Stories from Friday, May 4, 2012

80th birthday The family of Ellen (Anderson) Barlow is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday. She was born May 12, 1932, in Hitchcock County. Her family includes children, Mike and Reta Barlow, Vicki and Mark Helm, six grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at PO Box 62, Culbertson, NE 69024...

Bartels, Young Emily Danielle Bartels and Jeremy Neil Young, both of Cozad, Nebraska, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the bride-to-be are Douglas and Anita Bartels of DeWitt, Nebraska. Parents of the prospective bridegroom are Delton and Vicky Young of McCook, Nebraska...

Jacobs, Bohochik Elizabeth Diane Jacobs and Paul Bohochik, both of Stratton, Nebraska, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding Parents of the bride-to-be are Tammy Pearson of Carriere, Mississippi and Larry Schoenauer Sr. of Nevada, Missouri. Parents of the prospective bridegroom are Gary and Cheryl Bohochik of Salida, Colorado...

Allen, Riedel Kara Allen and Dennis Riedel, both of Herndon, Kansas, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the bride-to-be are Patrick and Diana Allen of Herndon. Grandparents are Judy Allen of McCook, Nebraska, the late Sid Allen and the late Laura Kunner Eby...

Stroup, Dillehay Lacy Stroup of Colby, Kansas and Tim Dillehay of Hoxie, Kansas, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Denise Stroup of Benkelman, Nebraska and Debra Tidwell of Imperial, Nebraska. Grandparents of the bride-to-be are the late Jessie Stroup and the late Kenneth Stroup. Grandparent of the prospective bridegroom is the late Shirlene Stang...

Isabella Marie Weiser Kyle and Katie Weiser of McCook, Nebraska announce the birth of their daughter, Isabella Marie Weiser, who was born March 29, 2012, at McCook Community Hospital. She weighed 9 pounds, 14.8 ounces and measured 21 1/2 inches long. Grandparents are Donald and Jackie Grassia of Bartley, Nebraska and Doug Weiser of Overton...

Scheel, Gaunt Traci Scheel of Grand Island, Nebraska and Clayton Gaunt of McCook, Nebraska, announce their engagement and upcoming marriage. Parents of the couple are Duane and Pat Scheel of Grand Island and Carole Gaunt of McCook. The prospective bridegroom is the grandson of the late Charles and Nadeane Haag...

90th birthday The family of Charlene M. Mendoza of Stratton, Nebraska, is hosting an open house in honor of her 90th birthday. She was born May 12, 1922, in Rawlins County, Kansas. The open house is Saturday, May 12, 2-4 p.m. at Grandview Retirement Center in Stratton. ...

Mason Richard Schwenka Dallas and Erin Schwenka of Minden, Nebraska, announce the birth of their son, Mason Richard Schwenka, who was born March 30, 2012, at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital, in Hastings, Nebraska. He weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 20 inches long. ...

Elsie Jane Townsend Feb. 18, 1950 - May 2, 2012 ARAPAHOE, Nebraska -- Elsie Jane Townsend, 62, of Arapahoe, Nebraska, died Wednesday (May 2, 2012), at her home. She was born Feb. 18, 1950, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Richard and Dorothy (Knapp) Jackson. She went to Omaha Technical High School where she met Eugene Townsend. ...

Family Features No other trend has parked itself at the forefront of the culinary world quite like food trucks, but these aren't the stale doughnut and questionable hotdog stands of yore. From coast to coast, a new generation of chefs has been putting unique cuisines on four wheels. But if you're not in an urban setting, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on these delectable dishes...

Hugh Elvin Laird June 12, 1930 - April 29, 2012 SAN DIEGO, California -- Hugh Elvin Laird, 81, died April 29, 2012, at his residence. He was born June 12, 1930, in Hayes County, Nebraska to Samuel Marion and Lora (Ward) Laird. He attended elementary school in Hayes County and graduated from Hayes County High School in 1954. He attended college at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska, before entering the Navy in 1949. He was also recalled during the Korean Conflict...

Pat Tyson BENKELMAN, Nebraska -- Pat Tyson, 82, a long-time Dundy County resident, died Tuesday (May 1, 2012), at the Ebenezer Care Facility in Brush, Colorado. Memorial services are Monday, May 7, 2012, 10 a.m. (MT) at Forch Funeral Chapel in Benkelman, Nebraska, with the Rev. Brian Fong officiating. Military rites by American Legion Post No. 65 will follow services at Benkelman Cemetery...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Red Willow County Ministerial Association will present Baccalaureate services at 5 p.m., Sunday, at McCook Christian Church, 507 West B Street. The Rev. Jason VanPelt, associate pastor at McCook Christian Church, and the Rev. Lance Clay, pastor at Memorial United Methodist Church, will serve as worship leaders and will offer words of blessing and encouragement to the McCook High School Class of 2012...

We are in the Marian Month. Shall we spend some time trying to discover who St.Mary really is? Mary was not a 'queen' coming from a fairyland, but a human being like you and me. The Gospels give us enough detailed indications to reconstruct her portrait. Who was she? = Luke 1:26-39; her work? = Luke 2:1-21; 13:20-21; 15:8-10; her contacts? = Luke 1:39-45. John 2:1-13; her joys and sorrows? = Luke 1: 46-55; 2:41-50. John 19:25-27 and her prayer? = Luke 1:46-55; 2:19. Acts 1:12-14...

Dear Friend, INTRO When Jesus was here on earth, he healed thousands of people of every manner of disease known to man. "He made the lame to leap, the blind to see, the dumb to speak, the deaf to hear and cured many people of the dreaded disease of LEPROSY. ...

Four-hundred and ninety times. That was Jesus' answer to the question, "How many times should I forgive someone who has offended me." I don't think Jesus was being literal; how I wish he were!. Then there would at least be a boundary. Jesus was saying, however, "Stop keeping score. There is no limit to how many times you grant forgiveness to others."...

Farmers John and Susan Nelson plant corn around a spray plane that had to make an emergency landing in their field five miles south of Danbury, Nebraska, late Thursday afternoon. The aircraft is from Chester, Iowa, and contracted by Brad Uehlin, owner of Danbury International Airport. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson doesn't know what he will be doing on Jan. 4, 2013, but he does know that there is still a lot to do in the Senate between now and then. "We're winding down, but not slowing down," said Nelson in a visit to McCook, the place he has always considered home. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A preference poll has been mailed to every address in Red Willow County to ask citizens whether or not they favor the construction of a jail building in the 500 block of Norris Avenue in McCook. The mailing, sponsored and paid for by Citizens Concerned about Jail Costs (CCAJC), will go to 5,710 addresses in Red Willow County...

BARTLEY, Nebraska -- A former Red Willow County, Nebraska, commissioner thinks boards of commissioners can keep the bond levy to pay for the construction of a new 24-36 bed jail and law enforcement center within the county's levy limit "without creating any hardship for anyone."...

BRUCE BAKER City Editor McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook City Council will consider ordinance changes that would increase the purchasing limit of city staff, without requiring bidding or council approval, from $20,000 to $30,000. The changes also will include a provision that would allow city staff to negotiate a contract when bids come in over the approved amount, without returning to council for approval...

The first thing I want to say is: One of the biggest mistake that I made as a commissioner was failing to get a jail built in the 1980s. The total valuation of the county this year is $762,481,461. Ag-land values are going to go up 16 percent next year for tax purposes. ...

We don't go out of our way to stir up conflict, but any news person will admit to a little adrenaline rush when a controversy like the one over the planned Red Willow County Law Enforcement Center -- read "jail" -- comes along. We've endorsed the project in this space before, but at the same time lamented the fact that it wasn't built earlier, in combination with the city building, or otherwise at a lower cost with an eye for better efficiency...

Degrees of racism are in all of us and have been forever. They're there because race is a visible element, something we can see with our own eyes and use to discriminate against others who don't have the right skin color. We're all in competition for scarce goods and resources which means there isn't enough of anything to go around, so when some get something, others don't. And this causes friction and tension on both sides...

ALMA, Nebraska -- The Nebraska State Patrol Troop D Headquarters- North Platte is investigating the death of Harlan County Chief Deputy Sheriff Kevin Einspahr, 56, Alma. Chief Deputy Einspahr died Friday morning, May 4, of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound...

Ashley Sydow of Common Scents nursery straightens a row of calibrohoa, a popular hanging basket plant, Friday afternoon. The nursery is situated just south of McCook and is experiencing one of their busiest years ever, according to Sydow. Sydow added with a smile that their buy 4 get 1 free promotion on calibrohoa, petunia, coleus and sweet potato vine, would continue through Sunday...

Dorothy Pryor OBERLIN, Kansas -- Dorothy Pryor, 77, died Thursday (May 3, 2012), at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Services are pending with Pauls Funeral Home in Oberlin.

Mary Glasco BENKELMAN, Nebraska -- Mary Glasco, 95, long-time resident of Benkelman, died Wednesday (May 2, 2012), at the Chase County Hospital, Imperial. A funeral mass will be Tuesday, May 8, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. (MT) at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Benkelman with Rev. Tom Wiedel officiating. Interment will follow at the Benkelman Cemetery. A Rosary will be recited Monday evening, May 7, 2012, at 7 p.m. (MT), at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Benkelman, NE...