Stories from Wednesday, April 8, 2009

This country has always prided itself on encouraging its citizens to worship God according to the dictates of our own consciences. This freedom is one of the pillars on which American strength and independence rests. The worship of God is not confined, however, to the relatively small hours we spend in church services, but should and does penetrate our daily lives and decisions...

This article by (Walt) Sehnert brought back a lot of memories for me [The Rapid City Flood, 1972" (http:// www.mcookgazette .com/story/1528158.html)]. I lived in McCook at the time, and was in high school. That summer I had volunteered with a Salvation Army group...

Nebraskans aren't known for their overblown exuberance, but once one knows how the state was judged the "Happiest Place in the Nation," it isn't hard to understand why. As announced Monday on ABC's Good Morning America, Mainstreet.com named Nebraska No. 1 in its first-ever "Happiness Index."...

I spent a lot of time in the Gospels this week. Which is unusual only because in my own study time, I'm in Ezekiel. But, I worked with the advertising staff on a project which required Gospel narratives and in preparing the Holy Week round-up story, there I was again, traversing the route from the triumphal entry to the empty tomb, four times over...

The McCook Community College Indians got back on the winning track yesterday as they took two of three games from Northeastern Junior College at the Jaycee Sports complex Tuesday afternoon. In a rare triple header, which was rescheduled due to the snow in Colorado over the weekend the Indians took advantage of the extra two home games as they played well all 21 innings yesterday afternoon...

HOLLISTER, Mo. -- Nebraska junior Brandon Crick took home the Branson Creek Invitational title on Tuesday after a second-round 73 gave him a 36-hole total of 147. The total was good for a one stroke victory over Kyle Peterman of Western Illinois and Dylan Raines of Arkansas-Little Rock...

American Legion Baseball tryouts for ages 13-18 are scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at Jaycees Sports Complex. Rain date is scheduled for April 16 at the same time. For more information, contact Leeland Shiers at 340-2625.

HASTINGS -- The McCook High School varsity girls tennis team claimed 6-of-9 matches Tuesday in a dual against Hastings Adams Central at Hastings. The Bison improved their dual record to 4-0. The Bison varsity will host Ogallala at 2 p.m. Thursday. McCook 6, Hastings Adams Central 3...

NORTH PLATTE -- The McCook High School boys golf team played the first of three straight tournaments Tuesday. The Bison golfers went to North Platte on Tuesday to compete in a dual. North Platte defeated McCook 164-175. The Bison junior varsity defeated the North Platte JV 187-200...

June 27, 1918 - April 6, 2009 Camilla Celestine Pahl Orvis passed from this life on April 6, 2009, at her home in McCook. Camilla was born June 27, 1918, to Mary and Arnold Pahl in Orafino, Neb. She graduated from Wilsonville High School. Her marriage to Oliver Orvis Sept. ...

May 31, 1940 - April 6, 2009 HAYES CENTER -- Joyce Lavaughn Hastings, of Hayes Center, died Monday, April 6, 2009, at Great Plains Regional Center in North Platte after a short courageous battle with cancer. She was 68 years old. Joyce was born to Harley A. and Helen Marie (Phelps) Scott in Scottsbluff, Neb., on May 31, 1940. She attended school in Palisade...

BENKELMAN -- Cambridge boys and Dundy County-Stratton's girls track teams won the Dundy County-Stratton Invitational Tuesday.

There was no confetti or dropped balloons Monday night at the regular City Council meeting, but maybe just a long sigh of relief from city staff who have been working since 2005 on getting the Class I injection well online The council approved the "Certificate of Substantial Completion" for Industrial Process Technology Inc. of Mitchell, S. D., the contractor who finished the job...

Construction of Phase II of the Kelley Creek Walking Trail is expected to begin this summer and will begin at Seminole Drive, loop around Kelley Park through Bolles Canyon Road and end up at M Street across from Weiland Field. Drawings and specifications for the route were approved by the McCook City Council Monday night...

More stimulus funds could be on the way for the City of McCook and would be used to purchase a second vehicle for the McCook transit system. The McCook City Council approved Monday night the application for public transportation assistance for the city's transit system for 2009-10, with a total of $69,396 estimated from federal funds, $33,198 in state funds and the city providing $33,199...

A burglary at the McCook City Library is being investigated by the McCook Police Department. Someone broke into the library between 8 p.m. Monday and 6 a.m., Tuesday, confirmed Patty Hall, library director. Less than $100 was taken from money collected from book fines, she said...

When another tornado shreds a swath across Hitchcock and Red Willow County ... when the Republican River spills out of its banks because of heavy rain ... when the lights go out because ice and wind have downed the power lines ... Will you be ready? Will you have on hand what it'll take to take care of yourself and your family for three to five days?...

A City of McCook parking lot improvement project uncovered an old building foundation, and sparked memories for a rural Hayes Center woman whose great-uncle owned the building. Doris (Nelms) Vlasin said her great-uncle, Will Nelms, owned a brick building on what is now the north side of the 100 block of East B, operating out of the basement a dray service that sold and hauled mostly coal during the early 1900s...

WASHINGTON -- Today, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson announced that the Environmental Protection Agency will provide over two million dollars to Nebraska to assess and cleanup underground petroleum storage tank leaks as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)...

Community Hospital Donates $5000 for Indianola Community Building Expansion Community Hospital donated $5,000 to the city of Indianola for the community building expansion project during Monday's city council meeting. Within the city council's public forum, Jim Ulrich, Community Hospital President and CEO made the donation to Mike Harris, mayor and city councilmen Dale Stritt, Kenneth Banzhaf and Brent May...