Stories from Monday, April 15, 2002

GREAT FALLS, Mont. -- Jamie Chase Shepherd and Kenneth Wright Nelson were united in marriage Jan. 5, 2002, at our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Great Falls, Mont. with the Rev. Lothair Krauth officiating. Parents of the couple are Russell Shepherd of Highwood, Mont., Alan and Donna Johnson of Great Falls, and Tyre and Lenore Nelson of Hayes Center...

The family of Thomas and Bertilla (Hickert) Conroy are hosting an open house in honor of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary. They were married April 22, 1952, at St. Joseph Church in New Almelo, Kan. The open house will be Sunday, April 21, from 1-3 p.m., at the Nebraska National Guard Armory in McCook. ...

Amanda Sue Haag and Aaron Mathew Peterson, both of McCook, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Steve and Shari Haag of McCook and Mike and Lisa Peterson of Lincoln. The bride-to-be is a full-time college student and is self-employed. The prospective bridegroom is employed at W Design and Associates. A May 25, 2002, ceremony is planned at St. Catherine's Catholic Church in Indianola...

Johnne Jacobs and Bert Maxfield, both of Colby, Kan., announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Louise and Velinda Jacobs of Sublette, Kan., and Jim and Connie Maxfield of Wauneta. Grandparents of the couple are Mr. and Mrs. ...

Debra Monasmith of McCook and John Monasmith of Wauneta announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Burdell and Jeanie Thurston of McCook, the late Johnnie Jones, and the late Marion and Ruth Monasmith. The bride-to-be is a teacher at the ESU No. 15 STEP Alternative Education program. The prospective bridegroom is a self-employed truck driver. A May 18, 2002, ceremony is planned at McCook Evangelical Free Church...

Judy Fay Shull of McCook and James Jacob Rohr of Ransom, Kan., announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are the late Elsie Shull, and Leonard and Marjorie Rohr of Ransom. The bride-to-be is employed at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. The prospective bridegroom is employed at C & R Salvage at Ransom. A June 1, 2002, ceremony is planned at the First Christian Church in McCook...

Ryan Walters of Lincoln, the son of Dennis and Terresa (Conroy) Walters, is hosting a card shower in honor of his parents' 25th anniversary April 16. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at Route 1 Box 95, Danbury, NE 69026.

What is the definition of an accountant? Someone who solves a problem you didn't know you had in a way you don't understand. Our system of taxation, which began in 1861 as a "temporary" revenue source to fund the Civil War, has blossomed into a perplexing myriad of laws and loopholes. Consider this simplified history lesson on our federal tax system:...

Dear Editor, Only serious thinking can solve the states acute budget problems. The situation is essentially this: How to generate more revenue without raising taxes? Common sense is the key. One viable and perfectly rational idea is this: sell our Republican River water to Kansas. ...

It is within the power of the board of governors of the Mid-Plains Community College Area to greatly enhance the stature and image of the institutions of higher learning in this region. All the governors have to do is to take action to return the technical school in North Platte and the two-year colleges in McCook and North Platte to their rightful titles...

Medical men and pharmacists arrived in McCook almost as soon as the Lincoln Land Co. began selling lots for the new community. One of the first buildings erected in Fairview (which predated McCook) was a "drug store." In the early days "doctors" did not always have formal certification documents, but the presence of fine medical persons in our community from 1882 until the present day is one, which the citizens of McCook have taken much pride...

This week I read the accounts of my grandfather's death on the No. 6 passenger train on the morning of June 28, 1942. David E. Booth was a Burlington Route conductor and his run was between McCook and Hastings. Near Heartwell, he suffered a heart attack in the washroom, fell against the door and died. From all that I know of him, he was a very nice man...

A lot of attention has been directed lately at racial and ethnic profiling. First, with Blacks being targeted at certain airports as potential drug couriers, and now people from the Middle East as potential terrorists. As with practically anything worthy of discussion, there are pros and cons to the whole business of profiling...