Stories from Friday, June 26, 2015

Arliena Mae Collins Olmsted April 22, 1932 - May 20, 2015 LONGMONT, Colo. -- On May 20, 2015, Arliena Mae Collins Olmsted passed on from this world into the next. Born April 22, 1932, she was the second child of Horace and Nellie Collins of Beaver City, Nebraska. ...

Harold 'Pete' Carlson Dec. 18, 1930 - June 3, 2015 WENTZVILLE, Mo. -- Harold "Pete" Carlson, 84, died June 3, 2015, at his home. He was born Dec. 18, 1930, in Cambridge, Nebraska, to John and Esther (Barrett) Carlson. He grew up and attended school in Bartley, Nebraska, where he graduated in 1949. ...

65th anniversary The family of Wayne and Lucille Higley of Stratton, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 65th wedding anniversary. They were married July 2, 1950, in Stratton. Their family includes children, Cheryl Brennan of Stratton, Marge Shepard of Lincoln, Nebraska, Dick Higley of Culbertson, Nebraska, Dan Higley of Washington, D.C., Jim Higley of San Diego, California; seven grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. ...

25th anniversary Brian and Mary Esch of McCook will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary June 30, 2015. They were married in Atwood, Kansas. Their family includes children, Marisa and Brady. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 3 Sandpiper Street, McCook, NE 69001...

Owen Don Tracy Justin and Kaylee Tracy of Wellfleet, Nebraska, announce the birth of their son, Owen Don Tracy, on May 30, 2015, at North Platte, Nebraska. He weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 20 inches long. He has one sister, Brooke Tracy, 11, of Lake City, Minnesota. Grandparents are Doran and Cindy McCollam of Culbertson, Nebraska, Mark Tracy and Leigh Shreve of Franklin, Nebraska and the late Debra Tullo. Great-grandparent is Zila McCollam of Culbertson...

Susan Doak Southwest Nebraska Genealogy Society It seems in the summer with the marina open, I am running around like a chicken with its head cut off. That picture I remember well from my childhood, along with the pungent aroma of pin feathers being seared. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook Police Department forwarded a warning Friday from the Kansas Attorney General's Office pertaining to two potential scam businesses to be on the lookout for. Gillis Construction Hot Rubber Seal/Coating and Harrison Asphalt have been reported for going door to door offering to do asphalt and paving repairs. Authorities advise not to allow these businesses to do work for you and contact Chief of Police Isaac Brown at 308-345-3450 for more information...

Summer has just begun but the vacation is over. Vacation from mosquitoes, that is. Warm temperatures and wet conditions have taken over from the mosquito-free spring we enjoyed. A mosquito bite is usually no big deal, but over the past few years, West Nile Virus has found its way into Southwest Nebraska, and in other parts of the country, exotic illnesses such as dengue fever and Chikungunya have appeared...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Property owners of several vacant lots in a subdivision adjacent to the Heritage Hills Gold Course hope to loosen-up setback requirements, making the lots easier to build on in the future. The McCook Board of Zoning Adjustment will consider a request for a front-yard setback requirement variance Monday evening during their regularly scheduled meeting, 5:30 p.m., at the McCook Municipal Center...

Perhaps the most controversial magazine cover ever printed was Time magazine's cover on April 8, 1966. It was a solid black cover with three words printed in red: Is God Dead? The date of the cover should tell us a lot about the subject. The world was going through a tremendous social upheaval in the '60s on practically all fronts and religion was not exempt either. ...

I would like to express my sincere disappointment with the members of the Herndon Museum. Permission was asked to have a place in Herndon during the Ox Roast of 2015 to display and sell the History of Rawlins County history books, but it was denied...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Southwest Nebraska, like most rural communities, hopes to capitalize on the vast audience available via the Internet and increase tourism to the region. A review of one website's traffic rankings indicates the most effective local path for reaching potential visitors may not have changed all that much in the last 90 years...

Oxford, Nebraska, fire department cadets, above, Jarred Bennett, left, and Lucas Taylor walk a fallen Humpty Dumpty down the "Oxford Turkey Days" parade route Friday evening, with the message, "Working to Put Humpty Together Again." A radio-controlled car sponsored by NAPA Auto Parts of Oxford and Holdrege surprised parade goers, below, including Gissel Chavez, right, and Cailey Bassett. ...