Stories from Friday, August 23, 2002

Thunder clouds darkened the western sky early Thursday morning as Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson started his drought tour on the Peters farm southwest of McCook. But when the senator left Randy Peters standing in his barren, bent and broken cornfield an hour later, the clouds broke up, the sun peeked through and only about 20 lonely raindrops left plop-marks in the deep dust. Typical...

McCook City Councilman Chris Overman is facing a real dilemma. During the regular meeting of the McCook City Council, Councilman Overman announced he would be moving to Kearney in early November. Overman said he planned to stay on the council until the decision on McCook's water problem could be resolved...

12 Pearls, shown here during a concert last spring at The Pepper, will appear in concert Saturday as part of the fifth annual Carpé Forté at the west side shelter house in Barnett Park. After the Order, a band from Holdrege will open the event and The Pepper Praise Band, led by Jason VanPelt, associated pastor at McCook Christian Church, will also appear. The Christian pop/Christian rock concert is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Organizers are requesting a $5 donation for admission...

Participants in the the primitive camping/cooking session at the Women's Wilderness Weekend at South Central 4-H Camp near Republican City (Harlan County Lake) enjoy a modern day break with a can of pop. The event drew 140 women from around Nebrsaka. ...

LINCOLN -- Eustis-Farnam, Twin Valley and Grant fourth graders scored perfect scores on the Department of Education's statewide writing assessment, the results of which were released Wednesday. The writing tests, administered to fourth graders last spring, tested the percentage of students who were proficient at meeting or exceeding the state's writing standards. Across the state, 72.51 percent of all fourth graders had proficient writing skills...

LINCOLN -- Gov. Mike Johanns learned Thursday afternoon that U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman has declared 56 counties in Nebraska disaster areas due to extreme weather conditions, including drought. With the announcement, each of Nebraska's 93 counties has been declared a primary disaster area. ...

This column is dedicated to my mother and any other working mothers who (stupidly) gave their child their phone number at work. Across the area, there is a huge sigh of relief as classes resume at most area schools and a summer ritual (thankfully) comes to an end -- phone calls to mom at work...

A recent poll by ESPN or FOX or some network who was the most out of touch with reality and fans -- Major League Baseball owners or players. There should have been a third part to the poll -- both. There should have been a fourth part to the question -- fans...

Herman Trauernicht YORK -- Herman Trauernicht, 83, died Wednesday (Aug. 21, 2002) at his home in York. He was born June 27, 1919, at Anselmo to Herman and Bertha (Farner) Trauernicht. He spent his early years farming south of Eustis. On May 31, 1931, he married Joan Nelson at Gering. He served in the U. S. Army during World War II as a Military Policeman in Washington, D.C...

LINCOLN -- Margaret B. "Peg" McCallum, 93, died Thursday (Aug. 22, 2002) in Lincoln. She was born July 31, 1909, to Dr. Robert C. and Laura (Sexton) Byers in Nickerson. She graduated from Fremont High School in 1927. She then attended Randolph Macon Women's College in Virginia for one year and went on to graduate from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1931...