Stories from Thursday, May 17, 2012

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...

OBERLIN, Kansas -- Modern Woodmen of American Camp 611 of Oberlin, Kansas, presented the community of Oberlin a lasting gift of two "Valley Forge American Elm" trees during the Modern Woodmen's annual nation-wide "Plant a Tree" program. Marie McKisson, leader of the Oberlin Modern Woodmen chapter, said the organization introduced its tree project in 2004. ...

DANBURY-McDonald Ryan Unit 276 of the American Legion Auxiliary met May 9 at the Southwest School for a visit of the Life Skills Class under the direction of Mrs. Susan Wyatt. After introductions and tours, the unit presented gifts to the classroom and flags to the students; the students in turn presented the unit with refreshments for their meeting. Everyone enjoyed meeting the students, making the tours, and the food prepared by the seventh grade "bakers."...

CULBERTSON, Nebraska -- The Ladies Auxiliary of Moorhous, Steffen, & Propp, Post No. 6219 met Monday evening, May 14, in the Culbertson Fire Hall with nine members present. Senior Vice President Norma Wilson called the meeting to order. The meeting opened with roll call, and followed with prayer, and the pledge of allegiance...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- McCook Junior High has announced the President's Education Awards for Spring 2012. The President's Award for Educational Excellence is awarded to 8th graders who meet the criteria of a grade point average of 90 percent or above and scores at the 85th percentile or higher in math or reading on their ITBS achievement tests...

EDISON, Nebraska -- The Board of Directors of Ag Valley Coop has voted to redeem the equities of the patrons born in 1936. The check represents the patrons equity for their years of support and loyalty to their local cooperative and we want to express our sincere thanks for their business...

With a 1966 Mustang in the background, Adrian Casados stands beside the 1955 Chevy he's restoring "from the ground up" in his new shop, "Custom Restorations," at 509 East B Street in McCook, Nebraska. Casados grew up in his dad's one-man classic car restoration shop, and enhanced his sheet metal fabrication and shaping and welding skills working then in the aviation industry. ...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Preliminary turnout figures show that 25.9 percent of registered voters cast ballots in the Nebraska May 15 primary election, according to Secretary of State John Gale. The turnout figure will grow higher once election officials tally the number of provisional ballots that will be counted as valid. A provisional ballot is cast when there are questions regarding a voter's eligibility...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- As Community Hospital nears the completion of its new surgery wing, the completed main hallway for visitors opens up to access the patient wing and the former, longer corridor is being torn down. The new hallway on the south side of the hospital opened up last week near the front entrance. It allows visitors and family members a shorter, more direct route to the patient wing...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A plea agreement was reached with an Indianola woman charged with felony drug possession that reduced the charge to a misdemeanor offense of attempted possession. The woman, 28-year-old Veronica A. Waddell, was subsequently scheduled for sentencing at 10:30 a.m. on July 2, 2012, in Red Willow County District Court...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A McCook man who was arrested after being found in possession of meth and other drugs, was sentenced to probation in Red Willow County District Court. The man, 54-year-old James D. Nelson of 906 East E Street, accepted a plea agreement that reduced both felony possession charges against him to misdemeanor attempted possession charges and was subsequently sentenced, April 30, 2012, to 18 months probation...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A Sept. 10, 2012, jury trial has been scheduled in the Stathis Kirkpatrick murder case. Kirkpatrick is the 20-year-old Bartley, Nebraska, man charged with first degree murder in connection with the 2011 death of 14-year-old Kailee Nichole Clapp of McCook...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Hillcrest Nursing Home was reported to have seven deficiencies after a recent state survey was done. Hillcrest Administrator Peggy Rogers told the Board of Trustees at its regular meeting Wednesday morning that she was notified after the study last week, that seven items were marked as deficient, with one item self-reported...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The administrator at Hillcrest Nursing Home has announced her resignation, effective immediately. At the regular Board of Trustee meeting Wednesday, Peggy Rogers told the board of her resignation during closed session. There was no reason given, said Board president Jim Hall. Rogers had been with Hillcrest for 21 years...

HAYES CENTER, Nebraska -- The Hayes Center, Nebraska, school board member that patrons were seeking to recall resigned his position at the board's May 14 meeting. The remaining five members will likely select a replacement for Randy Richter, the board's vice president, at their June 11 meeting...

KEARNEY, Nebraska -- A McCook man has been charged with forcible first-degree sexual assault in connection with a Buffalo County child prostitution case. Logan Roepke, 22, McCook, was arrested this week for allegedly having sex with a 14-year-old in February last year. He was released Tuesday after posting 10 percent of a $75,000 bond. He could be sentenced to 50 years in prison if convicted. His first appearance is set for June 14...

The creators of American soap operas, for the most part, do what they do (and did what they did) with a regularity that Swiss clock makers would have to respect. They would take a locale (usually a fictional city in a real state), populate it with a number of storybook character types with jobs that seemed a little exciting to the viewers (the Handsome Doctor, the Beautiful Fashion Model, the Evil Queen of the City, et cetera), then run them through all types of melodramatic paces (He's an amnesiac! She's pregnant! They're actually spies!) until stories ran their course or actors' contracts expired or the show was finally canceled.. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- City Manager Jeff Hancock asked the Nebraska Department of Roads to include expanding U.S. Highway 83 into a four lane highway as one of its long range goals. The comments were submitted as input on the state's Long Range Transportation Plan...