Sidney, NE

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New SRMC long-term care facility set to break ground this Spring

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Local funds help Sidney residents dream big



When Cabela’s sold to Bass Pro Shops in 2017, many wondered about Sidney’s future. It turns out that two local affiliated funds, and the sheer will of the people, are helping to keep the town alive and vibrant. For decades, Cabela’s made its home in Sidney. “If you’ve heard anything about Sidney in the eastern side of the state, you’ve probably heard about Cabela’s being bought out by Bass Pro,” Nebraska Community Foundation Board Member Sarah Sinnett said. “It was pretty traumatic for our community to go through that. Cabela’s employed more than 2,000 people in a town of 6,000. So, a lot of people were looking for new jobs and opportunities at that time. We had to decide if we were going to move away, or pivot and make our community bigger and better.” Community members decided to stay and fight. ”I would say that started a movement for us to dream big,” Sinnett said. Now the community has much to be proud of. “We’ve had more than 100 new businesses launch since Cabela’s sold out in 2017,” Sinnett said. “Now, there’s really a rich environment of entrepreneurship here in this community.” Part of the growth can be traced back to the work of the Sidney Community Donor Advised Fund, which is affiliated with Nebraska Community Foundation. “The donor advised fund did significantly contribute to our local LB840 fund, which gives payroll grants to local employers,” Sinnett said. “They have also funded our E3 initiative, which has hired an entrepreneurial navigator, which is basically a one-on-one business coach for all new employers.” E3 stands for Energizing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems. It’s an initiative through NCF that’s playing a big role in Sidney. “Really the thought behind it is especially in rural communities, it’s exceedingly rare that a large employer is going to come in and employ 2,000 people again,” Sinnett said. “The E3 focus is on growing our own, and encouraging students to have skills to move back here one day, and also encouraging small business growth and local ownership within small employers.”

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Potter Sundry continues to delight visitors



POTTER, Neb. (KOLN) - For the 15th anniversary of the Nebraska Tourism Passport, there are 15 bonus stops made up of popular locations over the years. The Potter Sundry is one of those stops. We caught up with Missy Marsh, who is the new manager of the Pottery Sundry, to talk about this unique Nebraska business. “I lived close to Potter growing up, so I remember coming here as a kid,” Marsh said. “I played volleyball in Scottsbluff in college, and then went on to the University of Northern Colorado where I got a journalism and marketing degree. But, all of my life I’ve worked in the hotel and restaurant industry. From Greeley, I went to Denver and worked in hotels there. Then I went to Washington, D.C., Miami and back to Denver in the hotel industry doing catering. I moved back to my home area around 2018, and started a local catering business called “The Farmer’s Daughter Catering”. When this opportunity came about to run the Potter Sundry, I decided to take it over and manage it.”

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Cheyenne county business finds success with variety



POTTER, Neb. (KOLN) - The business known as Chuckaboo Station in Potter is gaining in popularity, and the brewery attached to the business is featured on this year’s Nebraska Tourism Passport. We caught up with co-owner Teran Enevoldsen to talk about Chuckaboo Station, Flyover Brewing Company’s Hangar 39, and the beef products now being offered at the business. “We wanted to diversify for being in a small town,” Enevoldsen said. “We started raising cattle eight years ago. The beef is called Rose Veal. It’s beef we harvest when the cattle naturally begin weaning off their mothers. It’s a smaller cut, but it’s full of a lot more flavor and it’s really tender. This has just been expanding, and we thought we’d offer it to the community as well.”

Chuckboo Station is where you can get coffee and other items, and next door is Hangar 39. “That is part of Flyover Brewing Company out of Scottsbluff,” Enevoldsen said. “This whole building used to be a gas station. There’s a whole bunch of history throughout this building. You can see original hardwood flooring. Over in the Hangar 39 part, you can see the original car lift and tire rack from the 1940′s. That serves as the bar. The tables feature reclaimed wood from a bowling alley in Alliance, so that goes along with the duck bin bowling here in Potter. We’ve tried to tie things in to many aspects within our community. The tin on the ceiling in Hangar 39 is from our pasture. We try to give the history of the building and the area in general, when people come in.”

“Chuckaboo” is a term of endearment for a friend in the Victorian era. The interior of the Chuckaboo Station portion of the business has a Victorian flair. “The name of Hangar 39 ties in the reference to Flyover Brewing Company, and the number 39 represents the license plate prefix number for Cheyenne County,” Enevoldsen said. “Chuckaboo Station was fortunate to be on the passport in 2021. This year in 2024, Hangar 39 is a stop on this year’s passport.” Potter residents are looking forward to seeing more visitors in town this spring and summer thanks to Hangar 39 and the Potter Sundry being stops on this year’s Nebraska Tourism Passport.