Stories from Monday, April 4, 2016

Marie Bailey July 15, 1927 - April 2, 2016 OBERLIN, Kan. -- Marie Bailey, 88, died Saturday (April 2, 2016), at her residence at her rural Jennings, Kan. She was born July 15, 1927, in rural Norcatur, Kan. to Christopher F. and Nyra (Garton) Green. She graduated from Norcatur High School and from Normal Training School in Hays. She married Marvin Bailey on Sept. 27, 1947, in Oberlin. She was a farmwife and nursing assistant at Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin...

Magdalene Loretta Thompson Aug. 29, 1956- March 30, 2016 CURTIS, Neb. -- Magdalene Loretta Thompson, 59, of Curtis, Nebraska, died March 30, 2016, in Cozad, Neb. She was born Aug. 29, 1956, in Washington, D.C., Md., to Joseph Robert and Magdalene Cecelia (Elco) Kulesza. ...

Duane Herman Leibbrandt Dec. 8, 1947 - April 1, 2016 McCOOK, Neb. -- Duane Herman Leibbrandt, age 68, passed away Friday, April 1, 2016, at Community Hospital of McCook. Duane was born Dec. 8, 1947, to Herman and Mildred (Cottingham) Leibbrandt in McCook. He graduated from McCook High School in 1966 then attended Curtis Technical College for two years. Later on he would attend McCook Community College for several years...

90th birthday The family of Oren Carter of McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of his 90th birthday on Thursday, April 7. Cards of congratulations will reach him at 1503 E. Fifth, McCook, NE 69001.

60th anniversary The family of Norbert and Betty Klumpe of Maywood is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 60th wedding anniversary on Tuesday, April 12. They were married in Wellfleet, Neb. at St. Williams Catholic Church. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 411 W Oak, Maywood, NE 69038...

After several weeks, the legislature arrived this past week on the topic which many have worried about and looked forward to: property tax relief. Specifically, we spent many hours debating LB 958 and LB 959, the bills introduced at the request of the Governor. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- McCook's Runza Restaurant and 77 others will be donating 10 percent of all proceeds from Tuesday's sales to the TeamMates Mentoring Program. "TeamMates and Runza are two organizations founded in Nebraska and we are honored to be able to partner together to support our youth," said Suzanne Hince, executive director of the TeamMates Mentoring Program...

Brett Alan of the local CRB Band takes the stage with the Confederate Railroad to perform "Luchenbach, Texas," with Mo Thaxton, left (a former member of Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show), lead singer Danny Shirley, right, and Bobby Randall, back right, former member of Sawyer Brown. ...

Eli Kehler, and other fifth graders at Central Elementary in McCook, enjoy a visit from Sharon Bennett's certified therapy dog, Molly, as a reward for a job well done on a recent quiz in their social studies class. Molly has such a calming effect on students and quickly brings a smile to their faces, Bennett said, adding, "Students love it, and Molly loves it as well. I see it as a win/win situation." More pictures can be seen on the McCook Central Elementary Facebook page...

CULBERTSON, Neb. -- A fundraiser for the new Culbertson Library is set for the Culbertson Fire Barn, 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday. Hosts will be the Culbertson Fire Department and Culbertson Rescue Squad. Hamburgers, brats, and ice cream will be served for a free-will donation...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival, McCook City Library and McCook Senior High will celebrate Poetry Month from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in the basement of the city library. Ginny Odenbach, McCook's poet laureate, will be the featured speaker. She will also facilitate presentations from selected students...

Shirley Johnson of McCook, who once operated an air service with her son, Jay, and late husband, Milt, submitted this old photo of the McCook Municipal Airport. Of note is a World War II P-38 Lightning parked on the tarmac, as well as the post-Korea-era F-86H, which arrived in McCook in 1970, that still guards the terminal...

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. -- The Nebraska State Patrol has announced the promotion of Lieutenant Jamey Balthazor to the position of Captain in Command of Troop E- Scottsbluff. A 16-year veteran of the Nebraska State Patrol, Balthazor, 41, served his first duty assignment with the Field Services Division in Imperial...

"Follow the money" was the advice "Deep Throat" gave to Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, investigating the Watergate break-in that eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. If they were doing their job with today's access to the Internet, Woodward and Bernstein might have found a lot of that money headed overseas...

On April 18, 1942 Lt. Col. James (Jimmy) Doolittle led an intrepid group of aviators, flying 16 B-25 medium bombers on a daring raid to the heart of the Japanese Empire, providing a badly needed boost to the morale of the American people in the early months of the war, following the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941...

Lily Florence Wilcox March 7, 1926 - April 2, 2016 McCOOK, Neb. -- Lily Florence Wilcox, age 90, passed away Saturday, April 2, 2016, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. She was born on March 7, 1926, to Lige Higgins Mitchell and Fannie Lee Russell in Carlsbad, N.M. She graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1945...

Luanne E. Haller Aug. 3, 1929 - April 3, 2016 McCOOK, Neb. -- Luanne E. Haller, age 86, passed away at her home in McCook on Sunday, April 3, 2016. She was born in McCook on Aug. 3, 1929, to Edward and Frances (Wormwood) Beneda. She graduated from McCook High School in 1947. After graduation, she attended McCook Junior College. Luanne was a proud cheerleader for the Indians. In 1973, she received her special education degree from Kearney State College...