Stories from Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department MCCOOK, Nebraska -- Be Prepared! A motto spoken by many but embraced by Dennis Berry, McCook Junior High principal. Berry was recently recognized by Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) for his continuous improvement to the school emergency preparedness plan. Berry received a "Shelter in Place" bucket for McCook Junior High to acknowledge his leadership...

OMAHA, Nebraska -- Katelyn Rabas, a senior at McCook Senior High School, was one of 50 Nebraska students who has been awarded a 2014 Horatio Alger State scholarship from the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation. The scholarship program is funded through Ak-Sar-Ben's Coronation and Scholarship Ball...

NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- North Platte Community College hosted its annual Inter-High Scholastic Competition and TECH-Knowledge & Skills Discovery Day on Wednesday at the North and South Campuses of the college. The theme for Inter-High Day this year is "Spotlight on Success." Students from 28 area schools took nearly 900 tests in the Inter-High Scholastic competition. In the TECH-Knowledge and Skills competition, more than 120 students represented 21 high schools...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- McCook Community College is hosting art students from 22 area high schools Friday for the annual paint-in competition on campus. The MCC Event Center is the stage for these students who will gather for the mural painting competition. Artists convene at 9 a.m. when the paint-in theme is announced, and rules and prizes will be discussed...

Remember Windows 3.1? There was a major hew and cry when Microsoft decided to drop that operating system to issue Windows 95 -- remember that, as well? There hasn't been the uproar this time, but today is the last day the Redmond, Washington, company will issue security updates for the Windown XP operating system on a computer you might just have on your desk right now...

The Opinion Column in the Weekend Edition (April 4, 2014) of the Gazette featured Mike Hendricks commenting about "Surviving your hospital stay". In his column, he stated "Many hospitals in Nebraska have not yet been given an overall safety score and Community Hospital in McCook is one of those that hasn't, although it does get a negative rating for readmissions, defined as a patient being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of initial discharge." Mr Hendricks was citing the May edition of Consumer Reports Magazine which featured several articles related to hospital safety.. ...

Drive north out of McCook about five miles. Look to the West and you can see the bleaching bones of the remaining hangars from the World War II McCook Air Base. In 1944, the base was dynamic, full of life, training crews to fly the then-brand-new B-29...

April is a time to nationally raise awareness for victims and survivors of sexual assault and child abuse. Throughout April programs in Nebraska and across the country are working to increase their efforts to help raise public awareness of these violent crimes. DASAS is striving to overcome the myth that violent crimes such as these only occur in major cities. It's time to open our eyes and see that these violent crimes are occurring here in our small rural communities...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook City Council rejected a request to increase the allowable size of political signage within city limits and indicated they would like to review the topic in December. "It's not fair at this point in the election process to change the rules," said Councilman Mike Gonzales during last night's regularly scheduled meeting...

OXFORD, Nebraska -- The kids come in their PJ's. They curl up with stuffed toys and munch on popcorn. And, while their parents are watching a grown-ups' movie at the Granada Theater next door, youngsters at the Oxford, Nebraska, Public Library are enjoying a G-rated kid-friendly movie on their own big screen, helping the library fulfill its mission to be a vital, vibrant educational, entertainment and social hub of the community...