Stories from Thursday, June 20, 2002

Submitted by Amanda Vincent of McCook. Entry No. 447.

Dear Editor: To start out, I really liked the letter Todd Blake had in the Tuesday, June 18 Gazette. But to answer the question, "Where is God?" I would like to say God is just where you want him to be. If you want him on the back shelf, that is where he will be. If you want him to live in your heart, that is where he will be...

Dear Editor: Your Editorial on June 19, 2002, entitled, "Let Volunteers Do The Job They Were Assigned," missed the entire point of the discussion on this issue at the June 18th meeting of the Water Advisory Committee Meeting. At no time in the discussion did members of the city staff or the consulting engineers even suggest what your editorial infers- by-passing the Water Advisory Committee...

Three years ago, Donny Sailors asked Terry Sitzman to help him put on a car show as a special, added event during the McCook Speedway race season. The two didn't know what to expect, but the car show proved popular from the start and has continued to grow...

ATWOOD -- Kansas Bureau of Investigation officers have discovered the remains of a methamphetamine lab at a farmhouse south of Atwood. The Rawlins County Square Deal said KBI and Rawlins County sheriff's officers found starting fluid, a gassing chamber bottle, lithium battery strips, rock salt and other paraphernalia needed to make meth...

A Culbertson woman was sentenced June 12 for criminal mischief and theft charges in district court. Jessica A. Smudde, 18, was sentenced to serve 24 months probation for a July 20, 2001 incident where Smudde and Rebecca Minary (previously sentenced in district court) vandalized a car owned by Hollie Wayman. ...

NORTH PLATTE -- The Mid Plains Board of Governors has decided to table some of its spending plans until it can be determined what the state of Nebraska will do during the special session of the Nebraska Legislature. At its regular meeting at the North Platte Technical Campus, the finance committee decided not to forward a recommendation to purchase computers for the McCook and North Platte campuses for a total cost of $137,075 until it was determined how state budget cuts would affect the college.. ...

Work progresses on the new medical office building at Community Hospital of McCook, and the hospital's portion of the renovation project at the Stinnette Building on West C is nearly complete. Hospital President Gary Bieganski told the hospital board of directors during its regular meeting Wednesday morning a large room in the new medical office building has been designated as a meeting room, and can be used to house the hospital's expanding interactive video/distance learning network...

The city of McCook can rest assured as long as it continues to make a serious effort to solve its water problems, the state of Nebraska will not step in and impose fines or penalties, according to a state official. That statement came Wednesday afternoon from Jack Daniel, administrator of the Environmental Health Protection Services of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services...

Dale Blake of rural Danbury sweeps debris from the scene of a two-vehicle accident Wednesday afternoon 11/2 miles east of Danbury on Highway 89. The collision injured nine Danbury-area residents. Emergency personnel from Beaver Valley, Indianola and McCook transported the victims to hospitals in McCook and Cambridge. ...

Nebraska's budget problems aren't going unnoticed in Washington, Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson told a group of 11 McCook residents at a conference call at the McCook Chamber of Commerce office this morning. Nelson said he is cosponsoring an amendment with Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, which would increase the percentage of funding to states for Medicaid and Health and Human Services...

Following a two month long exercise in remodeling, I've expressed my strong aversion to hammers, saws, screwdrivers, sandpaper and paint to my husband. He was very understanding -- he's experienced that same aversion from the inception of our remodeling project...

Bernice Lucille Vaughn, 76, died Tuesday (June 18, 2002) at Community Hospital of McCook. She was born Aug. 30, 1925, at Indianola to Ivan H. and Matilda Mary (Colling) Quigley. She graduated from Indianola High School in 1942, and continued her education, earning a teaching certificate. She taught in several rural schools near Indianola and McCook. She was also employed as a telephone operator for Northwestern Bell for some time after high school graduation...

Theresa Margaret Schmidt, 87, died Monday (June 17, 2002) at Community Hospital of McCook. She was born Oct. 15, 1914, at Indianola to Joseph and Mary (Malleck) Fidnarik. She lived all of her life in the Indianola and McCook communities. On July 30, 1933, she married Marion Adolph Schmidt. She was employed as a clerk for more than 24 years with the Woolworth Store...