Stories from Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Todd Samland is not afraid to share his knowledge. The University of Nebraska-Omaha swimming coach spent Monday evening in McCook working with a group of current and future Bison swimmers during workouts at the Ed Thomas YMCA pool. Samland made a connection in McCook earlier this year. ...

May 28, 1987 - Dec. 21, 2009 OBERLIN -- Lora Elizabeth Marietta, 22, died Monday (Dec. 21, 2009) at Sheridan County, Kan. She was born May 28, 1987, in Oberlin, Kan., to Alan and Judith (Schreiber) Marietta. She grew up in Oberlin and attended Oberlin schools. She graduated from Decatur Community High School and was a senior at Kansas State University...

HAIGLER -- Gail Harford, 62, died Tuesday (Dec. 22,2009), at Wray Community Hospital in Wray, Colo. Graveside service will be at Haigler Cemetery, 11 a.m. (MTN), in Haigler. Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. (MTN), at the Haigler United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Terry Douglas officiating...

A property owner was given more time to clean up premises designated a nuisance. The McCook City Council heard an update from the owner at 305 East 12th, at the regular meeting Monday night. The McCook Health Board in August declared the property a nuisance and the council agreed at a prior meeting to give the owner time to remove the abandoned structures and overgrown vegetation...

The city will be getting a new trash collection truck, as the McCook City Council approved bid specifications Monday night at the regular council meeting. The vehicle will weigh not less than 53,000 pounds and $160,000 has been set aside in the budget for the purchase...

The McCook Trail Committee expressed thanks to Hillcrest Nursing Home and Lifetime Eyecare for cosponsoring the additional piece of equipment, an AirWalk, above, which was requested by the committee. This piece is to be installed to the west of the playground in Kelley Park, just up the hill from the new section of trail. ...

Red Willow County commissioners approve the appointments of two new members of the Red Willow County Extension Board during their meeting Monday morning. Lori Beeby of Lebanon will represent District 1, replacing Elaine Haag. Beeby's term will expire in 2012. Theresa Tiller of rural McCook will be the 4-H Council representative, replacing Jeff Stagemeyer; her term will expire at the end of 2010...

McCook police officers, above, respond about 7:30 a.m. today to a Jeep pitched in the icy ditch at East Fourth and A, but found no one waiting out the ice and snow storm inside. Other drivers were luckier and stayed on the city streets, despite a thin glaze of ice under increasing snowfall. ...

The children's and adult choirs of St. John's Ash Creek Lutheran Church, rural McCook, will share the great news of the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, during the church's 17th annual live nativity service at 7 p.m., Thursday, Christmas Eve, at the North Sale Barn on North Highway 83 in McCook. ...

Construction on the new Tri Valley Health System Hospital continues to be on schedule. Steel started going up last week, and continues. On Monday, crews poured another 100 cubic yards of concrete, bringing the total "pour project" to about 70 percent complete. ...

CAMBRIDGE -- The public is invited to attend a tour of the Cambridge Telephone Company's recently upgraded facilities which was financed with a USDA Rural Utilities Service loan of $8.23 million. The tour is set for 1 p.m. Dec. 29 at 611 Patterson in Cambridge...

The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas." ~ W. C. Jones The magic of Christmas can certainly be felt in McCook and its surrounding communities this year thanks to the generosity of the Peter Kiewit Foundation out of Omaha Nebraska. ...

"We don't want to be a Grinch this holiday, we just want motorists to be safe." The speaker was Col. Bryan Tuma, superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, and no one knows better than a state trooper the cost of drinking and driving. It's hard to imagine venturing out on these roadways in other that top mental condition -- sober and rested -- but too many of us tend to burn the candle at both ends come holiday time. ...

I suffered from multiple personality disorder this week, my differing personalities vying for pre-eminence, with the lead personality changing with each tick of the clock. I've been sick. I think with the flu, since there was fever, body aches and a cough that will likely linger through the next holiday. ...

Health care reform It is unfortunate that we have senators in Washington who buy and sell votes to get this outrageous Health Reform passed. Why are they allowed to treat citizens as pawns, playing with their lives? No less than 70 percent of the population is against it, yet they want to cram this through immediately, before anyone knows what is in their program...

Recently there has been considerable controversy concerning tires manufactured in Red China. Because of inflation, some pundits say the economy has gone flat. Others maintain everything is still rolling on. Are you a well-rounded person? Are the politicians full of hot air?...