Stories from Thursday, August 21, 2014

Willard Phillips Oct 15, 1922 - Aug. 18, 2014 KEARNEY, Neb. -- Willard E. Phillips, 91, of Kearney, died Monday, Aug. 18, 2014, at St. John's Good Samaritan Center in Kearney. Funeral services are 10 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with Bishop Gregory Brown officiating. ...

Police activity 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...

McCOOK, Neb. -- At least one City Councilman indicated recently he would like to see the City of McCook significantly increase its cash reserves to the tune of another $1.3 million. The goal would be to have enough on-hand to cover three months worth of expenses. However, a closer look at the performance history of the city budget indicates they may already be there...

McCOOK, Neb. -- McCook High School seniors in 2014 scored higher than the state average in all categories of the ACT college entrance exam. The Nebraska Department of Education said in its report that Nebraska's average ACT composite score was 21.7, higher than the national average of 21.0. Students at McCook High School did even better than that, scoring 22.3 as a composite score in English, math, reading and science...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Mary Beth Meier and her dad, Bradley Hoppens, DDS, MS, have a lot to smile about. Meier has recently joined her father's orthodontist practice in McCook and both say it's a great fit. "We're both intrigued by the science of it, of getting that perfect alignment and great smile," Meier said, whose husband, David, is a root canal specialist in North Platte, Nebraska. "We're both perfectionists, Type A personalities, so we feel something can always be made better."...

"Cotton" cat is a finalist among 45 felines whose photograph could appear on the cover of the 2015 Cat Pack "Cats and Dogs of McCook" calendar. The Cat Pack received hundreds of photographs of cats and dogs for possible inclusion in the 2015 calendar, and 105 of them will appear in the new calendar. ...

Local talents win spots on state fair stage GRAND ISLAND -- The Nebraska State Fair and Vision Productions, Inc. announce the winners of the 2014 Galaxy of Stars Talent Search Video Mail-In Contest and winners of local Participating Partner Talent Searches who have qualified to advance to the Galaxy of Stars Talent Search Semi-Finals at the Nebraska State Fair on Saturday, Aug. 30 from 1 to 5 p.m...

Critics decry "teaching to the test," but we have yet to see a system, other than a test of some sort, that can determine whether or not a student has learned the required material. By that standard, McCook High School is doing a good job of preparing its graduates, who scored a composite 22.3 in English, math, reading and science on the ACT college entrance examination...

I just finished reading the front page of yesterday's news, yes I still do that, I read yesterdays newspaper when I just don't have time otherwise. The article 'Red Willow County crime spree agreement' Aug. 18, 2014, is jaw-dropping by all accounts. and I wished to weigh in on the implications of what this says about our laws, our judicial system and the penal system...

I was so fortunate to have been given a profound statement to read yesterday, a statement that has renewed my parental philosophy. "If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. ...

"Bad Words" is the feature directorial debut of actor Jason Bateman, and it plays like a first try from someone who knows his way around a movie set -- it's not without its charms. But it's the kind of movie that wants to be a bitter, biting comedy, and ultimately turns out to be rather toothless...