Stories from Thursday, May 15, 2014

McCOOK, Neb. --Growing up in a small community has its advantages. Growing up in a small and generous community is even better, noted McCook School Board members at the regular school board meeting Monday night. Board president Tom Bredvick cited the multiple donations the school district recently received from the community for the "Destination Imagination" program, as well as the many other organizations that provided programs and services for McCook's youth. ...

DANBURY, Neb. -- When the church's furnace went bad, it was going to cost $3,500 to replace it. There was $1,000 in the treasury. Then another time, the cesspool went bad. Where was the money going to come from for these expenses? But the church's speaker assured his congregation, "It'll come."...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Cattle producers know that a consistent supply of drinkable water, along with the proper nutritious feeds, are critical to their animals' well-being -- and to the bottom line for their business. However, there can be some serious hazards lurking in that water and food, so knowing about their presence -- and specifically what they are -- can protect ranchers' investments.

McCOOK, Neb. -- School lunch prices will increase by 10 cents next year, as a way to make up for federal reimbursement rates. Prices of school lunches in the McCook School District have been steadily increased the past several years to make up the difference between what the federal government reimburses and what schools charge, Superintendent Grant Norgaard told McCook School Board members at the regular meeting Monday night...

Nothing's as sobering as hearing that you have cancer, but it's not the death sentence it was in years past. American Cancer Society statistics show the death rate from cancer in the United States has declined steadily over the past 20 years. The cancer death rate for men and women, which peaked in 1991, had dropped 20 percent by 2010, the most recent year for which data is available...

So I saw a couple posts on the internet the other day about being careful not to ignore your little kids when they're talking to you, like not staring at your cell phone while they're trying to show you something or zoning out on the t.v. while they're telling a story and so on. ...