Stories from Thursday, September 29, 2016

Kathy J. McHugh Oct. 19, 1960 - Sept. 27, 2016 GRAND ISLAND, Neb. --Kathy J. McHugh, 55, of Grand Island, formerly of Lincoln, died on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016, at Golden Living Center- Parkplace. To honor Kathy's wishes cremation was chosen, private family services will take place at a later date...

The top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team finished its three-game road stretch to open Big Ten play with a 25-18, 25-22, 25-21 win at No. 24 Illinois on Wednesday before 2,911 fans at Huff Hall...

Following their first loss of the year, the McCook Bison return home to face another state-rated opponent this week...

EDITOR'S NOTE -- This is the second installment of three about EAB -- Emerald Ash Borer -- the beetle from eastern Asia that is devastating ash trees in North America. McCook arborist Bruce Hoffman and Dr. Mark Harrell of the Nebraska Forest Service recently discussed decisions regarding ash trees...

McCOOK, Neb. -- McCook Schools Superintendent Grant Norgaard was notified Wednesday that McCook Elementary has been designated as a Blue Ribbon School. McCook Elementary is one of 329 schools nationwide who received the blue ribbon award and one of four schools in Nebraska that were designated with the award...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Culbertson artist Lucas Kotschwar has been accepted to participate in a public art project called "Nebraska by Heart" in celebration of Nebraska's 150th birthday in 2017. Artists from across the state submitted 224 proposals, and judges selected 170 proposals to be considered for six-foot-tall fiberglass heart sculptures displayed across Lincoln starting March 1, which is Nebraska's birthday...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Applications for the 2016 fall grants from the McCook Community Foundation Fund are due Saturday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. Grant applicants must align with MCFF's mission to improve the quality of life for the people of southwest Nebraska. More than $30,000 will be available for public charities, government entities or other community groups performing charitable activities...

News outlets like ours are proud to report on the achievements of our youth on the school and sports pages, but too many young people, unfortunately, appear in the crime and court reports. We have a choice to make. Will we just wring our hands and lament the direction the next generation is headed?...

I stood in the laundry room at 5:30 in the dark morning, still and silent, staring at the mountain of clothes that lay heaped on the floor, with so much girth that I literally thought that one could hide a body under the size of that pile. I was up way too early and not quite awake, so who knows how long I actually stood there staring at the mound of dirty clothes. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A McCook man arrested on a felony drug charge, following a Chase County search of his residence last fall hoping to find several thousand dollars worth of stolen race gear, was sentenced to probation earlier this month in Red Willow County District Court...

Promoter Sam Jaeger plans his annual end-of-the-season "Clean-Up" demolition derby Saturday, Oct. 8, on the Red Willow County fairgrounds in the 1500 block of West Fifth in McCook. The pit gate opens at 3 p.m. and closes at 6 p.m.; the entry fee is $40 per car. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival planning committee will celebrate driving stories at their First Tuesday event on Oct. 4. Long-time educator and driver's education instructor Warren Everts has taught many in McCook the art of operating a motor vehicle...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A traveling display with personal mementoes from Nebraskan military who have lost their lives is making a stop in McCook. "Remembering our Fallen" will be at Herrmann-Jones Funeral Chapel, 607 Norris, until Sunday, Oct. 2. It contains pictures and personal mementoes of military members from Nebraska who died in combat or combat-related duties while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan...

GIBBON, Neb. -- An Imperial man was among three people killed in a fiery multiple vehicle crash on Interstate 80 last Friday, Sept. 23, according to the Nebraska State Patrol. Tanner Allen, 20, Imperial, Chistopher W. Bieber, 22, Holyoke, Colo., and Donald S. Cox, 73, Columbia, Tenn., were killed when a tire blew on an eastbound semi, forcing it and an eastbound pickup truck which was attempting to pass, across the median into westbound traffic...