Stories from Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Marcos Ivan Maldanado Gonzales Feb. 5, 1975 - May 7, 2012 McCOOK, Nebraska --Marcos Ivan Maldanado Gonzales, age 37, passed away May 7, 2012, at his home in McCook. Ivan was born in Loc Temeychi Guerrero Chihuahua, Mexico, on Feb. 5, 1975, to Patricio and Bertha Alicia (Gonzalez) Maldonado-Rojo...

Opal E. Campbell March 25, 1925 - May 7, 2012 FREMONT, Nebraska -- Opal E. Campbell, 87 years, of Fremont, died Monday, May 7, 2012, at her home in Fremont. She was born March 25, 1925, on a farm near Holdrege, Nebraska, to Walter and Daisy (Bell) Verbeck. ...

McCOOK, Nebraksa -- The Southwest Nebraska Habitat for Humanity met on Monday, May 7 to finalize two projects. The "Brush with Kindness" painting project is scheduled for Saturday, May 19, beginning at 8 a.m. at the 500 block of West Second. To volunteer for this project, please contact Tammie Hilker at (308)345-4240 or 345-3717...

Kids and parks naturally go together, like Mason Oulette, above, who carefully navigates the stairs on the slide at Barnett Park in McCook, while Olivia Bieck, right, with a mouthful of banana, contemplates the rest of her slightly sandy snack. Parks will get a workout this week, with sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s...

McCOOK,Nebraska -- Tehama Western Shrine Club met May 6, 2012, at the Masonic Temple for a 6:30 p.m. covered dish dinner. President Bruce Swanson greeted the 19 Nobles, Ladies and Guests. Noble Ron Stuhmer gave the invocation, followed by the flag salute and Pledge of Allegiance. Noble Marshall Grant and Lady Jean served a fried chicken dinner. Tables were decorated by Lady Gwen Prell in a football and Shrine Clown theme...

Bruce Baker/McCook Daily Gazette Perry Greco of North Platte, Nebraska, adjusts the brakes on a 1952 Schwinn Black Phantom bicycle, Saturday afternoon, during the Bike & Skateboard Show at Norris Park in McCook. Greco works for Union Pacific Railroad and said he restores old bikes as a hobby. ...

This information is gathered at the McCook Public Safety Center, the McCook office of the Nebraska State Patrol, the Red Willow County Courthouse, the Red Willow County Sheriff's Office and the McCook Humane Society. Police activity Activity log...

DESHLER, Nebraska -- Reinke Manufacturing, Inc., a leading manufacturer of mechanized irrigation systems, announces that Rick Hoffmann of Plains Equipment Group in McCook, Nebraska, has earned the PLUS (Proven Leaders in Unmatched Service) Certified Technician Award. The prestigious award is one of the most elite technical service designations awarded by Reinke...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Heritage Nebraska today launched a statewide search for Nebraska's most outstanding Hidden Treasures, Fading Places and Destination Places. "Nebraska has an abundance of places where history lives and, sadly, a number of fading places, too," said Gene O. Morris, chairman of Heritage Nebraska's 2012 program to recognize Hidden Treasures, Fading Places and Destination Places...

Supporters of the historic Stone Church, eight miles south of Culbertson, Nebraska, on Highway 17, plan their annual clean-up day Saturday, May 19, starting at 10 a.m. The church association's annual meeting will be Sunday, May 27, at 6 p.m. County pioneers organized a Methodist Protestant congregation in a sod church in 1892, and built the stone church -- by hand using stone quarried five miles southwest of the church -- in 1900. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The 83rd spring commencement ceremonies at McCook Community College are set for 10 a.m. Friday in the final graduation ceremonies in True Hall Gymnasium. Graduating sophomore Max Owens, who lists Curtis and Oconto as his hometowns, was selected as the student speaker and will address fellow students at graduation exercises...

McCOOK, LEBANON, Nebraska -- On Tuesday, two Red Willow County, Nebraska, commissioners presented a united front at two locations in two communities, telling tax payers they will not change their minds about building the county's new jail on Norris Avenue, next door to the courthouse...

Shelby Haag, Sales and Marketing Manager at McCook National Bank recently completed the 2012 School of Banking Fundamentals held in Topeka, Kansas. The Schools of Banking is a non-profit corporation jointly sponsored by the Kansas and Nebraska Bankers Associations. It also enjoys partnership relationships with more than 10 other State Bankers Associations across the country. The purpose of this organization is to provide occupational education for bankers...

OMAHA, Nebraska - More than 1,500 students received degrees Friday, May 4, and Saturday, May 5, during the spring University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) commencement ceremony. The two-day graduation weekend event is a new tradition for the university...

KEARNEY, Nebraska -- A record number of graduate students received their degrees Friday, May 4, at the University of Nebraska at Kearney Health and Sports Center. In all, 167 graduate students were awarded degrees. The next largest group of graduate students to earn degrees was in the summer of 1991 when 163 were graduated. ...

The McCook College Foundation awarded Amber Hickert, a 2012 Maywood High School Graduate, who is planning to attend McCook Community College this fall, a $1,000 Esther Trantow Dobbie Scholarship, and a $500 Melba B. Loker Scholarship. Foundation Board Designated Scholarships are awarded to students planning to attend McCook Community College and are based mainly on financial need, and consideration of school and/or community activity, student motivation, and academic achievement...

NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- Students from high schools throughout Nebraska entered approximately 500 pieces of art work, technical crafts and woodcrafts in North Platte Community College's annual Art-Tech Exhibit April 28-29 at the Platte River Mall in North Platte...

KEARNEY, Nebraska -- Gifted seventh grade students from across the state who scored in the top five percent on either the ACT or SAT college entrance exams will receive special recognition in 2 p.m. ceremonies Tuesday, May 8, at the University of Nebraska at Kearney Health and Sports Center...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Consolidated Telephone honored area high school seniors at its14th annual scholarship banquet in Thedford, April 25. Fourteen graduating seniors attending schools in the Consolidated service area were presented with $800 scholarships toward the college of their choice...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Letter carriers plan their annual food drive on Saturday. McCook area residents are encouraged to participate by placing non-perishable food items in bags, and leaving them by their mailbox before mail delivery Saturday. All the food collected will go to local community food banks and pantries...

Things get a little out of hand in a year-end project for Robin Henrichs' McCook High School physics classes, who competed in a cardboard boat race Tuesday at the Ed Thomas YMCA in McCook. Two-person teams rowed against the clock from one end of the pool to the other, with extra points for a theme and half credit for a paper written about the experiment...

The jail will be built, and it will be on property next to the courthouse. In case there was any doubt, one commissioner made that explicit in one of Tuesday's townhall meetings about the $5.1 million bond election on the ballot next week. The only choice voters have is whether commissioners will have to find room under the state property tax limit of 50 cents per $100 of valuation -- we're currently paying about 38 cents -- or can pay for the bonds outside of that limit...

I have been intrigued by the way the members of the City Council have been handling city business these days. The council needs to take a hard look at the road they are heading down and exactly what they were elected to do I. You have been elected to represent the people of McCook, that does not mean you are smarter or better than the people you are representing. You put your pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else...

The last high school graduation I attended, when someone I knew and loved had donned the hard-earned cap and gown, was some years back. And in those long-gone yesteryears, I attended only one Baccalaureate. Apparently, the entire concept, to bless those brave, young hearts as they go forward into a world that will seek only to see how many kicks it will take before they cry "uncle" and surrender, had fallen out of favor...