Stories from Tuesday, November 18, 2008

HUTCHINSON, Kan. -- The McCook Community College men's basketball team upset No. 20 Hutchinson Community College 70-68 on the Blue Dragons' home floor at the Hutchinson Sports Arena Saturday night. The game was the finale of the Airport Steakhouse Classic...

June 11, 1914 - Nov. 6, 2008 OBERLIN -- Lloyd Wishon, 94, died Sunday (Nov. 16, 2008) at Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. He was born June 11, 1914, in Marion to Jacob and Elsie Elaine (Nothnagle) Wishon. He grew up on a farm in northern Decatur County. He attended Sherman District No. 104...

The Norris Park playground will be off-limits in the near future. Kyle Potthoff, Public Works Director, told the McCook City Council Monday night at its regular meeting that work will be starting soon at Norris Park to remove the old equipment and flatten out the berm where the wooden climbing structure is located. Water mains underground also will be addressed, he said...

A metal building instead of a fiberglass one will house controls at the deep well injection, saving the city about $30,000. The McCook City Council approved the $30,000 change order at its regular meeting Monday night. The fiberglass building was originally chosen because of its corrosive resistance to the brine in the water. ...

The McCook Public Schools board of education plans a special board meeting Monday to discuss the possibility of rescinding its vote on Nov. 10 that appointed a replacement for board member Greg Larson, who resigned in September. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m., in the junior high conference room. It is open to the public, and members of the public will be allowed to speak before the action item...

The city of McCook has filed a complaint in Red Willow County District Court concerning the condemnation process of a house at 810 W. Fourth "to make sure we get it right," said City Manager Kurt Fritsch. As this is the first time in recent years the city has condemned a house, "We're taking this extra step so there won't be challenges down the line," Fritsch told the McCook City Council at its regular meeting Monday night. "We want to make sure all our i's are dotted and T's crossed."...

Part of the problem with today's economy is that much of the business activity doesn't involve any real products or services -- money is being shuffled around from one institution to another, with profits evaporating as easily as an electronic transfer...

Day after day, we've been hearing about the financial bailouts for big banks and automakers -- $700 billion for financial institutes and now auto makers are asking for $25 billion. This morning as I watched the morning news reporters were talking about Illinois, a state that can't pay $400 million in bills, which means the state hasn't paid its subsidized day care, police cars are sitting unused and food suppliers are threatening to stop delivery to state facilities...

He came to the 19th Air Refueling Squadron in 1964, probably the last brand new copilot out of the KC-97 pipeline. Dave was a young faced bachelor lieutenant whose full name was Gomer David Reece III. His home town was Scarsdale, N.Y., and I always wondered what his mother had against him to name him Gomer. ...

COLUMBUS -- Nebraska Public Power District issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) today for Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) for 80-megawatt wind projects that would be constructed by the end of 2010, continuing NPPD's efforts to achieve the District's goal of having 10% of its energy portfolio come from new renewable resources by the end of 2020...

Red Willow County commissioners will accept sealed bids until Dec. 1 on hair stylist fixtures that came with the beauty shop that they purchased in March. Commissioners agreed during their weekly meeting Monday that the county has no use for the six-eight salon sinks and two double mirrored work stations that were part of the hair shop commissioners bought to remodel and use as additional office space...