Stories from Thursday, December 29, 2011

Wallace Lee 'Wally' Underwood Dec. 27, 1925 - Dec. 27, 2011 BENKELMAN, Nebraska -- Wallace Lee "Wally Underwood, 86, died Tueday (Dec. 27, 2011),at Dundy County Hospital. He was born Dec. 27, 1925, in Cheyenne County, Kansas, He was an implement dealer...

GREATER NEBRASKA ATHLETIC CONFERENCE HOLIDAY BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 28-30, at Lexington High School GIRLS DIVISION Wednesday, Dec. 28 First-Round Games Columbus 47, Hastings 25 North Platte 59, Scottsbluff 40 McCook 54, Norfolk 32...

It's easy to get caught up in day-to-day activities, but sometimes the calendar forces us to take a break. The Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years holidays are the biggest of the year, and it's good to use the time to take a fresh look at where we've been, where we are and where we want to go...

Less than 48 hours after Senator Nelson's announcement to retire, pundits and anonymous bloggers are not only writing the seat off to Republicans, but are also disrespecting the years he spent serving our state. Sen. Nelson is a man of courage. Politicians were doing everything possible to avoid dealing with the policy "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Senator Nelson saw through the rhetoric on both sides and started to speak about the simple fact that when we ask our men and women in uniform to lie, that puts our national security at risk. ...

I was very disappointed to hear that Senator Ben Nelson has decided not to run for re-election but I certainly respect his decision. I've always felt Sen. Nelson had the best interests of the people of Nebraska uppermost in his mind both as governor and as a United States Senator. ...

OK, you got that bright, shiny, new telescope for Christmas. You have had it out of the box and on the tripod in the living room, and you have wondered where all those little round eyepieces go and what do they do. Another question you have is ... what is there to look at?...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A McCook emergency response team met a Frontier County ambulance in time, despite mechanical trouble that left the crew stranded along the road, smoke billowing from the ambulance's engine, Monday night. The disabled vehicle, a 2007 model used as a secondary ambulance, turned out to have a failed alternator, and was placed on a trailer and driven back to McCook to avoid more damage, according to Fire Chief Marc Harpham...

Tim Monzon of McCook, Nebraska, talks with visitors at the "Tractor Show and Swap Meet" in 2010, and plans the 2012 event on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 12, starting with a church service at 9 a.m., and completing the show at 4 p.m. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Finding a family-friendly activity on New Year's Eve can sometimes be a challenge, but thanks to the McCook Rotary Club, Norris Avenue will be full of activities that are sure to please family members of all ages. First Night McCook has become a tradition, starting three years ago when the McCook Young Leaders Group wanted to host an alcohol-free gathering on New Year's Eve. This is the first year that the event has been organized by the Rotary Club...

Squirrels in a yard in McCook, Nebraska, enjoy an all-natural lunch of nuts and seeds -- a meal suspended in a hanging feeder intended for birds. To reach the feeder, squirrel-gymnasts launched themselves from the tree trunk to the feeder about three feet through the air, or scurried head-first down the hanging chain...