Stories from Wednesday, December 19, 2012

LaVerne W. Hermes Nov. 25, 1925 - Dec. 17, 2012 ARAPAHOE, Nebraska -- LaVerne W. Hermes, 87, of Arapahoe, died Monday (Dec. 17, 2012), at the C.A. Mues Good Samaritan Center in Arapahoe. He was born Nov. 25, 1925, at Arapahoe to Herman and Louisa (Helms) Hermes...

Carole J. (Drager) Ohlson LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Carole J. (Drager) Ohlson, 66, of McCook died Monday, Dec. 17, 2012. She Retired from LT&T after working there for 38 years. She is survived by her husband, Lynn Ohlson; daughter and son-in-law, Jean and Dave Bennett of Beaumont, Texas; step-son and daughter-in-law, Greg and Becky Ohlson of Lincoln; step-son and girlfriend, Doug Ohlson and Kiana Movahed of Atlanta, Georgia; grandchildren, Gabriella Covington, Jake Bennett, Hali Bennett, Sam Ohlson, Anna Ohlson; brother and sister-in-law, Gary and Dixie Drager of Lincoln; sister and brother-in-law, Pat and Burt Hembolt of Pleasant View, Colorado; nieces and nephews, many extended family members and friends. ...

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...

Lorri Sughroue/McCook Daily Gazette The new series of inteactive games at the YMCA is a big hit with kids, according to staff. Kerrigan Shaw, 9, from left, and her brothers, Caleb, 7, and Corbin, 2, pick out the game they want from the computer screen, then give the light floor a good workout. ...

Electors gathered with Gov. Dave Heineman Monday to official cast their votes. The are, from left, Gov. Kay Orr, Lincoln; Joe Hampton, Lincoln (representing 1st District); Mick Jensen, Blair; Heineman; Arlene Steier, Omaha (representing District 2); Mary Crawford, Alliance (representing District 3). ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department announces the selection of Denise Ringenberg as their Assistant Director. "Denise and I worked together as peer department managers for another agency several years ago. I was ecstatic when she accepted a position with SWNPHD and later as Assistant Director. ...

McCOOK,Nebraska -- Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services at churches in McCook, along with other Christmas worship activities, include the following: First Assembly of God 811 East C Adult Christmas Choral, Sunday, Dec. 23, 5 p.m.; Christmas Eve Service, 6 p.m.; New Year's Eve Service, 7 p.m...

OBERLIN, Kan. -- A routine scan of a new patient led the patient's grateful son to donate $24,500 worth of software that will allow Decatur Health Systems to perform quicker, more sensitive bone density screenings, allowing for earlier detection and treatment of osteoporosis...

Emmelee Garcia, left, and Miya Rodriguez, students at McCook Elementary, stand in front of the Colorado Blue Spruce that was donated to McCook Elementary in memory of Isaiah Casillas. The girls are cousins of Isaiah, who was a first grader at McCook Elementary and passed away Dec. 2 from brain cancer. A special ceremony took place with students when the tree was planted Dec. 7. (Lorri Sughroue/McCook Daily Gazette)...

Thank goodness few of us have gone through anything like the horrible killings at the Connecticut elementary school, but we might be surprised how many of our friends and neighbors are suffering because of the news. That's because people who have experienced something like the murder or violent death of a friend or relative may suffer from what we now call post-traumatic stress or another type of anxiety once they hear of the latest event...

As a citizen who is concerned about the water issues in Southwest Nebraska I am against the $83,000,000 Lincoln County Farms land purchase by the three Republican River NRDs in cooperation with the Twin Platte NRD. As many of you know I was a part of the "friends of the river" that filed suit against LB701. This bill gave Republican River NRDs the authority to charge the occupation tax on irrigated acres. It is the occupation tax that makes this irresponsible purchase possible...

J.L. SCHMIDT Statehouse Correspondent The Nebraska Press Association I grew up in rural America. If you are reading this, chances are pretty good that you did too. So what does it mean when the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture says that rural America is "becoming less and less relevant?" Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, the former Democratic governor of Iowa, said it last week at a Farm Journal sponsored forum...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Because of the bad weather, the Gazette will be delivered only where accessible Wednesday afternoon.

McCook High School's boys and girls basketball teams have earned a bit of respect among their fellow GNAC members. Both Bison teams have drawn the second seed in their respective divisions at the 2012 Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament. The three-day event will open with first-round games Thursday, Dec. 27 at two locations in Columbus...

GOTHENBURG, Neb. -- A win's a win, and the McCook High School girls basketball team won't offer any apologies to Gothenburg for perhaps stealing a "W" Dec. 18. The Bison girls squeaked by the Swedes, 41-40, in action at Gothenburg High School Tuesday night...

Dorthy May (Matson) Scott July 22, 1927 - Dec. 19, 2012 HAYES CENTER, Nebraska -- Dorthy May (Matson) Scott, 85, passed away Dec. 19, 2012, in Wichita, Kansas. Dorthy was born in Culbertson, Nebraska, on July 22, 1927, to Barton and Fern (Ewing) Matson. She was one of nine children...