Stories from Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Ralph Burdette Weintz June 21, 1932 - Oct. 11, 2015 McCOOK, Neb. -- Ralph Burdette Weintz of McCook passed away Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015, at the Life Care Center of Elkhorn, Nebraska. He was 83 years old. Ralph was born on June 21, 1932, to parents, Ralph John and Eva Leona (Cochran) Weintz in McCook. He graduated from Red Willow High School...

Betty J. Alexander July 4, 1923 - Oct. 9, 2015 KEARNEY, Neb. -- Betty J Alexander, one of four children of Charles and Anna (Warner) Haag, was born on July 4, 1923, on a farm near Lebanon, Nebraska. She passed away on Oct. 9, 2015, at the Mother Hull Home at Kearney, Nebraska at the age of 92 years, three months and five days...

Graduates of McCook, Nebraska, Senior High in 2005 gathered for their 10-year reunion over the Labor Day weekend. Grads available for a class picture were, first row from left, Whitney (Korte) Schoenemann, Abbee (Haney) James, Angela (Abercrombie) Piper, Drew Wilson and Kate (Wolford) Wawrzynkiewicz. ...

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. -- McCook native Benito Garcia is the director of a film, "In Plain Sight," to be premiered at the Prairie Lights Film Festival in Grand Island on Friday. Garcia, 45, is a McCook native and is an actor, director and owner of a special effects company, Wetworks SFX in Omaha...

McCOOK, Neb. -- City leaders recently organized a group of residents to help determine the future of the city swimming pool, as well as how to pay for upgrades to what some see as McCook's most underfunded department for many years. Mayor Mike Gonzales appointed 13 people to the new Swimming Pool Committee during last week's meeting of the McCook City Council. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook School Board gave the green light Monday to proceed with an almost million dollar project to upgrade office space and secure the entry way at the high school. The project, estimated to cost between $650,000 to $850,000 and to begin construction the summer of 2016, was brought to the attention of the school board last year but not pursued due to costs of the project, said McCook Public Schools superintendent Grant Norgaard at the regular school board meeting Monday night. ...

Butterflies flock to Diane and Bob Harrison's purple aster bushes, in their front yard on East 11th in McCook, Nebraska. The monarchs may be using environmental cues to leave the cold winters of northern climates and "head south" for the winter, making a pit stop in McCook. Monarchs in eastern North America have winter homes in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico; monarchs in western North America overwinter in California...

HAYES CENTER, Neb. -- A Hayes Center, Nebraska, woman is trying to find a family whose tombstones she has discovered in Hayes Center. Marian Richards said she found the tombstones as she and her husband, Barry, were pulling out overgrown lilacs beside a building she purchased in downtown Hayes Center. The stones were leaning against the building, not set in the ground as if someone was buried there, Marian said...

CAMBRIDGE, Neb. -- S.L. Jonson Studios of Cambridge has recently completed and installed two large sculptures in Nebraska. On Oct. 3, Jonson installed a 6-foot sculpture, "The Holy Family" in the chapel of Mercy Villa in Omaha. The artwork features a 5-foot resin sculpture of Sts. Mary and Joseph holding the child Jesus, imposed on a background of Italian glass mosaics...

The McCook, Nebraska, Humane Society and animal shelter will mark October as nation-wide "Adopt-A-Dog" month with its first-ever "Chili Dog Day," Thursday, Oct. 15, from 12:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. For a free-will donation, shelter staff will serve hot dogs, chili dogs, chili and PepsiŽ until 2 p.m. ...

When people don't want to obey the law, sometimes the only recourse is putting them in jail. For 35 to 40 percent of the people incarcerated in Nebraska, however, there's something besides a character flaw involved. That's how many prisoners have some sort of serious mental health issues, Sen. ...

Gone but never to be forgotten. Saturday at a large funeral we paid tribute to a life well- lived. Then at an impressive service at the cemetery the American Flag draping his coffin was removed, folded, reverently with great dignity and precision as only a military honor guard can do, and presented to family. The sad lingering notes of Taps sang out, a "21 gun salute" echoed and Willis Jones was sent off on his journey to eternity. God Bless you and thank you for your service...

Charles Marshall Traxler March 2, 1931 - Oct. 12, 2015 McCOOK, Neb. -- Charles Marshall Traxler of McCook passed away Monday, Oct. 12, 2015, at Community Hospital. He was 84 years old. Charles was born on March 2, 1931, in McCook to parents, Marshall G. and Louise Elizabeth (Cole) Traxler...