Stories from Monday, September 9, 2002

Red Willow Western rural firefighters fought a grass fire early Sunday morning at the point south of the swimming bay at Hugh Butler Lake north of McCook. Fire Chief Bill Elliott said this morning about four acres of grass burned. The cause of the blaze is unknown, he said. The fire was reported at 12:45 a.m.; the six fire trucks and personnel returned to the fire barn by 2:15 a.m...

HASTINGS -- Rylee June Ogg and Jeremy Allen Shaw, both of McCook, were united in marriage on April 27, 2002, at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in Hastings with the Rev. James Meysenburg officiating. Parents of the couple are Sid and Teresa Peterson of Bushnell and Eugene and Linda Shaw of Hastings...

NORTH PLATTE -- Jody Jeanelle McFarland of Maxwell and Travis Dee Lawson of Tigard, Ore., were united in marriage July 20, 2002, at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in North Platte, with the Rev. Fred Simon officiating. Parents of the couple are Robert and Roselyn McFarland of Maxwell and Gaylord and Debra Lawson of Hayes Center...

The children of Raymond and Barbara Durner are hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary Sept. 14. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at HC 68, Box 28, Bartley, NE 69020.

Jodi Marie Brand and Blake Ryan Bethell, both of McCook, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are JoAnn Brand of McCook, the late Alton Brand and Ted and Dixie Bethell, also of McCook. Grandparents of the couple are Evelyn Fahnholz of McCook, the late Walter Fahnholz, the late Ernest McMullen, the late Eloise Coleman, Ray and Marlene Johnson of McDonald and the late Jeanette Bethell. ...

COLBY, Kan. -- Johnne Jacobs and Bert Maxfield, both of Colby, Kan., were united in marriage June 15, 2002, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Colby with the Rev. Galen Long officiating. Parents of the couple are Louis and Velinda Jacobs of Sublette, Kan., and Jim and Connie Maxfield of Wauneta...

Joan Parsons of McCook and Lt. Cmdr. Randy Crysel of Lincoln announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Ivan and Bonnie Worley of Hastings, Joyce and Charles Krueger of Buena Vista, Colo., and Roy and Patricia Crysel of Cleveland, Texas. ...

The family of Ann Korell is hosting a card shower in honor of her 90th birthday, Sept. 18. Her children include Van and Jan Korell and Vicky and Dick Powell. Cards of congratulations will reach her at P.O. Box 1447, McCook, NE 69001.

Your first car, your first kiss, your child's first day of school or the day you received the call announcing the birth of your first grandchild should be etched in your memory for a lifetime. But for some that's not the case. Alzheimer's is a disease that, in the early stages, robs those precious memorys and, in later stages, robs the sufferer of the ability to care for themselves...

The first household waste facility in Nebraska is finally up and running in its new home. The McCook program hit several road blocks befrore approval was made on a location along South Street and Burlington Road. The money for the project came from a grant award from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality in the amount of $375,000 in July 2000...

Dear Ms. Wilmot: Please accept my appreciation for the article you provided concerning the reprehensible stand taken by the National Education Association (NEA) concerning the attack on this country last September 11. A group of people were responsible for this attack, and to deny this truth is absolute nonsense...

Dear Editor: Can there be any middle ground in what was called Meopotamia (land between to rivers) or Iraq? During CNN and Fox news coverage, President George W. Bush spoke about a change of battlefield. He also announced that he would talk about Iraq on Thursday. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, stood beside him in the same interview and stated that the threat from Iraq is real...

Responding to the people wanting to put the air conditioners in the schools -- I think it is so nice of them to want to do something. The wiring in the schools cannot take all of these running at the same time. I wish it could. Seems like one of the schools tried one at one time and it just kept blowing breakers. Also, how are they going to teach above the noise when they are running?...

Tickets go on sale Tuesday for the upcoming dinner theatre "Morning's at Seven," presented by the Southwest Nebraska Community Theatre Association. Tickets are available at Hershberger's Music, 202 W. First, from 1-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday...

NORTH PLATTE -- Bids to renovate McMillen Hall on the McCook campus is part of a special meeting for the Mid-Plains Community College Area board of governors Wednesday at the Technical Campus in North Platte. The board will begin with a budget hearing at 5:10 p.m., followed at 5:20 p.m. with the property tax hearing. The special meeting begins at 5:30 p.m...

STRATTON -- The Methodist Church and the community of Stratton plan a benefit pancake supper for Larry and DeeAnn Eden, who lost their home, belongings and truck in a flood south of Swanson Lake Aug. 26. The supper will be Sunday, Sept. 22, from 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., at the Grand View senior center in Stratton. Free will donations will be accepted...

McCook Senior High cheerleaders are: (from left) co-captain Kristi Corder, Marisa Gonshor, Monica Horkey, Amy Wheelbarger, Lauren Pankonin, Kendra Bates, Deanna Carpenter, Ande Arterburn, Erica Arterburn and co-captain Jill Hansen.

More than 60 people attended the first Memory Walk for Alzheimer's in McCook on Sunday at Norris Park, and raised approximately $5,000. Event coordinators were "extremely pleased" with the effort and the support of the community, according to Shirley Roath of North Platte. ...

The South Platte United Chambers of Commerce (SPUCC) will meet Sept. 10, in Cambridge for the Board of Directors meeting, State Senators panel, social hour and dinner program. More information can be obtained by calling Andela Taylor at (308) 697-3711...

A Doak Construction crew moves a sheep barn on the Red Willow County fairgrounds to make room for the new Kiplinger Equestrian Arena to be built this fall and winter. The arena will be 140x300 feet and will be used for horse, livestock and agriculture activities. McCook-area rancher Tom Kiplinger has donated the funds needed to build the $600,000 structure. Manipulating the crane was Jim Howard; "walking" the sheep barn corners were Bob Fritsch (above) and Jeremy Guerrero...

A blood draw is set for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the McCook Armory. Anyone who is 17 years old, weighs at least 110 pounds and is in good health is welcome to attend.

Red Willow District Judge John Battershell sentenced a McCook man Friday to 90 days in jail on Red Willow and Hitchcock county charges of third degree assault (two counts), reckless driving and possession of methamphetamine. Christian R. Schaffert, 26, was also placed on probation for 12 months and fined $500...

The McCook Art Guild hosted its fourth annual fundraising auction Thursday night at the home of Van and Jan Korell. Guild president Anne Kennedy said they had approximately 140-150 people in attendance. Early figures indicate the club raised approximately $5,000 including ticket sales and funds raised through the auction...

WAUNETA -- Lifetime Wauneta resident and business owner Gene Harchelroad succumbed to cancer Friday, after a lengthy battle with the illness. He was 73. Harchelroad, the owner of Harchelroad Motors of Imperial and Wauneta, celebrated the 50th anniversary of his business in May...

CULBERTSON -- Cross the wooden bridge, walk along the path. Listen to the water gurgling in the creek, and the birds in the trees. Feel the cool breeze. Enjoy the walk, get some exercise. The "Twin Rivers Walking Trail" that skirts the south edge of Culbertson and traces the Frenchman River is complete, and coordinators encourage area residents to "take a hike" for their soul and their body...

Cooler school days may be ahead for McCook's elementary students if the McCook Board of Education approves a plan by local businessmen to raise funds for 30 air conditioning units for the city's elementary schools. Jay Austin of Coyote Country and Mark Sarver of Sitel Corporation will present a plan to the board at its regular meeting Monday 7:30 p.m., in the McCook Junior High conference room to purchase 30, 220 volt air conditioners with a minimum of 14,000 BTUs...

Heartland of America -- McCook is the theme for this year's Heritage Days Celebration. Organizers are especially pleased with the first Cowboy Poets Jamboree, B-29 and B-24 visit and other new events, according to the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce...

WAUNETA -- Gene Bruce Harchelroad, 73, died Friday (Sept. 6, 2002) at Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial. He was born Oct. 23, 1928, at Palisade to Harvey B. and Elizabeth (Curd) Harchelroad. He attended country school near Hamlet and continued his education at Wauneta, graduating from Wauneta High School in 1947...

CAMBRIDGE -- Elizabeth Ann "Babe" Scott, 95, died Wednesday (Sept. 4, 2002) in Thornton, Colo. She was born Jan. 13, 1907, to Joseph and Minnie (Fitzgibbon) Hiatt. On Jan. 26, 1926, she married George B. Scott. The couple made their home on a farm north of Cambridge. She was a homemaker and she worked at the thrift shop in Cambridge...

IMPERIAL -- Arba "Shorty" Norton Yost, 82, died Friday (Sept. 6, 2002) at the Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial. He was born Nov. 16, 1919, in Champion to Will and Alta (Inman) Yost. On Feb. 14, 1941, he married Florence Mae Anderson in Goodland, Kan. ...

WAUNETA -- Beverly Ann Troudt, 63, died Thursday (Sept. 5, 2002) at her home north of Wauneta. She was born March 1, 1939, at Ogallala to Jack S. and Georgiann (Fenwick) Brogan. She started her schooling at Keystone and graduated from St. Patrick's Academy in Sidney in 1956. She then attended Loretta Heights in Denver, Colo...

STRATTON -- Adeline M. Stehno, 79, died Saturday (Sept.7, 2002) at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. She was born June 30, 1923, to Joseph and Rosie (Kacirek) Janousek, south of Stratton in Rawlins County, Kan., and attended Prairie View country school near her home. She later attended Notre Dame Academy in Omaha, where she graduated from high school in 1941. After returning to the Stratton area, she worked as a nurse for Dr. L. B. Brown from 1941 to 1946...

Wednesday is the one- year anniversary of the most deadly attack ever by outside forces on United States soil, including Pearl Harbor. The horrifying events of that day changed our lives forever. It was the day our bubble of insulation and protection burst. It was the day we lost our innocence. How are we today and what does the future hold?...

The last week of September 1942, brought heavy rains to the air base construction site but by the 30th, the sun had dried the dirt out to where the cats could work. A separate infirmary building was built on the base with registered nurses--ready in case of any accidental injuries on the job. The nurses worked in shifts the same as the men-two 10-hour shifts to keep the 20-hour days of construction progressing...

In 1944, Richard Price, now of Stratton, boarded the USS Tryon as an 18-year-old medical corpsman. This was Pierce's first voyage and he eagerly looked forward to real adventure. The Tryon was a new type of vessel, one of only four of this type in the United States Navy. She was designed to do double duty; first, as a combat ship, supporting an invasion by bringing fresh troops to the invasion site...

SELDEN -- Leslie Leroy Paulson, 77, died Saturday (Sept. 7, 2002) at the Sheridan County Hospital in Hoxie, Kan. He was born Jan. 30, 1925, to Arvig and Mary (Jones) Paulson in Yuma, Kan. He graduated from Woodston High School in Woodston, Kan. He served in the U.S. Army...