Stories from Thursday, February 2, 2012

David Milch and Michael Mann are -- taken separately -- two of the more dynamic forces in film and television. Milch, with his unique, intricate writing style, has been a creative force in television for a few decades now. From his breakout work on the grandfather of modern police dramas, "Hill Street Blues," to his breakthrough efforts, with another all-time great cop show in "NYPD Blue" and the acclaimed revisionist Western "Deadwood," Milch's bonafides are enviable...

A McCook city truck sprays brine from the water treatment plant on Norris Avenue in anticipation of the blizzard predicted to hit the area tonight. The salt and water mixture would normally be sent to the wastewater treatment plant, but after additional salt is added to bring it up to the required concentration, it is applied to the street to help reduce the amount of rock salt needed after the snow. ...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Sen. Mark Christensen's bill to change forfeiture of office provisions for city council members passed out of committee last week and according to the Senator should advance with little resistance. "I'm sure it will get done, it's just a matter of when it will be put on the agenda," Sen. Christensen told members of the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce during their weekly conference call at the Keystone Business Center...

Prairie dogs have no trouble casting a shadow Wednesday, but by Friday, they will probably be wanting to stay snug in their dens in Barnett Park, safe from the predicted blizzard, no matter what the prediction by Punxsutawney Phil, the "official" groundhog in Pennsylvania. A blizzard warning is in effect for Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas from midnight tonight until 6 p.m. Saturday...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Most local students still want to go to college, but they're open to a wide variety of careers, according to a recent survey. Four-hundred and twenty-one eighth through 12th grade students recently participated in a survey to measure their perceptions of the community, education and career plans, and desire to live in the McCook area in the future. The McCook HomeTown Competitiveness Youth Task Force, chaired by Mark Graff, supported the project...

HOXIE, Kansas -- A 19-year-old man from Hoxie, Kansas, died in a pickup accident Tuesday, near Grainfield, Kansas. The Kansas Highway Patrol reports that Nathan Elias Barnhart was westbound a mile west of Grainfield at 4:21 a.m., when he lost control of his pickup and entered the south ditch. The pickup overturned, coming to rest on the wheels. Barnhart was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the vehicle...

Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his den in Pennsylvania to see his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. He won't get much of an argument around Southwest Nebraska. If predictions come true, it might be six weeks before we see the ground again, never mind our shadows...

Today, Feb. 2, is Groundhog Day. The day set aside to see if the prognosticating rodent in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, can determine how many more weeks of winter there will be. Feb. 2, is one of the cross-quarter days, a day that is roughly half way between a solstice and an equinox. In this case it is halfway between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox, or the beginning of spring...

Call it old age creeping up, call it hormones or call it just plain flighty but I have spent the last month forgetting things. I'm talking important things like deadlines, real estate papers and other people's children. Not dumb stuff like forgetting to turn off the porch light or forgetting to water the plant. ...

The City of McCook is declaring a snow emergency effective 10 p.m. tonight, which will remain in effect until further notice. The declaration means that any vehicles, including trailers, on either side of designated emergency snow routes is prohibited for the duration of the snow emergency...

Michael Alan Morgan, Jr. June 3, 1977 - Jan. 31, 2012 CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- Michael Alan Morgan Jr. died Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, in Red Willow County, Nebraska, at the age of 34. He was born June 3, 1977, in McCook, Nebraska, the son of Michael and Jill (Haag) Morgan...

Rex E. Morell March 10, 1928 - Feb. 1, 2012 Rex Edward Morell died Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, at the McCook Community Hospital in McCook at the age of 83. He was born March 10, 1928, at Sharon Springs, Kansas, the son of the late Edgar and Emma Elizabeth (Hooper) Morell...

Dorothy L. Blume Oct. 17. 1938 - Feb. 1, 2012 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Dorothy L. Blume, age 73, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. Dorothy was born to Benjamin F. and Ruth E. (Pond) Sprinkle at Spencer, Nebraska on Oct. 17, 1938...