Stories from Tuesday, July 15, 2014

A motorcycle lies in the bushes near McCook Junior High this morning as an ambulance crew prepares to take the rider to Community Hospital following a collision with a car. At about the same time, ambulances were also called to the county detention center and Heritage Senior Center, leaving officials scrambling to find enough help...

A deploying National Guard Unit poses by one of their Blackhawk helicopters following a stop for food and fuel Monday at McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport. LifeTeam Critical Care Transport staff members borrowed Gazette columnist Dick Trail's hangar to serve the crew a meal. "Grannie Annie" Trail, known for her "Adopt a Chaplain" Christmas-time care packages, checks out the controls of one of the helicopters...

Utilities Director Jesse Dutcher visits with McCook police officers and citizens during a Coffee with a Cop meeting at McDonald's this morning. Dutcher said the locally celebrated rainfall received in June would actually end up making his department's budget difficult to meet, given the reduction in city water sales. Dutcher said the June rainfall of just more than 8 inches precipitation nearly equaled the 12 inches received for all of 2013...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A complaint filed almost a year ago about a June 2013 hearing on a McCook teacher has been dismissed, according to a McCook school board member. Shane Messersmith, McCook School Board member, told the board Monday night that he had a copy of the results of the investigation, done by the Commissioner of Education of the State of Nebraska on a complaint...

McCOOK, Neb. -- An elderly McCook man who caused a three-car accident on Independence Day at the intersection in front of Walmart is facing a pair of criminal offenses as a result. The driver, 92-year-old Harold Yohe of 1003 West 14th Street No. A4, was cited with reckless driving and no operator's license following the incident...

McCOOK, Neb. -- What did Malcolm X stand for and what significance does he have to the radical politics and movements of his time? Learn more about the life of this famous Nebraskan, the changes he underwent, and the relevance of his social, political, and even spiritual thought at a free public presentation this Thursday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bieroc Café, 312 Norris Ave., McCook...

Opal R. Pearson May 12, 1920 - July 12, 2014 McCOOK, Neb. -- Opal R. Pearson passed away Saturday, July 12, 2014, in McCook at the age of 94. Opal was born to Johnny and Olive Berryman on May 12, 1920. She graduated from Cozad High School in 1938. In 1941, she married Kermit Pearson of Gothenburg and they had five children together. ...

Robert 'Bobby' D. Martin June 9, 1924 - July 13, 2014 ARAPAHOE, Neb. -- Robert "Bobby" D. Martin, 90, of died Sunday (July 13, 2014), at the Phelps Memorial Hospital in Holdrege, Nebraska. He was born June 9, 1924 on the family homestead south of Hendley, Nebraska, to Robert L. and Louise M. (Kirste) Martin...

Maria Eva Kamla August 10, 1936 - July 13, 2014 BIRD CITY, Kan. -- Maria Eva Kamla died Sunday (July 13, 2014), at Good Samaritan Society in St. Francis, Kansas. She was born Aug. 10, 1936 in Munich, Germany. She was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her husband, L. John Kamla in 2012; son, Brian Kamla in 1997 and three infant children,...

Clyde Burnham Gleason January 23, 1929 - July 12, 2014 HAYS, Kan. -- Clyde Burnham Gleason, 85, died Saturday (July 12, 2014), at Ellis Good Samaritan in Ellis, Kansas. He was born Jan. 23, 1929, in Cheyenne County, Kansas. He was a farmer/elevator operator...

Joan (Wilcox) Peterson August 25, 1952 - July 14, 2014 HASTINGS, Neb. -- Hastings resident Joan (Wilcox) Peterson, 80, passed away Tuesday, July 8, 2014 at Perkins Pavilion Good Samaritan Society-Hastings Village, Hastings, Nebraska. There will be no services and private burial will be held at a later date at St. ...

James W. Melton BEAVER CITY, Neb. -- James W. Melton, age 96, formerly of McCook, Nebraska, died at the Beaver City Manor on Saturday, July 12, 2014. He was born in Russell Springs, Kansas, to John and May (Wood) Melton. James was united in marriage to Caroline Roach on Nov. ...

Next time you're out with a group of friends, here's a game that will make the evening more enjoyable and just might pick up your tab. Everyone takes out their cell phones, stack them in the center of the table, and waits. The first person to grab their phone from the stack picks up the bill...

McCOOK, Neb.-- Bailee Stang and Katelyn Raba,s both of McCook, were announced as the new recipients of the Nelson Hometown Scholarship. Bailee and Katelyn will join Sara Larington, Jordan Pick and Emily Wood, all of McCook, as current Nelson Hometown Scholars for the 2014-2015 academic year...

NEW YORK, NY -- Teach For America announced that a McCook, Nebraska, local has been accepted into the organization's 2014 teaching corps. Teach For America is a national nonprofit working to expand educational opportunity for low-income students. Corps members commit to teach for two years in high-need urban or rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in pursuit of educational equity...

PERU, Neb. -- For the third year in a row, Nebraska Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) had six first place finishes at the recent National Leadership Conference (NLC) held in Nashville, Tennessee. The conference was held at the Grand Ole Opry Resort. Overall, Nebraska PBL finished with 52 Top Ten finishes, the most ever, which most likely placed them in second among all of the states attending...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Nebraska Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) students recently received 30 Top Ten national awards as well as three first-place national awards. More than 330 Nebraska students and advisers attended the FBLA National Leadership Conference in Nashville, TN., June 29-July2. More than 10,300 FBLA members from 46 states, as well as U.S. territories and international chapters attended the conference with FBLA student members competing in 60 events...

This columnist has noted that the McCook City Council is in the throes of putting a campaign to get the voters to reauthorize the City's sales tax. Like all taxes, our city sales tax is beloved by those who spend the proceeds. Not so much loved by those of us that get to pay, no choice, that self-same onerous tax. ...

I have 278.3 aces of dryland and pasture. I was shocked when I got my property valuation; so were my neighbors when they got their valuations. By law, the county assessor has to raise the valuation. If we do not want this to continue, we must get our legislature and governor to change the law, and bring property values within reason...

Joan Ann (Shafer) Dack Aug. 25, 1952 - July 14, 2014 McCOOK, Neb. -- Joan Ann (Shafer) Dack of McCook passed away Monday, July 14, 2014, at her home. She was 61 years old. Joan was born on Aug. 25, 1952, at St. Joseph, Missouri, to parents, Billy Franklin and Pauline Evelyn (Geyer) Shafer. She graduated from McCook High School in 1970...