Stories from Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Tim Mooney performs the graveyard scene from an abridged version of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Tuesday at the Fox Theatre in downtown McCook. "Breakneck Hamlet" hit the high spots of the classic play, filling in the gaps with asides and explanations while holding the audience in rapt attention for an hour compared to four hours for the unabridged version. ...

HAIGLER, Neb. -- The Haigler Community Foundation, in cooperation with the Nebraska Arts Council, will present Garan Coons of Winnebago, Nebrska, a professional Native American (Oglala, Lakota & Navajo) dancer, singer, flute player, and storyteller for an on stage performance Saturday, May 7, at 12 noon mdt at the Cornerstone Center for Community Service, 251 East Norman Street in Haigler. ...

OFFUTT AFB, Neb. -- The USAF Heartland of America Band's Offutt Brass will present a concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Cambridge High School gymnasium. This concert is free and open to the public. Comprised of five brass players, a percussionist, a guitarist and a vocalist, Offutt Brass will perform a program with plenty of variety including selections by Leonard Bernstein, J.S. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Good things come to those who wait, something Leona Wudtke knows for a fact. Wudtke, 90, will be going to the Grand Ole Opry in Tennessee this week, something she's been dreaming about for years. "I used to sneak down the stairs at night to listen to it, when my dad played the Grand Ole Opry on the radio," Wudtke said, who now lives at Brookdale McCook Senior Solutions, an assisted living facility...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Two idea-gathering sessions are being planned for Tuesday, May 3 at McMillen Room 201 at the McCook Community College campus. The purpose of the sessions is to gather ideas and information on community events that will take place in 2017 and to make them a part of the Nebraska Sesquicentennial celebration. Anyone who is in charge of organizing community events is encouraged to attend either the 8 a.m. session or the 5 p.m. session...

TRENTON, Neb. -- The Hitchcock County Sheriff's Office in Trenton is conducting an investigation into an apparent murder-suicide reported during the early morning hours today in Trenton. The names of the two adult male victims will not be released at this time, pending notification of family members, according to Sheriff D. Bryan Leggott...

McCook Police Sgt. Kevin Darling, right, directs McCook Elementary first grader Rhilee Macumber through a weaving obstacle course during the school's annual State Farm Insurance "Bike Safety Rodeo" Tuesday afternoon. McCook High School junior Emmerie Roth, left, steadied Rambler Farr as he pedaled through a "short turn radius" course. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Jim Hall -- the longest-tenured McCook Community College employee -- arrived on campus in 1976. The toughest thing he ever had to do was write his letter of resignation. "It took me almost three weeks," he said. Hall is one of three long-time instructors retiring this year. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Prairie Gold Homes is coordinating an open house and NIFA special presentation Thursday afternoon at the former Public Safety Center on West Fifth Street. The open house is scheduled from 2-3:30 p.m. with the NIFA presentation at 2:25 p.m...

Voting against the economic development program on the May 10 ballot won't lower city sales taxes, but neither will it spell the end of economic development. In 2015, voters approved combining and extending the 11⁄2-cent sales tax until 2033, but voted against continued funding of the McCook Economic Development Program...

I know we didn't get far with our "Top Ten" list of things to see from a city sky, but sometimes things just pop up to get in the way. Such is an event this time. Want to know how to drive an astronomer goo-goo? Tell him there is a planetary transit of the Sun coming up. He (or she) will get glassy-eyed, start to drool at the mouth, and get weak in the knees...