Stories from Thursday, May 11, 2017

McCOOK, Neb.-- A major intersection in McCook was blocked for a time this afternoon after an estimated 200-300 gallons of used oil was spilled at the intersection of U.S. 83, U.S. 6-34. Absorbent material was spread on the oil, which was then scooped up by loaders to take to the city transfer station, where it will wait to be taken to a special disposal facility...

Virginia A. Myers May 30, 1925 - May 9, 2017 LINCOLN, Neb. — Virginia A. Myers, 91, of Lincoln, passed away Tuesday, May 9, 2017. She was born May 30, 1925, in Dawson, Neb., to Charley C. and Mary E. (Heim) Bilsing. She was a member of College View Seventh-day Adventist Church. She formerly lived in McCook, Neb., where she volunteered at McCook Senior Center. She and her husband lived on a farm south of Culbertson, Neb., for 37 years...

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Timing is everything and for the frontrunners that claimed the checkered flags, their timing punched their ticket to the winners circle at Lincoln County Raceway in North Platte, Nebraska on Saturday evening. Spotlighted for their drives to victory were: Brandon Clough, Dillon Schultz, Kyle Werkmeister; Brady Weinman and Tom Baumgardner...

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Timing is everything and for the frontrunners that claimed the checkered flags, their timing punched their ticket to the winners circle at Lincoln County Raceway in North Platte, Nebraska on Saturday evening. Spotlighted for their drives to victory were: Brandon Clough, Dillon Schultz, Kyle Werkmeister; Brady Weinman and Tom Baumgardner...

The latest league leaders through Wednesday’s matches at Heritage Hills Colf Course: A League 1. Samway/Barnett’s 65.5, 2. Studio 205 61, 3. Culbertson Bank 58.5, 4. AmFirst Insurance 56.5, 5. McCook Lettering 54.5, 6. Trenton Agency 53.5, 7. Old Sarges Bar 53, 8. Sis Farms LLC 52.5, 9. Arrow Car Wash 50.5, 10. Loop/Coppermill 49, 11. First Central Bank #1 48.5, 12. Golight 42...

The Tuesday Night Ladies Golf League played a 4-Lady Scramble this week at Heritage Hills Golf Course. Low score: Tracy Sis, Peg Dueland, Karlie Dueland and Stacy Chitwood teamed for a 29. Flag prize winners Hole No. 5, closest to pin: Tracey Sis. Hole No. 7, closest to pin: Mary Hazlitt...

McCook Community College’s baseball eam knew it needed at least one win to have a chance to get into the post-season for the second straight year and did just that; winning game one of the doubleeader with Empire Conference Champions Western Nebraska 9-2 on Friday...

BERTRAND, Neb. — Medicine Valley, Arapahoe and Wauneta-Palisade were all top four team placers at Wednesday’s D-9 district track-field meet. All three schools will be sending athletes with junior Landon Lenz and distance runner Nathan Nicklas leading the Raiders...

BERTRAND, Neb. — One of the first routes to Omaha went through Bertrand Wednesday and many area athletes ewre ready for this journey. Wauneta-Palisade junior Faith Simpson’s four D-9 district championships were among the best clutch performances. Simpson will be advancing to next week’s Nebraska State Track-Field Meet as a high jump, discus, shot put and 100-meter hurdles champ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Construction of a new concrete girder bridge on U.S. Highway 6 and 34 just east of McCook should be complete within 3-4 weeks, according to Nebraska Department of Roads officials. The bridge crosses Coon Creek and replaces a bridge built in 1932...

McCOOK, Neb. — Rumble bars have proven to be an effective life saver in Nebraska and will be a part of most roadway improvement projects going forward. The Department of Roads reviewed three years worth of historical data for the first large-scale implementation, which centered around shoulder rumble strips installed on the entire length of rural I-80, and determined that segment alone saved six lives per year on average. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Candidates for the vacancy on the Red Willow County board of commissioners include two former county commissioners, one former city council member and one former village board member, several former school board members, a former member of a state water policy task force, former firefighters, an engineer and several farmers...

McCook Area Chamber of Commerce director Jamie Mockry and his assistant Dee Spicer, chamber representatives and the McCook Cordials welcome the ABC Pregnancy Help Center to chamber membership with a ribbon cutting Wednesday afternoon. Mockry told ABC board members, “It takes the whole community working together to help make McCook a better place to live, work and shop.” The ABC Pregnancy Help Center started as a crisis phone line service in 1984. ...

A McKinney, Texas, woman is being blasted on social media for her post, warning a young burglar that he risked being shot should he break into her family’s home again. After she encountered a young masked man in her home, and he ran off, Maria Luce posted a photo of herself and a shotgun on Facebook...

With so much bad news inundating us all the time, it is a pleasure to write good things about people! Last Sunday, my car got stuck as I was trying to get up a hill to home. A young man and his girlfriend in a pickup truck, stopped to help me. After quite a struggle, it turned out to be futile and they ended up being able to pull me back down the hill and safely into a parking lot where I left my car...

When Gov. Ricketts introduced his budget, he wisely directed Title 10 low-income health care funds to benefit comprehensive health care clinics, rather than abortion providers. At long last, Nebraska had the opportunity to get out of the abortion business, to fund life and health rather than the killing of the unborn...

Ya know, for the past 3 years I’ve been totally on board with my oldest daughter’s college plan, which was after high school graduation, go to the local community college for the first two years, live at home and then transfer to the big University out of town for the remaining two years. Good plan! Saves a ton of money and would be an easy transition into college, as well as into adulthood before throwing her 18-year-old, small town, innocent self onto a giant campus. Totally on board!...

On May 2, we debated LB 461 which was the Governor’s and Revenue Committee’s comprehensive tax plan. After six hours of debate it fell short of the needed votes to pass. In its original form I did not support LB 461 but after several hours of negotiating with multiple senators we came up with an amendment that would have provided significant property tax relief, as well as, income tax relief that would have been triggered based on revenue growth of the State of Nebraska in future years. ...

CONNIE JO DISCOE Regional Editor McCOOK, Neb. — Forty to 50 years ago, Dutch elm disease killed elm trees across the country, and homeowners and landscapers went looking for a fast-growing tree to provide the same abundant shade as the elm trees. They planted ash trees...

McCOOK, Neb. — State lodging taxes show consistent growth in recent years but the “Good Life” state simply isn’t on enough wouldbe-visitor shopping lists, at least right now according to the Nebraska Tourism Commission’s new executive director, John Ricks. “But we will be,” he committed during a town hall meeting at Citta Deli Tuesday afternoon...