Stories from Monday, December 23, 2013

Thomas Douglas Bernard March 3, 1949 - Dec. 20, 2013 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Thomas Douglas Bernard passed away Friday, Dec. 20, 2013, at his home in McCook. He was 64 years old. Tom was born on March 3, 1949, in Yankton, South Dakota, to parents, Douglas A. and Ursula Regina (Smith) Bernard. He graduated from McCook High School in 1967 and then continued his education at Kearney State Teachers College...

Verle Behlke BENKELMN, Nebraska -- Verle Behlke, a longtime resident of Benkelman, died Saturday (Dec. 21, 2013), at the Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. She was 94 years old. Survivors include son, Ted Behlke and wife, Maureen of Benkelman; brother, Marlin Baney of Evans, Colorado; sister-in-law, Barbara Baney of Benkelman; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild...

Lyn Eugene Wiley April 5, 1955, - Dec. 21, 2013 DENVER, Colorado -- Lyn Eugene Wiley, 58, of St Francis, Kansas, died Saturday (Dec. 21, 2013), at Presbyterian St. Luke Hospital in Denver. He was born to Lloyd and Norma (Mudd) Wiley April 5, 1955, at Fort Scott, Kansas...

Bette Grout ATWOOD, Kansas -- Bette Grout, 89, died Sunday (Dec. 22, 2o13), at Rawlins County Health Center in Atwood, Kansas. Services are pending with Pauls Funeral Home.

Delmar Ray Richardson April 22, 1939 - Dec. 19, 2013 BELGRADE, Montana -- Delmar Ray Richardson, 74, of Belgrade, passed away Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013 at his home from natural causes. He was born April 22, 1939, in Wheatland, Wyoming, the seventh child in a family of six boys and three girls to Ben and Gladys (McCartney) Richardson...

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...

Mark Friehe, center, representing Frenchman Valley Coop, presents a check to McCook FFA president, Chance Koetter. Frenchman Valley Coop, along with CoBank, has donated $10,000 to the Nebraska FFA Foundation to support local FFA programming. The donation to the McCook chapter will be used to pay for contest entry fees, transportation, hotels and other expenses that the chapter has each year. ...

OMAHA, Nebraska -- Red Willow County officials attended a two and one half day conference conducted here December 11 -- 13, 2013 for Nebraska county officials. Attendees: Commissioners Steve Downer, Vesta Dack and Earl McNutt, County Clerk Pauletta Gerver, Treasurer Marleen Garcia, Clerk of District Court Beverly Dodge, Zoning Administrator Darcy Eckhardt, Veterans Service Officer Tom Stritt, and Weed Superintendent Bill Elliott...

AUTHOR'S NOTE -- Here's the next installment of the resurrected Morris On Norris column. There's been a lot of feedback and follow-up. generated by a bunch of calls and e-mails I have received. Happy reading. By Gene O. Morris McCook Gazette McCOOK, Nebraska, U.S.A. -- On Saturday night, Dec. 14, 2013, Barbara asked me to go to Fuller's to get her the cook's special: a Ribeye Steak for $16.25. Being a very nice husband, I obliged her...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- On the evening of 12/21/2013, The Red Willow County Sheriff's Office received a complaint of several abandoned dogs that had been discovered on a county road in rural McCook. Deputies assisted by several concerned citizens worked to recover a large number of Shih Tzu mix, and Terriers mix dogs. ...

STRATTON, Nebraska -- Where will Edna go if the Grandview closes? Edna Jessup's future rests in the hands of Stratton-area residents concerned with the future of the Grandview apartments and duplexes and the Hitchcock County Senior Center at the top of the hill on Stratton's main street...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Landscape enthusiasts will have an opportunity to join public works employees and nursery professionals during a local tree care workshop in January covering emerging issues in tree and landscape care. The one-day workshop will include classroom instruction on several topics, including selection of planting sites, pruning and diagnosing problems, as well as outdoor hands-on learning in the afternoon...

The tremendous popularity of McCook's Toy Box giveaway surged forward in 2013, with Santa's Elves counting 697 kids collecting gifts at McCook Memorial Auditorium Sunday afternoon. "We started at 1 p.m. and were pretty much wrapped up by 2:30," said Barb Ostrum, chief elf. ...

Volunteers are becoming a precious commodity. Small volunteer fire departments are having a tough time finding personnel who don't have work or family obligations, or physical limitations that prevent them from taking part. Simple demographics -- an aging and declining rural population -- are taking their toll...

During the '30s, my dad worked out an arrangement with a Mr. Riley, of Pierce, who had quite a large herd of Shetland ponies, which he used to pull a Christmas sleigh, for holiday promotions in towns throughout Northeast Nebraska. Mr. Riley, of course, was dressed in a Santa Claus outfit for these sleigh trips, and he and his ponies were a popular attraction in our area...

HITCHCOCK COUNTY, Nebraska -- A 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 4x4 pickup truck careened out of control Saturday morning, December 21, carrying the driver across rough, sagebrush-covered rangeland before plunging into Dry Creek and ejecting the driver, who perished as a result of the crushing ride...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources notified the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Monday that all water being held in Enders Reservoir, Harry Strunk Lake, Harlan County Reservoir, Swanson Lake, and Hugh Butler Lake will be considered legally stored water. The total amount of water being stored in the above-mentioned reservoirs is approximately 14,000 acre-feet...

Fay Irene (Shreffler) Jefferies-Sherriff July 3, 1919 - Dec. 22, 2013 STRATTON, Nebraska -- Fay Irene (Shreffler) Jefferies-Sherriff went to be with her heavenly Father on Dec. 22, 2013, at Grandview Retirement Center in Stratton. She was 94 years old...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- More than 1,500 student received degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in ceremonies Dec. 20-21. UNL awarded postgraduate degrees on Dec. 20 and baccalaureate degrees on Dec. 21 in ceremonies at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The College of Law conducted a separate ceremony on Dec. 20 at Ross McCollum Hall...