Stories from Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Kermit Karns IMPERIAL, Neb. -- Kermit Karns, 97, died Sunday (Nov. 30, 2014), at Imperial Manor Nursing Home in Imperial. Survivors include children, Celia Spady of Champion, Nebraska, Dick Karns and wife, Loretta, of Kearney, Missouri, and John Karns of Liberty, Missouri; five grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren...

Monine Elizabeth Mortensen Dec. 2, 1929 - Nov. 29, 2014 CURTIS, Neb. -- Monine Elizabeth Mortensen ended her battle with pancreatic cancer at home on Nov. 29, 2014, surrounded by family. Monine was born in Moorefield, Nebraska, on Dec. 2, 1929, to Carroll and Nona Shaffer. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook City Council unanimously elected Mike Gonzales last night to take the helm as the next mayor of McCook. Mayor Gonzales is the executive director of the McCook Ed Thomas YMCA and has served as Vice President of City Council for the last several years under former Mayor Dennis Berry...

Terry Peterson of Peterson Jewelers, above, draws Dave Koetter's name in today's McCook Area Chamber of Commerce's Countdown to Christmas daily drawing. Dee A . Spicer, left, presents the winning card from the Garden View Gift Shop at Community Hospital drawing Monday to Cassie Spencer of Culbertson and her daughter, Lily. Daily winners get $120 in gift certificates and the grand prize winner, drawn Dec. 23, gets two nights and four meals at the Lodge Casino in Blackhawk, Colorado...

City of McCook, Nebraska, firefighters douse smoldering trees and undergrowth after a blaze in the 400 block of Apollo about 5:30 p.m., Monday. Firefighters returned later in the evening after the fire rekindled. Fire chief Marc Harpham said the fire started with hot ashes from a fireplace. He said hot ashes should never be placed on dry grass or in alley trash containers, but placed in a metal container and soaked with water...

California and an interesting adventure last week. I was able to drive my son's new Chevy Volt. The Volt an all-electric car with a small gas burning engine and generator on board. Yes the much ballyhooed Chevy Volt. When you walk up to the shiny black auto it looks like most of the 2014 models on the streets today. ...

You can't watch a television commercial or visit YouTube without seeing video of someone sky diving, skateboarding, skiing, surfing or scuba diving, usually as a vehicle for selling a sports drink or beer. The advent of the GoPro camcorder, not to mention video-capable smartphones, means more and more of our lives are being captured on videotape...