Stories from Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Nora Althea Toomey Jan. 1, 1923 - Jan. 23, 2012 ARAPAHOE, Nebraska -- Nora Althea Toomey, 89, of Kearney, Nebraska, formerly of Arapahoe, died Monday, (Jan. 23, 2012), at Mount Carmel Home in Kearney. She was born Jan. 1, 1923, at Edison, Nebraska, to Joseph R. and Belle M. (Baker) Hunt...

LeVeda Opal Heagney July 7, 1927 - Jan. 22, 2012 NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- LeVeda Opal (Burton) Heagney, 84, of North Platte, died Sunday, (Jan. 22, 2012), at Great Plains Regional Medical Center. She was born July 7, 1927, on the family farm north of Bartley, Nebraska to Levi Francis Burton and Lota Faye (Wymore) Burton...

Lois Marie Carlson Sept. 2, 1922 - Jan. 23, 2012 OBERLIN,Kansas -- Lois Marie (Rezner) Carlson, 89. died Monday (Jan. 23, 2012), at Decatur County Good Samaritan Center in Oberlin. She was born Sept. 2, 1922, to Walter and Lela (Lemman) Rezner in Decatur County, Kansas. She was raised on the Decatur County farm and attended Decatur Community High School, graduating in 1940...

Jimmie 'Jim' G. Bauer Oct. 8, 1939 - Jan. 22, 2012 WAVERLY, Nebraska -- Jimmie (Jim) G. Bauer, 72, died Sunday (Jan. 22, 2012), at Waverly Care Center in Waverly. He was born Oct. 8, 1939, in McCook, Nebraska to Jack and Edna Bauer. He married Sandra Henry on March 3, 1963. He owned and operated Outdoor Power Equipment in McCook for 30 years...

The family of Irene Neumann is requesting a card shower in honor of her 91st birthday on Jan. 31. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 908 East G, McCook,NE 69001

Things are definitely not as good as President Obama made them sound in Tuesday night's State of the Union address. Nor are they as bad as the gloom-and-doom Republican response made them sound. For instance, Republicans blasted the president for the denial of the Keystone XL pipeline permit -- an issue he didn't address directly -- despite their own culpability in boxing the administration into a corner that left it few other choices...

Over the past several weeks I have spent an inordinate amount of time helping to develop step-by-step instructions for a computer program at the McCook Daily Gazette that allows paginators to send their page directly to the platemaker, a process known as CTP...

LINCOLN -- It's too soon to guesstimate whether the initiative will be economically feasible, but Gov. Dave Heineman has proposed measures that would reduce your state income tax burden. In his State of the State address, Heineman offered lawmakers, and the citizenry, observations that would have been welcomed by taxpayers 100 years ago and every year since:...

After reading the detailed explanation of two local sheriff's deputies who resigned recently, I feel you think your readers like to be informed of the "goings ons" around town. So, instead of just being informed of one department or busness's employees, and keeping your readers up to date, you could have a weekly article reporting on all businesses, not just the Sheriff's Department...

McCOOK, Nebraska --The upgrade and renovation project underway at Hillcrest Nursing Home is progressing, with Board of Trustees approving more than $300,000 in recent construction costs. The $2.7 million project includes energy efficiency upgrades and interior and exterior renovations...

OBERLIN, Kansas -- At least two speakers at the January meeting of the Republican River Restoration Partners in Oberlin, Kansas, encouraged Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado to work together to solve challenges facing the Republican River. Lorre McKeone, representing the Nebraska Water Balance Alliance, told the 40-or-so at the conference and meeting, "We can no longer afford to fight over water. We need to learn to work together."...

Royalty candidates for McCook, Nebraska, Senior High "Color Day 2012" are: front row, from left: Spencer VanPelt, son of Jason and Kim VanPelt; Elizabeth Wilcox, daughter of Mark and Betty Wilcox; Anna West, daughter of John and Cindy West; and Alan Goodenberger, son of Paul and Marlene Goodenberger. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The first laboratory confirmed case of influenza in Southwest Nebraska has been reported to Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department. Influenza is highly contagious and is caused by the influenza virus. The virus is spread from person to person primarily through droplets, which are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. ...

GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska --The Bureau of Reclamation announced today that access to Red Willow Dam is restricted during construction and repair activities. SEMA Construction of Centennial, Colo., has completed a significant amount of preparatory work and begun excavations at the Red Willow Dam site. For safety and security reasons, access to the construction site and travel across the dam will be off limits to the public during the construction period...