Stories from Tuesday, August 12, 2014

McCOOK, Neb. -- A McCook man, arrested last year for what would end up being his fifth drunk driving conviction, was sentenced to jail time last week after being convicted of first offense drunk driving and other charges related to the incident. The offender, 59-year-old Jamie Dack of 609 West E Street Apt. 11, was convicted of first offense DUI, first offense refusal to submit to a chemical test and a Class 4 felony offense for driving on a driver's license already revoked for drunk driving...

Lorri Sughroue McCook Gazette McCOOK, Neb. -- School administrators will now have more leeway in pursuing legitimate excessive absenteeism of students. State law has changed on policy concerning school absences and the McCook School Board Monday night approved a revised policy to reflect this...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Trash and recycling may cost you a little more, but the proposed McCook city budget includes no increase in the tax levy, water or sewer rates. The City Council is considering a $2.50 per month increase to residential trash collection rates in the coming year. The increase would be divided into a $1.50 per month increase to solid waste collection and a $1 per month increase for recycling...

McCOOK, Neb. -- More work will be done on a policy concerning the annual performance review of the McCook School superintendent. With no policy currently in place, the McCook School Board was presented with one Monday night created by the board's policy committee...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The sunshine yellow hotrod is a tribute to the dreams of a North Platte man, and a reflection of the pride instilled by a project- done-right by the automotive and auto body technology students of North Platte Community College. The yellow 1967 Chevy Camaro RS visited McCook Monday, selling out completely the 100 tickets available in McCook to win the car in a drawing in September...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Reservations for an "All-Nebraska Appreciation Event" for the new national commander of the 2.4-million member American Legion must be made by Monday, Aug. 25. Michael D. Helm, born in McCook, Nebraska, and raised in the Norcatur area of Kansas, will be installed as American Legion national commander on Thursday, Aug. 28. "Team Nebraska" -- members of the Nebraska American Legion -- plan an appreciation dinner for Helm on Saturday, Sept. 6, in Kearney...

Few deaths have been felt more deeply by more people than that of Robin Williams, who spent his life making other people happy only to fall victim to his own misery. Comedy often sprouts from pain, and if Williams' brilliance as a performer is any indication, the pain must have been very deep indeed...

It was a reunion of sorts. Three old guys talking about some of their adventures in Vietnam. Two were helicopter pilots, Chuck Trail with the Navy and Jim O'Dell Air Force, the third was your author Dick Trail, KC-135 tanker pilot extraordinaire, at least in my own mind...

Representative Adrian Smith recently opined on "the problems facing rural aviation." An excerpt: "This year many small airports around the country are facing a barrage of flight cancelations ... Businesses and entrepreneurs are more likely to invest and expand in communities with dependable transportation services including aviation ... ...