Stories from Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The days of country doctors making house calls in our rural communities, and riding by horseback out to our farms and ranches, is part of the heritage that makes us proud to be Nebraskans. That tradition is one reason I fought for tax relief in the health reform law that comes into play with this week's tax filing deadline...

Sneezy, watery eyes, stuffy nose? Headache, sore throat, trouble smelling? You're not imagining things. We're experiencing one of the worst pollen season in years in America's heartland, and today's windy conditions are only making it worse. "We had a perfect storm this year," said Dr. William Storms, professor at the University of Colorado and a clinician. "It's the worst I've seen in 10 years."...

This week the Nebraska Legislature saw fit to accept federal money to pay unemployment benefits. It seems like a "no brainer" to accept the largess but I wonder if accepting the "free" money is prudent. In the first place unemployment insurance (?) has traditionally been a state managed program and secondly when Congress voted to extend unemployment benefits, providing the money along with the requirement to pay it out, should have been part of the deal. ...

Red Willow County commissioners listened to updates on hiring by EarthBlooms Eco-Retreat southwest of Cambridge and the sale of land east of Quality Urgent Care during their weekly meeting in the courthouse in McCook Monday morning. Andela Taylor, general manager of EarthBlooms, the eco-retreat being developed on her rural Red Willow County family farm, told commissioners that the hospitality/events administrator that she has hired starts Thursday...

Sherri Stang's parents didn't want Sherri and her older sister to have to donate a much-needed kidney to their father, but Sherri knew in her heart that it was something she had to do. "Mom and Dad didn't want Crystal or me tested for compatibility to donate a kidney because we're both young, we both have young families," Sherri said two months after donating a kidney to her dad, 63-year-old Kenny Bracelin of St. ...

A McCook man convicted of sexually assaulting a child was sentenced Monday to 12 to 16 years with the Nebraska Department of Corrections and must register as a sex offender. Richard E. Hoffman, 68, of 909 W. Fourth, was represented by his attorney and appeared in court Monday for his sentencing...

McCook Public Schools' board of education, at their monthly meeting Monday evening, authorized the use of special building funds if contingencies in the construction of new classrooms at McCook Elementary exceed the federal stimulus grant awarded to build them...