Stories from Friday, May 11, 2018

OGALALLA, Neb. — Landon Towne was literally a Bison “red bull” who could barely stand still at Thursday’s B-6 district meet. Who could blame him? The McCook sophomore was ready to charge into Omaha Burke’s Stadium with fellow state-qualifying pole vaulters Tyler Lytle and Joel Carter...

OGALLALA, Neb. — The late weather delay only unleashed a lightning-like fantastic finish for McCook’s track and field girls Thursday. Before ominous skies halted this B-6 district meet, the Bison only featured three certain state qualifiers in discus champion Mackenzie Smith, junior throwing mate Jaycee Hanson and sophomore long jumper Robin Grigg...

Forbes, Warner Nicole Forbes of Beaver City, Neb., and Logan Warner of Arapahoe, Neb., announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the bride-to-be are Steve and Lorenda Forbes of Beaver City. Grandparents are Lester and Marilyn Betts and Midge Forbes, all of McCook, Neb...

90th birthday The family of Mary Ann Stritt of McCook is hosting an reception in honor of her 90th birthday. She was born in McCook on May 11. Friends and family are invited to the reception on Saturday, May 19, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Dale Stritt’s house, 117 North 7th in Indianola, Neb., across from the city park. ...

If Densel O’dea’s hard work comes to fruition, there will be a new Historical Marker in Red Willow County located at the site of the town of Red Willow. I had always thought that the town lay around the school house located on the highway between Indianola and McCook, that is, I always believed that until Densel approached me with the information about the actual site south the old school near the railroad tracks...

Violet Virginia (Trembly) Smith/Relph May 1, 1930 – May 8, 2018 HAIGLER, Neb. — Violet Virginia Trembly was born on a Kansas farm southwest of Haigler in Cheyenne County, Kan., on May 1, 1930 to Floyd Benjamin and Mattie Estella (Douglass) Trembly. She passed away on May 8, 2018, in Haigler...

Gerold Kolsky CLAY CENTER, Kan. — Gerold Kolsky, 94, formerly of Oberlin, Kan., died Thursday (May 10, 2018), at the Presbyterian Manor in Clay Center. Services are pending with Pauls Funeral Home in Oberlin.

Today’s sports coverage was dominated with district track and field, but other area sports action Thursday will be featured in Monday’s Gazette. The McCook High tennis team won a re-scheduled Scottsbluff Invitational to finish their awesome regular season...

OGALLALA, Neb. — All champions, team scores and top McCook Bison placers during Thursday’s B-6 district track-field meet. Personal records are tagged with a (PR). Teams: 1. McCook 132, 2. (tie) Scottsbluff and Sidney 101, 4. Gering 62, 5. Ogallala 35, 6. Gothenburg 34, 7. Alliance 31, 8. Gordon-Rushville 22, 9. Chadron 5, 10. Cozad 4...

McCOOK, Neb. — All of the lots in the first phase of the Clary residential subdivision are now sold and completed. With the recent completion of two lots at the Clary subdivision, an agreement between private developer North Pointe Properties LLC and the City of McCook will be amended to allow for the developer to capture all 15 years of TIF financing...

TRENTON, Neb. — Hitchcock County Judge Anne Paine has recused herself from presiding in the case of Fred Hamilton, of Stratton, charged with having too many dogs within Stratton. In two recuse orders dated May 8 and filed May 9, Judge Paine indicates that a conflict of interest has arisen with her presiding in Hamilton’s cases, and she orders that another county judge from within Nebraska preside. Paine did not reveal the nature of the conflict of interest...

SUTHERLAND, Neb. -- Chase County swept its way to the boys and girls team titles at Thursday's C-9 District Meet in Sutherland...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook Community College math instructor Susi Curl was named winner of the 2017-18 Dr. Gene A. Budig Outstanding Faculty Award at MCC. Budig, an MCC graduate, provides a $1,000 award each year to recognize and honor outstanding educators...

McCOOK, Neb. — Local letter carriers will participate in Saturday’s annual food drive. Postal patrons are asked to place non-perishable food items in a bag by their mailbox, where the carrier will collect it for the McCook Pantry.

BENKELMAN, Neb. — A teacher from Benkelman chosen as the 2018 Educator of the Year is following in her father’s footsteps - literally. Peggy Parker, a business education teacher at the Dundy County-Stratton High School, has taught at DCS for more than 30 years and is currently teaching in the same classroom where he father taught industrial technology. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Board of Education will be asked to accept two resignations and approve two new hirings, at its regular meeting Monday, 6:30 p.m. at the junior high conference room. Resignations come from Developmental Learning Center instructor Austin Reisig and fifth-grade writing teacher, Thomas Benedetto. Benedetto said in his resignation letter he is accepting a similar position in his hometown of Omaha, Neb. Reisig did not give a reason for his resignation...

McCOOK, Neb. — A new transformer was en route this morning after the old one failed at Walmart in McCook and shut the store down this morning. Jeff Peterson of Nebraska Public Power said about 8:30 a.m. today that the transformer failure affected only Walmart...

McCOOK, Neb. — Nigerian native Chinedu Okonkwo, selected as student speaker for McCook Community College’s commencement ceremonies today, appropriately enough, quoted his mother two days before Mother’s Day. “My mother always says to me, that son, “Ije uwa adiro ezi” (I bet your mother says that once in a while to you). ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.’...

The earliest European explorers arrived in what is now Nebraska by following the rivers, natural pathways to the mountains where they hoped to find their fortune in furs or gold. Later travelers were linked to Utah via the Mormon Trail, or Oregon via wagon train...

Joyful, clamorous voices, laughter, off-key singing and the thumping sounds of bouncing balls alert me that my favorite program has begun.  Full of action, drama, fantasy and comedy, this reality show is not filtered through the television, computer, nor my cell phone, and it is not interrupted with commercial breaks.  It is called “recess,” and it can be found on the school playground two to three times daily during the school year...

I always thought American was a kid-friendly place where wholesome values were cherished and children were nurtured and protected. I guess I was wrong. In Trump’s bizarre world, parents are put in the position of having to explain to their children what a porn star is. That’s just sick and wrong...

CAMBRIDGE, Neb. -- Southwest ran, jumped and vaulted its way to a second-place team finish at Thursday’s C-8 District Track Meet in Cambridge...

Linda and I had been married only 6 months when our first Mother’s Day rolled around. So not only was I new at knowing what to do on Mother’s Day, I was new at knowing what to do as a husband. The day passed by quietly and as we were watching television at around 11 o’clock that night, Linda politely but firmly informed me that I hadn’t wished her a happy Mother’s Day. ...