Stories from Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Janice Marie Vontz Oct. 26, 1939 -- Feb. 6, 2013 BAKERSFIELD California --Janice was born in McCook, Nebraska, to Harold and Ruth Klocke in 1939. She graduated from Indianola High School and married her high school sweetheart, Thomas Vontz in 1956. Together they had nine children. In 1960, the family moved to California, first to Merced, then to Fresno and in 1970 to Buttonwillow where they finally settled to raise their family...

Teri L. Morris March 25, 1085 - Feb.9, 2013 COLBY, Kansas -- Teri L. Morris, 27, died Saturday (Feb. 9, 2013), at Colby, Kansas. She was born March 25, 1985, at Hill City, Kansas to Lee and Glenda (Farr) Chase. She attended school in Hill City and graduated from Decatur Community High School in 2003 and Colby Community College...

DeLilah Georgene Monter Jan. 17, 1932 - Feb. 9, 2013 ELWOOD, Nebraska -- DeLilah Georgene Monter, 81, of Elwood, died Saturday (Feb. 9, 2013), at Lexington Regional Health Center in Lexington, Nebraska. She was born Jan. 17, 1932, in Gosper County, Nebraska to Theodore and Hilda (Riepe) Reese...

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...

During a water management seminar in McCook this morning, Dan Smith, director of the Middle Republican Natural Resources District based in Curtis, Nebraska, explains the water augmentation project coordinated by the Nebraska Cooperative Republican Platte Enhancement Project (N-CORPE) and designed to help Nebraska comply with the 1943 Republican River Compact in the Republican River Basin and in the Platte River Basin with the 1977 Platte River Recovery Implementation Program. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A McCook man sentenced to 24 months probation in 2010, after selling marijuana to a state patrol informant, admitted guilt to his most recent set of probation violations in Red Willow County District Court. The offender, 21-year-old George W. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Brotherhood of St. Andrew, affiliated with St. Alban's Episcopal Church, will serve the annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake supper today, 5:30-7 p.m. The supper includes from scratch pancakes, sausage, drinks and dessert and will be served in the church's Parish Hall at 108 West F...

LINCOLN -- "I k rite," the text message read. That text message caused a life-changing car accident for 19-year-old Cedar Rapids native Erin Smith, who testified in support of a bill during the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee hearing Monday...

Red Willow County, Nebraska, sheriff's deputy Josh Palmer helps investigate an accident Monday evening about four miles east of McCook on Highway 6&34, in which a van carrying six members of a family ended up in a cornfield, in the dark, on the south side of the highway. Ambulances from McCook and Indianola transported several family members to Community Hospital of McCook. More information will be released when the State Patrol concludes its investigation of the accident...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook school board approved a $147,000 bid from J.L. Construction Inc. to construct a new 5-bay bus barn at the former National Guard Armory building. McCook School District Business Manager Rick Haney said Monday evening, during the board's regularly scheduled meeting, the project had been on their radar for some time and "will be a huge benefit and asset for the district."...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Thank goodness for dogs. "They're good company anyway," says Mary Ellen Monzon of McCook, Nebraska. But her and her husband Vic's little dog was more than good company about a month ago, when Toby's non-stop barking alerted Vic to trouble at the neighbors' house...

LINCOLN -- Job seekers could not be denied employment based on their credit history under a bill sponsored by Sen. Annette Dubas of Fullerton. The Legislature's Business and Labor Committee heard testimony on Feb. 11 on LB 95, the Employee Credit Privacy Act. The bill would prevent employers from obtaining job applicants' credit reports with exceptions for positions at banks, savings and loan companies and other financial institutions...

The editorial board of the McCook Daily Gazette at the time was unanimous in its support of the programs at McCook's Work Ethic Camp, and that opinion hasn't changed. Our communities accepted the workers with glad hands and they responded in kind, and throughout those early years, crews could be seen working on a variety of projects in McCook and the surrounding communities...

Your writer caught a little flack concerning a recent column. The one grumbling is in law enforcement and suggested that I knew how the local citizens came to be saddled with the expense of a new jail. He is correct. Being a long time observer of this community has its advantages...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Seven persons, including Douglas Lennemann of Orleans, are the recipients of the Class A County Highway and City Street Superintendent's license. Created in 2003 by the Unicameral Legislature, the Class A license recognizes experience. A Class A license is renewable every three years upon evidence of continuing education...

NORFOLK -- Some 164 Northeast Community College students, including Dori Dailey of Stratton, Nebraska, completed their course of studies and requirements for certificates, diplomas or degrees during the Fall 2012 Semester. They are now eligible to participate in graduation ceremonies on Saturday, May 11, 2013, on the campus in Norfolk...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Gov. Dave Heineman, along with members of the Governor's Youth Advisory Council, announced seven vacancies on the council with members from Districts 2 and 3 especially needed. The council is facilitated by Nebraska Children and Families Foundations...

MAYWOOD, Nebraska -- Maywood Public Schools has announced first semester honors for the 2012-13 school year. Regular honor roll students have earned grades of 85-92 percent. Distinction honor roll students have grades of 93 percent or higher. Distinction...

FREMONT, Nebraska -- The Midland University football team was awarded the esteemed 2012 NAIA Buffalo Funds Five Star Champions of Character Team Award at the AFCA Coaches Convention in January. The honor, given each year to only one team in each of the NAIA's championship sports, is awarded to the NAIA squad that best demonstrates integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership in everyday decisions. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- McCook Junior High School has selected the second quarter Junior Bison Award recipients for the 2012-13 academic year. Sixth grade: Caden Bortner, Tyler Chiplaski, Deanne Crocker, Sarah Dixon, Tayler Einspahr, Colin Giron, Joel Gray, Cady Havlicek, Skyla Henning, Sophia Hutchison, Kyle Kinne, Faith Miller, Jacob Mockry, Connor Moorhous, Zoey Morris, Brittany Riemann, Bria Simmonds, Mackenzie Smith, Electra Stokes and Celeste Tonche...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Nelson Hometown Scholarship program is accepting applications from graduating seniors of McCook High School and Southwest High School. The scholarships are funded by the Nelson Institute Fund, an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation, and administered by the McCook Community Foundation Fund...

NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- The American Council on Education's GED Testing Service is spreading the word that the current version of the GED test will expire at the end of 2013. The current version, known as the 2002 Series GED test, will be replaced with the new 2014 GED test on Jan. ...

While traveling to town Dec. 29, 2012, Roxy Lang of Wilsonville, using these settings: ISO 100, f/701, 1/250, 300mm, captures the full moon riding the sky south of Wilsonville. The McCook Daily Gazette would love to showcase your weather photos. Readers can contribute to our daily weather page, subject to space and color availability, by emailing photos to editor2@ocsmccook.com or bringing them into the Gazette offices at West First and E Streets. ...

Jamey (Ruppert) Keen recently graduated from Excelsior College in Albany, New York with an Associate in Science degree in Nursing. Three days of clinicals were conducted in Madison, Wis. Jamey is employed at Tri Valley Hospital in Cambridge, Nebraska. Helping her celebrate her achievement is her husband, Jeff and three sons, Jacob, Justyn and Jole. Her parents are Georgia and Larry Kelly of McCook and Wilber and Nancy Ruppert of Culbertson, Nebraska...