Stories from Tuesday, January 4, 2011

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Gov. Dave Heineman today announced that McCook and Ord will receive $360,550 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for two theater projects. The City of McCook and the Alliance for the Encouragement of the Visual and Performing Arts will use a $254,300 CDBG award to remove material and architectural barriers within the historic Fox Theatre in downtown McCook. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook City Council awarded a revised renovation contract, for the Norris Park Band Shell, to McCook Contracting Monday evening during their semi-monthly meeting at council chambers. The original bid, at $210,000, came in well over the estimated amount for the project. City staff worked with the contractor to find middle ground that reduced the project closer to the budgeted amount and still accomplished their targeted renovation goals...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Big brother Ethan has all sorts of plans for his new sister. He's excited about teaching her to ride a bike ... and all about the supplies she'll need to go to school. "I'll teach her the words for pencils, and crayons, and glue, and scissors," Ethan bubbles. " And I'll teach her that 2 plus 2 is 4 and that 1 plus 1 is 2."...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook City Council awarded a revised renovation contract, for the Norris Park Band Shell, to McCook Contracting Monday evening during their semi-monthly meeting at council chambers. The original bid, at $210,000, came in well over the estimated amount for the project. City staff worked with the contractor to find middle ground that reduced the project closer to the budgeted amount and still accomplished their targeted renovation goals...

Nebraska lawmakers are expecting to have to make some tough choices this session, and with good reason. In October, a state economic forecasting board projected a $1.4 billion budget gap over the next two years. Last month, a group of legislators trimmed that projection to $986 million -- still a sizeable chunk of change...

In the roughest economy since the Great Depression, there is legitimate concern about the fiscal health of our state. Some state senators are warning that there may be a huge decrease in state aid to schools for the following year. Their argument is that other state agencies have had to make cuts in their budgets and it is now time for schools to "feel the pain." This sentiment has been repeated over and over in discussions with some policy-makers...

Occasionally my family (friends too) has to put up with the embarrassment of comments by your columnist. Comments or quotes of which I seldom ask permission; I just put it down in black and white for all the world to see. But then too some of their feedback is uplifting so I'd like to share a couple responses...

Dec. 10, 1950--Dec. 15, 2010 WICHITA, Kansas -- Ron L. Kump, 60, formerly of Oberlin, Kansas, died Dec. 15, 2010, at Harry Hynes Hospice in Wichita. He was born Dec. 10, 1950, in McCook, Nebraska, to Jack R. and Cecilia (Zodrow) Kump. He was raised in Oberlin. After school he lived in Kansas City, Missouri...

Four years ago you granted me the extraordinary privilege to serve as your state treasurer. Throughout my term, I have been overwhelmed by the support and gratitude that Nebraskans have shown to me for this service. With that I have strived to honor the trust that you have placed in me and live up to the promises that I made to you while campaigning for this office...