Stories from Thursday, April 3, 2014

I'm not sure why I do it or which side of the my extended family I should blame for making me this way but for cheap entertainment, I like to change the words of beautifully innocent songs and make them gross and funny, keeping the same melody of course...

Whenever I speak with Nebraskans looking for work, they always tell me one thing: they want a good-paying job so they can provide for themselves and for their families. Rather than holding back economic progress with an outdated tax code, burdensome regulations, and government-driven uncertainty, Congress should pass policies that actually help the unemployed obtain good-paying jobs...

V. Howard Mace Jr. May 6, 1926 - April 1, 2014 McCOOK, Nebraska -- V. Howard Mace Jr., age 87, passed away at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook on Tuesday, April 1, 2014. He was born in Orleans to Verne H. and Pansy (Decker) Mace on May 6, 1926. Howard, at age 17, served his country in World War II in the U.S. ...

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. Activity log These items are taken from reports filed by the McCook Police Department. The locations refer to block numbers, not specific addresses. If you have information about any of these reports, call the police department at (308) 345-3450...

The annual citizenship program, sponsored by the Nebraska American Legion, is designed to provide youths with a better understanding of how city, county and state governments operate. Each boy is sponsored locally by an organization, such as an American Legion Post, or by some other patriotic, civic, fraternal or religious group in cooperation with the local American Legion Post...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Red Willow County is gearing up for what will be the most contested sheriff race in the past three decades, if not longer, with four local law enforcement officers vying for the office. As the number of yard signs rallying support for local candidates increases, county residents may be surprised to know more than a third of registered voters will be unable to cast a vote in the coming sheriff race...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- State legislators planned to debate a controversial bill today which intends to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. The bill, LB 485, advanced out of committee recently and Sen. Mark Christensen said many senators have been misled by the bill's introducer, Sen. Danielle Conrad...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport boarded two passengers for the month of March and ended the first quarter of 2014 at an 86 percent decrease, when compared to prior year. A total of 54 commercial passengers were boarded during the first three months of 2014 at the McCook airport, falling well short of the 412 boarded during the same time period last year...

McCook Community College's Phi Theta Kappa plans a fund-raising "smash-a-thon" -- similar to McCook Senior High's several years ago -- Tuesday, April 15, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., in the east parking lot of the MCC Event Center. "Smashers" armed with sledge hammers can pledge a certain amount of money per swing, or donate a maximum of $25. Proceeds from the smash-a-thon will help PTK members attend the Phi Theta Kappa national conference...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Heritage Antique Tractor Club, EDGE & TA Branch No. 238, will sponsor an antique tractor show, swap meet and rodeo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at the Kiplinger Arena on the Red Willow County Fairgrounds, West 5th and O in McCook...

"Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't after you," wrote Joseph Heller in "Catch-22." A little paranoia is understandable in light of revelations about the National Security Agency, and Cuba has a long history of justified suspicion when it comes to its neighbor to the north...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Proceeds from a silent auction -- won by Lori Ruggles of rural McCook -- will go to 5-year-old Abby Sedlacek, the daughter of Brad and Korey Sedlacek of McCook who was diagnosed with leukemia on May 9, 2013. Brad, who works at Plains Equipment Group, which sponsored the fund raiser, said that Abby is doing very well, undergoing chemotherapy treatments at Childrens Hospital in Omaha once every four weeks. She also takes oral chemo at home...