Stories from Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Sept. 29, 1980 - Nov.25, 2013 NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- Aaron Luke Burks, 33, of North Platte, died Monday, Nov. 25, 2013, at his home. Aaron was born Sept. 29, 1980, to Geoffrey Rex and Pamela Sue McCollum Burks in McCook, Nebraska. He grew up and attended school in Stratton, Nebraska, and worked as a welder for Diamond Country. The family later moved to North Platte where Aaron completed his senior year of high school, graduating from North Platte High School in 1999...

July 22, 1957 - Nov. 24, 2013 HERSHEY, Nebraska -- Gregory Glenn Miller, 56, of Hershey, passed away at home on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013. Greg was born July 22, 1957, to Connie Henry and Glenda Mae Winner Miller in McCook, Nebraska, and grew up in Cambridge, Nebraska. ...

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. Activity log These items are taken from reports filed by the McCook Police Department. The locations refer to block numbers, not specific addresses. If you have information about any of these reports, call the police department at (308) 345-3450...

CONNIE JO DISCOE Regional Editor McCOOK, Nebraska -- Red Willow County, Nebraska, commissioners signed a contract Monday morning with Gateway Realty of McCook to sell the quarter-section of farm land donated by Kiplinger arenas benefactor Tom Kiplinger...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- For an annual fee, LifeTeam Critical Care Transport offers a membership program that pays for the cost of an emergency air flight or the portion of the cost of a flight not covered by insurance. Chanel Choitz of McCook, Nebraska, who directs LifeTeam's marketing and membership development, told Red Willow County commissioners Monday morning that the membership program is offered to individuals ($50 per year), couples ($55) and households ($60); and to businesses and governmental entities which can decide to offer the opportunity to its employees to purchase memberships, or to pay for membership as part of the employees' benefit package, either option costs $35 per employee/household.. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook Humane Society, marking its 30th anniversary this year, plans to say "Thank you so much" to its volunteers and supporters at a celebration and open house Saturday and Sunday. Organizers plan a "Volunteer Appreciation Celebration" Saturday, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., with a program at 3 p.m., at the Republican River Valley Events Center, in the 900 block of East Seventh...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Memorial United Methodist Church will present a special dinner theater production of the holiday comedy "Christmas in Cricket County," Friday, Dec. 13, and Saturday, Dec. 14, in the church's fellowship hall. The show will start at 6:30 p.m. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- McCook Christian Church, 507 West B Street in McCook, plans "A Night in Bethlehem," a living nativity presentation, Saturday, Dec. 14, from 4-8 p.m. The streets of the city of Bethlehem will be brought to life inside the church building that evening, and small groups will be escorted through them every 15 minutes. A soup supper will follow...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- McCook will host the annual Rotary District Convention in May of 2014, an opportunity local tourism officials said comes around approximately once every 10 years. The Red Willow County Visitors Committee approved a $2,000 grant request from the McCook Rotary Club to assist with the event earlier this month. The convention is anticipated to draw more than 200 people from outside the area, in the form of Rotarians and their families...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- With seven years of experience in the industry, Joe Townsley of McCook has partnered with Eric Hutto of the Trenton Insurance Agency on a new insurance office in McCook. The new branch of the Trenton Insurance Agency is located at 601 Norris, Suite 1, in the former Rye Printing office at the corner of Norris Avenue and F streets...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Four families in the McCook area will be able to have a Thanksgiving dinner, thanks to the Red Willow Western Fire Department. The department delivered Monday night bright red bags full of traditional Thanksgiving trimmings like potatoes, vegetables, rolls, pies plus a turkey or ham, to four local households...

Is the teacher packin'? She might be, if Sen. Mark Christensen is successful with bill to allow teachers to carry concealed weapons on the job. The idea didn't make it out of committee back in 2011, when the Imperial senator offered the idea following an Omaha incident in which a student shot and killed a vice principal and then himself...

I was just wondering what the people of McCook, and the rest of Nebraska for that matter, think of their hometown Mr. Ben Nelson hero now. We would not be in this mess with Obama Care if he would not have cast the favored vote. He turned his back on McCook and Nebraska. ...

Thanksgiving will soon be upon us and it is time to make a list of things to be thankful for. Communism is over in Russia. There are few if any thugs, cronies and insurgents in Iraq, which now has the democracy. Al Quida leadership has been devastated and will never threaten us again. Palestinians are shooting fewer missels missls rockets into Israel...

You may have noticed in the media that the airlines may be experiencing a pilot shortage. Could be, and it was predictable. Recently the FAA changed the rules to make the traveling public "safer." Never mind that travel by commercial air has been the safest mode of travel in the history of mankind. The rule change came partially from the investigation following the crash of a Colgan Airways airplane arriving into Cleveland. The loss of life was unfortunate and sad...

Shirley Ruth (Muffley) Wallen Sept. 10, 1928 - Nov. 26, 2013 McCOOK, Nebraska - Shirley Ruth (Muffley) Wallen, age 85, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013, at Willow Ridge Retirement Center in McCook. Shirley was born Sept. 10, 1928, in Galesburg, Illinois, to Robert and Frances (Lindstrom) Muffley. ...