Stories from Friday, June 29, 2012

Marianne Stephens Aug. 31, 1941 June 23, 2012 LONGMONT, COLORADO, Marianne Stephens, 70, formerly of McCook, Nebraska, died June 23, 2012, in Longmont, Colorado after a brief struggle with cancer. She was born August 31, 1941, in Hastings, Nebraska and was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Virginia Frasier...

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 -- Samual Osterman, a 2012 grauate of Southwest High School, is the recipient of a $600 scholarship from McCook Mens VFW Post 1652. He is the grandson on VFW Auxiliary member Mary Osterman and the son of Jeff and Kathy Osterman. He will be attending the University of Nebraska-Kearney this fall to get his degree in biology...

Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette Connor Palic, left, and Alan Goodenberger plan to help pay for college studies in engineering with $1,000 scholarships awarded recently by Parker Hannifin, McCook. Both boys are spring graduates of McCook Senior High. Connor is the son of John and Melinda Palic and will attend McCook Community College. Alan is the son of Paul and Marlene Goodenberger and will attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln...

Two area high school seniors have been awarded a scholarship from Eureka Chapter No. 86, Order of the Eastern Star, located in McCook. Diane Lyons, left, Worthy Matron and Jane Shield, Scholarship Chairman, present the certificate to Kyle Groshong, a McCook High School graduate and son of Tag and Nicole Groshong. ...

Dobesh, Bauer Julia Amanda Dobesh and Alex David Bauer, both of Lincoln, Nebraska, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Dale and Kathy Dobesh of Ansley, Nebraska and Randy and Kim Bauer of McCook, Nebraska. Grandparents of the couple are Virgil and Edith Ann Sims of Holdrege, Nebraska,Glenn and Jo Rhode of Sumner, Nebraska, the late Amil Dobesh, Dorothy Roth of McCook, the late Al Roth and the late Vic and Pearl Bauer...

Hidy, Hurtt, Jill RaNae Hidy and Garrett Scott Hurtt, both of Wauneta, Nebraska, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Ben and Judy Hidy of Trenton, Nebraska and Joady and Karen Hurtt of Colby, Kansas. Grandparents are Phyllis Hurtt of Colby, and Nadine Kvasnicka of Oakley, Kansas...

Morris, Gruntorad Heather Rose Morris and Tucker John Gruntorad, both of Kearney, Nebraska, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the bride-to-be are Danny and Peggy Morris of Benkleman, Nebraska. Grandparents are Don and Shirley Wright of Bloomington, Nebraska, the late Sonny Morris and the late Gene and Rose Doyle...

91st birthday The family of Darlene Unger is hosting a card shower in honor of her 91st birthday on July 1, 2012, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Willow Ridge Senior Living Community in McCook. Cards of congratulations will reach her at Willow Ridge Senior Living Center, Apt. 107, 1500 East 11th, McCook, NE 69001...

Joel Leland Tietz Glen and Kim Tietz of McCook are pleased to announce their adopted son, Joel Leland Tietz. He was born Sept. 7, 2010, came to live with the couple Nov. 16, 2010 and officially became part of the family on May 1, 2012. He has an older brother, Alex and older sisters, Tori, Becca and Peyton...

Ridgley, Drury Lauren Margaret Ridgley of Denver, Colorado and Jason Matthew Drury of Centennial, Colorado, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Dennis and Shirley Austin Ridgley (formerly of McCook) of Aurora, Colorado and Otis and Linda Drury of Centennial...

The McCook Evangelical Free Church is once again sponsoring High Power Soccer for kids kindergarten through 6'th grade at Barnett Park, July 23-27 from 9am-noon each day. This is a camp for all skill levels from kindergarten through 6'th grade. The camp is free but space is limited. To register, call the Evangelical Free Church office at 345-1661 or stop by at 602 East 14th street, next to the hospital in McCook...

MAYWOOD, Nebraska -- Jim Brown, who grew up west of Maywood, will be at the Maywood Christian Church for a musical concert on Tuesday, July 10, at 7:30 p.m. Jim's musical background includes playing steel guitar with his father, Mackay Brown, at community events and county fairs in southwest Nebraska, beginning when he was 10 years old...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- The Jehovah's Witnesses will present the convention "Safeguard Your Heart" July 6-8 at teh Bob Devaney Sports Center, in Lincoln. The conference focuses on the Bible's references to the figurative heart. Witnesses believe that the figurative heart needs protection if one is to have a good relationship with God and lasting happiness in life...

Dear Friend, INTRO As a whale reaches the end of its lifespan and becomes more and more helpless and unable to migrate with the rest of the pod, the sharks are alert to its helplessness and final demise and move in for the feast, until all that is left is the skeleton. ...

Americans believe in heaven -- since 1997, the numbers have fluctuated from 72 to 80 percent, according to Gallup polls. But what is heaven and what does it look like? "Too often the popular idea of heaven is a place where you'll have nothing to do but tell a jealous God how good he is over and over for all eternity--and that wouldn't be much better than hell," says Charlie Webster, former senior engineer for NASA, Bible scholar and author of Revitalizing Christianity ()...

LORENE KORDENBROCK Norris Avenue Chapel Recently, as I sat reading my Bible, it came to me "when and where did I get my first Bible?" I do not remember. I do know that I was very young and that the Bible was black and small. It was very thick, just like those popular "Little Big Books" that we had way back when...

When that little group of Separatists left England for the New World in a little boat called the Mayflower, they landed at Plymouth Rock in a territory that would eventually become known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Colony became, obviously, the seedbed for the nation whose birthday we celebrate this week...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The public is invited to Community Hospital's ribbon cutting and grand opening of the new Facility Master Plan Phase 2 Project, Sunday at 1 p.m. This date is significant in that 38 years ago on July 1, 1974, Community Hospital opened its doors for business...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook City Council will consider approval of a contract necessary to develop a downtown revitalization plan, which could lead to roughly $350,000 in downtown infrastructure improvements. The Community Development Block Grant contract is between the City of McCook and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and focuses on creating a revitalization plan at an anticipated cost of $39,300...

CONNIE JO DISCOE Regional Editor McCOOK, Nebraska -- It's been just more than two months now since the accident, and it'll probably be another six to eight months before the Nebraska State Patrol trooper seriously injured in a car accident in April can return to his duties...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The unmerciful drought of 2012 is nothing new to an area that was once known as "the heart of the Great American Desert." Walt Sehnert, McCook, Nebraska's premiere story teller, told those gathered for the annual meeting of the High Plains Historical Society on June 24 that his research reveals that Nebraska's early settlers also suffered on plains scorched by high temperatures and a lack of rain...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Mid-Plains Community College Board of Governors approved a three year employment contract with new college president, Ryan Purdy. Purdy will receive an annual base salary of $155,000 and additional benefits that combine for a total compensation package of $208,792...

Sen. Ben Nelson has good reason to feel vindicated in taking the stance that probably cost him his Senate seat, his insistence that states not be saddled with exploding Medicaid costs, a position that came to be called the "Cornhusker Kickback." While it came across as a special exception for Nebraska in exchange for the deciding vote on Obamacare, Nelson has maintained he was opposed to the law's threat to withhold all of states' Medicaid funding if they fail to expand the program along federal guidelines.. ...

Kudos to Dawn Cribbs and the Gazette ["Cheerleader tryouts are tonight" (http://www.mccookgazette.com/story/1862207.html)]. I picked up a copy of the Wednesday edition while in McCook last week. In a day and time in America when it seems that Christian-bashing in the media is the "norm," it's refreshing to see a column that clearly supports the truths of the Bible and our Creator. Thank you!!...

In his column on June 5, Dick Trail incorrectly asserted that the current Administration has cut the defense budget in ways that will negatively impact military modernization. Sen. Ben Nelson, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, provides the following information for readers. ...

A combine is a moving machine that simultaniously cuts the grain heads from the stalks and seperates the grain from the chaff. Hence, the name, combine. A thrashing machine is stationary and performs only the latter operation. Bill Coe's picture on page 10 in the June 28 paper is a thrashing machine, not a combine...

In a stunning and surprising victory for President Obama, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld what is now commonly referred to as "Obamacare" by a 5-4 vote. The surprising part was that the deciding vote was cast by Chief Justice John Roberts instead of Justice Anthony Kennedy who has been the deciding vote many times before and most assumed he would be again...

John Herrmann March 27, 1939 - June 28, 2012 McCOOK, Nebraska -- John Hermann died Thursday (June 28, 2012) in Denver at the University of Colorado Hospital. Services are Friday, July 6, 2012, 10:30 a.m. at the Memorial United Methodist Church in McCook. Burial is at Memorial Park in McCook...

Our state is receiving national attention for the sound and responsible fiscal policies that have put Nebraska in better shape than most of America. Our numbers and rankings are a strong indication that Nebraska is on the move. It is no longer a secret that Nebraska is one of the best places for new and expanding businesses to locate. ...

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision to uphold most of the President's health care law, Nebraskans deserve to know what the decision means and what steps Congress will take to repeal the law in full to lower health care costs while increasing access to care...

Family Features On July 4th, the perfect party calls for friends, food, fireworks and plenty of red, white and blue. "It's an easy party to pull off," says Nancy Siler, vice president of consumer affairs at Wilton. "Our celebration experts have created a patriotic themed spread of sweet and savory treats to provide star-spangled fun for everyone."...