Stories from Friday, January 4, 2013

Russell 'Bob' Robert Leak April 13, 1929 - Jan. 2, 2013 INDIANOLA, Nebraksa -- Russell "Bob" Robert Leak, 83, of Indianola, passed away Jan. 2, 2013, at Community Hospital in McCook. He was born April 13, 1929 in Dodge City, Kansas, the son of Russell Martin and Grace Van Doris (Jones) Leak. He was one of 10 children growing up in Holbrook, Arizona. Bob graduated from Wallace High School in 1946...

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 McCOOK, Nebraska -- The new manager at Brown's Shoe Fit Co. in McCook is the new kid on the block and is the first to admit he has some big shoes to fill. "Max has done a great job here, so I'm not planning to change anything right away," said Mark Phillips, who takes over as the new manager at Brown's with the departure of Max Abercrombie. "I want to take the time to get to know the people, what they like, before I throw some new things into the mix."...

25th anniversary The family of Paul and Gail Johnson of Stockville, Nebraska, are hosting a potluck supper in honor of the couple's 25th wedding anniversary, Saturday, Jan. 12, at 6 p.m. at the Stockville Fairgrounds. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 39775 Road 738, Stockville, NE 69042...

Allie Nicole Schneider Kip and Julie Schneider of Ashland, Nebraska, announce the birth of their daughter, Allie Nicole Schneider, who was born Dec. 19, 2012, at Omaha, Nebraska. She weighed 7 pounds and measured 20 inches long. She has one sister, Liviana. Grandparents are Phil and Mary Pate of McCook, Nebraska, and Al and Kathy Schneider, formerly of McCook, now of Ashland...

60th anniversary The family of Charles and Lois (Kohmetscher) Quigley of McCook, Nebraska, formerly of Indianola, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 60th wedding anniversary. They were married Jan. 8, 1953, in Indianola. Their family includes children, Judy and husband, John Bontjes of Wahpeton, North Dakota, Barb and husband, Bob Bortner of McCook, Tim Quigley and wife, Kiok of Basehor, Kansas, Perry and wife, Jeanine of Indianola, 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. ...

88th birthday The family of Victor "Vic" Kisela of Stratton, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of his 88th birthday on Jan. 10. Cards of congratulations will reach him at Box 232, Stratton, Ne 69043

Kynleigh Ann Brown Josh and Jennifer Brown of Omaha, Nebraska, announce the birth of their daughter, Kynleigh Ann Brown, who was born Dec. 9, 2012, at The Midwife's Place. She weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and measured 19.5 inches long. She has one sister, Karagynn, 2 1/2 years old. Grandparents are Mike and Barb Esch of McCook, Nebraska and Bob and Deanna Brown of Indianola, Nebraska. Great-grandparents are Melva Esch, Audrey and Harvey Cole, Wayne and Diane Bryant and Jack and Evelyn Hook...

Clayton Lee Gall Kris (Hofman) and Duane Gall of Republican City, Nebraska, announce the birth of their son, Clayton Lee Gall, who was born Dec. 11, 2012. He weighed 7 pounds and measured 20 inches long. He has one sister, Mashea, 15 years old. Grandparents are Joyce Hofman of McCook and the late Larry Hofman and Jan and Maynard Gall of Republican City...

Family Features Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or just want to make breakfast more special, gather friends and family around the table to make some new memories together. These recipes are full of flavor and, best of all, easy to make, so you have more time to spend enjoying a delicious meal with the people you love...

I attempted this week what many parents have probably only dreamed of doing. I tried, unnsuccessfully, to return my child to school a day early from his Christmas break. It was a typical fire drill of a morning, the morning after New Year's Day. I prodded Declan out the door and swore to him for the 500th time he would never again watch morning cartoons until after he was ready for school...

Washington -- On Thursday, Senator Deb Fischer was officially sworn-in as a United States senator in the U.S. Capitol by Vice President Joseph Biden. Fischer was escorted by Nebraska's Senior senator, Mike Johanns, and former Nebraska Senator David Karnes. ...

PALISADE, Nebraska -- Pheasants and Quail Forever, along with the Southwest Prescribed Burn Association will be hosting a day-long training to discuss prescribed burning techniques Wednesday, Jan. 16, in Palisade. The workshop will be a Basic Training for landowners with limited knowledge and experience of prescribed fire. The Basic Training will provide presentations on when, why, and how to conduct a prescribed burn as well as how to write a prescribed burn plan...

A bald eagle surveys his roadside kingdom from a fence post throne, keeping a sharp eye on anyone or anything thinking about digging into his tasty venison lunch that was disturbed momentarily last Sunday along Highways 6-34 near Oxford.

CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- Expecting their first child within days, Melissa Wright and Dane tenBensel of Arapahoe, Nebraska, watched the New Year's Eve ball drop Monday at midnight, "and I was having contractions," Melissa said. The little boy born about 19 1⁄2 hours later is the McCook Daily Gazette's, the Cambridge Memorial Hospital's and the Cambridge Clarion's "New Year's Baby 2013."...

Dear Friend, INTRO In grade school we studied Nebraska and U.S. history. In High School we studied Ancient History, World History and U. S. History. Everything was neatly divided up and we were enlightened. In just the same way, Biblical scholars have divided the Bible into eras of time, PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE. ...

Imagine that tomorrow morning I deposit into your bank account $86,400. This money is all yours to do with as you please, no strings attached. Now, not only am I going to deposit this amount into your account tomorrow, I'm going to do the same thing every day next week. That is a combined $604,800 that will be waiting for you...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook City Council will receive a claim for damages from the city's contracted trash hauler that alleges city staff caused a significant amount of damage to one of the company's trailers while it was being loaded. The claim cites minor damage to the company's trailers as being a common occurrence but the amount of damage caused during the afternoon of Dec. 13, 2012, was "too much damage to ignore."...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A new fire extinguisher training system was purchased through donations to train members of service groups and employees of businesses on how to effectively extinguish a fire. In a combined effort by Community Hospital Safety Director, Dari Olson, and McCook Fireman, Rick Metcalf, fundraising began a year ago for the purchase of a BullEx Laser Fire Extinguisher system. ...

A network of wires over B Street in McCook, Nebraska, provides plenty of perching space for a flock of birds on a cold Nebraska winter day.

With Vice President Joe Biden administering the oath of office, Deb Fischer was officially sworn in Thursday for her six-year term as U.S. Senator, with Sen. Mike Johanns and former Sen. David Karnes at her side. Sen. Fischer pledged to work with Republicans and Democrats to "restore America's fidelity to her constitutional principles" by limiting the size of government, revitalizing the economy and respecting "the liberties and hard-earned money of American taxpayers...

Not goodbye to a person today but to an institution. Newsweek magazine went all digital with its last print magazine publication on Dec 31. All future installments of Newsweek can be read only on an IPad, Kindle, computer or phone. And so, a newsmagazine that has been informing us since the presidency of Herbert Hoover has passed away, or at least been reincarnated...

The House, Senate and President all recently agreed to last-minute legislation to stop automatic tax increases and delay arbitrary defense spending cuts known collectively as the "fiscal cliff." The President had consistently said the fiscal cliff must be resolved through a "balanced approach" to deficit reduction including new tax revenues as well as spending cuts. ...

The 25th Annual Governor's Ag Conference will be held February 12-13 at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney. I invite all Nebraskans to attend this event and participate in discussions that focus on the future of the state's number one industry...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Residents along West Fifth Street may experience water outages due to repair work being done to a water main Friday afternoon. The City of McCook Water Department is making repairs near the intersection of West L and West J Street and said that periods of water outages may result...

Marguerite LaVon Samuelson July 26, 1914 - Jan. 3, 2013 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Marguerite LaVon Samuelson, age 98, of McCook, died at the Community Hospital in McCook on Jan. 3, 2013. She was born on July 26, 1914, in Grand Island, Nebraska, to James and Henreitta Pearson. She was baptized at the First Christian Church when she was 12 years old...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Several McCook businesses were burglarized on Christmas Eve, with thieves taking a 2500 pound safe from one business and a 2011 dark blue Chevy Impala from another. A local liquor store captured video footage of two men that burglarized their location and estimated one of them to be of below average height, approximately 5 foot 3 inches tall...