Stories from Wednesday, January 15, 2014

McCOOK, Nebraska -- World class triathlete Lincoln Murdoch of Omaha, Nebraska, will be the guest speaker at the annual "Project 31" banquet in McCook, Nebraska, on Friday, Jan. 31 at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds Community Building. Project 31 is in its fifth year, encouraging men each year -- throughout the 31 days of January -- to create a new forever habit of taking time for devotions each and every day. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Internet is saving time for teachers at Central Elementary. Superintendent Grant Norgaard noted at the regular McCook School Board meeting Monday night that technology was put to good use with the recent online "book talks" that Central Elementary teachers participated in...

McCook, Nebraska -- Registration is still open for the Women's Winter Retreat, "How Jesus Sets Us Free From Idol Lies" featuring national author and speaker, Dee Brestin, the last weekend in January. Retreat activities, sponsored by the McCook Evangelical Free Church, begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 24 with a one-hour concert featuring the 4Hyms. Refreshments will be served following the concert from 8 to 8:30 p.m...

One of the great things about the Internet is that you can find information about any subject. One of the terrible things about the Internet is that you can find information to support whatever opinion or prejudice you have about any subject. A subject as mundane as a morning beverage becomes the topic of spirited debate in industries like the news business that operate on caffeine as much as on electricity...

Catching up on a few things. Lawmakers mourned the loss of former colleague Jennie Robak, who was struck and killed by a car in a grocery store parking lot in Lincoln. The 81-year-old Robak represented the Columbus area from 1989 to 2003. The feisty Democrat was the mother of six children, including former Lieutenant Governor Kim Robak who presided over the Legislature for six years while her mother was a state senator...

If you are a night owl, or in this case a morning owl, this is a good week to follow the moon from the evening into the morning hours. Today, Wednesday, Jan. 15, the moon is full and will be below the bright planet Jupiter between the constellations Gemini and Cancer. Best time to view is about 7 p.m. local time...

Kay Yvonne (Lebsack) Berg May 17, 1937 - Jan. 10, 2014 ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico -- Kay Yvonne (Lebsack) Berg died Jan. 10, 2014, at Albuquerque. She was born May 17, 1937, to Hubert P. Vodenhal and Mary (Cox) Vodenhal Mackey in McCook, Nebraska. She graduated from McCook High School and attended McCook Junior College, studying bookkeeping and art...

HAYS, Kansas -- Local students from Nebraska are among the 1,111 students named by deans at Fort Hays State University, in Hays, to the Deans honor roll for the fall 2013 semester. The list includes undergraduate students only. To be eligible, students must have enrolled in 12 or more credit hours and have a minimum grade point average of 3.60 for the semester...

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 -- McCook School Board officers from last year retained their positions for 2014. Tom Bredvick, Sandy Krysl and Teresa Thomas were nominated and ran unopposed for the offices of president, vice president and secretary, respectively...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Replacing the bleachers in the high school gym will cost a little more than $100,000, but half of that will be picked up by the McCook Bison Booster Club. The McCook School unanimously approved Monday night at the regular meeting the lowest bid received for replacing the bleachers, at $103,285 from Interkal of Kalamazoo, Michigan, aka Heartland Seating Inc. Another bid was submitted from Mid-States School Equipment Co. Inc. of Sioux Falls, South Dakota...

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado -- Stunned residents of the McCook area couldn't believe it Monday when word started spreading on the Internet that Terry Malcom has been accused of stealing more than $1 million over the course of a decade from the Cascade Metro and Arabian Acres Metro water districts in Teller County, Colorado...

Jerry Cox May 15, 1941 - Jan. 13, 2014 PARKS, Nebraska -- Jerome Wayne Cox was born on May 15, 1941, in Imperial, Nebraska, to Donald W. and Madeline M. (Dixon) Cox. Jerry grew up on his parent's farm 18 miles south of Imperial, located in Dundy County. Jerry went to grade school at Hiawatha Country School and graduated from Chase County High School. After high school, Jerry went to McCook Community College and while there he played on their football team...