Stories from Friday, May 27, 2016

Phyllis Lee Haag Dec. 15, 1934 - May 25, 2016 LINCOLN, Neb. -- Phyllis Lee Haag, 81, of Lincoln, died Wednesday, May 25, 2016. She was born Dec. 15, 1934, in O'Neil, Neb., to Edward and Martha Engelhaupt. She graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center with a nursing degree. On Oct. 25, 1958, in Omaha, Neb., she married Dr. Robert L. Haag, a graduate of Lebanon (Neb.) High School. They made their home in Lincoln, where they raised their family...

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...

Ursula Martha Sommer TRENTON, Neb. -- Ursula Martha Sommer, 74, of Dickens, Neb., died Thursday (May 26, 2016), at El Dorado Manor in Trenton. A private family viewing is Saturday, May 28, 2016, at Herrmann Jones Funeral Chapel in McCook. Services are pending with Herrmann Jones Funeral Chapel...

50th anniversary The family of Chuck and Barb Tines of Bartley, Neb., is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary Saturday, June 4. They were married in Indianola, Neb., in 1966. Their family includes children, Regina and Saeed Siddiqui of Castle Rock, Colo.; Rechelle and Brian Bertrand of Funk, Neb. ...

50th anniversary The family of George and Ronda Wurm of McCook is hosting an open house and card shower in honor of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary on Thursday, June 2. They were married in 1966 in McCook. The open house is Sunday, June 5, from 2-4 p.m. at Peace Lutheran Church, 411 E. Sixth in McCook. No gifts, please. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 908 E. Sixth, McCook, NE 69001...

57th anniversary The family of Don and Kathy Schaaf of McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 57th wedding anniversary on Monday, May 30. They were married in 1959 in Chicago, Ill. Their family includes children, Lorri Sughroue of McCook and Lisa (John) Lee of Fort Collins, Colo. and six grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 1010 E. Second, McCook, NE 69001...

Jentry Dallyn Brooks Jeff and Brooke Brooks of Indianola, Neb. announce the birth of their son, Jentry Dallyn Brooks, born April 13, 2016, in McCook, Neb. He weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces and measured 19.5 inches long. He has two sisters, Atleigh and Ansyn and one brother, Judd. ...

Well it's settled! I have determined that I should move to Antarctica. This is not an easy decision considering how much I detest being cold but an extra coat could help. Why Antarctica? It is the only continent that does not have thistle weeds and after four days of trying to eradicate thistles from our pastures, I'm up for a change...

President Obama's visit to Hiroshima today was no simple undertaking. Critics call the visit itself an apology for the atomic bombing 71 years ago, but the president took special pains avoid appearing to apologize for an act that ended the war Japan started with a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor...

Like a number of circus fans and people who enjoy seeing elephants perform or visit zoos that have them, I am sad. Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus is phasing them out after 200 years. For me it is like saying farewell to some old friends...

America had statistically high crime rates for a thirty year period from the 1960s into the 1990s. During that time, the emphasis was on what was called the due process model, a liberal perspective, rather than the crime control model which was a conservative perspective. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- McCook Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Kirk Dixon met with an impressive number of area residents over the last few weeks, and he's enjoying every minute of it. "We have such quality people here in southwest Nebraska. I get more excited with each meeting I attend and with each resident I visit with. It's impressive how committed and excellent our people are," said Dixon earlier this week...

McCook, Neb. -- Community Hospital directors heard strategic updates on Decatur Health Systems and the hospital's Balanced Scorecard, as well as approving policies during their regular May meeting. Jim Ulrich, Community Hospital President and CEO told the board that Kris Mathews will begin his job as Chief Operating Officer of Decatur Health Systems at Oberlin, Kansas around Memorial Day...

McCOOK, Neb. -- United in their desire to see their community grow, more than 60 McCook citizens spread across the floor of the Graff Event Center Thursday night to launch a landmark program called "Marketing Hometown America." The purpose -- through a series of study group discussions in the next six weeks -- will be to find the best ways to attract new residents to McCook...

CONNIE JO DISCOE Regional Editor McCOOK, Neb. -- Law enforcement officers and weather spotters witnessed "lots of severe rotation" but no actual tornadoes in a storm system that swept across Red Willow County in the early evening hours Thursday. Red Willow County Sheriff and Emergency Manager Alan Kotschwar said this morning that his officers and spotters watched funnels that reached toward the ground, dissipated, formed again and dissipated again. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Contractors and engineers involved in building a new aircraft hangar at the McCook airport will coordinate a pre-construction meeting with the city next week. McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport officials anticipate the 6-hangar project will be completed this year and help reduce a waiting list of approximately 10 aircraft owners interested in space at the airport...

Retaining walls and cement work for a new walkway between downtown McCook and a city parking lot on East First Street begin to take shape earlier this week. BSB Construction representatives hope to have the project completed within the next couple weeks...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A severe storm which threatened golfball size hail, extreme wind and prime tornado conditions Thursday evening ended up causing very little damage within McCook city limits, according to city officials. City workers cleaned up a pair of mature hackberry trees late Thursday evening but received no other reports of damage within city limits...

OXFORD, Neb. -- Traveling two times faster than the posted speed limit landeds a Furnas County man in jail for Driving While Intoxicated. 
Just after 9 p.m., Thursday, May 26, a trooper made a traffic stop of a black 1980 Corvette for speeding 120 mph in a 60 mph zone on Highway 136 just west of Oxford in Furnas County.
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McCOOK, Neb. -- Prairie Land Food orders for June food packages are due by Tuesday, June 14, 2016. The pick-up date in McCook is Friday, June 24, from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m., at the Family Resource Center at 1010 E. Sixth, McCook. Prairie Land Food is a food buying group that provides quality foods at prices up to 50 percent off retail prices. The program is open to everyone...