Stories from Friday, March 15, 2019

MCCOOK, Neb. — A final reminder that tickets for the Nebraska vs. Colorado State spring volleyball match will go on sale Saturday. They will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the McCook Community College Graff Events Center, 401 E. M St...

Phyllis J. (Robb) Toman Aug. 16, 1937 - March 12, 2019 INDIANOLA, Neb. Neb. — Phyllis J. (Robb) Toman of Indianola died Tuesday (March 12, 2019), at Scottsbluff Care and Rehab in Scottsbluff, Neb., after a short battle with lung cancer. Survivors include her husband, Jerry; daughters, Marlene Crosier of Mitchell Neb., and Michelle (Randy) Roethemeyer; sons, Kenneth (Suihua) Binegar of North Platte, Neb., and Bernie (Kim) Toman of Beulah, Colo.; brother, Richard (Marty) Robb of Alliance, Neb.; and many other family members.. ...

Berneice “Ann” (Ellis) Musil Aug. 6, 1945 - March 8, 2019 NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Berneice “Ann” (Ellis) Musil, 73, of North Platte, passed away March 8, 2019, at Bryan Medical Center West in Lincoln, Neb. She was born Aug. 6, 1945, to Wesley and Louise (McDowell) Ellis at Stratton, Neb. She graduated from McCook High School and later went on to McCook Beauty Academy, becoming a beautician and instructor...

80th birthday The family of Otis Ruppert of rural McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of his 80th birthday on Monday, March 25, 2019. He was born in 1939 on the Ruppert homestead north of McCook. His family includes his late wife, Bonnie; children, Kimberly and husband, Brent Olofson of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Julie and husband, Ted Golden of North Platte, Neb.; 5 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach him at 73603 Road 381, McCook, NE 69001...

Richard Lee Lambert McCOOK, Neb. — Richard Lee Lambert, 77, died Thursday (March 14, 2019) at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. Services are pending with Herrmann-Jones Funeral Chapel in McCook.

MCCOOK, Neb. — McCook Community College baseball team is moving its scheduled three-game series in Beatrice against Southeast Community College this weekend to Enid, Okla. That series will start with a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m., then a single nine-inning game Sunday at 1 p.m...

They’re the baddest team still standing! Without a doubt, no team still playing conference tournaments this week started in worse than our Big Ten No. 13 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Yet a surprisingly high power rating has some believing Big Red could earn an NCAA Tournament at-large bid with one or two more wins...

McCOOK, Neb. — Three McCook Community College women’s basketball players have received post-season Region IX honors. Sophomore guard Hailey Tiles and freshman Makenna Bodette were both named to the Region IX south All-Region Team. Bodette was named to the all-Region IX tournament team. And Sophomore Makayla Jones was named to the Region IX South all-defensive team...

McCOOK, Neb. — A bill that would bump up the minimum wage rate for people who work for tips generated plenty of debate this week in the Nebraska Legislature. Currently, the wage for those compensated for gratuities is $2.13 per hour. LB 400 would increase the wage to 40 percent of the minimum wage rate in effect on Jan. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council will be asked to approve a new seasonal employment category, at the regular McCook City Council meeting Monday, 6:30 p.m., at city council chambers at the Municipal Building. Seasonal employees who have returned year after year to work for the city in the summer is the impetus behind the new Seasonal II employment category. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Southwest Nebraska Community Theatre Association has done it again. “Mamma Mia” is a definite winner! I attended an early dress rehearsal and a second performance on Thursday evening and came away singing, dancing, and laughing at this amazingly fun show. ...

The Cozad Elks Lodge recently purchased $615 worth of food items from Schmick’s Market and delivered them to the McCook Food Pantry. The funds were the result of a grant received by the Cozad Lodge through member contributions to the Elks National Foundation. Elks officers delivered the contribution to McCook, from left, Jake Laird, Ethan Lambert, Derek Wolfe, and Dick Krushenisky...

This is always a strange week, at least for the Hendricks family. My youngest son Will and his wife Erica celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary on March 13, which is also the birthday of my oldest son Brandon, who died in San Diego while serving in the Navy eighteen years ago. Will decided to get married on Brandon’s birthday as an honor and remembrance of him but it also brings back those tragic memories to everyone in the family...

Considering all the thousands of airliners in the air at any one time, a couple of crashes shouldn’t be that big of a thing. That’s small consolation if you’re about to get on one of the planes in question or know someone who died in a crash. In a private conversation, a commercial pilot once decried the amount of automation in a modern cockpit, citing an instance where a crew had to pull a circuit breaker to regain control of an aircraft...

In order not to hear or read about the problems of building a wall along the border between the U.S. Mexico, we would have to live on another planet. El Paso, Texas, is located on the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Residents there watch President Donald Trump, wondering what will happen when the wall is finally completed. (This was a disputed territory -- 99 years ago.)...

MCCOOK, Neb. — The City of McCook will begin crack sealing various streets in the community on Tuesday, March 19, weather permitting. It should take two to three days to complete, weather permitting. The contractor will be Stripe and Seal out of Hays Kan. The city asks that citizens remove any vehicles, including trailers, that are parked on the following streets beginning Tuesday morning:...

OMAHA, Neb. — Friends of an Omaha mother of five who died after giving birth to the fifth have started a GoFundMe account for her family and her husband, a former McCook resident. Jessica Beck, a native of Ceresco, and her husband, Tyler Beck, formerly of McCook, were expecting their fifth child when Jessica was hospitalized with pneumonia, and, in the hospital, went into cardiac arrest. ...