Stories from Tuesday, June 16, 2009

July 1, 1927 - June 13, 2009 Orville Hugo Mockry, died Saturday, June 13, 2009, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook, at the age of 81. He was born July 1, 1927, at Norcatur, Kan., the son of the late Otto and Irena (Lent) Mockry. Orville grew up in Decatur County, near Cedar Bluffs and graduated from rural school...

July 4, 1928 - June 15, 2009 HASTINGS -- Velma L. Millard, 80, died Monday (June 15, 2009) at Perkins Pavilion in Hastings. She was born July 4, 1928, in Holbrook to Walter and Mabel (Mills) Nelson. She graduated from high school. On Feb. 6, 1953, she married Barney Millard. She was a homemaker and secretary/bookkeeper for Snitker Enterprises...

The children of the Rev. Phil and Pat Ewert formerly of McCook, are requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary on June 20. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 765 Rd East A South, Ogallala NE 69153.

After failing to get off the ground with the McCook Airport Advisory Board, the proposal to rename the city's airport after Sen. Ben Nelson was approved by the McCook City Council on a 3 to 1 vote. At the regular meeting Monday night, Councilman Aaron Kircher cast the lone vote against the name change while Mayor Dennis Berry and council members Colleen Grant and Lonnie Anderson voted in favor of it. Councilman Jack Rogers was absent...

The economy is far from back on its feet, but it doesn't take much looking around to find hopeful signs among local construction projects. Few, if any, result from the Washington stimulus package; but instead spring from an irrepressible sense of optimism among Southwest Nebraskans...

In a recent column I sent a little advice the way of Nebraska's favorite "conservative" Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson. Evidently the advice, vote NO on the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Nominee Sonia Sotomayor, was not well received. In my opinion Nebraska's overwhelmingly Republican voters favor Sen. ...

The Museum of the High Plains board of directors voted unanimously at its board meeting Thursday morning to loan the museum's sculpture of a World War I soldier to Trenton Klimper, the McCook Boy Scout who wants to create a war memorial in Norris Park. ...