Stories from Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Everyone knows our economy needs spending to get things rolling again. Everyone also knows that cutting taxes and providing tax relief can stimulate that spending. This week, thanks to tax cuts passed a year ago, more than 680,000 Nebraskans will keep about $6.7 million their hard-earned money. People will spend it how they like and not have to send it off to Washington. They kept another $6.7 million last week. They'll keep another $6.7 million next week...

Nov. 24, 1926 - Feb. 20, 2010 LINCOLN -- Audrey Mae Lockenour, 83, died Saturday (Feb. 20, 2010) at Eastmont Care Center in Lincoln from a stroke. She was born Nov. 24, 1926, on a farm near Cambridge the only child of Charles and Frances (Kleinschmidt) Lockenour. After attending a rural school, she graduated from Cambridge High School in 1944...

WAUNETA -- Lowell Grimm, 85, died Monday (Feb. 22, 2010) at the Heritage of Wauneta Nursing Home. Survivors include his wife, Myra of Wauneta; one son, Carroll and wife, Susie of Greeley, Colo.; one daughter, Jacqueline Medcalf of Lincoln; sister, Miriam Allen and husband, Chuck of Des Moines, Iowa; grandson, Chad Grimm of Denver, Colo.; three step-grandchildren and six great-grandchildren...

Dec. 10, 1936 - Feb. 19, 2010 Loving Mother, Grandmother, sister, aunt and cherished friend, passed away peacefully on Feb. 19, 2010 at the age of 73. Patricia was born to William Patrick Murphy and Susan Elizabeth Unger Murphy on Dec. 10, 1936. She grew up in McCook, Neb., where she attended St. ...

May 3, 1925 - Feb. 24, 2010 Duane I. Bourne, 84, died Wednesday (Feb. 24, 2010) at Community Hospital in McCook. He was born May 3, 1925, at Edison to C.P. and Inez (Holton) Bourne. He grew up at Edison and Oxford. He attended and graduated from Oxford Schools in 1940. He also attended colleges at Kearney, Greeley, Colo., and Chicago, Ill., as well as Musical College and School of Mines at Rolls, Mo...

Feb. 16, 2010 - Feb. 16, 2010 Saphira Lynn Wegele, infant daughter of Mark and Shannon (Warford) Wegele was born prematurely on Tuesday (Feb. 16, 2010). She went to be with her Savior the same day. Survivors include her parents, Mark and Shannon of McCook; brothers, Robert Hale Enlow IV and Dustin Dale Enlow, both of Kearney and Dominic Emmanuel Wegele of McCook; grandparents, Doug and Janice Viter of McCook and Sheila Fisher of McCook, Teri Ebmeier of Oxford and Dale Ebmeier of Cozad...

While generally following the Senate's version of health care reform, the White House has confirmed Sen. Ben Nelson's version of the "Cornhusker Kickback" fiasco. It's unfortunate when a controversy lends itself to alliteration, rolling easily off the tongue regardless of its truth...

Sustainability -- the word means different things to different people. For any discussion about sustainability to be meaningful there needs to be an agreement on what the definition is. There are three elements to the definition. What is the resource, what is the area measured, and what is the time period measured...

Hollywood. The place for the beautiful people. Glittering lights, sparkling water, verdant gardens, even the tears are beautiful. You know the ones I mean. The tears that well up, and stream gently down the cheeks of the one who weeps. Beautiful tears, silently shed, carefully caught in a linen handkerchief, quickly subsiding...

KEARNEY -- It's been a long season for the McCook High School girls basketball team. The Bison girls have struggled all season with turnovers and a lack of consistent offense as the team did not win a game all year. Those same woes continued Tuesday night for head coach Jeff Ellis and his squad in the Class B-5 District Tournament at Kearney High School...

EDITOR'S NOTE -- Sgt. Terry Young, a Valentine High School graduate, joined the Army National Guard in McCook. His wife, Melissa, is the daughter of Mitch and Candy Farr of McCook and the late Dora Farr. Young transferred to the Lincoln 313th medical corps and has been serving in Afghanistan since July. His unit is due back in the United States in March. The following is his written account of some unusual heroes...