Stories from Friday, May 1, 2015

Melvin (Mel) E. Deselms Jan. 24, 1944 - April 30, 2015 CAMBRIDGE, Neb. -- Melvin (Mel) E. Deselms, the youngest child of Ivan and Agnes (Rhoades) Deselms, was born at the family home southeast of Cambridge, Nebraska, on Jan. 24, 1944. He departed this life at the Good Samaritan Society in Arapahoe, Nebraska, on April 30, 2015, with his wife, Diane and his daughter, Darcy at his side...

Susan Doak Southwest Nebraska Genealogy Society While much has been written concerning the Canteen for soldiers traveling the Union Pacific Railway through North Platte, we shouldn't forget that McCook also created a Canteen for those who rode the CB&Q Railway (now Burlington Northern Santa Fe) on their way to war...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Changing city ordinance to allow citizens to fire a slingshot or crossbow in the privacy of their backyard is unlikely to occur anytime soon, at least based on a review from City Attorney Nate Mustion. A McCook resident asked City Council in April to consider loosening up the law and City Council will be presented a review from Mustion Monday which concludes the city is in line with its firearm ordinance...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Max, Nebraska, photographer Bill Coe isn't ever very far away from his camera. That's his main secret, Bill reveals. "My camera is always close." If he's not carrying it, it would take him just a couple of minutes to fetch it, he says...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Memorial Auditorium will host what many refer to as the "best known name in gospel music" this weekend, The Blackwood Brothers Quartet. The concert was coordinated by McCook Christian Church and scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 2...

Amy Seiler of Gering, Nebraska, a community forestry specialist with the Nebraska Forest Service, explains the many problems troubling a scraggly apple tree on the Red Willow County fairgrounds in McCook, during a tree care workshop sponsored by the Forest Service and UNL Extension Thursday morning. ...

Whatever happened to May Day? We vaguely remember receiving May baskets on the doorstep, left there anonymously. If we saw the person who delivered it, we were supposed to chase them or kiss them -- can't remember exactly which. A few years ago, a teacher recreated a Maypole dance in Norris Park, but we haven't noticed much emphasis on May Day in recent years...

I'm sure we've all said this, some of us many times. Something seems like a good idea at the time but after we do it, we either regret it or wonder why we did it in the first place. People make lots of bad decisions in life. And every decision we make alters the course of our life. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Red Willow County Clerk's Office has received more than 700 ballots, as of Thursday, pertaining to the local-option sales tax special election. Voters have until 5 p.m. on May 12 to return ballots to the clerk's office in the Red Willow County Courthouse...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Two music recitals will be Saturday, May 2, at the Methodist Church in McCook. Piano students of Cheryl Christner will perform their pieces beginning at 10:30 am. Strings students (violin, viola and cello) of Leanne Miller and Cheryl Christner will present their musical numbers at the second recital beginning at 2 pm. The strings recital will include several duets as well as concluding with two larger ensemble pieces. The public is welcome to attend...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Postal Service carriers will hold their annual food drive on Saturday, May 9. McCook area residents are encouraged to participate by placing non-perishable food items in bags, and leaving them by their mailbox before mail delivery on May 9. All the food collected will go to local community food banks and pantries...

McCOOK, Neb. 
Goodwill Industries of Greater Nebraska is looking forward to their next donation drive in McCook, beginning at noon on Wednesday May 6 through Tuesday May 12, 2015 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or earlier if the trailer is full. The donation trailer will be at the Sears Parking Lot on the corner of Highway 83 and 6th Street.
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McCOOK, Neb. -- On Friday, May 8th the season's opening parade will be conducted at the Felling Field complex. Players and coaches are expected to be onsite at 5:30 p.m. with the parade beginning at 6 p.m. A free-will offering barbecue prepared by the McCook Lions Club will help kick-off the season...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Fox Theatre Operations and Events Committee will hold open auditions for the musical "Nunsense" by Dan Goggin. Auditions will be held at the Fox Theatre 412 Norris Ave. McCook, Neb., on Monday May 4 and Tuesday May 5 from 7:00 to 8:00 PM. There are parts for 5 women. All parts require acting and singing skills. Those planning to audition should bring a short prepared piece to sing...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Three sites in McCook have been selected as featured stops in the Nebraska Tourism Commission 2015 Nebraska Passport Program. The Passport program encourages travelers to explore Nebraska, collect stamps from participating attractions and earn great prizes...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival committee will wrap up their First Tuesday series in a big way, bringing Peter, Chuck, and Job to the Bieroc Café Tuesday May 5. Voted the number one band in their hometown of North Platte, Nebraska,...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook Police Department is once again warning residents to lock their vehicles in an attempt to limit opportunities for criminals actively combing city streets. "The car hoppers, walking thieves that enter vehicles and take your property, are active again," said McCook Sr. Sgt. Kevin Darling in a press release Thursday...

COLUMBUS, Neb. -- Reporting power outages just got a lot easier with the introduction of a new mobile outage app. The app will allow NPPD retail customers to report power outages, check the status of their power outage, and view current power outages on the Storm Center Outage Map...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The 56th Basic Recruit Class of the Nebraska State Patrol graduated at 10 a.m., on Friday, May 1. The Ceremony was held in the Centennial Room of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Student Union, 1400 R Street. Remarks were provided by Governor Pete Ricketts, Attorney General Doug Peterson, and Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent, Colonel Bradley Rice. The Oath of Office was administered by Secretary of State John Gale...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Jordan Pick and Emily Wood have not moved back to McCook or Southwest Nebraska -- yet. But both girls have the desire to return to McCook in the near future and that is the purpose of the Nelson Hometown Scholarship program, which will announce new recipients in the upcoming weeks...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Nebraska Department of Economic Development has awarded $297,060 from its Site and Building Development Fund (SBDF) to the McCook Economic Development Corp McCook EDC is using the funding to help American Agricultural Laboratory, specializing in soil and tissue testing for the national and international agriculture markets, to renovate and retrofit the former 90x40-sq. ...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- They set goals, polished their people skills, knocked on doors, set up booths, even went "digital," and after all of the Girl Scout Cookies were counted, a record-breaking 78 girls in Nebraska reached a milestone, selling 1,000 or more boxes!...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A City Council requested sit down between owners of a local dog kennel and neighbors who raised noise and odor complaints doesn't appear to have worked out. City Council will receive an update Monday evening which indicates there was no interest in mediation on the part of the attorney representing neighbors of Dan and Lizann Miller...