Stories from Friday, September 18, 2015

Billye Louise Ross March 22, 1941 - Sept. 15, 2015 ELLENSBURG, Wash. -- Billye Louise Ross, 74, of Ellensburg, Washington went to be with her Lord and Savior Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2015, at Columbia Basin Hospital in Ephrata, Washington. She was born on March 22, 1941, to Rev. ...

Andersyn Russ Wilson Brian and Mary Wilson of Ogallala, Nebraska, announce the birth of their daughter, Andersyn Russ Wilson, born July 27, 2015, at Great Plains Health in North Platte, Nebraska. She weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 20 inches long. Grandparents are Patty Gohl of Hayes Center, Nebraska, Ken and Cindy Wilson of Culbertson, Nebraska, and the late Russ Gohl. Great-grandparents are Joan Stevenson of McCook, Nebraska, and Norma Wilson of Culbertson...

99th birthday Edna Ficken of McCook will celebrate her 99th birthday Monday, Sept. 28. She was born in Frontier County and enjoyed living in the Eustis/Elwood area for many years, where she and her husband, Herman, farmed and raised their family. She has resided in McCook since 2004. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 1500 East 11th, Apt. No. 44, McCook, NE 69001...

Custer, McCallum Brittany Ann Custer of Aurora, Colorado, and Trae Steven McCallum of Holyoke, Colorado, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the bride-to-be are Lona and Kelly Custer of Parks, Nebraska. Parents of the prospective bridegroom are Ranae and Glen McCallum of Holyoke, Colorado...

93rd birthday The family of Mitty Arminta (Huggins) Quigley of Indianola, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of her 93rd birthday Saturday, Sept. 19. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 39276 Rd 720, Indianola, NE 69034.

80th birthday The family of Joan Messersmith of Hayes Center, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday Thursday, Sept. 24. She was born in Wellfleet, Nebraska. Her family includes children, Deloit Messersmith of Hayes Center, Steve and wife, Beth of Curtis, Nebraska, Randy of Wellfleet and his late wife, Jan, Kathy and husband, Rich of Loveland, Colorado, Kenny and wife, Sue of Hayes Center, Mike and wife, Peggy of Hayes Center, Starla and husband, Chip of Hayes Center, TeAnn and husband, Michael of Pinedale, Wyoming; 22 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren. ...

Daniel Bradley Brost Nick and Ashley Brost of Indianola, Nebraska, announce the birth of their son, Daniel Bradley Brost, who was born Aug. 14, 2015, at Community Hospital in McCook. He weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces and measured 20 inches long. He has one sister, Quinn, 3. Grandparents are Diana Brost of Mullen, Nebraska, the late Dan Brost and Brad and Shirley Houlden of Cambridge, Nebraska. Great-grandparents are Betty Staal of Chadron, Nebraska and Margie Brost of Harrison, Nebraska...

Kinley Irene Heffner Justin and Tonya Heffner of Almena, Kansas, announce the birth of their daughter, Kinley Irene Heffner, born Aug. 21, 2015, at Norton, Kansas. She weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. She has one sister, Serenity and brother, Gage. ...

Susan Doak Southwest Nebraska Genealogy Society McCook's biggest industry in the early 1950s was of all things, the McCook Packing Corporation. Located where the current McCook Transfer Station/Recycling Center and the adjoining land is now, the corporation combined meat packing and meat processing...

Apparently Nebraskans' civil liberties don't include the right to vote on the death penalty. The ACLU does have a point in its lawsuit, that Gov. Pete Ricketts should have been listed as a sponsor of a successful petition drive by the Nebraskans for the Death Penalty, since he and his father, TD Ameritrade founder Jo Ricketts donated several hundred thousand dollars to the drive...

The second Republican presidential debate took place Wednesday night inside the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California so the viewers knew they were going to get liberal (pardon the pun) doses of the former Governor of California and President of the United States and the candidates didn't disappoint. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A local police officer responding to a domestic dispute recently believed he arrived just in time to save the life of the woman, telling the victim afterwards he believed her attacker would have killed her. The woman's assailant, 23-year-old Johnathan C. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A McCook couple is facing felony drug charges stemming from the search of a South Sixth Street residence in July. A plea agreement was reached with 56-year-old Robin L. Holloway-Voegler, Monday in Red Willow County District Court, while 52-year-old Bret A. Holloway pleaded not guilty to charges he faced...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A McCook woman received probation following convictions on several drug charges Monday in Red Willow County District Court. The offender, 41-year-old Kristie A. Marquardt of 1110 West 13th Street was convicted of a Class I misdemeanor offense for attempting to possess methamphetamine and infractions for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. She was ordered to serve 24 months probation at sentencing...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A former McCook raceway promoter was sentenced to probation earlier this week stemming from a $4,000 bad prize check she wrote last summer. The offender, Kristie Brittain of 915 Westridge in McCook, accepted a plea agreement in July admitting guilt to a reduced Class I misdemeanor offense for writing a bad check in an amount less than $500. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- City water and sewer rates appear to have avoided an increase in the coming year, at least according to the recommendation from the annual cashflow analysis. The analysis focuses on city water and sewer enterprise funds and is used to determine the financial health of both funds, as well as provide a roadmap for potential rate increases and their impact. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Hillcrest Nursing Home administrators got a face full of pie, Sept. 11, part of a fundraiser for an Eagle Scout project at the facility. Employees paid $5 to nominate a Hillcrest administrator for a "pie in the face" contest and paid $1 each time they voted for an administrator. Funds were put toward Dustin Payton's Eagle Scout project that will install raised gardening beds at an outdoor courtyard at Hillcrest...

Access to commercial air service is crucial to keeping rural America connected to the rest of the country and attracting entrepreneurs to invest and expand in our communities. As Kevin Howard, director of the Alliance Visitors Bureau, has said, "Economic developers don't come into town on the bus." One of the primary responsibilities of the federal government is maintaining transportation infrastructure, and I am working to prevent red tape from disproportionately harming rural airports...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A McCook man received prison time for possessing methamphetamine and tampering with physical evidence earlier this week in Red Willow County District Court. The offender, 41-year-old Jeff E. Sprenkle of 1413 West 14th Street, was sentenced to a minimum of 18 months in state prison and a maximum of four-and-a-half years stemming from a pair of Class IV felony convictions...

McCOOK, Neb. -- McCook Area Chamber of Commerce officials interviewed six 2015 Heritage Days Royalty finalists and the royalty will be revealed Wednesday at the McCook National Bank mixer. McCook Community College will present the two individuals who were selected with college scholarships at that event...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Drive-In movies are returning to McCook during Heritage Days. Thanks to a widespread community effort, led by Gavin Harsh, the special showing is planned Saturday night, Sept. 26, at a new location. The movies will be beamed on to a huge, 800-square foot screen which will be placed on the east end of the paved parking lots in front of the former Alco store and the Victory Christian Academy buildings...