Stories from Tuesday, December 11, 2012

James Vernon Schneider April 4, 1932 - Nov. 11, 2012 COMMERCE CITY,Nebraska -- Vernon Schneider was born on April 4, 1932, at Brewster Hospital, Holdrege, Nebraska. His parents were William Dean and Margaret Pauline (Blakeslee) Schneider. He departed this life on Nov. 11, 2012, near his home in Commerce, California, at age 80...

Louise J. Pollnow Feb. 2, 1919 - Dec. 7, 2012 OBERLIN, Kansas -- Louise J. Pollnow, 93, died Dec. 7, 2012, at the Decatur County Good Samaritan Center in Oberlin, She was born Feb. 2, 1919, in Osborn, Missouri, to William Frederick and Coletta Catherine (Quell) Gross, Jr. She attended the Baker School and graduated from Osborn, Missouri High School in 1936. She attended Gard Business College in St. Joseph, Missouri...

McCook -- Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) announces the fourth annual local "Radon Poster Contest" winners. "Congratulations to the 312 outstanding students that entered our radon poster contest," said Denise Ringenberg, Health Educator. "This is the largest number of entries in our history. We appreciate the talented students and dedicated teachers from nine different schools that created these excellent posters."...

LINCOLN -- Nebraska students are being rewarded for their work at the polls during the primary and general elections in 2012. Their names were selected by the Secretary of State's office and the Nebraska Bankers Association to receive a $50 savings bond...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A plea agreement was reached with a McCook man last week in Red Willow County District Court that reduced a fifth offense drunk driving charge to fourth offense and dismissed a charge of driving with a revoked driver's license. The offender, 53-year-old Marvin D. Mueller of 200 East C Street, accepted a similar plea agreement in April which reduced what was pursued then as a third offense drunk driving charge to a second offense...

McCook, Nebraska, Toy Box "elf" Jim Sailors passes a bike to Toy Box volunteer Stephanie Lopez during Toy Box preparations Tuesday morning. Bikes and trikes of all sizes and colors will be available for Santa's distribution at the 31st annual toy and bike give-away Sunday, at 1 p.m., in the McCook City Auditorium, West Fifth and C streets. ...

Cautious of a jolly, bearded man all dressed in red and offering candy, Cooper Roth accepts a candy cane, but quickly heads back to Mom's safe arms. Cooper, the two-year-old son of Heather and Mike Roth of Milliken, Colorado, and his cousin, Brody Lytle, the three-year-old son of Jeff and Nikki Lytle of McCook, recently visited Santa Claus at the Museum of the High Plains in McCook. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Red Willow County, Nebraska surveyor told county commissioners Monday morning that a proposed subdivision north of McCook on West Third is less of a "subdivision" and more of a "lot split." Gary Dicenta said that "Hill's Place Subdivision" -- on the west side of County Road 385 starting about one-half mile south of the four-way intersection north of McCook on West Third -- "is not a true subdivision and more of a lot split because it's been split before" for a previous sale, and of the 21 acres remaining and now separated into two blocks after the first split, only about 5.85 acres are suitable for construction.. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The half of Red Willow County, Nebraska's bridges inspected in 2012 have no major structural concerns, the county's surveyor told county commissioners Monday morning. The county has about 44 bridges, half of which are inspected on a yearly rotating cycle. Many of those inspected this year are of concrete construction or are box culverts...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook High School band will have some extra money in its account for band uniforms, thanks to Wagner Ford in McCook and the Ford Motor Co. The McCook School Board of Education received with gratitude the $6,240 check from the "Ford Drive 4UR School" program and Wagner Ford in McCook, at is regular meeting Monday night...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- If water is to run in a Republican River augmentation pipeline by June 2013, bids for construction of the pipeline will need to be opened by Jan. 3. The Nebraska Cooperative Republican-Platte Enhancement Project -- N-CORPE -- board approved the bid-letting process to build about 17 miles of pipelines from recently-purchased farmland in southern Lincoln County to the Republican and Platte rivers at a meeting Dec. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Red Willow County, Nebraska, county attorney Paul Wood told county commissioners Monday morning he plans foreclosure sales most likely in April. Commission chairman Earl McNutt and county treasurer Marlene Garcia each said they've had inquiries about purchasing properties whose owners haven't paid their real estate taxes or assessments for at least two years...

Courtney Williams, a para-professional at McCook, Nebraska, Public Schools rearranges ride-on toys as she and other Santa's "elves" prepare for the community's 31st annual "Christmas Toy Box" give-away Sunday, at 1 p.m., in the McCook City Auditorium at West Fifth and C streets. ...

CHEYENNE, Wyoming -- Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. plans a holiday open house on from 7 a.m to 9 a.m. Wednesday. The celebration will be held at the McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport, 1100 Airport Rd in McCook. Great Lakes would like to invite the public to join them and learn about their service from McCook to Denver. Attendees may also enter to win two round-trip tickets on Great Lakes Airlines. Refreshments will be served...

While some of us are wondering whether Washington can keep us from falling over the fiscal cliff, others are keeping an eye on the supposed Dec. 21, 2012, end of the Mayan Calendar or even assigning significance to Wednesday's unique "12-12-12" date...

Gee why didn't I think of that myself? Great idea. Appeals to an old time proven frugality that says make the best use of what you already have. Yep, a friend posed the question after observing the college modifying True Hall into a bus barn. He asked "Why not convert the City Auditorium into the County Jail"? Great idea. ...