Stories from Friday, March 18, 2016

Working in warm, filtered sunlight, Anita, left, and 15-year-old Emily Donovan transplant seedlings in their garden greenhouse in Beaver City. Anita said she started planting the end of February and the first of March; it takes six weeks to get the starts to sellable stage. ...

BSB Construction workers are busy renovating the city parking lot at the corner of East First Street and D Street. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of May and includes grading and resurfacing the parking lot, construction of a steel parking canopy and retaining wall, as well as a landscaped sidewalk connecting the parking area to Norris Avenue...

All growing up, my brothers and I knew what it meant when our mom said, "Don't make me pull this car over!" It meant that we were pushing her buttons and in about 3 seconds, if we didn't knock it off, mom was gonna pull that car over and someone, if not all, were gonna get spanked...

80th birthday The family of Jim Moore of Bartley, Neb. is requesting a card shower in honor of his 80th birthday Thursday, March 24, 2016. His family includes his wife, Jacqueline Moore of Bartley; children, Vivian and Marlon Berry of Imperial, Tim and Diane Moore and Jeff and Robbin Moore, all of Bartley; Greg and Lisa Moore, North Platte; 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach him at P.O. Box 18, Bartley, NE 69020...

Leighton Summer McConville Shelby Malleck and Dylan McConville of Indianola, Neb. announce the birth of their daughter, Leighton Summer McConville, born Feb. 15, 2016, at Community Hospital of McCook. She weighed 6 pounds, 11.6 ounces and measured 19 inches long. ...

Cole Alexander Martin Nikolaus and Lisa Martin of Bucyrus, Kan. announce the birth of their son, Cole Alexander Martin, born Feb. 13, 2016, at Merriam, Kan. He weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 21 inches long. He has one brother, Hudson Edward Martin, 2. ...

History tells us that we have two entities to thank for McCook's existence: agriculture and the railroad. Each relied on the other to stay in business. Farmers, stockmen and railroaders had several things in common, not the least of which was being on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week when needed; calving doesn't ever seem to occur when the sun is shining and trains like to run in the middle of the night!...

CURTIS, Neb. -- Students named to Medicine Valley's third nine weeks honor roll include: (Denotes all A's) 7th Grade:Emmy Jackson *, Noah Nicklas*, Jaden Wolfe 8th Grade: Nadia Campbell*, Monty Farr, Michael Hazen, Sam Heapy*, Quade Potter, Alexis Ruppert, Sabra Schmidt*, Raine Taylor, Helen Willard...

Vegetable casseroles and carrot cake have been Easter menu mainstays for decades, but with the majority of millennials now hosting holiday family gatherings, retro dishes are getting a flavorful facelift with new ingredients and flavor twists. Chef Kevan Vetter of the McCormick Kitchens offers these tips to put a new spin on Easter favorites:...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A major fund-raising event for the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce proved to be very successful, as well as entertaining, according to Chamber Executive Director Tacie Fawver. Darrell Scott, who performed at the Fox Theatre on March 12, was "a very nice, low key, down-to-earth guy," according to Fawver. The opening act for his performance was McCook High School Select Choir, and Scott joked that he would like to take the choir on the road with him...

Mid-Plains Rodeo Team coaches accept a $200 check from AmFirst employees who paid to "Wear Green with Your Jeans" fundraiser. Accepting the funds is Mid-Plains Rodeo Team Coaches Garrett Nokes, McCook, on the left and on the right is Dustin Elliott, North Platte. AmFirst Bank and AmFirst Insurance employees shown in the picture is Beth Bethell, Cassie Wasko, Peggy McDonald, and Barb Bortner. A benefit rodeo is Friday and Saturday at the Kiplinger Arena. (Courtesy photo)...

McCOOK, Neb. -- On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of runners and walkers will take to McCook streets and the walking trail for the third annual Shamrock Shuffle, which is sponsored by the Ed Thomas YMCA and the Knights of Columbus. Along with plenty of green at the start and a chili feed afterward, there are a few changes this year, including the addition of a 10K race along with the 5K race. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- McCook lodging officials are speaking out against the city granting Tax Increment Financing assistance to a second hotel development which hopes to break ground in the coming months. City leaders will hear the concerns Monday evening while considering whether to approve the redevelopment plan for a Holiday Inn & Suites to be built on U.S. Highway 83...

Winter wheat is greening up around Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas, but rainfall -- or even snow -- is needed to assure a good crop this year. The southern Plains are expected to stay drier than normal through June, according to officials. Wheat condition ratings held steady or improved last week, according to crop reports issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture...

Gov. Pete Ricketts is helping throw the spotlight on a disease the government helps facilitate. While the state lottery generates millions of dollars for worthwhile programs, the fact some of those dollars go toward treating a disease it helps create should be a clue...

One of the common topics at the golf course is the fact that it's feast or famine a few nights a year in McCook for the hotel industry. This was specifically characterized in a letter to the editor that appeared in the Wednesday edition of the McCook Daily Gazette and was written by the owners of five hotels in McCook. ...

In his three decades in the Senate George Norris' most difficult year may have been 1917. Fresh from his narrow reelection victory in November, 1916, Woodrow Wilson discarded his campaign pledge of "He kept us out of war," for a policy of arming American merchant ships headed to Europe during the Great War. ...

Robert Alexander 'Bob' Daffer April 1, 1922 - March 17, 2016 McCOOK, Neb. -- Robert Alexander "Bob" Daffer, age 93, passed away peacefully Thursday, March 17, 2016, at his residence at Brookdale McCook. Robert was born April 1, 1922, to Elmer A. and Helen M. (Green) Daffer in McCook. He grew up in the Lebanon and Danbury area and graduated from Danbury High School in 1940...

Carlton Walter (Walt) McGuire Oct. 12, 1938 - March 17, 2016 McCOOK, Neb. -- Carlton Walter "Walt" McGuire of McCook passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 17, 2016, at Hillcrest Nursing Home. He was 77 years old. Walt was born on Oct. 12, 1938, at McCook, the only child of parents Carl Joseph and Berniece Myrtle (Johnson) McGuire. ...