Pip: Welcome back to the Hale Multimedia feed, where the news is local and the stakes are real — sometimes literally measured in meals.

Mara: Today we're covering a practical community resource guide from Panhandle Scanner: Free summer meal programs for kids across the Panhandle, with specific details for several local school districts.

Pip: Let's start with who gets fed and where.

Mara: When school ends, some kids lose reliable access to lunch — and this post maps out exactly what's available locally to fill that gap through USDA-backed summer meal programs.

Pip: The post lays out the access rule clearly: "any child ages 1–18 can access meals through participating summer meal sites, regardless of which school district they attend."

Mara: That detail matters. Families aren't locked into their own district's program — they can go to whichever location is most convenient for them. The only catch is that some sites require registration in advance.

Pip: So the barrier is low, but not zero — worth checking before you show up hungry.

Mara: Gering Public Schools kicks off May 28th with meal pack pick-ups requiring registration, plus walk-in meals at Lincoln Elementary with no registration needed. Two options, different logistics.

Pip: Scottsbluff runs four locations starting May 26th, and they've gone the extra mile by posting the full menu on the SBPS Child Nutrition Facebook page. Snacks run from nine to nine-thirty at three sites, and a Grab and Go pickup option launches June 22nd on Mondays and Thursdays — that one does require advance sign-up.

Mara: Adults can participate too at Scottsbluff sites — meals are available for $5.75, snacks for $3.60. The post also notes participation is open regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, or disability.

Pip: Minatare keeps it simple: no registration, no cost, May 26th through June 26th, Monday through Friday. Breakfast at seven-thirty, lunch at eleven-thirty, at Minatare Elementary on 7th Street.

Mara: And Morrill Elementary runs through July 2nd — the longest window of the group — serving breakfast and lunch for kids one through eighteen. The district office number is listed for questions: 308-247-3414.

Pip: Four districts, slightly different rules, same basic promise: kids eat.

Mara: The national Summer Food Service Program information is available at the USDA website, and Nebraska-specific site locations were set to go live in the finder around May 26th once the state approves them.

Pip: If you're in the Panhandle and wondering whether your neighborhood qualifies, that finder is the place to start.

Mara: Real, local, actionable — that's what community coverage looks like when it's doing its job.

Pip: More of the same next time. Don't miss it.

(SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb.) -- SkyWest Airlines, operating as United Express, is officially restoring the early morning flights out of Western Nebraska Regional Airport in Scotts Bluff this September. The upcoming schedule features a new 5.42 a.m. departure to Denver, along with that afternoon flight.

The current schedule will remain until after Labor Day, but travelers can start booking their round-trip flights immediately for their September trips and beyond. Scotts Bluff area residents will want to be aware of the road closure that's County Road 20 near Scotts Bluff, between Highway 92 and County Road 20. The road is closed because of road maintenance activities until June 10th.

In scanner-specific news, the Goshen County Scanner is online and is available under the Listen tab on panhandlescanner.com. Other scanner feeds that you can listen to directly by simply going to our mobile app, which is available through panhandlescanner.com, Dawes County Fire and EMS, Broadwater Volunteer Fire, Keith County Fire and EMS, and Hay Springs Fire, along with, our scanner feed, the Scotts Bluff County Public Safety feed, which includes the Nebraska State Patrol, Air Link, and Local Dispatch. We've also recently added the Laramie County Sheriff's Office, Cheyenne and Pine Bluffs Police Department, and the Wyoming Highway Patrol feed. Visit today by simply going to panhandlescanner.com on your cell phone.

If you have local news to report to us, the fastest and easiest way is to just shoot it to us through our Facebook page. If you don't have Facebook, that's okay. Simply call or text the number on panhandlescanner.com.

(GERING, Neb.) -- The City of Gering notified residents yesterday that a water main break was causing discolored water. Hopefully that was rectified yesterday.

Multi-day severe weather chances here. According to the weather service in Cheyenne, chances for afternoon showers and thunderstorms will tick up a notch on Friday between 30 and 70 percent. In addition, a few isolated storms will have the potential to become strong to severe.

Primary hazards include lightning, gusty winds, isolated hail, and local heavy rainfall. Banner County completed containment lines on the graduation fire as well. They finished lines through the timber on both the northeast and southwest ends as well as mop up on hot spots on the interior.

They had one aerial drop of retardant from the seat plane. They will continue monitoring with one truck and a crew. And this is a serious matter.

Cattle producers are urged to be vigilant after a tick-borne parasite that affects cattle was detected in several Nebraska counties. The Asian longhorn tick, ALHT, is the primary carrier responsible for spreading the parasite. Although ALHT has not been found in Nebraska, cattle imported into the state have tested positive.

The tick has already become established in 26 other states. The best method of prevention is tick control and good management practices for your herd, including external parasite control, said state veterinarian Dr. Roger Dudley. If the disease is suspected, you should report it to your veterinarian immediately.

Panhandle Scanner covers news in the areas of police and crime, severe weather, fire and rescue, missing persons, and safety alerts, and that's another safety alert brought to you today by R&C Welding in Gering, Nebraska.

USDA LINK TO INFO

Asian longhorned ticks (Haemaphysalis longicornis) are invasive pests that pose a serious threat to livestock in the United States. They can form large infestations on one animal and spread diseases that impact both animals and people.

In November 2017, public health officials in Hunterdon County, NJ, reported the first detection of the Asian longhorned tick outside of a U.S. port of entry inspection site. It then spread to numerous Eastern States. Asian longhorned ticks aren't normally found in the Western Hemisphere.

APHIS provides updates to State agencies to inform planning, surveillance, outreach, control, and overall collaboration on the Asian longhorned tick.

What to Look For

Asian longhorned tick populations in the United States are parthenogenetic, meaning an individual female can lay eggs without mating, essentially cloning herself to create the next generation. This is one reason the Asian longhorned tick is a successful invader of new geographic regions.

• Unfed Asian longhorned ticks are light reddish-tan to dark reddish with brown, dark markings.
• Adult females are grey-green with yellowish markings and the size of a pea after feeding. Male ticks are rare.
• Other unfed stages of the tick are very small, about the size of a sesame seed, or even smaller.

For more details, view our pest alert (1004.99 KB) and story map about Asian longhorned ticks.

How To Prevent This Disease

Various strategies effectively mitigate tick populations on hosts and in the environment.

• Regular tick treatments should be effective against Asian longhorned ticks. Consult your veterinarian or agriculture extension agent about which products to use.
• Check your livestock for ticks regularly.
• Safely remove ticks from people and pets as quickly as possible. If you think you've found an Asian longhorned tick, seal it in a zip-top bag and give it to your veterinarian for identification.

• Habitat modifications can help prevent ticks on feedlots and pastures. This may include mowing grass, removing trees, reducing shade by thinning trees, understory removal, and placing mulch barriers.
• Apply acaricide using label instructions to tick habitats, such as woodland edges and grassy patches, during times when ticks are most actively seeking hosts. Although it varies by year, Asian longhorned ticks are generally active from March to November. Consult your State and local regulations for approved acaricides.

We do have some good news on the Ash Pole Fire in Dawes County. As of yesterday, it is 100% contained.

The fire burned 1,026 acres from the 16th of May to the 26th. It is now 100% contained. Speaking of Dawes County, the Nebraska Department of Transportation is set to begin work on Highway 20 and Chadron and to the west.

NDOT said in a release that the work will begin on two stretches of Highway 20 that reference Post Mile Marker 56 to 58, which is between Chadron and Whitney. You will see Simon Contractors doing asphalt paving, culvert extensions, sidewalks, flumes, grading, and seating. Those traveling on Highway 20 can expect to see lane restrictions, so please use caution.

The project is set to begin June 8th, with completion anticipated in November. Highway 20, road work, please be careful. LaGrange Fire responded to a mutual aid request from Banner County Fire in Nebraska. They were able to send two tenders, one tactical tender, four Type 6 trucks, and 11 firefighters to fight that fire in Banner County.

At 2:09 p.m., Banner County was dispatched to a rekindle on the Graduation Fire. They wrote, "A hotspot buried in the duff under some trees blew out from the high winds. It spread to the canyon directly west and north into the grass. Currently we’re estimating 105 acres with half that in timber. We’ve got a perimeter established and have trucks on night shift to monitor. Thank you to the neighboring departments for assistance and the local neighbors for help with a disc, water trucks,and food."

See more about that on our Facebook page at Panhandle Scanner.

Lots of coverage in our five main areas. Police and Crime, Fire and Rescue, Severe Weather, Missing Persons, and Safety Alerts. All on PanhandleScanner.com. Speaking of crime, don't forget that public record every Monday through Friday when available. For more daily news like this and more, visit our page at Panhandle Scanner on Facebook or our website at PanhandleScanner.com. Packed with resources.

Statistics have been released from the Nebraska Department of Transportation on fatality deaths for the month of April, 2026. NDOT reports that 11 fatalities occurred in 10 fatal crashes.

Only half wore seatbelts, 30% were unrestrained, and 20% were unknown. A striking 81.8% of the fatalities occurred in rural areas. Interestingly, zero on the interstate.

Highway and local routes saw the highest danger with 7 deaths on non-interstate highways, 4 on local roads, and 0 on I-80. One motorcyclist was among those killed. Data compiled through mid-May shows that Nebraska fatalities in January through April 2026 reached 65 total deaths across 58 fatal crashes.

This marks a slight improvement compared to previous years. The state recorded 68 fatalities during the same time frame last year and averaged 73 fatalities between 22 and 25. A slight improvement over the previous years.

Let's all do our best to be defensive drivers.

The Western Nebraska Pioneers open play tonight at Gering's Oregon Trail Park. The game begins at 6:35 p.m.

Meanwhile in court action, Dimitri Enriquez, the driver of the vehicle in that fatal beating of 15-year-old Wyatt Reeb, was seen in court this week. A plea deal has been reached for accessory to second-degree murder.

Ramon Enriquez and Corey Rotherham Jr. are still facing charges. The primary suspect in the case, Devante Castellaw, was sentenced to 55 years in prison, all stemming over accusations of a stolen car. Please anyone listening, parents or children, control your emotions.

For more positive news, catch our Elevate Your Day Morning podcast or our blog at diggingdeeper.net.

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

A freak accident happened on Saturday.

Dog call shotgun. In Scottsbluff, a potentially deadly situation was luckily avoided on Saturday, just after noon on Avenue I when a shotgun was accidentally discharged by a dog. Dispatch reports a possible BB gun injury to a woman near the 2001 Avenue I address, that's the Scotts Bluff shortstop gas station.

Initial calls indicated the woman may have been shot with a BB gun. Further investigation determined it was actually a loaded shotgun that was accidentally discharged by a dog. Ambulances were cancelled on scene by Scottsbluff fire.

Injuries were minor and the patient was reportedly transported to Regional West Medical Center by family.

As a reminder, Nebraska State Statute 37-522, referencing Shotgun on Highway, Restrictions, Violation, and Penalty.

It shall be unlawful to have or carry, except as permitted by law, any shotgun having shells in either the chamber, receiver, or magazine in or on any vehicle on any highway.

Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and shall be fined at least $50. As a side note, the accidental shooting happened on a city street and not a highway. An investigation is ongoing.

Pip and Mara discuss upcoming Vacation Bible School dates

Pip: Welcome back to the Hale Multimedia LLC corner of the internet, where summer is apparently a team sport.

Mara: That's right — Panhandle Scanner has been tracking Vacation Bible School programs across the region, and there's a lot of ground to cover, from Scottsbluff to Sidney to Torrington.

Pip: Let's start with who's running VBS, when, and what they're calling it this year.

Mara: The question this segment answers is a practical one: if you're a family in the Nebraska Panhandle or nearby Wyoming looking for a Vacation Bible School this summer, where do you go and when?

Pip: The post opens with an invitation before it gets into the listings themselves. Churches that want to be included are asked to reach out directly: "If your church is hosting a Vacation Bible School and would like to be on the list, please email sbcoscanner@gmail.com and / or message the Panhandle Scanner page."

Mara: So this isn't a closed registry — it's a running, community-built list. That changes how you read it. The listings are there because churches actively submitted them, and more can still be added.

Pip: And the list that's already there is substantial. It runs week by week from late May through late July, which is a longer window than you might expect.

Mara: The earliest entries are the week of May 26th — First Baptist of Scottsbluff and Harvest Valley Church, both running May 26 through 29, with themes called Galaxy and The Illumination Station respectively. Then the calendar fills in fast.

Pip: June 1st is the busiest week on the list, with six programs running simultaneously across the region — Harrisburg, Angora, Alliance, Immanuel Lutheran in Alliance, St. Agnes in Scottsbluff, and Cornerstone Fellowship in Bayard.

Mara: The theme names alone are doing a lot of work here. Emerald Crossing shows up at Alliance Berean, Harrison Bible Church, Lifeway Church in Torrington, and Pleasant Point Community Church in Ellsworth. Rainforest Falls appears at both Central Church of Christ and Gering United Methodist. Later in July, Rusty's Junkyard VBS and Junkyard Redemption are running in the same week, at Bayard Community Bible Church and Zion Evangelical Scottsbluff.

Pip: A junkyard-themed VBS is either inspired or a very committed bit, and honestly either answer is fine.

Mara: The list also carries one important note at the bottom — Mitchell Berean's June 1 through 4 program has been postponed, so families planning around that one will need to watch for updates.

Pip: The window runs all the way to late July, with Faith Lutheran in Gering, Calvary Memorial, and First Baptist Chadron rounding out the summer end of the calendar.

Mara: There's something genuinely useful about a list like this — it's the kind of local coordination that's hard to find in one place.

Pip: More listings may still be coming. Worth checking back.