Stories from Monday, December 5, 2016

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. Activity log These items are taken from reports filed by the McCook Police Department. The locations refer to block numbers, not specific addresses. If you have information about any of these reports, call the police department at (308) 345-3450...

Marjorie "Elaine" Hartman March 23, 1923 - Dec. 2, 2016 McCOOK, Neb. -- Marjorie "Elaine" Hartman, age 93, of McCook, passed away Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, at Community Hospital in McCook. Elaine was born March 23, 1923, to parents, Louie E and Gladys Mae (Bailey) Sonday. She was one of six children growing up in Brewster, Kan. The family later moved to Lebanon, Neb., where Elaine graduated from Lebanon High School with the Class of 1940...

David E. John Sept. 14, 1939 - Dec. 2, 2016 TOLEDO, Ohio -- David E. John, 77, of Toledo, passed away Dec. 2, 2016, at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. A memorial visitation will be Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, from 4-7 p.m. at Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home in Tama, Iowa. There will be no public funeral service...

Shirley Ann Bishop Sept. 27, 1941 - Dec. 3, 2016 CULBERTSON, Neb. -- Shirley Ann Bishop of Culbertson went to Heaven to be with her Savior and Lord Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. She was 75 years old. Shirley was born in McCook on Sept. 27, 1941, to Dorsey Freeman Archie Wilson and Lula Mable (Gray) Wilson. The family lived in Hayes County, Neb., where Shirley graduated from Hayes Center High School with the Class of 1958...

HASTINGS, Neb. -- The McCook high school swimming and diving season started Saturday with an invitational at the Hastings YMCA...

COZAD, Neb. -- Three runner-up finishes and a gold medal highlighted McCook's fifth-place finish at Saturday's Cozad Invitational...

ELWOOD, Neb. -- Konner Banzhaf's individual title at 152 lbs. helped Cambridge win Friday's Elwood Invitational with 118 team points...

McCOOK, Neb. -- No way could 13 be an unlucky number for Chase County considering that many Longhorn girls hit shots against McCook Friday night...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Longhorns had to be kicking themselves once the steam started rising from McCook's best shooters Friday night...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook Community College men won two home games last weekend..

HAIGLER, Neb. -- The third annual Haigler Winter Holiday Festival is set for Saturday, Dec. 17. Festivities begin at 3 p.m. at the Cornerstone Center and will conclude by 5 p.m. Admission is free and the historic gymnasium will be decorated in a winter wonderland theme. Santa will be waiting to have pictures taken with him, and lots of new and fun activities will be added this year...

Before seeing Santa and his reindeer up the street, Brooklynn Felzien, 4, grabs a brownie and her sister, Trinity, 7, gets something hot to drink, at New Life Christian Bookstore. The bookstore was one of about a dozen McCook Area Chamber of Commerce businesses who participated in the "Tasting on the Bricks" Saturday, offering shoppers tasty treats for their holiday shopping...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A growing business is a good thing to have, but it presents challenges -- and offers opportunities -- when it doesn't fit inside the building. Scott and Shona Carlin, owners of Willow Creek Meats south of McCook, are pleased that business is good, that the customer base for their custom-cut meat processing is growing in number and in area...

Josh Crocker's courage to brave cold temperatures dressed in nothing more than swim trunks and a barbecue apron may have impressed the judges of McCook's annual "Christmas Lights" parade on a cold Saturday evening. VK Electronics' float, with its barbecue grills, won first place, followed by First Central Bank in second place and Macfee's Paw Spa in third. The winners won advertising packages from High Plains Radio, which co-sponsors the parade with the Chamber of Commerce...

Three-year-old Gage Lytle of McCook shows Santa Claus the advertisement from which he can shop for Gage's Christmas presents. Gage and his little brother, 6 1/2-month-old Easton, and other good little boys and girls visited with Santa at the McCook airport after McCook pilot Griff Malleck fetched him from the North Pole Saturday morning. Gage and Easton are the sons of Jody and Brian Lytle of McCook...

Everyone has certain moments of days in their life that stand out. Beside those personal days, there are days that were important to the nation, even the world. Many people point out that for them it was the moment they heard that President Kennedy had been shot. For me, it was the afternoon of 7/7/41, 75 years -- three quarters of a century ago. Wow! Amazing!...

Ronald Dean Banzhaf Feb. 26, 1940 - Dec. 3, 2016 CAMBRIDGE, Neb. -- Ronald Dean Banzhaf, 76, of Cambridge passed away on Dec. 3, 2016, at the Cambridge Manor. He was born on Feb. 26, 1940, on the farm of his parents, Walter F. and Margaret E. (Allen) Banzhaf, in rural Frontier County near Orafino. He graduated from Cambridge High School in 1958. He volunteered for the draft in May 1959 and was inducted into the U.S. Army. He was honorably discharged in February 1965...

RAVENNA, Neb. -- Facing their first large tournament field of 17 teams, Southwest and Southern Valley both earned top four spots at last weekend's Ravenna Invitational...

Richard "Dick" Francis Powell April 7, 1920 - Dec. 3, 2016 McCOOK, Neb. -- Richard "Dick" Francis Powell, age 96, of McCook, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. Dick was born April 7, 1920, in Indianola, Neb., to parents, Francis F. and Dorothy (Collins) Powell. Dick was one of four children growing up in Indianola, where he graduated from Indianola High School with the Class of 1937. Dick furthered his education at McCook Community College, McCook...