Stories from Thursday, August 31, 2017

McCOOK, Neb. — One McCook Bison takes a break and several more step in to make life difficult for any visiting team entering Weiland Field. Gering Bulldogs will face this dilemma at Weiland Field on Friday around 7 p.m. “This is what kids here dream about,” McCook coach Jeff Gross said about the home opener. “There’s nothing like Friday nights at Weiland Field.”...

Explosions in a chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, are an example of unexpected complications that can arise during a natural disaster such as the flooding resulting from Hurricane Harvey. It’s not that operators of the Arkema Inc. plant weren’t prepared. They knew that without refrigeration, the organic peroxides they manufactured would quickly become explosive, which they did early this morning...

When the Nebraska State Fair moved to Grand Island in 2010, I complained when Veterans Day at the fair (unknown date) was free admission until 4 p.m. Wow! What a benefit to the veterans that was! A friend made several phone calls to the Fair Board with answers only on voice mail. Finally, she found a board member who listened and made the comment, “We don’t want to offend anyone; veterans would get in free on one designated day for Free, All Day!”...

A preview of the Gazette area's Week 2 football games...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council will look at scaling back or eliminating city employee merit increases in the coming weeks as part of an effort to avoid a property tax levy increase. In recent years, city employees have typically received annual cost-of-living, merit and longevity wage increases that combine to equal more than double the current rate of inflation, in addition to maintaining a very affordable health insurance plan. ...

Cory Degnan, has no problem admitting school was hard for him growing up. ‘I was one of those kids who struggled,” Cory recalled, growing up in Buffalo Gap, S. D., and teaching seventh grade science at McCook Junior High. For years, Cory said he wrestled with words, letters and numbers jumping back forth in front of his eyes, the result of the language-based disability, dyslexia...

Latest standings from the Heritage Men’s Golf League after play on Wednesday. Last week was incorrect due to a Gazette mistake. These are current: A League Samway/Barnett’s 182 Loop/Coppermill 164.5...

LINCOLN - Lyle A O’Hare, aged 100 years, two months and five days, passed away in his Lincoln, Neb. home, August 23, 2017. He was born to Frank and Lucy (Brown) O’Hare June 18, 1917, in Danbury, Neb. He married Elaine Barth October 4, 1947. He worked in ship yards, building dams, cut hay with horses in Idaho, logged in Calif., excelled as a master carpenter, owned his own construction company, rode the rails scouring the country for work during the Depression, owned and piloted an airplane, served in the United States Army 1942-1945, helped his wife raise three boys and wrote poetry.. ...

William E. McKenna Aug. 29, 1960 - Aug. 29, 2017 MCCOOK - William E. McKenna, age 57, of McCook, Neb., passed away at his home on Aug. 29, 2017. He was born in Colby, Kan. on Aug. 29, 1960, to Louis and Gloria (Vaughn) McKenna. The family moved to McCook and Bill attended McCook Schools graduating in 1979. Bill furthered his education, going to McCook Community College and later Bellevue College receiving his Master’s Degree in Business Administration...

Jeremy Lee Dutton Feb. 4, 1982 - Aug. 24, 2017 BRIGHTON, Colo. - Jeremy Lee Dutton, age 35, of Brighton, Colo. died on Thursday (Aug. 24, 2017). He was born on Feb. 4, 1982 in Denver, Colo. to Lyle L. and Lorraine B. (Jahner) Dutton. Jeremy is survived by his parents Lyle and Lorraine Dutton and his three brothers, Brent (Ladene) Jahner of Sterling, Mass., Lonnie (Natalie) Dutton of Cozad, Neb., and Steel Gaven (Jennifer) Dutton of Saint Johns, Fla...

Onita Rebecca (Newman) Porter was born March 14, 1939, in Lincoln, Neb. to John Henry and Bessie Jean (Chitty) Newman. She left her earthly home on Aug. 28, 2017, at her home in Wauneta, Neb.; with her family at her side to join her husband Leo and her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...