Stories from Thursday, May 25, 2017

MESA, Ariz. — McCook native Noah Hoffman dropped five strokes off his first-round score while leading Southeast Community College in the NJCAA National Golf Tournament. Hofman shot 69 on Wednesday after firing 74 during Tuesday’s opening 18 holes at the Longbow Golf Club...

A Eustis woman, 19, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor vehicular homicide in a plea deal after her can ran a stop sign, slamming into another vehicle and killing a 59-year-old passenger in that car and seriously injuring her husband, 64, the driver. Authorities say the younger woman was likely distracted by a text message moments before running the stop sign...

So at church recently, we were talking about God’s power and all that He is capable of. We were discussing mostly good things but then, as I sat there, I thought about some of the bad things as well. I was thinking of the stories in the Bible of how God got angry at His people sometimes when they disobeyed Him and I remembered the amount of devastation He chose to release on them, like fires and floods, and insects and famine, and all kinds of horrible, unimaginable punishment. ...

Gary (Pete) Vernon Pedersen March 22, 1942 - April 10, 2017 GEORGETOWN, Texas — Gary (Pete) Vernon Pedersen, 75, of Georgetown, died on April 10, 2017, in Houston, Texas, at the home of his son. He was born on March 22, 1942, in Newark, N.J., to Wilfred Gerhardt Pedersen and Mattie Ethel (Hanke) Pedersen. He married Mary Inez (Prichard) on Dec. 19, 1963, at the Community Church in Gunnison, Colo...

McCOOK, Neb. — Tax Increment Financing wasn’t originally intended to be an economic development tool but its growing popularity among municipalities is making it difficult for legislators to implement what some feel is badly needed oversight, at least according to one official...

McCook Elementary students listen to pilot Neil Barnette, right, as he explains the Eurocopter EC135 helicopter used by Great Plains Health in North Platte as an air ambulance, offering a higher level of care in the event of illness or injury when speed is of the essence. ...

DANBURY, Neb. — A new display of military uniforms and military memorabilia will grace the Danbury Depot Museum during the Memorial Day weekend. The museum and the Danbury Community Building will be open Sunday and Monday, from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. Both are located on the community’s main street in downtown Danbury...

OBERLIN, Kan. — The Oberlin swimming pool opens for the season this Saturday, weather permitting, from 1-6 p.m. Summer hours for the pool are 1-5 p.m. and 6:30-8 p.m. weekdays; 1-6 p.m. on Saturdays; and 1-5 p.m. with an additional evening swim from 6-8 p.m. on Sundays...

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Large-ticket items were on the agenda Wednesday in North Platte as the Mid-Plains Board of Governors approved salary packages and the purchase of four vehicles. Following closed session on negotiations, the board approved a 3 percent package increase for part- and full-time administration, excluding the college president, and full-time classified staff...

McCook Community College basketball players who recently took on a highway cleanup project sponsored by the McCook Optimists Club included, front from left, Coach Brandon Lenhart, Jason Grigg, Draylan Perkins, Shevelle Bailey, Chinedu Okonkwo, Kafani Williams. Back, D’Von Moore, Lewis Diankulu, Andrew Epps, Ron Rice, Alassane Seck, Richard Gray, Chuol Biel...

McCook Chamber of Commerce officials, director Jamie Mockry, right, and assistant director Dee Spicer, left, hold the ribbon for Tom Corey, president of the Southwest Nebraska Genealogy Society, as SWNGS joins the chamber. “Welcome to our Chamber family,” Mockry said, “as we make McCook a better place to live, work, shop and play.” Chamber president Matt Sehnert said he is amazed by the variety of businesses and organizations within the membership of the chamber. ...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- McCook’s two-man tandem of Kade Gray and Gabe Vielma concluded their 2017 high school golf campaigns with Wednesday’s final round of the Class B state golf meet in Lincoln.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. -- Medicine Valley put on a top-ten performance at Class D’s state golf meet at Lake Maloney Golf Course.

Field results from the annual McCook Elementary School Track and Field meet recently begins today. Races can be seen below. Kindergarten Bean Bag Throw Girls’ heat one: 1. (tie) Bethany Nichols and Trinity Solorzano; 3. Lainie Soundy, 4. Emma McConville, 5. Abigail Porter, 6. Brailyn Powell. Heat two: 1. Eowyn Haskins, 2. Isabeela Brown, 3. Zoey Lon, 4. Makenlee Thomas, 5. Aleigh Randel...

FELLING FIELD – The H & H Installation Mets defeated the McCook Masonic Bodies Phillies 4-3 in a back-and-forth affair on Wednesday. The game was tied 3-3 with the H & H Installation Mets batting in the bottom of the fourth when Nathanial Miller induced Mykuh Hanson to ground out, but Miller’s teammate Coleton Lentz was able to score giving H & H the lead and the eventual victory...

FELLING FIELD – Alex Anthony of the O’Brien Electric Royals fired a fifth inning strike by Wyatt Meyers of the First Central Bank Tigers to close out a victory and a suspense filled inning for the Royals. Anthony came on in relief in the fifth with the bases loaded, a 4-2 lead and the Tigers Adam Dugger at the plate. Dugger tomahawked Anthony’s second pitch into left field...

HERITAGE HILLS — The defending professional champion, Shane Zywiec, headlines a field of more than 20 golfing pros who will be competing in the 29th annual John Mullen Pro-Am, scheduled June 2-4 at McCook’s Heritage Hills Golf Course. Zywiec, a former assistant pro at Heritage Hills, carded a seven under par score of 137 in the 36-hole event to win last year’s title with ease, finishing seven strokes ahead of Trey Herman of Hays, Kan. and Ben Portie of Westminster, Colo...