Stories from Monday, March 21, 2016

J. Bruce Hoye Feb. 21, 1941 - March 16, 2016 NORTH PLATTE, Neb. -- J. Bruce Hoye, age 75, of North Platte, passed away Wednesday, March 16, 2016, at his home. He was born Feb. 21, 1941, in Grand Island, to J. Gerald and Ila (Burmood) Hoye. Bruce received his Masters in art and administration at Kearney State and Undergraduate at Hastings College. ...

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 leaders hope the purchase of a trailer-mounted hydro excavator will reduce the risk of inadvertently damaging nearby utilities when working on city water lines, as well as save on labor costs. The equipment purchase is projected to cost more than $100k and bid specs will be presented to City Council Monday evening...

Twenty-two headstones in the Bartley Cemetery lay on their sides or sit crooked on their bases after cattle escaped their electric fence nearby and wandered into and through the cemetery the middle of last week. Bartley village clerk Ronni Harding said this morning that a monument company is coming to reset the stones; none of the stones have been broken. Harding said that the cattle owner's insurance will take care of the cost of repairs...

Sean Tolliver, from left, as the Scarecrow, Shelby Stevens as Dorothy, Jeri Lynn Karr as the Wicked Witch of the West, Tyler Rambali as the Cowardly Lion and Charles Coleman as the Tinman played to packed houses in Southwest Nebraska Community Theatre's production of the Wizard of Oz. The show drew an audience of more than 1,300 to five performances, eclipsing "Annie's" previous record of a similar number over six performances...

Andrew Lefebvre serenades hungry customers over the lunch hour at Cita Deli's first St. Patrick's Day Irish celebration last week in McCook, Neb.

Colin Rogers recently joined the McCook Police Department as a patrol officer. Police Chief Isaac Brown noted that Rogers graduated seventh out of a class of more than 50 at the law enforcement academy in February. Rogers is a Beaver City, Nebraska, native and a National Guard veteran...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A local thief arrested at Heritage Hills Golf Course on a felony drug charge, less than a month after being released from probation, was ordered back on probation earlier this month in Red Willow County District Court. The woman, 42-year-old Jodi M. Traill formerly of 910 East E Street Apt. A, was sentenced to 12 months probation after accepting plea agreements in two unrelated criminal cases admitting guilt to misdemeanor theft and attempted possession of methamphetamine...

It's the time of year when the ravages of winter make themselves apparent on the surfaces of our streets and highways. City and state crews and contractors are already out repairing potholes and preparing for heavy summer construction projects. The projects are an inconvenience to drivers, but they're definitely preferable to the alternative -- the slow decay of one of our most important infrastructures...

On March 19th, 1941 one of the great military units of World War II was born, when a small core of enlisted men came together at an Army Airfield in Illinois to form the 99th Pursuit Squadron. What made this group special was the fact that these Army men were African American, and became the first Black Combat pilots in US Military History. ...

Twenty-three states, Guam, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Island have all legalized medical cannabis, so why has not Nebraska? Prior to the FDA's creation in 1938, cannabis was on the shelves of most all U.S. pharmacies. It is an outrage that Gov. Rickets keeps citing the FDA...

Doris Alice Farr Aug. 8, 1925 - March 18, 2016 CAMBRIDGE, Neb. -- Doris Alice Farr, age 90, of Cambridge, passed away at the Cambridge Manor on March 18, 2016. She was born near Plum Creek south of Eustis, Neb. on Aug. 8, 1925, to Jesse R. and Frieda L. ...

Kenneth Brady 'Mac' McCoy Aug. 13, 1919 - March 21, 2016 ALMA, Neb. -- Kenneth Brady "Mac" McCoy, formerly of Danbury, passed away Monday, March 21, 2016, at the Good Samaritan Society Nursing Home in Alma. He was 96 years old. Mac was born on Aug. 13, 1919, at McPherson, Kan., to parents, Clyde and Velma (Brady) McCoy. He graduated from Wallace High School in 1938. Mac was an athlete and participated in most sports throughout his high school years...