Stories from Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Donald E. Monasmith Aug. 10, 1933 - May 6, 2014 IMPERIAL, Neb. -- Donald Eugene Monasmith was born on Aug. 10, 1933, to Ruth (Pribbeno) and Marion Monasmith in Haxtun, Colorado. His family lived in the Lamar Community until the fall of 1947, when a tornado hit and the family relocated to the Crete community southwest of Champion. ...

Cynthia K. Lewis Dec. 4, 1962 - July 7, 2014 GRAND ISLAND, Neb. -- Cynthia K. Lewis, 51, of Trenton, Nebraska, died Monday, July 7, 2014, at Wedgewood Care Center, Grand Island. Services will be 10 a.m (MST). Friday, July 11, 2014, at Wesleyan Church in Syracuse, Kansas, with the Rev. Joe Gould officiating. Burial will be in Hamilton County Cemetery in Syracuse, Kansas. Memorials are suggested to the family. Apfel Funeral Home in Grand Island, Nebraska, is in charge of arrangements...

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...

80th birthday The family of Gwen Lee of McCook, formerly of Danbury, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday July 14. Her family includes son, Darryl and wife, Carolyn; granddaughters, Jessica and husband, Ken Thomas, Angela and husband, Mike Hitt, Christina and friend, Toby Hayden; and six great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulatins will reach her at 607 West G, McCook, NE 69001...

Five horsewomen compete Sunday, July 13 for the title of Southwest Nebraska Rodeo Queen and Junior Queen during horsemanship Sunday at the Kiplinger Arena in McCook, Nebraska. The new royalty will be revealed during the Red Willow County rodeo on Saturday, July 26. Those riding through horsemanship patterns were, clockwise from upper left: Desarae Balderston of McCook; Taytum Dickman of Elwood and Caitlin Hasenauer of Sutherland, Sadie Smutney of Meadow Grove and Chessney Friehe of Culbertson...

CONNIE JO DISCOE Regional Editor McCOOK, Neb. -- Sawing isn't Myra's thing. Dan's quite a woodworker, but his preference isn't to paint. However, Myra, Paul and Rosie like to paint. And Rosie's good with social media. So, the "barn quilt" idea that Myra's uncle sold the Stoney family on several years ago capitalizes on the individual talents of each member of the Stoney family, and designing, creating and selling barn quilts has turned into a family affair for the rural McCook family...

We all need to clean out the closets once in a while, and garage sales -- like the community-wide garage sale planned for McCook's Crazy Days next week -- are a good way to accomplish that task. Unfortunately for the compulsive collectors among us, that's also a good way to fill the closets back up, but that's another problem entirely...

Where are they now? We sometimes wonder what happened to people we know. When I was coaching high school tennis at McCook High School I met a young man who played tennis on the Grand Island High School tennis team. He was very polite, honest, was quite mature, and had a great attitude. His name is Jeff Schmahl. Many of the readers may remember Jeff as the sports announcer for KOLN/KGIN TV in Lincoln for many years...

Seems we have another so-called "Super Moon" coming up. The question now comes, is that important or not. Personally, I lean toward the idea that it is not ... important that is. First off, what exactly is a "Super Moon?" The term "Super Moon" does not have an astronomical background. It was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle more than 30 years ago and has only recently come into prominence. Before that the term was totally unknown to astronomers...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Options for public transportation in Southwest Nebraska continue to decrease as a local inter-city shuttle service warns it may discontinue operations in the near future. The revelation comes as the McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport struggles to provide reliable air service due to federal changes to pilot requirements...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A benefit meal and silent auction to help meet Rex Solomon's medical expenses will be 6 p.m. Sunday, July 13 at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds Community Building. Hamburgers, hot dogs and other dishes will be served. Donations are also being accepted at First Central Bank, 904 North Highway 83, P.O. Box 1297, McCook, NE 69001; make checks payable to "Hope for Rex."...