Stories from Thursday, February 10, 2011

Sept. 27, 1926--Feb. 3, 2011 TUSCON, Arizona -- James Lewis "Jim" Madden was born Sept. 27, 1926, to Lily Elizabeth Wood Madden and Francis Joseph Madden in their home north of Indianola, Nebraska. Jim Madden died on Feb. 3, 2011, at the Tucson Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 84...

July 28, 1935--Feb. 8, 2011 JENNINGS, Kansas -- Lawrence William Jennings, 75, died Tuesday (Feb. 8, 2011), at his residence near Jennings. He was born July 28, 1935, south of Jennings, in the Allison area, to William Lawrence and Mamie Helen (Fiala) Jennings...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The $252,000 grant that city staff applied for in January on behalf of the McCook Housing Agency has been denied, but McCook Housing Agency Executive Director Rebecca Dutcher said the loss of the anticipated funds will not slow the project down. The agency is targeting April for beginning a renovation and construction project at the former East Ward School building lot which will build or remodel 27 units, targeted primarily for seniors, aged 55 years and older...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Representatives for Prochaska & Associates presented McCook City Council members with graphic renditions of the exterior of the new Municipal Facility, scheduled to break ground in August, during their semi-monthly meeting Monday evening. The presentation gave councilors and department heads alike their first glimpse at what the exterior of the structure may look like...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Handicapped parking is frequently abused in Nebraska and higher fines for illegally parking in those spots would help curb the mistreatment, says a state senator from Omaha. But some Nebraskans -- including wheelchair users -- are skeptical that the bill would make an impact...

Just like that, U.S. Rep. Christopher Lee of New York is gone. Representing himself as a divorced lobbyist, Lee, a family-values, married Republican congressman, was exposed after responding to a Craigslist post with a cheesy cell-phone picture of his bare-chested self. He didn't fool the woman he was exchanging e-mails with, though, and she turned a photo over to the Gawker gossip website, which led to his downfall...

OK troops, how about we take one from the mailbag. A reader wrote in to ask about the telescope they received for Christmas. They have it all put together but can't see anything through it. Without knowing some of the specifics, it will be a little difficult to find and answer, but let's go for the basics...

**Dear Editor, Regarding Christensen's "birther bill," I feel insulted and belittled. I have served my time in the military. My dad served in World War II. My grandfather served in World War I and died from being gassed, and a lot of uncles and cousins served, also...

Last week the Legislature finished the 22nd Legislative Day and had a heated discussion regarding Sen. McCoy's Legislative Bill 20, which would regulate the sale of methamphetamine precursors such as pseudoephedrine. The heated discussion revolved around the civil immunity for sellers acting in good faith when logging information of the purchaser. The bill eventually was advanced with a 38-0 vote, with 7 not voting...

The earliest TV crime dramas were, in essence, cut from the same cloth as the Westerns that aired around them -- clear black-and-white delineations of good and evil. On shows like "Dragnet" or "The Untouchables," the heroes were generally square-jawed, honorable men who sought justice. ...