Stories from Thursday, March 1, 2012

Loyd G. Campbell Oct. 27. 1915 - Feb. 28, 2012 WAUNETA, Nebraska -- Loyd G. Campbell, age 96, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012, at Heritage of Wauneta in Wauneta, Ne. He was born Oct. 27, 1915, in Gretna to William Lewis and Emma (Pahmeyer) Campbell. His family moved to the Trenton community in 1930, where he graduated from high school in 1935...

Ruth A. Needham June 5, 1935 -- February 28, 2012 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Ruth A. Needham passed away Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012, at Community Hospital in McCook. She was 76 years old. Ruth was born June 5, 1935, in Camden, New Jersey, the daughter of William and Dorothy Barattucci. She graduated from Haddon Heights High School In 1953...

One of the first lessons in economics classes is the question of guns vs. butter. An nation's economy can invest in defense, guns, or it can invest in butter, consumer goods and services. Household economies aren't much different, although thankfully, most of us don't have to invest that much in home defense...

The month of March will be a very busy one for astronomical observation. What began last week with a series of conjunctions between the moon and several planets now continues with more close conjunctions, this time between planets. On Tuesday, March 6, an almost-full moon and Mars will finish out this series of conjunctions. The moon will be back in planet-meeting mode at the end of March, passing Venus and Jupiter again...

The way my kids talk, you'd think I was the cruelest mom ever for not letting them have pets in the house, and by cracky, when they grow up and have their own house, they're gonna have as many inside pets as they want, so they tell me. In which, I respond, "Go ahead, knock yourself out, but you're not bringing them home for Christmas."...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A bill which would require photo identification to vote in elections has Sen. Mark Christensen wondering why the topic is such a partisan issue. The bill, LB 239, has 15 amendments pending on it and according to Sen. Christensen they have all been brought by members of the Democratic party. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Dave Almany, author of "Prairie Blitz: A Year of High School Football at America's 50 Yard Line," will be in McCook Monday and Tuesday, March 13 to 15 for a pre-release and several book signing ceremonies. The former high school and college football coach from St. ...

On Sunday night, the three screenwriters behind the George Clooney-led family drama "The Descendants" - Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash - heard their names called from the stage at the 84th Annual Academy Awards after the night's oft-repeated anticipation-building clause, "And the Oscar goes to... ...