Stories from Wednesday, January 20, 2010

As we enter a new decade, we have the opportunity to reflect on accomplishments made in the last few years and take our first steps toward new endeavors. In my State of the State address, I said that we have worked hard these past few years to position Nebraska as an attractive place to live and do business...

Francis 'Frank' Michael Hraha March 8, 1932 - Jan. 17, 2010 HERNDON, Kan. -- Francis "Frank" Michael Hraha, 77, died Sunday (Jan. 17, 2010) at his home. He was born March 8, 1932, to Michael Hraha and Leona (Croat) Hraha in Des Moines, Iowa. He attended St. ...

Water is a vital part of our life, whether it's in the Republican River on its way to our cornfields or in the tiny plastic bags selling for a dollar each in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. But it's also dangerous, whether in the flood that roared through our area in 1935, or in a backyard pool attracting an an unattended toddler...

U-turns can change a life, even end a life. The maneuver itself is commonplace in every day life. Usually, U-turns happen when we're already distracted, with 14 things left on a single day's to-do list, none of which can be done without the very thing we've left behind -- be that a briefcase, a diaper bag, a cell phone, or worst of all, my purse...

While Nebraska and many other states are trying to figure out how to close their massive budget shortfalls, the Dutch are trying to figure out what to do with their closed prisons. While the Netherlands has a total population of about 16.5 million, it has only about 12,000 prisoners. On the other hand, the United States has greater than 2,300,000 total prisoners...

I have talked with many people in the last week who are just as disgusted with Sen. Ben Nelson as I am. Nelson had the opportunity to stop the passage of the Obama health care plan, but he jumped into bed with Reid, Palosi and Obama. Our health care definitely needs to be revised, but in a bipartisan way and not with last-minute deadlines where votes are gained by pure bribery...

Dear Senator Ben: Thank you for delivering the Senate seat to the people of Massachusetts. We look forward to your return of our own. Forever in your debt, Bill Riggs Elm Creek

Humane society director Lorie Prestes removed an additional 16 dogs from the North Platte breeder facility Tuesday, as part of an ongoing rescue operation begun Dec. 31. Six of the animals were immediately sent to a rehab rescue facility to receive specialized attention. ...

The branches of a weeping willow tree on West Tenth in McCook hang low, weighed down by a prickly frost that enveloped McCook all day Tuesday. About three inches of a weightless, soft snow fell through the night. The forecast calls for continuing cloud cover through the weekend, and a slight chance of rain and/or snow for Saturday and Sunday...

Judge Anne Paine has been named County Court Presiding Judge of the 11th Judicial District (Arthur, Chase, Dawson, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Gosper, Hayes, Hitchcock, Hooker, Keith, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Perkins, Red Willow, and Thomas Counties) beginning this month...

WASHINGTON -- Today, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson made the following comments on the Massachusetts Senate race results: "Clearly, the vote showed that people are frustrated with Washington...and I am too. That frustration will likely register across the board for all incumbents. The overriding message from yesterday is that people are upset because Washington is dysfunctional and not working together for them...

Members of the McCook Humane Society would like to thank the kind people who have given donations to help with the care of the unwanted and neglected pets of the area. Whether it is a many-times folded and crumpled $5 bill, in a plain envelope, from an anonymous friend or a donation for a specific reason such as Christmas or caring for the rescued dogs from a puppy mill, each and every donation is greatly appreciated...