Stories from Wednesday, August 28, 2002

DUNDY COUNTY --"We watched it building all day," said Benkelman city employee Mike Clark. "It was huge, and went from black, to blue." "They said it was moving north," Clark said, "but it didn't." Dundy County residents reported anywhere from four to 11 inches of rain and grapefruit-sized hail from that monstrous late summer storm Monday...

Can it be that the long, hot summer is over? With 80-degree temperatures forecast for the next couple of days, and 90s over the Labor Day weekend, there's no danger of frostbite any time soon. But those strings of 100-plus days won't have to be endured any more this year -- we hope...

CASPER, Wyo. -- Keith and Jaci Schoup of Casper, Wyo. announce the birth of a daughter, Hannah Elizabeth, born Friday (June 7, 2002). She weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces. She has a sister, Abigail, 2. Grandparents are Dick and Cheryl Rintamaki of Casper, Russell and Karen Bandemere of Torrington, Wyo. and Carol Schoup and Cliff Schoup of McCook. Great-grandmothers are Darlene Bandemere of Torrington and Miriam Brown of Scottsbluff...

LINCOLN -- Marshal and Becky (Polk) Rogers of Lincoln announce the birth of their daughter, Emily Clair, on Friday (Aug. 16, 2002). She weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces. She has two brothers, Isaac, 31/2, and John, 22 months. Grandparents are Ron and Jean Rogers of McCook and Jim and Patty Polk of Lincoln. Great-grandparents include Paul and Ruby Aherns of McCook...

HASTINGS -- Lindsey and John Steer Jr. of Hastings announce the birth of their daughter, Kaylee Jo on Friday (Aug. 16, 2002) at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital. She weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces. Grandparents are Doug and Kaye Linner of rural Hendley and Fran Steer of Indianola. Great-grandparents include Wendell and Goldie Wentling of rural Hendley and George Steer and Geraldine Kage, both of Lincoln...

ADAMS -- Jonathan and Lesley (Ringenberg) Nordhausen of Adams announce the birth of a son, Mason Dietrich, born Wednesday (Aug. 7, 2002). He weighed 8 pounds, 7.6 ounces. Grandparents are Dan and Holly Stark of Lisco, Trent Ringenberg of Eustis and Harold and Jan Nordhausen of Wauneta. Great-grandparents are Cloyd and Gwen Ringenberg of Eustis, Rhita Hock of Lexington and Alvina Nordhausen of Wauneta...

GREELEY, Colo. -- Kevin and Kathy Goforth of Greeley, Colo. announce the birth of a son, Aaron Daniel, born Friday (July 5, 2002). He weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces. He has one brother, Nathan, 14. Grandparents are Woody and Marian Sheffield of North Platte and Carol Schoup and Cliff Schoup of McCook...

A garden spider repairs his web with a whip-stitch after finding a tear. Slow flies and shorter days indicate that fall is fast approaching.

The Museum of the High Plains Historical Society is featuring three saddles through the month of August. The saddles are on loan from Del Harsh and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Pierce. Del Harsh has two side-saddles on display. Side-saddles were used by women to keep on a horse compared to just sitting sideways remain mounted. Prior to the invention of the side-saddle, women were led while on horseback, as it was otherwise hard to stay on and almost impossible to control the horse...

Tadateru Maezono of Japan makes his way toward Culbertson on Tuesday afternoon on his "Cycling Go Around the World." He said he is riding across America to raise money and awareness for the families of the September 11 victims. The 30-year-old Tokyo man started in Los Angeles, Calif., and is heading for New York City. ...

Red Willow County commissioners Tuesday morning approved a $120,000 loan from the county's loan re-use program to a telebusiness that plans to locate a facility in McCook. Commissioners also trimmed $10,000 from the fair board's 2003 budget and approved tax levies for fire departments, cemeteries and the High Plains Historical Society...

EUSTIS -- A 52-year-old man was killed in a two-vehicle accident Tuesday afternoon on a county road south of Eustis. Robert A. (Bob) Burke of rural Cambridge was driving a loaded straight truck which collided with a tractor and disk that was hung up and was blocking an old style banister bridge on a minimum maintenance road...

Discussion became heated and tempers flared during a meeting designed to discuss innovative technologies, point of use and point of entry devices, conservation and to hear an update on the test holes being drilled at three possible new well sites. Mike Milius of Olsson Associates told the McCook Water Advisory Committee his company had looked at several different technologies and considered the impact of future governmental regulations, whether the technology had been proven and the cost to implement, operate and maintain the system.. ...

When Ben was born in the summer of 1975, the mystery and secrecy of childbirth were being slowly revealed, with "natural" childbirth in its infancy. Some, though not many, forward-thinking physicians were involving fathers in the bringing forth of their sons and daughters, allowing them to pass through the double doors into labor and delivery. ...

ATWOOD -- Agnes (Kacirek) Kantor, 94, died Tuesday (Aug. 27, 2002) at the Good Samaritan Center in Atwood. A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for Friday, 10 a.m., at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church with the Rev. Damian Richards as celebrant. Interment will be at the Mount Calvary Cemetery in Atwood...