Stories from Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Irene F. Stover March 22, 1918 - May 13, 2016 TRENTON, Neb. -- Irene F. Stover, age 98, died at the El Dorado Manor in Trenton on Friday, May 13, 2016. She was born in Trenton, Neb., on March 22, 1918, to Carl and Mary (Raymond) Steinke. At age nine, Irene's mother died and she was raised by her father and grandmother. She grew up on a farm near Trenton and went to Trenton Schools...

Lester L. Haussler Sept. 22, 1942 - May 13, 2016 LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- Lester L. Haussler, 73, of Lakewood, died Friday (May 13, 2016). He was born Sept. 22, 1942, to Lester J. and Lelia (McCoy) Haussler. He graduated from Arapahoe High School in 1960 and attended McCook Junior College, Dana College and Kearney State College, earning degrees in economics and sociology. He served in the Army National Guard from 1966 -- 1972...

Doretta June Stroup Oct 15, 1954 - May 12, 2016 WICHITA, Kan. -- Doretta June Stroup, 61, of Goodland, Kan., died Thursday (May 12, 2016), at Via Christie in Wichita. She was born to Kenneth L. and Jessie J. Stroup at Imperial, Neb. on Oct 15, 1954...

Mary Elizabeth Molloy Jan. 18, 1923 - May 14, 2016 HERSHEY, Neb. -- Mary Elizabeth Molloy, age 93, of Hershey, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, May 14, 2016. Mary was born on the farm near Curtis, Neb. on Jan. 18, 1923, to Frank F. and Anna Katie Bollner Thompson. ...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Gloria Mefford of First Central Bank was honored for 50 years in banking at the annual Nebraska Bankers Association convention May 5. Gloria has just recently retired from First Central Bank in McCook where she served the last 18 years of her banking career. At the time of her retirement, Gloria was serving as First Central Banks marketing director and executive vice president...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln granted 2,816 degrees during historic commencement exercises May 6 and 7. The graduates are from 43 states, the District of Columbia and 45 countries. The following is a list of area graduates. Some international students are listed under their adopted hometowns in the United States. Some students request not to be listed...

On behalf of the Hometown Competitiveness Youth Task Force, I would like to thank everyone who made our second Seventh Grade Heritage Day tour a success. Two years ago, our group hoped to create an event that gave our middle school youth an opportunity to appreciate and understand their McCook roots and an event which complimented the ag tour our eighth graders experience...

So you've got that college diploma, now it's time to make the big bucks, right? If you're fluent in Scala and GO computer programming, or an expert in mergers and acquisitions or equity management, you can expect 17 to 20 percent more than the average college graduate...

It was happy birthday for the old guy and Grannie Annie honored me by buying a new gas grill for our patio. My choice. Now I ask dear reader, "Have you priced a grill lately?" Some are more expensive than the full time stoves for a new kitchen. I chose a small two-burner model with a five-year warranty. ...

McCook city and rural mail carriers and Indianola rural carries collected 1,100 pounds of food during the 24th annual nation-wide "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive Saturday. The food drive, an effort of the U.S. Postal Service, members of the National Association of Letter Carriers and Rural Letter Carriers is the largest one-day food drive in the nation; it has collected more than 1.4 billion pounds of food since its inception. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- After a number of years as a business owner in South Dakota, a one-time owner of the Town Talk in Cambridge has moved back to Southwest Nebraska and he and his wife have purchased Club Paradise in McCook. Luke and Shar Laverack bought the bar business from Blaine and Ann Budke. The sale was completed Thursday, May 12...

McCOOK, Neb. -- City officials are excited about a new airline scheduled to start serving McCook next month. Boutique Air is expected to begin serving McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport on June 1, and several weeks of discussions resulted in a lease agreement presented to the McCook City Council Monday night...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Bargain Bazaar volunteers are hoping that shoppers will help them "move" their merchandise before the doors swing open at a new location half a block west. Thrift store coordinator Susie Davidson said Monday that they're having tremendous sales this week, hoping that their inventory will be reduced before they actually have to haul things from 222 W. First and restock the shelves at 215 West C...

McCOOK, Neb. -- With a team of 11 facilitators already committed, Ben Dutton is going full speed ahead with plans for the McCook community to embark upon the highly acclaimed "Marketing Hometown America" program. "McCook is the largest town to date to launch a 'Marketing Hometown America' effort, " Dutton said, "and, from what I've seen so far, this could be a program which will both uplift and energize the community." That's exciting because the purpose of the program is to create a vision for community growth.. ...

Dalton Weiss, the 2-year-old son of Nick and Melissa Weiss of Culbertson, splashes in a puddle after the rain in McCook Monday afternoon. Dalton may have a chance of more puddles on Thursday and Friday; until then, forecasters are predicting just clouds. (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Gazette)...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Sinners Sanctified Motorcycle Ministry plans a poker run to provide support ad comfort to children and families affected by congenital heart defects through the distribution of superhero capes and other forms of encouragement and inspiration...