Stories from Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Allen Lee Ploussard March 10, 1933 - March 20, 2012 OBERLIN, Kansas -- Allen Lee Ploussard, 79, died Tuesday (March 20, 2012), at the Cedar Living Center in Oberlin. He was born March 10, 1933, to Alfred Pete and Frances (Luverne) Marietta Ploussard in Oberlin...

Doris Clare Marintzer April 23, 1924 - March 19, 2012 OBERLIN, Kansas -- Doris Clare (Janousek) Marintzer, 87, died Monday (March 19, 2012), at the Decatur Good Samaritan Society in Oberlin. She was born April 23, 1924, near Herndon, Kansas, to Charles and Lydia Janousek...

Gemisca M. Bruening March 7, 1916 - March 19, 2012 TRENTON, Nebraska -- Gemisca M. Bruening, 96, formerly of McCook and Hendley, Nebraska, died Monday (March 19, 2012), at El Dorado Manor Assisted Living at Trenton. She was born March 7, 1916, at Hendley, to Thomas and Zetta(Meyers) Ayars. Both of her parents died when Gemisca was two years old and she was raised by grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins...

John C. Hitt Aug. 23, 1936 - Feb. 25, 2012 TAVARES, Florida -- Former McCook resident, John C. Hitt, 75, of Leesburg, Florida, passed away after a long illness, on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, in Tavares, Florida. John was born on Aug.23, 1936, in Clarksburg, West Virginia, to Peter Croner and Oma Gay (Hughes) Hitt. He was united in marriage to Lois Ann (Boys) Hitt on Oct. 4, 1958, in Elkton, Maryland...

75th birthday The family of Betty Woodruff of McCook, Nebraska is requesting a card shower in honor of her 75th birthday, She was born March 21, 1937, in Lebanon, Nebraska. Her family includes her husband, Robert Woodruff of McCook, children, Chuck and Holly Woodruff of Douglas, Wyoming; Tom and Janie Bredvick of McCook; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 300 West 11th, McCook, NE 69001...

St. LOUIS, Missouri -- Sharleen Riemenschneider, an Edward Jones financial advisor in McCook, recently attended the Edward Jones' "Women's Leadership Forum" at the firm's headquarters in St. Louis. The leadership forum, held to recognize successful female Edward Jones financial advisors, provided Sharleen Riemenschneider with advanced training and networking opportunities in which she shared business-building strategies with her colleagues...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- This fall, BryanLGH will adopt the name Bryan Health for the health system and Bryan Medical Center for the medical center in Lincoln. "The health system has grown dramatically over the past 15 years. The name that will guide us into the future - Bryan Health - signifies 85 years of quality, excellence and innovation in health care. ...

KEARNEY, Nebraska -- Finalists for the first Central Nebraska Business Plan Competition have been announced by the Center for Rural Research/Development at the University of Nebraska at Kearney The finalists include: Keepsake Quilts by Jaime O'Byrne of Eagle and Lisa Soflin of McCook; Lucky Lady Tasting Room by Jay and Jennifer Mack of Aurora; Her View From Home by Leslie Means, Heather Riggleman and Jennifer Sill, all of Kearney; Stoll Tool by Nick Stoll, UNK student from Marysville, Kan.; and Niobrara Valley Vineyards by Jennie Nollette and Family of Amherst.. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Good Life Chinese Restaurant will have a new family managing the restaurant. Zhebang Tang, his wife, Yanli Chen, and their 14-year-old son, Justin Tan, have moved from Cody, Wyoming, where they have a Chinese restaurant with their family, to operate Good Life. The former owners, Xize and his family, are moving to China for their daughter, Ting's, wedding...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- During a discussion of the city budget calendar, strategic planning session and budget retreat dates Monday evening, City Manager Jeff Hancock hinted at moving away from the city's previous practice of submitting a preliminary city budget to the public and then approving it via three readings...

GENE O. MORRIS Executive Director Fox Theatre-McCook McCOOK, Nebraska -- Four guys with more than 160 years of barbershop singing experience were sitting around the McCook Art Guild Tuesday night telling stories. Do you have any idea what the first thing that popped out of their mouths was? This will probably not surprise you. It was a joke...

Unseasonably mild weather -- even for today's first day of spring, are giving construction projects like McCook's new municipal facility, above, a leg up. The building on the old West Ward site will house the city administration, police and fire departments...

LINCOLN -- State senators advanced a $97.2 million tax cut bill on March 20, after about three hours of debate. The bill, LB970, was introduced by Sen. Abbie Cornett of Bellevue at the request of Governor Dave Heineman. LB970 advanced, with amendments, on a vote of 36-6...

Concrete and brick work is in full swing as as many as 50 contractors swarm over the new McDonald's restaurant on North U.S. 83 in McCook. The new state-of-the-art building, 1,000 square feet larger than the one it replaces, is expected to be open in a little more than a month...

We don't understand it, but some Nebraskans feel they are somehow deprived by living here, missing out on things like mountain climbing, surfing and major cultural events -- unless you can drive to Lincoln or Omaha, perhaps. But that calm landscape, sparse population and down-home, conservative culture offers advantages no Disneyland could provide...

I am a botanist doing research on the distribution of the bur oak in western Nebraska. I hope that this letter might put me in contact with local people in Red Willow and neighboring counties who might be knowledgeable about natural oak populations in their county or in southwestern Nebraska...

Even though I am not a member of a fellowship that adheres to any organized observance of Lent, I must admit that this is one of my favorite times of year. The way I understand it, the Lenten tradition is intended to bathe believers in the grim reality of what our great salvation cost the one who came to seek and to save the lost. For my part, I cannot seem to separate his sacrifice from my salvation at any time of year, and woe to me if I ever do...

DENVER -- Folk and country musician Jim Salestrom, who spent last year touring with Dolly Parton, has a new CD out celebrating the EV Nautilus, Dr. Robert Ballard's research exploration vessel, which has been featured in many National Geographic specials...

KEARNEY, Neb. -- Several area high school track and field teams competed in the Class C and Class D divisions in the three-day UNK Indoor meet at the University of Nebraska-Kearney's Cushing Coliseum. In Class C competition held Saturday, March 17, the Arapahoe girls were fourth in a tight race for the girls team title. ...

KEARNEY, Neb. -- A small contingent of McCook High School track and field athletes kicked off the 2012 spring season with a successful day at the UNK Indoor meet. The Class B portion of the meet held Saturday, March 17, concluded three days of prep track and field competition inside Cushing Coliseum on the University of Nebraska-Kearney campus. ...

LEXINGTON, Neb. -- The McCook High School girls tennis team enjoyed a successful start to the 2012 season with two wins Tuesday, March 20. The Bison girls topped Lexington, 7-2, and blanked Hershey, 9-0, in the double dual meet at the Lexington High School courts...

Justin Terry might be remembered as one of the top fullbacks in McCook High School football history. Terry plans to wear a different set of pads in his upcoming athletic endeavors. The Bison senior signed a letter of intent to join the McCook Community College baseball team. The signing ceremony was held March 19 at the MCC Library with McCook head baseball coach Jon Olsen and Terry's family members in attendance...

The McCook Community College men's baseball team found a double dose of victory Tuesday, March 20, was just the right medicine coming off a tough week. The MCC squad snapped a five-game losing skid with a double-header sweep over the Concordia University junior varsity. The host Indians blanked the Seward, Neb. squad, 8-0, in the opener at the Jaycees Sports Complex. MCC then topped Concordia, 7-1, in Tuesday's nightcap...