Stories from Monday, May 8, 2017

Mary Anne Eklund Jan. 4, 1930 - May 5, 2017 McCOOK, Neb. — Mary Anne Eklund, age 87, of McCook, passed away at Hillcrest Nursing Home on Friday, May 5, 2017. Mary was born in Kansas City, Mo., was orphaned at an early age and at around the age six or seven, she and her sister were adopted by Sylvia Dorweiler. ...

Alice Marilyn (Townley) Darling July 14, 1923 - May 4, 2017 NORTH PLATTE,Neb. — Alice Marilyn (Townley) Darling, 93, passed away on May 4, 2017, at Linden Court in North Platte, Neb. She was born July 14, 1923, in Boulder, Colo., to Richard and Lela Belle Townley. ...

Bernard Wickizer March 16, 1934 - May 5, 2017 CAMBRIDGE, NEB. — Bernard Wickizer, age 83, of Cambridge, passed away at the Cambridge Manor on Friday, May 5, 2017. He was born in Max, Neb., on March 16, 1934, to Clarence and Ruth (Clements) Wickizer. Bernard attended school in Max...

Lewis Junior Parks Feb. 1, 1934 - May 6, 2017 McCOOK, Neb. — Lewis Junior Parks was born Feb. 1, 1934 in Norton, Kan., and passed away May 6, 2017, at the age of 83. Lewis was the fourth child born to Rex Senior Lewis Parks and Caroline Zelda (Moss) Parks. The family moved from Norton to Cambridge, Neb., when Lewis was a young boy and he attended Cambridge Schools...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners took no action following a closed session with the Hillcrest Nursing Home administrator during their weekly meeting Monday morning. Colinda Nappa, administrator of the county-owned nursing home, commissioners Earl McNutt and Steve Downer and county attorney Paul Wood discussed personnel issues during the 25-minute-long session that was closed to the public...

IMPERIAL, Neb. — The Chase County Community Hospital board of directors is investigating the possibility of building a new hospital in Imperial. The Imperial Republican newspaper reports that a $54,000 strategic master plan completed by the Erdman Co. of Westminster, Colo., reveals that a new facility is estimated to cost $22 million and that remodeling and expanding the existing facility would cost $2.37 million more than building a new facility...

Red Willow Western Rural Fire Department fire chief Bill Elliott, left, and his grandson, Nicholas Cole, watch a controlled burn of the old Macfee house south of McCook along Highway 83 Saturday morning. Elliott used the burn to teach his firefighters about interior fire suppression and how to protect adjacent properties while attacking flames from the outside...

BENKELMAN, Neb. — Team scores and all Gazette-area top six placers at the Dundy County-Stratton Twilight Invite on Friday. District meets are this week: Boys Teams: 1. Chase County 197.5, 2. Perkins County 132.5, 3. Dundy County-Stratton 125, 4. Wauneta-Palisade 57, 5. Rawlins County (Kan.) 49, 6. Wallace 34, 7. Maywood-Hayes Center 24, 8. Decatur Community (Kan.) 21, 9. Cheylin (Kan.) 10, 10. South Platte 8...

Community leaders have been justifiably concerned about the loss of a couple of major retailers in McCook, but this week draws attention to one of the sectors of the economy where Southwest Nebraska has a real advantage. Gov. Pete Ricketts has proclaimed May 7-13 Nebraska Travel and Tourism Week, and the celebration will include a visit to McCook by John Ricks, Nebraska Tourism Commission executive director...

BENKELMAN, Neb. — All team scores and top placers from Friday’s DC-S Twilight Invite: Girls Team scores: 1. Chase County 259, 2. Dundy County-Stratton 105, 3. Rawlins County (Kan.) 87, 4. Wallace 61, 5. Wauneta-Palisade 44, 6. Maywood-Hayes Center 39, 7. Decatur Community (Kan.) 25.5, 8. Perkins County 14, 8. Cheylin (Kan. 14), 10. South Platte 11...

NORFOLK, Neb. — McCook junior Kade Gray fired a terrific round of 79 to place eighth at Saturday’s GNAC golf tournament. Gray was great with consistency, carding 40 and 39 on each nine holes. He was only a couple of strokes from finishing in the league’s top four...

One summer, I visited Yellowstone Park with my parents, in 1938. I was 6 years old. We say Old Faithful shoot out steam and hot water over 180 feet into the air. The deep blue of the morning pool was beautiful. Geysers are formed when water that is underground meets superheated rocks and blasts back up through a narrow opening. Scientists believe that these steam-filled eruptions descend 1,800 miles, all the way to the earth’s core...

McCOOK, Neb. – The O’Brien Electric Royals defeated The McCook Masonic Bodies Phillies 4-1 on Friday after taking the lead late in the game. The game was tied at zero with O’Brien Electric batting in the bottom of the fourth when a runner stole home to give the Royals the lead...

NORFOLK, Neb. — Where will else will you find three 35-0 tennis players in the same lineup on Thursday? That’s a good question for another day. Saturday was all about the McCook Bison as three undefeated not only stayed unbeaten — They took home GNAC championships after beating several Class A foes...