Stories from Friday, January 29, 2016

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. Accidents Jan. 7 3:40 p.m., West First and West Third -- a sport utility vehicle driven by Emily C. ...

Busy weeknights can make for hectic meals, but these simple recipes prove you don't have to trim out flavor or precious moments spent with family when you're cutting minutes off your dinner prep time. The secret to making quick meals your family will love is quality ingredients. ...

This may well be the biggest mish-mash of information that I have shared with you all. I struggled last week to pull together a column that actually had a story line and quite obviously didn't get very far with that endeavor! Prior to becoming a full time newspaper, the McCook Tribune was a weekly. Approximately 90 of those papers are available online and are the very earliest searchable information available for our area dating from 1883 forward...

95th birthday The family of Gerald Elwood "Red" Traphagan of McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of his 95th birthday Monday, Feb. 1. He was born in Red Willow County in 1921. His family includes his wife of 69 years, Irene; daughter, Susan Yates of McCook, and son, Terry (Mary) Traphagan of Chadron, Nebraska; three grandchildren, Amy Yates-Johnson (Todd) of Selah, Washington, Ryan Traphagan of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Lindsay (Glen) Cowie of Denver, Colorado; and four great-grandchildren. ...

80th birthday The family of Evelyn Hilker of McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday Friday, Feb. 5. She was born in Frontier County in 1936. Her family includes children, Bob Hilker and wife, Connie of Lincoln, Nebraska, Kent Hilker and wife, Lori and Dean Hilker and wife, Rhonda, all of McCook; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 102 South 7th Street, McCook, NE 69001...

Kayden Jayce Helm Mishae and Jaime Helm of McCook announce the birth of their son, Kayden Jayce Helm, born Nov. 30, 2015, at Community Hospital of McCook. He weighed 6 pounds, 12.9 ounces and measured 19.5 inches. He has two siblings, Bella, 6 and Hudson, 2. Grandparents are James and Yanis Helm, Brett and Lori Schmidt and DeWayne Lepper, all of McCook...

Olivia Agnes Scott Aaron and Francesca Scott of Seoul, South Korea, announce the birth of their daughter, Olivia Agnes Scott, born Jan. 5, 2016, at Brian Allgood Army Hospital in Seoul. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and measured 20 inches long. She has one brother, Ethan William Scott, 1. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- City leaders will receive an introduction to the annexation process next week and hope it serves as a starting point in achieving a goal they have been discussing for years, growing McCook. Professional planners Craig Bennett and Brenda Jensen of Miller and Associates will present information relating to the annexation process, including a review of state law, during Monday's meeting of the McCook City Council...

McCOOK, Neb. -- City sales tax receipts declined slightly during the 2014-15 fiscal year, negating some of the increases from prior year and accounting for approximately $10,000 less in revenue. The City of McCook collected $1,743,935 from the one-percent local-option sales tax and another $871,967 from the half-percent local-option sales tax during the fiscal year ending in September of 2015, according to city reports...

McCOOK, Neb. -- While Red Willow Western rural firefighters had the kids' attention with their fire truck, bunker gear and SCBA's, they slipped in several messages about fire prevention and fire safety. "You have just two to three minutes to get out of a house after a fire starts," RWW firefighter and junior program coordinator Billie Cole told McCook Senior and Junior High students during talks and demonstrations Thursday. ...

If predictions turn out like they often do, a possible snowstorm set to arrive early next week will turn out to be a "disappointment." If a significant amount of snow does fall, there will be no shortage of excuses for people who are late to work "I got stuck in the snow" may get you by when you arrive for work late, but it won't earn you a place on this year's list of Most Outrageous Excuses for Being Late to Work from CareerBuilder.com...

What I threatened to do last year, I did this year. Earlier this week, I submitted my letter of retirement from my faculty position at McCook Community College to the powers that be. That brings to a close a 35 year college and university teaching career, the last 21 years at MCC, that I stumbled on accidentally and one that gave me more personal satisfaction than about any other career I could have chosen...

JIM ULRICH President and CEO Community Hospital This article is in tribute to Ben Nelson's 26-year public service career. In a rural town like McCook, access to healthcare services is certainly a precious thing. Ben understood this and over the course of his career in the U.S. ...

J.L. SCHMIDT Capitol View Columnist I got to know Ben Nelson when he was Governor and reported on seven of the eight years he was in office. The last year I worked in the Department of Administrative Services in his administration. During those eight years I experienced a lot of firsts in my career. ...

When Gene O. Morris let me know that the McCook Gazette would be publishing a Tribute to Ben Nelson edition, I knew that I had to be a part of it. I was excited for the opportunity to participate because it would give me a chance to thank Ben for all that he has accomplished during his tenure in Lincoln and Washington...

KAY (RANDEL) ROBBEN Former MEDC Director The first time if met Ben Nelson was shortly after I had been named the Executive Director of the McCook Economic Development Corporation. I was at an event in eastern Nebraska with a lot of high profile people in attendance. ...

PHILIP LYONS McCook Mayor (1990-93 and 1996-97) Governor Ben Nelson was very good to McCook. In his first month as Governor he listened to concerns of local officials about how small towns were doing. He listened and gave small towns a chance to land businesses with a helping hand from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development...

EDITOR'S NOTE: Through the years, the paths of Jerda Thompson Vickers and Ben Nelson crossed many times. In the paragraphs to follow, Jerda remembers the many encounters she and Ben had. The first memorable meeting occurred in the 1950s. Listed in chronological order, the many meetings are numbered (1) through (15)...

I had heard of Ben Nelson when I moved to McCook 30 years ago, but I had not met him. It was not until Ben upset Kay Orr in 1990 to become Nebraska's Governor that I came to know Ben and meet with him on a regular basis. His victory in the governor's race was dramatic, because -- at the time -- Kay Orr was the first and only female Republican governor in the nation...

MARK GRAFF Chairman MNB Financial Group As a member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund and as a past board member of the Nebraska Community Foundation, I have a deep appreciation for Ben's public service. It was during Ben's term as Nebraska Governor that the Nebraska Community Foundation was born...

Ben Nelson is retiring. It has been a long, interesting journey for him, and a career that I'm sure has not always been easy, but one in which all of us in McCook can take great pride. I am reminded of that day so long ago when Ben applied for his first job -- at our bakery. ...

More than half a century after leaving home to pursue a career in law and public service, former Nebraska Governor and U.S. Senator Ben Nelson still cherishes the memories he made in the 1940s and 1950s as a student and Scout in his mid-American hometown of McCook, Nebraska...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Ed Thomas YMCA is offering three more Lifeguard Training classes, March 11 - 13 and 18 - 20, April 1-3 and 8-10 and May 24-27. Class size is limited so you want to register early. Students must be 15 and good swimmers to take the class...

Marie Alice Coffey June 24, 1920 - Jan. 28, 2016 McCOOK, Neb. -- Marie Alice Coffey, 95, died Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, in McCook. Marie was born June 24, 1920, in Morrill, Nebraska, to Roy M. and Delia (Phillipson) Chehey. Shortly after Marie's birth, the family moved to Maywood, Nebraska, where she spent her childhood. ...

Erma J. Lee March 14, 1937 - Jan. 28, 2016 HASTINGS, Neb. -- Erma J. Lee, 78, of Hastings, died Thursday (Jan. 28, 2016), at Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings. She was born March 14, 1937, to Earnest and Sara B. (Hetrick) Adams in rural Thurston County, Nebraska. She graduated from Harvard High School. Erma married James M. Lee on Sept. 1, 1962...