As many towns and counties are still declaring their preference whether or not to ban or allow fireworks for the 2026 season, weather permitting, Gering's Allred Brothers display will be held at the Five Rocks Amphitheater again this year. That's the Allred Brothers display at Five Rocks.

Meanwhile, the Banner County Fire Chief has declared a burn ban in Banner County until further notice. No burning is allowed of any kind other than those allowed by exception, which are very few. Just don't burn during a burn ban. And that includes fireworks. Check our Facebook page for that burn ban from Banner County and watch out for others that may pop up. Fortunately, there is some precipitation anticipated between now and the 4th of July.

You may remember the man that doused his father with gasoline and murdered him on 11th Avenue in Scottsbluff last spring. Elijah Cervantes has entered a plea of not guilty by insanity in the death of his 74-year-old father, Anthony. The trial is set to begin in Scotts Bluff County. We'll have more on that case once a verdict is reached.

With the recent precipitation in the Crawford area, there's a new flash flood alert for the burn scar that was caused by the South Fork Fire. With no vegetation in the ground, water tends to run off a lot more. So please use caution in those areas.

For these stories and more, visit Panhandle Scanner or Panhandlescanner.com. Now over 25 million visitors to our website. And don't forget that popular public record every Monday through Friday when available.

Our top story of the day comes from last night's Sidney City Council meeting. The Sidney Nebraska City Council voted to allow fireworks this year, from July 1st at 8am to July 5th at 1am. However, the conversation got very heated and police were called to the scene, despite the fact that the police chief was on scene at the meeting. We were getting live updates when Mr. Balfour stopped by to speak with our reporter outside, to show his appreciation for coverage after the council meeting, when several police cars showed up. We didn't hear of any further action taken, but we'll let you know if anything serious came of it. It was a verbal argument over fireworks.

Subsequently, the Cheyenne County Commissions voted on Wednesday morning, to BAN fireworks in rural areas of the county, with fines of $250, $500, and $1,000 for first, second and third offense.

Speaking of fireworks, there is a discussion on venue change in Gering. The Allred display typically takes place at Five Rocks Amphitheater, but there is discussion this year about moving it to Oregon Trail Park in Gering. Find that post and be sure to comment on our Facebook page.

Little Lake Alice is back! The irrigation water has flowed in and refilled Little Lake Alice. There is a time-lapse video from Troy Bryan on our Facebook page at Panhandle Scanner.

And there'll be a planned outage for the Village of Morrill coming up on the 28th. That's a Sunday, so they wanted to be sure to put out that notice early, and they asked for our help. So, folks in Morrill, be ready for that short electrical outage on Sunday morning the 28th.

Several businesses took damage to their properties around the Panhandle, and one of those was Monument Shadows Golf Course. The storm damaged almost all of the greens. The grounds crew worked all day to repair as much damage as possible. The golf course will be closed at least until noon on Wednesday. The driving range is open, and they thank you for your patience while they get the greens back into shape.

Unfortunately, natural disasters, and especially hailstorms, can make several people in the community a target. Well, the storms certainly cause damage all throughout the Panhandle, and we feel our job at Panhandle Scanner is to help the community. Over the years, we have acquired major sponsors in several different categories that can be trusted and called upon in emergencies like this.

First of all, we want to make sure to remind you, the number one tip for roof damage is to call your roofing company before you call your insurance company. That tip comes from Valley Roofing and Restoration, and we have several other tips from Kevin Smith on how you can protect yourself from not only being scammed, but by simply making choices in the wrong order.

For insurance companies, we highly recommend American Family Insurance, the Kendall Henderson Agency. He's been a sponsor of the Scanner from year one.

And we're sure there is plenty of fence damage out there. Call Custom-Made Fencing. That's Sean Low. They can help you there.

Three and a half years ago, when we began the Favorite Local Small Business in the Panhandle, it was the third quarter of 2023, and Platte River Glass was overwhelmingly your choice for Favorite Local Small Business. If you need glass repair, contact Platte River Glass, and be sure to have your VIN number handy.

For vehicle damage, we recommend Bumper-to-Bumper Body and Paint. Quality that counts.

And if you need help cleaning up your yard, we recommend Cauyer Glanz from Western Nebraska Landscaping. Give Cauyer a call.

You can find all these great businesses either on Panhandle Search or Panhandle Scanner on the web. Just click on Just for Fun, and then Sponsors.

Police are still searching for that whitish flatbed involved in the hit and run accident at Maverik on June 9, 2026. Some people have said they noticed that truck in the Mitchell and Morrill areas of the panhandle. Be on the lookout and please call it in.

A lot of excitement over the weekend for possible inclement weather, but thankfully, no tornadoes in Nebraska, at least not in our immediate panhandle. A tornado did touch down, however, in Wyoming, with a video captured by a local sheriff that made it onto national news. It was in a rural area, and there was no damage reported.

The panhandle is certainly in a drought. A drought like this, according to some, has never been experienced like this before here in western Nebraska in our history. It's hard to believe, but Little Lake Alice, completely dry for the first time in memory. Please pray for rain.

Also, we're asking for your prayers for a storm chaser in northeastern Colorado who rolled his vehicle after hydroplaning over the weekend. Big Dog Northeastern Colorado Storm Chasers reported that Abraham, nicknamed Little Dog Five, had his seatbelt on, but unfortunately his vehicle lost control after hydroplaning and it rolled. We do know he's okay with a couple of scrapes, but denies any other injuries. The vehicle is totaled. Please pray for all of our storm chasers out there risking their lives and their property to bring you the news.

And last we heard, Scotts Bluff Police Department are still investigating that hit and run accident at the Maverick Station in Scotts Bluff on June 9th, where a white, older, flatbed work truck backed into another vehicle. You can see that picture and videotape on our Facebook page at Panhandle Scanner.

The Pony Express rode through yesterday through Gering, Nebraska, and through several parts of the Panhandle. In fact, one of the riders called us from Bridgeport to confirm the transfer location. Michelle Hunter LaTowski was a rider from Scottsbluff, who did several different legs of the re-ride. Find pictures and video from the Pony Express on our page at Panhandle Scanner, and some interesting information, like did you know that the riders switch off every mile? That's why we see them riding like heck away from each stop, but every mile it's a fresh rider and horse, and that leapfrogging happens through all 1,966 miles of the trail.

And a special thanks to Nebraska, writes the National Pony Express. Did you know there are over 505 miles of the Pony Express in Nebraska alone? Special thanks to Nebraska ponies and riders.

And of course, local scanner traffic included the usual calls for motor vehicle accidents, traffic stops, and traffic complaints, but in Grand Island, police arrested Ignacio Contreras for threatening to kill five people with a stick. On Wednesday night, around 7 44 p.m., police received a call at West Phoenix Avenue for a man threatening to kill five people. Contreras was arrested for felony terroristic threats, misdemeanor third-degree assault, and five misdemeanor counts of disturbing the peace.

For these stories and more, be sure to follow us at Panhandle Scanner on Facebook. Also follow PanhandleScanner.com on the web for our full news page with various articles, not just the ones you see on Facebook.

Severe weather is predicted for Saturday, so just a heads up there. We'll have more on Panhandle Scanner, so be sure to follow us.

That's going to do it for today's scanner news.

Scanner traffic indicated a grass fire just around midnight, County Road 26, County Road S, Minatare. Several pages went out including a request for mutual aid from Scotts Bluff Rural Fire Protection District.

Speaking of fires, a lot of cities have made decisions on the fireworks ban for this year, although some cities and counties have not yet posted their decisions. Those we do know about that have said no, for sure, to fireworks this year are Crawford, Hemingford, Harrison, Gordon, Alliance, and Kimball. For sure, at this time, there may be more. Check our Facebook page to find out more as that list grows. Some cities and counties, like Rushville in Sheridan County, have not put out any information yet. We expect to see something from all of the counties very soon.

If you're a fan of the Pony Express, stay tuned to Panhandle Scanner for the exact time in which that rider and pony will be at the Scotts Bluff National Monument in Gearing. Anticipated arrival time is 4 p.m., but there is a GPS tracker live on the horse, and you can track them on their way. Visit our page at Panhandle Scanner and click the tab Resources for that Pony Express tracker.

The Gering City Band will be playing tonight as well at 7.30 p.m. in the Gering City Park. Be sure to go enjoy some relaxing music from the Gering City Band tonight at 7.30 p.m.

Two big events coming up July 17th and 18th, that's Tabor Days July 17th and 18th, and then July 18th, the Cheyenne County Fair begins. Lots on our calendar for the future, so stay tuned to Panhandle Scanner for more.

Well, the talk of the town is definitely the fireworks decisions. Those are really heating up the conversations. A lot of confusion has come between jurisdictions. Rural versus city limits. Statewide rules versus local rules. A fire ban versus a fireworks ban. So much confusion. Red flag warnings, fire bans, and fireworks bans.

What are the differences and how do they relate? Due to the recent confusion in the Scotts Bluff County Commissioner's meeting over whether or not they could actually vote to not allow fireworks has prompted a call to the governor's office. Local businesswoman Lindsey Lewis of Off the Water at Lake Minatare contacted the Governor's office along with Senator Brian Hardin's office about amending the current legislation to include fireworks in the verbiage. We're told through Lindsey that Commissioner Mike Blue, after evaluating the legislative process and the current legislation, stated that they were not actually allowed to vote against the fireworks.

That's why you saw three county commissioners overturning the ban. They claimed that without state legislation changing it would have been a or illegal for them to declare a ban. So much confusion and now it's our job to sort it out. We will be writing an article on Panhandle Scanner for each town and their decision in the Panhandle. In our own online poll, over 4,000 people have voted in the first 24 hours with 89 percent of the public believing that fireworks should be banned for 2026 in the Panhandle of Nebraska. Follow that news story on Panhandlescanner.com or our Facebook page by the same name.

(CRAWFORD, Neb.) -- There is some good news up north. Northwest Nebraska is thrilled to announce that Fort Robinson State Park is back open on a limited basis. All fort lodging and camping, the fort restaurant, the trailside museum, the history center and historical buildings, the post playhouse theater, historical tours and fishing at the ponds are all open. There is still active firefighting going on however. Please do not impede response vehicles, monitor conditions and road closures and respect road and trail signs.

(ALLIANCE, Neb.) -- If you haven't heard, there's been a third arrest in the Ebram Sifuentes murder case. Nebraska State Patrol investigators released additional information in the case that led to a third arrest. Last September, investigators arrested Tamara Bingham on multiple charges including first-degree murder related to the homicide of Ebram Sifuentes. He was found deceased in rural Box Butte County. Investigators also arrested Matthew Landreth as an accessory to a felony. Then on June 11th, investigators performed a search warrant at a location in rural Sheridan County and subsequently arrested Ruby Bingham, Tamara's mother, on charges of tampering with physical evidence, unlawful disposal of human remains and accessory to a felony.

(GERING, Neb.) -- In regional news, the Pony Express is off and on their way to Nebraska. Stay tuned for that route information and more on Panhandle Scanner. They should be at the Scotts Bluff National Monument on Thursday around 4 pm.

(EDWARDS AFB, Calif.) -- In national news, a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber disintegrated into nothingness shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California yesterday. We along with others are finding it hard to believe that there was so little left of that airplane from the video available to the public. For that story and more, you can always visit our news page at panhandlescanner.com or our Facebook page by the same name.