Stories from Friday, March 9, 2018

McCOOK, Neb. -- McCook Senior High’s Kyleana Blau will pole vault for Concordia University...

Julie Diane Kasl March 3, 1964 – March 6, 2018 OMAHA, Neb. — Julie Diane Kasl is the daughter of Alyn and Frances Kasl, formerly of McCook, Neb. She lived life with the intent to enjoy, always with kindness in her heart, making friends wherever she went. In addition to her career as an architect in Omaha, she loved to spend time with her nieces and have a glass of wine with friends...

90th birthday Don Abbey, long-time resident of McCook, Neb., is celebrating his 90th birthday on Thursday, March 15, 2018.  Don was born in Hawarden, Iowa, on March 15, 1928.   Cards of congratulations will reach him at 805 Missouri Ave., McCook NE 69001...

95th birthday The family of Donna Hinton Swanson of North Platte, Neb., is requesting a card shower in honor of her 95th birthday on Monday, March 12, 2018. Donna Pearl Johnson was born to George and Clara (McMichael) Johnson near the Medicine Creek north of Stockville, Frontier County Neb., in 1923. ...

STERLING, Colo. -- The McCook Community College Lady Indian softball team split a doubleheader Wednesday at Northeastern Junior College. NJC won 5-3 in the first game and MCC came back to win 14-11 in the second game. The Lady Indians are 9-7 on the season and have a pair of doubleheaders at home this weekend against Trinidad State...

A “makeup night” of bowling was just completed after an ice storm postponed play earlier this season at TJ’s Family Fun Center. The current standings and top scores: Men’s Major TJ’s Family Fun 219,5-108.5 Maris General Const. 215-115 Five Loners 195.5-134.5...

LINCOLN, Neb. — Gazette high school hoops guru Gabe Gauthier went 18-6 with all six champions surviving Thursday’s wild first round at the boys’ state basketball tournament. Gauthier breezed through 12-0 through the C-2, D-1 and D-2 brackets where colleague/couch potato R.B. Headley stumbled about covering those area teams all season...

HASTINGS, Neb. — Few players made an impact on area football last fall like three selected for this year’s 8-Man All-Star Game at Hastings College on June 16. Seniors Landon Lenz from Medicine Valley, Jacob Pruitt of Arapahoe and Cambridge’s Wyatt Fiene have all been picked to compete on the West All-Star team in this 6 p.m. contest...

McCOOK, Neb. — If the new principal at Central Elementary looks familiar, it’s because he is. The McCook Board of Education will be asked to approve a contract for Joel Bednar, former McCook School district technology director, as the principal at Central, at its regular meeting Monday, 6:30 p.m. at the junior high conference room. Kate Repass, current Central principal, is retiring at the end of the school year...

McCOOK, Neb. — Three McCook businesses are currently using the facade grant program offered by the McCook Economic Development Corp. The MEDC garners roughly $498,000 per year, depending on city sales tax revenue, from fifty percent of the half-cent city sales tax. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Children can’t legally be bought or sold, but 1 in 6 of the 18,500 children reported missing in 2016 were likely victims of sex trafficking. On a national basis, 1 in 3 runaways will be approached by traffickers within 72 hours, she said. However, in Nebraska, that time frame drops to 12 hours because runaways often don’t have a safe place to go, especially when it’s cold or hot outside...

McCOOK, Neb. — Passenger counts for Boutique Air at McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport continue to climb. Boutique Air became the commercial airline service at the airport in June 2016, offering flights to Denver, Colo. Passengers for January and February this year totaled 377, compared to 297 this time last year...

McCOOK, Neb. — Two new McCook police officers have joined the force in McCook and one was commended by the police chief. Jake Metcalf and Kyle Hansen were introduced by McCook Police Chief to the McCook City Council Monday night. Metcalf, a McCook High School graduate, recently moved back to the area and was formerly a Red Willow County deputy. Hansen is originally of Imperial, Neb., Brown said...

Humans have tried all types of means of selecting mates, from marriages arranged for social or political reasons, to romantic fantasies cultivated by Hollywood to internet couplings created by computerized compatibility algorithms. With the growth of DNA analysis for genealogical, medical and legal investigation, it was probably only a matter of time before someone attempted to combine it with matchmaking...

During the last six years, nearly 90,000 Nebraskans have fallen into the health insurance coverage gap, as the legislature stood by and failed to extend Medicaid coverage to these seniors, parents, and hard-working residents. Now, Nebraskans will have the opportunity to decide the future of this expanded coverage for their neighbors, as a statewide petition drive is underway...

Now that federal tax reform has taken place, the news has been focused on state efforts to address the impact federal tax law changes will have on their state taxes and budgets. Many may not realize that these changes are necessary because states often tie parts of their tax code to federal tax laws...

COLUMBUS, Neb. — The Nebraska Public Power District Board of Directors approved, by a vote of 8 to 2, to finalize the utility’s 2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and submit it to the Western Area Power Association (WAPA). The Energy Policy Act of 1992 requires all WAPA customers to submit an IRP every five years...

Regarding LB42, child restraint requirements desperately need to be updated in Nebraska. Crash injuries are among the leading causes of death for young Americans, and a top cause for hospitalization. Since the passage of Nebraska’s current law, new data and analyses have become available. In response, the “best practices” for protecting children have been updated and are no longer reflected in the statute...

McCOOK, Neb. — In anticipation of the 100th anniversary next school year, St. Patrick Elementary School has launched a new celebration with the hopes of the school continuing and thriving for another 100 years. The first St. Patrick G.I.F.T. Gala will be Saturday, March 17 in the St. Patrick School gym. Proceeds from the Giving Investments For Tomorrow Gala will benefit St. Patrick school, including increasing teacher salaries...