Stories from Friday, January 22, 2010

January 21, 2010 -- Working to fight EPA overreach, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson announced today his support of a resolution of disapproval to be introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski which will act as a veto of EPA regulation of greenhouse gasses under the Clean Air Act...

WASHINGTON -- Senator Mike Johanns today expressed strong disappointment after a proposal he cosponsored to shut down the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) failed in the Senate. Johanns voted in favor of the Erasing Our National Debt Through Accountability and Responsibility Plan (ENDTARP), an amendment to the federal debt increase bill currently being debated in the Senate. The amendment, which needed 60 votes to pass, failed, 53-45...

WASHINGTON -- Senator Mike Johanns today issued the follow statement after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report projecting that a Medicaid expansion with all costs covered by the federal government for all states would cost approximately $35 billion over three years. The CBO previously estimated the deal struck between Sen. Ben Nelson and senior Democrats, which exempts only Nebraska from the extra Medicaid costs, would add $100 million to the cost of the bill...

Oct. 18, 1918 - Jan. 20, 2010 Robert "Lindy" Raymond Lenhart, 91, died Wednesday (Jan. 20, 2010) at Community Hospital in McCook. He was born Oct. 18, 1918, in McCook to Amelia (Maul) and Henry Lenhart. He attended West Ward, McCook High School, McCook Junior College and earned a Bachelors of Arts degree at Wayne State College. He took great pride serving four years in active duty with the U.S. Army in Germany for the 69th Infantry during World War II...

WASHINGTON -- Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE), a member of the House Pro-Life Caucus, today released the following statement marking the 37th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. On January 21, Smith addressed members of Nebraska United for Life taking part in the March for Life rally being held today in Washington D.C...

Jan. 12, 1922 - Jan. 21, 2010 Bernice Evelyn VanVleet, 88, died Thursday (Jan. 21, 2010) at the McCook Community Hospital. She was born Jan. 12, 1922, at Lebanon, the daughter of the late Sanford and Opal Mary (Castor) Lockhart. Bernice grew up at Lebanon where she graduated from rural school. For several years she was employed as a waitress...

Last January, few would have predicted President Obama's first major legislative initiative would be in serious jeopardy a year later. One of the primary reasons the Senate health care bill has stalled is because of its attempt to undermine a nearly thirty-five-year precedent of federal law that has kept federal tax dollars from funding elective abortions. ...

Aug. 4, 1913 - Jan. 18, 2010 Ruby Mae Mueller, 96, died Monday (Jan. 18, 2010) at Wheat Ridge Retirement Community in Goodland, Kan. She was born Aug. 4, 1913, in Franklin County. She was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her husband, Iron H. Mueller...

Jan. 22, 1917 - Jan. 21, 2010 PIKETON, Ohio -- Theresa Marie Rose (VonLoh) Egge, 92, died Thursday (Jan. 21, 2010) at the Pleasant Hill Manor in Piketon, Ohio. She was born on Jan. 22, 1917, in Stratton, Colo., to William and Mary (Hany) Schutz. She grew up north of the Salem area, south of Elwood, where she attended parochial school...

Partnering with the county on a public safety center is one of the topics the McCook City Council will consider at its special meeting Monday night, 6 p.m. at the fire training room at the McCook Public Safety Center, 500 West B. The meeting will start off with a tour for the public of the city police and fire stations, followed by discussion...

We don't know what else you may have going on Monday evening, but we urge as many local residents as possible to take advantage of a chance to make an informed decision on the need for a new public safety center, jail or other facilities. A special meeting of the McCook City Council is set for 6 p.m. Monday in the Public Safety Center Fire Training Room, West Fifth and B, beginning with a tour of the facility, followed by a council discussion session and later an opportunity for public comment...

There's a new song sweeping the nation, thanks to General Larry Platt, a 62 year old African American and his appearance on last week's "American Idol" television show. Some of the words to the song go like this: Pants on the ground Pants on the ground...

If you have a license as a beautician, barber, pilot, engineer, surveyor, appraiser, real estate salesman, architect, CPA, abstractor, landscape architect, electrician, geologist or if you are connected to the Commission on Public Advocacy, Nebraska Investment Council, (electric) Power Review Board, Oil and Gas Commission, Motor Vehicle Licensing Board or State Racing Commission, the Nebraska Governor and Unicameral took your licensing fees from your Agency to "Balance the Nebraska Budget" last year.. ...

Family and friends of Marilyn Jean Miller are requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday, Jan. 31. Cards of congratulation will reach her at 402 E. Second, McCook, NE 69001.

The family of Leon and Beverly Kolbet is hosting an open house in honor of the couple's 40th wedding anniversary. The open house is 2-4 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 30, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 409 East F Street, in the lower level. They were married Jan. 31, 1970. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 37554 Road 732A, Hayes Center, NE 69032...

Adam and Sarah (Wilcox) Powers announce the birth of a son, Liam Malachi Powers. He was born Dec. 15, 2009, at Community Hospital. He weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. He has a two-year-old brother, Isaiah. Grandparents are Charlie and Pat Powers, the late Peggy Powers, and Mark and Betty Wilcox, all of McCook. Great-grandparents are Dorothy Powers, Bill and Gwen Davis, Earl and Carol Binkey of Trenton, Lyle and Jean Wilcox and Helga Binkey of McCook...

Lindsey Esch and Chad Stewart, both of Indianola, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Mike and Barb Esch of McCook, Doug Stewart of Indianola and Joyce Deaver of Cambridge. The bride-to-be is a 2004 graduate of Republican Valley High School, a 2008 graduate of Fort Hays State University earning a Bachelor of Science in medical diagnostic imaging. She is employed at Tri-Valley Health System as a radiologic technologist...

UTICA -- Kelly Stoll of York and Jeffrey Unger of Hayes Center were united in marriage Aug. 22, 2009 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Utica, with the Rev. Tim Marshall officiating. Parents of the bride are Ray and Mary Stoll of Utica. Parents of the bridegroom are Garald and Beverly Unger of Hayes Center...

LINCOLN -- A rear end crash at the intersection of Highway 6 & Highway 31 in Sarpy County, Nebraska, led to the arrest of a Nebraska City man for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), False Reporting and Leaving the Scene of a Non-injury Accident. Around 6:20 p.m., Thursday, January 21, 2010, a Trooper observed a gold Jeep Cherokee sitting at the stop light (Highway 6 & 31) with its hazards on. ...

COLUMBUS -- Nebraska Public Power District and Midwest Wind Energy/Edison Mission are currently pursuing a power purchase agreement that would result in the construction and operation of an 80 megawatt wind facility east of Broken Bow, with an expected operational date of September 2012...

WASHINGTON -- In response to the growing demands on states and families for much needed relief, U.S. Department of Health and Human services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today the release of $2,391,010 in contingency funding to help eligible low-income homeowners and renters in Nebraska meet home energy costs. These Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program contingency funds will provide Nebraska with additional assistance to pay heating and electricity costs...

WASHINGTON -- On Tuesday, Jan. 19, America saw an upset of astounding proportions. Scott Brown's election victory in the Massachusetts Senate race changed the political landscape in many ways -- most notably the future of the proposed government takeover of health care...

Jan. 22, 2010 -- Today, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson welcomed an announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that Nebraska will receive $325,000 to create jobs by providing capital for rural Nebraska businesses. The funds are made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)...

NORFOLK, Neb. -- Orphan Grain Train, a Christian humanitarian relief organization headquartered at Norfolk, Neb., in cooperation with LCMS World Relief and Human Care, is shipping 513,216 "Kids Against Hunger" meals (two semi-loads) to Haiti in response to the earthquake. ...