Stories from Friday, May 10, 2013

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Pete and Dolores Graff received honorary degrees and graphic design instructor Becky Meyers received the $1,000 Gene Budig award at 2013 McCook Community College graduation ceremonies this morning. The criteria for someone to receive an Honorary Associate's Degree from Mid-Plains Community College states: "Individuals nominated for an honorary degree must have directly impacted Mid-Plains Community College in a significant way, such as substantial financial contribution, or performed services or taken actions that have significantly supported the college's missions, goals and activities.". ...

City workers pour the foundation for two new benches going in at Elks City Park on West Fifth Street, Thursday afternoon. From left, Steve Miller, Paul Younger and Christian Conroy. 12 benches have been scheduled for installation around town, 10 of which will begin this week at Felling Field, Kelley Park, the library, Elks City Park and the McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Red Willow County attorney will discuss sale of property from Pawnee Aviation, a defunct helicopter kit company, at Monday's county commissioner meeting. The board will also hear an annual report on the regional health department and consider appointment of a permanent director for the county health department...

"Lawyers can steal more money with a briefcase than a thousand men with guns and masks," said Don Vito Corleone in Mario Puzo's "The Godfather." To be fair, ponzi schemers like Bernie Madoff are no slackers, either, when it comes to white-collar crime...

In the immediate aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, an unpleasant, unneeded, and unwanted phenomenon occurred. Thousands of people were using social media to inspect, investigate, strip down and evaluate every single shard of video evidence from the bomb blasts and to develop their own suspect list, which was universally wrong. Many people were incorrectly implicated in this horrible event and, in some cases, their lives have become permanently sullied because of it...

Here is Roxy Lang's puddled yard, south of Wilsonville, Nebraska, following an 1.20" of rain on April 22. Roxy writes, "It's been a LONG time since we had a lake in our yard!" She used these settings: F/4.5; 1/250; iso200; 24 mm. 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. ...

Dorthy Dudek WAUNETA, Nebraska -- Dorthy Dudek, 84, longtime resident of Wauneta, died Thursday (May 9th, 2013), at the Sunrise Heights Nursing Home in Wauneta. Survivors include daughter, Mary Dudek of Wauneta; brother, Raymond Maxfield of Wauneta and sister, Emma Jean Maris and husband, Merrell, of Wauneta...

Rolland W. Shields Dec. 1, 1929 -- May 10, 2013 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Rolland W. Shields, 83, died Friday (May 10, 2013), at Community Hospital of McCook. Funeral services are Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 10:30 p.m. at McCook Christian Church with the Rev. Clark Bates officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery...

Geraldine 'Gerie' Foster July 1, 1943 - May 8, 2013 BARTLEY, Nebraska -- Geraldine "Gerie" Foster of Bartley passed away Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at Tri Valley Health System in Cambridge. She was 69 years old. Gerie was born on July 1, 1943, in Menard, Texas, to parents, Edward John and Rhodie Odessa (Glover) Robertson. She attended school in Texas where she graduated from high school...

Loretta 'Gail' Farr July 14, 1925 - May 7, 2013 KEARNEY, Nebraska -- Loretta "Gail" Farr, 87, of Kearney died Tuesday, May 7, 2013, at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Funeral services will be Monday at 10 a.m. at Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services in Kearney. ...

Mary Rucker Sept. 21, 1927 - May 8, 2013 NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- Fatima Mary Rucker, 85, of North Platte, passed away Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at the North Platte Care Center. Mary was born Sept. 21, 1927, at Dickens, Nebraska, to Thomas Howard and Adella Ellen Demilt Bruce. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Teens for Christ from Oxford, Nebraska, has helped a local church with much needed repairs. "It was amazing, a huge blessing," said Rob Shafer. pastor at Epic Life Church in McCook, of the work done by the teens. Shafer was thrilled with the results. "It finally looks like we're actually open for business," he said...

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...

Alexandria Diane Murillo Olivia Cappel and Gilberto Murillo of Wauneta, Nebraska, announce the birth of their daughter, Alexandria Diane Murillo, born March 5, 2013, in Imperial, Nebraska. She weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 19 1/2 inches long. Grandparents are Chris Cappel, formerly of McCook and now of Imperial and Greg and Maria Murillo of Imperial...

Gage Michael Andrews Theron and Katie Andrews of Holbrook, Nebraska, announce the birth of their son, Gage Michael Andrews, born March 27, 2013, at Norton County Hospital. He weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces and measured 19 1/4 inches long. He has one sister, Grace and a brother, Gavin. ...

40th anniversary John and Kathy Mabile of McCook, Nebraska, will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary May 12. Their relationship started with a six-cent stamp when John was stationed in Germany. Their family includes children, Tasha (and the late Jason Allen), Max and Angel, Trina and Charlie McPherson, Raedin, Eden and Avelyn and Luke Mabile, all of McCook...

Dear Friend, INTRO What is rebellion? When Eve and Adam ate the "FORBIDDEN FRUIT" (from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, it was rebellion, on Adam's part.....Romans 5:12 "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon ALL men, for that all have sinned."). ...

Years ago my oldest son asked me a question: "What is a saint?" When you're driving along with a numb mind at day's end, as I was, that's not the type of question you are prepared to answer. So I splattered out, "A saint is someone who does what God wants them to do." My son answered, "If that's a saint, then why did New Orleans choose that as their football mascot?" I didn't have an answer for that question either...

Alivia Nicole Long Adam and Ashley Long of Cambridge, Nebraska, announce the birth of their daughter, Alivia Nicole Long, born April 4, 2013, at McCook Community Hospital. She weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 20 inches long. She has three brothers, Isaac, 6, Cole, 4, and Connor, 2. Grandparents are Doug and Mary Palmer and chuck and Lori Long. Great-grandparents are Carolyn O'Brien and June Palmer...

We are always looking for spring rains so that we can experience the spring flowers. This Sunday is Mother's Day and spring flowers come to mind when I think of Mother's Day. It is a special day to give thanks to God for Mom. Each and every one of us have much we owe to our mothers. If it were not for our mother, we would not be here. In what way will you make this Mother's Day special for your mother?...

Jaydynn Kastl Jasmine Super and Jimmy Kastl of Oberlin, Kansas, announce the birth of their daughter, Jaydynn Kastl, born May 1, 2013, at Norton Hospital. She weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was 21 inches long. She has one half-sister, Jasmine. Grandparents are Trinity McCoy of Oberlin and the late Monte McCoy, Justin Kastl and Dottie Pulliam...

90th bithday The family of Gene Young of Cambridge, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of his 90th birthday May 19. His family includes wife, Patricia, children, Lynn and Joyce Young of Eustis, Nebraska, Philip and Deb Young of Cambridge, Kurt and Lisa Gerken of Elwood, Nebraska, nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach him at PO Box 56, Cambridge NE 69022...

Fukuhara, Winder Kelci Fukuhara and Brian Winder, both of Kearney, Nebraska, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the bride-to-be are Mike and Jan Fukuhara of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Parents of the prospective bridegroom are Dan and Cathy Winder of Kearney...

80th birthday The family of Deloit Messersmith of Hayes Center, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of his 80th birthday. He was born May 15, 1933, in a farmhouse near Farnam, Nebraska. His family includes wife, Joan and children, Steve, Randy, Kathy, Kenny, Mike, Starla and TeAnn and numerous grandchildren and great- grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach him at P.O. Box 335, Hayes Center, NE 69032...

Turner Lee McMillan Tyce and Jamie McMillan of Johnson, Kansas announce the birth of their son, Turner Lee McMillan, born April 26, 2013, at Liberal, Kansas. He weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and measured 19 3/4 inches long. He has a sister, Paige, 11 and brother, Jaxson, 8. Grandparents are Mike and Millie Cuellar of Indianola, Nebraska and Robert and Linda McMillan of Lacyne, Kansas. Great-grandparent is Marilyn Cuellar of McCook, Nebraska...

105th birthday The family of Elsie Kasten is requesting a card shower for her 105th birthday on May 16. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 2123 14th Ave., Central City, NE 68825.

YORK, Nebraska -- St. Joseph Parish in York is having a celebration in honor of Msgr. James Reinert's 30th anniversary of Ordination. Msgr. Reinert was the assistant Pastor at St. Patrick's church in McCook from 1995 to 1997. The celebration will be Sunday, June 9, 2013, at 12:30 p.m. at East Hill Park Sixth and Blackburn) in York. In case of inclement weather, the celebration will be held in Cullen Hall at St. Joseph School, 428 N. East Ave...

CAMP LEJEUNE, North Carolina -- Marine Corps Pvt. Matthew D. Wittman, son of Jody D. Shike of Oberlin, Kan. and Richard E. Wittman, of Holyoke, Colo., recently graduated from the Marine Corps Basic Combat Engineer Course at Marine Corps Engineer School, Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, N. C...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Margaret Ann "Maggie" Fox passed away Friday, May 10, 2013, at her home in McCook. She was 66 years old. Maggie was born at Hastings, Nebraska, to parents, Louie O. and Lucille (Schrodt) Glick on Nov. 4, 1946. She graduated from McCook High School with the class of 1965. She continued her education at McCook Community College. On May 26, 1967, she was united in marriage to Rodney Lee Fox in McCook. To this union two daughters, Ronda and Deanna, were born. Maggie was a busy homemaker. She was devoted to her husband, children and grandchildren. She loved making all kinds of crafts, needlepoint and cross stitching. She also enjoyed collecting angels and horses. Preceding her in death were her parents, Louie and Lucille Glick. Survivors include her loving husband of almost 46 years, Rodney Fox of McCook; two daughters, Ronda Watson of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Deanna and husband, Scott Johnson, of McCook; five grandchildren, Jaima Watson, Allison, Hayden, Cale, and Dani Johnson; sister, Cathy and husband, Mike Brown, of McCook; mother-in-law, Evelyn L. Bartlett of Gothenburg; numerous family and a host of friends. Memorials may be given in her name. Memorial services will be Friday, 11 a.m., at Carpenter Breland Funeral Home with Jerry Beckenhauer officiating. Friends may send condolences to the family at www.carpenterbreland.com. Carpenter Breland Funeral Home of McCook is in charge of the arrangements.