Stories from Tuesday, July 24, 2012

MINDEN, Neb. -- Stayin' Alive, part II. The McCook National Bank Seniors "cashed" in on a strong pitching performance Monday, July 23, to keep their hopes alive in the Class B Area 6 Legion baseball tournament. Cash Bortner's pitching effort led the Seniors to a 7-3 victory over host Kearney County-Minden in an elimination bracket contest in the state-qualifying tournament...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Red Willow County Commissioners transferred $139,000 to Hillcrest Nursing Home to cover the home's payroll expenses. The action was approved at a special meeting this morning, called because the claim was not received in time for the board's regular meeting Monday...

Gary Thompson of Arapahoe, Nebraska, guides the Braud grape harvester driven by his uncle, Ted Long of Salina, Kansas, through the rows of Brianna grape vines harvested early this morning at "The Old Cellar Vineyard" owned by Thompson and his wife, Judith, on the northern edge of Arapahoe. The crop of grapes -- the first for the Old Cellar -- was delivered by mid-morning to Mac's Creek Winery in Lexington...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- What the future holds for the Casillas family of McCook is uncertain. But two McCook teen-age sisters want to alleviate some of their worries -- by helping them meet some of the expenses associated with the medical care for the family's 6-year-old son...

When I started this journey of writing about genealogy, I made the mistake of assuming that everyone had at least a basic knowledge of what genealogy research was. Big mistake, actually, because as one woman told me: "This all sounds like Greek and I don't know where to start!" So, let's demystify this "Greek" and learn how to start! First of all, you do not have to spend a huge amount of money and join web sites like Ancestry.com when you are just beginning; in fact, most of us who are passionate about genealogy would recommend that you don't.. ...

The family of Leona Smith, formerly of Trenton, is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday. She was born July 29, 1932. Her children are Rita and Darrel Messersmith of McCook, Roger and Chris Smith, also of McCook, Rick and Cheri Smith of Gilbert, Arizona, Bob and Marie Smith of Culbertson, Nebraska, and Ron and Lolita Smith of Gulf Port, Mississippi. ...

The family of Catherine Remington is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday. She was born July 25, 1932. Her family includes her husband, Alden, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 406 E. Second, McCook, NE, 69001...

The family of Evelyn (McKillip) Lytle is requesting a card shower in honor of her 88th birthday. She was born July 30, 1924 in Hayes County. Her family includes her children, LeeAnn Roth of McCook, Bill and Sherry Lytle of McCook, Larry and Marla Lytle of BellaVista, Arkansas, and Jim and Anita Lytle of McCook. She has seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 607 E. Seventh, McCook, NE, 69001...

The family of Doug and Kaye Linner of Hendley, formerly of Indianola, are requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 40th wedding anniversary. They were married July 30, 1972, in Beaver City, Nebraska. Their family includes children, Stephanie and Ron Chloupek of Papillion, Nebraska, Stacie and Troy VanPelt of Indianola, and Lindsay and Jeff Higel of Kenesaw, Nebraska. They have five grandchildren. Cards of congratulation will reach the couple at 71140 Rd. 420, Beaver City, NE, 68926...

GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska -- About 1,625 people from Nebraska and several other states attended the 75th Annual Nebraska State Fire School May 18-20 in Grand Island. The Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighters Association offered the school in cooperation with the State Fire Marshals Training Division and Heartland Events Center/Fonner Park...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- So you've been paying into Social Security all these years, thinking you'll have something in your "Golden Years." Think again. With baby boomers retiring in record numbers -- 10,000 baby boomers will reach age 65 every day for the next 19 years -- and rising health care costs, Social Security and Medicare may not be able to handle the load...

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...

Five-year-old Izabelle Stehno and 7-year-old Annaleah Frizzle, both of Stratton, Nebraska, show off the red tongues they acquired from the cool, refreshing cherry-flavored slushies they ate to cool off during the Hitchcock County Fair in Culbertson recently. After livestock judging, in triple-digit heat even under the shade of the big top arena, three pre-4-H'ers -- from left, Katie Jarecke, Madison Gestenslager and Rachel Jarecke -- couldn't resist the cool, clean water in the stock tank...

INDIANOLA, Nebraska -- Old Settlers' Indianola Remembers organizers are looking for art work, quilts, handiwork and other hand-made items from Indianola residents, past and present, to display Aug. 11, at the Community Building. Contact Lynda Baumbach, (308) 364-2318 or (308) 340-1531 or Pat Schaffert, (308) 340-2902, for more information or to register items. Items can be brought to the Community room between 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Aug. 11, and must be picked after 4 p.m...

BEAVER CITY, Nebraska -- The Furnas County, Nebraska, 4-H beef exhibitor in the photograph on the right on page two of Monday's Gazette was misidentified. The correct name is Emily Taylor.

With 27 days of 100 degrees or more this year -- Monday was the ninth in a row -- an indoor, air conditioned skate park might seem like just the ticket. In the interest of practicality, however, a more modest, achievable plan like the latest one promoted by local skaters is a good idea...

Josh Friesen's open forum is trying to shift the blame of non-compliance of the compact for the Republican River Basin to manager Brad Edgerton of Frenchman Cambridge Irrigation District. The subject of the Kansas vs. Nebraska lawsuit is whether or not Nebraska's water policies and the administration of such have been effective in keeping Nebraska in compliance with the agreement signed in 1943. Edgerton played no role in either writing the policies or enforcing them...

A few years back the sign along the highway read "Population 8379". That was in 1953 as I drove into McCook to attend high school. The 2010 census proudly reports that McCook, Nebraska had 7698 residents abiding. Sixty years of essentially no growth! What happened?...

America's economy is stagnant and showing few signs of growth. The private sector is being strangled by government regulation, an overly-complex and uncompetitive tax code, and uncertainty generated by the threat of tax increases, an onerous health care law, and the ever expanding national debt...

Everyone is aware the budget picture in Washington requires less spending. That means Congress has to prioritize which investments it believes are most important. Cities are seeing the impacts of reduced support from both the federal and state governments and we have to be thoughtful about the impact these decisions make on the people who live in these cities...