Stories from Tuesday, March 27, 2012

It is good to see organized, thoughtful arguments, offered in a reasonable manner, like those offered to the Red Willow County Commissioners in opposition to their choice for a location for the new Law Enforcement Center -- jail -- on Norris Avenue...

EDITOR'S NOTE -- Upon learning that a school board member would be submitting an Open Forum letter concerning the Hayes Center school board, the school's superintendent asked that the following disclaimer be included: "The opinions expressed by Mr. Kressin in this letter are not reflective of a consensus opinion by the Hayes Center Board of Education."...

To satisfy Nebraska law the Red Willow County Board of Commissioners have plans in motion to build a new county jail. A score of local citizens are opposed to building the needed facility on the site selected by the Commissioners. Each group has valid reasons for favoring or opposing the site adjacent to the Courthouse. What to do?...

Chris Foltz of the {http://www.crh.noaa.gov/gld/ National Weather Service Office} in Goodland, Kansas, speaks to several dozen emergency personnel and interested citizens at a weather spotters training session Monday at the Heritage Senior Center in McCook. Spotters learned what to look for, what to report, and how not to be fooled by clouds that might appear to be one thing and actually be another...

Eveline Hinds June 5, 1917 - March 24, 2012 LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Eveline Hinds was born to William C. Bryan and Beulah Williams Bryan on June 5, 1917, at Gray, Oklahoma. She passed away on Saturday, March 24, 2012, at the Lancaster Manor in Lincoln, Nebraska at the age of 94 years...

Warren V. Keen 1929-2012 LAKEWOOD, Colorado -- Warren V. Keen, Age 82 of Lakewood, Colorado, was born in Red Willow County, McCook, Nebraska. He retired from Gates Rubber Company in Denver, Colorado after 22 years of service. He enjoyed tinkering around and spending time at their cabin in Grand Lake, Colorado...

85th birthday The family of Mary Vrbas is requesting a card shower for her 85th birthday on March 30. Cards will reach her at 73106 Av 362A, Palisade, Ne 69040

CURTIS, Nebraska -- This year at Medicine Valley High School in Curtis the FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) chapter is setting the focus of their chapter service project on stopping verbal bullying and ending the "R" word (retard). They want to show the students the effects this problem has and has had in schools and the community...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Connor Lepper, an eighth grade student at St. Patrick School in McCook, Nebraska, has been notified that he is a semifinalist eligible to compete in the 2012 Nebraska National Geographic Bee. Bees were conducted in schools with fourth through eighth grade students throughout the state to determine each school's bee winner. ...

April deadlines loom for students considering applying for two MCC scholarships. The deadline for the Davis/Chambers Scholarship is April 1 and the deadline for the Great Plains Human Resource Management Association scholarship is April 15. The Davis/Chambers Scholarship recognizes academically promising students from diverse backgrounds who often find that the financial requirements of postsecondary education are a major obstacle. ...

McCook Community College is sponsoring a CPR/first aid class April 10-11 on campus. Completion of this course will enable participants to be certified in accordance with American Safety & Health Institute standards in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and first aid...

McCook Community College is accepting applications for two June sessions of driver education. The first session is June 4-14, and the class will meet Monday-Thursday from 8-10:30 a.m. and the second session is June 18-28 and the class will meet Monday-Thursday from 8-10:30 a.m...

McCook National Bank representative, Shelby Haag, right, is pictured presenting Kelsey Woitaszewski, a junior at McCook High Schools, with the February "MNB Student of the Month Award" for the 2011-2012 school year. Also pictured is Pam Wolford, left, Kelsey's nominating teacher. ...

Art work from every medium is on display through the end of this week as part of McCook Community College's annual Paint-In, which will be capped by the paint-in competition Friday in True Hall. There are artists from 16 area high schools represented in the current display at the Wrightstone Art Gallery, and there will be 18 teams competing Friday. ...

HAYES CENTER, Nebraska -- The four Hayes Center Public Schools patrons seeking the recall of school board member Randy Richter are asking the Hayes County District Court to force the school board to set a date for a recall election. At its monthly meeting on Feb. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A crowd of nearly 30 attended a Red Willow County Commissioners meeting Monday, many of them forced to listen from the hallway outside the packed commissioners' room of the courthouse. Commissioners listened to Dale Dueland and other citizens express their concerns for the Norris Avenue location, that was chosen for construction of a $5.1 million Law Enforcement Center. ...

Following one of the best years ever for McCook's economy, the members of the McCook Economic Development Corp. gathered at the Keystone Business Center Monday afternoon to review the past year's achievements and make plans for further growth in 2012...

PALISADE, Nebraska -- The Hitchcock County, Nebraska, sheriff's department is investigating a Palisade grocery store break-in that netted individuals cigarettes and $880 in currency. Hitchcock County Sheriff D. Bryan Leggott reports that individuals broke into Richard Alan's Grocery Store in downtown Palisade during the early morning hours of Monday, March 19...

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. -- Apparently the early spring mild weather agrees with the McCook High School track and field teams. The Bison squads turned in a long list of strong performances while topping host North Platte in both boys and girls dual meets Friday, March 23. The competition was held at Bauer Field on the North Platte High School campus...

When the McCook Community College women's softball team can combine strong pitching and defense, the Indians can be a very good team. That's exactly what happened Sunday, March 25, at the Jaycees Sports Complex. After a rough start and a 15-2 loss in the opening game against Otero (Colo.) Junior College, McCook bounced back and claimed a 2-0 victory in the nightcap...

Melba Fries Oct. 28, 19323 - March 27, 2012 BENKELMAN, Nebraska -- Nellie Melba (Ham) Fries, 88, died Tuesday (March 27, 2012), at the Sarah Ann Hester Home in Benkelman, Nebraska. She was born Oct. 28, 1923, in rural Benkelman, the daughter of Ray Oliver and Nellie Josephine (Foster) Ham. She attended District 28 School and graduated from Benkelman High School in 1941. For several years, she taught in rural Dundy County Schools...