Stories from Tuesday, May 21, 2019

LINCOLN, Neb. — Both the Class C state golf tournament at Kearney and Class D in North Platte have been cancelled today because of wet weather, Nebraska State Activities Association officials announced this morning. Several area golfers were scheduled to compete including Hitchcock County's entire varsity lineup in Class D at Lake Maloney. Instead, the tourneys will be 18-hole events on Wednesday weather permitting...

McCook senior three-sport Alec Bunger deserved to wear a big smile along with his Class B medals following last wekend’s Nebraska State Track and Field Meet at Omaha Burke Stadium. Bunger won a gold medal in the long jump even as raindrops fell, reaching his all-time best 21’9 1/4” which surpassed Lexington three-event champ Ajack Waikur (21’8”). ...

Have you noticed that our Nebraska Legislature’s effort to raise taxes to have more money to give to the schools and “relieve property taxes” isn’t going so good? Maybe Governor Rickett’s promise to veto any such effort is having an effect. I think that our Governor’s understanding that raising taxes only contributes to our tax spenders’ propensity to spend any largess of new revenue and thereby create a need to keep the tax rate high to support their new spending habits. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — There were 1,100 ambulance calls to the City of McCook last year, the most Fire Chief Marc Harpham has seen in his almost 30-year tenure with the department. This year, they’re 70 calls ahead of what they had this time last year, Harpham said...

McCOOK, Neb. — Major projects coming up this year in the city’s public works department include those at the airport and on B Street. In response to a question by McCook City Councilman Jerry Calvin at the regular council meeting Monday night, Public Works director Kyle Potthoff said capital improvement projects in the near future include the $1.2 million project at the airport, where runways will be re-painted and repaired and the B Street re-hab project, slated to start in early July at $1.5 million.. ...

John Francis Ohrman April 12, 1954 - May 15, 2019 BENKELMAN, Neb. — John Francis Ohrman was born April 12, 1954, to Lee and Mary Lou (Brown) Ohrman in Colby, Kan. He had two brothers, Mike and Nick Ohrman and a sister, Sherry Hanes. John attended Benkelman High School, where he met Jane Sanford. They were married on Sept. 7, 1972, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Benkelman. From that union they had two children, Johnny (Kelly) Ohrman of Colby and Teresa (Jason) Williams of Abilene, Kan...

Carol Joan (Gunderman) Richard Feb. 20, 1934 - May 17, 2019 WICHITA, Kan. — Carol Joan (Gunderman)Richard, 85, of Oakley, Kan., died Friday (May 17, 2019), at Wichita. She was born Feb. 20, 1934, in Dundy County, Neb. She was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard Richard, in 2018...

McCOOK, Neb. — Tornado junkie Reed Timmer discovered some of the potential of his obsession — a tornado — up close and personal when an EF-2 dropped from the dark, boiling skies of Southwest Nebraska Friday evening and turned the tables on the extreme storm chaser...

It’s not exactly like the future Ray Bradbury or Robert Heinlein might have imagined in the middle of the 20th century, but robots are taking on more and more tasks as the 21st century travels on. It’s taken a while for U.S. regulators to catch up with the technology, but the FAA is slowly granting companies permission to use drones for delivery and more complex tasks...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook Community College sophomore Ricardo Jimenez has signed on to play baseball at Division I Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. The Lancers play in the Big South Conference. “Ricky was only here a semester but made a good impact for us,” said MCC baseball coach Jon Olsen. “He did a really nice job for us at shortstop, he is a very good defender that can really hit.”...

McCOOK, Neb. — Three McCook Community College softball players have been selected to the All-Region IX, Division I team. Sophomore outfielders Chanel Siebenthal (Lakewood, Colo.) and Jerusha Miner (Gunnison Valley, Utah) were named to the team along with freshman utility player Brooklyn Jensen (West Valley City, Utah)...

McCOOK, Neb. — Friday was a long night for My Family Vision Clinic Lug Nuts, falling to Bortner Pioneer Seeds Tin Caps 16-0. One bright spot for My Family Vision Clinic Lug Nuts was a single by Tate Moser in the first inning. Caleb Sughroue led things off on the mound for Bortner Pioneer Seeds Tin Caps. He went two innings, allowing zero runs on two hits and striking out six...

Chase County’s Bo O’Neil (above) started a Longhorn 400-meter relay that would finish second on Saturday in Class C competition at Omaha's Burke Stadium. Watch for final Gazette region track-field leaders later this week.

LINCOLN, Neb. — McCook High’s losing a great positive force and latest life of the party, but good times should be continuing for coach Matt Wimers’ Bison tennis girls. “We have a lot of talented players coming up to challenge for varsity spots,” Wiemers remarked following the Bison’s Class B top four team finish Friday afternoon at Woods Tennis Center...