Stories from Thursday, March 22, 2012

The new action-comedy "21 Jump Street" blindsided me in the best, most refreshing way possible. It was at least ten times better than the movie that I had imagined I was about to see; most movies live up (or down) to a viewer's preconceived expectations, this one quite nearly shattered mine...

Susan Ruth McLeland Dec. 27, 1945 - March 19, 2012 GREELEY, Colorado--Susan Ruth McLeland, 66, of Greeley, passed away March 19, 2012, at North Colorado Medical Center. She was born Dec. 27, 1945, in McCook Nebraska, to Jerry and Ardis (Hileman) McLeland...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Piecemakers Quilt Guild met at Our Savior's Lutheran Church on Friday, March 9, 2012. Theresea Reeves presented a lesson on English Paper Piecing. There was a surprise baby shower for member, Julie Stahly. At the afternoon meeting it was announced that the Piecemakers Quilt Guild will give a $25 cash award and ribbon to the best quilt from the six counties in Southwest Nebraska at the Nebraska State Fair. ...

CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- The Tri Valley Health System Mammography Department at Cambridge Memorial Hospital recently underwent their annual FDA inspection. The FDA inspector thoroughly inspects the quality control records and ensures that the facility is in compliance with all FDA and MQSA (Mammography Quality Standards Act) regulations. Once again, the mammography department received a level 4, which is the highest level awarded, and had no deficiencies...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Peer Mentoring Program at McCook, Nebraska, Public Schools recently received an "America's Promise" grant, made available through McCook National Bank, to help high school mentors who meet once a week with elementary-age mentees throughout the school year...

David Arp of McCook, at one of the local gas stations in town, watches the numbers fly by as he fills up his tank. Arp said he thinks gas prices are so high because "they're panicking prematurely...there's plenty of gas, they're just more concerned in making a profit."...

GOODLAND, Kansas -- The National Weather Service Forecast Office of Goodland, Kansas, plans storm spotter training in McCook, Nebraska, on Monday, March 26, at 6:30 p.m., at the Heritage Senior Center in the 1400 block of West Fifth. The class is designed for casual weather watchers and for those who want to become a volunteer spotter and report severe weather to the National Weather Service...

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that Interior's Bureau of Reclamation is providing $2.4 million in new funding for comprehensive water studies in five western river basins, including the Republican River Basin in Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska...

McCOOK, Nebraska-- Although it's starting from scratch, enthusiasm for a community garden in McCook is starting to grow "Something kept telling me we needed to do this," said Dave Winder of McCook, who first came up with the idea of a community garden a few years ago. But the idea remained dormant, until John and Betty Nothnagel of McCook stepped in this year and offered to furnish 1.8 acres of land, along with water and electricity, north of the Red Willow County Fairgrounds...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Chamber member Dale Dueland asked Sen. Mark Christensen for his assistance in exploring the option of a joint County and State jail facility that he believed could lessen the tax burden on County residents, while assisting the state jail system with its overcrowding problem. "I think it's a great idea," replied Sen. Christensen, who added that he would look into it and get back with Dueland during next week's conference call...

Iron Workers Local 21 craftsmen Pete Bingham, left, and Don Jenkins of Ironhead Erectors, Omaha, rest on a piece of steel they just secured on the McCook Municipal Building Wednesday. Jenkins releases the cable so the ground crew and crane operator can raise the next steel beam. (Grant Strunk/McCook Daily Gazette)...

NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- Several of the authors of Mid-Plains Community College's recently published "History of Mid-Plains Community College, Volume 2: MPCC as an Area Wide System" will be on hand this Saturday, March 24, for a book signing from 9 to 11 a.m. at the North Platte Public Library and from 1 to 3 p.m. at Sehnert's Bakery & Bieroc Cafe in McCook. Comments and presentations by the authors will take place at approximately 10 a.m. in North Platte and 2 p.m. in McCook...

You don't have to tell people in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas about the importance of water. We've depended on it for our livelihood since the earliest European settlers staked their claims along the Republican River, and before that, the Native Americans planned their travels around the availability of water...

First, I would like to express my appreciation to Connie Jo Discoe of the McCook Daily Gazette for her accuracy in reporting the remarks I made concerning the jail site at the Monday, March 19 meeting of the Red Willow County Commission. To me, the mission of a community newspaper is to encourage public discussion so that enlightened decisions can be made about publicly supported projects, especially those that require funding commitments...

OK, space fans, in the words of my good friend Monty Python, now for something completely different. We have been watching the dance of the planets for the last few weeks, which is a grand sight indeed. This dance will go on for several more months with some exciting events in the future...

I always think it's kinda funny when I see someone driving around town with their coffee mug accidentally left on top of their car, then watching it and wondering how long it'll stay on before it rolls off or how soon the driver who set it up there and forgot it, will realize it's gone...

CURTIS, Nebrska -- Middle and High school students interested in this summer's natural resources camps have until May 4 to get their scholarship applications in to the Middle Republican NRD. Five scholarships are available, two per county within our district, each in the amount of the camp registration fee...

American, Canadian, European and, I assume, Australian citizens are becoming increasingly detached from the realities of attaining life's three most essential necessities; food, fuel and shelter (FF and S). Most 21st century urban children have no familial or environmental connection to the source of the food on their plate, the gas in their car, the wood in their wall, or the copper in their iPod...

CURTIS, Nebraska -- The Middle Republican Natural Resources District on Wednesday, March 14th, during the Southwest Nebraska Water Conference, presented one of two conservation awards to Cindy Ross. Kirt and Cindy Ross were nominated last year for the District's Outstanding Tree Planter award by NRCS Conservationist Darwin Hinrichs. Kirt was out of town and unavailable for the presentation...

Loyd Waldo OBERLIN, Kansas -- Loyd Waldo, 82, died Wednesday (March 21, 2012), at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, Kansas. Services are pending with Pauls Funeral Home, Oberlin.

Helen Louise Goodson Sept. 17, 1919 - March 22, 2012 McCOOK, Nebraska --Helen Louise Goodson, age 92, passed away Thursday, March 22, 2012, at Madonna Rehabilitation Center in Lincoln. Helen was born Sept. 17, 1919, in Hayes County, to John and Alvina (Frank) Gaarder. She grew up on the family farm and graduated from Hayes Center High School in 1937. She taught rural schools for six years...