 extra
Games, characters, bounce houses provided by Planet Bounce and treats for
the kids! Fun for the whole family! Help us celebrate 30 years of spooky fun at
the Zoo!
Also new this year is the Flying Spaghetti Monster dinner
October 20th and 27th
$15 for Kids, $20 for Adults or Family pack for 2 Adults and 2 Kids for $60
A fun Halloween themed spaghetti dinner each Saturday of Spooktacular from
5pm-6pm. Includes fun foods and animal visits. Admission to Spooktacular is
included with ticket price for dinner. Dinner guests will also get into
Spooktacular before the general public.
OCTOBER 17, 2018 (SCOTTSBLUFF, NEB.) — The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP), working with the Gering Police Department, Scottsbluff Police Department, Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office, and Monument Prevention Coalition, has conducted alcohol inspections in Scotts Bluff County. The inspections were held on Saturday, October 13.
A total of 66 businesses were inspected. Two of those businesses sold alcohol to a minor. The overall compliance rate was 97 percent.
The businesses which sold alcohol to a minor were:
Goonies Sports Bar & Grill – Gering
Rosita’s – Scottsbluff
A business that fails the inspections is referred to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission. Clerks who sell alcohol to a minor are cited for procuring alcohol for a minor.
The Nebraska State Patrol and partner law enforcement agencies conduct these inspections across Nebraska in an effort to keep alcohol out of the hands of youth.
(Bayard, NE) October 2, 2018 - The Pumpkin Patch at BEFarm, is excited to Partner with Festival of Hope.
The Pumpkin Patch at BEFarm is once again “growing PINK pumpkins for the 2018 Season,” said Morrill County Farmer Billy Estes. Estes is excited to be collaborating with the Festival of Hope to raise funds to support local cancer patients. 50% of all Pink Pumpkins sales will be donated to Festival of Hope, hoping to raise up to $5,000.00. Most importantly, it is a good way to support a cause that helps cancer patients who live in Western Nebraska and Eastern Wyoming. As well as donations to the Festival of Hope, $1.00 from every pink pumpkin sold will also go to the Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation.
The Estes Family grows pink pumpkins in honor of their Grandmother Charlene Rhoades, whom they lost to cancer in 2015, and to Billy’s Mother, Karla, whom is a two-time cancer survivor.
Estes is not alone in his quest to brighten up the fall fruit for a cause. Another 10 or so farmers in Nebraska have bought the seeds, dubbed “porcelain doll", to make their crops blush. While this initiative has a very deliberate goal, the seed were actually discovered by accident. A Colorado farmer spotted the light pink hue several years ago and spent five years cultivating it to become what it is today.
Pink Pumpkins can be purchased starting this Saturday & Sunday directly from BEFarm, which is near Bayard, NE. Pink Pumpkins range in price from $10.00 each. The farm also has 59 other varieties of Pumpkins & squash for purchase, as well as a “FARM YARD” ($5 Admission) which includes; Hay Pyramid with 20ft Slide, Duck Races, Pumpkin Sling Shots, Pumpkin Bowling, and Pumpkin Tables Games.
New this year at the Pumpkin Patch at BE Farm is the 1st annual Harvest Fair & Market. Oct 6 & 7. Join us either day for a different selection of local vendors & food at the patch as well as a paint & cider class Oct 6th at 1 & 3:30pm. Visit BePumpkinPatch.com for more info or find us on Facebook.
We invite you harvest memories with you family as you roam our farm. The Pumpkin Patch at BEFarm hours are going to be starting on the Oct 6th and every Saturday & Sunday from 10am-6pm until the end of October, weather permitting.
• The Festival of Hope is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help cancer patients who live in Western Nebraska and Eastern Wyoming with non-medical expenses as they relate to their cancer care and treatment. There is a sincere interest by the Festival of Hope to help those applicants who qualify for assistance.
• The Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation was created in 2012 to help in the fight against breast cancer. Through the foundation, America’s pumpkin growers have pledged to give a percentage of proceeds from every pink pumpkin sold this year to organizations involved in breast cancer research.
• The Pumpkin Patch at BEFarm was officially started in 2016 with 6 acres, but Billy has been growing around ¼ -½ acre of pumpkins since he was 15, perfecting the art of growing pumpkins. BEFarms believes in growing all-natural. All pumpkins are hand planted and weeded from certified organic seeds with no chemicals or fertilizers being used on the farm.
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Scottsbluff – Kelley Bean Company recently hosted a luncheon to benefit the United Way’s upcoming Food Packaging event to help fight food insecurity in our communities. They presented a $1,052 donation to United Way to help sponsor the packaging event that will be held October 2, 2018 at the Weborg Center.
At this event approximately 200 community volunteers will package 60,000 meals (10,000 packages) of shelf-stable, microwaveable, fortified meals that will stay in our communities and be distributed through programs serving food insecure families.
For more information on this event please call 308-635-2522. Donations specific to this project can be mailed to or dropped off at the United Way office -1517 Broadway Suite #106 Scottsbluff, NE 69361. (Please note these donations: 2018 Day of Caring).
EDGEMONT, S.D. (AP) — A series of human errors led to a BNSF Railway train striking and killing two railroad workers in South Dakota last year, federal investigators said Thursday.
The National Transportation Safety Board released its report Thursday on the Jan. 17, 2017, accident near Edgemont, in southwestern South Dakota. A BNSF train traveling at 35 mph struck and killed two of three workers who had been clearing snow and ice from a track switch.
One of the workers killed was the designated lookout. According to the NTSB, the sight distance at the switch was inadequate for safely using a train approach warning method with only one lookout.
Investigators also found the lookout did not devote his full attention to detecting approaching trains, and was not given the necessary equipment as required by federal regulations.
In addition, the work group had incorrect information about the minimum-required sight distance and lacked the required time to move to a predetermined place of safety, the report found.
BNSF says it will review the report and recommendations.
BNSF spokeswoman Amy McBeth said the railroad follows Federal Railroad Administration standards for proper lookout equipment.
"After the incident, we further developed our already robust safety protocols," McBeth said in a statement.
In its report, the NTSB said the FRA's inconsistent enforcement of federal regulations for lookout equipment requirements contributed to the accident.
Robert Hall, the NTSB's director of the Office of Rail, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials, said it was the 52nd fatal accident in the past 21 years involving railroad roadway worker safety. In all, 55 workers have been killed in these accidents.
"These accidents are completely preventable when the people involved, from the workers to the regulators, follow well-established rules and perform their duties with a focus on safety," Hall said in a news release.
The FRA said Thursday the agency is reviewing the report and will respond within 90 days.
The two railroad workers who were killed were 35-year-old gang foreman Richard Lessert and 58-year-old motor vehicle operator Douglas Schmitz. Lessert had 10 years of service with BNSF, and Schmitz was employed by the railroad for 39 years.
BNSF says the two were headquartered at Edgemont, a city about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Rapid City.
Scottsbluff – Target presented a $1,000 donation to United Way of Western Nebraska to help sponsor the 2018 Day of Caring Food Packaging event to be held October 2, 2018 at the Weborg Center.
At this event, approximately 200 community volunteers will package 60,000 meals (10,000 packages) of shelf-stable, microwaveable, fortified meals that will stay in our communities and be distributed through programs serving food insecure families.
Funding for this event is raised through grants and donations specific to the project so as not to affect the annual United Way campaign fundraising efforts which helps support partner agencies. Sponsors for the Food Packaging Event thus far are Arby’s Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, Scottsbluff Kiwanis & Foundation, TEAM Auto, NEXT Young Professional Group, NPPD, Target, Weborg Center, Pepsi, UPS, Wallspace Indoor Billboards and Marianne Rushall.
For more information on sponsoring this event please call 308-635-2522. Donations specific to this project can be mailed to or dropped off at the United Way office -1517 Broadway Suite #106 Scottsbluff, NE 69361. (Please note these donations: 2018 Day of Caring).
Picture attached: Mike Martinez (Target) and Steph Black (United Way)
HENRY, Neb. (AP) — Nearly 90 firefighters from several departments combined to put out a grass and brush fire along the Wyoming state line in western Nebraska.
Morrill Volunteer Fire Department Chief Matt Hinman said Tuesday that he was headed home after watching for hotspots left behind by the blaze, which was first reported at 3:35 p.m. Monday a few miles north of Henry.
Hinman says no injuries were reported and no structures were burned. He estimated that nearly 2 square miles (518 hectares) were blackened by the wind-driven flames.
The fire cause is being investigated.
Scottsbluff – United Way of Western Nebraska is currently seeking additional sponsors for their annual Day of Caring Food Packaging Event which will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on October 2, 2018 at the Harms Advanced Technology Center. Meals of Hope will be the United Way partner vendor for the event. Funding for this event is raised through grants and donations specific to the project so as not to affect the annual United Way campaign fundraising efforts which helps support 15 partner agencies. Sponsors for the Food Packaging Event thus far are Arby’s Foundation, Scottsbluff-Gering Rotary Club, NEXT Young Professional Group, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NE., Scottsbluff Kiwanis Club & Foundation, Target, TEAM Auto Center, NPPD, Marianne Rushall, Pepsi Cola of Western NE. and UPS.
At this event approximately 200 community volunteers will package 60,000 meals (10,000 packages) of shelf-stable, microwaveable, fortified Mac-n-Cheese and Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal food products in assembly line fashion. It’s a great way for teams from a business, service organization, class, congregation or neighborhood to be visible and get involved in making a difference. The meals that are packaged will stay in our communities and be distributed through programs serving food insecure families. These programs include local food pantries, soup kitchens, school backpack programs (Scottsbluff, Gering, Mitchell, Morrill and Bayard schools), disaster relief programs, Diaper Depot, Firefighters Ministry, Panhandle Love in Action, and SB Volunteer Center’s Snow Angel program just to mention a few.
For more information on sponsoring this event or volunteering at the event please call 308-635-2522. Donations specific to this project can be mailed to or dropped off at the United Way office -1517 Broadway Suite #106 Scottsbluff, NE 69361.
On 8/20/18 at approximately 09:18, Scottsbluff Police was dispatched to a shoplifting at Walmart. The suspect vehicle was actively fleeing the Walmart parking lot and was last observed traveling eastbound on Hwy 26 from Ave I. The suspect vehicle was described as a passenger vehicle dark in color. A Scottsbluff PD unit observed the suspect vehicle on Hwy 26 between Ave I and Ave B. The suspect vehicle accelerated upon seeing the marked police patrol vehicle. A traffic stop was initiated and the suspect vehicle continued to flee. Walmart reported a felony dollar amount of property was stolen from the store. A pursuit was initiated as the suspect vehicle continued east on Hwy 26. Nebraska State Patrol deployed Stop Sticks at approximately CR 37 that were avoided by the suspect vehicle. The pursuit continued east until reaching the intersection of the Hwy 26 / Hwy 62A. The pursuit went south on Hwy 26 through Bayard. The suspect vehicle then reached the intersection of Hwy 26 / Hwy 92 where the suspect turned and went westbound on Hwy 92. The pursuit was terminated at that time. The pursuit reached a maximum speed of approximately 125 mph and lasted approximately 15 minutes. The suspect vehicle is currently being sought and the investigation is ongoing. Nebraska State Patrol, Morrill County Sheriff’s Department, and the Scotts Bluff Sheriff’s Department assisted in the response.
