Stories from Friday, May 18, 2012

Jean P. Case April 25, 2012 ~ May 17, 2012 MCCOOK, Nebraska -- Jean P. Case, age 89, died Thursday (May 17, 2012), at Hillcrest Nursing Home. Services are pending. Friends may send condolences online at www.carpenterbreland.com. Carpenter Breland Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements...

This information is gathered at the McCook Public Safety Center, the McCook office of the Nebraska State Patrol, the Red Willow County Courthouse, the Red Willow County Sheriff's Office and the McCook Humane Society. Police activity Activity log...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Bernard Elbert VFW Post 1652 Ladies Auxiliary met with seven members present. Krystal Downing called the meeting to order and prayer was said. Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. Jeannine Rinehart gave the treasurer report it was approved as read...

McCook Daily Gazette Jacquetta Davis, left, mentor with the TeamMates Program, congratulates Lacy Carfield, her mentee for nine years, Thursday night at the End of the Year Celebration. Carfield is the first mentee to graduate from high school and earn a $500 scholarship; she would like to pursue nursing next year. ...

25th anniversary The family of John and Karen Miller is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 25th wedding anniversary. They were married May 23, 1987, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Ash Creek. Their children are Jacob and Will Miller. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 72157 Road 374, Culbertson, NE 69024...

Teigen John Franssen Amanda Jauken and Buck Franssen of Arapahoe, Nebraska, announce the birth of their son, Teigen John Franssen, who was born May 7, 2012, at North Platte. He weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 20 inches long. HIs siblings are Kayla Jo, 22 years old, Dalton,11 years old and Macala, 2 years old. Grandparents are Sherry and Larry Breinig of Arapahoe, Robert and Pat Cox of Wilsonville, Nebraska and Dennis Jauken of Oxford, Nebraska...

Gill, Stone Katie Jo Gill and JD Stone, both of Kearney, Nebraska and formerly of McCook, Nebraska, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the bride to be are Dwaine Charles and Rebecca Lee Gill of Palisade, Nebraska. Grandparents are Larry Duane and Patricia Joyce Gill of Palisade...

Tyler Daniel Stitt Danny and Jamie Stitt of Axtell, Nebraska, announce the birth of their son, Tyler Daniel Stitt, who was born April 23, 2012, at Good Samaritan Hospital, in Kearney, Nebraska. He weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 20 3/4 inches long. He has one sister, Allie, 5 years old. Grandparents are Gary and Karla Harris and Dick and Marilyn Stitt, all of McCook...

Travyn Pierce Minnick Sarah and Dallas Minnick of Indianola, Nebraska, announce the birth of their son, Travyn Pierce Minnick, who was born April 16, 2012, at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge, Nebraska. He weighed 6 pounds, 8.5 ounces and measured 21 inches long. ...

Benson Young Schmit Matt and Cinda Schmit of Columbus, Nebraska, announce the birth of their son, Benson Young Schmit, who was born March 12, 2012, at Ogallala Community Hospital in Ogallala, Nebraska. He weighed 7 pounds and measured 19 3/4 inches long. He has one brother, Gavin, 2 years old. Grandparents are Charles and Christina Coleman of McCook, Nebraska and Harry and Sharon Schmit of Bellwood, Nebraska. Great grandparents are John and Eileen Hubert and Lillie Coleman of McCook...

80th birthday The family of Dean Roedel is requesting a card shower in honor of his 80th birthday, He was born May 28, 1932, in McCook. His family includes his wife, Joanne (Ruppert) and children, Mike and Anna Roedel of Cerrillos, New Mexico, Karen Terrell of Breckenridge, Colorado, and Kathy and Randy Siltzer of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Cards of congratulations will reach him at 1001 43rd Ave., No. 44, Greeley, CO 80634...

40th anniversary The family of Ron and Kathy Ruppert of McCook, Nebraska, is hosting a reception in honor of the couple's 40th wedding anniversary on Sunday, May 27, 2012, 3-5 p.m. at Garden Prairie Church on U.S. Highway, 16 miles north of McCook. They were married June 3, 1972 in Curtis, Nebraska. Their children are Willis and wife, Libby Ruppert of McCook and Ryan and wife, Francie Ruppert of Denver, Colorado. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 38151 Road 732, McCook, NE 69001...

90th birthday The family of Phyllis Coolidge is hosting an open house in honor of her 90th birthday. The open house will be Saturday, May 26, from 2-4 p.m. at the Masonic Temple in McCook, 322 Norris Avenue.

60th anniversary The family of Darwin and Shirley Yonkers of Maywood, Nebraska is requesting a card shower in honor of the couples' 60th wedding anniversary, They were married May 21, 1952. Their children are Millie and Dan Corey of McCook, Nebraska, Christy and Jim Helberg of Hamlet, Nebraska and Mark Yonkers of Amherst, Nebraska. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 208 W, Elm Street, Box 167, Maywood, NE 69038...

McCOOK, Nebraska--Community Hospital is offering an educational program for persons who are pre-diabetic or think they may be pre-diabetic. The pre-diabetic program consists of two classes offered on Wednesdays, June 13 and 20 from 3 to 4:30 pm. The first class will cover facts on pre-diabetes and an introduction to carbohydrate counting. The second class will cover portion distortion and exercise...

Dear Friend, INTRO Many believers are manifesting tremendous interest in WHEN the Rapture will take place BUT others say "When it happens, I'm ready," meaning they have accepted Christ as their Savior and are ready for Heaven. Those of us who study Bible Prophecy, know the end of this age is VERY near and we should be heeding Jesus admonition, "When you see ALL these things come to pass, look up, for your redemption draweth nigh." Mt. ...

LORENE KORDENBROCK Norris Avenue Chapel As a reader of the Bible opens up the pages of the book Ezekiel, very often he/she is repelled by the marvelous vision of God that unfolds in the first chapter. Finding it too difficult to understand, he/she is tempted to skip on to more understandable Scripture. However, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, what treasures there are within this book!...

Auguste Deter was a forty-something-year-old woman living in Kassel, Germany. She had a pleasant life with her husband and their only daughter; nothing extraordinary, but she was irreplaceable to her family and her to them. So it was especially hard when Auguste began to show signs of "old age" well before her time. Her memory began to fail. She started suffering from delusions, confusion, and anxiety...

CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- Everyone is invited to a Mission Festival featuring missionaries Bruce and Sarah Wall and family at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 719 Park Avenue, in Cambridge, Nebraska, Wednesday, May 30. A potluck supper is set for 6:30 p.m., followed by a mission presentaion at 7:30 pm...

McCook Christian Church invites everyone to Country Fest, May 27 at 10 a.m. in Norris Park. Country Fest is an old fashioned worship service featuring Brad and Adrienne Randel and their band, followed by a picnic dinner with fried chicken, homemade pies, ice cream and root beer. There will also be a special church service for kids behind the George Norris Home...

Family Features Old-fashioned French Pot ice cream is incredibly dense, creamy and delicious on its own, but you can put a gourmet twist on a family favorite with these fun and easy recipes from Graeter's Ice Cream. Chocolate Chip Wheelies Yield: Approximately 36 cookies or 18 wheelies...

Declan is gearing up for his summer and has been counting down the remaining school days for several weeks now. He is anxious to spend time with family members outside of McCook, primarily his mother and sister in Colorado, but he is also scheduled for an adventure with Grandma and most of his cousins, that I am more than a little disappointed to be missing...

Emily Tolliver's entry wins the Nebraska division of the annual U.S. Fish and Wildlife Junior Duck Stamp Contest -- for the third year in a row. Emily has entered the contest eight times in her school career -- creating almost enough drawings for her own calendar, Steve Clapp, her art teacher at McCook, Nebraska, Senior High, points out proudly. ...

Brody Graham, 4, gets some help from brother Cole, 6, in landing his first Master Angler wiper at Hugh Butler Lake near McCook, Nebraska, on Tuesday. Cole, right, went on to catch his own trophy as well. Lower water levels necessitated by repairs to Red Willow Dam don't mean there aren't plenty of recreational opportunities...

We enjoy living in small towns, or we wouldn't be here, but that doesn't mean we don't think they could use improvement. In fact, it takes growth to even maintain the standard of living that makes rural life attractive. The Lincoln Journal Star is reporting that University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials hope to help out, launching a $1.5 million annual effort called the Rural Futures Institute in September, and hoping to land a major endowment like one that launched the Daughtery Water for Food Institute in 2010.. ...

We had our last graduation in True Hall on the McCook Community College campus last Friday and only a little more than half of the graduates showed up to take part in the ceremony, even though they were participating in a watershed moment in their lives. Their names and pictures will be displayed and talked about over the next 50 years by alumni of MCC, but obviously to the half that didn't show up, that didn't matter...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Red Willow County Board of Commissioners will coordinate their regularly scheduled meeting, 9 a.m., Monday morning in the commissioners room at the courthouse. The meeting agenda includes considering authorization to notify Decatur County Commissioners of termination of the jail contract, effective July 1, 2012; possibly adopting changes to TIF procedures pertaining to the County's tax-exempt bonds; and transferring funds from the inheritance fund to the Capital Projects Fund; among other items.. ...

The old "Brown McDonald Co." raised letters come off -- with much effort -- as part of renovation of what was most recently the Ben Franklin store in downtown McCook.

NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- Consideration of a negotiated agreement with the Mid-Plains Education Association and recommendation for the hiring of an MPCC president are on the agenda for next week's meeting of the Mid Plains Community College board of governors...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Another procedural change pertaining to how city staff handles future purchases will be considered by the McCook City Council. After raising the purchasing limit of city staff earlier in the month, councilors will consider more than doubling the project dollar amount that triggers the required involvement of an engineer or architect. ...

McOOK, Nebraska -- A plea agreement was reached with a car thief that was tracked down by investigators who followed a trail of evidence that began with a sandwich wrapper left in the stolen vehicle. The man, 27-year-old Merrill G. Johnston of McCook, accepted a plea agreement in Red Willow County District Court, April 30, that reduced a felony theft charge against him and also admitted guilt to a second misdemeanor charge of forgery...

After losing their battle to stay in the U.S., Clive and Joy Curtis visit with customers one last time on Thursday morning, at the doughnut shop they opened 12 years ago in McCook, Oz Tex. The Curtis' were not able to renew their legal status and began their trip back to Australia Thursday afternoon. ...

Seaton John Wood Eric and Kayla Wood of Westminster, Colorado, announce the birth of their son, Seaton John Wood, who was born April 27, 2012, at Lafayette, Colorado. He weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces and measured 21.5 inches long. He has one brother, Elijah James Wood, 19 months. ...