Stories from Thursday, March 30, 2017

Richard Alba May 3, 1949 - March 28, 2017 BENKELMAN, Neb. — Richard Alba, 67, died Tuesday (March 28, 2017), at Kearney Regional Medical Center in Kearney, Neb. Services are pending with Carpenter Breland Funeral Home of McCook.

MINDEN, Neb. — Southern Valley competed against some tough Minden and Hastings St. Cecilia athletes in a triangular Tuesday. The Eagle boys and girls both finished third overall, but still delivered some high individaul places. Senior Savana Quinn won bot hthe 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.4 and 300-hurles in 50.9...

BUFFALO, N.Y. — There were only seven Iowa Lakes Community College swimmers entering the massive National Junior College Athletic Association national meet recently. Yet with Oberlin Red Devil alum Keagan Blau swimming like a Tasmanian devil, the Lakers earned their spot as a top five national finishing team...

Latest results from league competition at TJ’s Family Fun Center in McCook: Men’s Major 16-17 Maris Gen. Con. 275.5-144.5 Stockman’s 239.5-180.5 Wagner’s Ford 225-195 Diamond Vogel 220.5-197.5 Family Issues 209-209 J&L Construction 197.5-219.5...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Gun Club will start its 2017 season on Monday, organizer Paul Teel announced today. All interested participants will be meeting at the club’s range along Airport Road. Sign-ups are set for 6 p.m. followed by the first competitions of 2017...

McCOOK, Neb. — The recent rainy chilly weather says it’s definitely time for spring sports, and Friday features several area teams competing at McCook’s Leroy Hoehner Invitational. Most of the teams have ran one outdoor meet so far this season while others haven’t ventured outside...

When you think about the YMCA, certain images instantly come to mind. Maybe it’s a swimming pool full of kids taking swim lessons; or the gym full of teenagers shooting baskets after school; or the treadmills whirring with walkers and runners getting in a few miles...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival planning committee will highlight area youth at its First Tuesday event April 4 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Bieroc Café. The Creative Writing Club from McCook High School will be featured. Members are Lexi Gross and Kyli Scott, co-presidents, and Courtney Searcey, Adrienne LaBay and Brianna Hazen...

McCOOK, Neb. — A new committee was created by the Hillcrest Board of Trustees in an effort to check more closely into financial matters. Suggested Tuesday at the regular board meeting by board member Randy Dean, the committee will delve into financial aspects of the nursing home, specifically the reason behind the hold-up of the annual audit. Mike Skolout and Mike Eklund will comprise the committee...

McCOOK, Neb. — Nebraska lawmakers are finding it difficult to balance the budget with a governor prioritizing spending cuts over revenue increases. Gov. Pete Ricketts is unwilling to look at new sources of revenues and isn’t particularly thrilled with efforts to capture internet sales tax, according to District 44 State Sen. Dan Hughes. “It’s making it hard to balance the budget,” said Hughes during this morning’s legislative conference call with the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce. Chamber member Larry Eisenmenger suggested the Governor find a way to replace McCook’s JCPenney’s outlet, which announced recently it would be closing in the coming weeks, if he was opposed to pursuing sales tax revenue from online purchases. Linda Taylor indicated today’s shopping model had changed and internet sales were hurting downtown stores, including national retailers like JCPenney. She said working families have become so busy with school activities it was difficult for them to find time to shop, bolstering the popularity of online shopping. Sen. Hughes indicated he agreed. “If you value your time at all it’s a lot easier to do it at your computer,” he said, adding there was a need to make sure sale tax was collected on those purchases. He also indicated the federal fight over online sales tax collection and uncertainty at the national level could be part of the reason Gov. Ricketts wasn’t more supportive of efforts at the state level, but added he hadn’t had those conversations with the Governor to know for sure. Sales made by online retailers or mail-order catalogs to Nebraska residents are taxed in the same manner as local retailers, however, if the seller isn’t licensed to collect Nebraska sales tax or simply fails to collect the tax the responsibility falls on the buyer to pay it directly to the Department Revenue as a use tax. Exceptions exist for sales of household goods and personal effects made on an online auction site once per calendar year for a period of three days or less, according the Department of Revenue’s website. Nebraska also has more than 100 sales tax exemptions available for review on the state website, ranging from the sale of coins and currency, to flower deliveries and including the casual sale of items made by individuals on an online auction site. The sales tax exemption chart is available at: www.revenue.nebraska.gov/question/exempt_sales_chart.html

McCOOK, Neb. — A bill up for debate in the Nebraska legislature has city employees and banks pitted against each other and jockeying for priority position to receive revenue from bankruptcy proceedings. The bill, LB 72, would make bond holders first in line to receive assets from public entities that seek U.S. ...

**Dear Editor, After the recent proposal of a GOP healthcare bill so bad for Americans that it was pulled before a vote was taken, wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone came up with a good bill that would provide insurance to all Americans, a bill that covered pretty much all essential healthcare including prescription drugs? Wait. Such a bill has already been introduced in Congress: HR676 – Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act. Who knew? This bill, introduced by Rep. John Conyers on 1/24/2017, lowers the age of Medicare so all Americans residing in the U.S. and our territories get healthcare. Better yet, the cost of healthcare in America will see a guaranteed decrease because instead of 20% of each healthcare dollar that we currently spend going to the bloodsucking insurance companies so they can decide what procedures and medicines we get, (which incidentally is the doctor’s job) this bill would funnel the money we spend into our healthcare! What a concept. It is immoral for us to maintain a for-profit medical system where many if not most Americans live in fear of some unforeseen horrible disease or accident which besides taking our health or lives, most likely leaves us with debt beyond our wildest nightmares. It’s time for a change, and this bill will provide positive life-saving change for Americans. I ask, on behalf of all Americans, that you call your representative(s) and urge passage of this bill! Respectfully, **Pat Holder Wauneta, Neb.

The announcement that McCook’s JCPenney store will close next month has put new emphasis on the loss of shopping opportunities and the need to support local businesses. Yes, it’s important to do what we can to keep our friends and neighbors in business, but it’s good for the economy in general, not just the local business climate. Our total U.S. economy depends, in large part, on small mom-and-pop ventures. The U.S. Small Business Administration defines a small business as an enterprise having fewer than 500 employees. There are almost 28 million small businesses in the U.S. and more than 22 million self-employed workers with no additional payroll or employees — mom-and-pop businesses with annual receipts of $1,000 or more and subject to federal income taxes. More than half of the working population, 120 million of us, work in small businesses, which have generated more than 65 percent of the new jobs since 1995. It’s not an easy task to start a small business; some 543,000 owners try every month but more than that shut down. Seventy percent of new firms with employees survive at least two years, half at least five, a third at least 10 years and a quarter stay in business 15 years or more. More than half of all small businesses are home-based, and there were 22.5 million nonemployer firms in 2011, up almost 2 percent from the year before, according to the SBA. About three-quarters of all U.S. businesses are nonemployer businesses, 19.4 million of those are sole proprietorships, 1.6 million are partnerships and 1.4 million are corporations. The latest figures show the fastest type of freelance business is auto repair shops, beauty salons and dry cleaners. “Nonemployer” business people aren’t getting rich; the average revenue is $44,000, but many Southwest Nebraska residents would be happy to establish that sort of enterprise. So while we mourn the loss of a landmark downtown retailer, and work to maintain and cultivate local business activity, let’s make sure we at least do as little as possible to hinder local entrepreneurs and all we can to encourage them.

CURTIS, Neb. – The mountainous beauty at Provo, Utah, inspired an agricultural trio from Nebraska in a unique test of their collegiate training. Three students from the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis ranked 16th of 57 college teams which competed in the 2017 National Landscape Collegiate Plant Installation last Friday...

CURTIS, Neb. – A Curtis teacher who carried educational influence with many students is being honored with a scholarship to the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis. George Garlick, PhD, and his wife, Carol Garlick, have established the Glenn Jurgens Memorial Scholarship to be awarded annually in the amount of $1,000, announced Ron Rosati, NCTA dean...

What does it cost to rent pasture or cropland this year? Every year I get those questions! Preliminary results from the Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey (UNL) were just released which can give guidance for current rental rates. Also, a survey of Red Willow and Hitchcock County rental rates was just completed. This article will cover both surveys and cropland and pasture rental rates...

A crane lowers a new air conditioning unit into place on Sehnert’s Bakery Monday, an activity that required the blocking of McCook’s Norris Avenue and the closing of the bakery for the day. Owner Matt Sehnert expressed his appreciation for the patience of neighboring businesses while the work was done...