Unfortunately, we have some breaking news for you this morning coming out of Lake McConaughey. Last night around 8 p.m., emergency crews were seen searching for a missing seven-year-old boy, suspected of drowning. Unfortunately, the young boy drowned. We also learned that a little girl was saved, but they were just too late for the boy. We will gather details and post what information we can secure from the family and law enforcement on this tragic accident last night. At this time, we're simply asking for everyone's prayers.

Speaking of Lake McConaughey, we still have a missing dog. Max is missing. He's a ten-year-old all-black English Cocker field bred hunting dog. He took off after a deer Wednesday morning on the west end of Lake McConaughey. See our missing dog post with that phone number on Panhandle Scanner.

Meanwhile in Gordon, assault leads to shocking arrest. The events leading to the Gordon man's arrest took several unexpected turns before ending with an electrifying conclusion. Authorities say a report of a possible armed altercation escalated into a struggle with deputies that ultimately required taser deployment. 21-year-old Gordon man, Hunter Hagel, was hit with 10 felony and misdemeanor charges.

Are you a nurse looking for work? Bayard Public Schools is hiring a full-time school nurse. Contact Bayard Public Schools.

Panhandle Scanner has also learned that the Scotts Bluff Area Visitors Bureau is looking for community members to serve on a brand-new West Nebraska Sports Council. If you are interested in advancing sports in the region, contact the Scotts Bluff Area Visitors Bureau.

The Alliance Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a juvenile, Laila Boerschig, age 17, was last seen at approximately 1 a.m. on August 5th in the area of the 100 block of South Grand Avenue in Alliance. If you've seen Layla or have any information regarding her whereabouts, please contact the Alliance Police Department.

Here's the scanner traffic with that information again. Laila Boerschig, 17, Indian female, 5'4, 125, brown-brown, last seen wearing blue shirt, gray shorts, black boots, signed Alliance Police Department.

Last night around 10 p.m., scanner traffic indicated a vehicle going eastbound in the westbound lanes. The 911 transfer was out of Wyoming. The vehicle had Wyoming plates and was headed into Nebraska.

If you are in the Lake McConaughey area or know someone who is, please share our recent post from the owners of a missing dog. Max is missing. He's a 10-year-old, all black, English Cocker Field bred hunting dog. They took him for a potty break around 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, and he took off after a deer. Please contact Panhandle Scanner or see the telephone number on the page on Panhandle Scanner referencing the missing dog at Lake McConaughey.

Yesterday, just after 1 p.m., a two-vehicle injury accident was reported in Scottsbluff on Highway 26. Scanner traffic indicated it was near the 21st Avenue intersection, airbags were deployed, and that one male was transported to Regional West Medical Center.

Just a quick reminder about the road construction on 21st Avenue, or Sugar Factory Road, that will be going on today and tomorrow. According to NPPD, they will be replacing some power poles north of 27th Street. So be aware, Sugar Factory Road, north of 27th Street, closed today and tomorrow for replacement of power poles.

National Night Out was a big hit, I presume all over the country, it certainly was a big hit here in western Nebraska. Cities from all over the panhandle hosted the event, featuring interaction with local police departments.

National Night Out is an annual community building campaign designed to foster police-community partnerships and enhance neighborhood camaraderie, aiming to create safer, more caring environments. Held on the first Tuesday in August for most of the U.S., the event involves millions of participants, fostering positive connections between residents and local public safety officials, including police and firefighters.

Helping bring awareness to missing persons cases is one of our most important jobs here at Panhandle Scanner. With so many runaways and other extenuating circumstances, many people question why or why we do not post particular missing persons cases. If you are interested in what our policies are, or how we handle missing persons cases, visit our website at PanhandleScanner.com, and visit our missing persons section. Every case is different, and we handle it with the utmost caution and compassion possible. And we appreciate everyone who shares our posts and helps with these missing cases.

Don't forget our public record every Monday through Friday, whenever available, now for over 20 counties in Nebraska, all on PanhandleScanner.com.

In Torrington, Officer Smith and Officer Cross took on a little nope-rope relocation project yesterday after a slithering friend found his way into the community without invitation. Fortunately, he wasn't a dangerous fellow and was safely removed and taken to a more favorable location down by the river.

The heat and dry conditions have a big impact on wildlife. They may be looking for some cool relief or water in places where we don't normally find them. Please keep an eye out, give them space, and give the police a call if you need a hand.

One of the joys of being a police officer is that you never know what adventures you will find in a day's work. By the way, if you can't tell from the photos, Officer Cross loves snakes.

Kimball, Nebraska, will be the site of a training exercise, the Region 1 Behavioral Health Crisis Intervention Team Training. September 14-18 in Kimball, Nebraska, two people were arrested following a traffic stop in Chadron on the evening of July 27th after officers allegedly discovered suspected methamphetamine during the investigation. According to the Chadron Police Department, Officer Colin Deines stopped a vehicle driven by 28-year-old Blaine Rowland after recognizing him and knowing his driver's license was suspended. During the stop, Officer Deines developed suspicion that Rowland may have been under the influence of alcohol.

Following a DUI investigation, Rowland was arrested on suspicion of DUI and driving under suspension. Officer Orsborn and K-9 Sukey assisted with the investigation. Approximately 3 grams of suspected methamphetamine were found allegedly on a passenger identified as 23-year-old Johanna Black Eyes. She was arrested on possession of methamphetamine. Both Rowland and Blackeyes were transported to the Dawes County Jail.

Well, it's fair season. The Scottsbluff County Fair just wrapped up, and it's time for two more.

The Kimball Banner County Fair begins August 9th and goes through the 15th, and it's the Box Butte County Fair starting tomorrow, August 4th through the 9th. And for our followers in the far northeastern portion of the Panhandle, a little bit outside the Panhandle is our Cherry County friends. They're also kicking off their County Fair this week. That started on Saturday and goes through the 9th.

Be sure to stay hydrated, as hot temps baked the region again this past week, with temperatures over 100 all over the Panhandle. 100 in Pine Bluffs, 102 in Alliance and Gordon, 103 in Bridgeport, 104 in Torrington and Scottsbluff, 105 in Gearing, and 106 degrees in Chadron.

There was a train delay yesterday that got some people hot. Multiple different crossings were closed, as 9th Avenue, 5th Avenue, Broadway, Avenue B, 20th Street, and Avenue I were all blocked due to a train that had broken down. BNSF sent a team to address the issue for the three-mile-long iron blockade, while the Nebraska State Patrol helped direct traffic.

The Sunday Scanner is out, and you'll catch all kinds of great stories in that weekly edition of our printable version, similar to a weekly newspaper. Catch it on Panhandlescanner.com or Panhandle Scanner on Facebook. It's the Sunday Scanner Weekly Edition in a newspaper format, complete with that late-night, last-minute, high-speed, well, slow-speed chase through town on Saturday night.

he two adults involved in the Wyatt Reeb murder case have been sentenced, each 16 to 20 years in prison, for their involvement in the death of the 15-year-old back in 2025. Ramon and Dimitri Enriquez each faced separate judges, but received similar sentences of 16 to 20 years in the Nebraska Department of Corrections.

Remember the Katana Wielder from 2024 who was arrested? In Chadron, police arrested 25-year-old Gary Schott following an alleged assault in the early hours of July 27th that left two victims injured and reportedly included threats against their lives. Two Chadron officers were dispatched to the community hospital in reference to a victim of an assault wanting to speak to an officer. They arrived and documented the injuries through photographs and their interview. The officers then left the hospital and interviewed the second assault victim at a residence. Suspect was identified and located in the area, and as a result, 25-year-old Gary Schott was arrested for two counts of terroristic threats and one count of third-degree assault. Schott was transported to the Dawes County Jail in Chadron. In that Katana Wielding incident, Schott was convicted and sentenced to six to eight years in prison in 2024 for his actions, but was released on parole in May.

The Western Nebraska Pioneers have announced that the team will cease operations with the end of the 2026 season. The Nebraska Outlaws will also be relocating to Johnstown, Colorado and remain in the Front Range League.

These stories and more including that land spout up in Mullen and the funny money shopper in Loop City all on panhandlescanner.com.

On Tuesday, July 28th, officers with the Scottsbluff Police Department received a report of a juvenile who had stolen a vehicle and was believed to be driving within the city. Officers confirmed the vehicle had been reported stolen and began searching for the suspect vehicle described as a silver 2011 Ford Fusion.

Officers located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. The driver failed to yield to emergency lights and sirens and fled. Due to the driver's known identity, juvenile status, and the initial risk posed by a pursuit, officers elected not to pursue at that time.

Rather than engage in an immediate pursuit, officers established a perimeter around the area where the juvenile repeatedly returned and made several attempts to safely disable the vehicle using tire deflation devices known as stop sticks. During one stop stick deployment, the suspect intentionally drove directly toward a marked patrol vehicle occupied by an officer narrowly avoiding a head-on collision. Officers had strategically positioned additional stop stick deployments in the area, and the suspect vehicle successfully drove over multiple tire deflation devices.

The vehicle continued northbound on 1st Avenue at a high rate of speed. After the tires deflated, the vehicle came to a stop near East 23rd Street and 1st Avenue. The juvenile surrendered without further incident and was taken into custody.

The juvenile was then subsequently transported to a juvenile detention facility and booked on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.

A lot more going on, including hot weather warnings, our public record, and more. Check our page at Panhandlescanner.com or on Facebook by the same name.

Yesterday, scanner traffic and local police reports indicated two elderly missing females. Thankfully, one has been found.

In Alliance, 71-year-old female was missing, but was safely located in less than 24 hours. The other elderly female we heard about did not provide much information, but we do know a 77-year-old female, white sweatshirt, blue sweatpants, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 120 pounds, is missing from Kimball. So in Kimball, a 77-year-old female, wearing sweats, white sweatshirt, blue sweatpants, 5'6", 120 pounds, beyond the lookout. That's in Kimball.

A rainstorm blew through the area, and several people submitted rain gauge photos to us, several different amounts from zero to several inches throughout the Panhandle. Storm spotters did report storm damage in the Broadwater area, and users sent in a couple of photos. You can see those on our Facebook page at Panhandle Scanner.

Have you visited our website recently, Panhandlescanner.com? Do it via your mobile phone, and you'll get our instant mobile app, that now has a new feature called the Scanner Traffic Logger. If you're a scanner listener, and you want to record what you hear over the scanner to help us out, go to Panhandlescanner.com, click on the red button called Scanner Traffic Logger, and submit anything you hear over scanner traffic. It'd be greatly appreciated. That's Panhandlescanner.com.

And if you want more of the story, it's the Sunday Scanner, every weekend, Sunday morning, by the crack of dawn. Our print formatted recap of the week's events.