Stories from Thursday, January 16, 2014

Shirley L. Jass McCOOK, Nebraska -- Shirley L. Jass of McCook passed away Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2014, at Community Hospital. She was 83 years old. Shirley was born in Mason City, Iowa, and was adopted by parents, Edward and Hazel (Kirby) Schaffer. She graduated from Mason City High School...

Doris Eileen Neal March 24, 1930 - Jan. 13, 2014 TRYON, Nebraska -- Doris Eileen Neal, 83, formerly of Tyron, passed away Jan. 13, 2014, at Linden Court. She was born March 24, 1930, in North Platte to Hugh and Louelva Connell Priest. Doris grew up in Hooker County on her parent's ranch. Doris lived her entire life in the Sandhills area, except for one year when at age four, her family lived in California. She attended a one-room school house in Hooker County...

Margaret A. (Gatterer) Conroy LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Margaret A. (Gatterer) Conroy, 80, of Lincoln, formerly of Greeley, Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and rural McCook, Nebraska, passed away on Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. She was a member of Saint Paul United Methodist Church...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) today announced she has nominated Connor Russell of Curtis, along with 22 other students throughout Nebraska, to attend the nation's military service academies. "I am proud of the talented group of students from across the state who applied for a nomination to one of our nation's military service academies this year," said Fischer. ...

PERU, Nebraska -- Peru State College today released the names of students who earned a place on the Dean's List for the fall 2013 semester. To make the Dean's List, students must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher for the semester, have completed at least 12 college credit hours during the past semester and have no incomplete grades 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 -- A former McCook Work Ethic Camp inmate who escaped the facility this summer, before being apprehended a few months later in Wyoming, pleaded guilty to felony theft and escape charges Monday in Red Willow County District Court. The offender, 21-year-old Drew Steier, pleaded guilty to a pair of Class III felony charges for escape and theft by unlawful taking. Steier was subsequently scheduled for sentencing at 10 a.m. on March 3, 2014...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- City of McCook firefighters responded to a fire at Valmont Industries Wednesday that was traced back to a trash bin located in the southeast corner of the building. Damage was contained to the trash bin, a nearby wall and some electrical components located next to the trash bin...

Four McCook Elementary kindergartners pause on the playground long enough to try and brush their hair out of their faces -- fighting a losing battle against sustained winds of 35-40 miles an hour this morning. Forecasters predicted gusts up to 65-70 miles an hour before the day was done. Mrs. Bev Klein's short-haired girls, or those in braids, had it made today. Her long-haired students are, from left, Paige Broomfield, Nevaeh Hughes, Joslynn Parks and Kaylee Hunter. 0...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Road officials may tinker with turning lanes entering several businesses bordering U.S. Highway 83, but otherwise indicate it should be a quiet summer for the McCook area pertaining to road construction projects. Nebraska Department of Roads District 7 Engineer Kurt Vosburg visited with citizens during a Coffee with a Cop meeting Tuesday at McDonald's. ...

It may start as a lark in elementary school, copying test answers from your neighbor because you played video games instead of studying for the test the night before. Then maybe you find a way to cut corners when taking your driving test, or passing a college class you don't really care about, anyway...

Recently, I got the privilege to learn some very valuable relaxation techniques from a local professional, who's also a mother of three. In her presentation, she referred to the phrase "monkey brain," when your brain is thinking of 100 different things all at the same time, all cylinders firing at once, never focusing on one task at a time...

The windmill and flags in Bob and Carol Stensvad's front yard in McCook, Nebraska, are pushed to their speed limits Thursday afternoon by winds that gusted up to 60 miles an hour. Forecasters warned of reduced visibility caused by blowing dust.

OBERLIN, Kansas -- At 3:45, the Kansas Department of Transportation closed U.S. 83 from Oberlin south to the K-383 junction in Decatur County. Other roads in Northwest Kansas are currently closed: K-27 from Goodland to the Kansas/Nebraska state line due to high winds and poor visibility...