Stories from Monday, October 15, 2012

Emma Fahrenbruch Sept. 15, 1931 - Oct. 12, 2012 HOLDREGE, Nebraska -- Funeral services for Emma Fahrenbruch will be conducted from the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bertrand, Nebraska, on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor Gary Panko officiating. Interment will be held at the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in rural Bertrand...

Nancy Marie Schmidt Feb. 21, 1956 - Oct. 13, 2012 INDIANOLA, Nebraska -- Nancy Marie (Ogorzolka) Schmidt passed away Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012, in Gretna, Nebraska. She was 56 years old. Nancy was born on Feb. 21, 1956, to Donald Paul and Nettie P. (Arendell) Ogorzolka. She graduated from Bartley High School with the class of 1974...

Valta Mae Cruse Feb. 15, 1942 - Oct. 14, 2012 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Valta Mae Cruse, 70, died Sunday (Oct. 14, 2012), at her home in McCook. Blasé Strauser Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Betty L. Vlasin Oct. 27, 1929 - Oct. 13, 2012 HAYES CENTER, Nebraska -- Betty LaVerne (Daniel) Vlasin passed away on Oct. 13, 2012, at the El Dorado Manor in Trenton, Nebraska. She was 82 years old. Betty was born to Ernest and Marjorie Daniel on Oct. 27, 1929, in Hayes County on her parent's homestead north of Hamlet, Nebraska. Betty attended school in Wauneta, Nebraska and in 1977, Betty graduated from Hayes Center High School with her high school diploma...

80th birthday The family of Mary Lebsack of McCook, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday. She was born Oct. 23, 1932, in McCook. Her family includes husband, Harry Lebsack of McCook; children, Connie Meixner of McCook; Brenda Bacon of Lincoln, Nebraska, Joni Cantrell of Lincoln; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 14 South Street, McCook, NE 69001...

Marvin Dale Blake Nov. 9, 1937 - Oct. 13, 2012 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Marvin Dale Blake passed away Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012, at El Dorado Manor Nursing Home in Trenton. He was 74 years old. Marvin was born on Nov. 9, 1937, at Ogallala, Nebraska to parents, Loyd Otto and Daisy Lila (Younger) Blake. He graduated from McCook High School in 1956, where he played basketball...

The virus has arrived early this year, according to experts.

In August of 2012, the oldest commissioned ship in the United States Navy, The USS Constitution, lovingly referred to as "Old Ironsides," set sail (under her own power) for only the second time in 130 years. The occasion, in Boston Harbor, was to commemorate the Constitution's victories during the War of 1812. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- McCook National Bank employees will take advantage of the cooler weather over the next few days, preparing baked goods for sale Friday, Oct. 19, beginning at 8:30 a.m., in the lobby of the main bank at 220 Norris Ave., in McCook. Funds raised will support Ann Trail's Adopt-A-Chaplain effort to send Christmas packages to U.S. troops in serving in Afghanistan...

BIRD CITY, Kansas -- The 2012 Annual Holiday Craft Fair is Saturday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Cheylin Grade School gymnasium in Bird City. The Kids Craft Corner is available for $5 per child, allowing them the opportunity to make their own crafts while their parents shop. Lunch also will be available...

Eric Paz of McCook, Nebraska, takes advantage of the warm weather Tuesday and drives his four-wheeler on the bottom of the Republican River at Barnett Park. Paz said his four-wheeler was refurbished from a riding lawn mower and that he likes to take it out in nice weather...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- According to John Heywood, (1497-1580), "Many hands make light work," and organizers of the Feed My Starving Children MobilePack are in need of many hands at the Armed Forces Reserve Center, Oct. 26 and 27, a half mile east of McCook on U.S. Hwy 6 &34...

Home grown teachers -- final in a series of six

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The political landscape of our country has seemingly become more charged than ever, making intellectual conversation on many topics difficult and shortening the reins on many of our politicians with constant pressure from a "what have you done for us lately" point-of-view. Saturday evening, area residents and local leaders gathered to let a retiring U.S. Senator Ben Nelson know that McCook wanted nothing to do with that mantra and hasn't forgotten his many years of service...

Before President George W. Bush landed at Offutt Air Force Base on September 11, 2001, few appreciated Nebraska's role in U.S. national security matters beyond nuclear deterrence. But Strategic Command (STRATCOM) at Offutt AFB near Bellevue, Neb., has long been quietly monitoring ever-changing threats to our security and providing global operational support to U.S. ...

Two weeks ago, if you'd asked someone what the Department of Defense and the University of Nebraska had in common, you probably would have been answered with silence. Or maybe (depending on who you asked) you might have heard speculation that Coach Pelini was working on a cutting-edge defense strategy for the next Husker game...