Stories from Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Thomas Andrew "Tom" Rogers Sept. 15, 1950 -Feb. 29, 2016 LINCOLN, Neb. -- Thomas Andrew "Tom" Rogers, 65, of Lincoln, died Feb. 29, 2016. He was born Sept. 15, 1950, in Kearney, Neb. to George L. and Jacqueline (Hochette) Rogers. He and his family lived in McCook, Neb., for a period of time. He graduated from Fremont High School and attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He operated Green Fingers Nursery...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Red Willow County commissioners are considering armor coating 11-13 miles of county roads later this summer. A drop in the price of oil -- from $3.06 per gallon in 2015 to $2.38 this summer -- may be offset slightly by an increase in gravel -- from $6.75 per ton in 2015 to $7.30 per ton this summer. However, county road superintendent Gary Dicenta estimates that the cost per mile is still lower this summer -- $13,984.74 per mile -- compared to last summer -- $16,259.52 per mile...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A man arrested in January on felony weapon and drug charges, resulting in a probation sentence two months later, was back in Red Willow County District Court last week on new drug charges. The offender, 29-year-old Nathan Deloach, was sentenced last Monday to a combined 30 months in state prison stemming from his arrest in late March, which occurred 16 days after he was sentenced to probation in the previous case...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook office of Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska starts its annual fan giveaway program Monday. Barb Ostrum, coordinator of the McCook office, said that she will provide one fan per household. Those who received fans last year are not eligible to receive another fan this year...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Members of the McCook School board will be mulling over the possibility of offering breakfast to students in the classroom, upon a suggestion by the superintendent. Breakfast is currently offered to students in cafeterias at McCook Elementary and Central Elementary and at the junior high. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A downtown improvement project connecting a city parking lot to Norris Avenue is nearing completion. Contractors are awaiting the arrival of hand-railing and making other finishing touches and estimate the project will be completed by early July...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The resignation of a long-time principal and contracts for two new teachers were approved by the McCook School Board Monday night at its regular meeting. The resignation of McCook High School principal Jerry Smith was approved unanimously by the board, with board president Tom Bredvick noting that Smith has been awarded Principal of the Year by Region 5...

Two wide loads slither through single-lane construction on a bridge east of Trenton on June 11. Construction and maintenance projects on Highway 34 near Trenton will be ongoing through the summer. Flaggers, pilot cars and temporary traffic signals will control traffic...

The internet was invented with a grant from the Department of Defense in the 1960s, was popularized by invention of the World Wide Web protocols in the 1980s, and wasn't completely opened to commercial activity until 1995. Originally carried by copper phone lines, it's increasingly transmitted wirelessly and through fiberoptic lines...

I wish to thank Connie Jo dor the nice article about our Bartley History book. I really appreciated her kind words. But I wish to give "credit where credit is due." I'm definitely not into this century, with computers, hard drives, flash drive, scanning, etc.! I have Parkinson's and the symptoms are not conducive to handling the mouse or the keyboard. ...

Before we start with new business, let's stop and take time for a blatant commercial. It is that time of year for the annual Nebraska Star Party. That week-long gathering in north-central Nebraska of 200 to 300 astro-geeks and their families to celebrate all things astronomical...