Stories from Friday, December 7, 2012

Family Features Who says you have to wait until the end of the meal for a taste of chocolate? Make this holiday season unforget­table for family and friends by adding a sweet touch to each course of the holiday meal, from appetizer to entrée and even your wine...

John William O'Byrne Jan. 1, 1949 - Dec. 6, 2012 TRENTON, Nebraska -- John William O'Byrne died at home on Dec. 6, 2012, at the age of 63 following a six month battle with brain cancer. He was born in Stratton, Nebraska, to Christopher C. and Winoma E. ...

Lorin M. Heimerl Oct. 30, 1929 - Dec. 4, 2012 APPLETON, Wisconsin -- Lorin M. Heimerl, age 83, of Appleton, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at his home. Lorin was born in Medford, Wisconsin, on Oct. 30, 1929, to the late George and Myrtle (Simerson) Heimerl. After High School in Medford, he attended and graduated from U.W. Madison. Following college, Lorin proudly served his country with the U.S. Army in Japan during the Korean Conflict...

Linda Lu Lloyd OMAHA, Nebraska -- Linda Lu Lloyd died Wednesday (Dec. 5, 2012) at an Omaha hospital. She was a close family friend of the Wayne and Arlene Gillen family of McCook. Services are Monday, Dec. 10 at 11 a.m. at the Wymore Church of Christ in Wymore, Nebraska...

Louise J. Pollnow Feb. 2, 1919 - Dec. 7, 2012 OBERLIN, Kansas -- Louise J. Pollnow, 93, died Friday, Dec. 7, 2012 at the Decatur County Good Samaritan Center in Oberlin. Services are pending with Pauls Funeral Home in Oberlin.

Murray E. Stinnett July 28, 1931 -- Dec. 7, 2012 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Murray E. Stinnett, 81, died Friday (Dec. 7, 2012), at Hillcrest Nursing Home. Services are pending. Carpenter Breland Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

45th anniversary The family of Rick and Nancy Judd of McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of their 45th wedding anniversary on Dec. 13. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 906 E. Second, McCook NE 69001.

80th birthday The family of Helen Magee of McCook, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday Dec. 16. Her family includes Darlene and Dan Loper and Karen Jenson, all of McCook, Kathy and David Benson of Cambridge, Nebraska, Kirt Magee of Culbertson, Nebraska, Anita Hager of Virginia Beach, Virginia, ten grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her 71920 Valley View Drive, McCook, NE 69001...

80th birthday The family of Roberta Hinton of Arapahoe, Nebraska is requesting a card shower inhonor of her 80th birthday Dec. 17. Her family includes two children and two grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 1010 Second Street, Arapahoe, NE 68922...

Aubree Ryan Berry Matt and Kayla Berry of Hays, Kansas, announce the birth of their daughter, Aubree Ryan Berry, who was born Nov. 6, 2012 in Hays. She weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 20 inches long. She has one sister, Jayde, 2 1/2 years old. Grandparents are Steve and Kerry McConville of Bartley, Nebraska and Jeff and Linda Berry of Grand Island, Nebraska...

Reese Burton Knoell Jared and RaeAnn (Burton) Knoell of Omaha, Nebraska, announce the birth of their son, Reese Burton Knoell, who was born Nov. 5, 2012, in Omaha. He weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces and measured 20 inches long. He has one brother, Mason, 2 1/2 years old. Grandparents are Jan Burton of Curtis, Nebraska, Robert Burton of Nebraska City, Nebraska and Bill and Mary Knoell of Fremont, Nebraska. Great-grandparents are Delma Teel of McCook, Nebraska and Carra Beth Johnson of Fremont...

90th birthday The family of Robert "Bob" Bolles of Springfield, Missouri, is requesting a card shower in honor of his 90th birthday Dec. 16. He was born in McCook, Nebraska, graduated from Red Willow High School and lived in McCook from 1993 to 2003 before moving to Missouri. ...

97th birthday The family of Edwin Black are hosting an open house in honor of his 97th birthday Dec. 11. The open house is Sunday, Dec. 16, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Willow Ridge, 1500 E. 11th Street in McCook, Nebraska. 69001.

McLaughlin, Thurman Lauren Eve McLaughlin and Joel William Thurman, both of Houston, Texas, announce their engagement and upcoming marriage. Parents of the bride-to-be are Scott and Tracie McLaughlin of Kearney, Nebraska. Parents of the prospective bridegroom are Jeff and Linda Thurman of Gothenburg, Nebraska...

TULUM, Mexico - Heather Doyle and Richard Koenig were married in Tulum, Mexico Oct. 20, 2012.They are making their home in Flower, Mound, Texas, with their daughter, Isabel. The bride is the daughter of Cathy Doyle, formerly of McCook. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 3913 Commonwealth, Flower Mound, TX 75028...

Noah Benjamin Klug and Liam Loren Klug Ben and Capri Klug of Wichita, Kansas, announce the birth of their twin sons, Noah Benjamin Klug and Liam Loren Klug, who were born Nov. 2, 2012, at Wesley Hospital in Wichita. Both the twins weighed 5 pounds, 8 ounces and both were 18 and one half inches long. They have one sister, Ella, 2 years old. Grandparents are Rick and Pam Klug of McCook, Nebraska and Ann Obermiller of Ravenna, Nebraska...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Items the McCook School Board of Education will be asked to approve at Monday night's regular meeting include a donation from Wagner Ford and the district's technology plan. The meeting is 6:30 p.m. at the Junior High conference room...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The bombing of Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into World War II. It also gave McCook a bustling military complex that is only a shadow of its former self today. Surrounded by cornfields and grazing cows, there's not much left of what was once 110 buildings of the Army Air Force training base north of McCook. But that hasn't stopped Dale Cotton of the McCook Army Air Base Historical Society from trying to preserve what is there...

INDIANAPOLIS -- At the 2012 National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, two Southwest FFA members earned the American FFA Degree. Matthew Oltmer was present for the ceremony and received the degree as Tiffany (Quaduor) Herrman earned the degree but was not able to attend...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The second of two men charged with forcing their way into several McCook homes in May, wearing bandanas to hide their identity and assaulting residents that they startled awake in many instances, was sentenced Monday in Red Willow County District Court. T...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A plea agreement was reached with the Trenton, Nebraska, woman accused of sexually assaulting a young girl during a 2011 incident in McCook. As a result the offender, 26-year-old Megan Brennan, will be sentenced on a pair of Class I misdemeanor offenses of third degree sexual assault...

Robert Goltl and his wife, Lori, of Palisade, Nebraska, wash "the dirt and the yuck" off their combine at Doyle Kasper's East B Car Wash in McCook, Nebraska, Wednesday afternoon. Lori said they always wash and wax the combine before putting it up for the winter. ...

IMPERIAL, Nebraska -- On Dec. 3, the Frenchman Valley Farmers Cooperative, Inc. (FVC) Board of Directors announced the promotion of Doug Ohlson to the position of General Manager of FVC. In September, following 30 years of service to FVC, Jim Chism announced that he would be resigning as the General Manager as he had accepted the position of CEO at Farmers Cooperative Company in Ames, Iowa...

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...

Members of the youth choir at McCook Evangelical Free Church rehearse for this weekend's presentation of "Snowflake County," at the Historic Fox Theater, Friday at 7 p.m.; a matinee Saturday at 2 p.m.; and a Sunday performance at 10 a.m. A free will donation will be accepted. The Rev. Bruce Lester, pastor at McCook Evangelical Free Church will deliver a Christmas message following the Sunday performance...

Santa Claus tells four-year-old Alexis and eight-year-old Kaydence Steinbeck they've already gotten the best Christmas gift -- new baby brother Brody -- as they visit at the Museum of the High Plains in McCook, Nebraska, Thursday evening. But the girls decided they might like a little something under their tree -- Lexi, a pony, and Kaydence, a guitar. ...

Members of the Red Willow Area Ministerial Association meet in the Parish Hall at St. Alban's Episcopal Church Monday. The ministerial association meets regularly to coordinate efforts to bring the fruits of the Spirit, detailed in Galatians 5:22-23, to bear within the Christian community and the community at-large. ...

Dear Friend, INTRO "How often at night, when the heavens are bright, and I gaze at the glittering stars; And I stand there amazed, and I asked as I gazed, if their glory excels that of ours." A verse from HOME ON THE RANGE, written by a farmer at Smith Center, Kansas, many years ago. ...

According to the Pew Research Center's recently released report, a full one-fifth of Americans are now unattached to religion, and the Protestant majority is no longer that; Protestant Christians now make up less than 50 percent of the population. News agencies reported this news as statistical facts with maybe a raised eyebrow of curiosity while some agnostics celebrated the dawn of a new secularism. ...

Overseas allies were under constant attack, but the country was divided over what we should do about it. Opponents objected to involvement, but the government was able to impose embargoes and other sanctions to try to influence belligerents to change their ways...

We say it as Christians: God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. We hold that God is not confined to one space or time. God is all-knowing, and all power belongs to God. It was God who created the universe from nothing, gave sight to the blind, and raised the dead to life. ...

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He's known as the U.S. Government. And, in the finest Robin Hood tradition, he takes from the future to give to the present. Your little friends have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. ...

Late Breaking News: THERE ARE ANGELS IN MC COOK. My angel appeared earlier this morning as I was struggling to get out the door of Sehnert's with my large box of pastries and manipulate my cane, thinking: "How in the world am I going to get up the hill to my auto, when I heard a voice saying: "Can I help you?" -- it was my angel; a young man who took my package to my car, placing it on the back seat, allowing me to negotiate the half block much more easily. ...

David Petraeus is one of the most decorated generals of his generation and one of the most admired and respected, both at home and abroad. There was no problem he wouldn't tackle and no problem he couldn't solve. He was well read and had an encyclopedic knowledge of all things military. He was, as some put it, a general's general...

60th anniversary The family of Don and Joyce Green of Casper, Wyoming, formerly of Danbury, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 60th wedding anniversary. They were married Dec. 10, 1952, in Danbury. Their children includes Brenda and husband, Randy Marvel of Akron, Ohio, Mark and wife, Kathy, Green of Casper, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 4265 Ridgecrest Drive, Casper, WY 82604...