Stories from Thursday, July 21, 2011

Sept. 2, 1986-July 20, 2011 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Sarah Anne (McPhillips) Cobb, 24, passed away on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, at Community Hospital in McCook, Nebraska. Sarah was born on Sept. 2, 1986, in Heidelberg, Germany to Owen J. and LaVonne (Bursaw) McPhillips. ...

Budget negotiators working toward a deal in Washington might do well to take direction from a new IBOPE Zogby National Debt Poll. According to the survey, taken July 8-11, nine of 10 voters want President Obama and Congress to reduce the nation's long-term debt, and a majority prefer spending cuts over increased revenues as the means of accomplishing that goal...

Dick Trail needs to update his partisan talking points on earmarks because they are really out-of-date. In his latest column, he states, "earmarks are a significant part of any federal budget yet today." Please, sir, define "significant." First, there are no earmarks in bills now before the Senate...

Let's go look one more time at our friends in the Summer Triangle for another discussion. You can find the three stars of the triangle about half-way up the eastern sky about an hour after sunset any clear night this week. All three stars appear to be about the same brightness except for the top one, Vega. It appears to be a little brighter than the other two. It's brighter because it is closer, right?...

Well, black beauty finally came to the end of her road ... literally. My big, black, super-fun and super-fast truck (AKA sport utility vehicle), whom I loved dearly and who certainly did me well, told me she had run her last mile and was ready to meet her maker...

The television industry prepared to take its yearly turn in the award season spotlight, as the nominations for the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced last week. HBO led the way with 104 nods, while CBS topped the broadcast networks with 50 mentions...