Stories from Tuesday, October 20, 2009

May 9, 1929 - Oct. 16, 2009 BIRD CITY, Kan. -- Merle Dwayne Hitchcock, 80, died Friday (Oct. 16, 2009) at Cheyenne County Hospital in St. Francis. He was born May 9, 1929, in Sherman County, Kan. He married Ellen Ione Gipe. He was a farmer and worked in general construction...

The McCook City Council wrapped up business in record time Monday night, concluding its regular meeting in 30 minutes. Still, the council did pull some items for discussion from the consent agenda item, including specifications for new pickups and a new police package vehicle...

A culvert could replace the bridge now closed over the Beaver Creek east of Marion, but Red Willow County commissioners could also close the road and tear out the bridge. During the commissioners' weekly meeting Monday morning, commissioners, county roads superintendent Gary Dicenta and adjacent landowners Cecil and Don Lafferty discussed a hydrology study of the bridge that was closed last summer when an inspection by the Nebraska Department of Roads revealed that two of the bridge's four floor beams are cracked and cannot be welded.. ...

The city clerk's office will accept letters of interest and brief resumes until 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28, from those interested in serving on the McCook City Council. The vacancy exists because of the death of Council member Colleen Grant Oct.9. The McCook City Council officially declared the vacancy at its regular meeting Monday night and approved a resolution to submit the vacancy to the statewide general election on Nov. 2, 2010...

The creation of a $70,000 bronze sculpture honoring Sen. Ben Nelson will get under way, with the approval Monday night by the McCook City Council of an agreement with the artist. The council approved at its Aug. 3 meeting an agreement with the Nebraska Community Foundation, where a gift of $70,000 was made to the city by the Foundation for the sculpture...

Where Barnett Park ends and private property begins is unknown and the city would like to determine the park's boundaries. The McCook City Council approved Monday night at its regular meeting hiring Jim Clymount, from an outside firm, to conduct a title search and survey on the southern part of Barnett Park, to determine the park's perimeters...

Kasey Clapp celebrates while Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak indicates Clapp's fortune during a segment to be aired at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. Kasey, who is from McCook, tried out for the show at a Wheelmobile event in Tucson, Ariz. By contract, Kasey can't reveal how much money he won on the show, other than to say he was "pleased" with the outcome...

The crisis that came to light after Nebraska's legislature inadvertently made it possible for parents to drop off teenagers at the nearest hospital is playing itself out in the real world. The Unicameral fixed the safe haven law by limiting it to infants 30 days old or younger, but now comes the tougher task of delivering on the promises made before the law was changed...

The Middle and Upper Republican NRDs ask the public to remain calm and not panic regarding the water proposals made by the state. They assure everyone that no decision has been made and that all will be well, assuming there is funding to do something else. ...

Sadly, our community lost one of its most ardent supporters this past week. Councilwoman Colleen Grant represented what is best about local government. She was interested in her community and stood out as one of its foremost cheerleaders. She truly had her finger on the community's pulse. Not much happened that she wasn't aware. The list of things in which she involved herself was long and comprehensive. She will be missed in myriad ways...