Stories from Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Earle D. Niermeier June 8, 1928 - Sept. 7, 2013 HAYS, Kansas -- Earle D. Niermeier died Saturday (Sept. 7, 2013), at Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kansas. He was born June 8, 1928, to Fred and Sophie (Holste) Niermeier west of Ludell, Kansas. He attended Atwood High School and graduated in 1946. He married Dorothy Ann Samson on Dec. 26, 1948...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- "WINGS of H.O.P.E." Christian support group will meet Friday, Sept. 13, from 1-2 p.m. at the United Methodist Church in McCook. The group will meet in the church library and welcomes Dr. Todd Hinze from Hinz Chiropratic. He will speak on acupuncture and chiropractic methods...

Marilyn Milbauer, right, president of Royal Neighbors of America, Chapter 862, and Cathy McDowell, CASA program director (Court Appointed Special Advocates) inspect the teddy bears RNA is donating to CASA. McDowell said that the CASA bears are special because "It's so nice to give the children something brand new, just for them, and the bears are a great ice-breaker." Milbauer, who reports that RNA has been donating the bears for more than nine years, concurred, saying, "They give children a sense of comfort and stability while they go through difficult transitions.". ...

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...

THE FIRST MCC MOVIE NIGHT: of the semester will take place with the late movies Tuesday at the Fridley theaters in Westview Plaza. With an MCC identification card, students and staff can attend the late movies for $2. Movies include: "The Butler" at 9:05 p.m., "We're the Millers" at 9:10 p.m. and "Red 2" at 9 p.m......

CURTIS, Nebraska --Local mental health programs featured during September's Suicide Prevention Awareness month will include a panel discussion for the public and college students this Friday, said Dottie Evans, adjunct instructor with the University of Nebraska-Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- McCook Public Library added new items in August. ADULT FICTION Courageous -- Palmer Fifth Grave Past the Light -- Jones Best Kept Secret -- Archer The Magician's Assistant -- Patchett True Love -- Deveraux The Ophelia Cut -- Lescroart...

The late summer colors include these vivid hives west of Wilsonville, Nebraska. Photographer Roxy Lang captured this shot Sept. 2, using these settings: f/4, 1/200, iso500, 70mm. The McCook Gazette would love to showcase your weather photos. Readers can contribute to our daily weather page, subject to space and color availability, by emailing photos to editor2@ocsmccook.com or bringing them into the Gazette offices at West First and E Streets. ...

Like it or not, the Affordable Care Act -- "Obamacare" -- is the law, but don't let scammers take advantage of the confusion. Three weeks from today, Oct. 1, new insurance exchanges will open where consumers can purchase different levels of health plans based on common pricing. By Jan. 1, uninsured individuals and families must have "minimum essential coverage" or face annual penalties that increase every year until 2016...

Autumn leaves will soon be turning and I am turning back some calendar pages to 1995. I was on a bus with a tour group in Israel. Our bus stopped at Golan Heights, a strip of land bordering Israel and Syria. (Golan Heights was captured by Israel from Syria on June 10, 1967.) An eight-foot-high barbed wire fence separated the two countries. A U.N. soldier from Austria stood guard. There were tanks nearby...

I think that it was Baxter Black who wrote of things worth keeping. He mentioned aging parents, dogs with failing hips and a few other things that I agree with but can't remember. Whoever that sentimental author may have been he did however leave out one important thing that stirs the hearts of old pilots. That being favorite airplanes that we once flew but are no longer operational...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Red Willow County Commissioners adopted a budget Monday that asks about $100,000 more from taxpayers than last year and reduces the levy from about .44 cents per $100 valuation last year to about .41 in the 2013-14 budget. The total budget dropped from $25.7 million in 2012-13 to $23 million for the coming year, but most of that decline can be attributed to carryover funds from the McCook North federal aid project, East 11th Street, which was budgeted last year but not used...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Higher property valuations and less money used for teacher retirement buyouts resulted in the 2013-14 budget for the McCook School district coming in lower than last year's by about half a million dollars. After the open hearing Monday night for the budget that preceded the regular meeting, the McCook School Board approved the 2013-14 district budget and the property tax request of $6,437,198.94...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Although legal issues prevent McCook Public Schools from donating property for a skate park, supporters will continue to research the issue. The "Build McCook a Skate Park" group had hoped that the skate park could be built on donated property owned by the school district, in an area west of the high school and the YMCA. The issue had been discussed by the McCook School Board Facilities Committee, with an action item placed on Monday's agenda for the donation...

IMPERIAL, Nebraska -- Mid-Plains Community College's Imperial Extended Campus will offer a Republican River Valley history tour in September. An informational session will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, followed by a traveling tour from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- McCook Community College has named its new dean of students. Brian Obert, of Fort Collins, Colo., will take over his new duties Oct. 2. Obert was raised in Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. After high school he served in the U.S. Navy for four years, then went on to receive a bachelor's degree in history from Colorado State University, a master's in Student Affairs also from CSU, and most recently received his doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Texas at Austin.. ...

Warbirds always draw a crowd when they stop for fuel at McCook's Ben Nelson Regional Airport, like this B-25J did Monday on its way back to Texas. The land-based Mitchell gained fame as the improvised mount for Gen. Jimmy Doolittle's raiders, who took off from an aircraft carrier to bomb Tokyo not long after Pearl Harbor. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Dumpster diving and phone scams were among the topics discussed during this morning's Coffee with a Cop meeting at McDonald's. McCook Police Sergeant Kevin Darling, while visiting with a citizen concerned about individuals "dumpster diving' in their alley, said typically those looking through dumpsters are searching for cans to recycle and weren't breaking any laws...

GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska -- On Friday Sept. 13, The Grand Island Independent will be webcasting the McCook Bison football game with Grand Island Northwest. The game will be live streamed using multiple cameras with two announcers on the paper's website, www.theindependent.com...

The Labor Day holiday is now behind us, marking the traditional end of summer and the beginning of a new school year for students. As students head back to the classroom, Nebraskans should be aware of several resources and opportunities available through my office...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Through the month of September, Great Lakes Airlines will collect non-perishable food items at the Great Lakes counter at McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport for the "Flyin' 4 Food" campaign. All donations will benefit the McCook Food Pantry. Every time at least one non-perishable food item is donated, you will be eligible to enter the weekly drawing for one free round trip ticket to Denver. Entries are limited to one entry per person, per week...

TRENTON, Nebraska -- Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department will be offering the Vaccines for Children program at the Trenton Community Building (404 East 1st Street) on Tuesday, Sept. 17, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. SWNPHD will be in Trenton the third Tuesday of every month...

The past few weeks have been a refreshing opportunity for me to travel throughout much of our state and visit with Nebraskans from all walks of life. While I am often required to be in Washington for hearings and votes, I am always energized when I am home meeting with Nebraskans and discussing matters of great importance to folks in the heartland...

Mary Lou Ohrman Aug. 31, 1927 - Sept. 8, 2013 BENKELMAN, Nebraska -- Mary Lou Ohrman passed away Sept. 8, 2013, at her home in Benkleman, Nebraska. She was born Aug. 31, 1927, in Hill City, Kansas, to Mabel (Custine) and Frank R. Brown. Mary Lou attended school in Colby, Kansas, graduating with the class of 1945. ...