Overshadowed by the Friday snowstorm was the opening Saturday of the new Hibbett Sporting Goods store in Chadron. The company had planned a “soft” opening without fanfare, to be followed later this year by a grand opening, and the storm gave them almost absolute anonymity for the weekend.

The 5,000-square foot Hibbett store, which has about 8 full and part-time staff, is just off Highway 385 at 6th Street.

It shares the former Bomgaar’s-Country General site with Morford’s Decorating, which remodeled and moved into the old building there this summer and held its grand opening Thursday and Friday.

Hibbett is based in Atlanta and has more than 850 full-line sporting goods stores in small to mid-size markets, with 6 stores in Nebraska…including Scottsbluff. Most of its stores are similar to the new Chadron store and are usually in strip centers or enclosed malls.

Company President and CEO Jeff Rosenthal says Hibbett, founded in 1945, has always been committed to serving small markets and local communities, realizing that every town is a hometown.

The company features brand-name merchandise geared toward meeting the needs of teams and individual sports participants, but also offers localized apparel and accessories.

The Chadron store cost $520,000 with the finance package including a $100,000 loan from Chadron LB-840 economic development fund to the Dawes Development Corporation…owned by 3 Minnesota developers, which also built Chadron’s maurice’s women’s clothing store.

Hibbett won’t be the last new commercial building to open in Chadron this year. Security First Bank is putting the final touches on its permanent home at the junction of Highways 20 and 385, and will open it next Tuesday.