First Responders Mourning Loss

(SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb.) – Area first responders are in mourning today. One of their own, James Murray, 57, passed away last evening. Jim Murray was an EMT with Regional West Emergency Services and also served on the Western Nebraska Regional Airport Fire Department.

James Murray

January 21, 1968 – August 14, 2025

Jim had touched many lives in his 57 years. He enjoyed heavy metal music, had a civil servant’s heart and adored his son. He is described as someone who had a zest for life. We have gathered just a few tributes here.

The Banner County Vol. Fire & Rescue posted this condolence, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jim Murray’s family, friends, and everyone who had the pleasure of working with Jim over the years. Rest easy Brother…we will take it from here.”

WNCC EMS Program called Jim a “truly selfless man who taught many of us what it meant to be a true public servant.”

Scottsbluff Rural Fire posted “We will honor his memory by continuing to serve with the same passion and integrity that he exemplified during every call”

“We lost a great friend, EMT and Western Nebraska Regional Airport Fire Fighter. Jim Murray We’ve known each other since 5th grade, dated many, many, many years ago and remained great friends. Rest in peace Jim. Love you my friend. (I’m still going to laugh at your Star Wars shirt. No, you weren’t rocking it! LOL)” ~ Lorraine Arends Greenwalt

“Gonna miss you Jimbo! A life well lived and a servant’s heart! I’ll always love you my brotha from anotha motha!” ~ Chris Smith

“Jim Murray you were one of the kindest souls that I was blessed to have in my life. You had a charm like no other and never passed up an opportunity to enjoy life to the fullest. Flyover breakfasts and Bands on Broadway will never be the same! I will think of you every time someone knocks on the transfer center door. You will be missed more than I can say by so many. Rest easy my friend and watch over us.” ~ Tiffany Brandolino Howton

“All you ever wanted was to help people and be a good dad. You did both in spectacular fashion, Jim Murray. Rest well, my friend. We’ve got it from here.” ~ Mark McCarth

“Rest easy, “Uncle Jim”. Thank you for loving some of my favorite people too!” ~ Christie Medearis Hoffman

Both the Panhandle Post and the Star Herald reported on a recent incident involving Mr. Murray. On August 1, Mr. Murray had an accident with his newly purchased Ford F150 at the intersection of the South Beltline Highway and 21st Avenue at about 9:14 p.m. His truck had left the roadway to the east, traveling through the intersection, colliding with a ditch embankment, and coming to rest on the railroad tracks.

In a report by the Star-Herald, Sheriff Overman is quoted as saying that Murray was cited for DUI in lieu of arrest. He was transported to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

The timeline and details surrounding his death have not been confirmed to the public at this time.

Our prayers are lifted up for the Murray family, friends and everyone who’s life he touched over these years. May you find peace and comfort in this time of loss.

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Monday May 4 2026 - Scanner News - Panhandle Scanner News

On Friday night, scanner traffic indicated a horrific car crash that required Airlink. The location was Lusk, Wyoming and the report was a T-bone accident with a semi. Our prayers and condolences go to the families of the three souls that were lost in the accident. Our prayers for the one woman who did survive and was transported to regional West Medical Center. Well, the U.S. National Weather Service says that a cold front will arrive today and winter-like weather may make a comeback. Snow is expected Monday afternoon and evening and will mix to rain into Tuesday. Accumulating snow is possible for portions of the area, with rumors of a couple of inches of accumulation in some places. Saturday was an exciting day at the Aalic Trek stop for the annual Cinco de Mayo celebration. Event organizers and others reported a great turnout and lots of fun. There was an outstanding car show, 70 plus vendors, food trucks, a kids' zone and live music all day. Hope you enjoyed it. That was the annual Cinco de Mayo celebration. Lots of different scanner traffic incidents over the weekend including traffic stops, traffic complaints and unfortunately, on a national level, a mass shooting last night in Edmond, Oklahoma. Scanner traffic indicated that a party was reportedly taking place at Lake Arcadia with preliminary reports of at least 10 victims. The victims are reportedly juveniles and teenagers, both male and female. Our thoughts and prayers remain for all of those involved. On a local level, we want to remind you about the new resources you can find on PanhandleScanner.com. Go there today and click on the resources tab and check it out.

Guilt Trip (Trapped By Guilt) - Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

From Trapped By Guilt by Markey Motsinger on YouVersion I started carrying guilt around at a young age. In the seventh grade, I felt guilty for making the cheerleading squad when my friend didn’t. In high school, I couldn’t stop beating myself up for stealing. Now, as an adult, I encounter guilt for yelling at my kids, not spending enough time with my husband, and not having a handle on money. I hide it well, even from myself, and keep moving forward, but it’s always there nagging at me. Guilt is not a part of God’s plan. It drains the life out of us and separates us from reality. Yet, we keep guilt around never looking to see how much it steals or controls. God wants more for us! He wants us to be free. For one who has died has been set free from sin. – Romans 6:7 Guilt is a mental and emotional experience that occurs when a person thinks or realizes they have compromised their standards of conduct and accept responsibility. When we don’t give these experiences over to God, they can quickly turn into shame. Shame, in return, attacks our identity, causing us to feel unworthy or not good enough. Guilt and shame take us away from the heart of God. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him – Psalm 103:10-11 Guilt is an emotion with no boundaries. We experience it for things we said/did, things we didn’t say/do, and things we think we said/did. We encounter food guilt, past guilt, and parenting guilt. We face it when we can’t live up to people’s expectations and when we don’t answer our parents’ phone calls. It touches every area of our lives. Unafraid of the spotlight, guilt easily becomes an idol, pointing us away from Jesus and taking up space in our hearts meant for something or someone else. Fighting to escape, we repeatedly apologize, withdraw, pretend we don’t care, or justify our actions by declaring “I wouldn’t ____________ if they would just _______________.” Guilt has no purpose, except causing us to stay the same, live in shame, and fall deeper into ourselves. We were not created to carry a suitcase of past, present, and future mistakes. God is a God of purpose. Over the next few days, I pray you learn to let God use your mistakes to move you into a deeper place with Him. A place where guilt no longer drives your life. What type of guilt are you battling? How is it affecting your everyday choices? If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9

Self-Image to God's Image (Free Me From Me) - Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

From Free Me From Me by Ryan Wekenman And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” – Genesis 2:8-17 ESV The first two chapters of the Bible are glorious. In Genesis 1–2, God breathed his breath into us and called us good. At first, we were created beings who were content to put God at the center of the story and take our place as image bearers, but it didn’t take long for everything to unravel. Theologians call Genesis 3 “the Fall.” It was the moment sin entered the picture and created separation between us and God. But what really happened when Adam and Eve ate the fruit? The answer to that question is found in the lie the serpent spun. “God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5 NIV). Adam and Eve took the bait. Instead of trusting God’s design as image bearers, they decided to define their own rules. And in that moment, it was like a giant spotlight shone down on them, exposing their flaws and following them everywhere. As though they had become the center of the story, the headliner everyone had come to see. They put themselves at the center of the story and were so overwhelmed with their shortcomings that they overcompensated by going into performer mode: “They sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves” (Genesis 3:7 NIV). You might say they ran to the costume box and pulled out the only thing they could find for their performance—fig leaves. That’s the moment these devotionals are about. Because we replay that moment every single day. The spotlight comes on, we perceive that we are center stage, and we start singing for our supper. Of course, our fig leaves have become more robust. Some use money. Or success. Or status. Or knowledge. Or influence. Or humor. Or morality. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 ESV You, me, Adam, Eve, and everyone else are attempting to put on such a spectacular performance that it merits the giant spotlight shining on us. And that is an awful lot of pressure. The only solution is to get out of the center of the story and remember our job is simply to reflect God’s image to the world. Today’s Truth Statement: I am created in the image of God.

Responding to The Resurrection (He is Risen) - Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

He Is Risen! The Reality of the Resurrection by Daniel Kolenda How does one respond to the resurrection? It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. You can experience the power and the presence of the risen Christ, and it’s as simple as ABC—Acknowledge, Believe, and Confess. First, you must acknowledge that you have messed up and gone in the wrong direction—away from the God who loves you. The Bible calls that repentance, which means to turn. Right now, you have the opportunity to turn back to God, ask for His forgiveness, and receive the grace and mercy Christ died to give you. When you turn back to God, He will welcome you with arms open wide. Next, you must believe. This is more than just mental assent—it is trusting your life and eternal soul to what you know is true. You cannot earn salvation, and you don’t deserve it—that’s the bad news. But the good news is that God offers it to you as a gift because of Jesus. You must fully trust in that gift! The Apostle Paul gave simple directions: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation” – Romans 10:9–10 After you believe, you must confess. That means to publicly attest to your faith in Christ, though you might be persecuted or rejected. Even today, many people give their lives for their witness of the risen Christ. Jesus said, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” – Matthew 10:32–33 Your faith in Jesus is not just a private matter. When you confess Him, you become His ambassador in the world. If you’re ready to acknowledge, believe, and confess, why don’t you pray right now in your own words —or you can use this prayer: Father God, I come to You a sinner, needing salvation. I have messed up and cannot save myself, so I cast myself upon Your mercy. Forgive me. Take my sin, my shame, my addictions, and my darkness. Give me Your righteousness, Your freedom, Your light, and Your love.

Why The Resurrection Matters To You (He is Risen) - Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

The heart of the gospel, the good news, is Christ was raised from the dead. He is risen indeed! That means faith is fruitful rather than futile; preaching is powerful rather than pointless; the disciples were dependable rather than deceptive; salvation is certain rather than imaginary, and death is defeated rather than victorious. Because Christ rose from the dead, those of us who believe are of all people the most blessed and the happiest because the resurrected Christ lives inside of us. Because Jesus rose from the dead, one day we will rise too! What a glorious truth! Remember, Paul didn’t say they were just believers in the resurrection. He said they were witnesses of the resurrection, and there’s a big difference between a believer and a witness. A witness testifies to what he has seen, heard, and personally experienced, which makes Christianity different from every other religion and every other philosophy. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. – Acts 4:33 ESV The resurrection is not just a historical fact. It’s not just a sign from God validating Christ. It means Jesus is alive right now, and He can be known by you, right here, right now. You don’t have to take anyone’s word for it. Living people can show up for themselves. That is the ultimate evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ—the reality of His power and His presence. You don’t have to merely believe it; you can witness it for yourself. When we witness Jesus alive, we become like the disciples, who, despite the forces trying to silence them, continued to share the truth of the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. The resurrected Christ was at the core of the gospel the disciples preached. None of them changed their story, even while being tortured. None of them simply stopped talking about the resurrection and quietly went away. They all gave their lives, proclaiming Jesus had risen from the dead!

Wednesday April 29 2026 - Scanner News - Panhandle Scanner News

Let's start off with some crime news today. Lots of cases to report from around the panhandle. Let's start off in Alliance in Box Butte County. Thomas Wiendell, 74, pled no contest to a Class 3A felony charge of 3rd degree sexual assault of a child. Wiendell was originally charged with three different counts. Two other counts were plea bargained down. You may remember the ATV or UTV crash on Highway 71 last weekend where scanner traffic indicated a rollover accident occurred near the Banner County / Scotts Bluff County line in the Wildcat Hills. Until now we had not learned the fate of the man due to the seriousness of the crash. Panhandle scanner has learned that the man is in critical condition still and still needs our prayers. On Tuesday morning a large swath of Chimney Rock Public Power District's patrons were without power. To find our original post on that visit Panhandle scanner on Facebook where you'll find the outage map and a link to that site where you can check your area anytime there's a power outage. In fact there have been so many power outages lately we have added a tab on our website under PanhandleScanner.com under the resources tab. The National Association of Letter Carriers Annual Food Drive is set for May 9th, 2026. Scottsbluff and Gering City Letter Carriers will be collecting non-perishable food donations to stock our local food pantries. Any amount will help. You will see more about this event as we draw closer. They supplied us with a photo this year. Let's pick out our favorite mail carrier and tell them how much you appreciate them! Be ready to set that food out, May 9th. Be sure to visit PanhandleScanner.com for more resources like Nebraska 10 Codes, Mile Markers, the Panhandle Alert System, Tornado Shelters and more. That's PanhandleScanner.com. And of course don't forget our public record every Monday through Friday when available. That's PanhandleScanner.com or on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and others.

Monday April 13 2026 - Scanner News - Panhandle Scanner News

I'm sure everyone's heard about the devastating wildfires this past month and the community is coming together to pray for rain. HorizonServe is hosting a community prayer gathering at the Scotts Bluff County Fairgrounds to pray for rain on April 19th at 3pm. Currently, the majority of Nebraska is considered to be under severe drought or extreme drought. We have seen multiple wildfires already this year, including the largest in our state's history, impacting numerous lives, as well as farmers and livestock producers. Right now, the Pathfinder Irrigation District in Western Nebraska has 25 days of water available for the growing season. All of these facts tell us that we need rain. We believe it is God who gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields. So like the prophet Zachariah encouraged, we're going to ask the Lord for rain in the springtime, for he sends the thunderstorms. Join us as members from church bodies all across the panhandle to gather to pray for rain, God's blessing and provision. Sunday, April 19th, 3pm, Scotts Bluff County Fairgrounds, join us in praying for rain. Speaking of events, the Christian Motorcyclists Association will be meeting in the Roma Italian restaurant large meeting room out at the Scottsbluff Airport on Tuesday, April 14th at 6.30 pm. That's the Christian Motorcyclists Association Chapter meeting. Late Saturday night, according to Stormchaser Adam Luchio, there was some tornado activity in South Central Nebraska. But in Chester Nebraska, one tornado slipped under the radar and went unwarned. This prompts us to remind everyone to make sure you have multiple ways to get alerts, never depend on only one source.

First Responders Mourning Loss

James Murray

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Monday May 4 2026 - Scanner News - Panhandle Scanner News

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James Murray

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