Stories from Monday, July 15, 2002

Stormy Dean, Democratic candidate for Nebraska governor will make a stop in McCook on Tuesday as part of his "Stromin' with Stormy Tour" of Southern Nebraska. Dean will be available at the Country Kitchen for a dutch treat breakfast from 7 - 8 a.m., where he will discuss topics ranging from the drought affection Nebraska to the upcoming special session in the Legislature, education and gambling...

BEARDSLEY -- Bridget Flemming and Levi Pochop were united in marriage on Dec. 29, 2001, at St. John Catholic Church in Beardsley with the Rev. Damian Richards officiating. Parents of the couple are Dave and Deb Flemming of Bird City and Gerard and Anita Pochop of McDonald...

Tasha Leigh Heiden of Hampton and Kirch Anton Martin of Indianola announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Allan and Edna Heiden of Hampton and Robert and Liane Martin of Herndon. Grandparents and great-grandparents are Grace VanHorn of Aurora, Melvin Heiden of Hampton, Ralph Read Jr. ...

Laurie Diane Riggs and Anthony Ervin Baxter, both of Broken Bow, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Diane Riggs and Dewayne Riggs of Stratton and B.J. and Rod Baxter of Broken Bow. Grandparents of the couple are Dean and Wyona Shackelford of Trenton, Penny and David Jolly of Reedpoint, Mont., Gary Riggs of Watkins, Colo., Isabelle McCandless of Merna and Irma Baxter of Broken Bow. ...

Andrea Ambrose of Westminister, Colo., and Todd Cappel of Scott City, Kan., announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Dick Ambrose of North Platte, Dennis and Jackie Ginther of Lafayette, Colo., and Dick and Kathie Cappel of McCook. ...

Janet Harding and Marc Rasmussen, both of Cambridge, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Don and Annie Harding of Cambridge and Mike and Peggy Rasmussen of Lincoln. The bride-to-be is a 2001 graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney and she is employed with the Twin Valley Public Power District in Cambridge. ...

The family of Dean and Donna Knutson is hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 50th anniversary, Aug. 2. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 1921 South Seventh Street, Council Bluffs, IA 51501.

The family of Harley and Dessa (Richter) Phares is requesting a card shower in honor of the couples 65th anniversary, July 18. Their family is DeAnna Schutte, Judy and husband, Gary Malone and Jeanene and husband, Jerry Smith, all of Palisade. The couple has six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulation will reach the couple at P.O. Box 2, Palisade, NE 69040...

John and Peggy Walters of Broken Bow and Dennis and Donna Grafel of McCook would like to announce the engagement of their children, Stephanie Walters to Douglas Grafel. Grandparents of the couple are C.O. and Maude Walters, Carl and Ethyl Rezabek, all of Grand Island, Loren and Verona Chapman of Hays and Ray and Barbara Grafel of McCook. ...

I'm sorry for the families of the kids who were in the July 4 accident. However I would like to remind the high school kids that were upset about the mock disaster earlier this year, that things like this do happen and you should take the warnings over drinking and drviving seriously...

In the Great Plains, weather information is critical. Distance is the reason. When storms hit, travelers can be stranded far from the nearest town, and ranchers can be miles away from marooned cattle. Minutes are of the essence. A little extra warning time can be the difference between difficulty and disaster...

To the Editor: I would like to commend the McCook Gazette for the fine editorial on George W. Norris. My wife and I visited McCook last year and toured the Norris home. We had a wonderful experience at the home and enjoyed your beautiful city. I would encourage every citizen to check out the Norris home and learn more about this incredible man who changed our state in so many ways...

REWARD! In abbreviated form, that's the name chosen for the grant-writing program launched last September by six McCook area agencies. Known in full as "Regional Efforts Win Additional Regional Dollars," the REWARD project is a cooperative project funded by the City of McCook, Red Willow County, McCook Public Schools, Red Willow County Mutual Finance Organization, Community Hospital and the McCook Economic Development Corp. ...

Terry and Leslie Smith of Holbrook and Robert and Connie Andrews of Cambridge announced the engagement and upcoming marriage of their children, Lona M. Smith and Keith D. Andrews. The couple is planning a July 27, 2002 ceremony at the First United Methodist Church in Arapahoe...

Ron and Cecilia Neseth of Schoenchen, Kan., announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their daughter, Crystal Marie Neseth to Brandon Kenneth Warner, the son of Jim and Carol Warner of Bison, Kan. Grandmother of the bride-to-be is Dorothy Tines of Cambridge. ...

INDIANOLA -- Amanda Sue Haag and Aaron Matthew Peterson, both of McCook, were united in marriage May 25, 2002 at St. Catherines Catholic Church in Indianola with the Rev. Gary Brethour, of St. Patrick's Church in McCook, officiating. Parents of the couple are Steve and Shari Haag of McCook and Michael and Lisa Peterson of Lincoln...

Results so far include: Dept: B Communications & Expressive Arts Div: B155 Music Contest Class: B155002 Song Group Placings... Purple -- Family & Friends, Blue -- Little Rascals, Farmer Charmers, Class: B155901 Solo or Duet Placings... Purple -- Nielsen-Sheffield, Kaleb...

The 4-H Project Premium Sale will be held on Monday, July 22 at 6 p.m. The sale will be held under the big top arena located near the entrance of the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. An Appreciation Social will be held following the sale for 4-H premium sale buyers and 4-H families...

Results of the Crazy Days poker run and car show have been released. Marla Hamilton of Champion had the best hand and Connie Haller of McCook the second-best in the poker run. Rick Hein, Parker Dayco plant manager, organized the event, and Dave Stout of the McCook Radio Group provided music all day on Saturday, according to Chamber of Commerce Manager Marie Owen. ...

Relive your 4-H showmanship experiences. In celebration of the 4-H Centennial, the Red Willow County 4-H Centennial Committee is having a Alumni Beef Showmanship Show. For a $10 entry fee, 4-H alumni can demonstrate their skills at the July 20 event...

McCook Public Schools board of education members will continue discussions of school policy concerning extended trips and student fees for extracurricular activities during their regular meeting Monday, at 7:30 p.m. in the junior high conference room...

HOLBROOK -- Holbrook residents plan their annual "Holbrook Days," Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 19, 20 and 21. The theme for weekend activities will be "Faithful we will stand united." Commemorative T-shirts will be available. The schedule is:...

Vern Esch of rural Indianola and his hobby of fabricating scale-model farm equipment for pedal tractors are featured in the July issue of the "Toy Farmer" magazine, published in LaMoure, N.D. Esch told Toy Farmer reporter Debbie Behne his first creation was a two-bottom plow for the John Deere 60 pedal tractor that once belonged to his brother-in-law. ...

NORTH PLATTE -- Author Peter Davidson will present a seminar, "How to Write a Children's Picture Book," at the McDonald-Belton Campus of the Mid-Plains Community College Area in North Platte on Friday, Aug. 9, from 9am to 4 p.m. The writer's seminar is for anyone interested in writing and/or illustrating children picture books for possible publication...

McCook barbecue restaurant Taste of Texas conveys get well wishes to employees Stephen "Petie" Peterson and Shawn Nelson of McCook, injured in a car accident July 5. Peterson has been transferred from Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where he is listed in fair and improving condition. ...

The McCook City Council will conduct a public hearing concerning a Class A liquor license for Western Staab, Inc., owners of the McCook Pizza Hut at its regular meeting Monday night in the Council Chambers of Memorial Auditrorium. In additon, the council will be asked to approve an amendment to the municipal sewer department code which gives specific instruction on how a job site that includes alley or street excavaions are to be managed on second reading...

WASHINGTON, DC -- In a ceremony this week, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson was awarded the 2002 Congressional Scholarship Award. The award, presented by the Fund for American Studies, honors one U.S. Senator each year who understands the importance of the relationship between business and government in a free market...

The Red Willow County 4-H Talent Show contest and Public Fashion Revue will be at the Norris Park Band Shell Saturday. Numerous song groups, solos and instrumental numbers will be performed by local 4-H'ers as well as many modeling their clothing projects that they constructed. The evening begins at 6:30 and will conclude with refreshments in celebration of 4-H's Centennial...

HASTINGS -- Francis L. Sprenkle, 73, died Sunday (June 14, 2002) at Bryan LGH Medical Center East in Lincoln. He was born Feb. 27, 1929, to Benjamin F. and Ruth (Pond) Sprenkle at Spencer. He graduated from high school and attended college for two years. He served in the U. S. Air Force from 1948-68...

ATWOOD -- Nyla J. (Brown ) Beall, 51, died Friday (July 12, 2002) at the Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan. She was born Feb. 23, 1951, to Joseph T. and Wilma L. (Wederski) Brown at Atwood. On Aug. 17, 1970, she married Herman L. Beall at Atwood. She worked as a certified nurse's aide and medication aide. She was also an emergency medical technician and a homemaker...

There's a scene in the movie that share's its name with today's column where Billy Crystal tells Meg Ryan as they're traveling from Chicago to New York that men cannot have platonic relationships with women they find attractive. Few things truer have ever been said...

Part I The Pacific Ocean is a vast sea, dotted by islands, large and small. After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese controlled most of these islands. In some of the fiercest fighting of the war the United States began the long road back, through these islands, leading to the invasion of Japan itself. ...

Livestock in the McCook area benefited directly from the activities at the emerging McCook Army Air Base north of town. In order to give Army engineers an unencumbered view of the runways-to-be, wide swaths of cornfields were being cut and made into ensilage for cattle so the dirt-moving crews could begin their work...

OBERLIN -- Francis G. Hackney, 88, died Thursday (July 11, 2002) at the Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. He was born March 13, 1914, to George W. and Hattie Helen (Ginther) Hackney in Decatur County. He attended Plainview Grade School and graduated from Decatur County High School in 1933. He served in the U. S. Army with Company D 554th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion. He moved back to Oberlin where he lived on the family farm southwest of Oberlin. He was a farmer...