Stories from Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Velma Hiatt BENKELMAN, Neb. -- Velma Hiatt, 95, longtime resident of Benkelman died Sunday (Feb. 8, 2015), at the Sarah Ann Hester Nursing Home in Benkelman. Survivors include children, Marilyn Clark, Toby Hiatt and Charlie Hiatt of Benkelman; son-in-law, Bob Smith of St. Francis, Kansas; four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren...

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...

We may not have our jet packs or flying cars, but while they might not look like the Jestons' Rosie, robot vacuum cleaners are not uncommon, prowling our homes and terrorizing pets while cleaning their hair from the floors. Automation is taking over more and more of the mundane tasks in our lives, from controlling the thermostat to parallel parking our cars -- self-driving cars are under development...

Camp Comeca. Sitting high on the hills overlooking the Platte River valley a few miles south of Cozad, Nebraska. It is a camp for kids, both young and old, families too. Situated on a hill top surrounded by cedar trees and a few elms and hackberries, one has a view to the south of rolling Nebraska prairie and a winsome lake formed by the Tri-County irrigation canal. ...

We are a quarter of the way through the 104th Legislature First Session. We have 23 bills on General File (1st round of debate), 28 on Select File (2nd round of debate) and 9 are on Final Reading (3rd round of debate). So we are starting to make some good progress. I'm happy to announce that last week my bill LB 269 was heard on General File and it advanced on a 36-0 vote...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Gov. Pete Ricketts is barely a month into his time as the executive head of Nebraska and already his actions are appear far more veteran than rookie, at least in regard to Southwest Nebraska. Gov. Ricketts unveiled his proposed biennial budget and related objectives to state legislators a few weeks ago, just prior to beginning a two-day tour of the state to share his priorities with many of his constituents personally. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Within a week of finishing her training at Christmas time, Red Willow County's newest K-9 officer, "Luna," found narcotics after officers made a routine traffic stop. "She definitely has the nose," Sheriff Alan Kotschwar said about the county's "long paw of the law."...

KEARNEY, Neb. -- Dick Trail of McCook was recently inducted into the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame while attending the Nebraska Aviation Council's Aviation Symposium in Kearney. Dick had many family and friends in attendance, including several pilots he had taught to fly. Many McCook residents know Dick from his weekly column in the McCook Gazette, and he also served on the McCook City Council and Red Willow County Board of Commissioners...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A Culbertson woman convicted of misdemeanor forgery was sentenced to probation time last week in Red Willow County District Court. The offender, 35-year-old Lindsay M. Madron, accepted a plea agreement in December admitting guilt to a pair of Class I misdemeanor forgery offenses stemming from two checks she fraudulently wrote on the account of Dan Haines. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- An armed man arrested last summer after cocaine, methamphetamines and a sawed-off shotgun were discovered in a camper he was towing, was sentenced to probation last week in Red Willow County District Court. The offender, 40-year-old Kevin J. ...

Roland Russell Hilker Jan. 29, 1929 - Feb. 9, 2015 McCOOK, Neb. -- Roland Russell Hilker of McCook passed away Monday, Feb. 9, 2015, at Hillcrest Nursing Home. He was 86 years old. Roland was born on Jan. 29, 1929, at the family home in Holbrook to parents, Theodore "Ted" and Elsie (Schultz) Hilker. He attended Snowball Country School near Holbrook...

Walter 'Edward' Fahnholz July 2, 1947 - Feb. 9, 2015 McCOOK, Neb. -- Walter "Edward" Fahnholz, age 67, passed away Monday, Feb. 9, 2015, at Community Hospital in McCook. Edward was born in McCook to Walter J. and Bernice Arlene (Ridpath) Fahnholz on July 2, 1947...