Stories from Wednesday, October 31, 2012

McCOOK, Nebraska -- "Wings of Hope" Christian support group will meet Friday, Nov. 9 at the United Methodist Church in the Friendship Room from 1 to 2 p.m. The group offers spiritual and emotional support to those battling cancer or other serious diseases or hardships. Family members are encouraged to attend also...

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...

CURTIS, Nebraska -- The American Legion Family District 9 Fall Round Up was at Curtis, Nebraska, on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. and hosted by the Post and Unit 95 of Curtis. Executive Committee Meetings preceded the meeting which was called to order by District 9 Legion Commander Lee Carskadon of Edison, and opened in form with 37 present...

LORRI SUGHROUE McCook Daily Gazette McCOOK, Nebraska -- Hillcrest Nursing Home could garner $250,000, if certain conditions are met according to a proposed purchase agreement. Red Willow County Attorney Paul Wood met with Hillcrest Board of Trustees at their regular meeting Tuesday morning and outlined the details in an agreement concerning Hillcrest selling 20 bed licenses to a company in Omaha, MNF, that is based out of Delaware...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Pens and papers will be eased out, as Hillcrest Nursing Home begins to phase in electronic charting. Electronic charting has been mandated by the government to be in place at nursing homes by 2014. When completely implemented, about 90 percent of charting will be done electronically, said Colinda Nappa, Hillcrest administrator...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Pens and papers will be eased out, as Hillcrest Nursing Home begins to phase in electronic charting. Electronic charting has been mandated by the government to be in place at nursing homes by 2014. When completely implemented, about 90 percent of charting will be done electronically, said Colinda Nappa, Hillcrest administrator...

Two-year-old Cassidy Felker, left, exclaims, "Mama, look! Her a Minnie and her a Minnie and her a Minnie!" as a herd of Minnie Mouses and other Halloween creatures gather for a "spook-tacular" weekly story hour/ Halloween party at the McCook, Nebraska, Public Library this morning. Cassidy's fellow Minnies were, from her left, Cassidy Ruggles, 3 years old; Mya Meixner, 3; and Teagan Stritt, 3...

Pirates and animals roamed the halls at McCook Elementary today, with a Halloween parade by McCook Elementary Little Bison Pre-school. Costumed characters included TJ Puckett as a pirate, Korbin Blake as Tigger and Lexxi Casillas as a strawberry.

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Community Hospital has achieved low infection rates, the board of directors was informed recently. The board also heard a report on the upcoming An Evening for Hospice and Phase 2B building and remodeling progress at the meeting last week...

LINCOLN -- With the overhaul of Nebraska's foster care system, most of the attention has focused on how children enter the system. But a legislative hearing Thursday refocused on how wards of the state leave foster care. Sen. Amanda McGill of Lincoln, along with representatives from Nebraska Appleseed and Project Everlast, a Nebraska youth advocacy group, held a press conference Thursday afternoon to discuss what happens when a child ages out of the foster care system at 19 or is discharged to live independently at a younger age.. ...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- The Nebraska Department of Economic Development will conduct a public comment period, November 8, 2012 through December 10, 2012 to take remarks of citizens and local government officials regarding the Proposed 2013 Annual Action Plan...

LINCOLN -- The Nebraska Public Service Commission entered an order reducing the Wireless Enhanced 911 surcharge by 10 percent for the upcoming year. As a result, based upon an estimated 1.3 million wireless subscribers, a 10 percent reduction in surcharge represents a savings of approximately $1.56 million to subscribers during the Commission's two-year budget cycle...

Retiring Sen. Ben Nelson adopted an appropriate model when he was governor, "One Nebraska." While many of our eastern Nebraska brethren think they've done their part when they drive "out west" to the state fair in its new home in Grand Island, there are times when we truly are "One Nebraska."...

The major obstacle to Nebraska lawmakers receiving a larger salary is a basic misunderstanding of just how hard they work for the $12,000 that has been the going rate since 1988. There's a misperception that state senators only work 90 days one year and 60 days the next year of the two-year legislative session. ...

In the grand scheme of things, my world is pretty small and it's getting smaller every day. In less than two years, we've had to say good-bye to four good friends, and are still getting used to the idea that Mom has gone on. Our lives and our world are diminished by their passing. Our hearts, however, are enlarged with treasured memories, now that they are free of their jars of clay...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Fall edition of the Bison Alumni newsletter was assembled and folded Tuesday, Oct. 23 and mailed out the next day. Alumni, friends and members of the Junior High Student Council and TeamMates were on hand to send the 41st edition of the newsletter to 7,489 alumni...

Ervin Eugene Patterson Sept. 14, 1927 - Oct. 30, 2012 HAYES CENTER, Nebraska -- Ervin Eugene Patterson of Hayes Center passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, at Community Hospital in McCook. He was 85 years old. Ervin was born on Sept. 14, 1927, at Callaway, Nebraska to parents, Grant O. and Anna Belle (Williams) Patterson. He attended school through the eighth grade. The family eventually moved to the Hayes Center community...