Stories from Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Virtually all schools were closed and many other activities canceled or postponed throughout Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas because of the advancing snowstorm. Among them, a Christmas concert scheduled for tonight, Tuesday, Dec. 8 at McCook Community College has been rescheduled for Sunday, Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. at the Weeth Theatre on the McCook Community College Campus...

The start of what looks to be a major winter storm has begun in the area, according to Kurt Vosburg, District 7 Engineer for the Nebraska Department of Roads. Two to four inches of snow fell overnight and in the early morning hours. All southwest and south central Nebraska roads are currently open, however they are becoming snow packed in areas and extreme caution should be used. ...

Mar. 2, 1921 - Dec. 5, 2009 HOLYOKE -- Maxine Jessie (Terrell) Barth, was born March 2, 1921, in rural Hayes County, Neb., to William and Carrye (Korell) Terrell and died on Dec. 5, 2009, at the age of 88, of apparent natural causes. Preceding her in death were her parents, husband Clarence who died June 9, 2007, older brothers Olan and Kenneth and younger sisters Kathleen and Valeda as well as a grandson, Grant Barth...

Sept. 28, 1943-Dec. 3, 2009 CAMBRIDGE -- Donald William "Don" Proud, 66, died Thursday (Dec. 3, 2009), on his farm. He was born Sept. 28, 1943, at Cambridge to Lloyd and Ruby (Wetbright) Proud. He attended rural school later graduating from Cambridge High School in 1961. He joined the National Guard serving from 1964 to 1970. He returned to the family farm...

Oct. 27, 1919-Dec. 4, 2009 MAYWOOD -- Melvin Grant Brown, 90, died Friday (Dec. 4, 2009), at Senior Living Choices assisted living in Curtis. He was born Oct. 27, 1919, at the Riley Brown Ranch in Southwest Lincoln County to Clyde M. and Esse E. (Stevens) Brown. ...

The family of Billie Bryan is requesting a card shower in honor of her 85th birthday Dec. 14. Her family includes son, Jim and wife, Leanna Bryan of Oberlin, daughter, Elaine and husband, Merle Leatherman of McPherson, Kan., and daughter, Donna and husband, Roy Donner of McCook. Cards of congratulation will reach her at 402 N. Martin, Oberlin, KS 67749...

Mother Nature has been declared the winner in the first round of the Cattle Trail Invitational Basketball Tournament. The annual tournament, featuring eight high school boys and girls teams from southwest Nebraska and northwest Kansas, was scheduled to open Tuesday in McCook with 16 first-round games. But the incoming blast of winter weather in the area helped tournament officials to postpone Tuesday's first-round action...

Red Willow County commissioners purchased real estate and updated themselves on a wind study being conducted in the county during their regular weekly meeting Monday morning. Commissioners voted un-animously to purchase the two-story frame white-and-gray apartment house at 524 Norris -- on the corner north of the courthouse in McCook -- for $50,000 from Stannis and Kenneth Spencer, McCook...

Kids on bicycles. Mothers with strollers. Senior citizens. All have been seen day and night walking or riding next to U.S. Highway 6-34 on their way to Walmart. In fact, Public Works Director Kyle Potthoff said at Monday night's regular city council meeting that he spotted two pedestrians this past weekend walking along side the highway at night, both barely visible in dark clothes and one walking backwards against the wind...

Instead of ringing in the New Year, some will be running it in. The McCook City Council unanimously approved the request from the YMCA to use city streets for the first New Year's Eve Resolution Run/Walk on Thursday, Dec. 31. The run would start at 10:30 p.m., for runners (11 p.m, for walkers) on Norris Avenue and F Street and continue north on Norris to to city limits. It would conclude at Norris and E Streets...

The McCook City Council said yes to sliding rear windows but no to power windows and mirrors, when they approved the bid for two 2010 pickups to be used for the street and recycling departments. This is the second time the city requested bids for the vehicles. The first time, all three bids were over the $21,000 budgeted for each vehicle, with two bids declared ineligible as they were received after the deadline...

Neighbors, family and friends in combines, tractors, grain carts and trucks help the family of Rob McConville, the young Indianola farmer and father of three killed in a pickup accident Nov. 30, pick Rob's, his parents' and his grandparents' corn northwest of Indianola. ...

Public officials can do a lot to improve life, but there's no getting around taking responsibility for our own actions. Two stories in the last 24 hours make that point in different ways. One, a report from the National Cancer Institute and a group of cancer and health organizations, reported that cancer diagnoses and deaths have continued to decline in the United States, according to the latest data...

Earlier this fall in an effort to keep my mind sharp and to scratch a long-time itch, I enrolled in a NPCC course titled "The Political History of World War II." The course was taught by the very capable Dr. Douglas Clouatre on the North Platte Campus...

The health care debate has most recently been focused on Medicare. Some would have you believe the proposed cuts to Medicare in the Senate health care reform bill will have no impact on services or benefits. They will try to convince you the cuts will simply eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse of the system. ...