Stories from Monday, April 1, 2013

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Dundy County-Stratton, Quinter and Hitchcock County topped all schools Wednesday claiming academic division titles at the annual inter-high day competition on the McCook Community College campus. These schools bested 16 others vying for top academic honors in 28 categories and more than $20,000 in scholarship at the Wednesday event, which in addition to testing showcased MCC's academic programs with tours and demonstrations...

IMPERIAL, Nebraska -- Students from first through sixth grades are encouraged to register for the 15th year of S.C.O.R.E (Science Camps Offer Rewarding Experiences) camp activities that focus on kids and "tri-science" -- life, earth and physical sciences...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The senior site superintendent of Red Willow County's jail construction project Monday morning opened two bids for the concrete footings and foundation of the $5.1 million, 24-bed jail. Carl Gibbs, of Bartley, and commissioners reviewed the bids, and Gibbs will forward them to Beckenhauer Construction, whose officials will return Monday, April 8, with a recommendation for the concrete package and a "GMP," the guaranteed maximum price over which construction costs will not go...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The 27-member Oberlin Area Concert Band will present a concert at the Fox Theater at 3 p.m. Sunday The concert will feature a trombone trio of Jim Garretson of McCook, Matt Barnes of Oberlin and Lonnie Weyeneth of Danbury and an alto sax solo by Joan Glading of Oberlin...

Trisha Lavery of Cambridge used her iPod to catch one of the first lightning strikes of the season Friday night. The storm dropped only .03 of an inch of rain in McCook, but spawned a tornado near Sutherland.

Announcements by perennial candidates like Don Stenberg are always suspect, but the state treasurer's release touting Nebraska's top 10 ranking for providing online access to government spending data could be a game changer, provided taxpayer advocates and proponents of responsible government use it correctly...

In March, 1884, Frank Kimmel of the Tribune felt compelled to offer an update on the progress of McCook, which at that time was still three months shy of celebrating its second birthday. Almost from the beginning of McCook, the Tribune's Editor and the Editor of the Indianola newspaper had been trading almost weekly pot shots at one another. ...

One of the best parts of my job is visiting different communities across Nebraska when the Senate breaks as I did last week. I am always greeted with warm welcomes. Our state's great sense of community is on magnificent display in town after town, whether it is neighbors pitching in to help comfort firefighters battling grass fires, or volunteers hosting a fundraiser for the local food bank...

LifeTeam critical care transport representatives and fellow McCook Area Chamber of Commerce members gather in front of the LifeTeam base of operations at McCook airport for a ribbon cutting ceremony, Thursday morning. LifeTeam membership development representative Chanel Choitz holds the wooden scissors as director of program development Michael Johnson, left, and flight paramedic Joe Wiebold, right, hold the ribbon...

NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- North Platte Community College hosted its annual Inter-High Scholastic Competition and TECH-Knowledge & Skills Discovery Day on Wednesday at the North and South Campuses of the college. Students from 29 area schools took nearly 900 tests in the Inter-High Scholastic competition. In the TECH-Knowledge and Skills competition, 109 students represented 20 high schools...

The geese at Barnett Park soak up some rays later in the day March 18 at one of the ponds in Barnett Park, even though the high that day only reached 52 degrees by 4 p.m. Mary Pate of McCook used these settings to get the shot: 1/200; 100mm; F/8.0; ISO 100. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) invites area realtors and contractors to radon presentations by Mark Versch, Environmental Health Analyst for the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services on Wednesday, April 10th...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Detailing the majesty, the horror and the love told in the story of the crucifixion of the Christ, the annual Community Lenten series, sponsored by the Red Willow County Ministerial Association, came to a close Friday with the reading of the Good Friday liturgy at Memorial United Methodist Church...