Stories from Thursday, August 21, 2008

The McCook Speedway will be fast and furious Friday night as stock cars, hobby stocks, classics, trucks and modifieds take to the track for Championship Night. Friday is the last night of the racing season for drivers to earn a track championship and improve their points...

CSTV.com LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas head coach Ray Bechard, along with seniors Savannah Noyes and Natalie Uhart and junior Brittany Williams were present Wednesday afternoon for KU's Fall Olympic Sports Media Day. Noyes is a Southwest High School alum from Indianola...

Indians' volleyball roster features seven sophomores, seven freshmen Michelle Reiners will make her debut as head coach of the McCook Community College volleyball team Friday and Saturday. The Indians open the 2008 season by competing in the North Platte Community College Subway Volleyball Tournament...

Nov. 21, 1921 - Aug. 19, 2008 ST. FRANCIS -- Gene L. Richard, 86, died Tuesday (Aug. 19, 2008) at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. He was born Nov. 21, 1921, in Dundy County. He married Junice Rose Bruns. He lived at St. Francis and was a farmer...

Replacing fire equipment can get expensive, which is why the McCook City Council was given a heads-up at what kind of costs might be needed in the future. McCook City Fire Chief Marc Harpham outlined to the McCook City Council Monday night the capital improvement plan for the city fire department, based on life expectancy of equipment...

NORTH PLATTE -- The proposed budget for Mid-Plains Community College will require a property tax increase of a half cent. If approved, the tax request would raise from its current 7.2351 to 7.7687 cents per $100 property valuation. This would mean a $5 increase on a $100,000 home...

The McCook City Council agreed Monday night at its regular meeting that the ending balance was too low in the Solid Waste Department budget and unanimously approved a $1.50 increase in trash collection fees. This will increase residential trash collection from $15.50 to $17 per month...

If you think Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" was scary, wait until you see Warren Buffett and Pete Peterson's new movie. "I.O.U.S.A." premieres today in 358 theaters nationwide, warning that our spiraling national debt is sentencing generations unborn with "economic problems that will make this year's financial turbulence look like a trip to the debt counselor's office," according to the Associated Press story announcing the film...

Drat, and double drat! Clouds, the bane of all astronomers, had the sky socked in on the morning of Aug. 12, so there was no good viewing of the Perseid meteor shower, at least in this area. Astronomers in the eastern part of the state told me their skies were no better. I would say we could wait until next year; but sadly, the moon will blot out the Perseids in 2009. It is always something isn't it?...