Stories from Thursday, October 6, 2011

Today, I am providing you an update on an exciting economic initiative whose purpose is to grow and attract new, technology-focused companies. The Talent and Innovation Initiative is designed to advance business innovation and workforce recruitment efforts in Nebraska and to enhance the level of business specialization and attract new, advanced companies to Nebraska. ...

CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- A gas balloon and its crew competing in "America's Challenge Balloon Race" landed in Cambridge, Nebraska, Monday morning, surprising a couple of Cambridge residents. Wilhem Eimers and Philip Bryant left Albuquerque, New Mexico, Saturday evening, and were in second place in the race Monday morning after completing the first leg of the journey over the Rocky Mountains...

It's surprising just how hard the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has hit the world, especially those of us of his generation, and those who spend their days staring at a computer screen. Then again, maybe it's not surprising, especially to anyone in the newspaper or other media business...

Well, it's that time of year again, when kids' feet are suddenly too big for their shoes from last winter. With the cooler weather making visits lately, my girls have discovered that all the cute shoes we bought last fall are now squishing their feet like Cinderella's stepsisters'...

What say we get a little "loony" this week? I should probably say "luny" as we need to talk about the moon. Saturday, Oct. 8, is International Look at the Moon Day so we should all get outside and do just that. On Saturday the moon will be just three days before full which means it will be rising just before sunset and will be visible in the early evening just above the eastern horizon...

This letter to the people who litter. There is a large amount of litter on our highways and there is no excuse for it. I don't want to hear from some one that says "it keeps the state highway workers employed" and I don't want to hear "well it keeps the people who do community hours towards the law violation they had."...

GIBBON, Nebraska -- Five people are being treated at a hospital after a Denver-bound bus rammed into an overturned semitrailer on Interstate 80 in south Nebraska early Thursday. Most passengers suffered minor injuries. The Nebraska State Patrol said 41 people were taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney after the accident around 2 a.m...

A crew performs "directional boring" to install a new gas service line to the Red Willow County Courthouse. SourceGas is working in downtown McCook to replace mains and service lines that are up to 60 years old, according to Steve Haag, McCook division manager. The new gas main line will be 24 to 30 inches underground, while the new service lines will be 12 to 18 inches deep. Directional boring allows for a minimal amount of disturbance to the surface concrete...

The Southwest Roughriders gave Dennis Troester his 700th career win with two victories Tuesday night in Bartley. The Roughriders beat St. Pat's 22-25, 25-16, 25-21. Then topped Chase County in straight sets, 25-22, 25-21.

McCook's softball girls beat Cozad, 12-7, Thursday afternoon in the Class B-6 District tournament at Lexington. The Bison advance to Friday's winner's bracket final against Scottsbluff, with the winner gaining a berth in the B-6 District title game Friday afternoon.

Comedy is beginning to hit its stride on the networks this fall. Only a handful of years ago, the sitcom was out of favor across broadcast lineups as programming departments aimed to find their Next Big Thing by flooding the marketplace with reality-competition shows, multiple versions of pre-sold brand name shows and attempts to repackage the Latest Big Thing's concept...