News of note from around our region

You may have heard about the free lot offers being made by rural towns to encourage the construction of new homes. Well, those offers are starting to pay dividends.

This week's Hi-Line Enterprise of Curtis reports that Ted and Jenny Mashek, former residents of McCook, are placing a new home on a free lot overlooking the Arrowhead Meadows Golf Course. The scenic, hilltop lot was furnished to them at no charge by the City of Curtis.

The Mashek home, built by Mastre Homes of Grant, is the latest of several new homes encouraged by free lot offers in Curtis. Two houses have already been built in the Roll'n Hills Addition, north of Medicine Valley Elementary, and a third home will arrive soon. Michael and Carla Meyers have contracted for the new residence, which will be constructed on the free lots made available by the Curtis Telephone Co.

The free lot offers are excellent enticements for growth. They give families a place to build, and benefit the community in the long run by adding improved real estate to the tax rolls.

This morning's Omaha World-Herald announces that construction has begun on the archway learning center which is being named in honor of the late Gov. Frank B. and Maxine Morrison.

The recognition is appropriate for a couple who gave so much to this area and the state. Frank and Maxine lived in McCook during the middle of their lives, then returned to the community for their final years.

The Great Platte River Road Archway near Kearney was Frank's crowning achievement. He worked hard for its development and promoted it diligently once it was completed.

The learning center is scheduled for completion the middle of next month. It will be used to host educational programs, corporate retreats and other events.

A new service, called "teletrauma," is now available at Tri Valley Health System in Cambridge to allow instant consultation on trauma cases.

In a front page article, the Indianola News reports that the new video conferencing equipment has been installed and is ready for use whenever needed. A special camera has been set up in Tri-Valley's rural trauma room to send images to the emergency room at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.

Through that connection, and a hands-free microphone worn by the attending physician, decisions can be made concerning treatment and transport.

This is another example of the dramatic changes taking place in health care. As a result, residents of rural areas are gaining more direct access to the latest technology in the medical field.