Stories from Thursday, July 10, 2008

April 9, 1948 - July 8, 2008 NORTON, Kan. -- Jane E. Urban, 60, died Tuesday (June 8, 2008) at Norton County Hospital in Norton, Kan. She was born April 9, 1948, to Harry and Eunice (Moore) Petracek. She attended Jennings Public Schools, Fort Hays State and Colby Community College...

What is DTV? What is a DTV converter box? Who's affected? A representative from NET Television will be coming to out area to discuss the transition from analog to digital television for viewers in our NET transmitter area. All television stations are required by federal law to stop broadcasting in analog as of Feb. ...

Lincoln -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that a Federal judge granted a Temporary Restraining Order regarding the Critical Feed Use initiative. On May 27, 2008, a directive was issued providing that certain acreage enrolled in CRP would be available for hay and forage after the ending of the primary nesting season. Beginning June 2, 2008, CRP participants could request to voluntarily modify CRP contracts for critical feed use, such as haying and grazing...

Southwest Nebraska residents interested in historic preservation and downtown revitalization will meet in McCook, Thursday, July 24, to learn about Heritage Nebraska. The 7 p.m. meeting at the Fox Theater in downtown McCook is being sponsored by the Mountains/Plains Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Nebraska Main Street Program. The meeting is free and open to the public...

The McCook First Central Bank Juniors lost to North Platte 11-3 Wednesday night at North Platte. The Juniors dropped to 4-17-1. McCook hosts Wauneta at 7 p.m. tonight at Jaycees Sports Complex to wrap up the regular season. Alumni Game -- The McCook National Bank Seniors American Legion baseball team took on former players in the annual Alumni Game Wednesday night at Jaycees Sports Complex...

Two area men were arraigned in Red Willow County District court Monday, in connection with the April break-in and vandalism of schools in Indianola, Bartley and Culbertson. Brandon S. Holdcroft, 30, of Indianola, pleaded not guilty to two counts of burglary, Class III felonies, stemming from the April 22 or 23 burglary of Southwest High School in rural Indianola and Southwest Middle School in Bartley...

A man who allegedly tried to collect insurance money by reporting a false burglary was sentenced Monday in District Court in Red Willow County. Mark S. Lorimer, 42, of 1607 W. Third, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement to fraudulent insurance act, a Class IV felony. He was originally arraigned with the same charge but as a Class III felony, a more severe charge...

There are no rate increases planned next year for water or sewer, but fees for garbage collection will raise by $1.50 per month, if approved by the McCook City Council. The added revenue will help meet transportation and fuel costs the city pays in transporting the solid waste to the landfill in Ogallala, said City Manager Kurt Fritsch at the Monday night budget talks...

With the high cost of gas, more riders are taking advantage of the McCook Public Transit bus. In fact, "We have to turn people away at some times because it's not possible to take them all, " especially between the times of 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.," said Sue Chipman, Senior Services director...

Employees working the night shift at Parker Hannifin won't have to worry about slipping on an icy parking lot next winter. The McCook City Council approved Monday night at its regular meeting a special exception sought by Parker Hannifin, the rubber hose manufacturing plant on South Street. The special exception was needed for Parker to construct a new employee parking lot across the street from the plant...

Let's see now ... where were we? Oh yes, just leaving Cygnus and Lyra heading south into Sagittarius and Scorpius. I was hesitant last week to include the North American Nebula in the list of things to look for; it is faint and hard to find. But, thanks to a clear night between the regular train of thunderstorms rolling through the area last week, I was able to get out under a moderately light polluted sky and I found it...

Those of us who have been around the newsroom a few years sometimes have to marvel. At one time, we purchased about 100 feet of bulk, black-and-white 35 mm film every four days. Today, the last rolls of color film we purchased are stashed away in a closet, having reached its expiration date four years ago, and the only film cameras in the building are part of an impromptu museum display...

A McCook man pleaded not guilty to six counts of sexual assault of a minor. Richard E. Hoffman, 66, of 412 W. Fourth, was arraigned in District Court Monday and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A motions hearing is set for July 28 at 11 a.m. Hoffman is charged with two counts of sexual assault of a minor less than 16 years old, a Class II felony; two counts of sexual assault of a child less than 14 years old, a Class IV felony and two counts of sexual assault of a child less than 14 years old, a Class IIIA felony.. ...