Stories from Thursday, December 4, 2014

Santa and Mrs. Claus (Dennis and Cathy Shannon) sit down for a break after decorating "Santa's Wonderland," in the northeast corner of the lobby at the Keystone Business Center on Norris Avenue in McCook. With more than 3,500 lights and 22 Christmas trees, Santa and his wonderland will be ready to hear children's wishes beginning Friday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. ...

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...

McCOOK, Neb. -- City Manager Nate Schneider announced rules for the bidding process on a piece of city owned property on Norris Avenue, which looked to be in the early stages of a possible bidding war, only to have the high bidder retract his bid and indicate he was no longer interested in the property...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Tickets are now on sale for the Dec. 21 Bellamy Brothers Christmas concert in McCook. Only $30 each, the tickets can be purchased at McCook National Bank, Cowboy Up Tack, Hershberger's Music and Community Hospital Health Foundation located at 711 East 11th Street, Suite B. Tickets at the door will be $35 each...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Crane River Theater will present "Let It Snow! A Christmas Celebration! Music, Dance and Film" all wrapped up into a holiday event for the whole family, 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14 at the Fox Theater in downtown McCook. It will feature performances by Crane River Theater and special guests the Central Starz and the McCook High School Select Choir...

Anyone who has lost a loved one is invited to hang a favorite Christmas ornament on a chosen live evergreen tree in Memorial Park Cemetery located at the corner of West 14th and J streets in McCook, Nebraska. The special tree to be adorned is north and west of the cemetery's maintenance building (north on West 14th to West M), and is circled at its base by lights and a rattan angel. Ornaments can be added through December, and must come down by Wednesday, Dec. 31...

Natural market forces are always preferable to government control of the economy, but they sometimes fly in the face of logic. The "pink slime" flap of a few years ago is one example -- after a television network "exposé" of the way "finely textured meat" was produced, the industry basically collapsed, closing factories, throwing thousands out of work and wasting nutritious food that formerly was added to beef products to reduce the fat content...

Oh how I miss those days when my big girls were tiny and I was a stay-at-home mom with no kids in school. How my biggest worry every day was nap times. Would they lay down okay, would they sleep long enough or too long, would I get my errands ran in time to get home to lay them down in time, did they drink all their bottle or where's their pacifier? A good nap for my little one could make or break the day for me so it was a big worry of mine a lot of the time. ...

Sheila Lynn Wondercheck April 9, 1977 - Dec. 3, 2014 NORTH PLATTE, Neb. -- Sheila Lynn Wondercheck of North Platte, originally of Trenton, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014, at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. She was 37 years old...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A Marine accustomed to watching out for others has donated toys to McCook's "Christmas Toy Box." Rough-tough 30-year U.S. Marine veteran Ron Magner said he has no kids and no grandkids, and enjoyed a shopping trip through toy departments for the Toy Box gifts. "I knew what I wanted," he said, of a shopping trip for girls' and boys' toys with Michelle Martin, whose husband, Scott, helped him expand and renovate his home in McCook...