Stories from Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Be prepared. It's the old Boy Scout motto, but it's good advice whatever your age or gender. We do what we can to prepare for whatever eventuality, whether it's buckling up in our car, locking the door at night, or buying health, life and property insurance...

87th birthday The family of Ed Geier of Culbertson, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of his 87th birthday.He was born March 27, 1927, in Duncan, Nebraska. His family includes Rod and Pam Ochsner of Culbertson, Phil and Teresa Pierce of Ogallala, Nebraska, Mike and Laurie Geier of North Platte, Nebraska, Randy and Kathy Geier of Wauneta, Nebraska, nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach him at 32 Yacht Club Estates, Ogallala, NE 69153...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department is coordinating its annual TOUCAN events at area schools this week, visiting McCook Elementary Monday and Tuesday. The program, Teaching Our yoUth Choices, Activities and Nutrition, focuses on teaching kindergarten through third-graders topics such as proper eating habits and how physical activity relates to calorie consumption...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- MNB Student of the Month Scholarship finalists and their families were recognized at the fourth annual MNBScholarship Banquet and Ceremony on March 18 in McCook. The $500 tuition scholarships were awarded to Andrea Wach of Hayes Center High School and Bryn Carriker of McCook High School...

HAYS, KANSAS. -- Four Southwest students were among students from 14 Nebraska counties who were recognized for the scholarships they have been awarded from Fort Hays State University at the recent Student Recognition Program in Holdrege. The annual Holdrege SRP serves students from Adams, Buffalo, Dawson, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Gosper, Hall, Harlan, Kearney, Lincoln, Phelps, Red Willow and Webster counties...

KEARNEY -- The Xi Phi Chapter of Mortar Board at the University of Nebraska at Kearney has named its 27 new members who will be initiated in a ceremony April 11 at the Museum of Nebraska Art. They include Lindsey Eubanks of Cambridge and Jonathan Hess of Imperial...

OMAHA, Nebraska -- A total of 122 senior medical students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha received their residency assignments today during a Match Day ceremony held on campus, with four from Southwest Nebraska. A residency is a training program for newly graduated medical students in the medical area of their choice. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A McCook man received prison time earlier this month stemming from a 2013 assault and stabbing of his then-girlfriend. The offender, 38-year-old Christian R. Schaffert, was sentenced to 24-72 months in state prison after bing convicted of a Class IIIA felony of second degree domestic assault and a Class IV felony for possession of methamphetamine...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The fourth of five accused burglars, charged in connection with a 2010 break-in at the City of McCook Transfer Station, was sentenced to probation earlier this month. The sentencing of 21-year-old Adam H. Rawn of Indianola to 18 months probation leaves only 38-year-old Timothy D. McMains remaining in the court system, of the five originally accused of the transfer station crime...

City of McCook, Nebraska, firefighters respond to a report of heavy smoke at Mac's Drive-In on West B Street in McCook at 6:30 a.m., today. They quickly doused the fire they discovered in an outside trash receptacle.

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Theresea Reeves never had the chance to take an art class in high school. She tried tole painting, but admits that was probably 30 years ago. She's making up for lost time now as a non-traditional art student at McCook Community College and her frenetic pace is energizing the art department...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The owner of a dog reported to have attacked three people in November, before turning its aggression on a responding police officer who shot the animal, was ordered to pay $870 in fines as a result of the incident. The dog owner, 33-year-old Nikki L. Lytle of 803 E. Sixth Street, was convicted in February on a total of six criminal offenses stemming from the incident...

Seven-year-old Beckett Heskett of rural McCook, Nebraska, and his grandpa Tom McConville discuss favorite tractors during the McCook Chamber of Commerce's annual "Ag Appreciation Breakfast" this morning on the fairgrounds in McCook. Beckett and his dad, Adam, agreed that while Beckett really does likes red tractors, the best tractor is the green tractor that he will inherit from Great-Grandpa Adair Myers -- a 4020 John Deere with a dozer blade. ...

"But how am I ever going to use this in life!?" Many a parent has heard that lament, or uttered the cry himself, while in the throes of completing a science homework assignment Science, technology, engineering and math -- they don't call them the "hard" sciences for nothing. Unlike other so-called sciences, social and political come to mind, STEM courses have clear-cut answers to difficult answers, rarely open to interpretation...

Your humble columnist had the pleasure of attending a couple of recent meetings with our U.S. Representative to Congress, the Honorable Adrian Smith. The called meeting was for members of McCook City Council and members of the Airport Advisory Board. Hmm that is the McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport to be proper...

80th birthday The family of Bev Guthrie of Holbrook is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday March 24. She is the mother of Marty, Myron and Lori, the grandmother of seven grandkids and the great-grandmother of nine grandkids. Cards of congratulations will reach her at PO Box 215, Holbrook, NE 68948...