Stories from Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Some of us Nebraskans like to tease our California relatives every time we hear of an earthquake in their region. That usually brings a retort: "Well, at least we don't have tornadoes." Actually, they can have tornados, but say twister, and Kansas is more likely to come to mind than Cupertino...

It's that time again. Time for a seasonal change. Although it has felt like summer for a few weeks now, it won't be official until Sunday, June 21, at 10:38 am MDT when the Sun reaches the furthest point north in its travels for the year -- on the Tropic of Capricorn -- 23 degrees north of the equator...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A 2013 request for sales tax funds to expand a concession building at the Jaycees Complex returned to City Council Monday evening, with double the price tag. Jerry Reitz of McCook presented materials related to the project and asked City Council to allocate $100,000 in the 2015-16 budget. ...

STRATTON, Neb. -- Ronnie Ann's decorating style is time-worn; paint colors are soft and muted, chipped and scuffed from years of wear-and-tear. Justine's favorite style is more modern, less "shabby chic." The two sisters-in-law and friends, Ronnie Ann Richardson and Justine Richardson, combined their two aesthetics and the result is an eclectic shop in Stratton, Nebraska, called "The Jewell," with a side-line called "Re-Imagined Antiques."...

HAMLET, Neb. -- Paulsen Inc. of Cozad is the prime contractor on a $3.2 million highway improvement project between Hamlet and Palisade, set to begin today. The project will involve replacing guardrail, patching two bridges, widening the roadway two feet on each side, milling and overlaying the roadway with asphalt...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A McCook man serving probation for his role in the 2012 burglaries of several local businesses, before being arrested in North Platte on additional burglary and theft charges, was sentenced to prison time earlier this month in Red Willow County District Court...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A McCook man arrested in March on an alleged sixth drunk driving offense was sentenced to state prison time earlier this month in Red Willow County District Court. The offender, 60-year-old Jamie S. Dack of 408 E. Fourth Street, was ordered to serve 20 to 60 months on a Class IV felony offense for driving on a license revoked for DUI and a concurrent 12 month sentence for a Class I misdemeanor conviction for theft by unlawful taking...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Jim Macy announced today that the state is awarding $2.01 million to support 126 tire recycling and cleanup projects across the state. They include $13,336 for a 150-ton scrap tire cleanup in Beaver City, $16,248 for a 50 percent reimbursement for 111,150 pounds of rubber playground mulch for the McCook Public Schools, and $2,720 for 50 percent reimbursement for 12,230 pounds of rubber playground mulch for the Southern Valley Schools.. ...

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...