Stories from Thursday, February 7, 2013

Movies about mental illness are often tricky. The human mind and how it functions (and how it malfunctions) is a deep and continuously unfolding mystery, even in these more enlightened days. Films that portray those who are mentally ill -- even ones with the best of intentions -- often end up focusing on (and even exploiting to some degree) the fall-out from an outburst without dealing with the build-up to it, or noticing that there are people who must live with both parts...

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...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Southwest Nebraska Habitat for Humanity board reports that the annual pecan fundraiser is going well, with only about 50 pounds of pecans left at $10 per pound. Gary Wiemers is the contact person for pecans. Also, during the monthly meeting, the group began making plans for a 5K run in the spring...

KEARNEY, Nebraska -- Red Willow County, Nebraska commissioners Earl McNutt, Steve Downer and Vesta Dack; county clerk Pauletta Gerver; and county zoning administrator Darcy Eckhardt attended a 2 1/2-day conference for county officials and employees Dec. 12-14 in Kearney...

Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette UNK Honor Band McCook, Nebraska, Senior High band students who performed with the University of Nebraska at Kearney Department of Music and Performing Arts 2013 Honor Band and Festival Band Jan. 28 were: (front row, from left) Megan Wilson, flute, Honor Band, daughter of John and Kari Sheffield; and Katelyn Kinne, clarinet, Honor Band, daughter of Dawn and Larry Kinne. ...

Danny and Dawn Cribbs have shoveled, swept, and walked on this sidewalk square for more than 10 years yet these footprints, left by a child and a small dog, were only revealed in the long shadows created by the late afternoon sun Wednesday. It's a wonder the child only got one footprint in and the dog two, before someone scolded them away from the freshly poured concrete on or around April 12, 1945, according to the stamped date just to the right of the footprints. ...

Why is it, that whatever I do or we have isn't good enough? As a mom, it seems that if I did it, made it, or bought it, it's never as good as someone else's mom's. For example, the other night I finally sat down, after getting badgered about four days, and made my 6-year-old a Valentine's box for school. ...

The next two objects on our easy-to-find list are the "Belt of Orion," and the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius. By now we should all be familiar with the hourglass shape of our old friend Orion with the three stars across the middle for a belt and the three objects that look like stars hanging down from it like a sword...

Nebraska got its start thanks to the railroad, and transportation continues to be a key industry, whether its rail, highway, air, or, along the state's eastern border, even river. And, it's a bright spot in the current economy, with the American Association of Railroads announcing Wednesday that major freight railroads expect to hire 11,000 people and invest $13 billion in their rail networks and equipment this year...

It's clear where the moisture goes when it's frozen out of the winter air -- it forms the frost on trees and windows.

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Safety and respect will be top considerations when construction starts on the new Red Willow County jail in McCook, Nebraska, this spring. At a pre-bid conference Wednesday afternoon for contractors interested in bidding on the $5.1 million 24-bed jail project, Bill Barritt of Norfolk, Beckenhauer Construction's senior project manager said, "We won't sacrifice safety for the schedule. Everyone goes home safe at the end of the day."...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Wednesday's legislative session at the Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska, saw extensive testimony focusing on Gov. Dave Heineman's proposed tax changes, while another topic was nearly as effective at stimulating speakers. According to Sen. Mark Christensen two rooms were also filled with speakers wanting to testify on father's and grandparent's rights...

CURTIS, Nebraska -- Sometimes, Norma Lashley, president of BSB Construction, will get a phone call from someone asking to speak "to the man in charge." "I say, you're talking to him," she laughed. As a female in the predominately male field of construction, she's had her share of bias but in January, she was elected as the first woman president of the Nebraska chapter of the Land Improvement Contractors of America, (NLICA), the first time in the chapter's 50-year history...

CULBERTSON, Nebraska -- The new "Hillside Perk" serves breakfast, lunch and take-and-bakes. The menu at the new cafe at the top of the hill in Culbertson, Nebraska, has several unique-sounding offerings -- "Coffee Cake of the Day," "Switch Juice," "French Toast Dippers." And, yes, "Take 'N' Bakes."...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Defendants in several area burglary cases appeared Monday in Red Willow County District Court. A plea agreement was reached with one of two men charged in connection with several area burglaries that occurred in November, while his alleged accomplice entered a not guilty plea, Monday...

For far too long, the federal government's reach has extended more and more into the everyday lives of citizens and businesses across Nebraska. Constituents often share with me, both in my office and as I travel the state, that we have got to get to work cutting all of the red tape coming out of Washington...

McCook High School's basketball teams were successful on both ends of the annual East-West Shootout Thursday, Feb. 7. The third quarter was key for both McCook victories. The Bison boys outscored Alliance 22-11 in the third period to help McCook claim a 60-42 win at the McCook Senior High gym...