Stories from Monday, December 16, 2013

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Red Willow Dam is back in business, ready to fully resume the all-important tasks of flood control, irrigation, and recreation for the people of the Tri-State Region of Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado. Tired but happy, the project superintendent, Thor Shriver, spoke personally with the McCook Gazette on his way out of town. "The work is essentially complete," he said. "Only some fencing and seeding work is left to do."...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Start with a bead, then the cross. I don't start with a bead. I know. But you don't either. Oh ... This thread's not long enough. I like that color combination. You don't? Uh oh, two threads won't go through this bead. I need my glasses. Where are the scissors?...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The hearts of Santa and Mrs. Claus absolutely broke when they heard the story of "Lucky," who visited them at their McCook, Nebraska, branch of the North Pole Thursday evening. Someone from the Danbury area brought the young blue heeler pup to the McCook Humane Society's animal shelter Nov. 30, suffering from a gunshot that entered his right shoulder and exited -- ripping a huge hole -- his left shoulder...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- We young whippersnappers may act like we know a lot of stuff, but--in many cases--it would be wise of us to shut up and listen to our elders. That lesson was learned--again--this week by Rich Barnett of High Plains Radio and Gene O. Morris of the McCook Gazette...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- McCook police officials said parents were doing a great job of safely dropping their children for school in the mornings and were grateful for the additional caution they had observed following the recent snowfall. Senior Sergeant Kevin Darling with the McCook Police Department said he appreciated the patience he had witnessed, especially considering the additional time it took to find parking spaces during winter weather...

Grace Wahrman didn't cry, but a smile was hard to come by when she met Santa Claus Sunday afternoon at the Museum of the High Plains in McCook, Nebraska. Gracie is the 131⁄2-month-old daughter of Crystal, above, and Jeremy Wahrman of Herndon, Kansas. Before his world-wide trip on Christmas Eve, Santa plans one more stop at the museum, on Sunday, Dec. 22, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m...

TRENTON, Nebraska -- "For you and me, I believe we need to focus on winning the game of life. That means being able to look up at the scoreboard at the end of the game and see that we are on the winning team. This victory assures us we get to spend eternity in heaven."...

Evan Markut a third grader at McCook Elementary, looks up the word, "beneficial," with the new dictionary donated to him by the McCook Rotary Club. McCook Rotary members handed out 112 new dictionaries Friday to third graders at McCook Elementary, with dictionaries going to third graders earlier in the week to St. ...

What do weather-toughened Nebraskans do when the near-winter weather's nasty? They plan for spring and dream of summer. Nebraska Auction Service ringman/auctioneer Greg Eskew, right, caught a bid from Sid Doak of McCook, Nebraska, right, on a late 1950's Crestliner cabin cruiser at an auction west of Trenton Saturday morning when the thermometer read -3 degrees and gusty winds out of the southeast created a -14-degree windchill. ...

A major facility is now back in operation, but will it be allowed to operate? Congratulations to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and its contractors for completing major repairs to the Red Willow Dam, which impounds water to create Hugh Butler Lake. Reclamation announced that repairs were "substantially complete" and the road over the crest of the dam was reopened Saturday...

(Note: The aftermath of the disappointing 2013 Iowa game brought to mind another NU Iowa game.) During World War II there was compulsory military service for all men age 18-45. Toward the end of the war all the males in a class of graduating seniors were entering some type of military association. ...

The Omaha World Herald published an editorial from you newspaper this week titled: "Payne's Nebraska boosted state's economy and profile." I have lived in Nebraska for over 25 years now, call it home, saw the movie and disagree with your premise that it boosted our profile...